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View Full Version : 2011 Nano Reef Contest jolson10450's 2.5g mini pico nano contest entry!



jolson10450
01-06-2011, 08:00 AM
Just starting the forum to reserve my space for this contest.

I will have a 2.5g aquarium ( 12x6x8 ) powered by a 3x 3w cree LED lights. 1x cool white 2x royal blue leds, a koralia nano for flow, and a 25w heater. No other equipment will be added! this will be a water change tank, i pretty much do water changes to keep parameters in check.

My plans for it are:

1-1.5" sand bottom
3-4lbs of liverock
2 margarita snails
1 blue leg hermit
1 peppermint shrimp
possibly a tiny goby
and the entire coral stock will all be Acan Lords if it all goes as planned and the leds don't bleach them!

Only time will tell as i will be starting the set up tomorrow of getting the sand and rock in it so it is ready on the day of the contest. It should cycle within a day or two using existing live rock and live sand from a previous tank and i will be using already cycled water from a water change on my other tanks. The reason i want the peppermint and the tiny goby in the tank is because when i feed the acans some mysis i want to be sure i have a decent enough cleaning crew to take care of the pieces that miss the coral. I may also do a pair of sexy shrimp instead of the goby.

Does anyone else have any other input for me as far as a fish i could use or something else cool to put in a tank this small? I DO NOT want another pistol shrimp! so that is out of the question! Thanks!

2pairs
01-06-2011, 12:17 PM
That sounds like a cool little tank, can't wait to see it.
Good luck on finding something small enough to put in it.

rosebud161616
01-07-2011, 05:45 AM
I agree this does sound like a very cool tank! I look forward to seeing it!

Do you plan on having optics with the LEDs? I would think 3 LEDs, with no optics, would not bleach your acans. You could always raise the light up if the par is too high also, but I wonder if you'll get enough par over 12". Do you have a PAR meter to test it out? I'll be interested to see how this goes for you!

jolson10450
01-07-2011, 06:13 AM
I agree this does sound like a very cool tank! I look forward to seeing it!

Do you plan on having optics with the LEDs? I would think 3 LEDs, with no optics, would not bleach your acans. You could always raise the light up if the par is too high also, but I wonder if you'll get enough par over 12". Do you have a PAR meter to test it out? I'll be interested to see how this goes for you!

no i do not have a par meter and also i am limited as to how high to mount the LEDS because it is going on my desk and i have a hutch on my desk. the LEDS will be approximately 6" to water surface and i will not be using any optics. i have optics but i do not want to bleach anything so i will be leaving them off.

i got the tank painted and set up yesterday with sand and water. going to trop today after work to pick up some rock for it and then tomorrow mounting the LED so i will post pictures of progress in each stage as it comes along.

for those who seen me at the A2 swap i will be using the LED i was using on my tiny show tank there for this contest!

steve&mari
01-07-2011, 07:17 AM
Sounds cool Justin cannt wait for the pics to start. See ya at the swap. Steve


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jolson10450
01-07-2011, 07:22 AM
i can't wait either i just want to leave work now to work on it lol. im fragging that cpt america this weekend for ya so it should be nice and healed by the swap!


Sounds cool Justin cannt wait for the pics to start. See ya at the swap. Steve


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steve&mari
01-07-2011, 11:52 AM
Justin its been said but thank you a million bud I've been so excited for the swap. Chemo has been lil tought this round but good news I'm on my 2 week break from it for the swap. Woooohoooo lol. Any pics to give a taste of some acans your lookin to add. Colors n such. Have a great day n safe trip to Trop. Place is awesome think if they were closer my older kids would be fightin to work for Dick n Ray lol. See ya soon Justin.
Your reefer bud
Steve


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Seaside Treasures
01-07-2011, 09:05 PM
i have a small breed of goby that was partnered with a small pistol ( cebu) was what i was told. come on down and pick er up.

jolson10450
01-08-2011, 11:57 AM
Here we go! Thursday i tore down the 1g tank and put the sand from it in the 2.5g and used my water change water to fill it up and here is the result:

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/addedsandandwater.jpg

Friday i stopped at Tropicorium to get some of their 0.89 cent rock and i was officially Bryans lowest sale of the day haha. I put my heater in the tank and then koralia nano, both of which i hid behind the rock so you could not see it! So here is what it looked like aquascaped Friday night:

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/aquascaped25g.jpg

Today (Saturday) i worked on installing the LEDS above the tank, got my hutch drilled and ready to go and mounted the lights up and boom! everything looks perfect i couldn't of planned it better! other than the LEDS are only 4.5" from the water surface but i am not using optics. here is the result:

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/2011-01-08124802.jpg

Here is a full tank shot of it on my desk, you can see the LEDS in this photo:

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/2011-01-08124807.jpg

jolson10450
01-08-2011, 11:58 AM
i have a small breed of goby that was partnered with a small pistol ( cebu) was what i was told. come on down and pick er up.

I may just do that Matt, i got to wait until the contest starts at least first! Thanks!

Sir Patrick
01-08-2011, 02:05 PM
Lighting looks great!

steve&mari
01-08-2011, 02:56 PM
Looking very nice Justin.

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2pairs
01-08-2011, 03:45 PM
Looks good so far and will look even better with coral.

jolson10450
01-08-2011, 04:54 PM
thanks everyone! my stock should be arriving tuesday so i will update pictures next week sometime with it stocked if my water parameters are good to go! ill keep it updated! i love it! colors are not so purple in person, its like 22k though!

jolson10450
01-09-2011, 07:57 AM
Ok here is my starting picture showing zero livestock yet! Also, this picture is actually the true color, my phone finally decided to get it right haha!

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/2011-01-09085337.jpg

jimsflies
01-09-2011, 08:15 AM
Looking good!

jolson10450
01-11-2011, 04:16 PM
here is another picture, again my crappy phone ruined the colors and its crappy quality but the frags are here!

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/2011-01-11170316.jpg

here is my total coral price so far, i removed the pieces not being used in this tank:

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/mrcoralreciept.jpg

total spent so far that actually counts = $40!

sometime this week i will be cutting the stems from some of the plugs and epoxying them to my rock work, i will then add the 3 colonies from my main tank to the 2.5g tank.

2pairs
01-11-2011, 06:42 PM
That is a good start to a 2.5 Acan tank. After they grow a little it will be hard to tell ware one stops and another starts

jolson10450
01-11-2011, 08:17 PM
here is another updated picture, i attached most to the rocks just now and added my 3 colonies hence the reason the water is still a tad cloudy:

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/2011-01-11204338.jpg

here is my receipt for the one on the right from fish docs in trenton:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/2011-01-11204509.jpg

it was originally store marked at $25 but i used some store credit for it, so i will count it as $12.50 towards the total.

the other 2 = 35 total polyps at $5 per polyp so that is $175

175.00
40.00
+12.50
$227.50 total cost so far!

i will update another picture probably tomorrow when the water is clear and the coral are hopefully all puffed up! they are all shrunk in the current picture from acclimating today and me cutting the stems off and epoxying them to the rock so they are a little TO'd!

whitetiger61
01-11-2011, 08:27 PM
very nice acans...when the water clears thats going to be cool

Rick

Sir Patrick
01-11-2011, 11:30 PM
Cant wait for more pics!!!

jolson10450
01-12-2011, 07:54 AM
Thanks y'all! im hoping to get a new camera soon so i can take some amazing pictures of it! i really like it! i want to get about 4-6 more different kinds of acans to add and fill some open spots then sometime this weekend i will be adding a peppermint shrimp and 1-2 hermits and 2-3 snails probably for my clean up crew and i will see what matt has or a fish for this tiny tank! the fish is still debatable because to keep nutrient levels down i shouldn't be feeding daily but with a fish i will have to. with just acans i can feed coral frenzy 2 times a week and mysis 1-2 times a week.

jolson10450
01-12-2011, 03:23 PM
this should be a clearer picture today and most stuff is puffed up and lookin good! again i wish i had a better camera because the colors are all messed up but still you can see it better i think.

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/2011-01-12161802.jpg

2pairs
01-12-2011, 03:32 PM
That is going to be sweet.

jolson10450
01-12-2011, 03:40 PM
That is going to be sweet.

thanks! yeah i will probably add 3-4 more pieces then just let them all grow! hopefully they grow over their plugs by judging time!

whitetiger61
01-12-2011, 03:43 PM
i dont see why they wouldnt..mine have already grown over their plugs in the 2 months ive had them..
again..great looking tank.

Rick

jolson10450
01-12-2011, 03:57 PM
here are some more pictures!

candycane acan:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/2011-01-12165010.jpg

unkown bought from trop a year ago:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/2011-01-12165023.jpg

green and gray acan from fish docs:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/2011-01-12165029.jpg

super skittles acan (better camera you would see the rainbow):
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/2011-01-12165018.jpg

top left side:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/2011-01-12165037.jpg

middle:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/2011-01-12165043.jpg

top right side:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/2011-01-12165053.jpg

sorry for the colors again! they are all under the same light but yet the pictures are all different tints lol stupid camera!

cg5071
01-12-2011, 04:32 PM
Looks good. Well besides the colors,lol. j/k

I looked at one of those super skittles but I think I ended up with tuti fruity instead.

steve&mari
01-12-2011, 09:44 PM
Lookin pretty sweet there Justin. Cannt wait for your new camera pics. Are ya gettin a dslr so ya get them super shots we all drool over lol.
Steve


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sinistervato
01-13-2011, 02:23 AM
nice looking acans. i would love to get some other acans for our nano.

nate_newton
01-13-2011, 03:53 AM
Looking great. I've always wanted the skittles acan. How much did it cost?

jolson10450
01-13-2011, 04:48 AM
Looking great. I've always wanted the skittles acan. How much did it cost?

$10 mr coral has the hook up! i put in a prety decent order and got free shipping, in order to get it though you got to buy i believe 3 other corals too.

and thanks everyone! big steve yes i will be getting a dslr with macro lens hopefully!

cg5071
01-13-2011, 12:00 PM
Yes, you have to order 4 corals and you can get a "limit one" coral. those are the more special ones so they dont want someone only buying those up. I think they are running get a freebie when you buy 5 frags also.

jolson10450
01-13-2011, 12:20 PM
Yes, you have to order 4 corals and you can get a "limit one" coral. those are the more special ones so they dont want someone only buying those up. I think they are running get a freebie when you buy 5 frags also.

yep i got 2 of them free too because my order was $130 so i paid $130 for 15 frags, -60 in gift cards so technicaly i paid $70 for 15 frags!

steve&mari
01-13-2011, 01:33 PM
Wow what a deal you did very well on that deal:)Hope they do well for you n grow good with your nano. If you need to trim the skittles give a shout help ya with you trouble of it getting to big in there lolHave a great day.
Big Steve

Ps get on Jim for cr shirts for us big guys lol


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jolson10450
01-13-2011, 01:36 PM
Wow what a deal you did very well on that deal:)Hope they do well for you n grow good with your nano. If you need to trim the skittles give a shout help ya with you trouble of it getting to big in there lolHave a great day.
Big Steve

Ps get on Jim for cr shirts for us big guys lol


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lol finally! ive been wanting one i was thinking of asking him if i could just take the logo and have a hat made or a hoody but never got around to asking because i got a shirt maker right next to my house they only charge $10-$15 per picture print on a shirt if you provide the shirt.

cg5071
01-13-2011, 03:38 PM
I need a larger size as well!

jolson10450
01-16-2011, 12:06 PM
added 3 margarita snails, 1 nassarius vibex, and a peppermint shrimp yesterday. Got a better camera now but i need a memory card, i ordered one so when it comes in i will take some pictures for y'all

jolson10450
01-20-2011, 05:31 PM
here are a few updated pictures with my newer camera, i havent fully got the focus down yet, i need a steadier hand or a tripod or something.

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/acan15.jpg
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/acan14.jpg
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/acan13.jpg
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/acan12.jpg
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/acan11.jpg
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/acan10.jpg
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/acan9.jpg
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/acan8.jpg
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/acan7.jpg
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/acan6.jpg
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/acan5.jpg
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/acan4.jpg
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/acan3.jpg
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/acan2.jpg
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/acan1.jpg

rosebud161616
01-20-2011, 08:28 PM
Those look great!!

jolson10450
01-20-2011, 08:47 PM
Those look great!!

all besides picture 3 came from mrcoral! i am pretty impressed!

steve&mari
01-20-2011, 09:01 PM
Lot nicer pics congrats on the new toy lol. Those are really nice acans they were the 10 dollar deals that's way cool. Looked a lot at em but worry bout shipping n all. Tried 1 time n almost everything was dead. Keep us updated bud.
Steve

sinistervato
01-21-2011, 07:42 AM
nice acans. hope ours look that good when we get them today.

jolson10450
01-21-2011, 11:57 AM
nice acans. hope ours look that good when we get them today.

thanks! they just need good lighting to make them really pop! im about about 20k-22k spectrum because i only run 1x cool white led and 2x royal blue leds. hence the reason you see such dark blue spots in some pictures by the coral, because the coral blocks the white light out so only the blue one penetrates that area.

2pairs
01-21-2011, 12:03 PM
Sweet acans, and great pics for a new camera.

jolson10450
01-21-2011, 01:50 PM
Sweet acans, and great pics for a new camera.

thanks! waiting for some closer up ones of yours so i can get a nice view of the goodies you picked up

2pairs
01-22-2011, 05:37 AM
thanks! waiting for some closer up ones of yours so i can get a nice view of the goodies you picked up

I will try to do that this weekend or next week, I have been busy on a different project. (LED for my display tank)

jolson10450
01-30-2011, 07:02 PM
picked up some nice acans at the swap! fresh pictures, will take better ones later when they are all out and puffed up!

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/DSC_0005.jpg

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/DSC_0004.jpg

will post receipts later, the only reciept i didnt get was one from cherry coral when they did the "everything marked $20 is now $10" i bought 2 more acans at that point but since it was my mistake i will just count is as $40 towards the total rather than $20.

my total spending so far:

Previously:
$227.50

$65 super nice orange sherbert looking acan from reef peddlar (counts as $32.50)
$40 3x total super nice red acans cherry corals ($10, $10, $20 counting it as $30)
$10 2 polyp mint acan from bryan and shane
$50 10 polyp super green acan from seggsy

so my total spending this far is:

$350!

also added a $1 mini filter i got today at the swap, i had to chop it all up to make it fit the tank but it seems to be working! just have filter floss in there currently, i may add something different later.

just need to find me 1 more 10 polyp regular acan and i will be at the max! anyone got one let me know! i have some stuff to trade!

jolson10450
01-31-2011, 07:58 AM
also looking for a RKL if anyone has one let me know! would be nice to add it to this tank for turning the pumps off while feeding and keeping temp stable.

jolson10450
01-31-2011, 04:56 PM
some more pictures:

FTS:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/1-31-11/DSC_0039.jpg

a pod:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/1-31-11/DSC_0029.jpg

margarita snail OM NOM NOM:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/1-31-11/DSC_0023.jpg

hermits eyes:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/1-31-11/DSC_0021.jpg

red and green acan:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/1-31-11/DSC_0014.jpg

blood acan from cherry corals:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/1-31-11/DSC_0011.jpg

orange sherbet? acan from reef peddler (used my $25 lottery gift card towards it):
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/1-31-11/DSC_0007.jpg

green acan from seggsy:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/DSC_0071.jpg

jolson10450
02-02-2011, 08:24 PM
here are my receipts for the swap, the reef peddlar acan and one of cherry corals acans that i used my card for. the other 2 from cherry when they had the "half off" going on i didnt have a chance to get a receipt or anything written up because they were so busy.

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/2011-02-01202447.jpg

jolson10450
02-03-2011, 08:06 AM
no one likes my tank anymore or what? i had a few updates and no comments :confused:

steve&mari
02-03-2011, 09:48 AM
Its lookin awesome justin ya got some nice acans. Really like the last pic the green with red stripe around it is cool. Also was cool to meet ya in person and thank you. Sorry been really busy n haven't been on more. Moms been in hospital for a almost a week and they still don't have her feelin any better so been up there a lot n tryin to dig out from snow now aswell lol. Thank you very much my friend and look forward to seein you again. Have a great day bud.
Big steve

jolson10450
02-03-2011, 09:51 AM
Its lookin awesome justin ya got some nice acans. Really like the last pic the green with red stripe around it is cool. Also was cool to meet ya in person and thank you. Sorry been really busy n haven't been on more. Moms been in hospital for a almost a week and they still don't have her feelin any better so been up there a lot n tryin to dig out from snow now aswell lol. Thank you very much my friend and look forward to seein you again. Have a great day bud.
Big steve

thanks man! yeah the green is one of my favorites! it is a really bright green, greenest acan i have ever seen actually so i am very pleased with it! sorry about your mom i hope she gets better man. i am sure i will see you at a swap sometime soon it was good meeting you.

2pairs
02-03-2011, 11:40 AM
We all still like the acan tank and are checking on it, but we are just waiting and anticipating what it will look like as they all start to grow and fill in.:):):)

jolson10450
02-03-2011, 12:27 PM
We all still like the acan tank and are checking on it, but we are just waiting and anticipating what it will look like as they all start to grow and fill in.:):):)

exactly what i am waiting for! some of the acans i can already see new babies sprouting off! i cant wait until the end of the contest to see how much growth i had overall with them in a 2.5g tank... that is the challenging part of it.

jolson10450
02-03-2011, 08:35 PM
re-adding this photo to my thread, pulled it to enter it into the POTM contest but now that it is down to the final two i am reposting it.

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/superskittles2.jpg

also this is my red and green acan i got from trop a while back as a AA acan, paid $10 for 2 poylps originally, since i have had it under these leds it has developed a yellowish color mouth which which only shows up when the polyps are fully inflated, you cant see it on a regular basis. i wonder what would cause it to change? it is the one in the first pic, the second is the same colony with hardly any yellowish color at all:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/DSC_0074.jpg
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/1-31-11/DSC_0014.jpg

creefer
02-03-2011, 08:51 PM
Great shots!

cg5071
02-04-2011, 05:54 AM
It is filling up w/ out even growing out,lol. Looks nice-pics too, I love acans.

jolson10450
02-04-2011, 06:13 AM
It is filling up w/ out even growing out,lol. Looks nice-pics too, I love acans.

Great shots!

thanks!

i am lookign to trade the back right blood red acan, once i get another acan from that i want to get 1 more to fill out my $400 limit and it will be smooth sailing from that point on.

i am very surprised with all of the fantastic entries this year!! there are a lot of great aquascapes that is for sure! i would but it is hard to aquascape anything that is 12"x6" lol!

cg5071
02-04-2011, 07:27 AM
What are you looking for in trade? color? size? value?

jolson10450
02-04-2011, 07:29 AM
What are you looking for in trade? color? size? value?

just really looking for another acan, color isnt really an issue for me, the blood red i have for trade has 6 large peoples, price isnt an issue and i am willing to throw a few extra $ in if needed. i just want to get a good variety going.

Sir Patrick
02-04-2011, 10:31 PM
That green acan from seggsy is sweet!!!!

jolson10450
02-05-2011, 11:37 PM
That green acan from seggsy is sweet!!!!

yeah it is my second favorite next to the super skittles! it is a super bright green i love it!

jolson10450
02-08-2011, 08:30 PM
some new FTS's

all lights on:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/DSC_0179.jpg

royal blues only:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/DSC_0178.jpg

a combo image if this works correctly.... looked pretty cool:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/59c767cb1f.gif

(sorry for tag, couldnt figure out how to delete and have the picture still flash back and forth)

Seaside Treasures
02-08-2011, 08:53 PM
Nicely Aquascaped,

jolson10450
02-08-2011, 08:55 PM
Nicely Aquascaped,

thanks matt! my end result i want the entire thing covered so you do not even see a rock anymore once everything grows out!

2pairs
02-09-2011, 05:17 AM
That little tank is really getting their. I like it.

jolson10450
02-14-2011, 11:26 AM
i have added a green clown goby to this tank, he was out friday when i purchased him, saturday he was out in the morning before the lights came on and right when the lights came on he went behind the rock and i have yet to see him. i still fed the tank so hopefully he got some food and i hope all is well. i need new batteries for my flash light so i can look at night and see if i can see him. i will update this later and if he comes out and is doing well i will get a picture too!

steve&mari
02-14-2011, 03:17 PM
Hope he shows up for ya ours was always out for food n sat on the hollywood stunner alnite then he hassnt been seen for bout 5 months so think he is gone :( not sure what happend think the dang emerald monster crab got him now that's bannished to sump forever. Everything is looking great if ya make it this way for the swap would love to get together have ya check out our set up and give me pointers to make it better. Maybe get ya to take a few shots for us with your new toy ya seem to be doing well with cause your pics are way nice bro. Happy reefin my friend n hope ya make it to swap.
Your friend
Big Steve
Ps get some bigger shirts for the swap if ya can lol

MizTanks
02-14-2011, 04:43 PM
jolson that is one sweet looking nano! Better yet your new Acan farm~lol~I'm really loving all the colors and they're all very healthy. :highfive3:

jolson10450
02-15-2011, 08:03 AM
Hope he shows up for ya ours was always out for food n sat on the hollywood stunner alnite then he hassnt been seen for bout 5 months so think he is gone :( not sure what happend think the dang emerald monster crab got him now that's bannished to sump forever. Everything is looking great if ya make it this way for the swap would love to get together have ya check out our set up and give me pointers to make it better. Maybe get ya to take a few shots for us with your new toy ya seem to be doing well with cause your pics are way nice bro. Happy reefin my friend n hope ya make it to swap.
Your friend
Big Steve
Ps get some bigger shirts for the swap if ya can lol

not sure i will make it to the GR swap. that is just to far from me otherwise i would but thanks for the kind words i hope he shows up too!


jolson that is one sweet looking nano! Better yet your new Acan farm~lol~I'm really loving all the colors and they're all very healthy. :highfive3:

yeah it is my acan farm! i love itt! i want to add some more to it to finish off my budget then i will finish epoxying everything down and just let it all grow!

jolson10450
02-20-2011, 02:11 PM
well here is a little teaser picture of what i have coming in:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/2011-02-20141335.jpg

spend $100 at seaside treasures today and picked up 2 large acan colonies roughly 20-25 heads each! since they are a sponsor here they count as $50 towards my total bring my total to a completed $400 even!!!

i have also traded one of my blood red acans to Mike Z thanks again mike! i just got finished re-aquascaping the tank some to fit these larger colonies in the tank so as soon as things settle down i will be posting pictures of what i got! they are all stringing toxins into the water so i am hoping it doesn't turn out bad, if they still look bad tonight i will be doing a 1g water change tonight but i am hoping i can just do a small one tomorrow (did a 1g yesterday)

i now have 21 different acan lords in this tank, 22 total things. one of the colonies of acans i got from seaside had a little 2 polyp guy hangin out by its self so i had to cut it off to fit it where it is and i glued the little 2 polyp guy to the rock work. can you believe 22 frags/colonies fit into a 2.5g tank!!!!! this thing is packed now!! i am excited to see it once they are all fully open.

if someone is willing to trade a 2 polyp for my 2 polyp that would be awesome so i have more variety!

i have also removed the koralia nano because it was shooting my sand all over the place and all over the acans on the sand bed so that is gone.

stay tuned within the next day or 2 for more picture updates!!!

cg5071
02-20-2011, 03:03 PM
Show your 2 polyp frag as well when you post your pics :)

jolson10450
02-20-2011, 03:06 PM
Show your 2 polyp frag as well when you post your pics :)

will do! i will have the colony picture so you can see what it looks like when it gets bigger as well for any interested in tradeing, waiting for the stuff to settle in now and fluff up!

jolson10450
02-20-2011, 07:16 PM
here are some not fully deflated pictures and i did not break out the tripod so they are not focused well but i couldnt wait to post pictures so here goes!

neon green acan i got from Mike Z, traded my blood red i had for it so it does not count towards my total if i am correct?

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/DSC_0206.jpg

green/red/white acan i got from Matt at Seaside Treasure - $50 so counts as $25 (Seaside Treasures - Home (http://www.seaside-treasure.com))
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/DSC_0205.jpg

green and red acan from Matt at Seaside Treasure $50 so it counts as $25 (Seaside Treasures - Home (http://www.seaside-treasure.com))
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/DSC_0204.jpg


http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/DSC_0197.jpg

added some moonlights and a fan to cool the LEDs, i just need to run a split plug on my timer so the fan only comes on when the LEDs are on.
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/DSC_0217.jpg

Enjoy!!

jolson10450
02-21-2011, 11:18 AM
i still have not seen the clown goby so chances are he died

pjr
02-21-2011, 09:31 PM
Jutin, this tank looks sweet! What a great little setup. That's a lot of acans in jus 2.5 gallons. I thin you need to bring them over to pjr-ette's tank! :) She's doing a great job with acans.

MizTanks
02-21-2011, 10:28 PM
I wanna a frag of #1!!! Please please pretty please?? Lol j/k but it if awfully beautiful :)

steve&mari
02-21-2011, 10:50 PM
We may have to do some tradin of acans when they growout I've got some growin aswell that are nice. Also got a inland comming in 2 months so we will be set for the a2 swap I'm thinking lol. We have the cherry corals acid drop n pro corals cigar galaxy acans with few others. Very nice pics even w/o tripod.let me know what ya think.
Big Steve

jolson10450
02-22-2011, 06:00 AM
Jutin, this tank looks sweet! What a great little setup. That's a lot of acans in jus 2.5 gallons. I thin you need to bring them over to pjr-ette's tank! :) She's doing a great job with acans.

Thats good! i was wondering if it was because i remember you saying you couldn't grow acans. i would bring some over but after i grow them out for a while!


I wanna a frag of #1!!! Please please pretty please?? Lol j/k but it if awfully beautiful :)

Thanks! yeah it has some weird colors to it, curious to see how the color turns under LEDs now.


We may have to do some tradin of acans when they growout I've got some growin aswell that are nice. Also got a inland comming in 2 months so we will be set for the a2 swap I'm thinking lol. We have the cherry corals acid drop n pro corals cigar galaxy acans with few others. Very nice pics even w/o tripod.let me know what ya think.
Big Steve

that would be nice! it may take a while for them to grow though so hopefully by the next A2 swap!



some other things i would like to add, the candy cane acan that is roughly 20 polyps has not transformed and has been getting a yellow trim around the mouth area. i did not notice this until last night looking at it under my moonlights so that is sweet! that other green one has a yellowish tint mouth too on some of the polyps. it seems as if these LEDs are bringing more colors out of these acans so i am curious to see how the others look in a few months. towards the end of the contest i want to make a combination picture of "before and after" pictures into one picture side by side to see the total effects these LEDs have had on the colonies.

i literally like this tank more than my main tank, it is weird but true! so much color! now when i look at the main tank it makes me want to re-aquascape it and get rid of certain corals and keep others.

pjr
02-22-2011, 07:27 AM
Thats good! i was wondering if it was because i remember you saying you couldn't grow acans. i would bring some over but after i grow them out for a while! ....

Yep. My tank has too much LED power to effectively grow acans... heck, even some LPS can't survive at the bottom of the tank, a full 24" down on the bare bottom. But they love her tank and are growing well. In fact, we moved my micromussa and my blasto welsii to her setup and they are loving it too. So bring it on! :big_grin:

jolson10450
02-22-2011, 07:59 AM
Yep. My tank has too much LED power to effectively grow acans... heck, even some LPS can't survive at the bottom of the tank, a full 24" down on the bare bottom. But they love her tank and are growing well. In fact, we moved my micromussa and my blasto welsii to her setup and they are loving it too. So bring it on! :big_grin:

yeah i have the LEDs not the same as you though and i use no optics and they grow fine, if i had optics i dont think i would have the same results

pjr
02-22-2011, 08:50 AM
Agreed. The intensity levels and the number of LEDs are VERY different!

I love acan tanks like yours... very sweet!

jolson10450
02-22-2011, 10:17 AM
Agreed. The intensity levels and the number of LEDs are VERY different!

I love acan tanks like yours... very sweet!

Thanks! not bad for only 2.5 gallons! 12" x 6" x 8" that is it!! this thing is a monster!

jolson10450
02-28-2011, 04:39 PM
here are some updates, i moved the position of some of the frags to better fit the aquascape, the newer acans are almost to large for the tank already! Enjoy!

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/DSC_0221.jpg

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/DSC_0222.jpg

ZOOmanSPS
02-28-2011, 05:28 PM
Looks awesome!!! Have you seen your clown goby? I had one in a 125 I had set up for 8 years put him in it and a month later I could not find it.. Three years late I sh** you not I went to look at the tank and there he was almost 2in.. He was maybe 3/4 when I put him in the tank!! Those acans what kind of light do they need I have had almost everything you can think of when it comes to coral but never had those and have to admit there sweet!!

jolson10450
02-28-2011, 07:39 PM
Looks awesome!!! Have you seen your clown goby? I had one in a 125 I had set up for 8 years put him in it and a month later I could not find it.. Three years late I sh** you not I went to look at the tank and there he was almost 2in.. He was maybe 3/4 when I put him in the tank!! Those acans what kind of light do they need I have had almost everything you can think of when it comes to coral but never had those and have to admit there sweet!!

Thanks!

and no i have not found him! i gave up daily feedings and went back to 1-2 times per week so if he is living it is just by that, but nope i have not seen him since last i posted.

pjr
02-28-2011, 09:43 PM
Hey, just curious --- what is your feeding routine?

jolson10450
03-01-2011, 07:09 AM
i feed PE mysis 1-2 times per week and coral frenzy 1-2 times per week, never on the same night and always 1 day without. example:

monday - mysis
Tuesday - nothing
wednesday - coral frenzy
thursday - nothing
friday - mysis
saturday - nothing
sunday - coral frenzy

sometimes i give 2 days off that is why i said 1-2 times per week each.

Shamus
03-01-2011, 07:54 AM
Love the look of your pico - looks incredible!

jolson10450
03-01-2011, 08:00 AM
Love the look of your pico - looks incredible!

Thanks! yeah this little tank is a monster! i really look at it probably 10x more than my main tank now

Heidi
03-17-2011, 10:51 AM
Just wondered how the little acan-domination tank was doing?? :)

jolson10450
03-19-2011, 11:48 PM
Just wondered how the little acan-domination tank was doing?? :)

its doing good! i sold one of the acan frags out of it today that i had doubles of for $20 so i think my spending limit is back in now - the 20 from that acan so i got $20 to spend on a new acan! i will post a picture tomorrow though

jolson10450
03-22-2011, 08:17 AM
well as promised here is an updated picture that i took from my phone, i actually took it the day after i made my last post like i said but i just never posted it. this is with moonlights only on and taken from my camera phone so it is not the quality of the others.

as you can see one of the acans i pulled from the plug in the right corner, this acan was cut through the mouth when fragged so there was never a full polyp there and it has slowly been on the decline since so i pulled it out and put it in my main tank to try to revive it so we will see what happens.

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/2011-03-20084148.jpg

Kalmed
03-23-2011, 12:52 PM
Im enjoying this build very much....I am indeed.

jolson10450
03-31-2011, 08:31 PM
Im enjoying this build very much....I am indeed.

Thanks! i will get an updated picture this weekend, that one acan frag ended up dieing so i do have 1 death in the tank but i dont think it was the result of the tank its self... just a bad fragging. everything still looks the same, just letting it grow. i do have $20 open and i might frag one of the larger acans to open up a little more cash to add 1 more nice piece to the tank!

MizTanks
03-31-2011, 10:09 PM
Sure reminds me of the long time ago penny candy stores~just to many goodies to choose from :)

nate_newton
03-31-2011, 11:00 PM
I like the magfloat in there. Great size reference to show just how small it is. Are you losing much to evaporation? Mine is pretty much closed. I'm surprised to not having to top-off very often.

jolson10450
04-03-2011, 05:32 PM
I like the magfloat in there. Great size reference to show just how small it is. Are you losing much to evaporation? Mine is pretty much closed. I'm surprised to not having to top-off very often.

yeah and that is the smallest mag float there is! i actually lose about 8-10 ounces of water per day. i usually fill up one cup per day and at the end of the week i find myself having to put 2 cups in because the water level is not high enough. this is probably due to the HOB filter always moving the surface water and the fan blowing across the LEDS.

nate_newton
04-03-2011, 05:37 PM
yeah and that is the smallest mag float there is! i actually lose about 8-10 ounces of water per day. i usually fill up one cup per day and at the end of the week i find myself having to put 2 cups in because the water level is not high enough. this is probably due to the HOB filter always moving the surface water and the fan blowing across the LEDS.

Do you have a cover on the tank? Mines pretty well covered except the HOB.

jolson10450
04-03-2011, 07:54 PM
Do you have a cover on the tank? Mines pretty well covered except the HOB.

nope. no cover just open top.

bigbill
04-03-2011, 07:58 PM
looking great lot of nice stuff in such a small tank

jolson10450
04-14-2011, 05:45 PM
quick camera phone picture for a photo update, everything still looks the same, some acans with new polyps though!

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/2011-04-14184332.jpg

MizTanks
04-14-2011, 07:20 PM
Those are led's right? I can't see all the beautiful colors :( how come?

jolson10450
04-14-2011, 07:41 PM
Those are led's right? I can't see all the beautiful colors :( how come?

yeah leds and its because of my camera phone taking a crappy picture, i went to use the macro and the battery is dead so i will try to get a better picture this weekend

MizTanks
04-14-2011, 07:54 PM
:doh: cool, can't wait!

jolson10450
04-18-2011, 09:08 PM
here are a few new shots, nothing changes other than i am getting some decent algae in the tank now, i think i may go back to weekly water changes instead of bi-weekly like i am currently doing.

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/DSC_0317.jpg
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/DSC_0319.jpg
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/DSC_0320.jpg

MizTanks
04-18-2011, 09:16 PM
Wow look at all the colors, different shapes and sizes! I could look at that all day and just zeeeen out :) Very nice Jolson.

jolson10450
04-18-2011, 09:27 PM
Wow look at all the colors, different shapes and sizes! I could look at that all day and just zeeeen out :) Very nice Jolson.

thanks! just think that tank is only 12 inches wide! its super tiny but i am very happy with it!

jolson10450
04-22-2011, 01:21 PM
i am debating on taking down the 2.5g acan lord tank. it seems that some of them are not happy and starting to receed so rather than losing $400-$600 in coral i might just make a section in the main tank and move them

rosebud161616
04-22-2011, 03:24 PM
Have you tested your alk? I think a lot of people don't realize just how much LPS uses. Everyone thinks SPS, but LPS is a hog also. I bet its hard to keep your alk up with it being so heavily populated and so small.

jolson10450
04-22-2011, 10:02 PM
i tested alk and it is at 8 so i dont think alk is the issue here.... not to sure what it is other than i do try to feed them so maybe the nitrate build up or the lights are to bright for them... seems like all of the ones that are lower are doing good but the ones up higher are not so i am pretty sure tomorrow i will be moving them to the main tank unfortunately. i will still stay in the contest with whatever i decide to add just for fun though!

MizTanks
04-22-2011, 11:28 PM
Great move, cause I just know a couple of those Acans have my name on em~lol

2pairs
04-23-2011, 06:34 AM
Sorry to here about the set back, could you try dimming the light or use something to defuse the light?

jolson10450
04-23-2011, 08:23 AM
Sorry to here about the set back, could you try dimming the light or use something to defuse the light?

i cant because they are just on a straight constant current and since they are under the hutch of my desk the light is as far away as it possibly can be so i am stuck in a rut with where the tank sits... i will probably make the move here within the next couple hours... kind of bummed because i really like it but for the sake of the coral its my only option

MizTanks
04-23-2011, 08:50 AM
Setting some screen on top of the tank wont work?

jolson10450
04-23-2011, 11:51 AM
Setting some screen on top of the tank wont work?

to late, they are all switched over and let me tell you my main tank has never looked so beautiful! now that i got these sps growing on top of the rocks and i have an entire acan section in my tank i cant stop looking at it!

the rock piece i took out of my main tank to make the acan section went into my nano now and also the 7 remaining frags i had left from the grow out contest are also in there. its fate as far as livestock is still to be determined. i have a green bubble tip anemone that has not grown a millimeter in about 6 months so i removed him from the rock and put him in the holding bin until he gets nice and healthy and he may go in this tank. along with the anemone i might get a pair of sexy shrimp, or anemone shrimp so the anemone can play host to them or maybe a baby clown (unlikely because once he grows i have no room for him) or possibly another mantis!!! i could also probably do a small goby/pistol pair in this tank but currently there is a peppermint in this tank so i am unsure of that combo (same with the mantis, they will wreck the peppermint)

i got some time to think on this but the deed is fully done so i cant wait until everything starts to open up!

MizTanks
04-23-2011, 03:26 PM
I had my pistol/goby in with my peppermint shrimp without a problem. They never bothered each other :)

jolson10450
04-23-2011, 04:06 PM
I had my pistol/goby in with my peppermint shrimp without a problem. They never bothered each other :)

i might have to do that then!

here are some pictures without the stuff fully opened yet:

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/2011-04-23144656.jpg
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr126/boonesville/2011-04-23144704.jpg

MizTanks
04-23-2011, 04:50 PM
oh see now I like that! You may not want a pistol/goby in there~I had them in my 8g with a sand bottom and man that pistol destroy just about every zoa I had on the bed. They kick up so much sand that it looked like it was snowing in my tank all the time. Hated it! My zoa's hardly ever fully opened.

jolson10450
04-23-2011, 04:52 PM
oh see now I like that! You may not want a pistol/goby in there~I had them in my 8g with a sand bottom and man that pistol destroy just about every zoa I had on the bed. They kick up so much sand that it looked like it was snowing in my tank all the time. Hated it! My zoa's hardly ever fully opened.

yeah that was one of my main concerns with them, mantis's are the same just not nearly as bad so i am considering one of them, if not i might just get a pair of sexy shrimp and maybe a tiny goby or something to put in there

MizTanks
04-23-2011, 04:55 PM
yeah that was one of my main concerns with them, mantis's are the same just not nearly as bad so i am considering one of them, if not i might just get a pair of sexy shrimp and maybe a tiny goby or something to put in there

Good idea because IMO that lil tank is rockin as it is now~sexy shrimp are sweet looking. What about a clown goby~they love to perch on corals.

jolson10450
04-23-2011, 05:01 PM
yeah that is what i will get probably, i had one in here before and it was out for a day then boom gone so i think it died under my rocks and the peppermint ate him lol i expected to see him when i moved the rock around today but nope. so i will probably get a little clown goby and a pair of sexy's

MizTanks
04-23-2011, 06:15 PM
Sounds good to me. I've experienced that with clown goby they really need to be acclimated very slow. I can't wait to see one in you tank! :)

Corvette Reefer
04-23-2011, 06:34 PM
beautiful acan tank!

jolson10450
04-26-2011, 09:24 AM
beautiful acan tank!

yeahh.... it was... no longer though i removed all of the acans

pjr
04-26-2011, 08:28 PM
yeahh.... it was... no longer though i removed all of the acans


:crying: That was a sweet looking little tank.

2pairs
04-27-2011, 06:01 AM
yeahh.... it was... no longer though i removed all of the acans

It is better you moved them instead of loosing then.

jolson10450
04-27-2011, 06:38 AM
It is better you moved them instead of loosing then.

yeah for sure! they all have opened up probably 2x the size now that they are in my main tank... i am thinking they had to much light because now they are off to the side in my tank in a sort of shaded area and seem to be doing 100% better than before. the colors of most of the rainbow ones hardly show under the t5's though that is the only bummer.