Dark's 55 litre Nano Journal

[Dark Passenger]

Introduction:

I never got interested in marine tanks because cost was always way too much for me. I have bred guppies mostly and now have a custom made 3 foot guppy tank that has been great for the last few months. But since going on a bit of a shopping spree for my freshwater tank i saw that marine gear was alot cheaper than it was 10 years ago so after looking into it a couple of months ago i decided to take the plunge.

Reefing Since: 09/06/2012

System Objectives:

The main objective is just to see if i can actually keep a marine tank. I want to start off slow then progress with knowledge and understanding to immerse fully into a larger reef tank down the line.

Type of reef:

FOWLR but will progress to a reef tank later on

Display System:

New Purchase: Aquaone 40

Initial Fill Date: 09/06/2012

Display Tank Dimensions:

40cm Cube

Display Lighting:

Included lighting (upgrade at a later stage)

Stand:

Lol kitchen bench. No really it is my kitchen bench.

Hood or Rimless:

Rimless

Filtration:

All in one filter behind the partitioned back wall

Closing Remarks:

The main goal with this tank is just to get it going. Cycling and the usual stuff i can see is going to be harder than what i am used to but im very excited to have started finally. If i can do it well i will be doing a major upgrade to this tank at a later stage by adding a proper stand with sump and skimmer but for now im just keen to see the tank start to grow.

Pics

[C-BuZz]

Awesome start mate well done! Tank looks great.

[Dark Passenger]

thanks cbuzz the water has really cleared up today

[C-BuZz]

Originally Posted by Dark Passenger

thanks cbuzz the water has really cleared up today

Sweet Just a tip & you probably already know. Open top tanks have a fair bit of evaporation, just keep an eye on your salinity levels because only the water evaporates not the salt.

I had an open top one for a while & had to constantly check my salinity levels. Had to be careful not to add to much salty water. With my current closed lid one I don't get any evaporation & my levels are usually perfect.

[Dark Passenger]

ok so i had a bit of a freak tonight. I was sitting in my chair and i noticed something flying around the tank. I got up and looked closely and first thing i noticed it was dead it looked like a sea monkey. But then i looked at the live rock more closely its really amazing what i saw after only 24 hours. i will let the pics talk though.

Umm what is this


and what the hell is this thing



i am just amazed truly amazed

[C-BuZz]

Originally Posted by Dark Passenger

Umm what is this
image

Baby Aiptasia, usually unwanted residents in aquariums because they can over-run your tank.
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/msu...p/aiptasia.htm

Not sure about the second one, have to wait till he get's a bit bigger.

[sir_bazz]

Originally Posted by Dark Passenger

and what the hell is this thing

Looks like tunicates to me.

Here's some of the sites that I found handy when looking for ID's on hitch hikers.

http://www.worldwidereefers.com/foru...hiker-id-guide
http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchodds.html
http://www.xtalworld.com/Aquarium/hitchfaq.htm
http://atj.net.au/marineaquaria/hitchhikermolluscs.html

[Dark Passenger]

Ok tank has been up for 48 hours time for the first test

Temp: 26.1
PH: 8
Ammonia: .25 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm

Tonight i noticed a little snail making his way along the back of the tank so very tiny with a creme shell if i can get a pic ill post up.

[C-BuZz]

Originally Posted by Dark Passenger

Ok tank has been up for 48 hours time for the first test

Temp: 26.1
PH: 8
Ammonia: .25 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm

Tonight i noticed a little snail making his way along the back of the tank so very tiny with a creme shell if i can get a pic ill post up.

I wouldn't even bother testing it for a week or two I haven't tested my water in over a year