Here we go starting my first nano... *LOOK*

[islandcreation]

Here we go more pics...

Close up of the LV's

Overall tank

AQ skimmer attached to AQ70

Heater in AQ70 but not a fuge yet due to slow shipping of a AQ 20 impellar

Camera isn't the most advanced item so sorry about the pics! Tried micro setting too... :cryinga:

Any thought on what corals to buy or and upgrade please tell me. Thanks

 

[sadielynn]

No worries
I think that the snails and crabs will stay in
the only upgrade I can think of is look for an egg crate top to keep the jumpers in and the water ventilated ....

And nice nails!

Thanks did them last nite :roll: :mrgreen:
The aqua scape gives many hidey holes and many possibilities looking good :mrgreen:
If your walmart doesnt have them try lowes or home depot

 

[islandcreation]

Okay, I'm beginning to plan out a clean up crew for my 4 gallon tank. But what would be a good cast for my crew? The sand used isn't live so maybe that would make a big diffrence. I'm look for a well balance cast that would be beneficial for the tank itself. I don't know if this makes a diffrence but there is a AQ70 fuge with livesand and rubble that would be up and running too. If everyone can pitch in it would be appreciated.

 

[skipm]

Your sand will become live with time as bacteria and micro flora/fauna establish themselves on your sand. For cleaners try a couple of nassarious snails for the sandbed and a couple of margarita, cerith, trochus, astrea, etc. snails for the glass and LR. A couple of small hermits can also be used if desired. Remember that you can always add more cleaners if needed but if you add too many some may starve.

 

[sadielynn]

I would recommend a few 3-4 nasserious (SP) snails
1 turbo
2- 3 hermits blue leg (there is some debate here as the crabs can and will kill off the snails for the shell provide a few empty shells to help with that)
1or 2 turbo snails
and maybe a cleaner shrimp
in our 2.5 the one that has been up for over a year has about 6-10 nasserious(sp) snails
1 turbo
1 peppy shrimp (got attached and moved him to the 2.5 )becareful of these as they can pick at polyps and green star polyps
2 red footed conches (these burrow into the sand and stir it )
in the 7 gallon it is as above with a few more of each and insted of a peppy shrimp a skunk cleaner shrimp
the new 2.5 has 2 hermit crabs (blue legs)
4 nasserious(sp) snails and a bunch of empty shells for the hermits to use
the sand will seed from the live rock over time HTH :mrgreen:

 

[amf82380]

ok I too have a AQ70 and I was wondering where you found the AQ skimmer I was thinking of making my own but to save time it would be great to just buy one and one especailly that small compared to the traditonal ones.

 

[skipm]

Here is a link to one surface skimmer, it attatches onto your filters intake tube: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... &N=0&Nty=1 .

 

[islandcreation]

Thanks for the tips for the cleaning crew. For today I'm about to finish the fuge :lol: I'll post some pics of the final aqauscape and setup. I"m going to teat the water today to make sure everythings good and tomorrow its time to shop for a cleanup crew. Pics will be up tomorrow right before the weekend. Thanks everyone :yippee

 

[sadielynn]

cant wait for pic :mrgreen:

 

[islandcreation]

I just put in Chaetomorpha Macro Algae in my fuge about 1 qrt is that too much? Is this aglae suppose to float or stay stationary? So my fuge is up the AQ70 with a AQ20 impellar just like in this DIY forum. The water is cloudy and there isn't much movement at all, as visually looking at the surface water is flowing out. Does this have to esatblish itself before water in the main tank begins to clear up? And what can I put in the fuge? Clean up crew snails etc....

So far live sand is in there, Chaetomorpha Macro Algae, and small rubble. Any suggestions please help. Thanks

 

[islandcreation]

Here is the final aquascape. Just waiting for the overhead light for the main tank for now. Should be coming this coming week. For now, I just have a clean up crew... 2 turbos, 4 hermits and 6 nassarus snails.

Picture of the fuge front view of the tank.

Side pic of the fuge on the back of the tank.

Overall pic of the tank...

How long should I wait for the cleaner to stay within the tank before putting a fish? I just want a small clown and a goby... For now, what can I feed the clean up crew? Another thing is the the nassarus snails climb up and sometime fall. They sit on their backs for hours so I help them get back up. Is that normal? There is live sand in the fuge with two of the nassarus in it. Any info or tips would help. Thanks

 

[reefman23]

Take the masariuss out of the fuge...you dont want any animals in there.

It is normal for the m to climb and fall...they can upright themselves usually.

Wait for a couple weeks after your cycle is over before you add any fish.

You dont need to feed the cleanup crew...there should be plenty in the tank for them to eat. if you really wanted to you could feed them some sort of meaty pellet food, but this is usually not necessary.

Jesse

 

[EDGRAY]

looking great islancreation... and tell me what are you options on gobies....im a fan of the little buggers.... and also dont do the same mistake i did .... get small nassarius no big ones... so they can get in the smallest areas were the big ones cant. great selection on fish ....nemo swimmer and goby walker :lol: :lol: just my way to say it .... :lol: :lol:

eddy :cool1:

 

[islandcreation]

Thanks Reefman and Ed! In the fuge is lose to an ounce of Chaetomorpha and on it is alot of debri (basically it looks filthy and needs a wash), is it suppose to just sit there? I still have to take the nassaurs snail out still too. So right now I have the aglae and live sand anything else I can put in there? Plus, my water is too cloudy after setting everything up? I'm just wondering how a fuge will filter out waste a decompse of it? Please explain anyone? And how long does it take for the cloudy water to be crystal clear. Just in case I did test my water today and everything is at zero and ph is 8.0-8.2

Ed, for the goby I was looking at a mandarin! Those little guys are crazy lookin! I just want a simple tank but even though its a 4 gallon I have been spending some seroius money! $3.00 per snail, $3.00 per hermit crab, Chaetomorpha, oceanic water (I'm paying for it now and learning on how to create a good saltwater formula, or aleast learn other peoples method). All these little things add up... ills As long at all of these creatures live it'll be worth it :stonight What do you think about the mandarin? And only having two fish, can I had a third?

Last but not least. I have a sponge like filter right before the water enters the fuge. I heard people have to cleans them once or twice a week, due to nitrite accumulating. Is there other sources to cleanse the water to put in there? If a jimmy a smaller portioned bag of something to fit in the other compartment? Any tips would help? Oh yeah, one of my nassaruses is dead? Or atleast I think he is? Never moved in the last day but one snail in particular always bonds with the shells opening as if he was going to transfer himself to there? Any ideas? Thanks

 

[EDGRAY]

ok hold it there about mandarin dont even think about it i now they are cute and all that but does are really hard to keep they need a larger tank with alot of live rock and the setup most be running for at least a year there 2 people here that tried to keep them dragon79 and me and no luck with them even if you try your best on feeding them they mayor food source is copepods and there is nothing more nutricious for them than that so dont get him he will starve to death. and about your sponge getting to dirty cause you have a really small tank i guess you really need to clean that sponge everyother day and a great way to make your water crystal clean is running carbon the best one is the CHEMI PURE and is well known and everyone use it in their tanks really great product will clear your water in matter of hours or less...

and about the nassarius hopefully is not dead but is normal for them to be steady, mine are under the sand if LS is deep enough they will and they dont move at all only at feeding time. and alot of snails tend to be really lazy and they get a cab,taxi or free ride you know what i mean so they ride on hermits or other snails shells.

ok i think this is all i can reply to you HTH.

eddy :cool1:

 

[islandcreation]

What is a astrea snail? Is it just a turbo snail? And do you think raising brine shrimp to feed the tank is good? It just seems as a inexpensive way to have live food made? Will corals feed off of them (maybe a stupid question) ? Last one again, what is a feather duster made of? I saw one and it seemed as if it were hard (the tube) but found out it was soft? And how do you feed them and add them to a tank? Do you just lay them on the sand like I saw at a LFS or can you prop them in the corals just to see the opening? Or even cover it with sand with the opening coming out? SORRY if those a dumb questions, I'd rather ask than purchasing one and being limited to what I can do with it? The one I was looking at was a "Hawaiian feather duster". :mrgreen: Thanks evryone

 

[EDGRAY]

i forgot 3 fish in 4 gallons i dont think so poor little fishies can you imagine living in a box.... even 2 fish is pushing it ... but if you want you can get a clown and some kind of small gobie like... greenbanded goby,redhead gogy, blue or gold neon goby, catalina goby (for cold water temperature), yellow clown goby... ohh well look at liveaquaria.com on small goby some might dont look so pretty in those pictures but in person they are great looking like the greenbanded goby..... ok thats all the help i can provide to you ....

eddy :cool1:

 

[islandcreation]

Wow that was fast Eddy, I thought everyone would be sleeping about now? :razz: But I saw your from Cali so midnights not too bad pending on what times work :mrgreen: I just posted another question hope you can help? For the Goby, how do LFS keep them alive? All the ones I saw were in a 6-8 gallon section with emerald crabs and other goby's :shock: Then again they sell them pretty fast so the buyer deals with the problem. Well thanks for the info... :mrgreen:

 

[EDGRAY]

ok i cant sleep so here are more replys from me sorry if i bug you too... ok astrea snail is just another kind of snails that clean rock, glass & sand and brine shrimp is not that nutricious for the fish that food is like feeding popcorn or candies to your fish better food is pellets, flakes or mysis shrimp. (also yeah the corals will feed from brine shrimp but not nutricious) the fether duster is a kind of worm that makes his own home creating that tube and is a filter feeder so you dont have to feed him nothing he will get his food from the water and you can put him anywere you want only if doesnt opens it means that he doent like that place or something is wrong with your water... and also dont forget to acclimate your live stock cause they have to get used to new ph,nitrate,amonia,nitrite,S.gravity & temperature. ok HTH.

eddy :cool1:

 

[EDGRAY]

yeah that's the thing on LFS we look at the fish in so small space and we think that cause they can keep them alive we can too but here is the reason they have better filtration system and the fish stays there for a short time so thats why they can keep them and like i say mandarine seem really nice even in the LFS but the starving period can be around 1 to 2 months and then die... but by that time the LFS might already sell them ... like i said check liveaquaria.com for fish info. and you'll see that mandarines are really for experts .... and hard to keep.

eddy :cool1: