Mitlancer's "Miracle" Atlantis Walll Mount

[chaikp88]

Bro Mitlancer, i've got a 5ft Atlan*** wall mount 2 weeks back as a gift and now facing some problem which need your advice. I saw your post, GREAT!!! Really like your determination and I hope to learn from you. The fact is that Atlan*** does not provide much guidance after sell, sigh.... Questions are : (some might be foolish, forumers pls dun laugh as I'm really new to this hobbies)

1) The wall mount is a 5FT, come with marine LS, rocks, non-chiller. Both normal white & blue T5 lightings. Rest of the setup is standard Atlan*** type.

2) See alage (brown) starts forming on the wall, rocks and the sandbed. Is that the lightings that caused the algae forming? What's the bext method to reduce?

3) is skimmer really a must to keep marine fishes?

4) I will seek advice to change water more frequently, beside distilled water which Atlan*** claimed just need to replace, shodn't we add salt as well?

5) I heard that prawns will experience "shock" when put into the tank, any good method to? I think I need some cleaner shrimps.....

6) where will u recommend to buy all these LF and accessories? I'm staying in Tiong Bahru area...

Need to learn from all the forumers!!! Great Day!!!

[[V]tEc]

dun mind me being frank...yr tank is kinda narrow to house these fishes...i can c you have a taste for nice fishes...flame wrasse, blochie, etc...they need space and thick sand bed to burrow for yr flame wrasse...otherwise, everytime u spend $$$...end up feeling sad...why dun just keep some simple nano fishes...and defer your desire for colourful and not-so-common fishes for the time being...

flame wrasse do not sleep in the sand...they do not need deep sand bed....

[mitlancer]

Bro Mitlancer, i've got a 5ft Atlan*** wall mount 2 weeks back as a gift and now facing some problem which need your advice. I saw your post, GREAT!!! Really like your determination and I hope to learn from you. The fact is that Atlan*** does not provide much guidance after sell, sigh.... Questions are : (some might be foolish, forumers pls dun laugh as I'm really new to this hobbies)

1) The wall mount is a 5FT, come with marine LS, rocks, non-chiller. Both normal white & blue T5 lightings. Rest of the setup is standard Atlan*** type.

2) See alage (brown) starts forming on the wall, rocks and the sandbed. Is that the lightings that caused the algae forming? What's the bext method to reduce?

3) is skimmer really a must to keep marine fishes?

4) I will seek advice to change water more frequently, beside distilled water which Atlan*** claimed just need to replace, shodn't we add salt as well?

5) I heard that prawns will experience "shock" when put into the tank, any good method to? I think I need some cleaner shrimps.....

6) where will u recommend to buy all these LF and accessories? I'm staying in Tiong Bahru area...

Need to learn from all the forumers!!! Great Day!!!

Hi Pingster,

No worries, love to share my experience with reefers who are similar in my shoes...

1). Firstly, need to know if your tank depth is same as mine, 6inches or bigger? If bigger, you will have lesser restriction than me. Congrats!!! LOL.

2). Yes, the lighting is one of the contributing factor for the algae boom. These brown ones are more like diatoms, if I m not wrong. This is due to high Nitrate/Phospate and with long lighting on. So to solve this problem, you'll need to control your water parameters regularly and maybe shorten your lighting hours. Do use, anti-nitrates/phosphates media in your filter compartment as a start. Next is to do weekly WC. Btw, I used to use a toothbrush to clean the backdrop weekly!!! Now i don't and it's covered with unsightly green algae... looking for sea urchins to do the job for me.

3). Skimmer helps to reduce micro substrates like leftover fish food decomposing, etc. If you are keeping only small marine fish, then skimmer is not a must but compensate with weekly water change. But if you have intention to go into corals, it is only wise to invest in one.

4). Dun believe too much in what shops say. I were even told to top up with tap water!!!! What I practice is to buy NSW from our local LFS and do 30-40% WC at least once a week. Distill water (NTUC brand, 3 x 1.5L bottles for $1.35) is always at stand by to top up the water lost due to evaporation. For WC, NSW is enough for us as our tank volume is not that much compared to others. I will buy about 20L ($4 only) weekly.

5). Yes, the water temperature and salinity is very crucial to shrimps and invertebrates. I too had experienced such death to my shrimps even with acclimatisation. You'll have to be very patient to acclimate them. Usually, I would buy more than what I want just in case, as 50% may just die off after a few minutes. Check out the forum on how you can do proper acclimatisation.

6). Central area, can go to Reborn at Lavender Street (its where I buy my NSW) or Henry at Hong Leong Gardens (SRC sponsor), there are also our forums sponsors where you can get your stuff.

Hope this helps. You'll learn as you go along with this hobby, but my experience tells me that you must read and do your own research before getting any LS bcos our tank has very high limitation and some LS are very sensitive to these limitations. Our wall mounted tank will make this hobby double challenging!!!!

Feel free to contact me if you need any other advise, will help if I know although my knowledge also Pte Ltd.

Happy reefing.

[chaikp88]

This is wonderful. Thanks a lot. For this moment, I only plan to keep small marine fishes and will read more before venturing into corals. As long I'm able to keep a clean tank, I'll be happy

BTW, if I switch off the lights for a few days, will the diatom just go away??

I oso see you adding a wave maker, does actually is it meant for?

[mitlancer]

This is wonderful. Thanks a lot. For this moment, I only plan to keep small marine fishes and will read more before venturing into corals. As long I'm able to keep a clean tank, I'll be happy

BTW, if I switch off the lights for a few days, will the diatom just go away??

I oso see you adding a wave maker, does actually is it meant for?

Nah, the diatom won't just go away. U need to clean them up. Switching off the light will just slow down their growth.

The wave maker is for the corals. Some corals need water movement just like the ocean wave. Fish do also prefer some waves, but your return pump flow should be sufficient since no corals at the moment.

[chaikp88]

Okie Okie, thks ya. Seems like hardwork is the only way to go, haha.... Mi going to serangoo Ave 2 this evening, heard that there are quite a few aquarium, plan to buy some shrimps and snail, hope this will oso help in controlling the algae....

[mitlancer]

Okie Okie, thks ya. Seems like hardwork is the only way to go, haha.... Mi going to serangoo Ave 2 this evening, heard that there are quite a few aquarium, plan to buy some shrimps and snail, hope this will oso help in controlling the algae....

Get turbo snails, they do eat certain kind of algae, not much for shrimp. Shrimp is to clear uneaten food. Emerald Crab also helps in controlling the algae, I think Reborn still have some left.

Yes, hardwork and routine maintenance is the way to go....

[chaikp88]

Will the crab needs acclimatization too?

Is there available parking lots at the Reborn?

[mitlancer]

Will the crab needs acclimatization too?

Is there available parking lots at the Reborn?

I usually park in front of the shophouses (illegal parking), if not, there is a carpark at the back lane. Need to turn left into Jalan Besar after Eminent Plaza and keep right immediately to turn into a carpark at the first right turn. There is an open car park behind Kah Tyres and Batteries.

See map: http://maps.google.com.sg/maps?hl=en&q=lavender%20street&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

As far as concern, all LS needs to be acclimatize, if not, shock will stress them to death.....

[chaikp88]

Great, thanks a lot.

Have a nioe day, bro!!

[mitlancer]

Great, thanks a lot.

Have a nioe day, bro!!

No worries, glad to help.

Have fun LFS shopping...

[albinosage]

Bro, been a while since your last update... You can't complain that there's no time now, plenty of time between football matches to take pics!

[mitlancer]

Bro, been a while since your last update... You can't complain that there's no time now, plenty of time between football matches to take pics!

I bz looking at the match previews, tips, predictions and catching up :snore: mah... hahaha

[mitlancer]

Since there is an algae boom, decided to do a major overhaul of the tank, rescaping as well as introducing a tuxedo urchin!!!!

LTS - very empty... not much LR... planning to cover with GSP....

RBTA from Bro V

Tailspot Blenny (damn cute fella unfortunately e other partner was found dead stuck in the wavemaker in the holding tub )

Tuxedo Urchin doing it's job... look at the trail it left behind... wat can I say... its bloody efficient and hardworking.

Zoas... multiple from just 3-4 polyps...

White pipe organ (these are really nice and hardy!!!!)

[mitlancer]

Got some new LS recently... will limit to small fishes which will grow up to 3inches only...

McCoskey???

Female?

Radiant

[mitlancer]

Blue Assessor

Cute little tailspot blenny

Some African Anemone

New GSP growing on my backdrop.. :

Peppermint

[jkit]

MIT bro, hw did u manage to get the gsp grow on your bkdrop? Interesting.

[yikai]

not a mccosker wrasse.

that's a carpenter's flasher

[mitlancer]

not a mccosker wrasse.

that's a carpenter's flasher

Hi Lemon, how to differentiate ah? I search the internet, but looks similar, some Mccosker has yellow lower fin and also red lower fin... thks.

[mitlancer]

Update from 110710, still couldn't resist the yellow assessor....

[mitlancer]

a visit to LCK.......

some old updates

This fella seems to like to be upside down???

[MarcoVan]

hey bro,

is that the blue cespitularia?

[yikai]

hey bro,

is that the blue cespitularia?

yes

[mitlancer]

hey bro,

is that the blue cespitularia?

Ok, the trick here is when view from side it is blue, but when view from top down, it's green!!!!!! :idea:

left a few at LCK..... not many came in

[mitlancer]

a very big surprise today.... the RBTA got from bro Vincent has split this morning... wake up to find 2!!!! Hooray.....

:groupwavereversed:

Now just hope they dun drift to a hidden corner, need to rush to work and no time to adjust their location... sigh. Keeping fingers crossed.