UPDATE: My point5 SPS Pico

[Unarce]

Shortly after showcasing this project...

http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=57458

...I decided to make a couple of adjustments.

I ditched the 'single bommy' idea and glued 3 pieces of live rock together to form a reef slope with a platform at the end for a Tridacna Clam. I replaced the original two M. Digitata frags with one orange piece that better fit the reefscape. The flat part on the left side of the coral has become a favorite perch for the Yellow Clown Goby.

The other adjustment was painting the inside of the clip-on lamp blue. This gave the tank more of a 20K appearance. That really spurred the growth of coralline on the glass and substrate, and has also helped the Digitata maintain its orange color.

My favorite change was the addition of the baby T. Crocea. I strongly considered the T. Maxima for it's lower profile and hardiness even as a baby, but a Maxima would quickly outgrow this tank. Plus, most of my tridacna clam experience are with Crocea.

No other changes were made, with the clean-up crew still consisting of one scarlet hermit, one blue-leg hermit, and one bumblebee snail to go along with the goby.

 

[Unarce]

This is the mini algae magnet that you see in the previous pics. It became increasingly difficult to maneuver the toothbrush without hitting anything, so making this became a necessity.

 

[Anonymous]

Moved per reefnutz's request to the GRD, with a shadow in the Nanos forum...

Nice lookin' tank!

 

[Mihai]

I like your new aquascaping too!

How did you do the magnet? Two PVC end caps?
It looks super-cool. If it's doing OK in 3 months I'm going to get myself one .
M.

 

[Unarce]

Thanks, Mihai!

The mini magnet is actually two spring door stop caps. Each one has 2 1/8" earth magnets, encased in silicone.

To answer the questions you had in the original thread, I decided against sealing the top since it only loses an ounce of water daily. Plus, the temperature was pretty stable and didn't get too high during the late summer.

In most cases, I would say a fish in a sub-gallon tank is a no-no. You would need to keep a forceps handy to retrieve any uneaten food. It took me about a week to get my yellow clown goby to take flakes. Now, he consumes 3-4 pieces of flake immediately from the surface, so I don't have to worry about excess food fouling up the water. The clam also acts as a filter to help with waste management.

 

[Anonymous]

Thats genius Reef, need to market that..a little side money

 

[Unarce]

Thanks, Lord. It's really just a modified version of brandon's mini magnet.

BTW, how's your pico doing?

 

[Anonymous]

Doing good, having some problems with the nano HOB filter...I have yet to really get that going with anything substantial...1 mushroom and 1 polyp with a hermit...Im gonna have to try your magnet idea since it is a pain trying to clean out the little tank..and its acrylic at that :evil: I noticed a piece of SPS, hows that working out for ya?

 

[Unarce]

Hmm, we've got the same filter (Red Sea Nano). I keep coral rubble in mine. I found that the AquaClear mini foam fits snuggly in there when cut in half or quarter sizes.

The Digitata's doing fine. You can see that some of the smaller branches on the right are sprouting new growth tips. I had a blue/green Digitata in there, but it quickly lost its color, so I threw it back in the main display. Figure I'll just stick with the orange one for now.

 

[Anonymous]

I have two small pieces of CR in mine also..the red sea Nano filter impeller stops periodically for unknown reasons ie no small sand caught inside the housing. I may add in the foam again for better filtration....I need some new SPS before i can try it cuz i have none to currently frag to it (pico)...

 

[holry7778]

Lookin good Reefnutz

That clam really looks nice in the Pico

Keep up the good work

 

[Mihai]

The mini magnet is actually two spring door stop caps. Each one has 2 1/8" earth magnets, encased in silicone.

Cool!

To answer the questions you had in the original thread, I decided against sealing the top since it only loses an ounce of water daily. Plus, the temperature was pretty stable and didn't get too high during the late summer.

I'm asking because I plan to get this in my office and I'm sometimes traveling for a week - in a week 7oz of fresh water in a 1/2 gallon tank may just throw everything off...

In most cases, I would say a fish in a sub-gallon tank is a no-no. You would need to keep a forceps handy to retrieve any uneaten food. It took me about a week to get my yellow clown goby to take flakes. Now, he consumes 3-4 pieces of flake immediately from the surface, so I don't have to worry about excess food fouling up the water. The clam also acts as a filter to help with waste management.

OK, thanks... just as I suspected then. I'll try the version without the fish
(also helps with the occasional travel). I'm thinking along the lines of the self-sustaining mini-tanks (fresh water I believe) that are sold at various nature-oriented stores.

The idea is -> sun -> algae -> amphipods -> waste -> algae. Extra baby amphipods eaten by extra-hardy corals (mushrooms/zoanthids)...

I'll let you know if I get around to do it. BTW, where did you get the equipment for it (tank, lights, even the filter and heater)?

Thanks a lot for your time,
Mihai

 

[fishfanatic2]

Nice tank! I like what you did with the light, that's sweet.

 

[Unarce]

Thanks, ff2! :wink:

Mihai,

Half gallon acrylic aquarium: $8 ebay
Visi-therm 25W mini heater: $11 online store
Red Sea nano filter: $8 online store
Black clip-on lamp: $7 Target
Coralife Mini Compact 10W 50/50: $11 LFS

Probably the cheapest reef system I'll ever have. :?

 

[fishfanatic2]

45$? Im getting one!

 

[Anonymous]

That is really interesting.

 

[Mihai]

Cool, thanks. Regarding the sealing part - I'm thinking that the oxigen in the water has to be enough for the inhabitants to last through the night; I think a fish would consume lots of oxigen and probably you cannot seal it. Corals on the other hand... I think that they don't consume as much as a fish.

Regards,
M.

 

[Unarce]

Well, my poor baby crocea died today .

I noticed several days ago that it wasn't expanding as much as before. Parameters were in check, then discovered what appeared to be bite marks along the edges of the mantle. Shortly thereafter, I witnessed the yellow clown goby take a chomp :evil: .

I moved the clam to the main display, hoping it would recover, but it was just too much stress for the little guy. This was really a shock, as none of the literature on (Gobiodon okinawae) mentioned any risk towards clams.

 

[Juck]

Sorry to hear about your clam. I had a pair of clown gobies that nipped a 8" millepora to death,,, the last thing they nipped, literally, was my carpet anemone.

 

[Unarce]

the last thing they nipped, literally, was my carpet anemone.

:lol: :lol: Thanks, Juck!