10 gallon nano-reef coming together

[10gal_nano]

Originally Posted by Reygan2

Coralpedia.com is a good one.

Thanks I'll look there too

[10gal_nano]

My light is definitely coming today. It was 45 mins away an hour ago. Soon it will be here!!

[dingusplease]

Originally Posted by 10gal_nano

My light is definitely coming today. It was 45 mins away an hour ago. Soon it will be here!!

Exciting I'm sure you're monti will be especially happy, even though your leds seem to have worked out pretty well for the time you had them.

[10gal_nano]

Originally Posted by dingusplease

Exciting I'm sure you're monti will be especially happy, even though your leds seem to have worked out pretty well for the time you had them.

Yep. It actually has the white growing around it

[JJsChaos]

I just started on the forums today. Great looking tank. I just started a tank 12 days ago. I started a thread hoping for some advise. Have you lost any fish or coral?

[10gal_nano]

Originally Posted by JJsChaos

I just started on the forums today. Great looking tank. I just started a tank 12 days ago. I started a thread hoping for some advise. Have you lost any fish or coral?

Thanks. Welcome. Just a Xenia for no reason. It was weird. All water was good it just died

[Wy Renegade]

Thread has been cleaned up! Off topic, chit-chat and rude posts have been removed. This threads needs to stay on the topic of the OPs 10gal nano. Posts about other tanks, other people fish, etc. are off topic and will be removed. Additional issues with this thread may result in it being locked. Please keep conversation relevant to the tank in the thread and off topic.

Also OP for what it is worth, you original scape was a lot more open and provided far more areas for coral placement. Your current scape likely has a lot of dead spots, it might be worth your time to look at it if you want to successfully keep coral.

Your Xenia didn't die for no reason, nor were your water parameters perfect at the time. You were struggling with salinity at that point in the thread, and that is most likely what caused the decline of your xenia. Once established in a tank, xenia is very hardy and is a great indicator of decline in water quality. Learning to read your corals is as important in maintaining a reef tank as learning to read your test kits.

[10gal_nano]

Well, that's that. The bulb hasn't come yet. Don't know why? What's the latest usps delivers?

[Macscale]

Originally Posted by 10gal_nano

Well, that's that. The bulb hasn't come yet. Don't know why? What's the latest usps delivers?

I believe the hours end at 6. If it was shipped UPS, and the transferred to USPS, then it won't get to you till tomorrow.

[10gal_nano]

Originally Posted by Macscale

I believe the hours end at 6. If it was shipped UPS, and the transferred to USPS, then it won't get to you till tomorrow.

Oh, ok. I guess it's tomorrow then. Disappointed.

[Macscale]

Originally Posted by 10gal_nano

Oh, ok. I guess it's tomorrow then. Disappointed.

Yeah. The first time it happened to me u was really disappointed. They hold it at the post office and the pack it on a truck the next day.

[DaveMc]

Don't ya hate that lol. I was same way waiting for my stuff

[10gal_nano]

Yep. Hate waiting for things

[Wy Renegade]

So someone suggested that my last post maybe needed a little clarification. Three to four elements have been found to be key in successfully keeping a reef aquarium. The first is a mature, well established tank; some corals, particularly softies are very hardy and will ok in a tank that is not fully matured or stable, others will not. Second is chemical composition (including salinity); in many ways this goes hand in hand with maturity - when levels like salinity are not stable and where they need to be, it also usually means that other elements are not where they need to be, as your salt is what sets those levels in a reef tank. Third is proper lighting; you are already making some adjustments in your lighting so that is good. Fourth and often described as most important, is water flow. Water flow on a natural reef system is amazing - these animals cannot move, so they rely on water flow to eliminate waste and bring in new fresh water. Without currents, they would drown in their own muck. Flow in the reef tank is no less important, therefore a scape is not only about creating a spot to provide placement for coral, it is also about being shaped and open enough to allow the maximum amount of water flow throughout the reef area as well as provide for water movement around your coral placements.

My observation was that your initial scape did a much better job of meeting those goals than your current scape does, therefore it may be to your benefit to look at revising your scape in an effort to meet those goals, if maintaining a high quality, functioning reef system is your overall goal.

I used to know where the two very well written articles on water flow were located, but I lost my bookmarks when I changed search engines, so I'll have to do a little looking to see if I can refind them for you.

Hopefully that helps clarify some things.

[10gal_nano]

Originally Posted by Wy Renegade

So someone suggested that my last post maybe needed a little clarification. Three to four elements have been found to be key in successfully keeping a reef aquarium. The first is a mature, well established tank; some corals, particularly softies are very hardy and will ok in a tank that is not fully matured or stable, others will not. Second is chemical composition (including salinity); in many ways this goes hand in hand with maturity - when levels like salinity are not stable and where they need to be, it also usually means that other elements are not where they need to be, as your salt is what sets those levels in a reef tank. Third is proper lighting; you are already making some adjustments in your lighting so that is good. Fourth and often described as most important, is water flow. Water flow on a natural reef system is amazing - these animals cannot move, so they rely on water flow to eliminate waste and bring in new fresh water. Without currents, they would drown in their own muck. Flow in the reef tank is no less important, therefore a scape is not only about creating a spot to provide placement for coral, it is also about being shaped and open enough to allow the maximum amount of water flow throughout the reef area as well as provide for water movement around your coral placements.

My observation was that your initial scape did a much better job of meeting those goals than your current scape does, therefore it may be to your benefit to look at revising your scape in an effort to meet those goals, if maintaining a high quality, functioning reef system is your overall goal.

I used to know where the two very well written articles on water flow were located, but I lost my bookmarks when I changed search engines, so I'll have to do a little looking to see if I can refind them for you.

Hopefully that helps clarify some things.

My scape has not changed except for 1 rock. I will look at changing it today. Thanks. I need a better power head also. I will probably get the koralia 240 my light is for sure coming today. It is out for delivery now.

[Wy Renegade]

Originally Posted by 10gal_nano

Attachment 225848
A view of the whole tank so far.

Originally Posted by 10gal_nano

Fts!!

Originally Posted by 10gal_nano

My scape has not changed except for 1 rock. I will look at changing it today. Thanks. I need a better power head also. I will probably get the koralia 240 my light is for sure coming today. It is out for delivery now.

I guess it could be a factor or the angle of the picture or growth on the rock, but to me, these two pictures look nothing alike and the second picture looks like it has a whole lot more than only one rock added.

Hhhhmmmm . . . looking closer with the two side by side it looks like most of your additions are rocks with corals, and the lighting in the second picture maybe makes it look darker and denser than the original shot under white light.

[Wy Renegade]

Some articles that may help;

Feature Article: Water flow is more important for corals than light. Part 1. Introduction to Gas Exchange — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

Feature Article: Water flow is more important for corals than light. Part II: The science of corals and water flow — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

Feature Article: Water Flow is More Important for Corals Than Light Part 4: Basics of Hydrodynamics — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

Feature Article: Water Flow is More Important for Corals Than Light, Part V — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

For some reason, article three did not come up, but I'm sure if you do some looking you will be able to find it.

Hope those help.

[10gal_nano]

Yep. The newest fts was using a terrible camera with blue lights on.

[10gal_nano]

The angle was different too. I added a rock on the left.

[Macscale]

Originally Posted by 10gal_nano

My scape has not changed except for 1 rock. I will look at changing it today. Thanks. I need a better power head also. I will probably get the koralia 240 my light is for sure coming today. It is out for delivery now.

It's more then one rock. There is a couple that are very noticeable on the left. Seems like you were creating more caves or overhangs and something. You however kept the main structure on the right. Maybe it would help if you took a picture with the same lights and angle?