Rimless - Zen/Bonsai 5-Gallon Setup?
- Thread starter dapellegrini
- Start date
dapellegrini
New member
I did a black background on my 72 and quite like it, but I am not planning on doing the same with the tank. Perhaps for photo shoots I will arrange a temporary black or blue background - but not for the day to day.
Stocking ideas welcome. Definitely some brightly colored zoos. I would also like to have some sort of a center-piece coral.
What would you put in there? (please include pics or link, since I most likely won't know what you are talking about).
CUC ideas also welcome. What are the smallest inverts for a reef tank?
I would like rare, colorful, and small as the general theme. Light and nutrient demands should not be a problem.
Stocking ideas welcome. Definitely some brightly colored zoos. I would also like to have some sort of a center-piece coral.
What would you put in there? (please include pics or link, since I most likely won't know what you are talking about).
CUC ideas also welcome. What are the smallest inverts for a reef tank?
I would like rare, colorful, and small as the general theme. Light and nutrient demands should not be a problem.
reefer1024
New member
Don't worry I have your whole tank planned out in my head
Since this is your first tank I would focus on fairly easy to keep corals. I think a frogspawn would make a nice centerpiece.
http://www.aquahobby.com/corals/e_euphyllia_divisia.php
some chalice corals would look nice also
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1039017
Throw in a few Ricordia Yuma and some red mushrooms on the bottom,
Some Blastos would look nice too
http://www.farms-of-thesea.com/catalog/category/Blastomussa.html
As for fish try to find something that stays under 2 inches. A mated pair of some kind of small goby would be nice.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=1850
I vote for yellow clown or green banded gobies
3-5 sexy shrimp (the sexiest of all shrimp)
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1135
Thats what I would do, but you should pick things you like because your the one who has to look at them. Good luck.
Since this is your first tank I would focus on fairly easy to keep corals. I think a frogspawn would make a nice centerpiece.
http://www.aquahobby.com/corals/e_euphyllia_divisia.php
some chalice corals would look nice also
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1039017
Throw in a few Ricordia Yuma and some red mushrooms on the bottom,
Some Blastos would look nice too
http://www.farms-of-thesea.com/catalog/category/Blastomussa.html
As for fish try to find something that stays under 2 inches. A mated pair of some kind of small goby would be nice.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=1850
I vote for yellow clown or green banded gobies
3-5 sexy shrimp (the sexiest of all shrimp)
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1135
Thats what I would do, but you should pick things you like because your the one who has to look at them. Good luck.
I agree the most with his last statement, things that you like, that are compatible with this size tank.
All of reefer1024's ideas are great for variety and color.
The sexy shrimp are a blast to watch, low bioload and are in constant movement-- and don't jump out of tanks;
small goby's are great. For many species, in a tank this size, if you don't actually get a mated pair, one will kill the other.
Frogspawn are great for movement, but can grow quickly (like tripple in 6 months) and overwhelm your tank;
Blasto's and micro's can add lots of color and not overgrow your tank for a while;
Ricordia yuma's can often be very tempermental-- especially the more brightly colored ones. I wouldn't even consider one until your tank matures at least 3 months.
Ricordia florida can offer great color and texture with less chance of loss and are much less expensive.
Then again, reefer has been doing this 7 years and me 7 months, so this is just my experience and what I've learned so far.
Good luck. Very interesting build. Been fun watching your thread and remembering all the questions I've had.
All of reefer1024's ideas are great for variety and color.
The sexy shrimp are a blast to watch, low bioload and are in constant movement-- and don't jump out of tanks;
small goby's are great. For many species, in a tank this size, if you don't actually get a mated pair, one will kill the other.
Frogspawn are great for movement, but can grow quickly (like tripple in 6 months) and overwhelm your tank;
Blasto's and micro's can add lots of color and not overgrow your tank for a while;
Ricordia yuma's can often be very tempermental-- especially the more brightly colored ones. I wouldn't even consider one until your tank matures at least 3 months.
Ricordia florida can offer great color and texture with less chance of loss and are much less expensive.
Then again, reefer has been doing this 7 years and me 7 months, so this is just my experience and what I've learned so far.
Good luck. Very interesting build. Been fun watching your thread and remembering all the questions I've had.
dapellegrini
New member
Thanks for the links! That is some of the best feedback I have gotten so far!
At this point I am thinking of inverts and corals only. I definitely like the sexy shrimp idea, along with some snails, a couple of dwarf hermit crabs and perhaps a few of those little tiny starfish... I want to keep the bioload low.
For corals, I really am not fond of (at least in photos) rics, mushrooms and others that look limp or like some kind of disease. At this point I would like to do a few different types of brightly colored zoos, and some polyps for contrast - is there a (much) smaller and more colorful version of xenia? For a center piece I was thinking of some kind of branching coral. It really all boils down to size and manageability in a small tank. Frogspawn is awesome, but may not play nice in a small space. I also like star polyps, but they are out for the same reasons. I want to make this thing look much bigger in photos than it really is by doing everything to scale (where possible). Kinda like if you could take a normal size tank and shrink it down, where everything keeps it's proportions within the tank...
At this point I am thinking of inverts and corals only. I definitely like the sexy shrimp idea, along with some snails, a couple of dwarf hermit crabs and perhaps a few of those little tiny starfish... I want to keep the bioload low.
For corals, I really am not fond of (at least in photos) rics, mushrooms and others that look limp or like some kind of disease. At this point I would like to do a few different types of brightly colored zoos, and some polyps for contrast - is there a (much) smaller and more colorful version of xenia? For a center piece I was thinking of some kind of branching coral. It really all boils down to size and manageability in a small tank. Frogspawn is awesome, but may not play nice in a small space. I also like star polyps, but they are out for the same reasons. I want to make this thing look much bigger in photos than it really is by doing everything to scale (where possible). Kinda like if you could take a normal size tank and shrink it down, where everything keeps it's proportions within the tank...
dapellegrini
New member
I can't help but wonder if there is not a whole world of Pico Reef critters that I am missing - aside from the smaller creatures on the standard CUC and coral lists for non-pico tanks.
mangus7175
New member
Not sure if you covered this area yet but have you thought of ideas on how you can produce some surface agitation to help with the oxygenation process?
dapellegrini
New member
^ hmmmm... Well. I have the powerhead pointed at an angle against the glass which creates a good circular current around the tank, top to bottom. Not sure if this creates enough surface agitation to serve as aeration though.
dapellegrini
New member
No Filter. Just a Rio 90, Azoo 50w heater and LR/LS
dapellegrini
New member
I am getting 0 Ammonia and 0 Nitrite... Less than a week in. Started the tank with 10lbs of LS and 8lbs of established LR. Perhaps that was a good kick start?
Anyhow, I am going to change some water tomorrow and keep an eye on it for another week or so before adding a couple CUC critters...
Anyhow, I am going to change some water tomorrow and keep an eye on it for another week or so before adding a couple CUC critters...
gsusfreak
New member
wow...you have some of the most amazing looking FW tanks ive ever seen.....and its much possible that you could have gone thru a cycle already...especially all of your rock was pretty much cured....somtimes little tanks like that see only a small cycle....but i see that you're being safe by waiting a week or so, so definitely you are on a great start
dapellegrini
New member
NH3/4 and NO2 have been 0 for a couple of days now, so I decided to do a water change. Probably closer to 60% or so. I still plan on fiddling with the placement of the heater and PH. Problem is having them on the side doesn't look that good in photos, but looks better in person, as the black bar up that side kind of blends with it.
Anyways, here is how it is right now. I am getting good flow and a consistent 78-79 degree temperature at all moments of the day and night.
Here are a few more shoots with clear water.
I really like the open top tanks like this for the top down view as much as anything, though there is quite a bit of evaporation. Seemed to be about 3/4 of a gallon this week.
And here are a few with a black t-shirt behind the tank.
CUC will probably start going in next weekend...
.
Anyways, here is how it is right now. I am getting good flow and a consistent 78-79 degree temperature at all moments of the day and night.
Here are a few more shoots with clear water.
I really like the open top tanks like this for the top down view as much as anything, though there is quite a bit of evaporation. Seemed to be about 3/4 of a gallon this week.
And here are a few with a black t-shirt behind the tank.
CUC will probably start going in next weekend...
.
Agu
Premium Member
It would also help remove the protein slick developing on the waters surface.
Regarding corals,
Caulastrea aka trumpet corals can be found in colorful morphs, are slow growers, and are easy to frag,
Euphylia that grow as branching varieties add motion to the tank, come in several varieties, and are also easy to frag,
dapellegrini
New member
I don't know about an overflow, but I am thinking about an upgrade to a 12-inch cube, drilled with a 2g sump. That wouldn't be for a while if it happens though. This would get everything out of the tank, which would be awesome.
Is there a Skimmer that could work like a Diatom filter, where I could just drop the in and out tubes into the tank perhaps once a week for a few hours to polish the water? Could I use a Diatom filter in SW?
Is there a Skimmer that could work like a Diatom filter, where I could just drop the in and out tubes into the tank perhaps once a week for a few hours to polish the water? Could I use a Diatom filter in SW?
