The $100 Nano-Reef Project - Page 2

bschuerman · 03-11-2008, 10:57 AM

Yeah she said she was running a reef tank. Don't take my word for it I have not tried it myself. If you look on the packaging it looks like the last numbers in the model number on that grow light were T8? I tried to google it hard to find much info on persons using it. Let me know how it goes.

johnmaloney · 03-12-2008, 11:50 AM

Those Wal-Mart lights are actually doing the trick just fine. The corals are looking good as well as the plants. They run a little hot though so I am going to replace one with a 50/50 like psychographic suggested, and remove the heater. That should keep me under budget, and the tank will be happy. My nitrates finally hit zero, after the after cycle spike. I have weak live sand, 2lbs of weak live rock, (all base- but I imagine their must be some life in their by now as I seeded a little from my snail holding tank), and 3 mangrove seeds that started sprouting. I took some pics, they will be up tonight. You will get to see the yellow lights making my water look dirty. I think the tank is done at two weeks old, I only plan on creating a sargassum tree with some driftwood I found. I did this before and it looked great. All I do is clip the sargassum into "branching shapes" and attach to a thin branch of driftwood. It looks great when done, (like a bonzai), and gives the inhabitants some shelter. Oh, I almost forgot, I added a small, (very small), spotted sea hare to the tank, as well as more codium. I removed one of the thorny oysters I had in there though.

My enrcusting sponge is also doing good, it has recently "infected" a rock, and hopefully it will grow out to cover it soon. I was too lazy though to put in the bubble wand correctly, and the wall of bubbles is only in one spot at the moment. I will get it across the tank soon enough, but the inhabitants could use a day off from my bumbling around in there.

The feather dusters are breeding. This morning I found 3 that now have two heads, and 2 that are completely new to the tank. Didn't really plan for that, so I am looking for locals (S. Florida) to trade with. Trades that are unfair for you and great for me come with a lesson on how to catch aquarium things.

Pics will be up tonight!

bschuerman · 03-12-2008, 12:22 PM

Sweet i'll take a look at those pictures I have a spare 10 gallon laying around myself that I'll either convert to a medic tank or throw a few odds and ends in. Actually the same inexpensive Walmart tank with that very hood. Had Dwarf Puffers in it but one kicked it.

johnmaloney · 03-12-2008, 12:37 PM

I like those dwarf puffers, I had one in my first tank. He was pure evil! Kept trying to bite the fins of my fish. He attacked my show sized rainbow fish once, and out he went to a friends tank.

johnmaloney · 03-13-2008, 10:09 AM

Lots of pics here, almost all of them are blurry, sorry about that. I ended up getting the lights psychographic suggested, and they make a 20 watt version, so I have 40 watts of 50/50 right now which I am happy with. I used the Wal-Mart bulb on a light in the back for the mangroves. The pictures were taken under the Wal-Mart bulbs. The lights brougt me right under a hundred, I think about $97. I got a discount at the LFS, like I said plenty of cheating going on here. I don't think it looks all that bad for under $100, and I will probably add some more in time, I always do.

johnmaloney · 03-13-2008, 10:09 AM

After seeing how big the pics are I changed my mind. Just click here, and you will download a zip file with all of the pics in them.

**JF2381** · 03-13-2008, 10:18 AM

that's a lot of cool macro algae you have there. The shell on that snail is pretty cool too.

bschuerman · 03-13-2008, 10:26 AM

Lol -- you should see my green spotted puffer I put a silverside in the tank last night just curious what it would do and it ate the thing whole. It eats a crab in two bites claws and all. Favorite fish hands down....

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnmaloney

I like those dwarf puffers, I had one in my first tank. He was pure evil! Kept trying to bite the fins of my fish. He attacked my show sized rainbow fish once, and out he went to a friends tank.

psychographic · 03-13-2008, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnmaloney

Cheap bubbler and wand at wal-mart plus extension cord is about $18

You are going to get a ton of salt creep using a bubble wand. I would suggest a PowerSweep Powerhead. Now before everyone jumps in and tells you they are junk, they are'nt, you just have to be gentle with them and clean them on a weekly to bi-weekly basis. (BTW, I have one that has been in service for over 3 years with no problems at all) If you put it near the top of the tank you will get enough turbulance off the surface water for gas exchange and on top of that you will add plenty of flow to the tank. the smallest one is about $25, a little more than the bubble wand and the airpump, but money well spent IMO. DON'T use the air attachment for it.

As for the lights, I only suggested those bulbs, because you asked for something that would fit your sockets. You might be better off going to Walmart and getting a 15" under cabinet Kitchen fluorescent fixture and finding a 65k to 10k bulb. I found the fixture at walmart for $6 and the bulb at Lowes for about the same price.

This might break the budget, but will bring you better results.

johnmaloney · 03-13-2008, 08:28 PM

I may check it out. I am usually good at taking care of the creep, but I planned on breaking the budget at some point, I just wanted to see what I could do for under $100. I think the tank needs some more rock to boost up the back, and fill the tank up more. I am going to get base rock instead of live because I already have zero nitrates.Any other suggestions? I know most of you (especially you deep), went straight to thinking about corals, but I am thinking of going the way of macro and sponges. Scroll Algae is definitely on the list of macros, I was just waiting for stronger lighting. I also may be added some red kelp I might be getting in a trade. Just a matter of weather or not my sea hares will eat it all.

By the way, have any of you ever had a squid? I saw some really cool small squids today, and I was getting a quick out of watching them change color, (so fast). This particular species will remain small I think, but I am off to do my research.

johnmaloney · 03-13-2008, 08:32 PM

I think I am hooked on macro! I found some really cool macro today too when I was diving, but I got distracted by a 300 pound goliath grouper. WOW! I also saw a couple of cool fish that aren't in the hobby, and they are awesome! I am going back to catch them sometime, I didn't have my hand net with me today. I am going to check my fish encyclopedia and give you guys the id for this fish, I believe it is in the damsel family.

About the macro- the green stuff is codium (the others halimeda and chaeto were probably easy ids), and the red one is byranthanium triquetrum, but check the spelling I used in my earlier post. The red one didn't come out good in the picture, it looks much better in person.

johnmaloney · 03-13-2008, 08:37 PM

Hey you guys want to help me name something? I was trying to come up for a trade name for the byranthanium triquetrum as I wanted to sell some on the website, but it isn't in the hobby at all. (Plus I hate that I can't spell it without looking it up). The detailed leaves look like flames, so I was thinking of fire algae, or flame algae or something along those lines. If you have any ideas I would appreciate hearing them.

psychographic · 03-13-2008, 08:56 PM

I like he idea of a Macro/Sponge tank, with a buch of small inverts.

now for names.

Inferno

Hells Fire

and the winner is,

Satan's Breath

johnmaloney · 03-13-2008, 09:03 PM

Might lose the Evangelical market with that one....Hell's Fire...that may work. You are going to get me into trouble I think

johnmaloney · 03-13-2008, 09:05 PM

Thats what I am thinking, small inverts and fry in the tank until they grow out enough to transfer them to the tank with the hairy blenny. BY the way, that orange "stick looking thing" in the middle of the tank is the encrusting sponge you may have read about in some of my posts. It is doing great! May not look like much from that picture, but the details of that sponge are just awesome. I wish I could take pictures like the rest of you!

**Deepwater** · 03-13-2008, 10:43 PM

Ok, that it , you asked for it

**JF2381** · 03-14-2008, 06:35 AM

John pm me your address and I will send you two hob filters I used on my ten gallon reef. You can replace the air wand with these. Also, You can fill them with live rock rubble and you are good to go.

johnmaloney · 03-14-2008, 09:45 AM

Deal! Deep there are pics, I just put them in a zip file. (Don't worry no viruses), I tried linking them in first, but it made the page take to long to load because they are big.

**Deepwater** · 03-14-2008, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnmaloney

After seeing how big the pics are I changed my mind. Just click here, and you will download a zip file with all of the pics in them.

you can open a photobucket.com account , they will store and host your pics , not to mention they also resize it.

nice little tank btw

johnmaloney · 03-14-2008, 10:35 AM

I didn't know the resized them for you, thats great! I have been over cropping photos and scaling....