20 Gal Nano Reef Build thread!

[FishyFishy!]

I like it! Love how it wraps around. Looks like you're off to a great start so far.

[Reefie]

Originally Posted by FishyFishy!

I like it! Love how it wraps around. Looks like you're off to a great start so far.

+1 on the wrap-around

It's looking good so far, can't wait for more pics. Are you planning to go SPS?

Vertex has not released the 1-10V module to dim the Illumilux yet. I know cuz I've been waiting for the last 6 months. Haha!

One thing you can do is glue frags of Monti Cap just above the wrap-around. It's plastic there and should be very easy to accomplish with the super glue gel.

[ryanb69]

Thanks fishy! The lighting in the tank look perfect with no spotting when the power head is not running and there is not current. As soon as the powerless starts up the tank gets a serious shimmer effect and that's what appears as spot lighting in the picture, and yes lol the shrimp gets more and more disgusting with each day!

[ryanb69]

the clean up crew has entered the tank! I got my water tested at bayside corals and everything is good so I picked up a cleanup crew. It has:
1 Narcerius Snail (they only had one)
5 Blue legged Hermits
4 Astrea Snails

Its awesome to finally see something moving in the tank! Next week I hope to maybe add my first fish. It will be a clown fish, but I am still trying to decide what species I would like! I want to have a mated pair, so I will be buying 2!

Heres some snaily photos





Narcerius Snail burrowed in



The shrimp after one night with the snails! They picked it apart



A very popular rock

[NastayNatron]

Looking good man! Lookin forward to seeing some fish in there!

[ryanb69]

The fish are officially in the tank. I got an orange ocellaris and a black ocellaris. I acclimated them with airling tubing, tying 2 knots in it to get a proper drip. I added some carbon (2 tbsp) to the back to help with keeping the water clear. here are some pics


aclimating

the clowns

Marlin

Bagheera

the two hangin

[ryanb69]

Wow! how far the tank has come in 2 short weeks amazed me. The coraline algae has spread all over and now all my rock is turning purple I picked up my first coral and shrimp today, so that was also very exciting! I bought some green zoanthids, and a duncan. The shrimp is a skunk cleaner. I dipped both my coral in Coral RX, and I drip acclimated my Shrimp for 1 hour and 15 minutes. I bought frozen mysis shrimp and fed my clowns their first frozen food (in my tank anyways) and they absolutely loved it. I have been Feeding new life spectrum pellets to them, so the mysis is definatly a great treat. The shrimp is nameless as of now, but I will update as soon as he gets an official name! Here are some pictures of my reef-in-the-making

Acclimation



Zooanthids



in tank



placement



opening



fully open

duncan



in tank



begininning to open



currently open to this



shrimp in tank



coral rx



mysis



side view of zoas, and duncan in the distance

[ryanb69]

Since my last post I have done some minor upgrades as well as got 2 new corals! I purchased an awesome 6 headed red/green acan colony for $45, and a orange/green ricordia frag for $15, both from bayside corals. Both corals are looking awesome and eating lots. I officially started spot feeding my candy cane and acan mysis, and they love it. My upgrades are I changed my 100watt heater to a 150watt as my 100 was almost constantly running (in a cold basement). I also added another Hydor 425gph power head, doubling my flow to 850gph (water turned over 42.5 times/hour). Everything loves the new flow! Pictures to follow soon!

[ryanb69]

Here are some pictures of the new corals and a full tank shot. I have started to get my stuff together for my tank move from Saskatoon to Muenster (125km). I am plumbing in the RO into my parents house today, and i plan on moving in 2 to 3 weeks!



acans at night



tank shot (new powerhead in the upper right side of tank)

[ryanb69]

candycane ant night



ricordia florida



another acan shot