Nano-Tank Update (Lots of Pictures)

[moonyguy]

Hello Guys,

Here are some shots of my pico tank at 6-months. Added some new LR to give more surface area for the frags. I upgraded the lights to a 20W 50/50 PC. The original hood couldnt hold the light due to its long length so I modified a table lamp to fit the 20W bulb along with moon lights. I got the bulb for 12$ shipped from a fellow reefer online. The moon lights were free from Premium Aquatics for winning a photo contest they sponsored. Now the corals. The candy cane and frogspawn have grown very big over the last couple of months. I also got lots of free frags from Coral Fanatics for again winning a photo contest they sponsored. Some zoas, a ricordea, a toadstool and some sps (might not survive) were added during the last two months and so far the tank has been holding pretty well. Just regular water changes along with a drop of phyto every week is all the maintainence so far. I am tempted to dose something for the SPS but since I dont have a test kit to test for them I am holding back.
Comments and suggestions are welcome.
clear skies
Vishnu

http://www.geocities.com/moonyguy/Pico11.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/moonyguy/Pico13.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/moonyguy/Pico9.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/moonyguy/Pico10.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/moonyguy/Pico12.jpg

[Kigs]

i like your tank Vishnu, it's very neat and cool looking. the lr you have looks like the big hill from lion king where simba sits above all animals.. haha

[thebrian]

Very nice tank. I think you might want to get rid of the crushed coral/gravel though, and go either bare-bottom or sand, as the crushed coral/gravel will build up detritus very quickly.

~Brian

[moonyguy]

Thanks a lot guys. Brian. I agree that the crushed coral bed is a lot harder to maintain than LS. Thats one of the mistakes I made as a beginner. I will keep it in mind and try and replace it with just LS.
Any suggestions on dosing?
clear skies
Vishnu

[nonamesright]

i can't help with dosing but just wanted to compliment you on doing a great job aquascaping. i thought it looked like a mountain coming out of the sea. i love how the candycane and frogpawn florecse (sp?) under acticnic. good job.

[moonyguy]

Thanks a lot for your kind words. I didnt realize that they florecse till I turned on those lights. The picture does not do justice to the real neon green color thats very amazing. I got lucky with that frag ...LFS thought it was dead and gave it to me for 5$;)

[Henry22]

put something in their. No fish, but maybe a cleaner or peppermint or something along those lins. Just a little movement

[moonyguy]

Since there is not a whole lot of room in the tank I was worried about putting a shrimp. Do they need a lot of room to dig around of can they be fed something from outside? I had a small damsel before when I started but quickly learned that the bio load was way too much and took him out...besides he kicked up a lot of sand and crushed coral and messed up my coral. I will read more and see if I can get a shrimp.

[Henry22]

my cleaner shirmp stays in one place most of the day, i dont have moonlights to watch after all the lights go out in my room. But when i feed him tetramin marine flakes he goes crazy. He swims around catching all the food and stuff. I think it would be ok to have a cleaner, but i have never had a pico. YOu oculd also try a sexy shrimp.

[moonyguy]

Cool will go and take a look at what is there at my LFS this weekend. Thanks for the advice.
Vishnu