5 gallon Reef Bowl & Reef Vase - Build Thread (Lots of photos!)

[SauceyReef]

I am very happy to announce I am finally starting the 5 gallon Reef Bowl & Reef Vase I have been planning for over a year! I have been extremely excited to start this build thread as lately I have been ordering everything. All the equipment is finally in, and I picked up the designated end table for the two nano tanks earlier today. The Ocean-Blue Nano Room is coming together! Time for photos, and the first update!!

Tank Specs: 5.5 Gallon CYS Excel Glass Bubble Bowl (12x13)
- ABI 12w Tuna Blue LED & LEPower Bronze Lamp
- Hygger Small Betta Heater 10w
- Tetra Whisper Air Pump
- Caribsea Arag-Alive Fiji Aquarium Sand, Pink

My plan for this tank is to make it a mixed reef with very little sand. I will add my favorite and most valuable morphs from my last tank that would fit in a small system. (Mind the Thor crack on the wall)

Tank Specs: 5.3 Gallon WGV Cylinder Vase (12x12)
- AI Prime 16 HD (high whites/reds/greens preset) & Relassy 150W Plant Light
- NICREW UFO Aquarium Air Pump 1.7w
- NICREW Mini Aquarium Betta Heater 15w
- Caribsea Arag-Alive Fiji Aquarium Sand, Pink

My plan for this tank is to add my current mangroves from my other system, and basically not touch it for around half a year to ensure water balance and Mangrove growth. The other system the Mangroves are coming from had Caulerpa go asexual, die off and poison the tank. I am hoping the Mangroves didnt leech in any potential toxins, but time will tell with this new system. This is largely the reason I got two of these small vase tanks instead of one, to get a mixed reef going in the one, and have the mangrove test in the other.

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This is my 2nd official build thread since getting back in the hobby. If you would like to see my 2+ year old Fluval Evo Mixed Reef, please hit the link here, or the 'build thread contributor' link under my name: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/13-5-fluval-evo-build-thread-mixed-reef-exotic-invert-tank.822855/​

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[Gumbies R Us]

Great looking tanks!!!

 

[SauceyReef]

I added the sand and liverock this evening! I guess today marks day 1 of these echo systems journey!

The vase is still cloudy from adding sand, but you can pretty much see the aquascape for the bowl. I will get some more better photos after a few days once the sand settles and I’m happy with the scape. Than I’ll add the mangroves to the vase! The liverock I got was very nice! Came with some mushrooms still on it. You can see one glowing through the vase.


Challenges so far:

- our house floor is totally unleveled. Hopefully with small tanks and not a lot of water weight that doesn’t mean anything bad. Bought some leveling aquarium mats online just in case

- not sure exactly how strong or where the airlines should go

- it is difficult and awkward to get the liverock shaped correctly in the bowl without rock touching the sides.

 

[SauceyReef]

All the sand settled this morning!

 

[SauceyReef]

You can see a bunch of mushrooms on the rocks. Loving this liverock! Going to finish shaping the aquascape this evening.

Not sure what coral this is. Hoping it makes it through whatever cycle happens. It kind of looks like a green rhodactus of some sort.

 

[SauceyReef]

I just stripped down the seperate Mangrove tank they were growing in! Feels pretty good to FINALLY take that tank down. I will be honest though - I had no idea how big the root system was growing. When I tried to pull the one mangrove up, it literally took the entire sandbed and rockwork with it lol. I have them sitting in a 10 gallon tank for now. I am going to run carbon in it for a couple days before adding one or two to the vase.

It will be pretty overwhelming to say the least to try to get 2-3 of these mangroves into the vase. It may really only work with one. IF that is the case - some lucky reefer is going home with two mangroves!

 

[SauceyReef]

Put the Mangrove in today! Wish me luck

 

[SauceyReef]

 

[SauceyReef]

Over 24 hours with the mangroves in and all the corals look fine! Looks like the carbon worked.

Finding a few different species of corals in the rock. The purple mushrooms are already going crazy. I’m going to have to find a way to remove them.

Anyone have an ID on this one? I originally thought rhodactus shroom, bht i swear I’m seeing feeder tentacles.

 

[SauceyReef]

I took some photos this morning with the whites on so everything can actually be seen!

 

[SauceyReef]

 

[SauceyReef]

Everything is going well so far. Both tanks seem to be going through a mini cycle - more so the Mangrove Vase. I’m thinking it’s partly the biome getting used to the lack of flow. Regardless I am still in love with this live rock! And still wondering what the mystery LPS is.

I added a bunch of mushrooms in both the tanks the past few days. I’ll get some photos today. I just fragged this very lovely blasto in my main tank also. In a month once the bowl has more stability - I will add it in!

 

[SauceyReef]

So far I am pleased to say everything is going well. I’m having some algae blooms in both tanks which is normal at this stage. I am just going to give it time and let the tanks find balance.

I added a nice CUC from reef cleaners with some ceriths, nassiarus, and an emerald crab in both tanks to help with the bubble algae and bryposis / GHA. I trust over time with water changes and manual cleaning the tank will pretty up. I couldn’t resist and purchased a pair of Pom Pom crabs for the bowl, and one for the fluval evo. Can’t wait to see them.

 

[besskurz]

Welcome to the bowl mafia. lol

Any plans on filtration?

I have myself some dwarf ceriths and they like to climb, but I have a lid which block most of evaporation and the need to top off.

Good luck and keep posting more updates!

 

[SauceyReef]

Welcome to the bowl mafia. lol

Any plans on filtration?

I have myself some dwarf ceriths and they like to climb, but I have a lid which block most of evaporation and the need to top off.

Good luck and keep posting more updates!

Haha thank you! I was not planning on adding any filtration other than some macro algaes. I had dragons breath macro algae in the bowl, but I think one of the emeralds chomped it down as it just disappeared one night. For now I have some chaeto floating in both by the air pumps.

For CUC, I added ceriths, dwarf ceriths, nassiarus, and an emerald crab in both. I need to work on a DIY lid for the vase that is cut out in the middle for the mangrove. For now I rigged up a see through lid for the bowl. I need to do an update on that one.

 

[besskurz]

Haha thank you! I was not planning on adding any filtration other than some macro algaes. I had dragons breath macro algae in the bowl, but I think one of the emeralds chomped it down as it just disappeared one night. For now I have some chaeto floating in both by the air pumps.

For CUC, I added ceriths, dwarf ceriths, nassiarus, and an emerald crab in both. I need to work on a DIY lid for the vase that is cut out in the middle for the mangrove. For now I rigged up a see through lid for the bowl. I need to do an update on that one.

Yes that's true. I have an emerald crab here which is a lawnmower. He trims all macros, I thought he was into bubble algae only but he is very open minded lol from time to time I have to put back in place some macros because of him.

I have a thread here at R2R where I was recently explaining a about the lid of my bowl. Maybe it can give you some ideas on how to adapt for your tanks.

 

[SauceyReef]

Yes that's true. I have an emerald crab here which is a lawnmower. He trims all macros, I thought he was into bubble algae only but he is very open minded lol from time to time I have to put back in place some macros because of him.

I have a thread here at R2R where I was recently explaining a about the lid of my bowl. Maybe it can give you some ideas on how to adapt for your tanks.

They are certainly lawnmowers. And please feel free to add the link here if you can find it! The lid on the bowl I rigged up is great. It has some grooves on the bottom so it drips any water back into the tank. I will take some photos on Monday when I am back home. I just need to think of something for the mangrove tank, but it seems totally fine for now.

 

[besskurz]

They are certainly lawnmowers. And please feel free to add the link here if you can find it! The lid on the bowl I rigged up is great. It has some grooves on the bottom so it drips any water back into the tank. I will take some photos on Monday when I am back home. I just need to think of something for the mangrove tank, but it seems totally fine for now.

Cool, this is the link
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/fish-bowl-jaubert-plenum-8-8g.949391/

 

[SauceyReef]

Some FBS (Full Bowl Shots)

 

[SauceyReef]

The curved glass can really give some unique shots!

I got a nice rock of Frankies Acid Trips with a tiny RFA for a super good deal! I absolutely love these. I paid for a small frag and even though GMKs, Deathstars, and other high end zoas do great in my Evo they just didnt make it in that system. The vendor game me another rock (hooked it up) and it seems they like the lower PAR of the aquarium bowl. Im glad I put them in the bowl! Hopefully they keep growing out so I can try them in the other tanks.