UPDATE: 10 gallon kitchen nano
- Thread starter brooklyn johnny
- Start date
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
You bring up a great point kickster... One of my biggest nano inspirations came when I visited that seperate nano reef website last year. I'm 25 now, and had my first saltwater aquarium at like 13, and last year at this time I had the same misconception. While they are just 36 watt PC bulbs, the clams and sps are just inches from the light source. While there is no doubt that their growth and coloration would be greater under more intense lighting, they are all still not only surviving, but thriving. While the lights are less intense, they are very close to the source, which is often overlooked when people think of lighting.
At our last club meeting, we had Dr. Sanjay Yoshi speak, a lighting expert from Penn State. He gave a presentation of his work testing different lighting setups and companies. What was most drastic was the difference in light distribution throughout a tank, despite the whole tank looking relatively evenly "bathed" in light. The PAR values sharply dropped off according to depth and distance from the light source.
I also feed about 8 mL of DT's every other day, along with whatever my refugium creates.
Ideally, I would have a 150W or 175W halide on this tank, but it wouldn't fit under the counter. Obviously the same PCs on a larger aquarium, with the corals further from the light source, would not be ideal, but on my 10 gallon nano all has been well.
There are some awesome sps and clam nanos out there under PCs... specifically one by "deezreef" on the nano reef website.
Thanks for the complements though kickster... I also have to say that nanos GENERALLY are not for beginners... I have learned more reefwise with this guy than I did on my 180...
At our last club meeting, we had Dr. Sanjay Yoshi speak, a lighting expert from Penn State. He gave a presentation of his work testing different lighting setups and companies. What was most drastic was the difference in light distribution throughout a tank, despite the whole tank looking relatively evenly "bathed" in light. The PAR values sharply dropped off according to depth and distance from the light source.
I also feed about 8 mL of DT's every other day, along with whatever my refugium creates.
Ideally, I would have a 150W or 175W halide on this tank, but it wouldn't fit under the counter. Obviously the same PCs on a larger aquarium, with the corals further from the light source, would not be ideal, but on my 10 gallon nano all has been well.
There are some awesome sps and clam nanos out there under PCs... specifically one by "deezreef" on the nano reef website.
Thanks for the complements though kickster... I also have to say that nanos GENERALLY are not for beginners... I have learned more reefwise with this guy than I did on my 180...
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
Chris... thanks, and I don't know if I should apologize for your son asking you for a nano... lol By the way the two in the center are maximas... good luck if you do set one up... nanos are neat, but realize it isn't child's play and takes as much attention, if not more, than larger reefs...
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
And YOU a lesson in TOLERANCE... lol go for it and good luck...
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
I use no skimmer... I use a refugium with macroalgae, carbon, and lots of water movement... oh yeah... and a 1 to 1 1/2 gallon water change a week (priceless)... Here's an old pic of my refugium above the tank, lit 24/7...
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
Here's the old kitchen shot too... to show why it's my kitchen nano... 
crazy4reefs
Member
i said it before, i'll say it again.. very awsome tank johnny !!!
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
Hey Jugger... no need for a chiller here... the fan over the fuge does it... thanks...
Thanks crazy... I too am crazy for these things... what an addiction... as my wife says...
Thanks crazy... I too am crazy for these things... what an addiction... as my wife says...
blondenaso1
Member
Absolutely Amazing Johnny! Your experience really shows when you look at those pics. I am trying to get my tank looked that good. I think I need to study up on stocking and coral placement and try to change it up a little. Just a couple questions though, how old are those SPS frags in your tank? Have you seen a lot of growth since you put them in? It looks like the digitata has been growing. What do you do for Ca?
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
Thanks blondenaso... the sps frags I have are between about 3 and 7 months old, and I have seen many different growth rates. I have two types of Montipora digitata which has grown relatively fast, and three types of plating montipora that is also growing well. I have four different acros, and there growth generally has been relatively slow, yet one is really starting to take off. However, I am in no rush and prefer a slower growth rate in such a small tank. If I had the option, I would go with a halide, but my tank is evidence that sps and clams can do well under PC and the right conditions.
As for calcium, originally I started with just B-ionic. I was tentative about dosing kalk on such a small tank. After like three months though, I think around October or November, the tank was using up way too much calcium to be replenished by B-ionic alone, and my pH was dropping a little too low at night. I then started dosing kalk at night, and started with 1/2 teaspoon per gallon, dripping about a half gallon a night in the tank. I slowly worked up to full strength kalk, 1 teaspoon per gallon. This went well for a while, but my pH was running higher than I would like, so I dropped back down to 3/4 teaspoon per gallon. About a month and a half ago my calcium started dropping below 400, and so I started dosing B-ionic on top of the kalk, and now test weekly my alk and calcium, altering B-ionic doses to keep the tank between 400 and 450 on the calcium side and the alk between 3.0 and 3.5 meq/L. My pH monitor has been crucial throughout, and I highly recommend them. I can now pretty much tell my alkalinity within .25 just by my pH swings on the tank.
Also I have tested for magnesium and have always been good there. My weekly water changes replace everything else. Anyway, here's a pic of one of my encrusting montiporas that's a gorgeous yellow...
As for calcium, originally I started with just B-ionic. I was tentative about dosing kalk on such a small tank. After like three months though, I think around October or November, the tank was using up way too much calcium to be replenished by B-ionic alone, and my pH was dropping a little too low at night. I then started dosing kalk at night, and started with 1/2 teaspoon per gallon, dripping about a half gallon a night in the tank. I slowly worked up to full strength kalk, 1 teaspoon per gallon. This went well for a while, but my pH was running higher than I would like, so I dropped back down to 3/4 teaspoon per gallon. About a month and a half ago my calcium started dropping below 400, and so I started dosing B-ionic on top of the kalk, and now test weekly my alk and calcium, altering B-ionic doses to keep the tank between 400 and 450 on the calcium side and the alk between 3.0 and 3.5 meq/L. My pH monitor has been crucial throughout, and I highly recommend them. I can now pretty much tell my alkalinity within .25 just by my pH swings on the tank.
Also I have tested for magnesium and have always been good there. My weekly water changes replace everything else. Anyway, here's a pic of one of my encrusting montiporas that's a gorgeous yellow...
hairtrigger
Active Member
That tank looks great Brooklyn. Rockin and rollin man. I like it a lot. Hey... your cup corals... (unless the yellow one is a scroll) what have you noticed about their polyp extensions and things? Because I have a blue cup and I never ever see its polyps out. But it doesnt seem to have any tissue recession. And its been in my tank about two months now.
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
Hey HairTrigger thanks... I love turbinaria (genus including cup corals AND scroll coral). The two I have are Turbinaria frondens (the yellow cup on the right side) and Turbinaria peltata (the green cup on the left). I've read up on them, and according to Eric Borneman Turbinaria peltata is the only species that naturally opens it's polyps during the day, although sometimes in aquarium conditions others adapt to do the same. As you can see from my pic, and as I have always noticed, my peltata is open during the day, and my frondens opens up at night (which is a spectacular sight, I need a pic of it). Check yours at night and see. Also, I've noticed that when they aren't happy they sweat LOTS of mucus (I know a lot of corals do, but these guys are champs). That is another benefit of my refugium on such a small tank, that it keeps things relatively stable in the main tank. Do you have a pic of your cup coral? Anyway, thanks... and I wouldn't worry about it... mine took a while to settle down. Make sure also you don't have too much detritus buildup in the center of them...
hairtrigger
Active Member
That's really good to know Johnny. I'm glad you mentioned that because I can't figure out what genus my blue cup is. The LFS person kept saying cup coral when I inquired. No kidding wiseguy, but which type.
Mine also is a mucus factory if it is touched in the least. Its polyps came out during the day when I put it in. But, the next day they closed up and have been that way since. I thought maybe I shocked it with too much light but it hasn't had any tissue recession.
And no dang it, I don't have a pic. I have been meaning to get a digi camera for months but have been so busy. But it is a great coral. Completely round, with a nicely formed, perfect cup. Sounds like a Victoria's secret model. But it is about four inches in diameter. Nothing huge. Almost aqua-marine it is so blue/green. Really cool. I just want to see some polyps. I am going to check at night. I can see them in the pores. They just dont come out ever.
Mine also is a mucus factory if it is touched in the least. Its polyps came out during the day when I put it in. But, the next day they closed up and have been that way since. I thought maybe I shocked it with too much light but it hasn't had any tissue recession.
And no dang it, I don't have a pic. I have been meaning to get a digi camera for months but have been so busy. But it is a great coral. Completely round, with a nicely formed, perfect cup. Sounds like a Victoria's secret model.
But it is about four inches in diameter. Nothing huge. Almost aqua-marine it is so blue/green. Really cool. I just want to see some polyps. I am going to check at night. I can see them in the pores. They just dont come out ever.
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
That's what's great about scientific names when they are possible to obtain, at least even to the genus... you should be able to identify it though with any good coral book... I like Eric Borneman's "Aquarium Corals". Anyway, good luck with it, and post a pic when you get one... and if I had a choice between two cups, the Victoria's Secret type or the coral type, I'd have some serious thinking to do... (just kidding, I love the hobby but let's be honest)
hairtrigger
Active Member
Hey you and me both man. I love my fishes... but I love something else more.
I like Borneman's book too. I just picked it up about a month ago.
I like Borneman's book too. I just picked it up about a month ago.
harrysreef
Member
That is one FANASTIC aquarium. Someday I hope to be as successful. Thanks for the look.
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
And thanks for the complement... also welcome to the board... this is your first step to great reefing...