Stoops718's 12 Gallon Fluval Edge Nano Reef

[stooops718]

This is my official tank post. Here is my setup in detail.

Tank:
Fluval Edge 12gallon

Filter & flow:
AC50 filter with the InTank Media Basket. Using Filter Floss, Chemi-Pure Elite, and Purigen.
6lbs+ of Fiji live rock (It may seem like very little for 12gallons, but they are decently sized and are very porous.
3lbs of cured live rock with coralline
10lbs of bagged "live sand" (slopes from about 0.5"-1.5")
MP10Wes (on reef crest mode at about 50%)

Lighting:
AquaIlluminations Nano and Controller

Heater:
Deep Blue Mini Heat Stix 60 Watt

Livestock
Fish:
2 Ocellaris Clown Fish
1 Blue Green Chromi
Wheeler's Shrimp Goby

Inverts:
1 Green Bubble Tip Anemone
Blue Maxima Clam

Snails:
2 Nerite Snails
4 Florida Cerith Snails? (Spotted 2 so far)
10-15 Dwarf Cerith Snails
3 Nassarius Snails

Crabs:
1 Red Hermit Crabs
2 Electric Blue Hermit Crab (hitchhiker from Reef Cleaners)
1 Emerald Crabs (RIP Lefty Guns)

Shrimp:
1 Cleaner Shrimp
Red Banded Pistol Shrimp (Missing it's large claws. Hoping they come out after molting.)

Misc:
2 Astrea Starfish (live rock hitchhiker)
2 Brittle Starfish (Hitchhikers)
1 Bristle Worm (that I know of)

Corals:
Zoanthids/Palys/Polyps:
Neon Green Zoas
Orange Zoas
Electric Green Zoas
Mohawk Palys (bought from Macropora)
Sunflower Zoas (bought from Bimmer01)
Pink w/ Purple Skirt Zoas
Dragon Eye Zoas (bought from ctxmonitor)
Green Star Polyps
Waving Hand Anthelia
Blue Cespitularia
Pulsing Xenia on a nice sized piece of LR with Strawberry Anemone HH (bought from cthoughts1)
Yellow Tipped Clove Polyps (4+ Heads)

Mushrooms/Ricordeas:
Fluorescent Green Mushrooms
Green Striped Mushroom
Hairy Mushroom
Bullseye Mushroom
Red Mushroom
Yellow Ricordea (bought from Bimmer01)
Green Ricordea (bought from irvp13)

Soft Corals:
Toadstool Frag (bought from cthoughts1)

Sea Fans:
Purple Ribbon Gorgonian
Purple Corky Finger Briareum Asbestinum (bought from kidninja)

LPS:
Pink Flower Pot Frag (Goniopora)
Candy Cane Frag
Neon Green Candy Cane
Red War Favia
Blastomussa Merletti (bought from MetroKat)
Frogspawn (bought from cthoughts1)
Torch (3 Heads)

SPS:
Red Branching Montipora
ORA Green Birds Nest (bought from Macropora)
Meteor Shower Cyphastrea (bought from ctxmonitor)


Please feel free to give me all your opinions and suggestions. Thanks.

 

[Koyfam16]

Looks like you have everything nicely planned out..

Few more posts and then maybe we can see some pics..

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

Yup the stock light is such a waste. It cannot even grow low light plants at the bottom in fresh water. They should just leave it out and sell for a lower price. LOL

 

[stooops718]

Update!!!

Here is my most recent FTS from 2/2/12

Close up

Since then my Purple Firefish has fallen victim to my Sixline Wrasse. I plan on bringing the Sixline back to the LFS but if they don't want him he will be up for grabs. I don't want to risk having him attack any other fish in there. I also put in my AI Nano. I will take some new pics tonight and update again tomorrow.

 

[stooops718]

How do I make the pictures bigger. Sorry I'm a n00b.

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

How do I make the pictures bigger. Sorry I'm a n00b.

Try using attachments.

 

[stooops718]

Fixed my pics. I'll update to better ones over the weekend.

 

[JonnyJ]

looks like a great start! i hope those rocks are secured!

 

[stooops718]

looks like a great start! i hope those rocks are secured!

Thanks! Unfortunately when this pic was taken they were just balanced Jenga style. SInce then I have rescaped a little and used putty and super glue. I'll update pics soon.

 

[JarviZ]

weclome to MR lol... I noticed many members of NR are on here anyways.

How long has your tank been up? you said that you had a firefish also, so that means you had 4 fisn in your tank. How's the nitrate levels?

 

[stooops718]

weclome to MR lol... I noticed many members of NR are on here anyways.

How long has your tank been up? you said that you had a firefish also, so that means you had 4 fisn in your tank. How's the nitrate levels?

Thanks. Queens represent! LOL.

I have to update my tank status. I was using NR more than here, so I slacked a little. Tank has been up and running for almost 3 months now. It was a pretty fast cycle because I used cured live rock from the LFS and that pre-mixed Nutra-Sea water. The firefish fell victim to my wrasse. So now it's just 3 fishes. My nitrates always read between 5-10ppm but I've read that that's perfectly safe. I'm thinking it might also be my API test. I have to pick up a better one. Any suggestions Since I've added my xenia it has dropped down more. I do weekly 4 gallon water changes.

 

[JarviZ]

haha which part of queens you from?

I have a 14 gallon biocube and my nitrates are always around 15-20ppm with 3 fish, one shrimp and a whole bunch of snails. then again I only do 1 gallon water changes every week as opposed to your 4.

how do you like the fluval so far? I was contemplating on getting that or the biocube.

I have an instant ocean test kit and API, i like the API more. I always get 0 nitrate with the instant ocean =/

Xenias eat up nitrates?

 

[stooops718]

Grew up in Little Neck but I live in Flushing now.

The Fluval looks great but it's a PITA to work in due to the small opening. I like the challenge though.

I've read a couple threads were Xenias soke up the nitrates and still strive.

 

[stooops718]

New Pics!

 

[JarviZ]

nice rock work...

Do you dose or just do water changes... I wanna get a monti cap which would be my first sps, but don't want to dose lol

 

[stooops718]

nice rock work...

Do you dose or just do water changes... I wanna get a monti cap which would be my first sps, but don't want to dose lol

Thanks man. No dosing yet. I'm using Reef Crystals salt which is supposedly the best. I still need to get tests for magnesium, alkaline, phosphates, and all those other ones that I can't remember right now. They are just so expensive. I've heard montis are the easiest SPS to start with. The one I have is a branching monti and it's already starting to spread and extend after only a week.

 

[JarviZ]

Yea i noticed the little guy up there. How many watts of LED do you have?

My only concern is if I have enough lighting for a monti. I'm also worried that my calcium will deplete faster with an SPS. and I definitely don't feel like buying any more test kits. I already have a bunch of softies and LPSs

I just burned another 50 bucks for a phosphate and silicate test from marinedepot :banghead:

 

[stooops718]

Yea i noticed the little guy up there. How many watts of LED do you have?

My only concern is if I have enough lighting for a monti. I'm also worried that my calcium will deplete faster with an SPS. and I definitely don't feel like buying any more test kits. I already have a bunch of softies and LPSs

I just burned another 50 bucks for a phosphate and silicate test from marinedepot :banghead:

I'm running the AI Nano LED which is 35 Watts. What Lights are you running? I don't think you should worry too much about nutrient depletion with just one small SPS frag. You could up your volume of the water changes and you should be fine. JMO

 

[stooops718]

Just updated my OP with my current stock list. Forgot to update last week.

 

[rbtwo4]

weekly water changes shouldnt deplete calcium levels if im not mistaking. so worrying about ur montis using up all the calcium should not be a concern. Nice tank man i like it is that ai led white? right