Starphire Manta Ray 15 Build..

[wastedtime]

Disclaimer : Saltwater Noobie :lol2:

I recently purchased a used Pico Aquariums Manta Ray 15 (~9 Gallons). This will be my first saltwater tank ever. I have several high-tech freshwater tanks, but as I have come to realize Saltwater is a completely different beast. :worried2:

The Manta Ray is an excellent looking tank. Chris has put some real thought into building these tanks, The craftsmanship and silicone work is top notch. All the edges and baffels are perfectly crafted to fit.

Here is the list so far:

Equipment :
1. Pico Aquariums Manta Ray 15
2. LedTric Par38 Full Spectrum Bulb + Zoomed Light Hanger
3. Aquamaxx HOB-1 Skimmer
4. Maxi Jett 900 return pump
5. ReefKeeper Lite
6. JBJ Nano Fuge Light


Filtration:
1. Live Rock rubble + Skimmer (1st compartment)
2. Chemipure (2nd Compartment)
3. Cheto (2nd Compartment)
4. Filter Pad to catch Detrius (between 2nd and 3rd compartment)
5. 3rd compartment (Return pump + Heater + ATO)

Livestock:
Coral :
1.Green Star Polyps
2. Tubs Blue Zoanthids
3. Fiji Zoanthids - Super Orange
4. Yellow Polyps
5. Lavender Mushroom / Ricordea
6. Mushroom Coral - Super Red

Fish:
Suggestions needed

Cleaner Crew:
Hermit Crabs and Turbo Snails


Questions :

1. Do I need another powerhead for added flow ?
2. Suggestions on stocking ?

Pictures to follow.:thumbsup:

 

[GOSKN5]

for fish, you could always get away with a pair of occy clowns... or a clown and small goby maybe... one maybe two fish max IMO

 

[telamont]

sounds good dont think youll need another powerhead. stock small species.

 

[wastedtime]

Thanks for the opinions and sorry about the delayed response, I totally forgot I had a thread started here, The tank is cycled and ready to go, I am going to go ahead and add some livestock over the weekend.

Sorry about the crappy cell phone pics.. I dont own a good camera yet.

I dont have a fish room, but this is my fish wall

From left to right : ADA 60-P , ADA Mini-M, Pico Aquariums Manta Ray 15, 10 Gallon QT Tank

While the tank is cycling I got some pictures of the setup with the lights turned on:

Looking in through the ADA 60-P , If you look closely, you can see the Mini-M in the middle.

Looking through the Manta Ray:

I am thinking of putting a shrimp/goby pair in and a Single Ocellaris Clownfish.
OR
Green Banded Goby and a Single Ocellaris Clownfish.
OR
A Pair Of Ocellaris Clownfish (Not to crazy about this)

Any other ideas ?

 

[mic209]

Nice setup(s). Is that a fishneedit.com MH over you 60-P? If so, what are your thoughts.

 

[wastedtime]

Nice setup(s). Is that a fishneedit.com MH over you 60-P? If so, what are your thoughts.

Thanks

Yes that one is a Fishneedit 70W MH. I really like it, Its too much light for the 60-P though, but it works out because I hang it higher than usual because of the riparium plants.

The bulb is a 8K and took about 5 weeks to dial in, but it looks great now, It went from a slight yellow to super green to perfectly balanced now.
The fixture itself isnt bad, but it has no fans. But for $125 it is very good value for money.

 

[RVANANO]

Beautiful tanks! That one to the left is spectacular. Any more details about your nano? Who is Chris? I am looking for an office tank right now and am leaning towards the Innovative Nuvo 16 but would consider having something built.

 

[wastedtime]

Beautiful tanks! That one to the left is spectacular. Any more details about your nano? Who is Chris? I am looking for an office tank right now and am leaning towards the Innovative Nuvo 16 but would consider having something built.

Thank you. The nano tank is a Manta Ray 15 (15" x 15" x 9") comes in at 8.8 Gallons.
The tank was built by Chris Delicath who runs pico aquariums. He is currently closed for business but generally opens up at the end of the year. His website is at picoaquariums dot com.
He also has a thread on nano-reef in the pico tanks sub-forum. His tanks are simply stunning and are very well built. If you can wait until he opens up I would definitely recommend that you consider them.

 

[wastedtime]

Smallish Update :

I got a small Mocha Clown for the tank and he is in QT right now. I am thinking of getting a second fish.. but not sure which one.

I dont want a shrimp / goby pair. I dont want them hiding all the time. Any recommendations on what else I can put in ? A firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica) would be cool, I saw him at the LFS this week. But I wasnt sure if that will severely overstock the tank.

 

[wastedtime]

Bump for stocking options...can I put a tailspot blenny in the tank along with the clown?

 

[chiblackhawks4]

You could do a firefish if you wished but you would have to get a cover because these guys like to jump. I have one with an occy and they have been doing well. The firefish will tend to hide from time to time. I dont know anything about blennies. Sorry.