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12g nano, very first sw tank


Jules

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This is my 12g Eclipse. Started with an all stock tank, now it is stripped of it's original filtration and been replaced with a HOB running only carbon inside of it. I added a Koralia Nano for added circulation as well. Here are pic of it from almost the beginning to present. (Cycling with all the algae pics are still on my cell phone)

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I would imagine EVERYONES sumps or fuges are bigger than my tank...:D Yeah I didn't like all that hair algae and it was taking my big snail so long I helped it out a little by pulling some of it out (I learned to wear gloves after that!) I'm not even sure what a pico tank is but I will look around now. Thanks for the compliment too! :)

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Pico's are tiny tiny tanks even a gallon? They're wild! Had a bad hair algae problem when the FOWLR tank was cyclng it looked like oscar the grouch drowned in the tank (laugh).

 

Sea hare cleaned it all up in only a few days. I have to find a new home for it soon though because they need a lot of food and it will starve otherwise.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Update

 

So, I recently acquired some goodies from smann, (clap) Thank you Smann! I am still confused on what is what so I won't label them this time, I will get them mixed up I'm sure. Had a little bit of a problem with my big snail cleaning the rubble on a couple of them and disturbing them :eek: but they are doing pretty good. Got them 2 days ago. Here are some pics.

 

The first one here was ripped off it's toothpick and rock and was on the bottom this morning, it is slowly coming out of me doing surgery on it, ughhh I don't like sticking them...

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Your tank is absolutely adorable. I love the way you aquascaped too. I really really like your background too. Never seen anything like it. I suppose it came with the tank, wish I could get a big piece of that for my tank.

 

I had Tap Plastic cut me a black acrylic piece for my tank. Went back later and had a aqua colored piece cut for it. I exchange it out when I want a change. When I use the aqua colored one, I call it my Carribean look. LOL.

 

Tanks looks great!!

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Thanks! All it is, is a cut piece of background from the LFS off of a roll, the other side is sticks and stones like a river look. Kind of a pain though it keeps getting wet between the tank and it because I don't have any thing at the top sealing it from water dripping down. It is better then looking at the wall and the HOB filter. :D

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  • 4 weeks later...

I had an 8G oceanic biocube, it was really cool. I'm surprised you need that heater. I didn't run heaters in my 8G which is now upgraded to a 29G, and it still doesn't need a heater. I don't even run a heater in my 55G. Looking good though, i love the rocks, try that pulsing xenia again when your tanks a few months old. it should live in there just fine.

I had some die on me too when my tank was fairly new. That Kenya tree in the corner there will take over the tank eventually. it will have to get pruned for sure. mine started out that big and in about a year its nearly 12" tall.

 

ah the days when water changes were only a gallon.

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do you have any hermits in there? If not i'd throw about 10 zebra or blue legged hermits in there. They will clean up those rocks in no time.

No, no hermits just a babylonia snail and 2 cerith. Wouldn't the hermits eat the cerith snails?

 

 

Looks good' date=' did the green sinulara ever open up?. That mushroom looks happy![/quote']

I don't think it is open but it is looking bigger and better. It is in the middle in the picture. Here is a better pic of it.

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No, no hermits just a babylonia snail and 2 cerith. Wouldn't the hermits eat the cerith snails?

 

 

Depends on how big the hermits are and how hungry or if they need larger shells. I buy the really small blue legged ones, about 1/4" they don't bother anything in my tank and they work hard on the rocks algae. i also put in various shells for them when they grow. its fun to see hermits check out empty shells

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You might try movig it up high' date=' if its attached to some sand you can glue it to a rock and set it on top. Everything else looks really good![/quote']

 

I got it to attach to a piece finally by putting it in a clam shell with rubble and sand and wrapping rubberbands around it so it couldn't move. :D I have ordered some underwater epoxy type glue (reef safe) and I can attach all of them to the main rockwork soon. Will it do better up high you think? It looks much better since I took it out of the shell. It hasn't laid over at all.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Depends on how big the hermits are and how hungry or if they need larger shells. I buy the really small blue legged ones' date=' about 1/4" they don't bother anything in my tank and they work hard on the rocks algae. i also put in various shells for them when they grow. its fun to see hermits check out empty shells[/quote']

I went and bought a blueleg hermit, just one because I did read somewhere that having more then one or two could cause problems in a smaller tank, it is soooooo tinyyyyyy (laugh) got some empty shells and 4 more cerith for sh*ts and giggles :D

 

You might try movig it up high' date=' if its attached to some sand you can glue it to a rock and set it on top. Everything else looks really good![/quote']

I moved the green sunularis up higher and it is darkening now looking green and doesn't look as pale. Battery is dead on my camera will post a pic of it laterz.

 

Looks great Jules. Keep up the good work.

 

Thanks :)

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  • 2 months later...

Well, both of my Chromis went MIA, one was not eating and I figured it died but the other looked just fine and was acting just fine, it is gone now too. So, everything has disappeared or died except a few snails and my Bi color Blenny. Just wondering if maybe i should tear apart the tank and see if something is lurking in the bottom taking everything out....there is a spot in the back on the bottom that is like a little cave that the chromis would go hid sometimes. But on a brighter note I can get another fish, one that won't go hide in the cave of death! :(

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  • 2 weeks later...

If you're worried you have a bad hitchhiker crab you have a couple options to try.

 

First (and most fun in a small tank) is wait until after the lights have been off for a bit and look around with a flashlight in the tank. This is how I found the FOOT long bristle worm we had lurking in my first tank. It's even better if you can find a red light which won't scare things back into hiding

 

Second, you can make a really simple crab trap. Just take a drinking glass and anchor some meaty food in the bottom (maybe a small piece of scallop or silverside). Lean it on some of the rocks. If you have a crab, chances are he'll crawl in for the food but won't be able to get out with the smooth sides. I haven't tried it, but I read about it on Nano Reef once and people had great success with it ;)

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Thanks for the tip Pam, I may have to try a red light. I have a moon light in there but I think it gives off too much light, when I turn it on my yellow polyps open up.

 

It hadn't occurred to me maybe a hitchhiker crab, foot long bristle, now that I can see...lol

It would be tricky with the trap, I tried a home made worm trap and my Blenny could see the food from the outside and wouldn't stop trying to get it.....he might raid a crab trap....it is a thought though, I will keep it in mind. Thanks.

 

Oh and I forgot my nauss snail, loves scraps and I think it would go inside the glass and eat the bait as well. It stuck it's long snout inside the worm trap and was eating the bait. :(

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