kitchen nano progress pics (old and new)
- Thread starter brooklyn johnny
- Start date
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
Thank you very much Angela! Over the weekend I added four new ricordeas of different colors... Here is a pink with multiple green mouths...
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
Chartreuse, lime, fluorescent yellow or whatever the heck you want to call it...
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
Orange ric...
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
Whatever color this is I thought it was cool...
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
My least blurry shot of a plating pink montipora sp. I have on the back wall...
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
Close up shot of my green pocillopora...
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
Recent top shot taken last night...
peanut1181
Member
Johnny,
Do you have any baffles or anything in your 'fuge, or does water just enter on the right and exit on the left with no impediments? What macros and critters do you have in there? Thanks.
Peanut1181
Do you have any baffles or anything in your 'fuge, or does water just enter on the right and exit on the left with no impediments? What macros and critters do you have in there? Thanks.
Peanut1181
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
Peanut I took a shot of my Aquaclear to show you. On the right is the outlet from the powerhead, in the middle is the drain from the fuge, and on the left side is my kalk drip line. Originally when I set it up I was wondering if there would be a need for baffles, but it turned out I didn't. The water barely dribbles up to the fuge, which is all you need. I have an extra powerhead inside of the fuge to add current. You do have to be aware in your design though, as originally I had some microbubbles as a result of the drain from the fuge, but turned the setting down on the powerhead pumping up to the fuge, which resulted in a slower "waterfall" from the fuge (talk about a runon sentence 
).
All of the original sand placed in the tank was Southdown. I then took cups of sand from members in my reef club to seed both the tank and the fuge, so that has resulted in plenty of life. My refugium is loaded with so many critters. The best thing you could do is get good source donations from local reefers who have a healthy sand bed. "Live sand" that only contains nitrifying bacteria, with no "macro-life" is a waste of money to me. It is great if you could start your nano off with all live sand, but only if it is free or from another established tank you own. Starting with Southdown and a couple of good cups or truly live sand, with all the macro-life, will quickly spread the nitrifying bacteria throughout your bed.
In my fuge I have now just three species of macroalgae, two varieties of Caulerpa and one of the chaetomorpha. The caulerpa grows very fast and is great for nutrient export while the brillo-like chaetomorpha provides great habitat for life. Hope that covers it. Feel free with any follow-ups.
Johnny
).All of the original sand placed in the tank was Southdown. I then took cups of sand from members in my reef club to seed both the tank and the fuge, so that has resulted in plenty of life. My refugium is loaded with so many critters. The best thing you could do is get good source donations from local reefers who have a healthy sand bed. "Live sand" that only contains nitrifying bacteria, with no "macro-life" is a waste of money to me. It is great if you could start your nano off with all live sand, but only if it is free or from another established tank you own. Starting with Southdown and a couple of good cups or truly live sand, with all the macro-life, will quickly spread the nitrifying bacteria throughout your bed.
In my fuge I have now just three species of macroalgae, two varieties of Caulerpa and one of the chaetomorpha. The caulerpa grows very fast and is great for nutrient export while the brillo-like chaetomorpha provides great habitat for life. Hope that covers it. Feel free with any follow-ups.
Johnny
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
Hey plum thanks! One thing about this hobby is that there are many "right" ways to do things, yet at the same time they all have to abide by the laws of nature. As I touched on earlier I am against certain types of mechanical filtration, mainly flosses, sponges, or anything of the sort. Along with the bad they completely strip the water of beneficial microfauna. When I break out a flashlight in the middle of the night there is sometimes a "soup" of planktonic life in the water. Also I feed heavily different types of frozen foods, along with 10 mLs of DT's phyto every other day, and this too would quickly be taken out by certain mechanical filtration. Corals have polyps for a reason beyond hosting zooxanthellae . Protein skimmers I support though, and when originally setting up my nano I left that option open. It turns out I have no need for one. Protein skimmers remove wastes before they break down, yet my refugium, live rock, and sand have handled everything I could throw at the tank, so why add one? I will have one though when my 180 goes back up, regardless of whether or not I'll truly need it.
Regarding the Wet/dry filters, I can say that I originally I used them. My first saltwater tank I got at age 12, with a good old wet/dry. My tank was set up with bleached coral skeletons and a crushed coral bottom, typical of the times (about 13 years ago). It was a great technology and idea, as our tanks quickly had to deal with the buildup of ammonia and nitrite in such a sterile environment. Wet/dry filters were the perfect answer to this, providing a prefect oxygen filled environment for the nitrifying bacteria species that break down ammonia and nitrite. The result was nitrate, which would buildup to certain levels that sometimes became a problem, but was a big step up from dealing with the more dangerous ammonia and nitrite. Nowadays, with the addition of things like quality live rock, live sand beds, DSBs, refugiums, etc., dealing with ammonia and nitrite is not as much of a problem. These additions to the aquariums quickly deal with ammonia and nitrite, so in my opinion wet/dry filters are not needed. They are not bad for a system, and they don't "create nitrates" and some people misunderstandingly say. In certain systems they may be of benefit, but the majority not. If you do have live rock and live sand, even without a refugium, and ammonia and nitrite are a problem than something is out of balance in your aquarium. Anyway that's obviously a long answer there, but that's sort of my philosophy that I've evolved.
Regarding water changes I do usually a gallon a week, and once in a while I'll do one in the middle of the week also for the heck of it. I never register nitrates, so mainly I do water changes to replenish trace elements and other things that may be utilized without us knowing it from fresh saltwater. Many people say they never do water changes, and to me that's like saying, "I've been living on just hotdogs for 10 years... I'm still alive!" There are many elemenet additives, but the problem is how do we know how much of A,B,C, and D are being used? Most of these things we can't test for. So, if in our aquarium say A and B are completely depleted, while C and D are at NSW (natural sea water) levels. If we add a trace element additive with amounts of A,B,C, and D found in NSW, we may be replacing A and B, but adding too much C and D to the point where it becomes in some way detrimental to our tank. We just don't know. THE EASIEST WAY IS TO REPLENISH OUR TANK WITH FRESHLY MADEUP SALTWATER. Anyway I hope you get my drift There are some of my philosophies...
Johnny
PS- looking forward to meeting you and your tanks plum.
. Protein skimmers I support though, and when originally setting up my nano I left that option open. It turns out I have no need for one. Protein skimmers remove wastes before they break down, yet my refugium, live rock, and sand have handled everything I could throw at the tank, so why add one? I will have one though when my 180 goes back up, regardless of whether or not I'll truly need it. Regarding the Wet/dry filters, I can say that I originally I used them. My first saltwater tank I got at age 12, with a good old wet/dry. My tank was set up with bleached coral skeletons and a crushed coral bottom, typical of the times (about 13 years ago). It was a great technology and idea, as our tanks quickly had to deal with the buildup of ammonia and nitrite in such a sterile environment. Wet/dry filters were the perfect answer to this, providing a prefect oxygen filled environment for the nitrifying bacteria species that break down ammonia and nitrite. The result was nitrate, which would buildup to certain levels that sometimes became a problem, but was a big step up from dealing with the more dangerous ammonia and nitrite. Nowadays, with the addition of things like quality live rock, live sand beds, DSBs, refugiums, etc., dealing with ammonia and nitrite is not as much of a problem. These additions to the aquariums quickly deal with ammonia and nitrite, so in my opinion wet/dry filters are not needed. They are not bad for a system, and they don't "create nitrates" and some people misunderstandingly say. In certain systems they may be of benefit, but the majority not. If you do have live rock and live sand, even without a refugium, and ammonia and nitrite are a problem than something is out of balance in your aquarium. Anyway that's obviously a long answer there, but that's sort of my philosophy that I've evolved.
Regarding water changes I do usually a gallon a week, and once in a while I'll do one in the middle of the week also for the heck of it. I never register nitrates, so mainly I do water changes to replenish trace elements and other things that may be utilized without us knowing it from fresh saltwater. Many people say they never do water changes, and to me that's like saying, "I've been living on just hotdogs for 10 years... I'm still alive!" There are many elemenet additives, but the problem is how do we know how much of A,B,C, and D are being used? Most of these things we can't test for. So, if in our aquarium say A and B are completely depleted, while C and D are at NSW (natural sea water) levels. If we add a trace element additive with amounts of A,B,C, and D found in NSW, we may be replacing A and B, but adding too much C and D to the point where it becomes in some way detrimental to our tank. We just don't know. THE EASIEST WAY IS TO REPLENISH OUR TANK WITH FRESHLY MADEUP SALTWATER. Anyway I hope you get my drift
There are some of my philosophies...Johnny
PS- looking forward to meeting you and your tanks plum.
S
sinner's girl
Guest
"Can't forget an oldie but goodie shot of my buddy George..."
What kind of fish is George? I love the coloring of him
Thanks!
What kind of fish is George? I love the coloring of him
Thanks!
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
George is a yellow watchman goby, latin name Cryptocentrus cinctus. His character is even better than his color. He's my wife's favorite... One of the things he does is drive away hermit crabs by pushing them away with his mouth. He's a tough and defensive little guy, while at the same time super skiddish as many watchman gobies are...
Johnny
One of the things he does is drive away hermit crabs by pushing them away with his mouth. He's a tough and defensive little guy, while at the same time super skiddish as many watchman gobies are...Johnny
stephenhughes
New Member
Johnny,
Your tank is the most beautiful example I've seen at any size! I copied many of your photos and technical descriptions to a word doc for future reference. I am a new reef aquarium convert and I'm learning all I can BEFORE I set up my first tank. I am intrigued by your refugium set up, it looks to be a more natural approach with the added benefit of being easier to maintain (true?). Will running carbon once a month for two days and a refugium work well in say… a 29-40 g tank? If so, what size refugium, pumps and lights would you recommend?
Thanks for detailing the specifications of your system so well… it truly is a shining example.
Your tank is the most beautiful example I've seen at any size! I copied many of your photos and technical descriptions to a word doc for future reference. I am a new reef aquarium convert and I'm learning all I can BEFORE I set up my first tank. I am intrigued by your refugium set up, it looks to be a more natural approach with the added benefit of being easier to maintain (true?). Will running carbon once a month for two days and a refugium work well in say… a 29-40 g tank? If so, what size refugium, pumps and lights would you recommend?
Thanks for detailing the specifications of your system so well… it truly is a shining example.
peanut1181
Member
Thank you very much for posting that photo of the setup for your fuge... that's what i was looking for Have a wonderful weekend. By the way, where in NoVa are you? I'm @ JMU in Harrisonburg right now. Just curious how far you are. Thanks.
Peanut1181
Have a wonderful weekend. By the way, where in NoVa are you? I'm @ JMU in Harrisonburg right now. Just curious how far you are. Thanks.Peanut1181
peanut1181
Member
I meant to ask... do you use RO water to do your weekly changes? or do you just use tap and add some dechlorinating agent? Thanks!
Peanut1181
Peanut1181
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
Originally posted by StephenHughes
Johnny,
Your tank is the most beautiful example I've seen at any size! I copied many of your photos and technical descriptions to a word doc for future reference. I am a new reef aquarium convert and I'm learning all I can BEFORE I set up my first tank. I am intrigued by your refugium set up, it looks to be a more natural approach with the added benefit of being easier to maintain (true?). Will running carbon once a month for two days and a refugium work well in say… a 29-40 g tank? If so, what size refugium, pumps and lights would you recommend?
Thanks for detailing the specifications of your system so well… it truly is a shining example.
Stephen thanks! You've got the right idea. Boards like SWF.com are invaluable resources. Unfortunately for most of us who started before these boards were available we learned things the hard way. Hearing people's first-hand experiences on boards like these is an easy way for us all to gain experience without having to go through things ourselves. One of the best things ALL reefers could do is have patience and do research... ALWAYS... not just at the beginning. If curiousity killed the cat, overconfidence killed the reefer. Many people start off on the right track, and then start thinking, "this is easy..." and begin pushing boundaries without knowing where those boundaries lie. When you make a mistake like that in this hobby you fall hard! Don't do that! Anyway I'll step off the soapbox now... I'm just always constantly thinking "if I could go back to when I started what would I want to hear?"
Everyone has their own way of doing things, developed through experience firsthand and through research. My way is more natural than some others I guess, but as I said there are many ways that work. Regardless of the setup, the ones that are easiest to maintain are the ones that give little problems. Alot of the work I put into my tank is testing and maintaining calcium and alkalinity, and that isn't even that much... or should I even call it work?
This is do to all of the reef-building corals I have in such a small volume of water. Although we should "think natural" in many ways, a glass box regardless of size is not "all natural". With that said, refugiums, live rock, live sand, and the like have become a tremendous benefit to the hobby. Will this work on a 29-40g tank? It will work on any size tank, although there are many additional important things. But that's what makes this hobby awesome! It's not easy, and it's never "done". Living art I would go with the largest refugium you can work into your plans. Even a small one is a benefit. I measured the cabinet space I had in the kitchen and put the biggest refugium I could into it, which is about 6 gallons. Along with being able to recycle more wastes, a larger refugium offers more system water which equals more stability. Bangguy on this board has like a 900 gallon refugium. The larger refugium you have the more bioload you can have on your tank. Everybody always asks "How many fish can I put in a X gallon tank?" That range is always huge! If your system sucks you can't even put 1!
IMO there are two limits we reach when stocking a tank. One is bioload and one is territory. In a 100 gallon tank you'll have the bioload to keep a few tangs, but not the territory. With today's reef tanks we are more and more running into the territory limit as our tanks are setup to handle tremendous bioloads. With that said... more is better. As for the refugium lighting this is simple. I use 2 NO fluorescent fixtures I bought at Home Depot for $7 with that bulbs. Basically put as many of these as you could fit over your refugium. The pump you use is no science either. All the refugium needs is a little inflow. Circulation is very important too in a reef tank so think carefully about that, but as for how fast it flows into the refugium a huge range is fine IMO. When you come of with some ideas post them on this board to receive some contructive criticism. LAst thing I'd recommend. ALWAYS know why you are doing something with your tank. My father always says you truly know a subject when you can explain it to others. If someone asks "why do you add buffer to your tank?" be able to answer! Most of all enjoy this kick*** hobby.Hey Peanut I'm as North as you could go in VA in Loudoun County. I actually looked at JMU and visisted when I was looking at colleges. I think it's about 4 hours or so from here. I use Walmart RO water for now, as my wife and I are in an apartment and it's just easier when I only use a few gallons a week. When we move I'll get a new RO/DI unit. Using tap water usually sucks, regardless of how good you think it is. Let me see your fuge when you set it up...
Johnny
stephenhughes
New Member
Johnny,
Thanks for helping a rookie.
Here is what DO "get";
Bigger is better for the fuge.
Lighting circulation and flow to the fuge.
The best pieces of Tonga ridge rock I can find for fuge and tank.
Truly 'live" sand from established reefs for fuge and tank.
Animals that can reach a harmonious balance together.
Many types of corals clams anemones etc. and relatively few carefully selected fish, shrimp and crabs.
Get a digital thermometer.
RO water and regular changes.
Frequent water testing and augmenting.
PC = power compact lighting
MH = metal halide lighting
Here is what DON'T "get";
Is a 29-40g tank with a healthy fuge is a good size for me to start with?
What is the best and most efficient lighting to get for the main tank?
I know the fuge needs a fan does it need a heater of it's own too?
What is the best type of heater and fans I can get for the main tank?
What is the best and most efficient circulation (power heads and plumbing) I can get for the main tank?
Note: This tank is going in the bedroom so I need it to run quietly.
Can I do without a protein skimmer for a 29-40g tank?
How can I deliver water from the fuge to the tank GENTLY if the fuge is mounted below the tank?
What test kits and supplements will I need?
What does IMO mean?
What does NO fluorescent mean?
What are acentic lights?
I think I'm becoming addicted to "Living Art",
Stephen
Thanks for helping a rookie.
Here is what DO "get";
Bigger is better for the fuge.
Lighting circulation and flow to the fuge.
The best pieces of Tonga ridge rock I can find for fuge and tank.
Truly 'live" sand from established reefs for fuge and tank.
Animals that can reach a harmonious balance together.
Many types of corals clams anemones etc. and relatively few carefully selected fish, shrimp and crabs.
Get a digital thermometer.
RO water and regular changes.
Frequent water testing and augmenting.
PC = power compact lighting
MH = metal halide lighting
Here is what DON'T "get";
Is a 29-40g tank with a healthy fuge is a good size for me to start with?
What is the best and most efficient lighting to get for the main tank?
I know the fuge needs a fan does it need a heater of it's own too?
What is the best type of heater and fans I can get for the main tank?
What is the best and most efficient circulation (power heads and plumbing) I can get for the main tank?
Note: This tank is going in the bedroom so I need it to run quietly.
Can I do without a protein skimmer for a 29-40g tank?
How can I deliver water from the fuge to the tank GENTLY if the fuge is mounted below the tank?
What test kits and supplements will I need?
What does IMO mean?
What does NO fluorescent mean?
What are acentic lights?
I think I'm becoming addicted to "Living Art",
Stephen
overanalyzer
Active Member
first in you do get column - you can get whatever kind of LR you can afford for your fug - no one will really see it ....
now from your don't get list:
Here is what DON'T "get";
Is a 29-40g tank with a healthy fuge is a good size for me to start with?
Bigger is better because you have more water volume so a small fluctuation is not a big deal. The smaller the tank the larger the issue with each fluctation.
What is the best and most efficient lighting to get for the main tank?
All depends on your tank size and occupants. If you want clams and SPS then MH.... otherwise it starts getting dicey
I know the fuge needs a fan does it need a heater of it's own too?
You don't need a fan unless the heat is rising too much (so if you have your fug in your kitchen you will need it ....) But I would recommend your fug having a heater in order to keep it a constant temp for all those critters who live there
What is the best type of heater and fans I can get for the main tank?
heaters - titanium or one with a heater guard - fans ??
What is the best and most efficient circulation (power heads and plumbing) I can get for the main tank?
again - depends on your tank needs - a wavemaker (check out SCWD's - cheap) or a surge device.
Note: This tank is going in the bedroom so I need it to run quietly.
Can I do without a protein skimmer for a 29-40g tank?
sure many people run without skimmers on even larger tanks. You will need to run with a DSB, fug and lots of LR
How can I deliver water from the fuge to the tank GENTLY if the fuge is mounted below the tank?
Many people use a MAG drive pump then plumb so the refugium ties into a sump and water slowly flows from refugium into sump and sump water returned via mag drive to main tank.
What test kits and supplements will I need?
Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, PH, Calcium, Alk. to start with
Supplements?? I use just calcium .... it is better to wait and see what happens and how things develope - I am not a big "supplement" guy.
Once you start getting a lot of corals though I think DT's Phytoplankton would be a good addition.
What does IMO mean?
In My Opinion
What does NO fluorescent mean?
Normal Output (regular old fish tank lights that come with setups
What are acentic lights?
The blue lights that accent the white lights.
Whew - hope this helps (or HTH)
now from your don't get list:
Here is what DON'T "get";
Is a 29-40g tank with a healthy fuge is a good size for me to start with?
Bigger is better because you have more water volume so a small fluctuation is not a big deal. The smaller the tank the larger the issue with each fluctation.
What is the best and most efficient lighting to get for the main tank?
All depends on your tank size and occupants. If you want clams and SPS then MH.... otherwise it starts getting dicey
I know the fuge needs a fan does it need a heater of it's own too?
You don't need a fan unless the heat is rising too much (so if you have your fug in your kitchen you will need it ....) But I would recommend your fug having a heater in order to keep it a constant temp for all those critters who live there
What is the best type of heater and fans I can get for the main tank?
heaters - titanium or one with a heater guard - fans ??
What is the best and most efficient circulation (power heads and plumbing) I can get for the main tank?
again - depends on your tank needs - a wavemaker (check out SCWD's - cheap) or a surge device.
Note: This tank is going in the bedroom so I need it to run quietly.
Can I do without a protein skimmer for a 29-40g tank?
sure many people run without skimmers on even larger tanks. You will need to run with a DSB, fug and lots of LR
How can I deliver water from the fuge to the tank GENTLY if the fuge is mounted below the tank?
Many people use a MAG drive pump then plumb so the refugium ties into a sump and water slowly flows from refugium into sump and sump water returned via mag drive to main tank.
What test kits and supplements will I need?
Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, PH, Calcium, Alk. to start with
Supplements?? I use just calcium .... it is better to wait and see what happens and how things develope - I am not a big "supplement" guy.
Once you start getting a lot of corals though I think DT's Phytoplankton would be a good addition.
What does IMO mean?
In My Opinion
What does NO fluorescent mean?
Normal Output (regular old fish tank lights that come with setups
What are acentic lights?
The blue lights that accent the white lights.
Whew - hope this helps (or HTH)