My Basic 4 ft setup

[Plenum]

Hi everyone

I'm not sure how to post pics but will just attach them anyway. This current tank was an upgrade from a 2ft, which was converted from freshwater. Its 8 months old and is a mixed reef. Below are the specs:

Tank: Custom 4X1.5X2 IOS (No space for sump)

Skimmer: Weipro

Chiller: Resun

Lights: 150 Atman MH, 2X36W PL (Not enough)

Filtration: Plenum with 3 inch sandbed (1+0 grade sand), live rocks (1/3 of tank)

Water flow: 5000 L/hr (Teed to chiller, rotating head PH, 1000 L/hr PH)

Water Parameters:

Ammomia, NO2, Phosphate = 0

NO3 = 20

Calcium = 420

Salinity = 1.024

KH = 12

Fishes:

2 X maroon clowns

1 X pecula clown

1X Purple Tang

1 X Yellow Tang

1 X Blue Tang

1 X Sharpnose puffer (doesnt nib corals, only clams!)

1 X bicolour dottyback

Inverts:

2 X Cleaner shrimps

1 X blood shrimp

1 X purple nocturnal lobster

2 X Starfishes (1 red, one leather look)

1 X Black sea cucumber

1 X Black sea urchin

8 X Snails

Corals:

1 X cocoworm

2 X leather softy

Assortment of zooanthides

1 X Yellow gonio

2 X Hammer

1 X Green Pearl Bubble

1 X Yellow sea fan

Assortment of mushrooms (blue, green, red)

1 X Purple tip acro (cant colour at all except tips)

Any comments on improving would be appreciated. Thanks!

kindly read up on rules regarding posting with pics. - DeepBlue

Edited October 4, 2004 by DeepBlue

[lightningstrike]

u might wanna reconsider the placement of ur sps, looks like ur powerhead is directed at it.

[typrobin]

heard that the toxin released by leathers are very poisonous to sps..so u might wanna consider removing either the leather or sps...

[lightningstrike]

heard that the toxin released by leathers are very poisonous to sps..so u might wanna consider removing either the leather or sps...

robin, think we 2 r 2 concerned abt sps liaoz........ we neber say like, there is a flame angel in ur tank might take a liking to ur corals, sea fan placement oso 2 near powerhead, etc........

[rapalla]

Nice Tank!!! I think it will be nice if you add up some tonga branch and more rocks, then put more colourful corals, then POWER!!!

[FuEl]

Hmm..purple lobster? Sounds like enoplometopus debelius. These guys grow quite large and can be rather dangerous to fish if they want to be. Just keep an eye on the fella.

[Plenum]

Thanks for all your comments & deepvlue for editing the pic.

Lightningstrike:

The flow from the PH is really really weak even though its rated at 1000 L/hr, the flow leaks all around the body. Have moved some of the mentioned changes though.

Fuel:

The lobster was one of the earliest inhabitant of the tank since my old 2 ft. Its always hiding in the rocks and only comes out occasionally at night. Very hardy fella cos I've never fed it before. Will watch the fella though.

All:

I was thinking of removing the SPS since my light doesn't colour it up. It has grown alot just that it looks so plain brown. Am in the process of getting more zoos but not quite sure how to place them on the rocks to make a "layer" of carpets. Any ideas to keep them on the rocks without them floating away?

[Plenum]

Here are some pics of the zoos, will post more pics soon:

[Plenum]

Close-ups. Have added more recently.

[Plenum]

Some other inhabitants. All have grown much more since this pic.

[Plenum]

& my 2 cats who eye the fishes.

[XPeriment 626]

i think lightningstrike mentioned the flame angel. isn't it a not-reef-safe fish?

[Plenum]

Surprisingly the flame angel was very well behaved, as was the sharpnose puffer. Unfortunately, the flame got sucked into a power head when I forgot to cover up the inlet. Looking for another beautiful specimen but dun know if the next one would be reef safe.

[lightningstrike]

Surprisingly the flame angel was very well behaved, as was the sharpnose puffer. Unfortunately, the flame got sucked into a power head when I forgot to cover up the inlet. Looking for another beautiful specimen but dun know if the next one would be reef safe.

that is the risk u'll hv to take. most reefers hv had docile ones, but it is after all still an angel.

[]v[edia]

hey! i like ur ground with so much button.. one of tis day try to get button n cover half of my sandbed =P

[bubble_gum]

& my 2 cats who eye the fishes.

[hammy]

like the neat look too. sandbed like super clean...

[spawns]

Lights: 150 Atman MH, 2X36W PL (Not enough)

IMO for a 4footer, definately not enuf...

I was thinking of removing the SPS since my light doesn't colour it up. It has grown alot just that it looks so plain brown.

y move?

Add some T5s if i were u (cheaper compare 2x150w or 2x250w or 400w MH)

should be in ur next list if u are going to upgrade.

just me 0.002cents......

[Plenum]

]v[edia

The sand bed has more zoos than in the pics but I want to cover the rocks with it also. Quite difficult to get them to stay on the rocks though. Any ideas other than a major rescape?

hammy

Hehehe... well, this pic was taken after I sifted out the top layer and replaced it with new sand. Currently, its brown again! In fact I leave the lights off and curtains drawn one day per week to help control this problem.

spawns

This tank was set up with budget constraints. As such, it looks very... bits & pieces if u know wat I mean. I have plans to get a 3Ft with all the proper lighting equipment etc so that it looks like it blends in with the furniture. And not like a science experiment! Will concentrate on corals details, grow from frags rather than just mass. So now thinking of how to do the "downgrade". Definitely will consider T5s, but they seem abit expensive though.

[penyu]

Your tank is beautiful, not forgetting the cats, they are really cute...

[RAV-65]

Bro, too much nutrients, dat;'s why ur sandbed brown, rty reducing feeding...

[Plenum]

Thanks bubblegum & penyu! They guard the tank. But sometimes sleep ontop of the MH at night!

RAV-65

I feed one cube of frozen shrimp (mysis/brine) per day for my bioload. Seems very little to me already. Then I dun dump the cube in but hold it in the water and they nibble it off my fingers so that excess wont float to sandbed and rocks. But still no luck though. Offed the lights yesterday but only reduced abit.

But I noticed that the really good looking tanks normally dun use grade 0 or 1 sand but wat seems to me like very small coral chips. Dun know if thats better. Any takes on that?

[scarab]

If you're feeding frozen shrimp, it's best to defrost the shrimp maybe in a sieve and drain away the water. The liquid has very high phosphate content which can lead to algae bloom. I even run some tap water thru the defrosted mysis shrimps before soaking them in a little garlic liquid.

[lightningstrike]

IMHO, the first thing i reckon u look into is to upgrade ur skimmer. it's one reason to ur algae problem as ur current skimmer might not be removing significant amts of DOC for the well being of a nutrient free environment for ur tank.

[Plenum]

scarab

Yes now that u mentioned it. That could be a factor. So defrost in seive and run through tap water. Any other ways? I stopped soaking it in garlick as i tot that could be the problem.

lightningstrike

I did the upgrade from a weipro 2012 to 2014. Although it skims ok, but i think can be improved. Any recommmendations for a good hangon skimmer for 4 ft??? I dun have a sump.