The BIO^3 [29] My 1st SW tank!

[aquaterra]

I have always done planted tanks for the past 3 years of my adult aquarium interests: high tech, low tech, paladarium. I managed to stay away from saltwater all this time due to my impression it was a lot of work and cost, but I finally took the leap and went for a small nano setup.

I found someone with an established system (to save on cycling time) which was awesome because I could immediately add the livestock I wanted to and make it the way I see fit.

I added a aqualife skimmer and took a hob breeder box and converted to a refugium with a finnex planted+ Clip on light. I took the hood off and upgraded to a used radion xr30 gen 2 pro.

Over the last couple of months I found pieces of coral that I really liked and filled my tank up...I'm slowly running out of room!

Just yesterday I went to a frag swap and added a couple more frags including my first sps. "ORA red planet."

 

[RareEarthCorals]

Welcome, a very nice set up. I like the fact you used Xr30. You will not lack for light. The limitations are always evident but you can aqua sculpt your tank again. In any case you have a nice tank and hope you enjoy your stay here. There are many good people here and valuable information.

 

[aquaterra]

Welcome, a very nice set up. I like the fact you used Xr30. You will not lack for light. The limitations are always evident but you can aqua sculpt your tank again. In any case you have a nice tank and hope you enjoy your stay here. There are many good people here and valuable information.

Thanks! I did lurk (without joining for months) before I decided I wanted to do it. There's a lot of inspiration to be seen here.

 

[Sabellafella]

Wow gorgeous enjoy

 

[aquaterra]

Thanks! I did lurk (without joining for months) before I decided I wanted to do it. There's a lot of inspiration to be seen here.

Also I was working on a huge edit that apparently I couldn't post due to time restraints (I was too slow!) so I'll just throw some more pics up that I meant to get out there...I like pics.

Oh and here's my old artwork some planted tanks that I did (now I neglect a bit hah.)

 

[RareEarthCorals]

Your planted tanks reminded me of diving the Santa Fe River or Ichetucknee.

 

[aquaterra]

That's awesome I used to go there too. I went to undergrad nearby in Gainesville.

Also, I'm super excited I just trained my mandarin to eat off tongs!

 

[steelheader.262]

Both look awesome, nicely done!!!

 

[RareEarthCorals]

That's awesome I used to go there too. I went to undergrad nearby in Gainesville.

Also, I'm super excited I just trained my mandarin to eat off tongs!

Ya spent a lot of time in a canoe exploring the river and inter-tubing was so much fun. Devils Den is a great diving spring. It was a great place to live/study during the 80's pretty much unspoiled.

Pretty cool you got your mandarin to eat, they are a tuff fish to keep fed and healthy.

 

[aquaterra]

Updated the tank:
Added a frag rack and ventured into sps!
I tested my water at the store at the end of the week (I do weekly 5 gallon WC out of 29) and found:
-kH = 8
-Ca=500
-NO3 minimal
-phosphate 0.0
...I still did a wc though

Enjoy:

FTSFriday!

Top down

The rack.

Zoas!

 

[markos]

bonjours.
Vous avez vraiment un très joli nano, que vous métrisez très bien.
vous avez L'intention de passer à plus Grand?

 

[Ahruk]

Beautiful tank. Awesome zoa collection

 

[Scubafrog]

Beautiful cube. What size are your power heads and do you run them at the same time?

I have a 29G Biocube and I have (2) Hydor Koralia Nano pumps, one on each side similar to you, and I alternate them on/off every six hours. I believe both of mine are 425 gph.

 

[glweek]

Wow what an awesome tank! Any name on the zoas post 10 pic #5

 

[aquaterra]

Thanks guys! I love this hobby.

Wow what an awesome tank! Any name on the zoas post 10 pic #5

I'm not sure what they are, but I saw that they had all 7 colors so I snatched them up as quickly as I could. I'd like to think they're some sort of rainbow zoas.

Beautiful cube. What size are your power heads and do you run them at the same time?

I have a 29G Biocube and I have (2) Hydor Koralia Nano pumps, one on each side similar to you, and I alternate them on/off every six hours. I believe both of mine are 425 gph.

I have 2 jaebo rw-4s that I run at the lowest setting on the custom alternating and synchronize settting. Although I literally got a used mp10w that I want to try out but I'm afraid to change my set up too much.

 

[aquaterra]

Updates this week (a lot of stress):
I found some nudibranchs munching on some spongoides (I hope I got them all out, sucked them out with a pipette and re dipped the spongoides) I think theyre also the Zoa eating kind
I got a plate coral that rapidly declined and I don't know why? ( I suspect the cleaner shrimp going after food...)
My red planet started to decline so I quickly fragged the healthy tips and placed them around the tank (hopefully they live).
The store told me I was at:
Sal: 1.025
NO3: 25-35
kH: 7
Phos: 0.07
Ca: 420
Mg: 1260
I did two 5 gallon water changes spaced 3 days apart...I might have to dose NaCO3 (I have Reef foundation B but I'm not sure how to dose, 10mL= 1 dkH? ...also maybe using my ATO?)

I think I'm maxed on coral though! ...I hope nothing else declines! Everything else looks great with full poly extension and what not.

I took jourdys radion schedule (kicked the 65% down to 30% though) and added in some UV LEDs to the mix.






[URL='http://imgur.com/c7mqKsq']

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[RareEarthCorals]

Very nice aquaterra, pest are pest and it seems a never ending battle in our hobby but it sounds like you may have it under control. I don't know what else you can bring in unless your looking to aquascape. Its beautiful just sit back and enjoy. I sometimes think we enjoy the process more than the results.

 

[Ahruk]

Tank Looks amazing. I have a plate that stn and looked nearly dead almost as soon as I got it, I basically gave up hope on it. I stuck it in a shady spot in the tank and after a couple of months it came back to life. Been a few months out in the open and it seems totally happy which makes me very happy.

 

[aquaterra]

Thats awesome Ahruk, maybe it just needs time to get used to a different water chemistry... And RareEarthCorals I totally agree I haven't changed anything in my tank in the last week and I already want to add something new or move something around the itch is terrible!

 

[aquaterra]