10gal Journal - DIY slow setup

[sdivell]

It's been awhile since I've given an update on the tank.

Additions:
Tank bred clown
Couple of leather corals (finger and toadstool (ithink) )
A nice big zoo colony and a very small one of just a couple small polyps not sure if you can make it out
and an xenia

more zoos are coming this saturday thanks to the fag-a-lot group order and i'll update probably after i get those in there.... I have a scheme to get this 10g into a 21g in the new year.. but shhhhh don't tell my g/f as I would like to keep her 

My 2 clowns showing off for the camera - background would be the xenia and the zoos


The finger leather opened up nicely tonight so I took a close shot.


And what update is complete with out the FTS

[Zoe]

Nice, I love the rockwork! Very open!

[KLKelly]

Great job!

I have a question for you- why are both your powerheads at the back of the tank?  This is one thing we haven't quite figured out yet.  We have on on the side/back and one on the side/front (wasn't recommended - just what we did).

Thanks.

Karrie

[sdivell]

i have an AC70 on the back that dumps water down in the middle.. basically right ontop of my highest rock.  it deflects the flown down along the front and creates a lot of flow in the front of the rockwork on its own.  the back of the tank need a little more so i pointed my 2 powerheads at eachother along the back of the rock work.. it creates a nice little swirl in the middle of the tank.  I have one deadspot under the powerhead on the right as its more powerful than the maxijet on the left so not a lot of flow is getting down there.

[sdivell]

ok experts!

I'm starting to see hair algae popping up on my rock.. mostly just on the right side of the tank. 

When I first set up my tank I used RO water from loblaws, since then I've been getting my bottles filled up at a local distilled water machine in a quickies near my home.

Could the distilled water be the source?

Just a reminder my tank is 10g with 2x36 watt CF's on it.

[kennyman]

I manage this type of stuff by tweeking the cleanup crew. Different types of snails and cabs eat different types of algae and sometimes on different surfaces.

[sdivell]

Picked up a nice Blastomussa from Az at Aquavalley tonight and decided it was time to take some pictures. 
The tank is starting to show signs of purpling up which is nice to see.. love the look of coraline.

The leather is getting a lot bigger and I think it looks awesome on the side of the tank where I've put it now.  Reworked the rock a little bit to get it a little higher in the centre.



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[groupie02]

Looking good! What made you decide to change one of your powerheads?

Picked up a nice Blastomussa from Az at Aquavalley tonight and decided it was time to take some pictures. 
The tank is starting to show signs of purpling up which is nice to see.. love the look of coraline.

The leather is getting a lot bigger and I think it looks awesome on the side of the tank where I've put it now.  Reworked the rock a little bit to get it a little higher in the centre.

[sdivell]

I just wanted to pick up another powerhead so I could have a spare one for mixing salt.  So i use the old maxijet 400 for that.  The Hydor is pretty awesome though i can see a huge difference in the way the flow moves around the tank with this thing.

[cyberstar]

Nice setup 

Math

[Tyler.L]

yeah scott get another koralia for the other side they're wicked powerheads, also tank looks good and that blasto is pimp and i'm gonna have to pick one up or cut yours in half and take that half.

[Sharbuckle]

is there a reason to the water level being kinda low?

[sdivell]

ya... it was a mistake on my part.  I mixed some salt water up for a water change with the last of my DI water... and I removed too much water and didn't have enough new mixed water to fill the tank right to the top.  I've fixed it since.  Much quieter now that the water isn't falling from the AC fuge

[Sharbuckle]

doesnt the AC fuge annoy the crap out of you, mine sure does

[sniggir]

realy nice nano Scott, I think with the lighting you have you may be able to keep some SPS if you so decide to...mind you then you would have to get rid of your leathers..

I realy like the marshal Island Live rock you got there.. very cool

[sdivell]

Thanks snigger

Sharbuckle, I don't hate my ac70.. I use the sound of water falling into the tank as a warning to add top off water.  Its nice and quiet as long as my water level is at the top

[sdivell]

Hey guys,

After a very busy (spring???...ugh... kinda spring) I'm getting back to trying to take care of this tank and get it back to the way it was before I got way to busy to care for it.

I had a very busy March, with trips to visit family out of town and a vacation in florida and even getting engaged (pm me for my address to send me presents  ) and the tank got very neglected.  went probably 3 weeks without a water change, the actinic bulb broke and I haven't been able to replace it yet (one is currently on order and will be here hopefully next week). When I finally got around to do a water change I had to use tap water as I was out of RO water and didn't have time to go get more. 

This week started the back on track - I've ordered the actinic bulb. I've done 2 - 25% water changes with RO water and will be doing another 25% water change on monday night (After i get back from yet another weekend out of town)

So I need some advice on future plans for the tank.  I had set up an AC70 for a fuge but never got any macro in it because I never did buy a light to put on it.  so far it just has a sand bed and about half full of LR rubble.  I also have a bag of carbon stuffed in there which needs to be changed (will be tonight).  I need to alter this to get some actual filtering from this AC70. Here are my Options I'm thinking about so please give your advice.

Option 1:
Pulling out the sand bed and live rock rubble and putting in a filter sponge, and a bag of carbon and just letting run like a standard HOB filter.

Option 2:
Take away the AC70 all together and sell it to someone who needs a fuge.. buy a new AC20 and run it as a normal filter and add another Hydor Nano for flow.

Option 3:
Actually buy a clip-on desk lamp and a screw in flour bulb and actually get some macro running in this tank.

Which way should I lean?

Also, are there any additives I should be adding to my water for a nano?  Right now I'm not running anything at all.  just my IO salt mix and RO water.  I dont feed Phyto or anything for my corals.

Thanks for the help guys and hopefully we can get this nano back to life!

[groupie02]

I would say get a small lamp, pick a nice cheap 6500K bulb and try getting some chaeto to grow.  I wouldn't use a sponge unless you feel like cleaning it every day.

[sdivell]

Ok well I decided to leave my fuge the same... sand and rubble, some carbon and a sponge filter to remove junk from the water.  I don't really feel like running yet another light bulb on my hydro bill.

I got some new coral from Aquavalley. A nice frogspawn and a good sized mushroom rock.  I'm goiing to be adding a green brain tomorrow thanks to AdamN.

here are some shots from this week.

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