Louis' Cubic Adventure - Page 2

tomcoleman · #26 02/08/2006, 09:40 AM

i have a Mirabello 30 Tank Size: 43 x 27 x 35cm (17'' x 11'' x 14'')
Will the AquaMedic Oceanlight 150w fit my tank?
where can i get them from ?

louist · #27 02/08/2006, 05:46 PM

The AquaMedic mounting legs only extends to around 29cm, I did a quick mod to allow it to span the whole 30cm. It could go as far as 35cm, but 43 would be too wide unfortunately! You could hang it though.

I got mine from Chris, of Nanotuners. Great services and awesome light.

louist · #28 02/13/2006, 06:22 AM

I am afraid I have potentially very bad news! I flick on the light, and there it was! an isopod! it swam around then dug itself under a rock and disappeared.

Reading on RC, I can say its exterior anatomy is that of a Cirolanid Isopod, I can only hope it is a scavanging variety and not a parasitic one. I would hate to nuke the tank and restart, since treating this bug is very difficult.

However, I might leave the tank fishless for maybe 3 month and see what happens, my original plan was for an invert tank anyway.

Here's an article from Reef Keeping Mag that's good reading:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-05/rs/index.htm

The little guy is a great swimmer and digger, I doubt I can catch him with a net. Apparently they are nocternal, and detach from their host when light comes on, and they come out of hiding when the lights go off again, therefore some people never realise they have these bugs.

I am quite p***ed off about this because the tank just entered the nitrite/nitrate cycling stage, and I been waiting to add a cleanup crew!

On the up side though, the rocks came with an awesome hitchhiker! I believe it's a coral from the Siderastrea genus of the Order of Scleractinia. These corals are rarely collected because of difficulties in removing them from their attached rock. Mine is an orangy pink color and around 8cm in diameter. These corals are known to tolerate extreme conditions and dubbed "almost invincible". Mine has tolerated through cycling conditions with ammonia conc greater than 1.6mg/L, nitrite of 1.6mg/L and nitrate >110mg/L. This little guy came to me totally bleached and recovered to full glory in less than a month!

louist · #29 02/13/2006, 06:23 AM

Oh I get it! You guys are not replying to my thread because you are applying peer pressure and see if I would hurry up an get some corals!

Well corals you want? Coral you shall have! Allow me to present you Siderastrea sp.!! Came as a hitchhiker on the LR and survive through chemical hell only to come back in full glory as a testiment to its invincibility.

Sorry I lied, they are not all corals. You tell me what this is?!

The tri-tunicate, hopefully it hasn't been ID'ed, then I can publish a paper on it

Nitrate and nitrite are crashing, so a cleanup crew would soon be introduced.

Is it just me, or have you guys and girls also noticed that I tend to take photos of the strangest things in my tank? Who would have known a tank of LR is so much fun?!

rbrice020378 · #30 02/13/2006, 09:53 AM

These are some awesome pictures. Can you share with us what type of camera you are using?

Nice setup by the way. I love the Chiller Probe can you post a picture of it in place?

Surfzup2k4 · #31 02/13/2006, 10:08 AM

Also, the "Red sponge" in the second pics of the rock is actually a Sea Squirt, also called a tunicate.

Looks great, goodluck with the awesome looking tank.

fishinbuc · #32 02/13/2006, 01:11 PM

Looks great. Awesome photos.

louist · #33 02/13/2006, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rbrice020378
These are some awesome pictures. Can you share with us what type of camera you are using?

Nice setup by the way. I love the Chiller Probe can you post a picture of it in place?

Hey thanks for the nice words

I shoot these with a Canon EOS 10D with 180mm macro lens and a 25mm extension tube if the organism is especially small. I shoot everything with a sutrdy tripod. I usually turn the powerhead and filter off during photo shoots.

I am plumbing the chiller in this weekend, I have been discussing the wiring with my mechtronics friend to make sure I don't cook anything or burn the house down! I will post photos then, but it will basically go on the lid of the AC70.

louist · #34 02/13/2006, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Surfzup2k4
Also, the "Red sponge" in the second pics of the rock is actually a Sea Squirt, also called a tunicate. Looks great, goodluck with the awesome looking tank.

LOL yes, sharp eye there. I have been corrected many times, and still haven't got around to fixing that error! Will do that now. Sadly, Mr Tunicate isn't with us anymore, I was a little too aggressive with the brushing when I took all the LR out and gave them a clean.

It was a cool looking thing though! However, now I have translucent ones!

vanmo92 · #35 02/13/2006, 06:19 PM

nice

louist · #36 02/19/2006, 12:57 AM

The tank hs finally cycled! I added 1 turbo, 1 astrea and 1 hermit. The snails have since mowed through the algae like there's no tomorrow, in fact I am almost worried that they will starve in the long run?! Now they are taking a break, must be too full!

Wiring the peltier cooler: The peltier draws 60W of power @ 12DV, which means it will need a power supply that's capable of 5A of power. I got a PSU that's designed for car and personal coolers that meets that rating. In reality, the peltier draws 4A, and the fan draws 350mA, so I am still within spec.

The black object on the side of the heatsink is a thermal cutout that will turn the peltier off in case the fan fails.

Gorgonia

Goniopora that came with the Gorgonia. They are both sitting on a piece of large tunicate! I feed these guys the Hikari brime shrimps.

Last but not least, welcome the new resident of nanoville! He's a male Synchiropus Pictures that's on frozen food already. I am working on traning him to eat sinking pallets too. Wish me luck!

Cooling capability:
Time - Tank temp - fan/peltier on? - ambient temp - light on?
12:08PM - 28.5 - both ON - 29.0 - light OFF
12:50PM - 28.0 - both ON - 29.0 - light ON
13:20PM - 28.5 - both ON - 30.5 - light ON
14:00PM - 29.0 - both ON - 31.5 - light ON
15:35PM - 30.0 - both ON - 32.0 - light ON
16:52PM - 30.0 - both ON - 32.0 - light ON

BelowH20 · #37 02/19/2006, 04:14 PM

Cool tank set-up, and great photos. Good luck with the mandarin as well, they are difficult in small tanks.

louist · #38 02/19/2006, 04:53 PM

Thanks BelowH20, I am trying to feed the little guy as often as I can, and hence that's why I am trying to setup a feeder thingie for him so that he gets a more constant supply of frozen food, it also means that he gets to take his time eating. They are not the most aggressive feeders by a long way.

He's isn't going into the Mandarin Diner yet.

rbrice020378 · #39 02/19/2006, 06:09 PM

That freakin' rocks, awesome Ice Probe you give me hope on doing up my 12 and a 5.5 and being able to keep them cool.

louist · #40 02/20/2006, 07:52 PM

That's why I "data logged" the cooling capability and posted it here. The IceProbe is really only useful for counteracting temperature generated by equipment, and especially useful when your fan is already doing everything it can but you still need that 1 extra degree of pull down.

Thanks for looking. The Gorgonia loves a sand bottom stirring and it comes out to feed with full forth when I blow the rocks down before a water change.

kase · #41 02/20/2006, 08:20 PM

more pic..ahahah i am going crazy for pics..i hate my self for getting into this hobby....lol..love the tank dude..i think i want a 10g for the desk now..it like a drug..keep on wanting more..damn..i like it..

louist · #42 02/26/2006, 12:04 AM

Some update:
I have stocked the tank with these corals this weekend:
1x Sinulria sp.
1x green+orange zooanthid
1x orange Dendronephthya
1x corallimorphian (came attached to the zoos)

The Dendronephthya will be fed the 5-50micron golden pearls with other mixture of food much like the Gorgonia.

In addition, the litle Mandarin is now feeding with earnest! I add garlic to his frozen food and he loves it! Now I know how parents feel when their skinny kid is eating! Smile

I have also done a quick rearrangement of the rocks to provide more estate for corals.

Lastly, I have wired up a cold cathod for a moonlight, this allows me to see what no good my hermit gets up to during the night. The snail ate the beautiful red macro algae that came with the dendro, I was quite upset with him!

#1: FTS!

#2: A hitchhiking worm, looks more like a coral snake to me! Guy's tiny

#3: The unsung heros of reef aquarium! He does produce a lot of waste though.....

#4: Dendronephthya

#5: Green/orange Zooanthids

louist · #43 02/26/2006, 12:06 AM

#6: Gorgonia

#7: Sinularia sp.

#8: More Dendronephthya

#9: Even more Dendronephthya

#10: Zooanthid closeups!

#11: Growing Goniopora, seems to like eating shrimps

louist · #44 02/26/2006, 07:35 AM

Let there be moonlight!

alien9168 · #45 02/26/2006, 01:19 PM

very nice!

Where did u get the cube?

-alien

louist · #46 02/26/2006, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Where did u get the cube?

I purchased the tank here, locally in Sydney. It's made by one of the local aquarium manufacturer here.

All glass, 30x30x35 LxWxH, with rounded front corner as you can see. I don't like braced corners or silliconed ones for the front. Not on a nano anyway.

jasutton · #47 02/26/2006, 06:33 PM

Dendronephthya

are they hard to keep??

smy168 · #48 02/26/2006, 06:38 PM

WOW...niice tank and great pics!

louist · #49 02/27/2006, 05:10 AM

Quote:

Dendronephthya

are they hard to keep??

Good reading right here on RC:
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...hreadid=524097

SY: Thanks!

I received the golden pearls today. My little Mandarin isn't interested in it, but the Dendro showed strong feeding responses to the 5-50micron one. Today I also scrapped down the glass, to which the tank looked like a phyto reactor

This elicited strong feeding response from both the Dendro and the Gorgonia.

alien9168 · #50 02/28/2006, 06:19 PM

Thanks for the link louist!

-alien