Time for an upgrade...55g micro-budget build

[Salty O'Shen]

okay, been awhile since i've updated this build thread, i've been so busy with business and keeping the maintenance on the tank i haven't taken pics. so here's an update on the build costs to-date:

4 x 54w T5HO w/ moonlights: $160
2 - koralia 3s: $74
eshopps overflow: $40
mag 9.5 return pump: $90
stand construction: approx $175 (lost a couple receipts so i'm guessing)
Clean up crew: $35 (misc crabs, serpent star, snails)
Green star polyps: $34
Salt & Water: $40 (includes water changes after cycling & to-date)
digital thermometer: $12
Sub-total for build: $660
Budget: $800

$140 remaining to purchase skimmer, build sump & purchase plumbing, when has a reef tank ever come in on budget?



pics will be in next post....i'm busy re-sizing and cataloging most of the livestock with photos...except the snails....

[Salty O'Shen]

so here's the photos...

firs the obligatory Full Tank Shot


left side of the tank


looking down the tank through 4' of water


Dan Mandarino - my little piggy


the yellow polyps


popeye the emerald crab


more to come...

[Salty O'Shen]

Okay for some reason, my 106k 600x400 pic is telling me i am exceeding the forum quota by 90k...gonna need some tech support i think...

in the meantime here's my Photo Album of the whole build...

special thanks to One DummHikk & Fat Tony for helping me along with the build, and thanks to everyone else on here who has given me advice either directly to one of my threads or indirectly by posting their knowledge in other threads...

long live TRT!!!

[harlequin29]

Please take this as kind advice but,

I think you might have jumped the gun on the mandarin.

Unless you have some secret pod condos or it readily feeds from frozen cubes/flakes/pellets that little guy is going to have a hard time finding food in such a young tank.

Housing for this type of fish usually requires around 75+gallons (matured for a year +/-) with an abundance of pods and no other pod predators. A little guy like this can eat 20$ worth of Pods in an evening. I hope he's fine and if you weren't aware or if you have already adressed this then I am sorry. Tanks looking good. Nice lights. For skimmer choices I'd check out CL or find a deal on a local reef club!

[Salty O'Shen]

Originally Posted by harlequin29

Please take this as kind advice but,

I think you might have jumped the gun on the mandarin.

Unless you have some secret pod condos

Yes, i get that comment often, I've had him for about 6 weeks. i spend A LOT of money on buying him a steady supply of pods, he gets a bottle of Tiger pods every 2 weeks. I routinely check him out (daily) to make sure his belly always looks fat...

I appreciate the concern and it is totally warranted. i'm happy to report that he is fat, happy & healthy. Most of the livestock moved over from my 20g, including 20 pounds of LR so I'm comfortable with the state of the tank.

Thanks for your advice!

[ftwaynecollectables]

ahh love the mandarin! I want I want

[gouch]

looks good i cant wait to look throught this more for some good ideas

[harlequin29]

update... pics?!

[Salty O'Shen]

work's been so busy lately i haven't been able to update the tank...

i've completed the 20g sump/refuge, complete with a very nice coralife 220 needlewheel skimmer

i've been adding a few softies:

- 2 pieces of green star polyps

- a wicked piece of dead acro that is covered in green & orange button polyps with a piece of caluerpa growing through it

- a 4 headed piece of frogspawn

- a very large & pink colt coral

Plus a long tentacle anemone...

I'll put up some pics tomorrow, i'm headed off to pick up a Spotted Yellow Eye Tang that I found for only $34.99, gotta love the box stores mis-labeling livestock...I'm sure I'll get some heat about my tank only being 55g and they are supposed to have a 70g. if he doesn't do well it'll be the second time my friend gets a fish donated to his 200g tank by me...

[reefandfish]

as for the GSP ( Green Star polyp) many of reefers will probably agree with me .... don't put them on your rock or they are going to cover most of it in no time ....I have mine on sand bed and have to cut it every couple weeks just to keep it from spreading all over the place ....

[Salty O'Shen]

actually i do have it on my rocks, i am looking for it to cover a couple of them. i enjoy how it looks and plan to start giving frags of it to the local reefers i know. i even postioned a coupl pieces of rubble to get it onto them to make fragging easier

but thanks for the looking out for my tank, another "HURRAH" for the TRT members, always offering friendly advice

[gouch]

post pics and an explanation on how to frag.....when i get there that is somthing i want to do also.

[fuzzybob4]

PIcs,PICS need new ones. just FYI.LOL

[Salty O'Shen]

Okay, so I've finally gotten some pictures (unfortunately it's just with my iPhone). Here's the current look of the tank:

First the Full Tank Shot


Now the Left, Middle & Right Side


And the looking through the left end & right end

[Salty O'Shen]

I've added a few new things to the tank

This is the new fish a Banggai Cardinal


I've got a new anemone: Long Tentacle Anemone


And some new softies: A Colt Coral, Frogspawn and piece of dead coral covered in button polyps