My First Nano Reef

[MartinS]

Having kept fish on and off for the past thirty years, as well as working in the aquatic trade both full and part time, I've seen lots of changes in the way we keep fish over the years, not least in the marine 'nano' tanks. In 'my day' minimum recommended size for marine was at least 36", and using external power filters, or, if you could afford it (and most couldn't), Tunze. Skimmers were mainly internal, and so vey intrusive to the tank, unless you had a sump, and the whole thing could take weeks before you could add any live stock. I kept a marine fish tank about 10 years ago, and only broke it down as we had building work done and had no room for it when we'd finished.
Anyway, I've been umming and ahhing about trying a 'nano' tank for a while, and as I work at my LFS, when a second hand one came up, I decided to take the plunge and give it a go. I collected the tank last weekend. I'd purchased it as an upgraded TL450 where the previosu owner had upgraded the stock skimmer to the next model up, and so I took it home with the intention of asking my LFS take a look, and show me how it all went together. After much head scratching, a new powerhead, along with a new UV, we finally had it looking like it was ready to go. I was a bit miffed as the spindle on the pump was broken, and my LFS didn't have anything to match it, and it was all fitted, seemingly, back to front from how a new Orca was set up. I was told to add a MaxiJet 1200 (to give the best flow), and joined it to the Boyu UV with a piece of hose, and the UV outlet then slid into the outlet port in the chamber (after removing the stock spraybar). It also came with a Koralia nano, so I added this as well, but think I might move this to the other side to give a better flow. In the next compartment is the heater (50W), then the next one the skimmer, and the 'inlet' compartment is currently empty, but I intend to add a bag of live rock rubble and/or some phosban or similar. Once we had sorted out all the hardware, I set about sorting out the water, live rock and some seeded sand to get me started. I have 7KGs of live rock, which went in after I'd added the premixed water, then a bag of new coral sand, and then a cupful of live sand. I also fitted two new 18W bulbs into the hood as I'd checked with the previous owner and he had said they were about 9 months old. I finished work at about 4.30, and by six o'clock the tank was filled, live rock in, lights on and everything running as I sat down with a cuppa! It's been running all evening with lights on, and the heat is aboout 27, but I have a feeling the 50W heater that came with it is either dodgy, or not working as I added a 100W for an hour to help get the temperature up quicker, and it seems to be slowly dropping now, so will swap them over before I go to bed tonight. I'm guessing the temperature should be warmer (about 28C)?
The rock is excellent (I was allwed to take some of the 'good' stuff which was there for the new display tank) and looking at it now, I can already se a couple of small mushrooms, lots of purple coraline algae and some other bits and pieces. I'll take my daughter next weekend to get the CUC and then I only intend to add a few small coral frags and hopefully a goby/shrimp pair, and maybe a scooter blenny. I really wanted it for the flourescing corals and am looking forward to having the blue LEDs on at night and seeing them 'glow'. We also have some catalina gobies, which are incredible, and I may have to get one of those just for the colour, but am in no hurry, I just want to let it settle now, add the CUC next week and sit back and watch it for a while before adding anything else.
Please feel free to comment/critique/suggest anything I could/should do differently.
Thanks
Martin

 

[seffieuk]

Martin

Having kept fish on and off for the past thirty years, as well as working in the aquatic trade both full and part time, I've seen lots of changes in the way we keep fish over the years, not least in the marine 'nano' tanks. In 'my day' minimum recommended size for marine was at least 36", and using external power filters, or, if you could afford it (and most couldn't), Tunze. Skimmers were mainly internal, and so vey intrusive to the tank, unless you had a sump, and the whole thing could take weeks before you could add any live stock.

Things certainly have changed, it is really interesting reading old books about salt water keeping

I kept a marine fish tank about 10 years ago, and only broke it down as we had building work done and had no room for it when we'd finished.

That must have been hard

Anyway, I've been umming and ahhing about trying a 'nano' tank for a while, and as I work at my LFS, when a second hand one came up, I decided to take the plunge and give it a go. I collected the tank last weekend. I'd purchased it as an upgraded TL450 where the previosu owner had upgraded the stock skimmer to the next model up, and so I took it home with the intention of asking my LFS take a look, and show me how it all went together.

A good little tank

After much head scratching, a new powerhead, along with a new UV, we finally had it looking like it was ready to go. I was a bit miffed as the spindle on the pump was broken, and my LFS didn't have anything to match it, and it was all fitted, seemingly, back to front from how a new Orca was set up.

Don't worry, many people have theirs set up in a different order

I was told to add a MaxiJet 1200 (to give the best flow), and joined it to the Boyu UV with a piece of hose, and the UV outlet then slid into the outlet port in the chamber (after removing the stock spraybar).

I would have kept the spray bar

It also came with a Koralia nano, so I added this as well, but think I might move this to the other side to give a better flow.

sounds like a good idea

In the next compartment is the heater (50W), then the next one the skimmer, and the 'inlet' compartment is currently empty, but I intend to add a bag of live rock rubble and/or some phosban or similar.

Indeed, get some live rock in there along with some phosphate remover

Once we had sorted out all the hardware, I set about sorting out the water, live rock and some seeded sand to get me started. I have 7KGs of live rock, which went in after I'd added the premixed water, then a bag of new coral sand, and then a cupful of live sand.



I also fitted two new 18W bulbs into the hood as I'd checked with the previous owner and he had said they were about 9 months old.

wise move

I finished work at about 4.30, and by six o'clock the tank was filled, live rock in, lights on and everything running as I sat down with a cuppa!

Having this much fun is exhausting

It's been running all evening with lights on, and the heat is aboout 27, but I have a feeling the 50W heater that came with it is either dodgy, or not working as I added a 100W for an hour to help get the temperature up quicker, and it seems to be slowly dropping now, so will swap them over before I go to bed tonight. I'm guessing the temperature should be warmer (about 28C)?

Yeah, all that hard work and the heater fails, that would be awful

The rock is excellent (I was allwed to take some of the 'good' stuff which was there for the new display tank) and looking at it now, I can already se a couple of small mushrooms, lots of purple coraline algae and some other bits and pieces.

Woo hoo. let the pet rock watching begin - any photos?

I'll take my daughter next weekend to get the CUC

You will of course be testing to ensure the cycle is over wont you? What test kits have you got or will you take your water into the lfs you work at?

and then I only intend to add a few small coral frags and hopefully a goby/shrimp pair, and maybe a scooter blenny.

Ive got some bad news i'm afraid, the scooter blenny is a dragonet and so needs at least 90lbs of live rock so that there are enough copepods etc for it to survive - or a copepode culture, but in a tank your size I wouldn't even consider it

I really wanted it for the flourescing corals and am looking forward to having the blue LEDs on at night and seeing them 'glow'.

I know what you mean, they look amazing

We also have some catalina gobies, which are incredible, and I may have to get one of those just for the colour, but am in no hurry,

ah, more bad news - Catalina gobies are in fact colder water marine fish, well about 60 degrees, so unless you are going to change all your plans and go for a different type of biotope then you will not be able to keep one


I just want to let it settle now, add the CUC next week and sit back and watch it for a while before adding anything else.


Indeed, sit back and enjoy but don't forget to test in about 48 hours and whilst you are waiting you can take some photos for us

Please feel free to comment/critique/suggest anything I could/should do differently.
Thanks
Martin

Seffie x

 

[MartinS]

Thanks Seffie.

Actually, I hadn't thought about either fish any more than I wouldn't mind keeping them, but am sure when the time came my LFS would have said the same, but thanks anyway - can cross them of my list before I even start!

I tried with the spraybar, but was concerned that the constant push of water against the opposite side glass would be asking for trouble if I forgot to change the angle when doing a water change, and also without it, the water pushing straight out from the back wall hits the front glass and their is a really good flow all over, but I may try it out again.
Well, the heater seemed to be OK, and looked like it had settled down, so left it as was Got up this morning to a tank of 31C, so quickly switched it off, and after it had cooled, did what I should have done last night and swapped it over for a 100W I had spare that I know is in good working order. The temperature is slowly dropping so will just let it drop and the new heater will kick in once it's reached a more agreeable temperature.
Looking again this morning, there are three mushrooms, one plain brown, one brown with whitish ridges, and another larger one which is brown with the flourescent green in the middle. There is also a couple of tiny feather duster worms, one small conical snail (about 5mm), and several feather duster looking creatures that are just sticking out two long white feelers. Have tried with my camera, but I may get the camcorder out later and see if I can get some decent video of everything I have seen so far.

I planned to add the live rock rubble and phosphate remover yesterday, but got caught up in choosing the LR, making sure I had everything I needed and getteing it all done so they could shut up shop, it wasn't until I was writing this up last night that I remembered - doh!
I hadn't thought abut testing for some strange reason , but agreed, will definitely check out the pH, nitrites and nitrates, plus take a sample if for my LFS to double check anything I may have missed. I don't have a refractometer yet, but will get one in the next few weeks.
Will do some tests for nitrite (tested pH last night and it's about 8.1) tomorrow evening, and report back with my findings, but in the mean time I'll dig out my camera/camcorder and see what I can get on film.

Thanks again
Martin

 

[seffieuk]

Will look forward to the photos and your first stats

Seffie x

 

[shelaghfishface]

Exciting times ..Congratulations

i`m really looking forward to watching it progress

( and pics)

good luck with your new venture
shelagh xxx

 

[MartinS]

Exciting times ..Congratulations

i`m really looking forward to watching it progress

( and pics)

good luck with your new venture
shelagh xxx

Thanks Shelagh
Have taken a short video, but forgot that I don't have the software on my new PC yet, so will deal with that so I can get the video up onto my photobucket account and post a link to it once it's there.
Thanks again
Martin

 

[MartinS]

More inhabitants spotted this morning - a couple of shrimp which look a bit like freshwater gammurus, and a tiny crab! I also found a lovely dark red/brown feather duster.
I'll try and find time tomorrow to upload the video.
Martin

 

[shelaghfishface]

ooo nice, get a pic and an ID on the crab tho.. some can cause chaos fingers crossed he`ll be a nice one

 

[bae1994]

sounds good the crab may be bad or good if you get a pick then we may be able to id

 

[MartinS]

It was tiny (about 4mm max across the carapace), looked just like the surrounding rock. Went back a ferw minute later and it had disappeared, so will need to keep and eye out and get pics next time I see it.
Thanks for the warning - hopefully can get it ID'd.
Martin

 

[MartinS]

Been hunting about looking to ID what I have found so far, and this is what i've come up with:

Shrimps - Amphipod(?)
Long pairs of white tentacles that come out of what look like feather duster homes - (possibly) spionid worms(?)
Small brown conical snail - (possibly) Cerith snail.
I also forgot to say I saw an Asterina star too

I did see a picture of a mithrax crab that looked a bit like the one i saw, but it's going to be tough to ID as it's so small. It says thay are not reef safe (if it is a mithrax), so how do you catch tiny critters?
Martin

 

[MartinS]

As promised, short video of the critters so far - not brilliant, but it's a start



Martin

 

[shelaghfishface]

thats looks really lovely

lots of life in there to get you started, mushrooms are nice ( i always get excited when i find something new in my tank..and it still happens)
im surprised at the size of the tank.. its bigger than i thought-heightwise

so come on,confess.. how many attempts before you were happy with the rock work? - my personal record was 7 hours on a rio 180 with 20kgs

nice one Martin, looks fab

shelagh xxx

Re: the crab, keep an eye out in the night time for him ( red light/torch maybe) i had one in my tank, we found it when it crawled out of a rock onto the coffee table when sam was blowtorching aiptaisa (sp) it was about 3 inch`s wide.. gave us a heart attack, but i threw it back in

( in shock of course) and never saw it again

they can be a right royal pain

so as soon as ( if u ever) you see it grab it! ( maybe take it to the shop and they can stick it in the sump)

 

[MartinS]

thats looks really lovely

lots of life in there to get you started, mushrooms are nice ( i always get excited when i find something new in my tank..and it still happens)
im surprised at the size of the tank.. its bigger than i thought-heightwise

so come on,confess.. how many attempts before you were happy with the rock work? - my personal record was 7 hours on a rio 180 with 20kgs

nice one Martin, looks fab

shelagh xxx

Re: the crab, keep an eye out in the night time for him ( red light/torch maybe) i had one in my tank, we found it when it crawled out of a rock onto the coffee table when sam was blowtorching aiptaisa (sp) it was about 3 inch`s wide.. gave us a heart attack, but i threw it back in

( in shock of course) and never saw it again

they can be a right royal pain

so as soon as ( if u ever) you see it grab it! ( maybe take it to the shop and they can stick it in the sump)

Thanks Yes, having the pick of the live rock, between us we found some good bits - it's surprising how much 7KGs is, but also hard to find small bits that look good too.
OK, if I'm in confession mode, about 10 minutes though I do keep looking at it and thinking about moving bits about, but then decide to leave it for just a bit longer...7 hours!!! LOL
I need to shift the sand as adding that after the rock, i can see lots of space behind and between the rock and there is quite a lot of sand piled up around the edges - I'm just conscious of messing it about too much, but guess better to do it now with nothing in there than later.

I've been looking for the crab and seen no sign of it at all, but will try with lights out - will just having the 2 moonlight LEDs on be any good? It's so tiny, not sure how I'm going to be able to catch it even if I do see it, but will try.

Thanks again
Martin x

 

[shelaghfishface]

10 mins? .. ahh you must have just got lucky then ( ) , as it looks great
dunno what others will say but i would sort the sand sooner rather than later,dead spots are the last thing you want.. tho its new sand so maybe you`ll be ok ( we all know the fun i had with nitrates due to having too much and used sand

) but saying that,maybe the critters would keep it good for you

dont worry too much about him, maybe he`ll show up, the one i had was the type that would kill fish.. he was always in there and i never lost anything.. maybe someone will have a cunning plan to trap him

when i have only my blue lights on everything hides ( they go to bed when theyre told!) but then i dont ,as far as i know have any shrimp/crabs etc..maybe it`ll work,