aquariumgirl's reefs

[aquariumgirl]

Hey everyone, just wanted to share with you my 10 gallon and 0.75 gallon reefs. Thanks for looking and any comments and tips.

 

[Diana]

Neat! I love those sun polyps... even when they arent out! Where abouts in Canada do you live?


-Diana

 

[aquariumgirl]

Thanks Diana, I'm from Victoria.

 

[brandon4291]

I was super impressed by the fact your pico reef has coralline algae growth, that is rare in sub-gallon systems and can only be achieved with the same biochemical balances found in large/mature setups (which validates the construction and keeping of pico reefs)

I tend to like pico reefs more than larger ones due to cost and easie of maintenance/flexibility when moving etc... of course the salinity swings and temp shifts can be an ugly tradeoff. I've read your posts on other forums and noticed you topoff daily, did you ever look into that lid idea or consider a drip topoff of some kind? Really glad to have you here, please elaborate on your approaches with us. Welcom to RDO Nano Forum

 

[aquariumgirl]

Thanks brandon, when I started the pico tank I took everything from a very well, established tank (a 330 gallon tank!). Maybe that's why I have so much coralline (I did have to scrub the acrylic once 8O ). There was only a slight cycle, but everything seems great! I did have one problem with it when I went away for four days and my pink cloves died.

I was thinking of getting a lid (topoff system too expensive for me, plus I have no room in this one bedroom apartment I share with my BF, cat, rabbit and guinea pig, not to mention two small tanks). I don't mind topping off both tanks everyday.

The 10 gallon does have a lid that protects the light, but because I've decided to put my skimmer behind the aquaclear I don't have lids on the filter or skimmer.

Right now, I do water changes using conditioned tap water and instant ocean salt once a week with the 10 gallon. The pico gets water changes twice a week using water in the 10 gallon. I top off both tanks with bottled water only because I'm too lazy to store conditoned water.

I think that's it, did I miss anything? Anyway, thanks for all the comments and stuff. 8)

 

[aquariumgirl]

Here is an updated picture. The new additions are: frogspawn, blue sponge, green, leafy macroalgae, a few more mushrooms, three large snails, and two blue-legged hermit crabs.

 

[aquariumgirl]

More and more pictures!!

 

[WesleT]

oh wow .. i like your tanks.. could you help me out starting up my 10g? i just made a post for it...

what kind of light and skimmer do you use?

 

[aquariumgirl]

Hey WesleT, thanks! Right now I have 40W 50/50 PC (may sound low, but most of my corals were raised in low lighting). I have an AquaClear 110 with a CPR backpack skimmer on the back (supported with blocks so they don't rest on eachother or the tank)

Here are some updated pictures, I recently added two open brains.

 

[Anonymous]

Love your tanks. I REALLY LIKE "the backpack above the hangon above the tank" Brilliant solution.

And those brains are HOT. I'm looking for a red one about that size for my 20.

B

 

[aquariumgirl]

Thanks Bingo!!

I just started a mantis shrimp tank, it's 3gallons and I have two mantises (but one can't keep himself right side up, but we'll see) and a handfull of crabs and a sundial snail but no zoos.

 

[Anonymous]

Did you add the snails as snacks for the shrimp? make sure you feed the tank well, or that's what will happen.

I had a mantis tank with 3 domino damsels.

Then 2

Then 1

Then none.

B

 

[aquariumgirl]

Bingo, The snail is meant for food along with all the little crabs too. But thanks for the tip, I was thinking of putting a damsel in the tank to give it a little more life but now I don't think so 8O

 

[WesleT]

did you just start the tank because you got the mantis as a hitchiker?

my friend got 3 of them in one shipment 50lbs of live rock

 

[aquariumgirl]

Actually, I've been reading up on them for a while, and then we found a few in the lr shipment at the store. So, I thought, yah, lets start up a tank for them 8O :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

stomatopods are great, and you can teach them things in very subtle ways. before feeding my mantis every day, i used to tap with the fleshy point of my finger on the desk near his little 2.5g aquarium. nothing too harsh, you know. after a while i could tap and he'd come out right away, ready for dinner. also we would have staring contests. there were several times i'd be reading or watching TV on the couch (his tank was on an end table) and I'd look ovre and he would be watching me. it was awesome. i want another.

 

[aquariumgirl]

Hehe, that's awesome!! I'll have to try that. By the way, what do you feed yours? I haven't really been feeding, I've just been hopeing he would eat the crabs and that sundial. Should I be feeding him pellets?

 

[aquariumgirl]

Hey everyone, just posting some more Pictures!! Recent aditions are: Pistol shrimp and goby pair in the ten gallon, a green chromis in the mantis tank. And then there is just another poor, very poor picture of the mantis shrimp.

 

[Diana]

Ooo im in the market for a shrimp/goby pair for my 5 gallon nano. Cant wait to find one around here. So far, only shrimps OR gobies, not paired. hehe

Ah well. Setting up a 20 gallon nano soon..... i seem to want to spend more money!

 

[aquariumgirl]

LOL! Me too, my pay cheque is gone before I even get it, hehe. It seems that getting a pair is very hard to get, the place I got mine, it took four year before they could get this pair!!