bennerkla's 5.5 AGA Nano Reef Diary (Lots of PICS!!!)
- Thread starter bennerkla
- Start date
Hey guys. The red mushroom has opened up the best, and the frogspawn has shot up some long tentacles. The sinularia is bent over, do you think he'll straighten himself up towards the light over time?
I removed one of my turbos because he was just bulldozing stuff left and right. Too bad, I liked that guy, he solved my HA problem. I'm going to try to position my LED's so they shine directly on the frogspawn and sinularia tonight, and if I get it to work I'll take more pictures!! I love pictures.
Cya guys,
Ben
I removed one of my turbos because he was just bulldozing stuff left and right. Too bad, I liked that guy, he solved my HA problem. I'm going to try to position my LED's so they shine directly on the frogspawn and sinularia tonight, and if I get it to work I'll take more pictures!! I love pictures.
Cya guys,
Ben
melev
Well-known member
Oh, the joys of a new tank. "Look at my cute mushroom..." Ben, do you mind if I quote you again in 9 months, when you are cursing the day you ever put one in your tank? :lol:
It is really taking shape. I would just like to recommend you avoid corals that tend to take over real estate quickly. Mushrooms are nice, cheap, and spread easily. If you are willing to pull out a rock covered with them and trade it in for store credit, and replace it with a new rock, then I see no problem. However, if you don't know that they can be a real pain, then now you do.
I don't know a thing about Sinularia, as I've never kept one. I have a feeling it will stand up, but that is just a WAG on my part.
It is really taking shape. I would just like to recommend you avoid corals that tend to take over real estate quickly. Mushrooms are nice, cheap, and spread easily. If you are willing to pull out a rock covered with them and trade it in for store credit, and replace it with a new rock, then I see no problem. However, if you don't know that they can be a real pain, then now you do.
I don't know a thing about Sinularia, as I've never kept one. I have a feeling it will stand up, but that is just a WAG on my part.
melev
Well-known member
They don't cut off as easily as you might think. And they will twist off on their own, blow around the tank and attach elsewhere. My 29g had 4 in the beginning. Take a look at this 2 year progress page. http://www.melevsreef.com/29g/29g_progress.html
leeweber85
New member
Ben your tank has came a long way. I like the mushroom you have 
Hopefully my 5.5 starts moving like yours.
Hopefully my 5.5 starts moving like yours.
clown fanatic
New member
i like the red mushroom, i have purple/blue ones in my 55g and i love them! its cool watching how fast they grow, i have 2 frags of GSP's (which are supposed to grow like "weeds") and my mushrooms have outgrown then by far! one just twisted off a rock like melev said and has planted itself on another rock. just look at it like this, youll have a good supply of mushrooms to frag, and something to add to yoru 75g in the future.
Exactley. I'm hoping to add a small rock towards the side of the mushroom in order to get more mushrooms in my 75 gallon. I don't have any in there.
Guys, I have the perfect LED system set up!! It spotlights all the corals and looks awesome, I'll get you some pics tomorrow, I'm spending the night at my friends house tonight. I'm so excited about these things.
All right, cya guys,
Ben
Guys, I have the perfect LED system set up!! It spotlights all the corals and looks awesome, I'll get you some pics tomorrow, I'm spending the night at my friends house tonight. I'm so excited about these things.
All right, cya guys,
Ben
Update 7-26-05
Hey guys. Here are some updated pics, my sinularia is starting to shape up, and my blue stripped mushroom is starting to beef up as well. I'm getting my shrimps soon and also the stomalia (sp) snails that ninjafish recommended. I'm going to get rid of my other turbo shortly. I have a few questions, but first, pictures.
All right, I turned my AC mini off because the flow was too much for the tank. Right now, it seems like the mini impeller on the AC 300 and the tube shifted to the right is as much flow as the entire tank needs. Is this inaccurate? Let me know, please.
Also, should I run black diamond carbon in my Millenium poly pad? (This is for you, sugar.) This is because my AC mini is no longer running that carbon.
Should I use rubber cement to hold my 90 degree elbow in place for my float switch? The duck tape isn't working.
Any ideas are appreciated. I'll post some LED pics tonight!!
Cya guys, thanks.
Ben
Hey guys. Here are some updated pics, my sinularia is starting to shape up, and my blue stripped mushroom is starting to beef up as well. I'm getting my shrimps soon and also the stomalia (sp) snails that ninjafish recommended. I'm going to get rid of my other turbo shortly. I have a few questions, but first, pictures.
All right, I turned my AC mini off because the flow was too much for the tank. Right now, it seems like the mini impeller on the AC 300 and the tube shifted to the right is as much flow as the entire tank needs. Is this inaccurate? Let me know, please.
Also, should I run black diamond carbon in my Millenium poly pad? (This is for you, sugar.) This is because my AC mini is no longer running that carbon.
Should I use rubber cement to hold my 90 degree elbow in place for my float switch? The duck tape isn't working.
Any ideas are appreciated. I'll post some LED pics tonight!!
Cya guys, thanks.
Ben
melev
Well-known member
You should screw that top off bracket to your canopy. It should be 100% rock solid, or you could end up with another flood.
Stomatella snails are not always easy to buy at a LFS, but possible. Typically they come in on LR as hitchhikers.
http://www.melevsreef.com/id/stomatella.html
If you want to run carbon, do so. I typically only run it 3 days, then toss it out. And I do that maybe once a month. Since your tank is smaller and you have a sinularia, you might do it every two weeks as those exude some toxins (which affect SPS quite strongly).
Stomatella snails are not always easy to buy at a LFS, but possible. Typically they come in on LR as hitchhikers.
http://www.melevsreef.com/id/stomatella.html
If you want to run carbon, do so. I typically only run it 3 days, then toss it out. And I do that maybe once a month. Since your tank is smaller and you have a sinularia, you might do it every two weeks as those exude some toxins (which affect SPS quite strongly).
aleiodubua
New member
I'm having the same dilema with my girlfriends 2.5g, I have a small filter, and a small power head...don't know wheather I should get ride of the power head or not.
Very Nice tank by the way. I like how you made almost everything yourself. Saves a lot of money.
Very Nice tank by the way. I like how you made almost everything yourself. Saves a lot of money.
All right, here are some pics of my LED setup. It is really hard to get a good, solid picture of this stuff, but here goes!
melev- I have a buddy that has some Stomatella snails he's going to give me.
I would love to screw it into my canopy, but I take that thing off maybe twice a day, and that would trigger the pump. Do you think rubber cement would hold it well enough?
I'm going to put Black Diamond carbon in my prefilter in my AC refugium. Can I buy that in bulk? Thanks Marc.
aleiodubua- Thanks. I really have no idea whether or not to add this PH that I just bought. Everything seems to be moving around just fine, though. Can anyone put their imput here? Thanks for the DIY compliments.
Sounds good, I'm going to get my shrimp Saturday hopefully, but I'd really like to solve these things I'm discussing. Any thoughts?
Cya guys,
Ben
melev- I have a buddy that has some Stomatella snails he's going to give me.
I would love to screw it into my canopy, but I take that thing off maybe twice a day, and that would trigger the pump. Do you think rubber cement would hold it well enough?
I'm going to put Black Diamond carbon in my prefilter in my AC refugium. Can I buy that in bulk? Thanks Marc.
aleiodubua- Thanks. I really have no idea whether or not to add this PH that I just bought. Everything seems to be moving around just fine, though. Can anyone put their imput here? Thanks for the DIY compliments.
Sounds good, I'm going to get my shrimp Saturday hopefully, but I'd really like to solve these things I'm discussing. Any thoughts?
Cya guys,
Ben
gumbybc
New member
can you make a notch in the hood so that the float elbow can then be screwed onto the tank? if you make a hole in the elbow, and use a small bolt with a nut on either side, you can adjust the bolt in and out so that is sits snug on the black brace of the tank. I hope that makes sense. If you dont want to remove the elbow anytime soon, a small dab of super glue should hold it to the black frame really well.
Jordan- Thanks 
Just rig up a float switch setup like mine. It's not hard, and it has been awesome. I'm going to attach the elbow tomorrow and the tanks salinity will be permanent.
gumbybc- Luckily, I don't plan on removing it anytime soon, so I'll try some super glue tomorrow. Thanks.
Just rig up a float switch setup like mine. It's not hard, and it has been awesome. I'm going to attach the elbow tomorrow and the tanks salinity will be permanent.gumbybc- Luckily, I don't plan on removing it anytime soon, so I'll try some super glue tomorrow. Thanks.
Wow Ben. I'm seriously impressed with this tank! It's hard to believe that it was having such a major issue with hair algae not too long ago. Aren't you glad you caved and put those turbos in there?
I'm with Marc, buying the carbon in bulk is much cheaper than buying replaceable pads. You can pick up a media bag and fill it with a bit of carbon and run it in your mini. Also, if you think the flow is sufficient with just the fuge flow, then by all means, leave it at that. Your corals will show you if they need more flow.
I'm with Marc, buying the carbon in bulk is much cheaper than buying replaceable pads. You can pick up a media bag and fill it with a bit of carbon and run it in your mini. Also, if you think the flow is sufficient with just the fuge flow, then by all means, leave it at that. Your corals will show you if they need more flow.
