Fluval Spec V Mini Lagoon

[Brickster]

I really liked these little Spec 5 gallon tanks from the moment I saw them. The shape has some real limitations, but boy does it do it with style! In the same week I found a cheap spec with a bad light, and an 18" single bright Marineland LED on super-clearance. Turns out that Marineland bar fits the display like a glove. In the spirit of fixing a Ford with Chevy parts, I added a Marineland 404 return pump and a Tetra HT10 heater. I added some Mopar weirdness too with a Coralife fuge light stuck to the back. The pump, heater and light were all left over from a 2.5g nano I got tired of taking care of, glad to see them back in use. For being a mashup of parts, everything fits together like OEM once you pry off the old LED mount.

The filter section has been repurposed. The foam block was cut way down, but retained to protect the pump intake. A little rubble forms a base, and cheato will live in the rest. Warm colored home depot bulbs were fitted to the fuge light, and it runs at night. I'm hoping this will help stabilize pH, and maximize pod growth. I have heard of people using the 606 pump as returns on these too, but it could be overkill. You have to remove the front and back covers to fit it, and that seems to remove a big restriction. Fluval put a clever twisted profile on the return that makes for lots of surface agitation, and the water tumbles all the way to the far end. I have seen people plug up the lower hole on the weir to 'improve' the overflow, but I don't recommend that. It sits in the most stagnant spot of the tank, and is the only flow you get by the base of the wall.

So here it is!



Just started with only the stuff I brought over from the 40B

...And after a quick trip to town





Everybody still waking up. Not sure what the stringy thing is at right. That rock is from the 40 and its been growing steadily for a month. Getting fuzzy and purple. Leather should make a nice home for any fish small enough to live in here.




Luckiest. shrimp. ever. Sucks to go into a spankin new nano, awesome to get out of the tank with the mantis. Stay alive for two months, win your freedom. So says the law of thunderdome. Poor things were so eager to leave I didn't need a net. They rode more or less willingly out by hand from one tank to the other.

I just like this picture.



No firm plans for livestock yet. The peppermint shrimp may even get yanked depending on what I decide. The tiny grassbed is practically begging to be a species tank for something small and strange. The layout will remain very open, with the macro being allowed to fill the tall, skinny space. Could be a lot of fun, could be a hot mess. Maybe both. Here goes nothin!

[CoryDude]

I've always loved the peninsula tank. You're right...with all the macro that tank is begging to be a species tank.

[Brickster]

Thanks! Both of my marine tanks are positioned to view on both sides and it really does double the visual area of the tank.

I did a little rearranging this morning, opening up more sandbed. The 40B is pretty turbid, so I don't want to freak everything out (microfauna-wise) by suddenly cutting off the food. The tank received a generous dose of Chromaplex and brine last night, and the macro is looking nice and perky this morning. Dumping food in like that was kind of a gamble, but it seems to have worked. If nitrates spike I have piles more macro and/or fertilizer to clean it up.





One of the shrimp already molted. Probably thanking Posiedon or whatever to have escaped the other tank first, lol. I'm glad these two are in here, Peppermints are fun in little tanks. Hands don't freak them out, so they like to clean your cuticles while you work when they're comfortable.

[CoryDude]

One of the shrimp already molted. Probably thanking Posiedon or whatever to have escaped the other tank first, lol. I'm glad these two are in here, Peppermints are fun in little tanks. Hands don't freak them out, so they like to clean your cuticles while you work when they're comfortable.

My cleaner shrimp does that and it's still the freakiest feeling.

[Brickster]

FTS



New palys



The coral's new arrangement, with everyone looking very pleased.



On a weird note, both of the peppermint shrimp died of sort of mysterious cause. Went to work with them running around doing their thing, came home and both were dead within a few hour window. I really don't know what can kill both of them while the coral doesn't miss a beat. Even the little hitch hiker brittle stars are still ok. It was right after the palys went in, but I have no clue how that would be relevant.

Initial observations about this setup:

-Needs an ATO. The tank loses a full 16oz drinking glass each day. The tiny sump makes the level drop very quickly, which is an issue if you want that area to be packed with a heater and/or fuge.

-You could drill this tank for a sump really easily. The back area is 1 7/8" inside, which is enough room for a bulkhead in the back and a street ell for a standpipe. That's not a priority for me, but if one of you likes these tanks too and wanted to be more aggressive, it would be absolute cake to drill it. The design will help, not hinder.

-300 lumens of 8K light isn't exactly alot, but macro and brown corals think its great. It's my first LED tank, so I'm still amazed by the shimmer. Petco has these on super-clearance. Y'all might not want one for a display, but it would make a kickass fuge light. These things come up to around 36" long.

-Brown corals and macro make for a really undemanding nano. Just want to look at it, not mess with it

[Brickster]

Updated FTS



Looking a little fuzzy, haven't cleaned it yet in the hopes the grunge is beneficial to micro-fauna growth. Still, it's about snail time. No water changes thus far, so I really need to get on that. Everything is looking happy, even the copper zoas that never did well in the other tank, likewise for the dragons breath macro. Feedings daily with chromoplex, and an occasional shot of microvert and plant fertilizer.

[Brickster]

A little over a month since the last update, all positive news to report. The tank has been very smooth and even tempered. There is a trio of cerith snails, but no other roaming critters yet. Coral has been doing great, and a few new items have been added as well. Scape is in more or less final layout, with coral at one end, macro at the other and the flower anemone in the middle.



Still not really using the fuge area. It's so easy and clean feeding just liquid that I haven't had serious nutrient issues yet. The tank went through a bit of a cyano phase (at least on the glass), but that was with the original 7 week old water. Tank got its first w/c a couple of days ago. I'm about ready to add some mobile inverts. The nem would make a nice home for sexy shrimp, which are a species I have wanted to keep for some time. I'd like to add a little goby, but I am not sure if the anemone would eat them. Anybody know if a neon or clown goby would be safe?