10 gallon Softie Tank

[Diamond1]

This tank has been set up and cycling since the 24th of November 2013. There is about 15 to 18 lbs of base rock and a 2lb piece of live rock from a local lfs. It has about a 1 to 1 1/2" fine grain sand bed. The tank has been cycling without a light for a couple months until last week. I pulled out an old 150 watt MH just to get some light on it. I ordered a 14k multi-chip LED but it has yet to arrive hopefully it gets here today.ray2:

Every couple of days I have been putting a small piece of shrimp in to see if the bio filter is working, and so far the tank has been holding steady for the last couple weeks at the following:
Calcium: 420
Ph: 8.2
Dkh:11
Nitrate: 5
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0

Right now for equipment there is a 50 watt heater, Small Deep Blue HOB filter for carbon and floss and a Hagan 210 Power head for circulation. Eventually I will plumb the tank into a sump I'm going to be running on my (in the works) 40 gallon set up.

Stocking is going to be a couple clown fish and mostly mushrooms, zoas, green star polyps and maybe a LPS or 2.

Looks like I'm ready to start adding critters to it.:wink:

Here's some pics of the progress so far.

Filling up with RO/DI

A bit of a sandstorm

After it cleared up

I decided to move the tank to another room and put a black vinyl backer on it which had to pass the cats inspection.

 

[Diamond1]

A few shots of the aqua scape.

Bonus on my LR not sure what it is yet but maybe it will survive.

 

[Diamond1]

Just got a couple frags today after acclimating they are in the tank. There is a frag plug with about 40 various zoas and a rock with 2 Superman mushrooms, a frag of pulsing xenia and an unknown zoa on it. Everybody is opening up and looking happy.

 

[Diamond1]

I might have a pair of clowns tomorrow too.

 

[Reefing Madness]

 

[Steelen]

I love your rock work! Keep up the good work.

 

[Diamond1]

Thanks Steelen!
Getting a 10 gallon to look like you didn't just pile up a bunch of rocks is kinda challenging. Not alot of real estate in there.

 

[Diamond1]

Major diatom bloom!!

Got some critters today to help clean it up:
3 Trochus snails
2 Astrea snails
6 red leg hermits and
4 blue leg hermits

Banded Trochus doing his stuff

My palys finally getting settled

 

[Diamond1]

Should have my LED lights in the next day or 2 and I can get rid of the old 150 watt (power eating, algea growing heat producing)MH.

 

[Diamond1]

Nicer shot of my mushroom and babies.

 

[reefwatcher]

You need more water flow.

 

[vlangel]

Lookin' good Diamond! Nice aquascape. Love the red mushrooms. I'm thinking the "mystery bonus" coral is a favite. They are a nice LPS if you can revive it.

 

[bfam4t6]

Nice start! I bet it looks a lot better with the LEDs.

 

[Diamond1]

You need more water flow.

I'm planning on getting a hydor nano 240 for circulation in the tank and once it's plumbed into the sump the return will be run off of a Mag 3 or 5 so I should be good with the flow. As it stands I have about 175gph.

 

[Diamond1]

Lookin' good Diamond! Nice aquascape. Love the red mushrooms. I'm thinking the "mystery bonus" coral is a favite. They are a nice LPS if you can revive it.

Thank you I'm hoping to have things settled down by the 22nd of the month. There's a big frag swap in town and I got some cash burnin' a hole in my pocket!!!
Yeah I believe your right on the Favia but I don't have much hope for it.:sad:

 

[Diamond1]

Nice start! I bet it looks a lot better with the LEDs.

Thanks bfam Unfortunately my lights came in today and neither one works... Bad ebay deal but that's another story. Might have to go in a different direction like a par 38 bulb or a diy fixture.

 

[Diamond1]

Couple a new additions today!!

 

[vlangel]

Couple a new additions today!!

Very cute!

 

[Diamond1]

Thanks Dawn.
I got some star polyps yesterday too just waiting for them to open up for a pic.

 

[vlangel]

Green star polyps? The reason I ask is I've seen them in white too. I don't think the white is as common. Green star looks so cool blowing in the current when its on the sand bed, almost like meadow grass! I have a very small island of GSP that I'm going to try to grow out for that meadow grass look. I never let it touch my main LR structures because I could never control it.