Underwater 3.5x2x2

[Underwater]

After decomming twice, decided to come back to this wonderful hobby now that my new work is more settled down...

All comments welcome.

Specs:

Tank - 3.5x2x2

Pump - Ehiem 1262

Skimmer - AquaMedic Turbofloater w OR2500

Wavemaker - Tunze 6060

Lighting - Atman 3 x T5 39W

[Underwater]

Left View

Right View

[Underwater]

Sump Tank

[Underwater]

After previous experience, will try very hard to keep bioload low this time to maintain water quality. Definitely less tangs. Probably 2-3 max.

Going to buy fishes based on priority (more of 1 and less of 3) :

1. "Must Have"

2. "Good to Have"

3. "No Need to Have".

Some of the residents...all from my favourite LFS - Sealife.

My favourite pellet eating MI

My peaceful flagfin angel

Colourful solar wrasse

Clown tang, one of my favourites

Firefish, a must have for me.

[Solo77]

Welcome back. Nice scape. Promising. : )

[fishtalk1517]

Welcome bro Underwater. The dark force is still within you. tank and scape looks good. Keeping bio load low is also gd for the tank? You gg for LPS tank?moorish idol hard fish to keep. Wish u all the best bro. More pics.

[Copperband]

You see... i told u already,... u cannot stay away from salty stuff..... good to have u back!!!

[Ah-lim]

Welcome back !!

Haha.

[Underwater]

Welcome bro Underwater. The dark force is still within you. tank and scape looks good. Keeping bio load low is also gd for the tank? You gg for LPS tank?moorish idol hard fish to keep. Wish u all the best bro. More pics.

Bro Solo & Bro Ah Lim - Thanks.

Bro Copperband - guess you're right afterall...heehee

Bro Fishtalk - Ya, think marine still worth the efforts vis-a-vis freshwater. Now, may not going for LPS cos no intention to have chiller yet and lots of additives -> to keep running cost low. That's why my tank not as colourful as others lo. l'll focus on the fishes, and soft corals can be very nice too. Tank only a month plus, so got to add stuff slowly.

[Earth]

Nice MI bro, I can never get it survived longer than more than a week... I see that your sump is well designed with lots of compartment. Do set up a refugium to be a natural NO3 and PO4 remover

[Underwater]

Hi Bro Earth,

Thanks. Bought this tank from another reefer cos of the super high cabinet, big sump and hole drilled for external pump. Now, having some chaeto at the 3rd compartment (top left). So far so good, no sign of algae and diatom yet...(finger crossed).

Agreed that MI is tough to keep. l have tried MI twice in my previous tanks, both wasted away. This time found one that is eating pellet greedily at Sealife and hopefully i can keep it for as long as possible...currently eating pellet well and constantly pecking LR.

[uLtRaMaN]

nice setup bro n nice scaping as well, just wondering r u running a chiller right now? if no, the corals can tahan the high temp?

[Underwater]

nice setup bro n nice scaping as well, just wondering r u running a chiller right now? if no, the corals can tahan the high temp?

Thanks. Not using chiller cos want to keep in electrical cost down le. l timed the fan to turn earlier than the T5 lights and stop slightly later. Temp range 28-29'C, but sometimes 30'C when the weather is warm. With the frequent water top up, a big sump is important to me, esp last compartment where the return pump is. Your 4 ft sump size is great choice for your new setup.

l'm keeping hardy soft corals like leathers, mushies and zoos, so not much of a problem as experienced in my previous tanks. But would be nicer if my temp can constantlly be at 28'C or lower. Think only a chiller can do that liao.

[uLtRaMaN]

Thanks. Not using chiller cos want to keep in electrical cost down le. l timed the fan to turn earlier than the T5 lights and stop slightly later. Temp range 28-29'C, but sometimes 30'C when the weather is warm. With the frequent water top up, a big sump is important to me, esp last compartment where the return pump is. Your 4 ft sump size is great choice for your new setup.

l'm keeping hardy soft corals like leathers, mushies and zoos, so not much of a problem as experienced in my previous tanks. But would be nicer if my temp can constantlly be at 28'C or lower. Think only a chiller can do that liao.

yes bro think a lot of reefers are converting to fowlr or more hardy corals, all thanks to the rising electrical cost wow if 30 deg will be damn stress for the corals but luckily urs most of the time is between 28-29deg, still a bit high though but not as bad. I actually removed some of the partitions in my sump tank to make it more spacious and better cool off as well. won't be going or corals at the moment, maybe few months down the road see how.

[Underwater]

yes bro think a lot of reefers are converting to fowlr or more hardy corals, all thanks to the rising electrical cost wow if 30 deg will be damn stress for the corals but luckily urs most of the time is between 28-29deg, still a bit high though but not as bad. I actually removed some of the partitions in my sump tank to make it more spacious and better cool off as well. won't be going or corals at the moment, maybe few months down the road see how.

l think many decomm cos electricity bill and high maintenance cost also. l was one of them...heehee. You can try leather corals like mine to have a more natural marine feel, should be ok if yr temp is ard 28-29deg.

[Earth]

Hi Bro Earth,

Thanks. Bought this tank from another reefer cos of the super high cabinet, big sump and hole drilled for external pump. Now, having some chaeto at the 3rd compartment (top left). So far so good, no sign of algae and diatom yet...(finger crossed).

Agreed that MI is tough to keep. l have tried MI twice in my previous tanks, both wasted away. This time found one that is eating pellet greedily at Sealife and hopefully i can keep it for as long as possible...currently eating pellet well and constantly pecking LR.

Ok, great! can grow some mangroves too...

[uLtRaMaN]

l think many decomm cos electricity bill and high maintenance cost also. l was one of them...heehee. You can try leather corals like mine to have a more natural marine feel, should be ok if yr temp is ard 28-29deg.

hmmmm................will see how it goes.............don't want to end up killing all the corals and fouling up the water cause i believed my tank temperature will be quite high with all the pumps and lightings.

[markietan]

hmmmm................will see how it goes.............don't want to end up killing all the corals and fouling up the water cause i believed my tank temperature will be quite high with all the pumps and lightings.

nice tank... i had a MI once that feeds greedily on pellets too. i read alot about it before i bought one and WWM suggests to feed them new life spectrum pellets. you can find it easily at most LFS. it also likes nori and sponge... although my MI passed away, my other fishies still enjoy the NFS pellets alot. more than ocean nutrition's formula 1,2. do try it out!

as for how my MI died... it was due to my laziness. i added new LS without quarantine and it caught ich, together with a powder brown tang. it was actually doing quite well for a few months b4 it got the ich infection.

good luck!

[southpaw23]

That tank looks familiar

Good to see the tank still going strong after a change of 2 owners. Welcome back to the hobby cliff.

[Underwater]

nice tank... i had a MI once that feeds greedily on pellets too. i read alot about it before i bought one and WWM suggests to feed them new life spectrum pellets. you can find it easily at most LFS. it also likes nori and sponge... although my MI passed away, my other fishies still enjoy the NFS pellets alot. more than ocean nutrition's formula 1,2. do try it out! as for how my MI died... it was due to my laziness. i added new LS without quarantine and it caught ich, together with a powder brown tang. it was actually doing quite well for a few months b4 it got the ich infection.

good luck!

Thanks bro. Will buy a small bottle of life spectrum pellets if i come across...anything for my MI...so far, he seems to like the Kent Marine pellets alot, dashing for them everytime i throw in. Maybe cos he was used to that pellets in the LFS. He didn't seem to like Ocean Nurtri F1,2 alot.

Ya, after previous painful experience of losing precious fishes cos of adding new non-quarantine fishes (due to 'itchy hands' and laziness), l only buy fishes from fellow reefers and reputable LFS that quarantined their fishes.

[Underwater]

That tank looks familiar

Good to see the tank still going strong after a change of 2 owners. Welcome back to the hobby cliff.

Hey Bro Kenny,

Yup, that tank was from him. l still thought i was the second owner. The tall tank cabinet and hood were pretty well designed.

[Underwater]

Updates: Upon recommendation, bought a New Life Spectrum pellets for my MI. He seems to like it too besides his usual KentMarine pellets...

[Underwater]

New friends to the tank, bought from a nice reefer...

Clowns with anemone (the female clown has started to lay eggs on the LR)

[Underwater]

A very nice and colorful puffer...but it nips on my zoos....

No choice but to put it up for adoption...anyone keen to adopt? FOC. PM me.

[Underwater]

My favourite sea star