stalkem's Deskmate office tank

[stalkem]

Well, the black Friday sales got to me! I just ordered the @ESHOPPS.INC Deskmate Classic 4.8g cube from @Bulk Reef Supply.

Also coming is the @Vivid Creative Aquatics RFG upgrade, Sicce MicraPlus pump, Smart ATO Nano, @Kraken Reef lid and filter cup, and Aquael 25W heater.

Tried to take the best out of what everyone else has seemed to have done on here. Looking forward to keep a little bit of reef at work... already have a few small pieces of rock in the rear chamber of my biocube getting ready to bring over some life to help get cycled.

Dry/Equipment:

• Tank - @ESHOPPS.INC Deskmate Classice 4.8gal
• Return - Sicce MicraPlus
• Lights - Stock LED light (upgrade to come)
  • SMATFARM 60 Watt Reef light, took this from my BioCube when I upgraded that to AI Prime.
• Cycle - Dr. Tim's One and Only with Dr. Tim's Ammonia Chloride
  • I did cheat and bring a little rock over from my Biocube
• Skimmer - None
• Heater - Aqueal Ultra Heater 25W
• Power Head - None
• ATO - AutoAqua Smart ATO nano
• Filtration - @Kraken Reef cup with pinky filter floss.
• RODI - Same set up as my Biocube... running at home and mixing and bringing in to work.
• Salt - Tropic Marin Pro-Reef
• Sand - CaribSea Hawaiian Black
• Rocks - Real Reef Premium Live Rock
  • 3 pieces left over from what I ordered from my Biocube.

Livestock:

• Fish:
  • Ocellaris Clownfish (Mocha Gladiator) - 1/28/25 - RIP 2/5/25
  • Ocellaris Clownfish (Mocha Gladiator) - 2/25/25
  • Rainford Goby - 1/11/25 RIP (presumed)
  • Yellow Watchman Goby - 1/28/25
  • Ocellaris Clownfish (Orange Storm) - 5/29/25 RIP 3/24/25
• Inverts:
  • Tiger Pistol Shrimp - 2/22/25
  • Pom Pom Crab - 1/30/25
  • Clean-up Crew
  • Pom Pom Crab - 5/29/25
• Corals:
  • Space Invader Chalice - 2/28/25
  • Montipora Darth Maul - 2/28/25
  • TSA Scrambled Egg Zoa - 2/28/25
  • Yellow Laser Zoa - 2/28/25
  • Bam Bam Zoa - 2/28/25
  • Fruit Loop Zoa - 2/28/25
  • Whammin Watermelon Zoa - 2/28/25
  • Inferno Acan Lord - 2/28/25
  • Acan Lord (unidentified from my LFS)- 2/28/25
  • ORA Cherry Red Goniopora - 3/28/25 Moved to my main tank during GHA outbreak. Isn't doing great, but isn't dead yet.
  • UC Fascination Favia - 3/28/25
  • RR Spicy Lemon Favia - 3/28/25
  • JF Jack O Lantern Leptoseris - 3/28/25
  • Forest Fire Digitata Montipora - 4/4/25
  • ORA Mint Pavona - 4/4/25
  • TSA Thornberry Lithophyllon - 4/4/25
  • Green Birdsnest - 4/4/25

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Following along!

 

[Vivid Creative Aquatics]

Well, the black Friday sales got to me! I just ordered the @ESHOPPS.INC Deskmate Classic 4.8g cube from @Bulk Reef Supply.

Also coming is the @Vivid Creative Aquatics RFG upgrade, Sicce MicraPlus pump, Smart ATO Nano, @Kraken Reef lid and filter cup, and Aquael 25W heater.

Tried to take the best out of what everyone else has seemed to have done on here. Looking forward to keep a little bit of reef at work... already have a few small pieces of rock in the rear chamber of my biocube getting ready to bring over some life to help get cycled.

More to come and looking forward to sharing!

Sound like a great start. if you have any questions when it comes to to installing the flow kit - just tag wit your question, and we'll come ready to help :)

 

[stalkem]

Looking a BRS post and another blog from reef casa, I think I'm going to plan for:

• Clownfish (single one)
• Hector Goby
• Yellow Watchman Goby
• Tiger Pistol Shrimp
• Pom Pom Crab

Then CUC as needed. Everything is coming in, so should be able to get this to start cycling next week!

I've got a GSP wall going in my biocube... I think I want to try a montipora wall in this little guy... any suggestions on the best one to look for?

 

[stalkem]

Operation: Office Tank has kicked off! Filled up and running. Added one rock I stuck in the rear chamber 2 of my Biocube for the last couple months (noticed it did have some baby snails on it, so score!). Added some Microbacter 7 while I'm waiting for my Dr. Tim's One and Only and Ammonium Chloride to show up.

Going to swap to my old Amazon special Chinese light at some point, since I upgraded my Biocube to an AI Prime 16... maybe as things start kicking off, I'll probably upgrade this to an AI Prime 16 as well. Definitely going to need to get a 2nd orange filter for my phone camera to keep at work now!

Already noticeable evaporation just sitting here at work today, so I can' wait for my @Kraken Reef lid to get here!

 

[stalkem]

Day 2 of cycling... Right on schedule.

 

[stalkem]

I think we're almost ready for fish. Ammonia has been negligible/0ppm for about 5 days. Nitrites are slowly on their way down. Has been about 2ppm last week, looks to be about shade of purple under 1ppm today, but higher than 0.5ppm.

I dumped the whole bottle of Dr. Tim's One and Only in since it would probably expire before I had any use for it. I'm going to start dosing Microbactor 7 (1mL every day) for about 2 weeks, the if things seem clear, maybe jump in on some inhabitants.

Also, there's a little tiny snail making it's rounds that hitchhiked in off the one rock I was able to have in my Biocube for a 2 months prior to starting this one. Life is nice!

 

[stalkem]

I think we're cycled as of 12/18! Nitrites dropped down to 0 as well... I know people have differing opinions on adding more ammonia, but I was following the Dr. Tim's Quick Guide and added 2ppm more worth of the Ammonium Chloride. The next day, the ammonia was already back down to about 0.5ppm and Nitrites were about 1ppm. I think once this 0s out, I'm going to call it cycled and do my water change. My plan is to then keep adding Microbacter 7 for about 2 weeks to keep building up some good bacteria in there.

I did bring some hitchhikers from my Biocube... there's about 3 baby snails that I've seen and some little pods shuffling around the walls! I was thinking about getting a small order of amphipods and maybe some Tisbe or Harpa pods from @Reef By Steele and let them seed in this little tank.

 

[stalkem]

Some pics of the set up.

 

[Tahoe61]

It's a very cool tank. Wish I could talk you out of adding a YWG though. The tanks is too small. Go with a smaller type goby, YWG don't stay small or yellow.
Have you figured what light you're going to get?

 

[stalkem]

I think I'm just going to use this Amazon special one for now. I had good luck with that on my Biocube, until I upgraded that one to the AI Prime 16.

I think at some point I'll get another AI Prime when there's a future sale.

 

[stalkem]

Zeroed back out with ammonia and nitrite on Monday. Did a water change. Pod delivery coming tomorrow! Continuing at add some microbacter 7 (mostly) daily. Going to start adding phytoplankton once the pods are in. I've been culturing tetraselmis and isochrysis galbana in the basement. Usually harvest a 50/50 of them to dose.

Planning to add some hermits and maybe one of the gobies after the new year!

 

[stalkem]

Added 4 astrea snails and 5 blue legged hermits to the tank... and one red legged hermit in the overflow chamber to eat that detritus... and a handful of shells to grow into.

 

[stalkem]

First fish ... Rainford Goby added. LFS said he's been there for a long time and was eating like a champ, so hoping it continues to do so!

 

[stalkem]

Settling in nicely!

I did notice a tiny aptasia already ‍. Assuming it came over with the piece of rock I had in my biocube... or hitchhiked on the snail shell. Off to a great start.

"Life, uh, finds a way” -Dr. Ian Malcolm

 

[Tahoe61]

That's one of the perks of small tanks, you can deal with pest early, often and easily.

 

[stalkem]

Finally got appropriate length thumb screws that worked to get the old light from my biocube mounted.

 

[nickscorals]

Putting the desk in deskmate!

 

[dlaird76]

What a great desk tank

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Finally got appropriate length thumb screws that worked to get the old light from my biocube mounted.

That light looks great on your tank!