January 2010 nTOTM - jols' dual nano tank

[jols]

I would like to thank everyone who participated in the contest. The reason I joined the contest is because I want to showcase my tanks before I upgrade to a bigger tank later in this new year. Something sort of a last stand, if I might say. It is my great pleasure to present to you my dual nano tank.


Tank size: 20 gallons custom nano tank, 7 gallon bowfront nano tank.
Skimmer: Reef Octopus DNWB-110 (external)
PO4 Reactor: Kent Marine Nautilus with Rowaphos
Lighting system: 2 HO T5's for the top tank. 4 HO T5's with parabolic reflectors for the bottom tank.
Biological Filtration: 20 gallon sump containing DSB, Chaeto and red mangroves.

Maintenance

The best thing I like about my tank is that it is virtually maintenance free. Sometimes I would not come home for a week and still see no adverse effects to the inhabitants of my tank. Water parameters would always be normal as well. I use Reef Crystals and NSW, performing WC once a month. I top off RO water every 2 days. Only supplement is 2 part calcium/alkalinity.

Water Parameters

Ammonia - 0 ppm
Nitrite - 0 ppm
Nitrates - between 0-5 ppm
Phosphates - between 0-.25 ppm
Calcium - 420
Alkalinity - 9 dKH
Specific Gravity - 1.024
PH - 8.2

Inhabitants

Corals:
LPS - Brains, Acans, Dendros, Chalice, Blastos, Cynarina, Fungia, Euphyllia species
Softies - Mushrooms, Zoas, Clove polyps, Xenia, Carnation, GSP, Palythoas
SPS - 1 frag of Montipora Digitata

Inverts
Clams - 2 crocea clams
Shrimps - Glass Anemone Shrimp, Sexy shrimp, Blood Shrimp, Blue Coral Banded Shrimp, Tiger Pistol Shrimp
Feather Dusters - 1 black, 1 pink
Seastars - 2 Marble Starfish, 1 Red Starfish, Brittle Stars
Snails - Turban snails, Bumblebee snails, Nassarius snails
Crabs - Halloween hermits, porcelain crab

Fish:
Royal Gramma, Sunburst Anthias, Banded Pipefish are in the bottom tank
4 Flaming prawn gobies (impossible to take pictures of!), 1 Banggai Cardinal in the top tank.

This is the last full shot of my system that I currently have. I promise to take new pictures when I get home 2 days from now. I have made some minor changes in my tank since this shot.

 

[jols]

I have sold one of my supersun corals to make space for a rhizotrochus that I will get at the end of the month. Pink carnation is now located at the back, away from the light.

My favorites are the dendros.

Pink Carnation

Group of Ricordeas (I still have lots, lots more in the top tank - I have 70+ total, but mostly small sized)

Sexy shrimp

Blastos

Royal Gramma and the Anthias

Chalice Coral

Acans

 

[FlamesFan]

congrats on TOTM! Perfect soft coral tanks! I love carnations. they remind me of the oceans around fiji.

 

[OctaviousMonk]

I am in awe, that is juat an amazing setup.

 

[BADGUS]

Great tank,congrats.

 

[jols]

Here are the flaming prawn gobies before I let them loose in my tank. I still see them everyday, but once I come close to the tank, they scoot to their hideout. :/

Gorgonian

Clove Polyps

Acans

Acans Echinata

Fungia

 

[shandy_say]

Nice bro! Tank keeps looking better and better!

 

[GeppettoCarlo]

Nice, Love the colours!

 

[jackson6745]

I love the colors and placement of your corals. Very nice! Congrats!

 

[amnesia]

Your system is beautiful. PLEASE SHARE MORE PICTURES, of both display tanks, and the rest of your setup.

 

[ReeferChick85]

Congratulations Jols!! Well deserved. You got an awesome selection of corals and I absolutely love the color variety you got going on! Very cool! Nice pics too!!

 

[jols]

Thanks for the kind words, folks.
Here's a picture of the pipefish I have. It's been with me for 4 months.

More pictures of the supersuns, since they seem to be the favorites here.

Here's an acan frag an affable local reefer gave me. Started with 1 mouth, now has 6.

Zoas

Beside the zoas is a hitchhiker, anyone have any idea what this is? It has a skeleton.

More zoas

By the way, I have had a LOT of growth in 4 month's time. That is why it looks so disorganized. I haven't put any thought how fast corals grow.

Also, if anyone doesn't know.. I am from the Philippines. Reef keeping here has come a long way since a few years ago. I'd like to give thanks to some guys who have imported decent equipment and better livestocks compared to years past. There used to be a time when we were contented in keeping damsels alive... :spin1:

 

[sfboarders]

Also, if anyone doesn't know.. I am from the Philippines. Reef keeping here has come a long way since a few years ago. I'd like to give thanks to some guys who have imported decent equipment and better livestocks compared to years past. There used to be a time when we were contented in keeping damsels alive... :spin1:

Congrats Kuya! Is reefing expensive there like it is in the US? Do most corals and fish you purchase come from the reefs of the Philippines?

 

[jols]

Congrats Kuya! Is reefing expensive there like it is in the US? Do most corals and fish you purchase come from the reefs of the Philippines?

Local fish and corals are VERY cheap compared to US price. However, quality is so far off it's not even funny. Most of the corals you guys get there are aquacultured and clean. When we get corals, they're usually dirty - filled with muck, dirty sponges, and numerous other hitchhikers. Also, most of the corals I got from local waters were really different when I got them. I had to wait for them to color up in my tank, which thankfully did not take too long.

Here are some examples of how I got them. What they look like now are posted previously in the same thread.

In 2 months, this:

Has become:

I have a lot of corals from local waters, but my best ones came from Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Singapore. My flaming prawn gobies, pipefish, and sunburst are local. Royal Gramma and Banggai are imported. I have a few more corals coming over at the end of the month - a rhizotrochus, aussie acans, and some scolymias. I will have to dispose of some of my ricordea yumas (70+ total) to make space. Haha.


Some more pictures of zoas:

 

[sfilipowski]

looks awesome man, I like to dendros to. How many heads of them did you start with in the upper pic? just asking cause I have a single head going on like 6 months or so seems happy but what kind of growth rate do they have? everybody else is growing in my tank. again your tank is awesome!

 

[mranthonymb]

love this nano how did you get the supersun corals to look soooo good

 

[sfboarders]

Local fish and corals are VERY cheap compared to US price. However, quality is so far off it's not even funny. Most of the corals you guys get there are aquacultured and clean. When we get corals, they're usually dirty - filled with muck, dirty sponges, and numerous other hitchhikers. Also, most of the corals I got from local waters were really different when I got them. I had to wait for them to color up in my tank, which thankfully did not take too long.

That's some good stuff jols! What a big difference from when you purchased them and 2 months later. I wonder next time I go back to PI if I can bring a bunch of livestock back to US with me.

 

[obet_carlos]

nice tank! nice coral collection too! i have some space in my tank for you fast growing corals..

where did you put the acan echinata? mine has not grown much.. i really like that pipefish, too bad mine didn't make it.. pics of your equip please..

 

[seriousreefer91]

@jols- great tank! one o the best nanos around here

 

[saltwater_wannabe]

Wow, nice job!

I got out of the reef game last year, but your tank is making me think I need to get back in.