Tidepool a.i.o. custom setup

[miketron75]

This is an all in one tidepool tank, pretty cool and easy! and no, its not top heavy, its actually lighter and has a lower center of gravity than the 24 nano that should be on the modified stand!

[ludnix]

Great setup, is there a sump for it or is it a false background?

[miketron75]

Thanks! No sump, I designed this with a intigrated filter in the back...

[fishsuse29]

cool tank, what kind of stars are you keeping and are you planning on any other livestock?

[miketron75]

These are linkias, but when they melt I'll add more haha! yeah, this will be jammin with cool invers=ts and some small fish when I'm done, thanks!

[NanoReefWanabe]

Originally Posted by miketron75

These are linkias, but when they melt I'll add more haha! yeah, this will be jammin with cool invers=ts and some small fish when I'm done, thanks!

if youre just going to let the linkias wither away, you might as well add a harem of Harleys to the tank and be done with sacrifical starvation tactics to the animals...

the tank, the layout and the idea are great...not a big fan of sacrificing animals for enjoyment though...linkias are next to impossible to keep alive in a large tank let alone a nano....best of luck with the tank please keep the pics coming...

[miketron75]

Nobody said anything about starving any linkias on purpose, ease back bud. Dont you worry about me, I am a professional aquarium designer and have two degrees in aquatic ecology and wildlife biology, I can handle an aquarium....not new to this.

[Arthur1]

I'm not trying to knock your tank as it is interesting but curious as to what you have for a top off if any. I just mention that b/c the tank has a large open surface area with a relatively small volume of water to that. A herd of harlequin shrimp vs all the starfish you can feed them, I'd consider funding that lol well maybe temporarily but again nice job and keep it interesting!

[ludnix]

If you're planning on doing a lot of echinoderms you might want to look into an auto top off system to maintain your salinity. They are pretty sensitive to fluctuations in salinity.

[miketron75]

yes it has an automatic top off. its called the "top it off daily with a tiny cup off freshwater to replace evaporation module". That came for free with my common sense.

[noahm]

Sarcasm and humor can get lost on the internet, but I think I am filtering correctly. Really neat tank. I have had a similar idea that may never reach fruition. Basically same idea, but with sides/back partially rock-formed to look like a real tidepool.

[ToXIc69]

nice.. but i would still be worried about it tipping over..

[miketron75]

Originally Posted by noahm

Sarcasm and humor can get lost on the internet, but I think I am filtering correctly. Really neat tank. I have had a similar idea that may never reach fruition. Basically same idea, but with sides/back partially rock-formed to look like a real tidepool.

yeah, the only problem with puting rocks close to edges/side and back is that then the animals climb out.

[miketron75]

Originally Posted by ToXIc69

nice.. but i would still be worried about it tipping over..

It would take a full tackle from an NFL linebacker to tip it over, its more than stable.

[noahm]

Originally Posted by miketron75

yeah, the only problem with puting rocks close to edges/side and back is that then the animals climb out.

good point. You would probably have to give it a few inches of glass above any rock line.

[zach_24_90]

awesome tank ive been wanting to to a shallow tank like this maybe a bit bigger but my 225 build got in the way lol

[NanoReefWanabe]

Originally Posted by miketron75

These are linkias, but when they melt I'll add more haha! yeah, this will be jammin with cool invers=ts and some small fish when I'm done, thanks!

Originally Posted by miketron75

Nobody said anything about starving any linkias on purpose, ease back bud. Dont you worry about me, I am a professional aquarium designer and have two degrees in aquatic ecology and wildlife biology, I can handle an aquarium....not new to this.

maybe not on purpose as the dietary needs are not documented sufficiently enough to sustain them properly in a small tank....but whatever...it is still a nice tank...

[RcToners]

Originally Posted by miketron75

yes it has an automatic top off. its called the "top it off daily with a tiny cup off freshwater to replace evaporation module". That came for free with my common sense.

Oh how clever,

To bad you did not recieve a side of class with that common sense.

[Luckless]

Originally Posted by miketron75

yes it has an automatic top off. its called the "top it off daily with a tiny cup off freshwater to replace evaporation module". That came for free with my common sense.

So, what if you have to leave town for a weekend or a little longer?

[miketron75]

Thats what a girlfriend is for(or a couple of them).

[miketron75]

Originally Posted by NanoReefWanabe

maybe not on purpose as the dietary needs are not documented sufficiently enough to sustain them properly in a small tank....but whatever...it is still a nice tank...

Ive kept bigger stars in smaller tanks for years...you just have to know what u are doing.

[miketron75]

Just wanna toss in a "Thank you" for all the possitive comments, this forum destroys nano-reef.com and has way more competent hobbyists. Thanks!

[username in use]

What are your methods for keeping stars alive? I, as well as many others, would be genuinely interested in that information.

[miketron75]

Originally Posted by noahm

good point. You would probably have to give it a few inches of glass above any rock line.

...and thats tough because you have rocks pritruding above the water in a tidepool...

[miketron75]

Originally Posted by username in use

What are your methods for keeping stars alive? I, as well as many others, would be genuinely interested in that information.

well ok then,
#1 keep out of the aquarium and quit worrying about it! salinity, temp, and nutrient levels all go up and down in the ocean, especially tidepools. ever notice how people usually dont know they have high nitrate until they test for it! like when you arent in pain until you see the cut!

#2 grow macroalgae to outcompete filimentous algaes and cyno, and use 10-12 hours of way overpowered lighting...this grows lots of microalgaes starfish like linkia, fromia love etc. It works, I do it. I have kept hundreds of linkias in different aquariums this way for years, for example...I have a big orange linkia in a clients 20 gallon tank for 6 years, its still there...that tank has a 250 watt light.

#3 ...see #1! keep hands the hell out of the aquarium and spend time reading instead of knocking peoples tanks online, and realize that starfish die, they have a very specialized anatomy that is totally incompatible with captive conditions, and in the ocean always have symbiotic shrimp that keep them free of crustacean parasites and other ailments(these shrimp die off in transport to the wholesalers). You just cant duplicate the oceans complex microcosms in a glass box and expect very sensitive creatures like starfish with proprietary needs to always survive. its tough and nobody has all the answers, so try stuff, thats what this hobby is about and thats how some major scientific breakthroughs have happened in marine biology, by hobbyist like us observing something new and amazing!