Finally ! MY AP24 with LR...

[jm82792]

So I finally have a starting of a reef I got the LR from my LFS,
the pics don't show it but it has a good amount of purple coralline
on it along with some small feather dusters,2 shrooms(one red one pink)
I'll keep this updated and am going to get this thing eventually packed with corals
I'm going to add the usual easy corals that anyone can grow,my parameters are perfect since the rock was right into the bucket of SW after removal. In 3 weeks(Can't be too careful) more pics will come since I'll have a False Perc pair,a dottyback or some sort of goby maybe a clown goby(I'll research more).
If your wondering,I've spent $500 not bad but not cheap for being 15
For equipment I am using API for my test kit,a refractometer,a stock Aquapod
with a MJ 1200(swapped with stock) with 64 watts of PC lighting(for shrooms,softies and so on no SPS) and thats about it.
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=41137
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=41138
(photobucket won't let me upload!)

 

[theyellowdart]

Looks good!
Did you take those bio-balls out of the aquapod filter? Someone told me they aren't necessary in a SW setup; I think they could even be harmful since they could potentially hold onto too much biological bateria etc and screw up your parameters.
But I'm not 100% positive, so try reseaching it first.

Have fun and good luck!

 

[jm82792]

I tossed them and the sponges I have carbon and some floss I', going to take out the carbon when I get things more "stable". I will change the floss every 3 days and do 15% changes of water with matching temperature and SG. Also the bioballs are nitrate traps and I am much better off turning the back into a cheato fuge with a few chunks of LR rubble for the pods.
Thanks for the interest

 

[theyellowdart]

Nitrates!...They hold onto nitrates!...That's what I meant to say.

Seems like you really know your stuff, you must have done a lot of research.

Keep us updated.

Edit: I forgot to ask.... Did the 64wt lighting come with the tank?
Are you going to use a skimmer?
What size aquapod is that?

 

[jm82792]

The lighting is stock,I am going skimmer less since I won't have a big bioload and will be doing 15% water changes,keep cheato and I want to but can't do mangroves.
It's the 24 gallon,Dr foster and smith sells them for $180 there on sale like $60 off.
Me research ? More like passionate forum reading,about 4 monts ago I wanted to do a Nano Reef my dad said"there for rich people" he did FO setups 25 years ago so I got a fresh water setup got bored then went back to nano-reef then bang here I am

 

[Clint]

What's the carbon for? You don't have anything in there yet.

Reefs aren't for rich people. It's just a hobby. Some people are into clothes, plants, cars, computers, art, etc. They can all be very expensive or (relatively) cheap. Keyword is relatively I'm sure a lot of people would think we're all crazy for spending the amount of money we do on a single plant. My mother thinks I'm absolutely nuts. Always says "It'll just die!" and I say "They never die, and think of all the things I COULD be spending it on )

 

[jm82792]

I just have it to catch sediment(it's in a reusable bag,I have alot of mainland carbon)(going to get floss),I'm going to rinse it off then dry it and place it in a bag. My dad was saying that in the days when nobody kept corals,they had minimal luck with them and it was "low tech" 20 years ago. MY LFS coral prices are outrageous,his fish prices are okay. I'm better off ordering online,like $30 for a frag of GSP(a very weedy coral) at my only LFS

 

[likeAstone76]

I love nano reefs. Looks like you are off to a good start. Time to fill that baby up! What kind of corals are you interested in? Anything in particular?

"there for rich people"

I have a 150 gallon reef/fish salty, and I am by far rich.

 

[jm82792]

Well shrooms,zoanthids(I need to buy furan and iodine though for diseases they always get),
xenia,softies in general,LPS later on,GSP and basic newbie corals that I can get for cheap from other hobbyist, kinda like capensis but there worth some money.
Of course later on I will spend more money
I was killing hydriods(I have tons ) just an hour ago so I have those and a manjo that has a death sentence could be worse for pests
I am going to pack the thing with corals

 

[jm82792]

An update
After destroying hydroids(hundreds)and a manjo anemone,
over night I got .6 ammonia the shroom hitchhikers got very angry.
I did a 30% water change since I already have nitrates anyways,I got
the ammonia down to like .10 so I'll still get a "soft" cycle.

 

[jm82792]

Yay! An update new scape,the cycle is done and everything is becoming more diverse and alive

I'm even getting a nice softy frag pack soon from a Pacific Northwest Marine Aquarium Society member(long name)

 

[theyellowdart]

It's looking great! How did you get all of that nice corraline algae so fast?

 

[jm82792]

Uhhhhh I dunno
Maybe it grew but I'm not sure it seems to be growing but I'm not sure.(wow thats repetitive!)
The rock came with it(not sure on how much) but I think it has receded and is growing.

 

[theyellowdart]

Have any updates? New pictures?

 

[jm82792]

Well I have coralline everywhere and my cheato is growing.
I got a pair of false percs one died the other isn't doing too well.
I think the fish was wild caught with maybe cyanide,
And they are(wild caught) very hard to get onto frozen food even.
So if she dies I guess I'll go into corals since my shrooms are doing great.
I'll get a new pic in a day or two. To add to the mix I'm most likely moving to
hawaii within a year most likely 6 months. So I don't want to put wads of cash for corals really.
But if we stay then it will become corals packed since they are easier than fish(no brain,no physiological stress)

 

[jm82792]

Well an update,I'm most likely moving to Hawaii and will be breaking the
tank down a month before,that could before this October.
Kinda a bummer but I learned stuff and in Hawaii will apply for a permit
(first an aquarium permit to allow myself to catch fish(chromis,blennies,gobies not much of/barely anything) for aquarium use)
to house corals for propagation(I have to propogate). Hawaii has a few native zoanthids,palythoas
and even sun coral(umm forgot the real name). Basically the permit keeps
me away from the $10,000 fine(and $1000 per coral removal offense or something like that)
associated with keeping a coral reef. I'll have to be very careful on how I do this permit(pretty big thing)
and I am better off getting it/applying when I'm at Hawaii's university(within a few years not far away)
and then I can consider myself a marine biology student(what I want to take).

 

[jm82792]

The tank was sold,I am going to get a 20 together with native Hawaiian fish soon.
My one gallon pico is cycle,it'll have inverts and is sunlit so it's on the cheap.