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Sublime's living room nano


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Welp, the bug has bit again, and I'm back, and more laid back than ever.

 

The tank:

Rimeless AIO PicO III, totaling a whopping 12.5 gallons.

Dave from Pico Aquariums made this, who is no longer in business after a kid and another FT job. This was setup as a freshwater planted tank for a while with the PO, and then very shortly, a saltwater tank, and now it's going to hopefully get back to all its glory.

 

The rock. The rock was dead rock from ERC. I started this tank's cycle with the tried and true method of taking a whiz in it. After the cycle, I decided I wasn't in love with the scape I had originally created, and picked up a ceramic piece from Apcoleman. I shoved all the other LR into either the back chambers, or the back of the tank. It has left me feeling wildly uncreative, and fills up most of the tank, I'm not sure if it will be permanent.

 

This tank was bare bottom for the whole cycle. But then I decided two nights ago that I wanted sand. So now there is sand, originally from Roni's aquarium, dried out, that has been sitting in the garage for about 2 months. I didn't think I was going to like it, but I really do, so looks like I'm back on the sand this go around.

 

The lighting. The lighting is the old XHO Reef Brite with a mix of white and blues. It was originally on my Fluval Edge, and was fantastic. It was the one piece of reefing equipment I held onto when I sold everything. The tank has a full covering glass lid, but that blocks the view from the top, so I decided to utilize the light bar instead of sitting the light on the glass. Because I have a brilliant inventor mind (really I'm just lazy) I've mounted the lights using speaker wire. It is serendipitous that I recently gave away all my old light hanging kits I had laying around, this experience has learned me good to keep being a hoarder. I didn't have any fishing line like I thought I did, and speaker wire seemed to be in abundance. Really, I don't intend to keep this light on the tank. I want something with a bar or a clip that can hold it onto the side of the tank, or that I can adjust the intensity and colors on. I'm thinking one of the AI Primes, or a Kessil.

 

The flow. The flow is directly linked to the return pump. Then it spouts out and hits the MP-10, which I get is overkill for a 12 gallon tank. It creates a "whirlpool" like effect, and keeps the water flowing around the tank.

 

The guts. Well, there is a return pump, and that's about it. No heater, no skimmer, no sort of filtration. It has a fuge area for cheato, but I'll probably fill that with filter floss. I considered a nano skimmer of some kind, but that would just clutter things up, and I find it unsightly. considering a 100W water heater, but we will see, summer is nearly over, and my place runs hot, coldest it gets is 73.

 

The residents. Rocko and Hank. Two gigantic hermits that came from StankyD's breakdown sale. I anticipated buying his clown fish pair, but when I showed up 15 minutes after he opened his doors, there was already about 8 people there and mostly all the fish sold. Not wanting to leave empty handed, I picked up these two hermits. They will not be in there once I start adding corals, but for now they are good company and the only visible living things in the tank. Hobbies include trying to kill one another, knocking anything and everything over, and competitive pinching.

 

The plans. I am up for suggestions on this one. I've never really been big on fish, and being a 12 gallon, it kind of limits my options. Keep in mind I don't want to put a lid on this thing, so I might just go fishless, some rock nems, and porcelan crabs, zoanthids. Oh yeah, this will be a zoa dominated tank. I plan on keeping around 5-7 higher end zoanthids, and just growing them out.

 

If you're still reading, then I'm sorry, but now you're along for the ride.

 

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You have cloudy %$#*.... I'd get that checked out.

 

The ceramic platform look is one I havent seen before. Suppose if you cover it with coral it wont look as unnatural.

 

If you dont want fish you could always do a mantis shrimp. I always thought one of those would be cool. Or you could just get one real ugly unique looking fish.

 

Anyways, I'm also a yuuuge Sublime fan. Good luck with the build.

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You have cloudy %$#*.... I'd get that checked out.

The ceramic platform look is one I havent seen before. Suppose if you cover it with coral it wont look as unnatural.

If you dont want fish you could always do a mantis shrimp. I always thought one of those would be cool. Or you could just get one real ugly unique looking fish.

Anyways, I'm also a yuuuge Sublime fan. Good luck with the build.

Pictures were after sand was added, like right after, hence the cloudy water.

 

I'm not in love with it, but also, I don't want to cycle more rock. I picked up some live rock tonight, but don't want to play this game over and over again, so I'm settling. Once there's corals on there, yes, it'll be fine.

 

I've had a manits before, great creature, I'd feel bad keeping it in a 12 gallon, they should at least have a 40 breeder IMO. I did however grab a pistol shrimp tonight, so I think I'll get him a goby friend.

 

Also ended up grabbing a sea hare that's probably going to become a WAMAS sea hare and a bunch of CUC. I'll need some more snails, but there is time.

 

Thanks for tuning in, just getting started. And Sublime all day!

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Pictures were after sand was added, like right after, hence the cloudy water.

 

I'm not in love with it, but also, I don't want to cycle more rock. I picked up some live rock tonight, but don't want to play this game over and over again, so I'm settling. Once there's corals on there, yes, it'll be fine.

 

I've had a manits before, great creature, I'd feel bad keeping it in a 12 gallon, they should at least have a 40 breeder IMO. I did however grab a pistol shrimp tonight, so I think I'll get him a goby friend.

 

Also ended up grabbing a sea hare that's probably going to become a WAMAS sea hare and a bunch of CUC. I'll need some more snails, but there is time.

 

Thanks for tuning in, just getting started. And Sublime all day!

Yeah I figured the photo was just after adding sand. I was just messing with you since you said you took a whiz in it to cycle it. I did't realize pi$$ would be blocked out with symbols, so perhaps my joke was cloudy as well. Oh well.

 

I know peacocks get quite large, but aren't there smaller species of mantis that would be suitable for a smaller tank?

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Yeah I figured the photo was just after adding sand. I was just messing with you since you said you took a whiz in it to cycle it. I did't realize pi$$ would be blocked out with symbols, so perhaps my joke was cloudy as well. Oh well.

 

I know peacocks get quite large, but aren't there smaller species of mantis that would be suitable for a smaller tank?

Ah. I get it! Late to the party as usual.

 

There are other species, I think peacock is the most interesting. They shuffle stuff about, I intend to keep some order!

 

 

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As expected, soft cycle. The sand has kicked in some algae, I'm going to let it go with the inverts for hopefully another two months before I start to add coral. I've thrown some test pieces in, and they are still not opening, but the inverts are all doing fine.. including pistol shrimp. 

 

35599872774_004c65110f_k.jpg

 

36038232420_36a5d5b586_k.jpg

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That didnt take long.

Cycle? It's been since June, but I wasn't ghost feeding, think there was enough in the sand to start it again.

 

 

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Ah. For some reason I was thinking I just saw you post that you were looking for a bunch of equipment. 

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Love your getting back into the hobby.  Missed your posts!  Good luck with the new tank!

 

Slow start, it's the good life, although I'm about to have to get more invested. I'm going to need a water heater, ATO, and I need to organize all my electric, possibly onto some timer.

 

I've been enjoying the ugly stage of the tank, at this stage, whatever waste is getting put out is from all the inverts, I'm not ghost feeding, so I'm not sure what's getting eaten. Note to self, start feeding your tank.

 

In recent additions, there has been a bullseye pistol shrimp, who is glorious, and not one for a goby friend, so maybe won't be worrying about fish after all. I would give you a picture, but Nathan is burrowed and hidden, only alerting me he's alive with his occasional warning snaps. Also added, a sea hare. I've not ever actually seen a sea hare, but Shrek, as he was given in a collective buying of inverts, has been making great work on leaving little lip prints all over the tanks glass. I am enjoying watching everything settle in, and I'm ready to move most of the hermits out with the sea hare and introduce more snails. 

 

A snap of the tank while dirty:

35740746584_033e663471_k.jpg

 

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Shrek:

35740747124_0e11fc2066_k.jpg

 

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Clean:

35740747734_c0d110b652_k.jpg

Test frags. These palys were under a rock and not opening when I put them into my tank from their starved light stage. They have since started to open at various intervals and stages, and are starting to color back up. They are the trash nuclear green palys, and will also be going once I start adding corals.

 

35740748104_1f0f161bfe_k.jpg

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Slow start, it's the good life, although I'm about to have to get more invested. I'm going to need a water heater, ATO, and I need to organize all my electric, possibly onto some timer.

 

I've been enjoying the ugly stage of the tank, at this stage, whatever waste is getting put out is from all the inverts, I'm not ghost feeding, so I'm not sure what's getting eaten. Note to self, start feeding your tank.

 

In recent additions, there has been a bullseye pistol shrimp, who is glorious, and not one for a goby friend, so maybe won't be worrying about fish after all. I would give you a picture, but Nathan is burrowed and hidden, only alerting me he's alive with his occasional warning snaps. Also added, a sea hare. I've not ever actually seen a sea hare, but Shrek, as he was given in a collective buying of inverts, has been making great work on leaving little lip prints all over the tanks glass. I am enjoying watching everything settle in, and I'm ready to move most of the hermits out with the sea hare and introduce more snails.

 

A snap of the tank while dirty:

35740746584_033e663471_k.jpg

 

35740746804_181faaddea_k.jpg

 

Shrek:

35740747124_0e11fc2066_k.jpg

 

35740747504_6924e1f93e_k.jpg

Clean:

35740747734_c0d110b652_k.jpg

Test frags. These palys were under a rock and not opening when I put them into my tank from their starved light stage. They have since started to open at various intervals and stages, and are starting to color back up. They are the trash nuclear green palys, and will also be going once I start adding corals.

 

35740748104_1f0f161bfe_k.jpg

Careful. They will sneak up on that rock and once they get there that can never be undone.

 

 

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Careful. They will sneak up on that rock and once they get there that can never be undone.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm familiar, hence why I called them trash palys.

 

Looking great! Okay, now i'm motivated to get some water in my tank soon :)

Thanks, Roni! I fully support getting water into your tank.

 

 

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I'm familiar, hence why I called them trash palys.

 

 

Thanks, Roni! I fully support getting water into your tank

 

 

Come over and help me finish setup :)  I'm actually getting close.  Need to figure out the barrel tender thing and then should be able to fire up my ro/di and start making some water. 

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Come over and help me finish setup :) I'm actually getting close. Need to figure out the barrel tender thing and then should be able to fire up my ro/di and start making some water.

Gladly!

 

Some new additions:

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Woof. This tank is plugging along. Completely full, and just going through the motions. Got some nice zoanthids and mushrooms and gsp, etc, pictures later. Pistol shrimp has mooted again:

1d00ff6824a473851e26de0f39dd88c9.jpg

 

 

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