My own piece of reef!

[nematoad]

So I asked a few questions, and now here it is. My very own piece of the reef.

 

It started with this, a 5.5g with a few pieces of LR and some LS and a few frags. The rock was cured, so I'm not expecting a huge cycle. I got their old water too.

 

 

This a pic of the old 5.5 with the new 10 gallon tall tank in front. It's the same footprint, but twice as tall.

 

 

Now filled up with live rock. I put egg crate in the bottom to distribute the weight of the rocks more evenly and protect the bottom.

 

 

I have no idea how much LR is in there. Probably close to 40 lbs. I got the first few pieces from a local reefer, and the other stuff (about 7 or 8 pieces of sweeeet coraline covered fully cured rock) I got from a LFS, but he didn't have a scale on hand (for some reason or another), so he guessed (I have some LR in this bucket, and a 25 lb bag of gravel in this one......).

 

Here's how it's arranged now:

 

 

I just chiseled apart the rock on the right to make it fit and make a two tiered shelf.

 

I just added the frags back in, and they're opening up My hermit crabs (4 blue legged ones and one much larger red legged one) are going to be added later when I get some more sand.

[CollegeNano]

So I asked a few questions, and now here it is. My very own piece of the reef.

 

It started with this, a 5.5g with a few pieces of LR and some LS and a few frags. The rock was cured, so I'm not expecting a huge cycle. I got their old water too.

 

 

This a pic of the old 5.5 with the new 10 gallon tall tank in front. It's the same footprint, but twice as tall.

 

 

Now filled up with live rock. I put egg crate in the bottom to distribute the weight of the rocks more evenly and protect the bottom.

 

 

I have no idea how much LR is in there. Probably close to 40 lbs. I got the first few pieces from a local reefer, and the other stuff (about 7 or 8 pieces of sweeeet coraline covered fully cured rock) I got from a LFS, but he didn't have a scale on hand (for some reason or another), so he guessed (I have some LR in this bucket, and a 25 lb bag of gravel in this one......).

 

Here's how it's arranged now:

 

 

I just chiseled apart the rock on the right to make it fit and make a two tiered shelf.

 

I just added the frags back in, and they're opening up My hermit crabs (4 blue legged ones and one much larger red legged one) are going to be added later when I get some more sand.

 

Wow, I've never seen a 10G tall before. That's a cool tank. What kind of lighting are you going to put on it? Also, that thing has a lot of rock in it (thought I doubt 40lbs worth). you may want to think about how you are going to clean the inside glass. If rock is too close to the sides and front you won't be able to. Good luck!

[Kraylen]

That looks like 40 lbs to me.

[Smurf]

Dirty Edges aren't impossible to clean, but its just the fact that you have to clean it twice as hard and twice as much

[clownfish01]

Wow Too much rock unless thats the only thing your going to keep!!!!!!!!!

[Kraylen]

You can never have too much rock.. who knows, maybe hes only concerned with the very top of the tank.. I think its actually kind of cool... an uncleaned 3/4 of a tank growing with crazyness and a nice shelf on top for some stuff.... gives stuff more options for hiding I think...

 

love it.

[Smurf]

Oh yeah, it looks like 30-33 lbs of rock. I don't even think you can fit 40lbs in a 10g.

[Kraylen]

It looks like an awesome donkey kong stage.

 

Oh yeah, it looks like 30-33 lbs of rock. I don't even think you can fit 40lbs in a 10g.

 

I have more than 75 lbs of rock and sand in my 10.

[Smurf]

You can never have too much rock.. who knows, maybe hes only concerned with the very top of the tank.. I think its actually kind of cool... an uncleaned 3/4 of a tank growing with crazyness and a nice shelf on top for some stuff.... gives stuff more options for hiding I think...

 

love it.

 

 

Didn' think of that. That looks perfect for me though.

 

A small SPS branch in the middle would look awesome.

 

wait....How much light would get past algae AND a branching SPS..

[Kraylen]

boooooo on the SPS. he could rock some serious acans if he made a shelf out of the top.

[itzclayyo]

it almost looks like a normal 10g AGA on its side, its awesome!!! +1 to acans!

[Kraylen]

If you're gonna quote me you can atleast give me credit

[itzclayyo]

If you're gonna quote me you can atleast give me credit

 

if only i knew how, i fail at sigs. i just copied and pasted it and hit the quote marks button. i would give your credz

[Kraylen]

-kraylen

[itzclayyo]

is this good enough?

[Kraylen]

yay

[nematoad]

Thanks guys.

 

Yes it is a lot of rock. I never came across anything anywhere saying at which point there is too much rock. The way I figure it, I just have a really big filter in my tank I wanted to create a reef wall, so my goal was to pile it up high.

 

As for cleaning, the front pant should be ok, maybe a few tough spots. The sides.....eh, who really has any business looking in the side?

Really, a scraper on a stick should allow me to access all but the most blocked off portions. Again, cleaning won't be a big deal really.

 

As for stocking? I have no idea. So keep yours coming I'm a total SW noob, but have tons of FW experience, so anythings good to me.

 

Currently the lighting is a 36W PC fixture. I want to get something stronger, but not sure where to go. I have a 24" 130W PC fixture, but it's 8 inches longer than the tank, so we'll see. Other equipment I have coming or in the works is a Vortech MP-20 and a AC 70 DIY HOB refugium. I'm considering an ATO, but that will depend on my observations of evaporation levels in the coming weeks.

 

Presently, I have a few frags of zoas, some sun coral (which will definitely go in one of the dark lower reaches, and a mushroom. Not looking for anything new probably for about 3 - 4 weeks, so I'll have plenty of time to consider the possibilities.

[nematoad]

What the heck am I? Mystery hitchhiker found under a small piece of rock:

Has a little shell on the back that is kind of frilly on the borders. Kind of reminds me of a slug (becase it probably is one...) Except it has it's eyes on it's body and feeler tentacles.

 

Anybody know what he is?

[nematoad]

Found it!

 

Stomatella varia.

http://www.reefcorner.com/SpecimenSheets/s...tella_varia.htm

 

Cool

 

Also see a mini brittle star leg!

[nematoad]

I hear a periodic clicking sound. I'm pretty sure it's a mantis shrimp

 

I thought it was just a hermit crab's shell rapping on the glass, but I now doubt it. I think I know which rock he's in too. What to do?

[Gerber77]

take out that rock and trade the mantis for frags!!!

[Cubby23]

Thats a cool tank! I have a 20XT same foot print as a 10 but twice as tall. I used to keep crested geckos in it.

[nematoad]

So, I got a slip in the mail today saying that there was a package for me to pick up, and it could have been one of two things. I was hoping for item number one, and here it is:

In the box:

After reading the manual (When I don't know how to use something my father always says RTFM..... Read The F*^& Manual....) I put it together, giving it a quick rinse before putting it in the tank of course.

My back is painted so the rubber gasket didn't stick well, but oh well. The magnets keep it together pretty good.

 

Took a few minutes (maybe 3 or 4) to get it to a good place. It still makes a bit of whirring noise, but I figure let the motor break in, and it it isn't gone then, then I'll go back and realign. But from what I could tell, there was no misalignment, so it should be good.

 

The flow is amazing. It gets everywhere!! I figure it's probably only at 30% right now, but as it breaks in, I'll crank it up higher. Right now it's on random reef crest, and I'll probably keep it on that all night too.

 

Shots of it in the tank:

From the side:

 

I love how it takes up so little space. I had an aquaclear PH in there, and I swear, it was bigger than the MP-20!

 

I don't hear the clicking anymore. Maybe i wasn't a mantis? Looking through the tank, I realized I have a bit of orange coraline on my rock!!! That will be wicked if it grows in!

 

NM, I just heard a nice "crack". Frigging shrimp....

 

FTS for today:

[nematoad]

Well folks, got home today and I had my test kits and Reef supplements waiting for me.

 

I promptly ripped open the box, got out the test solutions and here it is:

 

pH: 8.2

Ammonia: 0 ppm

Nitrite 0 ppm

Nitrate: 15 ppm

Phosphate: 0 ppm

Calcium: 500 mg/ml

KH: 13

 

The calcium and KH being high worries me a bit, but not really. I figure after a few water changes it should look better. Also, the high calcium might have something to do with me going after aiptasia with kalkwasser. But everything appears to be healthy. I am probably going to be on the aiptasia hunt again today. I see 8 right now.

 

But it's definitely really encouraging to see that ammonia and nitrites are 0. I didn't expect much of a cycle, seeing as that all my live rock was fully cured and not transported out of water, so I didn't expect much die off or anything. I guess after a little while I'll be ready for a few new corals. I'd like to get some low/medium light corals for now. The high light corals, I'll probably have to hold out on till I get a stronger light. But for now, I really like branching montipora, green star polyps, maybe some more colourful zoanthids, dendrophyla and chili coral. I realize the last two are more expensive and harder to keep, so maybe they'll be two or three steps from now.

 

I also realigned the MP-20 and it's a bit quieter now, and I pumped it up to full power and random reef crest. Neato!!

 

Went to BA and got just premixed salt water. The nerves of steel it took to walk out of there with no livestock. wow.

 

I saw a misbarred black percula clownfish there that I could not for the life of me take my eyes off of. I wanted to take it home so badly, but that definitely wuld not have been a responsible move of me. But I wants it!!!!!! I just tell myself that there will be other misbarred black perculas available later, so I'll just hold out for them. But I am definitely set on them now.

 

Also saw a clove polyp that was all white. I really like it. I might get one when the tank is ready. But whole colonies might be too big for me, so I might look for another nanoer and make a trip to a LFS together and they can sell us colonies and frag them for us. We'll see.

 

Well, I'm real excited to see those numbers. My LR and LS never left the water they were in during transport. In fact, they were in the exact water they came from, which is even more of a bonus (old water). And they were never left for long (1 hour in transport), so there really isn't any reason for anything to die and cause an ammonia or nitrite spike. I see no NH3, no NO2-, and lots of NO3-, which to me says cycled, but we'll see how the parameters hold up after a series of WCs. Hopefully I'll just see the NO3 come down, and no NO2 or NH3 show up. If it stays like that for a week (next week), I'll get a few corals to start.

 

A few shots:

Brittle star legs:

 

Pink/green zoas (I lit them up with a LED headlight and they just popped out flourescent pink and green)

 

Suncoral, wanting to be fed:

[nematoad]

For the past few days I have done small 1g water changes everyday and monitoring parameters daily:

 

pH: 8.2

Ammonia: 0 ppm

Nitrite: 0 ppm

Nitrate 10 (wed) down to 5 ppm after successive water changes.

Calcium: 480 ppm

Phosphate: 0 ppm

kH 13 dKH

 

I think the LR is definitely doing it's job. I have been feeding daily (nightly) with mysis for the suncorals, and I have seen a consistent (albeit with the water changes) decline of the nitrates without a change in other parameters.

 

The LR was all transported from established tanks in water from those tanks so I didn't anticipate much or any of a cycle, and it appears I was somewhat right.

 

So I went to an LFS yesterday with the intention pf picking up a few corals, and a clown goby and peppermint shrimp.

 

So here are the new inhabitants:

Finger leather:

 

Blue and purple mushrooms:

 

Tiny head of mushroom leather with a hitchhiker mushroom:

 

Chili coral:

 

Australian Duncan coral:

 

Dendrophillia coral:

 

Green Montipora capricornis:

A little concerned, as I haven't seen any polyps open up from it. Should I expect polyp extension?

 

A little frag of carnation coral:

I originally got a whole colony, but then realized that I could not care for it. A little piece fell off, so I'll see if I can keep a small one going.

 

FTS:

 

The dendro has been moved to the left of where the chili coral is in the FTS, and the chili coral is under the overhang in the bottom right corner now, as I was advised it should be kept in medium current with little light exposure.

 

Tested the water one day after adding the corals, and everything else is the same except my calcium has gone from 480 to 320 overnight. I dosed with seachem reef complete and reef plus at the recommended dosage. Will check all levels tomorrow and see if any additional additives are needed. Right now I'm using a hydrometer (one of them ones from coralife), but will be getting a refractometer soon.