# your views



## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

boyu orca nano cube 24g for a reef set-up, seen one cheap on eBay, is it worth getting?


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## _jake_ (Jul 3, 2008)

They're pretty good, not keeping marine privately but at a shop I used too we had one as a display. From my point of view it's easy to do maintanence, has good lighting and looks great! They sold well too. Go for it


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

_jake_ said:


> They're pretty good, not keeping marine privately but at a shop I used too we had one as a display. From my point of view it's easy to do maintanence, has good lighting and looks great! They sold well too. Go for it


 do they come with all filters/heaters etc needed?


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## _jake_ (Jul 3, 2008)

I think so, I'd hope so with the price of some of them!! I'm sure the model is the one with all heaters and filtration in a compartment at the back of the tank.


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

Is it the 450 or 550? I just got the 550 and it is fab - lights, filter, heat, UV and skimmer builtin


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

brittone05 said:


> Is it the 450 or 550? I just got the 550 and it is fab - lights, filter, heat, UV and skimmer builtin


 i dont know, doesnt say. just says its 24gallon :whip:. it looks like the 550, so im gunna say its that :lol2:


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

Having thought am sure the 550 is 28g could that be it - has the stand got metal bars either side of it? xx


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

yes it has. maybe the person listing it got it wrong, bigger than i thought, always a bonus :2thumb:


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

I think that is a 450 then hun as the 550's i have seen don't have them 

The 450 is a good size though just about 22" square i beleive


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## berry1 (Sep 25, 2010)

the 450 has the same equipment as the 550 so i say its well worth it :2thumb:


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

berry1 said:


> the 450 has the same equipment as the 550 so i say its well worth it :2thumb:


this. i drilled a hole in the lid of mine & added an extra T5- an arc pod with the tube replaced by a marine one. you also need an extra circulation pump to provide a vigorous current.


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

I have a Tunze nano wave bal thing in mine 

Can I ask - does the 450 not have 1 less rear chamber than the 550?


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

i believe so, as i only have 3!! do i need a hydrometer?


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

Hey Dave :d Yes to hydrometer  Or you can get a refractometer - bit posher i beleive 

There must be a spare chamber for live rock rubble or perhaps some sort of refugium on the 550 as mine has 4 chambers!!


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

well turns out i dont have a 450!! after alot of :google: i have an orca MT50!! 80 litres aparently :lol2:


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

lmao perhaps why you couldn't find the skimmer!!


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

brittone05 said:


> lmao perhaps why you couldn't find the skimmer!!


 i think that may be the reason!! :lol2:


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## berry1 (Sep 25, 2010)

deffenatly: its still a nice tank thought you could do it skimmerless how about giving us a link and we can tell you abit more detail and if its worth it : victory:


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

heres a pic :2thumb:








yay bring on the fun


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

berry1 said:


> deffenatly: its still a nice tank thought you could do it skimmerless how about giving us a link and we can tell you abit more detail and if its worth it : victory:


 Charterhouse Aquatics: Orca MT50 Mini Aquarium (Black)


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## berry1 (Sep 25, 2010)

nice tank mate i like it just do it skimmer less as you can easily get away with it with just 80 litres of water 

if you dont mind me asking how much did you pay for it ???

only think thought if you plan on keeping corals and anemones you will most likely have to upgrade the lighting as it says power saving lights it realy isnt a big job just remove the curent light fixtures and silicone T5s into the lid where the power saving fixture was


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

davesbray said:


> heres a pic :2thumb:
> image
> yay bring on the fun


that's not an orca- that's an s & s nano tank, which has no skimmer. but you can add a nano skimmer.


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## berry1 (Sep 25, 2010)

[email protected] said:


> that's not an orca- that's an s & s nano tank, which has no skimmer. but you can add a nano skimmer.


 
your the expert on tank models mate :no1:


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

berry1 said:


> your the expert on tank models mate :no1:


far from it- i just recognised it from the pic- & the fact it has no skimmer. orcas all have skimmers. the metal bars on the stand are also a giveaway.


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

Do the orcas all have 4 back chambers?

If so, how would you best modify a mature FOWLR tank to include rowaphos and rubble filtration  Thanks xx


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## berry1 (Sep 25, 2010)

[email protected] said:


> far from it- i just recognised it from the pic- & the fact it has no skimmer. orcas all have skimmers. the metal bars on the stand are also a giveaway.


 
haha mate i wasnt being sarcastic i just ment you seem to now alot about tank models : victory:


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

berry1 said:


> nice tank mate i like it just do it skimmer less as you can easily get away with it with just 80 litres of water
> 
> if you dont mind me asking how much did you pay for it ???
> 
> only think thought if you plan on keeping corals and anemones you will most likely have to upgrade the lighting as it says power saving lights it realy isnt a big job just remove the curent light fixtures and silicone T5s into the lid where the power saving fixture was


paid £80 for it, with stand, filter, heater and lots of extras that unfortunately i cant use as they are for tropical. 

will be looking at some T5's tomorrow, will they not just connect in then? i havent even taken that bit out to have a look yet!!


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

Dave - may swap you your tropical gear for some marine test kits etc depending on what you have that i need haha xxx


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

brittone05 said:


> Dave - may swap you your tropical gear for some marine test kits etc depending on what you have that i need haha xxx


most of it is just decor. there is a ugly great skull thing, some gravel, a toothbrush...a fake coral thing and 3 mini terracota plant pots.....:? all of which i will happily swap for marine stuff :2thumb:


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## berry1 (Sep 25, 2010)

yes either swap it with dave or put it on ebay


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

woooo got some live rock going on!! took 3 attempt to scape it to how i want it, but here it is!!










also some teeny tiny starfish have appeared from the rock, so i have moving things now  yay

all still needs to settle for a week or so, todays levels are:

PH - 7.7
NO2 - <0.3mg/l
NO3 - 25mg/l
NH3 - 0.5mg/l


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

added some smaller bits of rock
















whaddya think?


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

Love the scaping  

does your test kit do PO4? You will need this I beleive I can't get mine to go down past .5-1.0 at the moment so am doing near daily water changes and added rowaphos to the filtration.

Can't wait to upgrade already haha xxx


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

no PO4 testing yet, although i do have rowaphor in the filtration compartment. i have some zoa (i think) just starting to open on one of the smaller bits :mf_dribble:


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

i thought i spotted a few polyps on the little bridge type rock yes? Close up pic perhaps hehe xx


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

brittone05 said:


> i thought i spotted a few polyps on the little bridge type rock yes? Close up pic perhaps hehe xx


 thats them!! will get a pic when more have opened. the camera wasnt playing properly and wouldnt focus eariler!!


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

What colour are they opening up to?

I just got some amazing frags - looky....





























And some normal polyps, green star polyps and i am bidding on some ricordia at the mo too lol

If i can buy the stuff out of my mates tank then I will have some pulsing xenia and a gorgeous toadstool to lol xx

( maybe able to frag one day for you too lol )


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

they are opening up a nice deep green!!! :2thumb:

NONE OF YOUR PICS WORKED :devil:

i have a mate (of a mate) who is starting to frag most of his corals, so when the time is right i will be going to see him. 
spent most of today so far researching CUC's, whats good and whats not etc. any experience/advice?

also found some hitch-hikers on the LR - 2 _Asterina anomal_ and a Eurythoe complanata so far!!


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

my CUC at present consists of 2 emerald crabs and red leg hermits.

Here are pics hopefully of the frags added this week - they are pics of the actual thing too...























































mushy my favourite so far in because it has inflated the second i placed it - it is 1 big mush i bought but there are 2 smaller ones on same frag


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

cool, loving the first 2 pics, so vibrant!!! a good variety of colour is definately something i will be working hard to get


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

I think at the moment i will be turning the nano into a total zoa garden to be honest and then moving fish set up into their big tank. May leave clowns in there though lol x


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

small tanks versus bigger tanks...

if one wants to learn the craft... and it is both a science and a craft,....

get a big tank if you want to learn... a small one if you are confident and have some decent disposible income...


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

erm...i seem to have done the opposite!! am confident, but still want to learn!! this is my first fish tank, of any sort, ever!! so far so good tho!! dont really have the space for a big tank...

zoa garden sounds good :no1: i will eventually be getting clowns, and the missus wants an anenome too, but will be doing a hell ofa lotta research before any fishys/corals go in there


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

Thanks Habu 

When I say "big" i mean 4 foot perhaps 6 depending on how it goes.

I have already got a fair few kg of live rock ready to cure, have some fish ( am more aimed towards coral to be honest, soft especially )

Just taking the plunge so to speak and seeing whathappens xxx


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

zoaphoria.co.uk sell mini maxi anemones  xxx


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

brittone05 said:


> Thanks Habu
> 
> When I say "big" i mean 4 foot perhaps 6 depending on how it goes.
> 
> ...


ditto, just with a smaller tank!!! i dont think i would be allowed even a 4ft tank atm, as i progress in the hobby, and manage to find myself a decent amount of work, i will be getting bigger tanks with the trimmings as it were!!


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

*update: (pic heavy)*

so its been a while, there have been some changes!! got some epoxy stuff so re-scaped again:









addition of some new fishys:

























and some frags and bits eventually over this weekend:

















































and finally one of the whole lot:









sorry, i know some of the pics are a bit :gasp: terrible!! lol nevermind


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

Loveee the fire goby what a stunner  looking really good hun well done  xx


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

brittone05 said:


> Loveee the fire goby what a stunner  looking really good hun well done  xx


thanks :notworthy: sorry to hear about you having to shut down your main tank. 

i keep looking at bigger ones but i know the missus wont let me :bash: well, not yet anyway!!


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