Ross' Nano

Ross

Ross

Joined
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I started my nano in October 2006. I lost interest in it for about 6 months after constantly loosing fish and livestock during load shedding and one 5 day stint without power that killed almost everything. I basically kept the reef alive but did not put the attention into it that I should have. Recently I have been bitten by the bug again and thought I would share my tank with the gang. (These pictures show the tank as it is at the moment)

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The tank started out as a fresh water tank and was eventually turned into a marine with a few modifications. I started with a canister filter but added a sump soon after I got into it.

The tank is 800x325x470 which gives me about 100 liters of display.
The DIY sump is 800x275x285 giving me about 45 liters.
The sump has 3 chamber, the Reeftek TS-1 protein skimmer is in chamber one along with the heater where the two overflows enter. The second and biggest chamber is my fuge with about 1 kg of live rock and calerpa (and what ever else goes into it). The third chamber is the return chamber hosting a ASP-2000 return pump.

Circulation in the main display is provided by 2 Seio M620 pumps and a spray bar from the return. I have about 18 kg of Malaysian live rock and a crushed coral sand bed.

Lighting is provided by 5 24 watt T5s. 3 white and 2 blue on a 12 hour cycle. The sump is lit by a standard fish tank fluorescent that is on 24/7.

Topup is via a DIY float switch and a bucket of RO next to the tank. I am using about 5 liters every 10 days or so.

I do a 25 liter water change every 10 days. I recently started dripping Kalk in the last two weeks but other than that, no other additives are added.

Livestock:
1 Long Nose Hawk
1 Sand Sifter Goby
4 Fire Gobies
1 Serpent Star
1 Red Star
A number of Turbo Snails
Some Blue Legged, Brown and some other type of Hermits

Corals:
Blue, Purple, Brown and Orange Mushrooms
Green Elephant Ear Mushrooms
White Star Polips
Open Brain
Green Flat Brain
Green Plate
Torch Tip
Scroll
Strawberry Cauliflower
Green Zoos
Orange Zoos
Sun Coral
Bubble
Large leather
Finger Leather Frag (From a huge finger removed from tank)
Fan Worm
Purple Sponge
Clam (no idea the make and model)

Here is a pic of my little Long Nose Hawk in the Leather just after the lights came on.

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Here is a pic of the tank before I had all the problems with the power. This is march 2007.

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Very nice tank, hope you get everything up and running again.

Clam looks like a Crocea, but difficult to say, without seeing the shell.
 
Nice setup you got there Ross. Sun coral doesn't look too healthy though. There is no skeleton between the polyps. How long do you have it?

Do you target feed phytoplankton at least every 2 days to every polyp on it? Also they don't like light - in nature they live in caves and crevasses in nutrient rich water.

I see you got a cauliflour coral, I also bought one long time ago not knowing that they're NOT recommended to even experts. They usually die in captivity over time, they also live in caves.

And to think that the "well known" marine petshop told me they're easy to keep :nono:

So sad...
 
Hi Ross, great photography, it shows your tank off perfectly, but perhaps i missunderstand, is this before or after the power failure? if before then that is a tragedy, if after fantastic.
 
Tobes said:
Nice setup you got there Ross. Sun coral doesn't look too healthy though. There is no skeleton between the polyps. How long do you have it?

Do you target feed phytoplankton at least every 2 days to every polyp on it? Also they don't like light - in nature they live in caves and crevasses in nutrient rich water.

I see you got a cauliflour coral, I also bought one long time ago not knowing that they're NOT recommended to even experts. They usually die in captivity over time, they also live in caves.

And to think that the "well known" marine petshop told me they're easy to keep :nono:

So sad...
Click to expand...

The pic of the sun was just after the lights came on and normally all the polyps are out in force. I don't target feed but do feed phytoplankton and marine snow on alternate days. Had it for about a year now.

mm, is that not so typical, will watch the cauliflower and see what it does. Next time I am at the shop will see if they will take it back or swap it out. :(
 
Wee-Man said:
Hi Ross, great photography, it shows your tank off perfectly, but perhaps i missunderstand, is this before or after the power failure? if before then that is a tragedy, if after fantastic.
Click to expand...

Thanks Wee-Man. The first two pics of the tank in the first post are of how the tanks stands now.
 
Big softies with LPS

Hi

Stunning tank!!!

When I was planning my tank I was repeatedly warned by the "old boys" not to keep big softies with LPS and SPS. Apparently the toxins they excrete is a sure kill for the stoneys.

Do you find the combination working for you?

For my nano I have stuck with mushrooms and LPS.
 
Len, I think this applies more to SPS than LPS and also depends on placement and flow.

I think Ross's tank shows there are no hard and fast rules, and certain suggestions can be bent under the correct husbandry.

I am amazed almost everyday with the way the "envelope" is being pushed in this hobby.
 
Len said:
When I was planning my tank I was repeatedly warned by the "old boys" not to keep big softies with LPS and SPS. Apparently the toxins they excrete is a sure kill for the stoneys.

Do you find the combination working for you?
Click to expand...

Hi Len

I don't seem to have any problems with any kind of coral wars in my tank.
Have to be honest, when I first started out I just tried what I liked and basically still do the same thing. Only ever lost a Kenya Tree and a Monty frag in the tank.

The big Leather you see in the images was a tiny fellow when I got it along with a Finger Leather. I recently had to get rid of the Finger as it was to big and the Leather will have to go soon as it is also to big, I just have to find something I like to fill the right side of the tank.

I think if you keep it simple, stupid and are religious with water changes, you should be able to try a lot of things.

Sorry, babbling on here.

Ross
 
Len said:
Hi

Stunning tank!!!

When I was planning my tank I was repeatedly warned by the "old boys" not to keep big softies with LPS and SPS. Apparently the toxins they excrete is a sure kill for the stoneys.

Do you find the combination working for you?

For my nano I have stuck with mushrooms and LPS.
Click to expand...

i dont think thats true, i got lots of sps, softies and lps all doing well in my tank.
the right side is lps softy dominated and the left side is the really high flow sps section.
nothing wrong in my tank.

ross i really like your tank! how long has it been running?
seems well matured! what lights you running (brand of t5)?
 
gaz19 said:
ross i really like your tank! how long has it been running?
seems well matured! what lights you running (brand of t5)?
Click to expand...

Thanks.... it has been up for 19 months.
I had some DIY T5 for a while, now I got a combo of a pendant and some clip on T5s.
Will check the brand tonight when I get home.
 
Thalion said:
Wow, very nice pic's.

One suggestion, Move the plugs. You will probably get some salt build up over time, and then:idea::troll: .
Click to expand...

I have been trying to decide how to complete a cabinet for the system (including a new canopy) but just can't come up with anything I like that is withing my DIY skills. When I get that right I want to redo all the electrics. I need another light timer and I want to put my inverter on the system.
 
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