Nick's Miracle Build
- Thread starter this is me
- Start date
OP
OP
this is me
I like turtles
I probably lucked out on this system. I do not do much maintenance on it. I do a 45gallons water change every week and clean out the skimmer. Every month or so, I would change out the carbon and GFO. I use IO 200gallons box salt that comes with 4 bags of salt in the box that makes roughly 45gallons with SG of 1.025.
ALK/CA/MG is provided by the calcium reactor and the dosing units. I dose ALK and CA because my reactor is undersized and I don't want the PH to drop too much because of the excess of CO2. ALK is 8dKH, CA=420ppm, MG=1400ppm
Last time I tested PO4(sometime last year) is 0.04ppm. I generally try to keep is under 0.1ppm. If it rises above that, I would change out the GFO. I haven't tested nitrate for the longest time.
I don't do any sand bad stirring or cleaning. I have about 6 fighting conches in the tank that work pretty hard on the sand. My whitetail bristle tang also peck on the sand. I recently added a female mandarin and I've seen both mandarins going at it on the sand. Being able to sustain a mandarin without adding copepods is the biggest reward to me. I had the male for about 4 months now and it's getting huge with a very long dorsal fin spike. I constantly look at the belly to see if it has enough to eat and that it's not pinched. If it's pinched, the mandarin need added source of food(which can be quite painful). The male has been doing so good that I decided to add a female. It was difficult for me to obtain a female. All I've seen were males. I finally found one at Jays about two weeks ago but with a pinched stomach. I kept walking back and forth but decided to bring it home. The female is doing better but it still have a slight pinched belly but it's improving.
I also had Aquatic Creation held me a Biota female mandarin. When I got here and saw the mandarin, it was tiny(3/4") and I realized it probably will not work since my male is about 3.5". It either will get lost in the tank or the male might give it a little bite and that would be the end of it. It was beautiful though. I would have a pair of these if I didn't have such a big male already.
jdeb101
Non-member
OP
OP
this is me
I like turtles
I think my female manderin is pregnant(?). I got her about 2 to 3 months ago with pinched stomach since it did not have enough to eat at the LFS. After about a month, it gained weight and kept going. But I think it's actually carry eggs(?)
Rounded dorsal fin clearly shows it's a female.
Look at that girth.
The male. Got him about 6 months now. 1st attempt of finding him a mate was a failure. Turned out what I thought was a female was actually a young male. That young male is now in my secondary tank and doing great as well.
Look at his dorsal spine. Very long spike. Too bad it wasn't flaring.
Together
Rounded dorsal fin clearly shows it's a female.
Look at that girth.
The male. Got him about 6 months now. 1st attempt of finding him a mate was a failure. Turned out what I thought was a female was actually a young male. That young male is now in my secondary tank and doing great as well.
Look at his dorsal spine. Very long spike. Too bad it wasn't flaring.
Together
OP
OP
this is me
I like turtles
Some new toy.
Well, I’ve been saying the Schuran Jet 1 is a terrific ca rx but undersized for my tank. I usually have to empty the media every 4 months or so. That way too often.
Here’s what arrived today. Geo818. The stupid amount of media I have to buy to fill this thing.
Well, I’ve been saying the Schuran Jet 1 is a terrific ca rx but undersized for my tank. I usually have to empty the media every 4 months or so. That way too often.
Here’s what arrived today. Geo818. The stupid amount of media I have to buy to fill this thing.
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OP
OP
this is me
I like turtles
Mandarins are at it tonight. I gotta say, I see some really interesting stuff with the actinic light after the halides go off. The two was doing this for 45mins at least until everything went dark. I wish I can last as long as they do.
OP
OP
this is me
I like turtles
hai nguyen
Non-member
Wow that’s nice i almost getting another mandarin because of this beautiful man
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afboundguy
Acan's are inedible candy
Gives me another reason to want a bigger tank so I could support a mandarin...
mustangtjb
Well-Known Member
Picked up the Honda generator from Nick yesterday (thanks again Nick) and he was kind enough to give my girls and myself the tour.
All I can say is W O W. An absolute stunning setup (and i've realized I'm simply not worthy) ;-) The pics and video do it some justice but in person just wow.
Best of luck with it Nick and thanks again.
All I can say is W O W. An absolute stunning setup (and i've realized I'm simply not worthy) ;-) The pics and video do it some justice but in person just wow.
Best of luck with it Nick and thanks again.
OP
OP
this is me
I like turtles
Thanks Tom!
Good luck with the EU2000. It has saved my reef tanks many times. Hope it will do the same to yours.
Good luck with the EU2000. It has saved my reef tanks many times. Hope it will do the same to yours.
