I took a 2 year hiatus from keeping up a tank and just recently got a new job and moved and feel like its time to start again!
All I had in supplies that made the last two moves with me was an 9.5 gallon national geographic tank and some random mechanical equipment that fit inside it. I have the perfect spot for a 20-30 gallon cube but couldn't wait to get started so have set up the little tank as a nano. It has been just under a week.
Here it is 5 days into a cycle. (tomorrow I will top off and do a water change)
I got some live (ish) sand and rock. Actually WAAAAAAY more than I need for both this and the 24 gallon all in one I ordered today!
The sand and rock came from an unlucky craigslister who had a tank leak. It had been out of the tank for a week or so in a tub of saltwater in the garage. Hence the "liveish" designation.
I took the easy way out and bought some real seawater and nitrafying bacteria to get started. Rock, sand, water, 50 watt heater, Hydor Koralia 425 nano pump, and away we go!
Cycle went as expected culminating in a lovely diatom outbreak, followed by some algae, and now a snowstorm of copepods!
I added Finnex hob refugium with carbon, phosban, filter floss, and a ball of cheato. Not very pretty, now I'm wishing I had painted the back of the tank!
Diatoms cleared up pretty quickly. I've been doing aggressive weekly water changes for the last month.
Added some hardy frags, a couple money cowries, a few tapestry nerite snails, a pair of porcelain crabs, a couple of vibex snails.
Friday I got my CUC for the second tank which has now been up for around a month. They are currently cleaning up the algae that followed the diatoms in the little tank and then will be moved into the AJ-60. More snails, and a tiger conch.
Also a nice orange acan, a 3 head orange dendro and a little purple sea whip. It's all settling in well, though the dendro heads haven't opened up yet.
And here is the AJ-60 tonight (excuse the dust, I had just moved sand around)
Next week I will be putting up the light for it and adding the CUC. If it goes well I will move a pair of sunkist skunk clown in there the following week. I am getting a pair of neon gobies for the small tank.
9.5 Gallon national geographic bow front:
Currently just using the LED from the AJ-60 on this tank because I haven't decided what to use. May just go with a par38 bulb or chinese box LED
Finnex hob fuge with cheato, phosban, carbon, filter floss
Hydor Koralia 425 powerhead
Hydor 50 watt heater
12 pounds like rock
10 pounds live sand
Livestock:
Pair of porcelain crabs
2 money cowrie
3 Tapestry Nerite
1 Vibex
adding 2 neon gobies next week
adding a small group of sexy shrimp in the future
AJ-60 24 Gallon all in one:
Wellpar 165 watt dimmable timer control led reef light
Rio 180 return
Jebao RW4 wavemaker
Eheim 100 watt heater
phosban, carbon, filter sponge
considering adding Brightwell aquatic media plate instead .of cheato
Livestock:
adding CUC next week (currently camping in the small tank)
Tiger conch
Speckled Nassarius
10 tapestry nerite
2 vibex
Pair of sustainable aquatics sunkist skunk clowns
Maybe a yellow or blue assesor
I intend to mainly stock LPS and soft coral with just a little sps. Must haves include a yellow fiji leather and something resembling a pink hammer that will hopefully host the clowns.
All I had in supplies that made the last two moves with me was an 9.5 gallon national geographic tank and some random mechanical equipment that fit inside it. I have the perfect spot for a 20-30 gallon cube but couldn't wait to get started so have set up the little tank as a nano. It has been just under a week.
Here it is 5 days into a cycle. (tomorrow I will top off and do a water change)
I got some live (ish) sand and rock. Actually WAAAAAAY more than I need for both this and the 24 gallon all in one I ordered today!
The sand and rock came from an unlucky craigslister who had a tank leak. It had been out of the tank for a week or so in a tub of saltwater in the garage. Hence the "liveish" designation.
I took the easy way out and bought some real seawater and nitrafying bacteria to get started. Rock, sand, water, 50 watt heater, Hydor Koralia 425 nano pump, and away we go!
Cycle went as expected culminating in a lovely diatom outbreak, followed by some algae, and now a snowstorm of copepods!
I added Finnex hob refugium with carbon, phosban, filter floss, and a ball of cheato. Not very pretty, now I'm wishing I had painted the back of the tank!
Diatoms cleared up pretty quickly. I've been doing aggressive weekly water changes for the last month.
Added some hardy frags, a couple money cowries, a few tapestry nerite snails, a pair of porcelain crabs, a couple of vibex snails.
Friday I got my CUC for the second tank which has now been up for around a month. They are currently cleaning up the algae that followed the diatoms in the little tank and then will be moved into the AJ-60. More snails, and a tiger conch.
Also a nice orange acan, a 3 head orange dendro and a little purple sea whip. It's all settling in well, though the dendro heads haven't opened up yet.
And here is the AJ-60 tonight (excuse the dust, I had just moved sand around)
Next week I will be putting up the light for it and adding the CUC. If it goes well I will move a pair of sunkist skunk clown in there the following week. I am getting a pair of neon gobies for the small tank.
9.5 Gallon national geographic bow front:
Currently just using the LED from the AJ-60 on this tank because I haven't decided what to use. May just go with a par38 bulb or chinese box LED
Finnex hob fuge with cheato, phosban, carbon, filter floss
Hydor Koralia 425 powerhead
Hydor 50 watt heater
12 pounds like rock
10 pounds live sand
Livestock:
Pair of porcelain crabs
2 money cowrie
3 Tapestry Nerite
1 Vibex
adding 2 neon gobies next week
adding a small group of sexy shrimp in the future
AJ-60 24 Gallon all in one:
Wellpar 165 watt dimmable timer control led reef light
Rio 180 return
Jebao RW4 wavemaker
Eheim 100 watt heater
phosban, carbon, filter sponge
considering adding Brightwell aquatic media plate instead .of cheato
Livestock:
adding CUC next week (currently camping in the small tank)
Tiger conch
Speckled Nassarius
10 tapestry nerite
2 vibex
Pair of sustainable aquatics sunkist skunk clowns
Maybe a yellow or blue assesor
I intend to mainly stock LPS and soft coral with just a little sps. Must haves include a yellow fiji leather and something resembling a pink hammer that will hopefully host the clowns.
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