bennerkla's 5.5 AGA Nano Reef Diary (Lots of PICS!!!)

[atram]

Looking very nice :thumbsup: it will be interesting to see it fill in. I'm going to need to get an auto topoff installed in my 5.5, evap with the MH is a killer.

I'm with Sugar Magnolia and Melev go online if you want to get charcoal in large quantities.

 

[Hwarang]

Melev said:

is really taking shape. I would just like to recommend you avoid corals that tend to take over real estate quickly.

Avoid xenia of any type.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

And star polyps and anthelia.

 

[bennerkla]

Hey guys. Lots of pictures to share with you! I also had my first try at some macro shots, let me know what you think!!

 

[bennerkla]

As you can see, I removed my AC mini and added a cover to my snail guard. It works perfectly.

Notice my new zooanthid frag?! Can't wait until they open up!!!

I couldn't resist adding Xenia or mushrooms because I love them so much. I believe that I have the dedication to this nano that I will be able to detect them before they get out of hand. I don't forsee it as a problem, but I might regret saying that. This will only be up for a year anyway So if you really like this nano, you might end up buying it from my in a year


Sugar Magnolia- Yes, turbos are my saviors!! I wanted to ask you this:

You know how you have the millenium 1000 poly/carbon pad in your fuge? Well, if I keep changing the carbon in that every 2 weeks, will that be sufficient? Because the water flows parrellel with the pad, and some water might not hit the carbon due to the baffle, you see what I'm saying?

 

[bennerkla]

melev- I'm using the 2x18 watt Coralife 12 inch fixture and 2 of the 20 watt screw in Coralife 50/50 bulbs. Here are some pictures....

They have worked out great. Maybe you could just have the 36 watt fixture for your 2 gallon, that would work nicely.

All right guys, let me know what you think!!

Cya,

Ben

P.S. I'm going to get a black film canister lid so it fits in better.

 

[Champloo]

This will only be up for a year anyway So if you really like this nano, you might end up buying it from my in a year

how much? so i can go ahead and budget

 

[bennerkla]

lol, thanks

 

[melev]

Very nice update. Lots of cool things to see.

Be very sure that bracket can't break free. Float Switches are one of those things you don't want to mess around with, and snails are notorious for causing grief. It could very well push that thing right off. You could make another bracket that is longer, so the film canister is dangling a little further out from the edge and absolutely out of reach.

I like that little 12" fixture. I hate to ask what it cost though.

 

[bennerkla]

About 50 bucks on eBay. Thanks for the comments.

 

[clown fanatic]

i like the frogspawn, im hoping to get some of that or some hammer coral from this place fragsncrabs.com.theyve got some pretty good prices so i figure its worth a shot, and i havent heard anything bad about them soo. anyways i think its cool that you added xenia, i like the look. its not like your cant frag it and then trade it, or even just put each frag in the 75.

 

[bennerkla]

Thanks, I'm looking forward to seeing how things grow out. I might transfer my finger leather from my 75 into the back right corner, but I dont know yet.

I'm excited to get my shrimp on Saturday, as long as Phishy accepts my requests. Should have some awesome pics then...

Cya guys,

Ben

 

[leeweber85]

Ben, it's hard to believe how great your tank is becoming.

What is your final clean up crew/ stocking list? I have no idea what to put in mine.

Thanks in advance!
Lee

 

[bennerkla]

Hey Lee.

-1 scarlet cleaner
-2 sexy shrimp
-1 porceline anemone crab
-3 cerith snails
-3 nassarius
-1 margarita

corals
-sinularia
-xenia
-pink zooanthids (I think...)
-frogspawn
-red mushrooms
-blue stripped mushroom

I might add a few more corals, but for the most part that will be it.

 

[ItsDave]

Hey....I was just wondering if you had figured out a way to use a time for your lights? I have the same fixture only larger and i need to figure out a way to have a good light cycle.

-Dave

 

[bennerkla]

ItsDave- Well, I don't really feel like spending more money on another timer, but I probably will so that I have my 2x18 fixture turn on at 11:00 AM and my 2x20 watt bulbs at noon. Then I'll have my 2x20 watters go off at 9:00 PM and my 2x18'ers at 10:00 PM. Right now, they all come on a 11:00 AM and go off at 10:00 PM

I really wish they weren't 50/50 and I could turn on actinics first, but that isn't the case. If you have the "same fixture only larger" you probably will have different cords for your daylights and actinics. If so, turn your actinics on 1 hour earlier and off one hour later than your main daylights.

 

[bennerkla]

Update 7-28-05

I did a 1 gallon water change today, and noticed my sinularia was bent over again. I figured I would just see how it liked more flow, so I added a little 50 GPH pump with melev's design to see how it faired. My turbo bulldozed so much stuff down so he's outta there. My mushroom is also closed up today, so I'll see if more flow is the solution.

 

[bennerkla]

Well, I think I figured out why my corals were looking sluggish; my tank was at 83.5. So I threw some ice cubes in a baggie and let them float until the tank came down to 80.3.

My sinularia is still deflated, does anyone know the health of this piece? Doug, the guy who I got it from, says that they deflate and inflate naturally, so it might be okay. I think that it is still acclimating, but does anyone else have ideas? I'm glad the turbo and margarita are outta there, they were knocking corals down left and right. The flow didn't do anything for it. Sorry the cerith stole the view.

Here are my new zoos! They are a nice addition to the front, I think.

Let me know what you guys think, my red mushroom is starting to look better now that the temp is lower. I DON'T want to loose this sinularia, so if it is indeed dying I'll get it back to Doug ASAP.

Thanks guys, cya,

Ben

 

[psionicfish]

Could you show me how you wired those screw-in bulbs?

 

[ItsDave]

no its the same way...only one power cord...which ****es me off. The lady at the store even said it had 2 different cords and switches. but oh well. Yeah im thinking about putting an actinic(sp?) bulb in there seperate to have a better cycle.