GobyDude's 12g Aquapod

[GobyDude]

Well I finally have my tank up and ready for pictures. I've been researching this for over 2 months and have found these boards to be very helpful.

 

I went to the LFS yesterday to get some rock and they had so many kinds. I ended up with a couple marshal island rocks and a few of the $4.99 bin rocks. The lady at the LFS is extremely nice so she let me have it all for $4.99 regardless of which tank I got the rock from. I ended up with 12 pounds of rock and around 10-15 pounds of live sand. I spent about 30 minutes this morning trying to arrange the rock making sure the pieces were pretty stable and that the shape was conducive to corals. I'm hoping to stock the tank with either a pair of false perc clowns or one false perc and a goby of some sort. I have some great fish stores around me so I shouldn't need to order anything online (hooray... no shipping costs) and the price of coral is about what I would pay online.

 

For any new people out there who want to know the cost of keeping a reef, I'll give you a rundown of my costs (or at least the ones I remember):

Tank $131.69

MJ900 $19.99

Coralife Digital Temp $6.99

API Master Liquid test Kit $14.39

Refractometer $44.99

RO unit $99.99

Tropic Marin Salt $19.99

Live rock $57.38

Live sand $27.55

 

Total: $422.96

 

I didn't add in the other random expenses like buckets for mixing water, mag float, and other small things (those probably came out to about $20-30).

 

Now that the tank has settled, it's running about 81-82 degrees... hopefully that's not too hot. I think I'm going to try to get another fan to go in the extra slot.

 

The mods that I have done so far:

-cut out parts of a cd case to block up two lower intakes and used loctite to hold them in place (it was an aquarium safe glue that I think was silicone based)

-cut the sponge in half to use during the cycling so I can catch all of the debris, I hope to use filter floss and chemipure in the first chamber after cycling

-cut every other slot on the cover over the fan to cut down on heat issues.

 

And without further ado... pictures of the aquascape:

 

This is the first FTS

 

 

Showing the small cave on the left side of the tank

 

 

Showing the right side of the C shape

 

 

 

Thanks for your time. Looking forward to keeping up with the updates on this tank. Please feel free to leave feedback (good or bad). I'm a tough guy, I can take criticism and even flames.

[GobyDude]

I forgot to mention, I also need help identifying some hitchhikers I found today. I really hope these things aren't aiptasia. These things are about a centimeter long.

 

Picture of some of them

 

 

a little closer pic of two of them

 

 

After researching a bit, I think they may be some sort of hydroid... but if anyone could confirm this, and let me know if they are harmful or not, that would be great.

[dtfleming]

looks like hydroids or feather dusters.

[SPARTAN VI]

I have one of those too. Hitchhiked on a rock that my mushrooms come with. Looked like a mini feather duster. The tiny tentacles/feathers would suck inside every once in a while. Not aiptasia though.

[GobyDude]

I don't think they're feather dusters... the tentacle looking things don't look like feathers, they are just straight with nothing coming off the sides. I guess I'll just have to research hydroids to make sure they're not going to be a nuisance.

[GobyDude]

I've tested my PH yesterday and today, and it seems that it's running about 7.8. I know that's a bit low. How should I go about raising that up, or will it do that naturally?

[GobyDude]

Hooray! Some new life to report. I was searching today for some more hitchhikers and I found what I think to be a feather duster on the back of my main rock. I'm pretty excited. O, and all of my stats are still running 0 and salinity is at 1.024 (I'm going to raise it over the next couple weeks, a little at a time up to 1.025) and the PH is a little low at 7.8. Without further ado, picture:

 

[GobyDude]

Well I tested again today and I've decided that my PH isn't as low as I thought. I thought it was more of a brown, but it has more purple in it so I think it's somewhere around 8.2 or so (much better than I thought). O, and I also had thought that my nitrates were down at 0, but I could tell that there was a bit of orange in the color. I decided today to test both my tank water and my RO water, and sure enough, my RO water was a very bright yellow, 0, and my tank water had a more orange tinge, somewhere around 5-10.

 

So maybe my cycle was very fast, or I didn't have much of one. This makes sense since I bought the rock from a place only 3 minutes from my house and had the water ready at home. Apparently the rock had been sitting in the tanks at the LFS for a few months (they are very trustworthy people so I'd trust their statement), and it only stayed out of water for probably 15-20 minutes.

 

My Ammonia and Nitrites are still at 0 (I am sure of this, the colors are easier to tell). I think I'm going to wait another week or so, and if the ammonia and nitrites stay at 0, I'll probably do a water change and add a few snails and a couple hermits. It also appears that a few patches of diatoms have formed on the top of the upper-most rock.

 

Please let me know if this sounds like a good plan or not. I'd rather trust someone with a few years under their belt rather than my own judgement.

[travisurfer]

I wouldn't worry too much about ur pH at this point. You can expect tons of swings over the next few weeks until it settles out.

[GobyDude]

I wouldn't worry too much about ur pH at this point. You can expect tons of swings over the next few weeks until it settles out.

 

I know, I am not really worried about my pH.

[NAL]

Nice setup, I will be watching this one for sure.

[GobyDude]

Nice setup, I will be watching this one for sure.

 

Thanks, I made sure to go tag along with yours as well. I really like the 20L tanks, and yours looks so clean. Good luck.

 

Does anyone have an opinion on my previous idea to wait a week, and if the ammonia and nitrite stay at 0, I'll do a water change and add a small cuc?

[GobyDude]

Well it looks like my diatoms have started. The top rocks are covered in them, but they have not moved down to the lower rocks or the sand yet. I am going to test the water later tonight, and if the ammonia and nitrites stay at 0 for the next week, I'll be adding a few snails and a couple crabs. I still have yet to find any other hitchhikers other than two feather dusters and some hydroids. O well.

[GobyDude]

The diatom bloom has finally hit. Yesterday it was covering the top rocks and a little of the bottom. They have now spread more to the bottom rocks, and are now on the sand. Ammonia and Nitrites still at 0, and my nitrates are at 5-10. I've double checked all of these numbers with my other test kit. Looks like the snails and crabs will be going in next week. I can't believe how fast this thing cycled. I guess the rock had been sitting at the LFS for a while and not much life died in the 20 minutes it was out of water.

 

On a side note, I still have yet to see any life on/in the rocks other than what was mentioned before. It's kind of sad, but I guess it's better than having a tank full of pests. Maybe some more life will show up in another month or so.

[GobyDude]

A pretty sizable update today.

 

Over the last couple of days, I've been watching my tank progress (growing more diatoms and green algae). At night, I've been watching all of these little ant looking things (I'm going to try to look them up and see if I can find what they are). I've been watching the pods jump around on the glass.

 

I can now understand how addictive this hobby can be. I can't wait to get my fish and corals and watch everything mature. Don't worry though, I'm not going to go out and get everything at once. I realize there is a lot of patience involved in this hobby, but I enjoy looking at new additions slowly, so I won't take it too fast.

 

I've been testing my water everyday since the beginning and it looks like my ammonia and nitrites never really spiked.

 

Parameters today (after a water change from last night):

0 Ammonia

0 Nitrite

0 Nitrate

8.2 PH

1.024 Salinity

 

I did a 1 1/2 gallon water change last night and decided to pick up some hermits and snails on my way home from work. And now some pictures

 

I picked up 5 blue leg hermits:

 

 

 

 

I got three astrea snails:

 

 

 

 

And I picked up 2 blackfoot snails:

 

 

 

And here is an updated FTS:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plans for the future:

In a couple weeks, after watching to make sure my parameters stay stable, I'm planning on adding a pair of false percs. A couple weeks after that, if all goes well, I'm planning on starting to buy a couple easy corals (zoas, mushrooms, etc.).

 

Thanks for dropping by. Any suggestions, or even flames, are welcomed.

[GobyDude]

I set up an eggcrate stand to hold some filter floss in the first chamber. Thank you H20 for the great idea on this one. So far, it's working great, and i'm glad I'll just be able to throw this stuff away during water changes instead of having to wash out that nasty sponge.

 

Another update, I seem to be getting some bryopsis on my sand. I'm going to order a light so I can convert my second chamber to a refugium with some chaeto. I have read that this is the easiest way to cure your tank of this stuff. If anyone knows of anything that would eat this stuff, please let me know.

 

Planned updates to the pod:

Order a light to convert the back chamber to a refugium

Get some purigen or chemipure to put between the filter floss in the first chamber

Get either a pair of false percs or a false perc and some goby in another week or two

Start adding corals a couple weeks after the fish

 

Looks like ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates are all at zero, so I guess my cycle was over when I added my CUC. I'm guessing that maybe the bryopsis might be eating some of the nitrates if they are in there.

 

If anyone has any suggestions for fish to add, please let me know. I am going to post a question on the general forum about the fish, but you are welcome to add input here.

 

Again, thank you H20, if you read this, for showing how you put together that eggcrate stand.

[spanko]

Looking real nice so far. Continue to take it slowly.

[GobyDude]

A quick update today during my lunch break.

 

I did a 2 gallon water change yesterday, mainly just to get out most of that bryopsis that was growing on my sandbed. The nitrates were undetectable on saturday, but that bryopsis was getting pretty unsightly, imo, so I decided to suction it up. It came out pretty well and i got most of it.

 

Yesterday, I also decided to add a couple really small nassarius snails to work on the sand. None of the other CUC would touch the sand. I purposely moved one trochus, two astraea, and two hermits down on the sand the other night, and they quickly went back to the rock to get back to cleaning. I had read that nassarius snails were good for keeping the sand bed in check, so I added a couple. That brings my total CUC to:

3 Astraea snails

5 dwarf blue leg hermits

2 Blackfoot trochus snails

2 Nassarius snails

 

I was going for diversity in my CUC and I think I've found it. Hopefully that's not too many, but the hermits are really small and so are the nassarius. I definitely won't be getting any more CUC until I need to replace dead ones.

 

I also got a suction cup soap dish from target and went and got a baseball size clump of chaeto. I decided to go for the in tank chaeto for now, until I can find a good light to put light up the second chamber. I was looking for a clamp on so I could cut the vinyl off the second chamber and stick the light on the outside, but the clamp-on PC lights that I found only clamped onto 1/4" glass. If anyone has any other suggestions that would work out well for this, please let me know.

 

In addition to the chaeto, I also picked up another form of filtration, purigen. In between a couple layers of filter floss, I decided to add a bag of purigen. I figured between that and the chaeto, I should be able to knock out the bryopsis and any nitrate problems I might face in the future.

 

I'm pretty happy with the set-up right now. I'm really itching to go out and get that false perc pair, but I'm definitely going to wait at least another week to check everything out and make sure it's stable enough for some fish.

[breezy]

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...0light&Np=1

 

I have the Galaxy light. I clamped it to the cords coming from the hood.

 

Everything looks good. I'm glad your taking your time. That will pay off in the long run.

 

As far as fish, I like my false perc (black and white). I also have a yellow watchman goby but not much personality. Consider a bicolor blenny.

[GobyDude]

That's actually the light I was looking into getting. I didn't even think to attach it to a cord. Thanks for the idea.

[GobyDude]

I'm sad to report, I found the first loss in the tank... one of the blue leg hermits was found outside of his shell, dead. I suspect foul play, but not too sure.

 

I did a quick parameters check and ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are all at 0, so it seems that this death is either very recent, or not large enough to cause a spike.

[spanko]

Are you sure it is not a molt?

[GobyDude]

Are you sure it is not a molt?

 

Would a molt still have the blue from the legs?

[spanko]

Yup look just like the crab, maybe a bit translucent.

[GobyDude]

Yup look just like the crab, maybe a bit translucent.

 

Ok, well I guess I can't rule that out then, I'll look around and see if I can find any empty shells tomorrow.