My cheapo 3ft Tank setup

[FreeWillie]

My 1st Tank last about 1year which was passed down from brother, it's top brace give way.

This is my 2nd setup about 1 years ago.

3ft Tank with internal over flow and return pump on the right side.

Cooling with 1 fan, 1 Dolphine C1300 canister.

Big Boy 30W Lighting.

Pics taken in April 2009.

Welcome any comments.

Cheers......!

[yikai]

very ncie cataphyllia

[RedStar]

I like the sun coral...

[sparks1107]

nice rockscape

[jyoon]

indeed its excellent. Running without chiller and able to keep the corals happy is definite an art.

Well done, keep it up.

Nice rock scape too...:-)

[FreeWillie]

Thank you all the encouraging comments bros.....

Got 2 children to take care.... no maid.... and $$$$ not enough......

So try low buget setup....

Started this Hobby cos my son wants see fishes 2 years ago when he 3 years old.

1st freshwater aquarium for a few months.

Then got help and advices from two friendly Marine experts on the setup.

Till now still learning from them......

[FreeWillie]

Did some small adjust of corals' position today.

Full tank with stand.

Full Front Shot

Left side of tank.

Front Left side.

Front Right side.

Up Close Shots

My purple lobster pic taken last night.

[FreeWillie]

Pics taken last night.

Cheap camera = poor Night pic shots......

Lobster's shell......drying up

Some Night Shoot....

[bugattilambo]

Pics taken last night.

Cheap camera = poor Night pic shots......

Lobster's shell......drying up

Some Night Shoot....

hmm not bad at all for a budget set up love ur true perc

anyway is ur mandarin goby eating?

haha :eyebrow:

[FreeWillie]

hmm not bad at all for a budget set up love ur true perc

anyway is ur mandarin goby eating?

haha :eyebrow:

Thanks bugattilambo.

Mandarin always nibbling on rocks & glass panels.... guess its eating....

Pic just taken....

i love mandarin fish, they r so beautiful....

what is the best food to feed them....?

and the small Lobster under a rock.

i feed it with market prawn, small piece only once a week... usually two days B4 water change.

Seen all U guys reefers' show tank posts.... damm swee....!

Me $$$$$ not enough..... can't give my livestocks the best environment.....

Hope one day... $$$$ fly in my pockets... or drop from the sky....

Cheers...!

[sanjaypills55]

Wow! Bro Nice setup...

I have similar kinda tank, but unfortunately is just FOWLR, cause i am a newbie & couldn't maintain water quality!

Can you tell us more about how u maintain it.. i mean water changes feeding etc etc...

I even saw a green mandrin, How long have u kept it.

I tried twice but gave up cause i dont have enough pods in my thanks & it refuses to eat commercial food.

Really loved your tank...

Cause not many people can afford to spend money on expensive equipments & high electricity bills..

Cheers Bro!!

[mitlancer]

Wah, must salute you!!! No chiller and just a filter and fan, n u manage to keep your corals happy. I have similar configuration as yours, but my corals can't be so happy.

Any secret to share? I must learn from you. Let's share tips??

[FreeWillie]

for the encouraging feedback. My tank is so so lah....

To Bro Snajaypill55:

Can you tell us more about how u maintain it.. i mean water changes feeding etc etc...

I usually do a pail of water change every week, sometime 4 days once, change the internal filter every two weeks, change the Active carbon every 3 or 4 months in my Internal overflow and Canister filters.

Feed frozen food once nightly (2 cubes). Small portion of Market prawn once a week (mainly for the lobster), one or two days B4 water change. Supplements once every 2 or 3 weeks.

I even saw a green mandrin, How long have u kept it.

Got this Mandarin only two months ago. Yet to get good food to feed it. Don't know it'll be fine.

This morning saw it's color pale, fins and tail not moving, stationary on a rock. Thought it RIPPED... so use a stick to ticker a few times, like you trying wake someone up in the morning, it moved but later a while same thing happened..... like it goes to sleep again... Later after came back from work..... guess what? saw it swimming, nibbling on rocks again.... I m so happy....! BTW, where can i see your setup?

To Bro Mitlancer:

Thank you for the compliment.... I so , no need to salute lah . Your wall mounted tank Lagi beautiful man... mine still far far away from all U guys.... this may not be an ideal setup for long term reefing.

I believe having a chiller will be better, cos temp will be very stable thus making corals and fishes more happy, like we humans like to have Aircon rooms.... Its the $$$.

As my setup is only 1 year old, so yet to know how long the corals and fishes will stay happy.

I think mainly is the weekly water & filters changes. Feeding once a day.

Sorry bro unable to give good tips...... as am still learning....

Got advices from 2 friendly guys. i brought my Tank, lighting, canister and stocks from them when i saw their shop 2 years ago.... still learning from them....

Cheer.....!

[sanjaypills55]

Thanks for the Reply!

For me , i gave up on green mandarin, now have to be satisfied with spotted.

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/index.php?...c=79085&hl=

Heres how my tank looks.. Not much to see...no corals only rocks & fish...

My tanks not good enough for corals... i guess

[bugattilambo]

Thanks bugattilambo.

Mandarin always nibbling on rocks & glass panels.... guess its eating....

Pic just taken....

i love mandarin fish, they r so beautiful....

what is the best food to feed them....?

and the small Lobster under a rock.

i feed it with market prawn, small piece only once a week... usually two days B4 water change.

Seen all U guys reefers' show tank posts.... damm swee....!

Me $$$$$ not enough..... can't give my livestocks the best environment.....

Hope one day... $$$$ fly in my pockets... or drop from the sky....

Cheers...!

hmm no probs bro

cause from what I heard mandarin fish quite tough too keep

as they dont accept pellets unless training is done hmm

:eyebrow:

[FreeWillie]

Really hope it'll live well.... must quickly get the food he likes to eat soon.

Some shots taken just now.

[FreeWillie]

Part 2

[FreeWillie]

Got a SuperSun on Saturday, it really adds color to tank.......

[Reefzzz]

Thank you all the encouraging comments bros.....

Got 2 children to take care.... no maid.... and $$$$ not enough......

So try low buget setup....

Started this Hobby cos my son wants see fishes 2 years ago when he 3 years old.

1st freshwater aquarium for a few months.

Then got help and advices from two friendly Marine experts on the setup.

Till now still learning from them......

Well bro, i believe the end objective for all reefers is to see their livestocks doing well in the tank and i somehow believe this have no relation to the amount of $$ spent. hehe.. More $$ -> Better Equipment -> Less effort. Less $$ -> Simpler Equipment -> More effort. End objective should still be similar.

I see good coraline algae growth on the base of your tank and it will look very nice if it have it all covered up

[FreeWillie]

Thank U Reefzzz,

U're right, alot of effort needed to maintain this hobby when u don't have good equipments..... which costs $$$$$.

I just hope I don't lost interest or have major breakdown, because I'm that "equipment" (just joking).... hehehe.

Cheers........!

[FreeWillie]

Hi guys, my Tank Pics update.

[Blue Tang 69]

Really salute to you, your tank are nice with all the Coral so Lively.....

Good !!!

[kueytoc]

LUV those 'LIPS' !!!

[FreeWillie]

Hi BlueTang69,

thanks for your encouragement.

Hi kueytoc,

thats during meal time... really looks lips man....

Bro, your coral very swee man, i saw your pics , no horse run man.

Cheers bros.....!

[mitlancer]

wow, bro, your tank still as wonderful as before.

Mine gone after months of negligence due to Reservist, work n newborn baby.... sigh.

But I am coming back again. Now trying to revive my one and only blasto left surviving from the months of suffering.... bleached liao but recently doing weekly water change, dosing calcium, stronium, iodine n continue to throw in cubes of ice to keep the water cool and can see some spots of coloration coming back.... really hope I can save it.

But another problem, ich.... my blue tang has been suffering and i can see it rubbing against the LR every now n then. Dosing anti-oxidant and bacteria to hope it get cure, feeding with seaweed dipped in garlic too....

Well, looking at your tank, I m now again inspired. Will also be doing up a algae scrubber since my wall mount cant have any skimmer (the last time one did work but still consume too much space and water splashing out..... also i m toying at the idea of how to slow down ice cube from melting so fast, using various fluid...