Nano display Refugium Lighting

SashimiTurtle · Sep 28, 2017

Ive just set up a 10g with macros as a display, and eventually to harvest for a natural fish food for herbivorous fish and also my urchin. I currently just have a cheap LED strip that clips to the rim, because I had it in the closet and something is better than nothing. You can see it in the first picture. What would you suggest as a lighting option that mounts similar or would be flat mounted on top of the tank? No corals in here, just macros.

saltyfilmfolks · Sep 28, 2017

Look at some of the fresh water planted tank lights.

That one might be fine too though.

Neat tank btw.
Have you got some flow in there? I don't see it.

SashimiTurtle · Sep 28, 2017

Koralia Nano 240gph. With the mount broke off... I struck a spare set of Tunze magnets on the glass to aim it up a bit more.

I've got a Par38 refugium spectrum bulb I set on top of the screen. Just to see what it looks like under the red/blue spectrum. Don't want it to stay there as this tank is in my kitchen. Yes, that's my toaster oven and a salt shaker behind the tank...

SashimiTurtle · Sep 28, 2017

I might get 3 more of those LED bars, clip them to all 4 corners and check the amps on them. Should be really low and I can probably wire them on one toggle switch. That way I get full coverage in the tank.

saltyfilmfolks · Sep 28, 2017

Take a look at the strip lights too. It might be cheaper and prettier maybe in the long run.

The same planted tank light is $50 more as soon as you put the word coral on it. Lol.

SashimiTurtle · Sep 28, 2017

saltyfilmfolks said:
The same planted tank light is $50 more as soon as you put the word coral on it. Lol.

Oh I know, I work for the power company. "Yea a bolt, that'll be $0.50. Oh its for the power company, you need this 'special' grade x bolt, its $50."

saltyfilmfolks · Sep 28, 2017

Haha. Yea. That's a totally cool improvised tank.

SashimiTurtle · Sep 28, 2017

Thanks.

I bought an eel kinda on impulse, because of the whole Hawaiian fishery closing down. I had planned on another, bit was waiting until next year when the 90g was up and running. Needed a secure place to put him fast and the 14g nano was a no go, rimless without a screen, and it's not really set up with a cave for an eel. I had 10g sitting empty, with the HOB, heater, light and powerhead. Quick trip to Walmart to see what I could use for a lid and they had those reptile screens for standard 10g or 20 tall. Picked up some filters for the HOB too. Out of pocket when I set the tank up I think I have $30 in it. Can't remember what I spent on the rest of the stuff but it was sitting unused and I'm sure I'm under $100, not including livestock. I took the 75g down due to a suspected bottom seam leak, so my urchin and just about all my snails are in there too. Six line wrasse graduated from QT and went in here too. This will be his permanent home as an only child. I want to try leopard wrasses in the 90g and I don't need an aggressive six line, so far he's been calm as can be but he has had no competitors. The urchin has already wrapped himself in one of the red algaes. Garcilara I think?

This is turning into a display refuge build thread... lol.

saltyfilmfolks · Sep 28, 2017

Hahaha. Aww. Accidental tank build.

Keep an eye on the macros. Some of them are pretty tasty.

SashimiTurtle · Sep 28, 2017

saltyfilmfolks said:
Keep an eye on the macros. Some of them are pretty tasty.

I'm aware, half of the reason I got macros. I didn't want to starve my urchin without a large tank for it to forage in. My fiancee named him Fedora, so I gotta keep it alive. It always puts snails and hermits on its head like a hat, get it... Fedora, hat... lol corny I know. Once it's got a name, I know she's attached and she'll be sad if it dies. Seems to like this red stringy stuff. Good thing as that was the most abundant. I'll order more if he eats it all. All the macro in that tank cost me a measly $20($10/sampler) plus $16.50 flat rate shipping, supposedly no matter how much you order.

The Red Grape caulerpa is behind the piece he's on.

SashimiTurtle · Sep 28, 2017

Feeding time!

kinetic · Sep 28, 2017

That eel is SOOOOO cool.

Now you have me thinking of plumbing a small macro tank to my display... and keeping something like an eel or an angler.

SashimiTurtle · Sep 29, 2017

A warty would be soooo cool in one. I have a six line in here too.

SashimiTurtle · Sep 29, 2017

kinetic said:
That eel is SOOOOO cool.

Now you have me thinking of plumbing a small macro tank to my display... and keeping something like an eel or an angler.

Do this... sargassum algae and this guy. Gets 6", so I'd do at least a 20L.
http://m.liveaquaria.com/product/74/sargassum-fish?pcatid=74&c=15+19+74

SashimiTurtle · Sep 29, 2017

They had one at the SC Aquarium when I went a few months ago. They live in floating mats of sargassum algae and feed on small school fish that use the algae as cover from predators. Sneaky little guy.

kinetic · Sep 30, 2017

Yeah they're really great. I might go for a small painted angler first, those guys can have beautiful colors.

Katrina71 · Oct 8, 2017

More eel pics please

SashimiTurtle · Oct 8, 2017

Moar pix!

As you can see, my urchin completely disagrees with me on the placement of the red algaes. He also thinks there is way too much red algae and is correcting that problem also. The green algae apears to be growing. Theres nothing to scrape off the glass, ever, and the rocks are clean besides being stained green from the 75g. The six line is getting along well with Maui. It really shows just how docile these eels are. That six line is easily meal sized, but he pays him absolutely no attention. He'd rather wait for me to hand feed him some calimari, expensive taste buds. Good thing hes so tiny.

Oh, here is how I prepare his food...

I get 2-3 feedings out of one squid, and I've been feeding about every other day... Altho I have a feeling he'd eat every day if I fed that often. This one is a very enthusiastic eater. I don't have to convince him to eat at all, just let him smell the food and he's instantly in attack mode.