CalmSeasQuest's 36" Nano Build

[2pairs]

All I can say is this has been a truly interesting build from the start and the placement of corals are no exception. With a little time and growth this is truly going to be a piece of the reef.
Now you know their will be a lot of people copying this stile of nano for their desk and you have inspired a lot of us to do a lot more with our rock work and not just have a pile of rock dumped in.
I am looking forward to seeing this at the end with a little growth.

[nate_newton]

Thanks for posting. The graph was really interesting, makes me want a controller.

[CalmSeasQuest]

All I can say is this has been a truly interesting build from the start and the placement of corals are no exception. With a little time and growth this is truly going to be a piece of the reef.
Now you know their will be a lot of people copying this stile of nano for their desk and you have inspired a lot of us to do a lot more with our rock work and not just have a pile of rock dumped in.
I am looking forward to seeing this at the end with a little growth.

Thanks for the kind words Jim. I've learned a lot on this build and I'm sure there is much more to learn. Managing densely-stocked tanks presents it's own challenges. I'm looking forward to seeing how far you can go with 7. 5 gallons of mixed reef

Thanks for posting. The graph was really interesting, makes me want a controller.

I think one of the most unrecognized values of having a controller is the insight it provides into intricacies taking place in the tank. Things such as knowing the exact diurnal pH swings, allowing you to create a dosing plan optimized for your tank; or when fine-tuning bacteria and/or carbon dosing. It provides another level if insight into whats actually happening and the cause/effect relationship of virtually everything that happen.

Once you get familiar with your tank's daily ranges, you'll be able to spot any new trends that might lead to problems (i.e. the death of a snail causing a downward spike in ORP) long before the affects are visible within the tank.

[jolson10450]

nice new pictures with coral!

[CalmSeasQuest]

Things are starting to settle in. All of the hair algae from the cycle is ghost white and mostly gone. I'm monitoring how much Ca and ALK uptake there will be with such dense coral stocking. I had hopes I might be able to maintain with just the water changes and Kalk, but it appears 2-part might be required.

Getting close to the final Coral lineup - At present, there are 91 Frags in the tank. I'll spend another couple weeks watching to see if every acclimates to it's current spot and maybe swap out a few depending on how happy they appear in their new surrounds. Once I'm comfortable they are happy with PAR and flow, I'll remove them from the plugs, affix them directly to the aquascape and update the livestock list and receipts. One advantage I've found with the slabbed rock are the smooth surfaces - I can easily "tack" each Frag with just a drop or two of Cyanocrylate.

I'm hoping that removing the plugs will eliminate some of the "Frag tank" look associated with such tiny Frags. Sorry for the poor quality photos - Although I have a new DSLR (Nikon D7000) I'm currently suffering from a case of "Equipment superior to operator"...

























Still undecided about the addition of any inverts or fish. I'm doing some research on Pipefish, it seems this might be a good environment for them (not too much flow, no competitors for food, tons of Copepods...)

[Sir Patrick]

Lookin great man!

Arent pipefish really sensitive to coral stings?

[rosebud161616]

I agree with Chris. All Sygnathids are very sensitive to stings. Or more so to bacterial infection. So it's very important to minimize anything that could cause a wound. Acans are typically regarded as risky but safe, however chalices are typically a no go due to the sweepers. Powerheads need to be protected as well to not accidentally cause any sort of wound.

Another thought with Sygnathids is temp. It's generally regarded as best to keep the temp at 74* or under to minimize the rate that bacteria grows. Bacteria grows exponentially faster as the temperature rises. Keeping the temp at say, 78*, greatly reduces the amount of time to be able to react to illness in the pipefish. It could mean the difference between being early enough to beat the infection, or not.

While pipefish are really awesome fish, they can be a very challenging fish. It's great to hear you're doing your research before embarking on them!

[CalmSeasQuest]

Lookin great man!

Arent pipefish really sensitive to coral stings?

Thanks Chris! Yes, unfortunately the more I read, the less suitable this tank becomes. I thought the low flow and rock work would have worked, but the mine field of stinging corals makes it a no-go.

I agree with Chris. All Sygnathids are very sensitive to stings. Or more so to bacterial infection. So it's very important to minimize anything that could cause a wound. Acans are typically regarded as risky but safe, however chalices are typically a no go due to the sweepers. Powerheads need to be protected as well to not accidentally cause any sort of wound.

Another thought with Sygnathids is temp. It's generally regarded as best to keep the temp at 74* or under to minimize the rate that bacteria grows. Bacteria grows exponentially faster as the temperature rises. Keeping the temp at say, 78*, greatly reduces the amount of time to be able to react to illness in the pipefish. It could mean the difference between being early enough to beat the infection, or not.

While pipefish are really awesome fish, they can be a very challenging fish. It's great to hear you're doing your research before embarking on them!

Thanks Erika, my homework yielded the same conclusion. The quest continues.

Strangely enough, I'm not even certain I'll add any fish. I'm finding I enjoy this tank immensely with just the corals. The only annoyance is answering the eternal question of "where are the fish" from everyone that enters my office.

[MizTanks]

Just put up a sign-Please watch your step lost fish. Leave it up for a week and They'll stop asking

[CalmSeasQuest]

Just put up a sign-Please watch your step lost fish. Leave it up for a week and They'll stop asking