# the making of a marine pico



## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

so the other day i was browsing the classifieds (as you do) and saw a fluval chi for sale with all kit and some tropical fish...for very cheap..soooo last night i went and picked it up! the fish are now happy in my current tropical tank and plans are being made to get the kit i need to turn the chi into a marine pico









all the normal 'chi' bits will be stored in the shed, only bit im going to be using is the heater and the glass!! 










all this cost me £40

Tomorrow morning i am going to pick up a *FREE* cupboard thing that im going to take apart and custom make a large-ish cabinet, mainly to help keep the fishy stuff out of view, so more pics will follow from that 

lighting sorted







getting the LED from a TMC microhabitat, and this which is the perfect size


decided to go the route of a hang on external filter, to minimise the equipment inside the tank. im going for one of these 
which will be big enough to hide the heater in, it will provide sufficient flow, losing the need for a powerhead, and also its a filter!! so no kit in the tank at all :2thumb:

more pics will follow over the next couple of weeks. im going to take my time over this one


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## Moogloo (Mar 15, 2010)

I like! Looking forward to updates. Wonder what you're going to put in it? And how you intend to stop them jumping out?

Just lost a beautiful little shrimp that jumped through a 1cm round hole in the lid in a tank it had been happy in for a month or so! Let alone in a small tank with no lid...


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

it has a lid of sorts, although im still unsure whether to use it or not. i will not be getting any livestock (except corals) for a long time, im going to make a very definate decision about stock, but will most likely end up with a nano goby, still unsure which.


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

today i will be mostly making the cabinet for it to sit on!!!

this is what i will be ripping apart









going out to get a load of 2x2 to make a framework from...pics will be updated as the day progresses...


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Nice one Dave, looking forward to pics!

Did you see my pics from mine? Just got live rock in yesterday


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

AshMashMash said:


> Nice one Dave, looking forward to pics!
> 
> Did you see my pics from mine? Just got live rock in yesterday


 i did mate, looking good. :2thumb:

more pics...









woo - top bit of the frame done









cut out the top to fit 










started to put the legs on the top frame...then







put the legs on the wrong side...ok, changeable, wait for drill battery to charge and crack on!!


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

all problems solved rather easily








and the top on









put a side on it and its there, in place...just!!! forgot to take into account the skirting board







so had to gingerly shuffle the current nano over about 1cm praying the rock was held together well enough







...it was



























next job...put the tools away before it gets too damp out...










...ah!!


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Looking good there.


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

filter arrived today...cant help thinking it may be too big tho lol :gasp:










hmm...never mind i'll get it wet this week and see what i think then. may put it on the back aswell rather than the side

got rid of the spongey things in there and will be housing the heater, then some rowaphos and carbon...and who knows, may chuck some rock rubble in there aswell

currently trying to source some local live sand and live rock, hopefully i will have this by the end of the week :2thumb:


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## Christie_ZXR (May 14, 2011)

What a brill project! Can't wait to see it going  

Love the fluval chi tanks, but sadly I have been banned from any more tanks of any sort by the o/h, particularly when we're in an lfs and I'm pointing out how perfect the 27L would be for nano fish....

So I shall have to content myself with oohing and ahhing over other peoples!!


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

im sure you could get away with one of these









holds i think it said 1.5 quarts of water :flrt:


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

have moved the filter to the back now, looks a bit better :2thumb:


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## Christie_ZXR (May 14, 2011)

davesbray said:


> im sure you could get away with one of these
> image
> 
> holds i think it said 1.5 quarts of water :flrt:


:lol2::lol2: That is so ridiculous it's brilliant!

Now that does give me an idea...new fish tanks cunningly disguised as furniture...

Do you suppose if I brought home say, a 6ft reef tank, and put some cushions on it I could get away with passing it off as a sofa.....?


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

Christie_ZXR said:


> :lol2::lol2: That is so ridiculous it's brilliant!
> 
> Now that does give me an idea...new fish tanks cunningly disguised as furniture...
> 
> Do you suppose if I brought home say, a 6ft reef tank, and put some cushions on it I could get away with passing it off as a sofa.....?


yes, i think you could!! : victory:


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

*IT'S SALTY* :2thumb::mf_dribble:​so yeah, got some water in it today, filter heater and light seem to be working a treat, ran out of water about 2-3 ltrs short tho which is making the filter splash :bash:. 
half full from my nano water change, and half new water










just waiting to hear from a local reefer about a time to collect some rock and sand, hopefully be this weekend : victory:​


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## Christie_ZXR (May 14, 2011)

Out of curiosity, what's in the filter?


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

Christie_ZXR said:


> Out of curiosity, what's in the filter?


i have a small bag of rowaphos, small bag of carbon, some filter floss and the heater!! :2thumb:


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## Christie_ZXR (May 14, 2011)

I'll nod and pretend I know what rowophos is...

*googles* 

It will never fail to amaze me the amount of something-removing stuff you can get for marine tanks!!


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

lol phosphate reducer. prob dont need it especially at the mo, its more habit putting it in these days lol


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

davesbray said:


> lol phosphate reducer. prob dont need it especially at the mo, its more habit putting it in these days lol


I was about to buy some rowaphos for my new tank, to prevent Phos build up in rocks etc... and the LFS lady was all "Blah blah that's stupid no point using it if you have no phosphate blah blah"...  (currently 0.01! )

Btw looking good, get some LR!


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

AshMashMash said:


> I was about to buy some rowaphos for my new tank, to prevent Phos build up in rocks etc... and the LFS lady was all "Blah blah that's stupid no point using it if you have no phosphate blah blah"...  (currently 0.01! )
> 
> Btw looking good, get some LR!


thanks :2thumb: hopefully picking some up tomorrow afternoon, still waiting to hear for definate


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## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

Can I ask how much this has set you back?


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

i dont really keep a check on price ( i dont dare) but i'll try and give some sort of idea

tank and heater (which also came with the usual Chi kit and 2 tropical fish) - £40
TMC microhabitat LED - £20ish including postage
filter - new £25 inc postage
2x2 for the stand - £20 i think, still have about 7 foot left
top and side of the stand - free

water and contents of filter i have lying around anyway for my nano so no real cost there. i expect to spend no more than £20 on rock and sand tomorrow

so far then its just over £100.

i am looking into PAR30/38 LEDs, but that wont come for a while as i will get them for my nano at the same time

EDIT - i do need a new heater for it tho i think, the one i have is only getting me to about 22c, so maybe another £10 for that...


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## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

That's not bad at all, cheers.


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

Morgan Freeman said:


> That's not bad at all, cheers.


no worries : victory: had planned to keep it very very cheap and get all i needed free or extremely cheap second hand, but that hasnt happened as much as i hoped. still a bargain build tho so far


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

got the rock last night :2thumb: also got some zoas too







gunna scape it later today. decided to only use a couple of cups of the sand i picked up and transfer some white sand from my nano. 

pics will follow later on today.


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

rocks in and pretty much scaped how i want it



















they didnt have the sand i was after at the LFS today, hopefully they will be getting more in next week so fingers crossed : victory:

hows it looking?


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

wooooo with sand







now the looooong wait for the spike, and start stocking!! lol










and a pic of 'Reef Corner'










also found a couple of aips







and decided to try a trick i read on here a while ago...serynge with mega salty water, almost to the point where the salt stops dissolving, aips are still there...but only just, they are really not looking healthy and seem to be getting worse as the day progresses


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

and now this morning....

interesting observation...the bigger of the aips has totally gone, the other one i couldnt get to well enough to apply the heavily salted water, so is still there. 

now the more interesting bit...salinity has not risen at all, i would have expected it to by even a little bit due to the small volume of water in the tank, and the large amount of extra salt i added (prob 2-3ml of very heavily salted water)...not much i spose but i expected at least a small rise in salinity

may try it on the aip in my nano now...


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

the more i look at the rock the more bloody aips i see, really unimpressed as this is the most i have paid for LR ever, and its the only bits i've ever had with any nasties on. lighter, scissors and very salty water have been in play already this morning :war:


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Argh! Dreaded aips! I have found another 2 in my tank, right next to my mushies  Not sure what to do... they spilt their guts out last time (the mushies) when I salted the aips next to them... 

Anyways, looking well good! Nice one. Does that Fluval sticket not come off the front of the tank? Would annoy me a lot.


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

na the 'chi' thing at the bottom isnt even a sticker i dont think, and i think if i tried to take the thermometer sticker at the top off it would leave a nasty sticky patch there. it is annoying, but when stocked hopefully they wont be that noticable


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

contacted the seller of the heater, replacement sent and in the HOB, now at a steady 25c, which makes me happy







so got a few bits in there from the nano

some different coloured zoas








one of these...cant remember what its called, but it fragged itself from the large bit in my nano








some organ pipe








FTS








and found a small green ric floating around in the nano, so moved that over too








and a nice gorg that was getting overtaken by clove polyps now has a new home with a bit more space










cant wait to get the quad spec PAR30, hopefully an xmas pressie


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

piccy of new zoas


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

few hitch-hiker pics with a 25mm extension on my camera


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

some more pics, also missus came home with a NPS gorg yesterday



























after feeding the gorg found some impressively sized bristleworms




























and an updated FTS


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## philo (Jul 7, 2009)

looks amazing, like the zoas,
also what is a aip?
couldnt find it anywhere and i hope to start a marine tank in the new year,
Thanks,
Bye


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

philo said:


> looks amazing, like the zoas,
> also what is a aip?
> couldnt find it anywhere and i hope to start a marine tank in the new year,
> Thanks,
> Bye


 aiptasia - pest rock anenome that will spread very quickly and overtake your tank. google it and all you will find is bad news and videos of people killing them lol


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

£20 LFS voucher for xmas (well done father-in-law) so off i went this morning!! did the boring thing and got 25ltrs of salty water, but that didnt even take half the voucher, so i got 3 cerith snails and a euphillia frag

















also moved a floating ric from the nano








and a hermie from the nano








and a FTS


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Looking awesome! Taking mine slowly... money innit. But yours is looking fab!


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

the par30 arrived today...holy hell is that bright!!!








pics:
BEFORE:









AFTER:









on the clamp




























euphillia has never looked so healthy



















brightness compared to the flouro in my nano









i think i may go for 2 of these (instead of the par38s) for my nano, cheaper 









hopefully the GSP will open up under this too


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Wicked! Never seen those lights before, I like them.


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

AshMashMash said:


> Wicked! Never seen those lights before, I like them.


 
i definately need 2 more for my nano now...why cant i have endless amounts of money?? lol


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

davesbray said:


> i definately need 2 more for my nano now...why cant i have endless amounts of money?? lol


That's the problem... money! Spent £108 on corals today :|


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

few new additions:

new zoas









a bit of xenia









chocolate hammer









The gorg i swapped with the NPS









GSP just starting to open up









FTS


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## Junior13reptilez (Oct 17, 2010)

Awesome, I swear the before is brighter than the after though:Na_Na_Na_Na: I love all the coral etc.


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

Junior13reptilez said:


> Awesome, I swear the before is brighter than the after though:Na_Na_Na_Na: I love all the coral etc.


 haha dont say that, the blub wasnt cheap :lol2:

its more the better range of colour that enhances coral growth, rather than the all white LED tile i had before, even 20mins after turning the new light on you could see the corals were expanding more, after a day they looked so much healthier

and trust me, its alot brighter - the camera doesnt really do it justice. Its like fish tank in HD!! lol


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

More pics like  xx


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

brittone05 said:


> More pics like  xx


 dont worry, more will come tomorrow, 2 new euphillias gone in tonight :2thumb:
xenia and kenya tree frag have gone now tho so a bit of a change around has happened


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

as promised : victory:
FTS from the front








from the side








new hammers

















same as above, just taken with a shorter shutter speed (1/500sec) to try and show te colours a bit better
















__________________


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

few more pics for you all

new euphillia to replace one that got agitated too much and died









this is the cornet that did the agitating. i had to move it round the back so it couldnt touch anything else










FTS










cool looking purple sponge recently appeared










and a few shots of the new inhabitant (the only fishie)


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## deedee71 (Mar 28, 2010)

i love the tank, and i love the pipefish xxxx


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## cbarnes1987 (Feb 2, 2010)

proper interesting to read through
awesome stuf dude : victory:


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

deedee71 said:


> i love the tank, and i love the pipefish xxxx





cbarnes1987 said:


> proper interesting to read through
> awesome stuf dude : victory:


thanks very much :2thumb: its been more than interesting to create :whistling2:


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

(25/5/12)

oookkkk so i have caught the upgrade bug, although i am keeping it to the same thread!! lol

saw this on the 'bay, offered a tenner and picked it up today!









its currently sitting in the garden being leak-tested. seems to hold just over 30ltrs at the level its pictured, which is where i will be running it at too. 

i think im going to leave it there for a day or so, maybe until sunday then do the change over sunday morning-ish!









the reason for the upgrade is mainly to have space for a couple of nano gobies if i can find some that arent going to jump, i will be sticking with the PAR30 bulb at the moment, and will eventually be adding another couple of KG of rock. going to keep it mostly euphillia still, but this means i can get some bigger pieces, and have room for more!! i also see a few sexy shrimp in the near future, and if i get the job im after i will be adding an auto top-up as the 20ltr is losing about 2-3ltrs a week at the mo, and im sure it will be more if this weather carries on. will be keeping my eye out for a small (300-400lph) powerhead/pump thing to increase flow a bit.


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

*25/5/12*

Well that didn't happen, tank is in place, full and salty, filler cleaned and re-flossed and all stock in.


























will eventually be putting some different lighting on it to cover the whole of the tank...not sure what yet but thats a couple of months away 

---------------------------------------------------------------------

well now 4 hours later things have started to open a bit and the water is crystal clear!!


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

*30/5/12*

well looking at it over the last couple of days i've decided at the moment it doesnt need any more lighting. 

here is a pic as of this morning, with clear water lol










had a bit of a move around after deciding to add the beautiful green frogspawn from my other tank, its not fully opened yet, the 2 smaller heads at the front have appeared since i bought it









new FTS









the zoas have moved round to the other side, and the GSP is now on its own on the sandbed (mainly to prevent it spreading all over the rockwork)

(must remember to clean the glass before i take pictures lol)


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

came back from sorting a mate's shower out this afternoon (he had managed to burn out the isolator and melt 10mm cable) to find SWMBO had been shopping...now i know what your thinking, but you'd be wrong. 

This was good shopping, this was REEF shopping 

so introducing Mr Christmas Goby










aint he a cutie 

and she also brought home a single head of hammer euphillia










who is currently sitting on his own in the sand bed

and while i was there with the real camera, not the phone, i thought i would take some proper pictures, so heres a close up of the frogspawn from the nano










Mr. Pipefish wanted in on the action too










a shot of 'Euphillia Mountain'










and, of course, the FTS










with clean glass this time (almost...)


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Euphyilia mountain :lol2:

Looking good


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

Thanks ash, euphillia mountain - I just thought that up! Haha may stick to that :2thumb:


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## JoPwerks (Mar 15, 2012)

Looking lovely, I must get me a decent camera to take some of mine, it's does make a difference doesn't it


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

It does, although I can't knock the camera on my phone, I must say it is very good for what it is


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## JoPwerks (Mar 15, 2012)

I can't seem to get a good picture, looking in my tank it looks lovely (work in progress) but every pic I take just doesn't look the same and certainly no way near as lovely as yours.

I want a torch or a frogspawn because I'm not brave enough to have an anemone. I have a peaceful tank and I don't want the torch or frogspawn to sting my placid ones


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

If you give it plenty of space (they grow fast) then you will have no problems. 

As for the photos, just keep taking them. For each good picture I post, I take 10 bad ones, the beauty of digital photography :no1:

In the past for some photo competitions on other forums I have taken 40+ photos of the same subject to get 1 or 2 that are any good


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## madaboutreptiles (Jun 5, 2007)

What a great read, the tank looks really good....

keep us updated :2thumb:


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

madaboutreptiles said:


> What a great read, the tank looks really good....
> 
> keep us updated :2thumb:


I will do, and thank you:notworthy:


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

Looks fantastic, that upgrade tank look much bigger than it is. Love the rock and the positioning of the corals. :2thumb:


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

_simon_ said:


> Looks fantastic, that upgrade tank look much bigger than it is. Love the rock and the positioning of the corals. :2thumb:


thank you, i will (hopefully) be adding to it today!! aparently the LFS have some nice euphillia frags, and i get 10% off atm :no1:


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

well they had no different euphillias to what i already have, so i got this instead!!

a court jester goby, better pics will follow when he's a bit braver










He is currently sharing this hole with the christmas goby, seems they are getting on well










and a side-on FTS which i seem to have missed out until now...


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Awesome


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## davesbray (Feb 12, 2011)

AshMashMash said:


> Awesome


 aww shucks :blush:


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## madaboutreptiles (Jun 5, 2007)

Looking superb, I want to one myself now :2thumb:


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