My 10 G Nano

Highland lake13

Might be time for a road trip

wake49

Just let me know. I live one town away from Waterbury Aquarium. I can go check and see how much and if its still there.

I was just up in Billerica last week and it took me about 3 hours to get there (more like two and a half, it was raining).

Highland lake13

Well Wake I was doing some research and i think that i can do a DIY overflow for less than $35 so if you do get a chance to check the price of the overflow you traded in let me know.

So this weekend was a productive weekend. The first thing I did was move some LR in between my tanks. I settled on a structure I really like. There is a lot of coralline popping up all over the tank now, and I think it is because the params are in check. Nitrites 0, Ammonia 0, Nitrates 10 (I think this is high because of the new LR), Calcium 420, Alkalinity 9.

I also purchased some awesome fish this weekend. I got a pair of spotted mandarins, and a hippo tang. Just kidding! I am sure I have just scared most of you. I actually bought I pair of red firefish. These have always been one of my favorite fish and they have really cool personalities. They are kind of jumpy so it is difficult to get a good picture. (I will also be getting a new camera within a couple of weeks)

Still looking for the perfect set of 20” lights around me at a LFS but I think that I will have to buy a fixture online.

I think I am done stocking for a while but in a few weeks could I add a Skunk Cleaner Shrimp and a clown goby?

Well Wake I was doing some research and i think that i can do a DIY overflow for less than $35 so if you do get a chance to check the price of the overflow you traded in let me know.

So this weekend was a productive weekend. The first thing I did was move some LR in between my tanks. I settled on a structure I really like. There is a lot of coralline popping up all over the tank now, and I think it is because the params are in check. Nitrites 0, Ammonia 0, Nitrates 10 (I think this is high because of the new LR), Calcium 420, Alkalinity 9.

I also purchased some awesome fish this weekend. I got a pair of spotted mandarins, and a hippo tang. Just kidding! I am sure I have just scared most of you. I actually bought I pair of red firefish. These have always been one of my favorite fish and they have really cool personalities. They are kind of jumpy so it is difficult to get a good picture. (I will also be getting a new camera within a couple of weeks)

Still looking for the perfect set of 20” lights around me at a LFS but I think that I will have to buy a fixture online.

I think I am done stocking for a while but in a few weeks could I add a Skunk Cleaner Shrimp and a clown goby?

wake49

Very nice! I almost fell out of my chair when I saw the Hippo Tang and Mandarin comment! I had to double check the name of the thread!!! Nice one.

I would think that if you can DIY it for $35, go for it. I will try to get up to the store in Waterbury and check out the price for you, but I don't think he would let go of it for less than $50 (you could talk him down though, he is kinds of like that).

Highland lake13

Still looking for the perfect set of 20” lights around me at a LFS but I think that I will have to buy a fixture online. But I think that I can reallistically only keep mushrooms, so what is there minimum requirements for mushrooms?

I think I am done stocking for a while but in a few weeks could I add a Skunk Cleaner Shrimp and/or a clown goby?

Highland lake13

I moved the tank out of my room this weekend to my new desk downstairs. I guess that’s one of the benefits of having a small tank, once you take out 10% of the water in the tank, you can move it anywhere without taking everything out of the tank. After the journey everyone is fine.

One of the firefish, for about a week now, is being really tentative during feeding time and I have noticed that its tail has frayed and split a little. One fish occasionally comes out of the LR other than feeding, and the other only stays within inches of the LR even during feeding and almost never comes out. I assume that this is part of their natural behavior and with the abundance of LR I understand that they are more comfortable in the protection of the LR. Also I assume that my shrimp has started to molt again because it is hanging in the back corner of the tank where there is a pocket of water protected on all sides except for one small whole facing the front of the tank where you can catch a glance of the firefish. So basically for the last couple of days I have been watching snails and hermit crabs….not really an ideal situation. So are there fish and/or shrimp that I could add so I can somewhat consistently see something in the tank?

I made a decision this weekend that is kind of haunting me right now. I went to the best LFS for livestock in my area. I had gone in with the idea to A) get some RO/DI water and salt and B) See what is the next step my tank can take. Well there was a piece of rock covered in many different kinds of mushrooms. The piece was about 6” by 6” and it was only $40 from what I saw it looked to have a few blue and/or bulls eye mushrooms . I was SOOOO close to pulling the trigger on this piece with the idea that I could spilt the mushrooms between my tanks. I know they would be fine in the other tank because that has a 24 Watt Antic and a 24 Watt daylight. My real debate was whether or not I could keep the mushrooms in this tank which is currently running the 18 Watt Power Glo, T8, 18000 K bulb. I just wasn’t sure so I passed on the rock for now but I went home and did some research and it seems mushrooms like to ones I saw were low light corals anyway. So did I make the right or wrong decision about buying the rock?

Thanks in advance for any help that you can give me! (the overflow is almost complete and will most likely be put in this weekend)

wake49

I think you would be fine with the shrooms.

Highland lake13

I finally picked up a rock of mushrooms today!!! These are the first corals in this tank so it is a small step. I also picked up a Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp for $10 because there was a sale and I knew I was going to add one later on.
The rock is covered in many mushrooms, primarily all Blue/Purple mushrooms (about 12) and I know there is at least 1 Bullseye Mushroom. I got it for only $40 because I have officially been given discounts because I buy everything through that LFS.


I am having mixed results with the Firefish. One is thriving with a fat belly and comes out about 10% of the time I look at the tank. The other Firefish is not experiencing the same success if you can call it that. The second Firefish’s tail is chewed up and it is very skinny. It eats but only when the brine/mysis passes directly in front of his bolt hole, which is in the back of the tank. I have tried to spot feed but they are too timid of the pipette. I think my problem is that I bought the two fish when they were the exact same size. I am realizing now that they are probably the same gender and are fighting to see which will become more dominant. I am curious if Firefish, like clownfish, will change gender to become a pair? If they do change I guess a will just stick it out and if not then we have a problem and one must be brought back.

There is some type of unusual growth on one of my LR. It is beautiful but tiny. There are 4 separate growths all in the same area and each growth has 2 mouths, they don’t have a skeletal structure, and they are all Orange If anybody can help ID these it would be very helpful. They are the blury orange things in the middle.


Now the important section I am really in need of new lights and don’t have a clue as to what I am looking for. If Wake or any other light experts can tell me/post a good link for the differences between all the different types of light(T5, LED, MH, etc) their lumens, bulb temp, watts, etc. it would be a HUGE help.
Right now I am leaning towards the 18” version of this: https://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+13822+16770&pcatid=16 770
Any reviews would be helpful.

Finally for the future additions. I am disappointed thus far in the Firefish. I mean I barely see them and when I do, any movements/sounds near the tank spooks them and they return to their LR caves/holes. I would love something that actually is out in the open more than 50% of the time. I am right now leaning towards a clown but I am sure someone can persuade me otherwise. So please post ideas, comments, recommendations for me. I couldn’t get any pictures of the fish because( surprise, surprise) they were hiding.






Thanks in advance,
Cam

wake49

I love that fixture and think that you will be happy with the ouput it provides. That is a fixture I tend to recommend to people when they want a good T5 unit. The Single Light Reflectors add to the productivity of light from this unit. I personally think that Metal Halides would be too hot for a 10 gallon. I think that you get a more effecient light source with T5s over PCs, but I could see if an 18" PC fixture would suit (if you want that option...)

Highland lake13

What is the ideal amount of flow I should have in this tank. I think that I should add a Koralia Nano.
I am going to be putting the weaker Firefish into a QT. I don't want to see him get ich or die from the other fish. So with just 1 firefish could I add a black and white Ocellaris Clown if i can get one small?