First Nano Reef Tank 3 Gallon

N

Nightfall

Member
FINALLY A SUCCESS! One of the bristle worms that for size of my tank is like the snakes in Anaconda movies came out far enough that I could catch it! Still 2-3 more to go BUT I got one after so many attempts. I took pics of it in a small plastic cup. now remember this one is not elongated as it is in the tank, and is the smallest of the sea dragons I am hunting lol.







VIDEO ---> <---VIDEO
 
N

Nightfall

Member
Ok so....had to relocate a piece of coral frag....its on a very nice looking but long piece of rock and wasn't blooming at all where it was so I adjusted things slightly and during this scaping change I took pics of Destiny (pom pom survived), hulk (emerald crab), the other corals, and everything else. One shot has Sarlacc in it and you can tell he is NOT a happy anemone right now.

Tank tests show 8.0 PH (barely need to up it somehow), 0 nitrite, between 0 and 5 ppm Nitrate, and 0 ppm Ammonia...also had lfs test for calcium and he said it was 420 which he said was good?

Anyways here are updated pics....remember you all said in my welcome posting YOU LOVE PICS....you asked for this:

Leather and Xenia

Corner View Before Adjustments

Coral Side View

Pom Pom Sighted Alive and Well

Back View Before Adjustment

Coral Side View

Top View After Adjustment

After Adjustment Sarlacc NOT Happy

Regular View After Adjustment

Side View After Adjustment with Pom Pom

Back View After Adjustment

Coral Frag Adjusted

Hulk Sighted

Hulk After Adjustment

As a side note when I get chance first thing I am doing is seeing if I can return my anemone. He is not happy and the tank is definitely too small for me to have one at this time. Maybe in a year when my 10 or 20 gallon (if I get rid of my fresh water fish and decorations) after its all cycled and established correctly I can get one but the clowns are refusing to host in it, its not happy, it already tried to wedge its head into a space nothing could fit through and hurt itself and even now it keeps trying to get back to that spot but I blocked it with live rock. So I admit everyone was right about anemone's and am big enough to want whats best for it. Sadly someone else will buy it and it will still be in captivity but maybe they will be better set up to look after him and make him happy. Might be a few days all this week I work late and by time I get off work, home, get him bagged and tagged and drive all way to the LFS it would be closed so now sure what to do, he needs to be watched to keep him from moving over coral frags and away from that hole.
 
DianaKay

DianaKay

Princess Diana
RS STAFF
Glad you are going to the trouble to return the anemone. Nems dying in tanks can cause other deaths.
I've returned a coral banded shrimp & sand sifting star as my buying mistakes so far. Maybe the LFS will give you a credit, if not...it's still better to give back.
 
N

Nightfall

Member
*sniff sniff* :tears: When I got up today my orange and white clown was laying on side on sandbed looking all out of sorts...I tested water and PH had plummeted dangerously low but had to head to work and nothing I know or had on hand to up the PH so called LFS and said would be by after work to pick up something. By time I got home... :tears: pom pom crab had it in its pompoms and was having a feast....Hulk (emerald crab) seemed to be waiting to get left overs. First fatality of the tank. Given my screwups and blunders from start surprised something hadn't gone earlier.

Making arrangements for the anemone to go back, explained how it has yet to find its niche in tank and possible the flow will never be right for it as its so small. He will work with me regarding it and has helped me alot. Even gave me the powder to up my PH and its now back to 8.2-8.4ish range...it HAD dropped to 7.4ish in 2 days. Nothing changed in tank over the 2 days so no idea why PH is so fluctuating.

SO anyways my clown has moved on....might replace with another small orange and white clown.....undecided what I am going to do. Just wanted to keep people up to date.
 
N

Nightfall

Member
Well Sarlacc has been returned to store and the owner and I are hashing out what I can get instead. He was ready to swap for the maxi-mini carpet but after all I read clowns don't host in them and have been known to eat them so put brakes on that idea. Pretty sure will get another orange/white clown small size of course...and a few more snails...one shell found empty and never see the other cerith at all any more so thinking they need replacing. My 2 Turbos (Bull and Dozer) are happily knocking everything over so are OK and the 2 Nassarius are tunneling in sand nicely. Saw in store 2 more pom pom crabs....but if I got those that would make 1 emerald and 3 pom poms....bit much I don't want to overload bio mass.

Did have a tiny blenny and pistol shrimp pair also. *shrugs*

Be sure to give me your thoughts. Ramping up to start 20 gallon tank next with a 10 gallon prep tank (going to get my made rock cured in the 10 and move into 20 when ready).
 
Newjack

Newjack

Member
did you ever figure out what type of anemone that was?

Also try looking up ricodea mushroom corals, there very very beautiful, appertly very hearty, and cheap.
I think I am going to go buy one tomorrow.
 
N

Nightfall

Member
Long bubble tip is all I can find even close to resembling. LFS has a HUMONGOUS long green bubble tip....almost looks ready to split its absolutely giant. The maxi mini they have is green fringe outside with a red inner ring .
 
DianaKay

DianaKay

Princess Diana
RS STAFF
Sorry to hear about the loss of your clownfish :(
You are working a very tough situation starting out with a 3 gallon tank.
All parameter swings are drastic in a tank that tiny.
You are almost limited to ONE fish and it needs to be one that stays tiny.
I think clownfish are even listed as requiring a minimum of a 30gal. tank.
 
N

Nightfall

Member
Thanks Diana, it sucked losing him, the LFS has no idea why PH suddenly dropped...cycling it well over, no new additions for a long time so for it to drop like that is a mystery to them and me. I do have this powder they gave me for now to up the PH if it drops again and when they have more of it will buy some so that never ever happens again in any tank I have. Making more rock (as per my DIY Rock posting) and when its all ready gonna try my hand at a 20 gallon tank. Maybe move my current inhabitants to a larger place and restock 3 gallon ...you know as a reward for them living through my complete blunders.
 
N

Nightfall

Member
Tested today PH is 8.0, Ammonia 0 ppm, Nitrite 0 ppm, Nitrate 0 ppm, other than leather coral acting up rest of tank seems happy. Checking in an hour on my new rock I made and see how its going so far. Looking at tables to put my 10 gallon on so I can start cycling rock when pieces are ready.
 
N

Nightfall

Member
Ok so update, tank is doing well, only issue now is my pulsing xenia seems to be growing weirdly and moved around on its own so its wrapping its stalk/base around the rock its on so really weird looking now. Counting down the days/weeks before made rock is ready for curing and then put in place of what I have. Gotta find way to lure/force out the hitchhikers without killing them so I can pick and chose which will go back in and which I can do away with.
 
N

Nightfall

Member
Well well well....things have taken a surprising turn.....my 10 gallon tank I could not find a lid that fits right other than the metal mesh it had so I removed that and installed myself a fiberglass mesh so other than a filter its ready (will need an in-tank filter for it since the lid is way it is......but then another surprise.....

My 20 gallon is now empty....all sand removed, decorations soaked in bleach and put away, all its inhabitants are relocated to the LFS for trade to be negotiated with owner towards what I need in salt water......so my 20 is rinsed, has the proper heater already, penguin 150 bio-wheel filter, I can use the 2 power heads and so....nothing left it needs than the substrate, live rock (or if my darned DIY rock would PH balance already, and then livestock....other than needing the rock its 90% ready to start the cycling process. I do have three 5 lbs bags of Ocean Direct Carib-sea Live Sand but that's less than what a 20 gallon would need. And given its been 5 months since any store in this province has gotten aragonite no idea when that will be possible. the 15 should be enough for my 10 gallon though.

Ok I guess its time to finally say it....

My name is Nightfall and I am a REEF-A-HOLIC!!!
 
N

Nightfall

Member
Got some new coral today, an Aussie Elegance, I need some color in tank other than flesh lol. This helps some.





















I also cleaned out my 20 gallon freshwater tank for conversion to salt water and until I do decided to take the LED light that has moonglow lights and took a few pics with them on and here they are!









And as usual the moment I added something Thor (pom pom crab) made an appearance.



 
N

Nightfall

Member
Well update on tank....my black/white clown is hanging around bottom of tank all the time whereas before he was always on the top of tank so no idea whats going on there. Got 2 scarlet red leg hermits and some bumblebee snails as a few snails (shell and all) have disappeared. My emerald crab has been removed and is now back at the store. I caught him by my new elegance coral and watched him grab one of its tentacles with a claw....soon as I saw that he was outta there. ALso traded my shrimp for a much much tinier version, he was a little big for the tank. To get the crab and shrimp I had to move alot of live rock around but the parameters are still 8.0ish PH 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 0 nnitrates. I also now have reefroids to help my corals out but such a tiny tank takes little. While I was at it picked up bottle of reef complete by seachem and fluval sea to help control calcium and PH I hope. Still having a PH drop over time.

Now even bigger update....my made rock. I am testing the first pieces made by soaking in bucket of salt water with an air hose in it and will check PH. Why am I doing this? Because I made some "ledges"....took a plastic container that screws come in from store and used it to make imprints rectangular and not too deep and used that for ledges that I can attach to the other rock and use for corals....anyways these ledges I left in their molds under the sand for a full week then soaked in white vinegar for 24 hours and then rinsed only....took them to my home and made a small bucket of salt water salinity around 1.026-1.028 and soaked for first time for 2 days....PH stayed around 8.2-8.4.......no change...checked again a day later...no change.....I took a ledge and since I am having PH issues in DT put it ontop of the sponge filter and watched and checked twice a day for several days...PH didn't go down or up. I have no idea what is going on, everything is reverse to the videos and instructions I have researched...and I mean ALL of them. What this is doing is against everything and yet the results dont lie....so I have a feeling I will be adding my 15 pounds of sand to the 10 gal tank, adding salt water, getting heater on and the pumps placed and working, have a small in-tank filter for what its worth, and will start putting my rock into it (after I test levels BEFORE its put in) and then will add the rock, watch it for a week, then add the deli shrimp, watch it for a week, then look at purpleup to get some color to the grey rock , and if everything stays good......well then will be aquascaping my 3 gallon with the pieces custom made for it. Will leave a couple pieces normal live rock of course but 90-95% will be custom. If I reach that point in things will snap a ton of new pics and show them off here.
 
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