The Puffer Forum

After reading up for months and looking at other peoples tanks i decided to give it a go. I had a spare 5 g hex just laying round with a broken light so i started a nano tank. I plan on doing corals, maybe a zoa garden which i think could be pretty. Probably no fish just a cuc.

I only set the tank up today but it's already fascinating. I don't have a light yet as i'm waiting for a rewards card from my bank so i can put the money towards lighting.

LR has already given me 1 brittle star, a number of feather dusters, what i think might be a sponge and 2 polyps which are either zoas or palythoas.
The tank looks a little like crap right now as the sand is still settling and the no lights and the rocks are probably going to be moved once i discover if anything else is living on them that needs either less flow or more flow. So far i'm happy with the progress.

awesome, cant wait to watch this one

how much LR?

Nice start. If you have any anemones or zoas hidden on the rock they will move themselves to a spot they like. The only thing you will probably find that would need more or less current are sponges.

Have you thought about the kind of light fixture you'll get?

Thanks guys.

I have over 4lbs LR right now, i wanted to get that in and then see if i needed any more. I'm thinking i might go back and get a few smaller pieces and build up the back a little more.

I've moved the rock around a little since yesterday due to too much flow. The tank has settled a bit and the sand cloudiness has cleared. I found 2 polyps which i believe are zoas, i had to move 1 rock because the flow was too much for them, once i moved the rock 1 of the polyps opened up slightly. I also have like 5- or 6 feather dusters, 1 is nice and red the others are white. I think i might have a sponge, but i'm not too sure. It's either a sponge or some kind of soft coral... i need a better photo to get an i.d.

So pics:

new layout 2 tiny polyps: 1 bad photo of the red feather duster: I do have a question though. I have freshwater master test kit, do they use the same chemicals to test saltwater? i probably need to get the api master salt test kit but i just thought i'd check.

Also, with regard to water changes during the cycle, do i do small ones? or just leave it alone? i'm thinking here of the hitchhikers, i don't want anyone to die during the cycle if it can be helped. The tank has a hob filter w/ activated carbon as well as the LR filtration.

I'm honestly not sure about the lighting. I'm still looking into it.

The test kits use the same chemicals, the result chart is just different colors, but you can google that.

Great thanks. I lost the results chart for the FW anyway (it went down the back of my kitchen cabinet) so i had to google the results. I'll just use that until i get payed again.

I just picked up a SW test kit and everything seems the same dosing wise but the colors are different.

I was going to leave the tank the 1st week and then do initial tests in the second week and go from there. Good to know i can leave off buying a sw kit until i get payed

New photos.

Checked the tank parameters today and ammonia is 0, nitrate is at 20. didn't check nitrite but probably will after i'm done here. Going to leave the tank for probably another few weeks to stabilize, i'm going to do a small water change on sunday, maybe tomorrow if i get time to lower the nitrate a little, i'd hate for it to get out of control as my cuc isn't huge yet.

So far i have the brittle starfish, a fireworm @ 3 inches in length (nearly jumped out my skin when i saw it) and feather dusters galore.

okay, so onto those new photos i mentioned.
FTS (10/21/11). I've had to rearrange that front rock again due to the polyps getting too much flow, i'm not sure how to deal with this as the HOB filter is giving off quite a strong flow right down the middle of the tank. I'll either have to get something to put there that likes strong flow and can withstand it or some how baffle the flow slightly.
I am completely and utterly thrilled with these little guys ^^, they are doing so well, both open. One enjoying itself more than the other but since i rotated their rock the smaller one has opened more. I love their colour and cant wait to see if they grow more.

After the water change over the weekend i'm going to monitor the water quality during the week and then think about more cuc. So far i'm thinking mostly snails or various breeds and maybe a hermit crab if i can get one, just because they're neat.

If the tank is still doing well and stable in say 3 weeks i'll be considering which corals to get

Cute set up! Any reason the water level is kind of low?

Thanks, Yes. Those LED lights are attached under the lid and i wanted to keep them out of the water. I plan on raising the water level once i have my new light (when i get it) installed.

Oh!
Have you decided on your lighting?

I have, i've had such a struggle deciding what i'll get. I think i'm pretty certain (look, there's still some indecision) i've decided on the finnex clip on light with an upgraded 26 w bulb which has both daylight and blue portions to it.

I was juggling between that and the coralife t5 but for the tank dimensions i think the finnex works better. Stupid hex, didn't even consider the shape properly with relation to the add ons when i set it up. I'm a bit of an idiot like that. I'm only going to be doing zoas (a zoa garden) with maybe a few softies so the lights don't have to be super strong, yes the corals would look better with higher lighting but i think the one i've picked will be sufficient for growth. If it's not enough i can always add more lighting later on.

I've got a giftcard coming from my bank reward program that almost covers the cost of the lighting which is why i haven't ordered my lights yet. It should have been in the mil today but it wasn't so hopefully tomorrow.

the lid is also getting changed because that one is nasty and also in 2 parts, but again can't make my lid until i have the lighting in place.

YAY new lighting arrived yesterday and was installed today. Thank looks great. Parameters seem to be staying put for now, did have a tiny ammonia spike maybe 3 days ago, i think possibly one of the starfish army might have died but ammonia is back at 0.

I have approx. 1 billion brittle stars in this tank now, i see their legs all over the place. Also 2 bristle worms, 1 is at least 3 inches and just so gross. Today i added a blue legged hermit because he was cute and i wanted to get a start on the cuc i want to add so i thought i'd do it slowly and add maybe a few at a time. Started with him, my dad immediately named him Sebastian because he has no imagination.


FST: Sebastian Water change tomorrow so i'll up the water level.

I want an update on this. I like the tank a lot