Steph's 7G Planted Cube

[GAB99]

Looks what I did today!

Oooooooooooo, what macro's do you plan on using? Oh, watching this with interest.

If only somebody would watch my tanks with interest... Awwwwww



L

about time steph haha must have taken ages to get the dust out of that tank

and llj ive got the same problem haha

 

[-Nemo-]

Hahaha Gab... there was actually dust everywhere...
Am buying a light for my frag tank, so funds may not allow live rock in here for a week or two, but we'll see!

Still want to do a large group of sexy shrimp and i think one other fish besides the ponies... but I'm not entirely sure what yet.

 

[lljdma06]

I like my panda goby (Paragobius lacunicolus). He's interesting and they are super tiny. I don't think they'd bug ponies.

http/www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+31+2230&pcatid=2230

But it's up to you, clown gobies are also cute.

 

[-Nemo-]

Yea, I was originally debating a catalina, but not sure. Whatever it is needs to be able to be OK in constantly lower temps (no higher than 72F).

Mostly clear now. 2" of mineral mud, 1" of black sand

 

[lljdma06]

Then a catalina is practically ideal.

Pandas are definitely tropical. Though, this morning my pico dipped to 73. He got to be a Catalina for half the day! He's ok. Tough little fish.

I didn't know the dwarf seahorses don't need higher temps? Fill me in. There are some FL species & it was my understanding that they were tropical. The sea grasses may be an issue, though 72 may be ok for them.

 

[-Nemo-]

Dwarves are from Florida mainly, partially for the lower temp, but lower temp keeps down bacterial issues which they are prone to. I had previously checked on the lower temp. compatibility with the sexy shrimp and macros/grasses and there didn't seem to be a problem.

 

[gatorsean]

i find dwarf and larger sea horses (not sure the exact species, most are dark brown though) all the time when i wade the grass flats (fishing) where i live and the water temp will drop below 60 on cold nights. also during the summer those same areas of water will reach the upper 80s; so floridian sea horses are pretty tough temp wise.

 

[lljdma06]

i find dwarf and larger sea horses (not sure the exact species, most are dark brown though) all the time when i wade the grass flats (fishing) where i live and the water temp will drop below 60 on cold nights. also during the summer those same areas of water will reach the upper 80s; so floridian sea horses are pretty tough temp wise.

You from Punta Gorda! Get out! Another Floridian!

Exactly, they are tough. I've seen them too. The situation is that they're going from the grass flats, huge area of nitrogen sucking seagrasses, to a small tank. I understand Steph's concern for bacterial infections.

Have you looked at sailfin blennies? There are two fish that go by that common name, you'd want Emblemaria diphyodontis. That's a Floridian species too. Stays really small. You are a stone's throw from making this a teeny biotope. Shame you can't get your hands on some Haitian rock. Bet you could keep them in the lower temp as well and they wouldn't mind.

L

 

[-Nemo-]

A biotope would be super neat... why didn't I think of that before? I'm going to look into that more...

I'm going to be using man-made live rock from my work, that literally is only bacteria and coralline.... any little thing can harm the dwarves, even hydroids, so I don't want ANY hitchhikers...

 

[-Nemo-]

Live rock is in! 4.5 pounds of it!
The LEDs make it difficult to accurately capture the colors and such with my camera... still trying to play with the settings to get it correct.

I've been looking at some native carribean species but not much that is common stays small enough, and that which does, i'm not very interested in, so biotope may be out..

 

[lljdma06]

That's man-made? That looks a lot like my Haitian rock, except I got a ton hitch hikers. Yeah, sailfin blennies ain't much to look at and anything else, except maybe neon gobies, would probably not get along well with the ponies. Porcelain crabs may be really cool.

It's still going to be a pretty sweet tank. You're not doing any coral? Just macros and seagrasses? I like my FL rics in my mine.

 

[-Nemo-]

No corals! Only macros and grasses!


Annnnnnd we have cycling!
Ammonia: 0.25ppm
NitRITe: 0ppm
NitRATE: 15ppm

This rock has been known to cycle a tank super fast... looking good so far!

 

[lljdma06]

No corals! Only macros and grasses!

Sure, that's what they all say... Then the twitching starts... And then you pass that lfs frag tank... And then...

Annnnnnd we have cycling!
Ammonia: 0.25ppm
NitRITe: 0ppm
NitRATE: 15ppm

This rock has been known to cycle a tank super fast... looking good so far!

It's uncanny how much this man-made stuff behaves like Haitian rock. Very cool. I have to prune my macros soon, the hamimeda is starting to get unruly. I just haven't figured our how to prune it yet. I'm not entirely certain how to approach it. If I did figure out how to do it, would you be interested in the leftover Halimeda by any chance?

L

L

 

[-Nemo-]

Haha coral is what my 75g is for!!

I may indeed be interested in your halimeda... We used to have a small macro tank at my work that had halimeda in it... I literally just cut it to trim it and it seemed to be fine with that.

 

[lljdma06]

Haha coral is what my 75g is for!!

I may indeed be interested in your halimeda... We used to have a small macro tank at my work that had halimeda in it... I literally just cut it to trim it and it seemed to be fine with that.

When I overcome my fear to trim it, I shall do so and send you some. That's what people are telling me, that you just trim it and it becomes more branchy.

L