[Reefer94]

!! Pics Updated !! 05-09-09

My Nano:

20g tank (24"Wx12"Dx16"H)
10g Sump, Mag 350 Return
AquaC Urchin PRO w/ Rio 1400
24" 4x24w T5 HO (Individual refectors, 1xKZ Fiji Purple, 1xKZ Coral Light, 1xATI Aquablue, 1xATI Blue Plus)
CLS w/ Gen-X XPC30 (875 gph, on SCWD, 8 lockline adjustable nozzles)
40 lbs. Live Rock (30 in tank, 10 in sump)
10lbs. CC substrate
Run Carbon, 1/2 - 1 cup (14-day change)
Green Killing Machine UV Sterilizer (waste of money? we shall see)

Params:

Calcium - 420mg/L (ppm)
Nitrate - 0
Nitrite - 0
Free Ammonia - 0
Total Ammonia - .25 (? Is this ok ?)
Ph - 8.0
Alk - 3.75 mq/lL (10.5 dKH)
Specific Gravity - .025/.026

Additives/Food:

ReefPure Kalkwasser ATO (72oz per day)
Inland Seas Biotrace ADS (Auto-drip system)
Oceanic Formula One/Cyclopeez Frozen Mixture

Fish:

Skunk Clownfish

Corals:

Pocillopora
Euphyllia Hammer
Euphyllia Frogspawn
Sinularia
Orange Ricordia
Blue Ricordia
Green Ricordia
Pulsing Xenia
Yellow Fiji Leather
Muchrooms 3+ types (Orange, Red wart, lavender, green tie-die)
Many Zoas 10+ types

Cleanup n Inverts:

10 x Blue Leg Hermits
5 x Zebra Hermits
3 x Peppermint Shrimp
3 x Scarlet Hermits
2 x Trochus Snails

* Pics Added *

I'll continue to update this initial post rather than create new ones, sorry for any confusion. Just trying to keep the thread a bit shorter. There's pics of the process below, I'm planning on compiling a beginning-to-one-year photo series eventually.

Up and running about 9 months or so. Things are coming together, staying on the water changes and loving the T5's, although have had difficulty with keeping some SPS. Not sure if it's light-related or all the softies, I did start running carbon a few weeks back and finally put on a small UV.

I'll continue to update

 

[usmc2b2004]

Sweet looking forward to some pics..

 

[Loverotties]

Sweet looking forward to some pics..

Ditto!

 

[Reefer94]

Yeah working on that... lol. Camera just frizzed out a while back, working on getting a new one to post some more stuff

 

[aquawolf]

Sounds like a nice setup. How long have you had it running?

 

[Reefer94]

Cycle just ended about 2 weeks ago, Been running for a little over a month. Was doing water changes bi-weekly, but now I'm slowing it down a bit since the tank has leveled off.

Next step is to add just a bit more rock, then I'll start stocking. I've got a list below, I'd love some input on my proposed load, but the tank will be undergoing changes before all this stuff is added.

I made a DIY extension for my 10 gal, so I can add holes and convert it into a refugium that sits on a shelf above the tank. Plan on filling it with macroalgae and as much more LR as I can fit in it... just a second tier of biology

Depending on the success of the extension, I may make another for my main tank and add a sump, but that's more distant future definately. It's tough having all those pumps in the main tank... especially when it's a 20g... heck the Mag 9.5 takes up a 1/4 of the space lol. Will be nice to just toss it into a sump or refugium.

Here's my planned livestock:

(eventually lol, after the additional gallonage and LR is added via refugium/sump - won't cram all this into the lone 20g)

Yellow Fiji Sarco
Capnella
Lobophytum (undecided on which type)
White or Pom Pom Xenia (most likely white)
Various Ricordia (Love the Blue and Oranges)
Purple and Red Mushrooms (Shrooms w/ a reef are like fries w/ a burger)
Various Zoas (Seen some sexy ones, prolly only 2-3 types)
Euphyllia (Hammer probably, looking at frogspawn as well)
Possibly one other LPS (Hammer, maybe some type of open brain)
Possibly one SPS (Montipora Digitata or Birds Nest)

For Fish, on the agenda:

(Mostly tiny little guys, I'm gonna add them bit by bit as the bio-load increases - most of these fish are only about 1" long, and mms wide. Convienient that all the fish I like are tiny)

1 x Midas Blenny
2-3 x Neon Goby
1-2 x Zebra Goby
1 x Redheaded Goby or Clown Goby

Too much? What do you think guys? By the time all of this is in the tank, I should be running the 20g main, a 10g refugium, and a 10g sump. Hopefully pushing around 50lbs of LR.

Well that should do it for now, I'll get some pics up asap. Thanks for the input guys!

 

[specter]

Check out the specs for 29 Gallon Biocube!

My bioload is kinda heavy right now and I have a 29G tank! The sump and refuge should help but I have to do a WC every 2 weeks and I just got all the bad algae taken care of. I'm going to T5 HO's to make sure my clam will be OK... I did mine to fast...... don't rush things and don't over load the tank like I did.

 

[tredford8]

You could check my specs too. I have similar setup with 20 gallon display with 10 gal sump/fuge. I have a 175 W MH with a couple T5's but I'm thinkin of switching to all T5's soon. I agree with Specter, definately give your cycle a good long time before starting stocking. My tank's been set up a year. And it does pretty well. Its a mix of pretty much everything, and I'm kind of lax on the WC's (Only about once a month :O) but there's very few losses and everything seems to be doing well and growing, even SPS. The only thing I would suggest is to leave sand out the fuge if possible because I find it hard to vaccuum in there as I have mine jammed full of LR too. I would do just LR if I started again. Your build and stocking sound good tho, and I'll definately be watching progress.

 

[Reefer94]

New Pics

Got the tank all set up w/ sump. Still no halides, but working on it. The way the CLS is set up, its more condusive to LPS/SPS...but well see how it works once the livestock is in. Right now, just CuC and some shrooms.

Just a close-up of the tubes on the CLS wrapping around the rocks.

 

[Reefer94]

More Pics

Some shots of the CLS pattern and the sump. A bit of mods still need to be done on the CLS, but its minimal.

 

[crvz]

Looks good so far.

 

[tredford8]

Nice rockwork and CLS looks good. I wish I would have kept the rock in my display tank a little more minimal. Shrooms look like they're doin well too. Good work, keep the pics coming!

 

[aquawolf]

That is cool. I have not been brave enough to set up a CLS yet, but definitely see one on a future tank.

 

[egdevilboy]

looking really nice. I did a similar setup with my 20 gallon with sump.

Keep us updated on pictures

 

[odie]

what is a CLS?? Also with these smaller tanks do you drill the bottom or sides for the sumps?

Looks good by the way?!:banana:

 

[aquawolf]

A CLS = Closed Loop System. That is where you have the tank drilled in the back with multiple holes, for intake and outlets. The plumbing is sealed so the pump pulls water from the display tank through the intake and then disperses it back into the tank through the outlets. This helps generate more flow in the system without adding powerheads to the tank.

HTH

 

[Reefer94]

What he said lol.

I went with a smaller drilled tank, only about 80 bucks including the bulkheads. My CLS is actually independant of the holes, it pulls/pushes water over the top of the tank in this case. Mines powered by a Gen-X XPC30, but thinking of going higher GPH.

I just got my T5s, still playing around with the bulbs, but hopefully have some new pics soon. Trying to figure out how to really get the look of the spectrum in the photos w/o photoshop lol.

 

[Reefer94]

The new guys

Finally put some livestock in the tank... here's some pics of the new guys.

Got this Yellow Fiji Leather. This pic shows him almost immediately after being put in. He's since relaxed and partially extended his polyps. I'm going to have alot of pics of him probably, always wanted one of these but was scared to buy, they always looked so unhealthy at fish shops. I watched this guy for about a month as it slowly perked up and regained health. Had to buy it - I'll update it's progress. Any tips on care for these is appreciated.

Picked up some orange mushrooms too...

And this Pocillopora. Again, help w/ care would be appreciated.

The softies all together

Good start, I'll keep updating the livestock.

 

[aquawolf]

Congrats on your new additions. :thumbup:

 

[Reefer94]

The leather is doing much better Here's a recent pic of him opening up in the morning.

The poci unfortunately is showing signs of bleaching pretty severely. I'm going to move the ights up slightly and address a temp. issue I'm havng, hopefully I'll have some follow-ups of that one too.