SO I thought I had started a tank thread on ARC already, but I must not have published it....anyways, hi! A little backstory before I dive into this tank:
I lived in SW Florida up until about 5 years ago. While living there, I ran a 6 gallon Fluval edge, which then became a topless edge due to chipping the front left corner, that basically became a biotope since I had a shoreline fishing license. I wound up using sand (waded out into the water and pulled it up from there), rock, and water from a Naples beach (this was before said beach was polluted by runoff from Lake Okeechobee). I brought home a variety of macros that I'd find washed up after storms or just clumps of things floating in the water that I'd bring home in buckets and sort through, a couple purple fleshed gorgonians (it wound up being nps), snapping/pistol shrimp, a variety of small crabs, some bivalves, a sponge, and some mangroves that were leafing and sprouting roots. I freaking LOVED this tank. I didn't have much coral, but I had a lot of cool crap in there that sprung up from having almost every element being brought in from the beach. I sadly had to break it down in 2016 to move from Florida to Wisconsin, and I wasn't allowed to have even my 6 gallon aquarium so it eventually went to Goodwill. Fast forward to today....
I picked up this Gankpike 12 gallon tank! It's a bit weird that it's rounded in the front, but I like it since you're seeing one of the side views when you walk in the font door and you get the other side when you sit on the futon! I originally wanted the 8 gallon from the same brand, but they were out of stock on Amazon and on their site until like just yesterday. I've had my tank since the end of March and I started putting the basics in it April 2nd - happy birthday to me!
As of this posting, I have diatoms, but they've considerably lessened since just a few days ago.
If you're unfamiliar with the Gankpike brand/12gal tank:
10 gallon display
2 gallon back area
L: 20.3" x W: 10.6" x H: 14"
rounded glass, w/black acrylic between display and equipment
I've been running the stock equipment that came with it, and some of it kind of sucks. (April 2st to April 21, 2021)
What was included:
-Air pump (taking out once I get the filter in place, will use to mix water)
-Heater - 50w but might higher (kept)
-Protein skimmer (removed)
-Digital thermometer with c/f options (kept)
-Filter media that kind of just stacks in the center section? (temporarily kept, to be removed)
-Clip on led lamp with 3 lighting settings, a timer, and 5 intensity settings (temporarily kept, replacing)
My equipment (adding all by April 21, 2021):
-Hygger magnetic mini wave maker with controller (Gonna guess that I'll probably have to put it on a low setting for my size tank haha)
-Aquaclear 50 (will be a combo of filter+refugium)
-Acke 12w led light for refugium
-Black AI prime 16 HD with bendy arm (I hope this is a good light lol it says 24x24x24 my tank is 14 deep)
-Grounding probe
Starting livestock:
-18 out 20 pounds of aragonite live sand - not sure why I didn't just use the last 2 pounds
- 1.5inch sand bed
-18 pounds of live rock: 2 pieces from Petco, 1 piece from Premier Aquatics (PA piece has some sort of sps maybe monti?? and teeny tiny zoas on it!)
-Several small snails, possibly nassarius, too tiny to get pics of
-Tiny feather duster worms all over the bottom of the PA rock
-Yellow sponge near the top of the PA rock
-Small plug of xenia propped against the back wall in hopes that it'll grow up the back
-Little rock covered in unnamed zoas, only a handful kind of open, the rest stay closed. (Lighting issue, I think since they've been dipped twice now since I got em)
-I FORGOT TO BUY A CUC and I don't drive so taking a Lyft to Petco today (April 18, 2021)
-Small amount of chaeto, will be moved to filter/refugium April 19, 2021)
Pests**:
-bristle worms
-vermetid snails
-asterina starfish
Dosed with Dr. Tim's on April 5, 2021
We've got PODS! April 17, 2021 - I'm beyond stupidly excited about this for some reason. Don't laugh at me, please! haha
I think this is a good start! so I'm going to post for now and head to bed.
*linked items might be differently priced than when posted or what you might find in stores; linking so people can get a better idea of what I'm using. I'm not affiliated with Amazon.
**"pests" being subjective
***Yes, I like to write disclaimers
I lived in SW Florida up until about 5 years ago. While living there, I ran a 6 gallon Fluval edge, which then became a topless edge due to chipping the front left corner, that basically became a biotope since I had a shoreline fishing license. I wound up using sand (waded out into the water and pulled it up from there), rock, and water from a Naples beach (this was before said beach was polluted by runoff from Lake Okeechobee). I brought home a variety of macros that I'd find washed up after storms or just clumps of things floating in the water that I'd bring home in buckets and sort through, a couple purple fleshed gorgonians (it wound up being nps), snapping/pistol shrimp, a variety of small crabs, some bivalves, a sponge, and some mangroves that were leafing and sprouting roots. I freaking LOVED this tank. I didn't have much coral, but I had a lot of cool crap in there that sprung up from having almost every element being brought in from the beach. I sadly had to break it down in 2016 to move from Florida to Wisconsin, and I wasn't allowed to have even my 6 gallon aquarium so it eventually went to Goodwill. Fast forward to today....
I picked up this Gankpike 12 gallon tank! It's a bit weird that it's rounded in the front, but I like it since you're seeing one of the side views when you walk in the font door and you get the other side when you sit on the futon! I originally wanted the 8 gallon from the same brand, but they were out of stock on Amazon and on their site until like just yesterday. I've had my tank since the end of March and I started putting the basics in it April 2nd - happy birthday to me!
As of this posting, I have diatoms, but they've considerably lessened since just a few days ago.If you're unfamiliar with the Gankpike brand/12gal tank:
10 gallon display
2 gallon back area
L: 20.3" x W: 10.6" x H: 14"
rounded glass, w/black acrylic between display and equipment
I've been running the stock equipment that came with it, and some of it kind of sucks. (April 2st to April 21, 2021)
What was included:
-Air pump (taking out once I get the filter in place, will use to mix water)
-Heater - 50w but might higher (kept)
-Protein skimmer (removed)
-Digital thermometer with c/f options (kept)
-Filter media that kind of just stacks in the center section? (temporarily kept, to be removed)
-Clip on led lamp with 3 lighting settings, a timer, and 5 intensity settings (temporarily kept, replacing)
My equipment (adding all by April 21, 2021):
-Hygger magnetic mini wave maker with controller (Gonna guess that I'll probably have to put it on a low setting for my size tank haha)
-Aquaclear 50 (will be a combo of filter+refugium)
-Acke 12w led light for refugium
-Black AI prime 16 HD with bendy arm (I hope this is a good light lol it says 24x24x24 my tank is 14 deep)
-Grounding probe
Starting livestock:
-18 out 20 pounds of aragonite live sand - not sure why I didn't just use the last 2 pounds
- 1.5inch sand bed
-18 pounds of live rock: 2 pieces from Petco, 1 piece from Premier Aquatics (PA piece has some sort of sps maybe monti?? and teeny tiny zoas on it!)
-Several small snails, possibly nassarius, too tiny to get pics of
-Tiny feather duster worms all over the bottom of the PA rock
-Yellow sponge near the top of the PA rock
-Small plug of xenia propped against the back wall in hopes that it'll grow up the back
-Little rock covered in unnamed zoas, only a handful kind of open, the rest stay closed. (Lighting issue, I think since they've been dipped twice now since I got em)
-I FORGOT TO BUY A CUC and I don't drive so taking a Lyft to Petco today (April 18, 2021)
-Small amount of chaeto, will be moved to filter/refugium April 19, 2021)
Pests**:
-bristle worms
-vermetid snails
-asterina starfish
Dosed with Dr. Tim's on April 5, 2021
We've got PODS! April 17, 2021 - I'm beyond stupidly excited about this for some reason. Don't laugh at me, please! haha
I think this is a good start! so I'm going to post for now and head to bed.
*linked items might be differently priced than when posted or what you might find in stores; linking so people can get a better idea of what I'm using. I'm not affiliated with Amazon.
**"pests" being subjective
***Yes, I like to write disclaimers
I'm not really wanting to take close up pics right now 'cause it's ugly. I'm sure everyone understands haha
