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GradyBaby16's 15 gallon build

12K views 59 replies 8 participants last post by  GradyBaby16 
#1 · (Edited)
Ok heres my new 15 gallon saltwater tank with custom built stand and custom built 10 gallon refugium. Any ideas, concerns, stocking, suggestions, criticisms are all welcome, please the more the better...The first is my 10 gallon which i was going to use until i got the 15 and other ten now its all been moved to the 15 and the water has been since cleared here goes

Also if you see my refugium under the white crate type holes, what do you think can fit in that small block and will grow well and is beneficial for my tank?




















Let me know if you have n e questions or request additional photos
 
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#2 ·
What is that tube going into the empty juice bottle for??

Love your hood & stand!

Your sump is giving me ideas.....

And what is that Seachem monitor stuck inside your sump??
 
#3 · (Edited)
The tube going into the juice bottle is from the protein skimmer, instead of letting it fill up and replace which is hard because of hight clearance and stuff i just attacthed the tube to an optional drain plug and ran it into an empty bottle which also allows it to last longer before changes, and the seachem monitor is to measure the ammonia level. Since then ive placed a temperature one down there as well, do you think i should place a temperature sticky on the display tank as well or not needed?

In the first picture you can get a better view of the protein skimmer im using and you can see the black plug i removed and attached the hose to :D
 
#4 ·
ok first thing first ..... WOW great job on this set up :) .... i really like what you have done with it.... the only thing i would suggest for potential changes would be to add an all glass hood to both tanks.... the logic here is they will greatly reduce the amount of evaporation from the tank, and also protect your electronics in the event o a bump or other disturbance that may cause them to fall in. i also have to say thank you for this post because i had not thought of marking the max and minimum levels on the glass like that.. as i am starting to build my sump i am always on the look out for cool little tricks like that.. thank you A LOT!!!.... and i know i said itonce but really really great job on this tank so far...
 
#5 ·
YAYYYY im doin sumtin right lol..... yes i want glass hoods especially since i jsut got new lighting for display tank and its being held up wit lke two plastic bars lol.... i need glass for my electronics as well as heat definitly for top tank...thnk man
 
#6 · (Edited)
OK, i threw in my GSP puffer fish to help fasten the cycling process and he seems fine..... im ready to put in live rock and some Macro algae but i need help.

1) For a reef tank its about 1.75 pounds of live rock per gallon right?

2) If you look at my sump, in the middle section where the white grate looking thing is, ok do i place algae on top of that or do i place algae under that

3) Do i need something down there for it to grow in i.e. live sand, mud

4) what is the best algae to get and what invertebrates can i put down there that wont eat the algae

5) should i keep my GSP in the tank during all of this or should i remove him back to his proper tank so he wont eat things off live rock by the time i put saltwater fish in and coral, reef , SO BASICALLY can i leave the GSP in here with the live rock or will he mess up the process

(THE GSP IS NOT LIVING IN THIS TANK WITH MY OTHER FISH, ONLY USING TO CYCLE)

6) Is it ok to drop in some snails for him to eat while the live rock and alage is cycling or would this ruin the levels, and instead i should just remove him back to his 37 gallon and feed him there

THANKS, FOR N E HELP
 
#9 ·
Yah thats the problem, i cant determine if its ok to leave the puffer in with the live rock or will he eat everything off the rock, i threw in some ghost shrim and snails today and he tore them apart lol...... so im worried on whether or not to have him in with the live rock until i get my real stock
 
#10 ·
he should be fine with the live rock, but dont put him with anything but the rock and sand. also, the sump is a wierd design, i would put the algea in the left side and put something over the intake/exaust. also, i would put some mud or sand in there, it will add stability to your tank. ALSO i would add some base rock in your refuge, so that it will turn into live rock, and support the tank. you can get live rock rubble that doesnt look good but is great for a sump/fuge.
 
#13 ·
Yes same here, i bought it at my LFS because it looked cute and came to the glass when i passed, then i dropped him in my 37 gallon fresh water, and within 3 days he killed 3 of my fish and nipped other fins, so he was immediately transfered to my saltwater because they are more of a brakish type fish but sold as freshwater, fed him some ghost shrimp and snails teh other day, and al 5 ghost shrimp or gone, its fun watching him chase and eat them though lol

OK so i got a new car and just about gave up setting up this tank because of money, but i figured id throw in some live rock and things n e way and let them grow for a few months until the car is where id like it to be, so today after work im goin straight to my LFS and Petco to purchase some live rock and coral or base rock, pictures will be up tonight :D wish me luck
 
#14 ·
Decided to go all the way down to the LFS which isnt really local n e way, they did remodeling and now have two freakin huge sharks in the back, i was lke "wat yall got rid of all the tanks and fish and stuff back there to have a crappy jaccuzi pool" as i walk closer and look in the merky water i see two sharks fly by and jump back and turn around lol....n e way so here goes....i was pleased with my live rock at least i thougth, i got home and it was a little more live than expected, after i got all the rock out of the box i saw a crab, i was so happy cuz i love these things, now as i upload these pictures i got back to look for it and its dead with something eating it i freak out and look closer then because of all teh holes and hiding spots it disappears it was orange and long i think a bristle worm :/ not good...i also see many snails and other undescribed animals, so its safe to say i wont be stiking my hands in their anymore.

So the rock is great, i fit three huge pieces in display tank, and one with polyps kinda coming back to life after the trip, i also dropped in two more ghost shrim one pregnant, and as i put the 4th rock down in the sump i notice one of the ghost shrimp from the last batch that escaped my puffer by running into the overflow lol....but the rocks have so many holes and hiding spots and are already part purple, im very pleased and scared....

HERE GO PICTURES :D



In this one when i put crab in tank it fell in a huge hole in the live rock where a huge snail? was sitting as he pushed him out the way to go deeper


















watcha think?
 
#15 ·
ok i just looked again and now i see two of em and it looks smaller than b 4 idk may b theres 3 but there around the crab, im not removing them, they creep me out, one of the two fish im going to buy will just have to like eating them or the clean up crew idk
 
#17 ·
OK got a CUC today, well at least to start with

2 cleaner shrimp
3 emerald crabs
1 Purple Lobster
1 Arrow crab

Ok so i got the arrow crab not because i like it but because it should handle my bristle worm infestation supposedly, and because both shops i went to were out of six line wrasse, not that i really wanted a fish in there yet

OK hers the BADDDD....of course as soon as i unwrap the bags and drop in the emeralds here comes the puffer trying to make strikes at them i scare him with the net then drop in shrimp, he immediately bites the first shrims back and takes out an eye, im pissed so i take out teh puffer n trow him in my refugium bad i know, but i was mad and he was 3 secons from teh toilet instead, ok 1 minute later i took him out and put him in a bag then back to freshwater, now i have a delema. What to do, i dont think hes returnable, should i place him in my extra 10 gallon, all i have for that tnak is a heater, roof, thermometer, filter, i dont have any bedding (rocks, sand, gravel) or a light nor decorations, or should i leave him in my 37 gallons bredder net??

And as i write this i glance over at my saltwater and of course the arrow crab and emerald are fighting over the shrim and tearing him appart i guess hes dead, WOW im even madder now, but hey its my fault, i didt think the puffer would go after a shrimp 3 times his size

My next fear, will my arrow crab eat my other shrimp or lobster, or crab, or vice versa?
 
#18 ·
be nicer to your puffer. Switching between freshwater and saltwater is very rough on the internal workings of a fish. Remember osmosis from high school bio?
 
#19 ·
Yeah I know.....I've put him in his own 10 gallon saltwater tank for now....was gonna b a qurantine tank oh well, thinkin of keeping him alone in there with a bunch of snails and ghost shrimp until I upgrade to a bigger tank. I want a 180 gallon saltwater so I can keep some sharks, then I'll put him in my 37 gallon I have and move those fish to a 50..idk it just all sounds like money to me
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#20 ·
ha ha, my CUC is doing good, last night i came home and saw my arrow crab and shrimp as usual but the emerald crabs decided to come out and i got a 1 second glimpse of the purple lobster before he ran when the lights came on and my shadow, hes so beautiful but i never see him :(, i will try to take some picture
 
#21 ·
I don't know what to tell ya about the puffer. I have no experience w/them. :/

Do try to get a pic of the purple lobster? I want to see him!! And all the rest of your CUC too! ;)
 
#22 ·
Aw, be nice to the puffer! They are born hunters-- they will pretty much tear apart any kind of crustacean, but thats just what they naturally do.

I keep mine in a brackish tank, with low salinity and no live rock. They enjoy things to hide in, I recommend lava rock and sand/gravel on the bottom- once my brackish tank is re-cycled I will post pics. I'm sure you could always throw some base rock in there too.
 
#23 ·
OMG those rocks are HUGE! i would smash em with a mallet and chissel and youll get smaller rocks. then it would look a little more natural.
 
#24 ·
Ha its been a while, tank has changed some, its basically done as far as livestock i belive........ so frst with the sump.

1) added live sand
2) added live rock
3) added some macro algae
4) removed sock filter
5) contains livestock

Display tank

1) clownfish
2) blue spotted goby
3) firefish goby
4) Six line wrasse
5) Chromis
6) purple lobster
7) electric blue lobster
8) emerald crab
9) frogspawn coral
10) unknown coral
11) hitch hickers lol

will try and update pics late tonight, they all like to come out at night but who knows i accidentaly left the lights on in the display instead of the sump
 
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