Guarda's 20G Cube

[guarda]

Sorry for not documenting my setup very well but here are the very few pics I have. I will be adding a 48x10x8 long tank suspended above a kitchen table/cabinet next spring so I'll be sure to document that one since there is more cabinetry/woodwork involved. That tank will waterfall into my Mini and I'm still trying to figure out how to connect the two so the fish can go back and forth between the tanks or over the waterfall if they so desire.

This tank has been set up for almost two months now but everything was transferred from a smaller tank which was about 3 months old, which was transferred from a 1 month old cracked biocube 14, which was transferred from a friend's 75 gallon which is about 4 years old. Luckily I never went through a cycle in any of my tanks. Open to any suggestions!

Hardware
Elos Mini with E-lite
Elos NS100 skimmer
Elos Osmocontroller
Reefkeeper 2 with temp and ph probe
Vortech MP20
Ecoxotic Stunner Blue LED Strip (temporary until I finish my diy acrylic cree xr-e strip)
Stealth 50W heater
Aluminum 40bulb led spotlight for fuge

Software
False Perc 2"
Blue Hippo Tang 1.25"
Blue Mandarin 2"
Orange Linckia 2"
Ora Blue Maxima Clam 2"
4 Nassarius Snails
4 Nerite Snails
1 Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab
1 Blue-legged Hermit Crab
2 Margarita Snails
Dendrophyllia
Superman cyphastrea
Purple Xenia (slowly coming back)
Hammer coral, frogspawn
Assorted zoas
Assorted acans
Mushrooms or yumas, can't really tell
Green and red monti caps
Orange Digi
Blue acro

Can't wait to build the table so I can have the long tank in midair.

FTS

Left side

Right side

This is Sony

Left to right, Toshiba, Sony, and Samsung

Some acans I got from DR. Mac at the swap

Got this Maxima from Knockout Aquatics at the swap

As Ter Ina

This is Stormtrooper, his shell is all white.

 

[THEDLO]

cool! lol love the names! and maybe there should be in the hardware category

 

[jcs11236]

tank is looking good!

 

[Staaan]

Very cool setup!

And great/healthy looking Mandarin!

 

[m'akoyPINOY]

awesome setup,art!cool names for the fish.

 

[LaurieC]

I've seen this tank and it is spectacular. Guarda--tell everyone about the feeding station for the Mandarin you made. Brilliant!! Glad to hear you are getting the longer tank you've been wanting. Love the waterfall idea. I'm doing something like this with a display fuge over the DT. I don't know that fish will swim upstream though--I believe salmon are the only fish that do that and only when spawning.

 

[DrHarryLopez]

Very nice Arthur!

 

[Drinkmorewater]

WOW! What a neat and clean looking setup. Love the rock-work!

 

[guarda]

Staaan - You should have seen how skinny he was when I got him. I really thought he was going to die, which sort of justified buying him, since I read that I needed a 75 gallon or more with tons of lr and copepods.

Thanks Laurie! I actually just posted some pics on another thread a couple hours earlier. http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/general-discussion/86239-ora-mandarin-2.html Yeah, I know that won't swim up the waterfall but maybe slide down? I'm thinking about a curved channel that will connect my sump and the long tank. Any ideas? I have all winter before Toshiba outgrows this tank.

 

[rkaragozler]

Arthur can't wait to see what you have up you sleeve now, need help just ask.

 

[Chraddam]

I wish I could control myself and minimalize my tank like you did. Great job, can't wait to see it in person!

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

Tank looks good

 

[jadakiss]

nice tank

 

[jr973]

Awesome lookin display art it was definetly worth the trip hell I would have done it also mandarin looks plump u gotta pm me that method u used again I forgot hehe lata pal

 

[tenMann2]

Tank looks good, Art. And Sony looks like is doing great too now. Interested in see what you have planned for the waterfall tank.

 

[noobzy]

Great looking FTS! Things have definitely expanded since I saw it last You made off with some awesome pieces at the swap!

 

[anthony27]

that is very nice excelent job on the setup

 

[seldin]

For me, I would be concerned about the Linckia, which usually recommended to have a lot of live rock, so tank, seems not big enough for it. The hippo tang, grows quick and when bigger will need to be in a bigger tank. My hippo became a bully in my 55. Grew from like 1 inch to over 5 inches after a couple of years.

You say, your having good feeding with the Mandarin, good luck with this...

I am hoping you continue to do well with your tank. For some people, with nano tanks that stock heavy, they find their tanks do well for a period of time and then crash, so I would be careful and aware.

I try to under-stock the tank with a smaller bio load.

Good luck,

 

[LaurieC]

I've been thinking about your waterfall and trying to get the fish to swim from one tank to the other--what about doing a series of small tide pool like things linking the two tanks instead? The tanks would need to be on the same level for the fish to swim back and forth, but I'm not sure even if the fish swam down the waterfall how they'd get back to the other tank. I think the fish could only go down the waterfall once and then they'd be stuck in the one tank, but if you had a series of tide pools for them to move back and forth through could be interesting and you could do one as a mangrove pool, one with sea grass--different environments for the fish.

 

[guarda]

Yes, I think about this common scenario quite a bit. It's my greatest fear. This past week I've been planning what pieces I will keep and what I will frag in order to reduce my livestock.

In regards to the linckia, again, I agree. I wanted a fromia, which is a tad more robust, but wound up with a linckia. In the month that I've had her, I've only seen her dangling an arm once whilst on the glass the day after acclimation. Rest of the time hanging out on the glass or rocks. My hopes are she makes it for the 12-18 months max captivity rate.

Mandarin is doing fine. Almost doubled in girth since I got him 5 months. Frozen mysis w/ garlic and selcon for now but I am researching a supplementary diet.

For me, I would be concerned about the Linckia, which usually recommended to have a lot of live rock, so tank, seems not big enough for it. The hippo tang, grows quick and when bigger will need to be in a bigger tank. My hippo became a bully in my 55. Grew from like 1 inch to over 5 inches after a couple of years.

You say, your having good feeding with the Mandarin, good luck with this...

I am hoping you continue to do well with your tank. For some people, with nano tanks that stock heavy, they find their tanks do well for a period of time and then crash, so I would be careful and aware.

I try to under-stock the tank with a smaller bio load.

Good luck,