My office 6g nano

[schiavonir]

Well, it looks like you folks are always eager to see a new nano and offer your comments and suggestions. So, I'm going to take advantage of that and document my new 6G nano project.

Just to give you a little background, I've had a 65 gallon reef for going on 2 years now. I'm sure I still have plenty to learn as I build this nano. I will be bringing the nano into work and it will reside on my desk. I plan to fill it with LR, soft corals, shrimp, snails, crabs, and one small fish.

I recently acquired a 10 gallon tank with some LS, LR, a a couple of corals. I'm planning to use this tank (at home) as my frag growout tank. I've been adding some other corals to this tank in preparation for the nano. Right now, I have the following on-deck for the nano:

• GSP
• Kenya Tree
• 5 heads of zoos (some pink, some orange)
• Small rock with some blue zoos that didn't do too well in my main tank. Hopefully they will recover.
• Green spotted mushroom
• Xenia, growing bigger by the day
• Peppermint shrimp (3 in there, but I think I'm only adding 1 to the nano)
• Yellow Coral Banded Shrimp

I was really inspired by this guy's tank, since he did everything with stock components. It's nice to know you don't have to spend a ton of money on upgraded equipment and mods to have an awesome looking tank. MadTownMax

 

[schiavonir]

I got the tank on Wed, Jan 25th. I removed the ceramic rings, and the bio balls, added 1" of sand, (from a bucket) and filled the tank with RODI water. I'm checking for proper operation and no leaks before I bring it into work on Monday, Jan 30th.

I also added a cup of LS from the coral grow-out tank and a small heater. I will also be filling the middle chamber of the overflow with LR rubble and the carbon bag that came with the tank, and also some LS from my main tank fuge.

I'll empty most of the water to transport the tank, but then refill it with the same water when I get to work on Monday. I'll let it settle down for a day or two before I start adding rock.

I'm very interested to know what you guys recommend as far as dosing goes. What should I be adding?

Here is a picture of the tank. Pretty standard stuff.

I will be taking most of the pictures using the 1.2MP camera on my phone. They won't be the best pictures, but as progress warrants, I'll bring a better camera in.

 

[schiavonir]

The nano has been transported and is set up in my office. I added the LR rubble and the carbon last night to the middle chamber. My SG is coming in a little higher than I normally keep my tanks - 1.027.

 

[TylerZr2]

How does your office react to you having a fishtank? I don't wanna seem crazy here at FedEx

 

[schiavonir]

I just recently changed jobs. I never would have even asked or tried it at the last place. This place is much more casual. Most people don't know yet, but I think it will be well received. (Until I fry some of the computer equipment by spilling saltwater on it, I guess.)

 

[sullyfish]

6 mos ago I started my 5g on my desk, and although they scoffed in the beginning many now stop by my cube and enjoy watching things they have never seen before. It has been a great source of enjoyment and fun. I highly recomend it !

 

[schiavonir]

Today I added 7.5 pounds of LR, 6 tiny blue leg hermits, and a purple and orange ricordia I couldn't pass up. I tried taking a picture, but it seems the camera phone isn't going to cut it. I'll have to bring something else in tomorrow.

 

[Paladin]

I have my 12 nc in my office as well, and many people enjoy looking at it. And there are even some that I don't know from other departments who come by because they heard about it.

 

[schiavonir]

I brough three pieces of LR form home today. Two of them fit, the third is going back. Interesting shape, but terrible color to that rock anyway. I did my best to set up the 4 pieces of rock I have in there now, but I'm not at all happy with it. I may have to bring in a hammer and chisel and turn those 4 rocks into 6 or 8.

On the camera front, I brought a different camera in, but I'm having a hard time getting good pictures with it. I'll have to keep experimenting. Here's what I have for today.

 

[schiavonir]

Damn, those pictures are way too big. I guess I need to work on that, too. Sorry about that.

 

[Mieko]

Rock looks really nice. I just setup a 12G aquapod at work, a few other people have fish tanks at my work, but I think I'm the first that I know of with saltwater.
I'm planning on doing a lot of small water changes instead of dosing anything.

 

[schiavonir]

I'm planning on doing a lot of small water changes instead of dosing anything.

I've been hearing that from people I've talked to, even LFS owners who I'm sure would love to sell me stuff. They say that everything the tank needs is in the salt mix.

Well, one of those rocks went home with me tonight and is being replaced by a different rock tomorrow. It actually didn't look too bad, but there were way too many areas blocked from the light.

 

[schiavonir]

Photos resized to a more managable size. I used a great little free utility called "Photo Gadget". It integrates with Windows Explorer so you can just right-click on your image and resize.

I changed out one of those rocks, and I'm much happier with the aquascaping now. I'll take a picture later today when the xenia that was on the rock comes back to life.

 

[schiavonir]

Today I added the top rock with two stalks of xenia and one Kenya Tree, and quite a big of hair algae. (Don't blame me, this rock came as part of a trade.) To combat the hair algae, I bought a couple of small zebra turbo snails. They have already begun grazing. Between them and the half dozen blue hermits, hopefully things will start to get cleaned up.

I'm going to try not to make any changes tomorrow. Let things settle down a little bit after a busy week. So far, the tank is populated with the following:

~10 lbs of LR
1" of LS
1 purple and orange ricordia (front left bottom)
2 stalks of xenia (top middle)
1 Kenya Tree (top middle, towards the back)
1 devil's hand leather (top middle, far back)
~10 polyps of light pink zoos
~20 polyps of light green zoos with brown skirts
6 blue legged hermits
5 astrea snails
2 zebra turbo snails
1 queen conch snail

 

[schiavonir]

I found that my video camera takes pretty good stills which I can use to post some better pictures. Today, the only thing that has changed is that I brought in a small amount of sand my the fuge in my 65G and one tiny starfish which are all over my main tank. Must have been hitchikers on some LR I bought. I only brought one because I want to see if it will reproduce and populate this tank.

I bought a timer so that the lights would go on and off over the weekend when no one is here. So, during the week, the timer will always be on, and I'll switch to moon lights at night. When I leave on Friday, I've leave the main lights on, and let the timer take over on Saturday and Sunday. So there will be no moon lights on the weekends. Too bad JBJ puts both lights together with a single rocker switch. I'm sure someone out there has modded their lights so they can do independant timer controls.

Onto the pictures.

Front view:

Side view:

Ricordia: (You'll need to use your imagination on the color. It's orange on the outside and purple in the middle.)

Green zoos:

Kenya and xenia, waving in the current (still not pulsing yet):

 

[sandlot13]

awesome tank man! keep up the good work. I started a 10 gal on my desk in my dorm room..... its great to have when you dont feel like working/studying and just want to stare off into the ocean. Keep the updates coming!

 

[schiavonir]

Right now, the tank is behind me, so I don't do that much staring. Next week, I'm moving to a desk where it will be to the side and always within view. Let's just see how much work I get done then!

 

[steelhealr]

Magfloat police...take that dadburn, ratasassa....@#^%^ magfloat out of the tank when you are taking pictures of a reef that took blood, sweat and tears to design. Who wants their eye detracted to THAT?


Nice setup btw. SH

 

[schiavonir]

Noted. Sorry, Officer, I won't do it again. Thanks for letting me off with a warning.

 

[IsThisNameTaken?]

nice tank.