This channel will showcase all things revolving around my fish keeping. I hope to continue adding new aquarium setups, product reviews and informational videos on fish, plants, equipment and more.
I currently own a 90 gallon rimless saltwater fish tank. It's a reef tank filled with different species of coral and fish such as the Bi-color Foxface, Yellow Tang, & Sixline Wrasse.
I own a 65 gallon paludarium which is home for a Crested Gecko, a bunch of terrestrial plants like creeping fig, orchids, pothos and more. It is also home to different species of fish and aquatic plants.
But wait, there's more. I have a 1 gallon jarrarium! It's overgrown with dwarf hairgrass, different species of moss and crypt species. I recently had to put my betta into this jarrarium because it was getting picked on.
Lastly, I created a website to help guide & educate fish keepers! It is: atparium.com If you're knowledgeable on fish keeping and want to write an article, let me know!
@@Saisharvesh-l5k for this tank i used the Caribsea Reef Sand. I used this one specifically to better replicate their habitat. I haven't tried river sand and i can't say for sure because there are many different types of sand out there but I don't see why it would be a problem.
The blades on that tool rust and it’s very unforgiving if you get to closer to the silicone. I ended up getting a mag float with the mag scrape. You can get a better clean in my opinion.
@@jonyv14 I appreciate the input. I'm definitely as careful as possible around silicone with this. I've used magfloats ages ago, do you keep yours in the tank or remove it after use?
I love tuxedo urchins, but for a tank this size I decided to get an emerald crab and added a few hermits and snails. I'll see where that takes me. Thanks for your suggestions!
My biggest regret, is leaving gaps between the rocks. Over time the sand enters the main area, which is where I don't want it. Good luck with your setup!
@@masteroctopusesanimations153 you'd have to verify this but i think Red Claw Crabs prefer brackish water. Would you keep the Lucky Bamboo separate from the brackish water? I'd love to see the setup once it's up and running!
Ciao, ho preso questo controller con due lampade da 50w, ho inserito i cavi come da schema, però quando metto un programma sul controller non mi fa in automatico le varie fasi di illuminazione, ho visto che l’ora del controller resta sempre la stessa non mi cammina l’ora del controller, sai perché? Grazie mille
Did you make sure the "mode set" tab has the programmed schedule activated? You may still have manual lighting set. Also, maybe see if you can get one light set up with the program first and then try to connect the 2nd light after the first one works. Just to make sure it's not the connection between the lights causing the problem.
Another thing you can do to avoid drips is to press and release the spray on each sweep of the can. The tool to bend the conduit is pretty cheap at Harbor Freight ($10) and a tube cutter is about $6.50 there. Conduit bender will prevent the crimp on the underside of the 90 degree bend that can compromise strength when you hang something on it.
It is called Dragon Ohko Stone. I have a link in the description to where you can buy some on Amazon, but a lot of fish stores might have some available as well
Hey man how has the lights been working for you so far ? I just bought a paid of 100watts with the controller. I will be buying my first corals soon. Any advice on the lights ?
So far I'm loving them. For the price, they're running very well for me. The lights + controller is a must have combo for me to make the light intensity consistent and scheduling very hands off, so I'm glad you grabbed a controller too. If this is your first time keeping coral, I often suggest 2 things. Either start your coral at the lower 1/2 of your aquarium and/or start your lights at a low level intensity. My tank is very small, the lights are definitely overkill for my setup. Even though i have been running the lights for a while, i only max out at 15% intensity, at the peak of the day. This peak intensity might be different for you depending on your aquarium's depth, coral species, and a whole lot of other factors. I haven't had a chance to deep dive into the full strength of this light, but from general experience, it's better to start off coral with a lower intensity rather than giving too much light and increasing the likelihood of bleaching/melting. Once things acclimate over a week or two, it should be cool to increase the intensity. Be patient and ramp the lights little by little, until you reach your desired intensity. It's pretty easy to do with the controller. Not sure if i answered the questions you were looking for, but hopefully this helps.
@@atparium by intensity do you mean the percentage of the white and blues ? Or if their a seprate setting just for the intensity ? Also, my fan hasn't turned on since ive had the light but yet again im just running it all white for now at the lowest setting. Will the fans kick on if the intensity is higher ? Thanks for the info man. Im waiting today to receive light number 2 and the controller.
@@Coral-reef. You're correct, the intensity is the % of whites and blues. The higher the % of white/blue, the more power is running into your lights making them brighter, which increases the intensity. I don't remember my light's schedule off the top of my head, but i believe i start the day with 5% blue, then increase to 5% white and 10% blue, peak the day with 10% white, 15% blue, and then decrease the percentages back down. I run them from 8-10 hours a day. It's partly personal preference but I recommend using more blue colors than white when you get your coral. Blue will make the coral's coloration pop more (if that's what you're into). But if I remember correctly, blue light penetrates deeper into water, which gives coral more light to use for photosynthesis. I can't say for sure about the fan, but perhaps it hasn't warmed up enough to warrant turning on? Keep an eye on it to make sure it's not faulty
@@atparium man thank you so much for all the info. I just received the 2nd light and the controller and im installing it tis moment. 😃 i will let you know how it goes 👍
Low level brackish. It bounces between 1.003 and 1.007 sg. So not incredibly brackish but they enjoy it. I'm trying to figure out a way to provide them with both saltwater and brackish, but that'll probably require a much bigger paludarium. I've had them for over a year and so far only lost 2, but they could have passed from age.
My mistake for not adding that. In case you are curious, I measured and marked roughly where i want the bend to be with a shaprie marker, put my foot on the long side of the mark, grabbed the short side with my hands and was easily able to bend it to a 90 degree angle. There are conduit/pipe bending tools you can purchase or "use" at a hardware store when you purchase the conduit. You can also ask an employee to see if they'll bend the conduit for you
Since my tank is so small, i dont go over 15%. You'll have to consider how deep your tank is and the corals you are keeping. I recommend starting at a lower intensity, to give your coral time to acclimate to the new lights and ramp it up from there. And keep an eye on the behavior of your coral after ramping up your lights
I definitely can! All i can say right now, is that i am enjoying these lights paired with the controller. No problems here and my coral definitely seem to be doing better!
I followed the diagram in the manual, and my fixture looks exactly like that, as well as pictures online. Also, if I put the screws on the outside, they'd catch my aquarium frame instead of sitting securely on the glass.
When I had old in-tank uptake filter system, I've never had velvet outbreak. 10 years later, all of the tanks are overflow filtrations, velvet everywhere. I think the siphon disrupt the tomonts from entrusting and dinospores from finding the fishes, imo.
@atparium I've since "upgraded" to a newer model of nano cube, which uses an overflow filtration. Caught velvet and all fish wiped out. I'm staying out of saltwater fish for a while..might get into soft corals instead later, then add fish from a more reputable breeder after.
@@allankang7374 sorry to hear that. I (knock on wood) have never had to deal with velvet but i know its terrible on the fish. Might be good to take a break, and try again in the future. Dealing with stuff like this is exhausting
Yah I’m a freshwater caretaker and I always wanted to move onto reef salt water tanks. But I feel I need to master freshwater to the fullest I can before transitioning to salt water. I hear it’s so stressful because the fish are way more costly and the chances of loosing them due to maintenance issues is higher. Someday maybe I will! 😭
The worst things with saltwater is the startup cost, cost of fish, and cost of coral. Once you have all the equipment, you can treat it more or less like a freshwater aquarium in regards to maintenance, minus mixing salt into the water. I really strive to stay on top of maintenance because i know everything can go wrong, and quickly if you don't keep up with things. It's not too tough, but i also don't want to oversimplify it. I bet you can do it!
Your crabs look very happy playing with a plant in the other video! My son brought home 3 fiddler crabs less than a week ago and I’m scrambling to learn about their tank needs. Do they need a heat pad? Is it better to have water everywhere like your setup vs a brackish pool with land and climbing/foraging type enrichment stuff? Thanks in advance for any advice!
I heat the water with an aquarium heater and keep a lid on the enclosure. That's enough to keep mine warm. My fiddler crabs accidently move the sand around all the time. I try to build them mounds but they end up destroying them. It's a continuous battle 😂. If it helps, i have created a general care guide for fiddler crabs. Check it out if you're interested. If you have any other questions, please let me know! atparium.com/fiddler-crab-complete-care-guide/
usually I stick to using a straw, and then spit the water out into a bucket to save for my morning coffee the next day, but this is a great tip! thanks!
Mine has been working fine. Luckily it hasn't clogged yet, but that could be because it's only a sponge filter. I'll squeeze out the sponge in old fish tank water from time to time though. And thank you for the kind words!
And this little cute species of crab is actually called a fiddler crab. Because when they are doing they have one larger claw and they have one smaller claw.
Definitely planning on it. Used to have the Kessil A360s on my 90 cube, but had to break that down. I am tempted to try the NICREW 150W with the controller.
pH usually floats around 7.8 - 8.0. Temperature is set to 78°F, I do my best to keep my salinity around 1.005. This is a low level brackish paludarium currently.
@@atparium Thanks for your response. What type of thanks were your able to survive on that salinity? Did you put then with out slow increasing salinity, or just out of the shop?
@@alexherrera3918 i have anubias in there currently. It took them a while to acclimate and a part of it melted, but i think it's recovering and growing now. Am tempted to try java fern and maybe some crypts one day
