*mods please delete*

[BilgePump]

neat.. so is that the only thing you're going to have in the tank? I'd be worried about lack of nutrients..

 

As of now the plan is to use this tank to host a single mature SPS colony. I got a good deal on the tri-color valida frag from a local reefer that I am using as a miner's canary to get the tank ready. I'll move the tri-color out and acquire something a little more *bling* when the time is ripe.

[Islandoftiki]

Very cool. Single coral tank. Love the idea. Makes me want to fire the Fluval Spec back up and do exactly this.

[xlzerolx]

As long as the water level in the tank doesn't drop below the rim of the dome it will hold water. I think it is considered a siphon.

 

Ahhh! I get it now! Great idea!

 

Kudos to you on trying this with an Acropora SPS!

I've often wondered if growing SPS " hydroponically" was possible. That is, just adding nitrate and phosphate in the correct ratio with potasium nitrate and potassium phosphate along with the necessary levels of carbonate and calcium for skeleton growth

 

I might have to copy your idea for a single coral species tank and try this!

 

Also, Why do you feel that a skimmer is necessary given the large water changes you are doing?

[Snowgrrl83]

This should be interesting. I'm wondering if the acro will croak from doing such large water changes though. If the water params aren't spot on, won't you shock this acro?...and acroporas are known to easily get "shocked" by param swings.

[BilgePump]

I've been careful to mix the water to 1.025 and bring it up to 80F for the changes. Almost exactly 3 gallons in/out. I am hoping to add an ATO soon to stabilize the salinity between changes. As for the skimmer, I have a plan.

 

I am installing a valve on the air line that lets me bleed pressure to adjust the skimmer. My main interest in the skimmer is aeration so most of the time I will run it so it isn't actually skimming, or so that it skims as dry as possible, and only crank it up to full blast when needed (after big feedings, between WC's, etc.) This will also help me avoid my salinity dropping because the ATO is correcting for skimmate being pulled from the tank.

[Islandoftiki]

I've been careful to mix the water to 1.025 and bring it up to 80F for the changes. Almost exactly 3 gallons in/out. I am hoping to add an ATO soon to stabilize the salinity between changes. As for the skimmer, I have a plan.

 

I am installing a valve on the air line that lets me bleed pressure to adjust the skimmer. My main interest in the skimmer is aeration so most of the time I will run it so it isn't actually skimming, or so that it skims as dry as possible, and only crank it up to full blast when needed (after big feedings, between WC's, etc.) This will also help me avoid my salinity dropping because the ATO is correcting for skimmate being pulled from the tank.

 

I can't imagine a skimmer having anything to skim out of that tank. Except maybe the AcroPower that you're feeding and a little free-floating algae. Do you actually get icky smelling skimmate?

 

One of my main concerns with SPS in such a small tank would be maintaining alkalinity. How much alk do you lose over a week?

[BilgePump]

The skimmer has only been producing since two days ago when I upgraded the airstone.

 

 

As you can see the skimmate is very dilute, a bit of phyto, algae and some oils. I have since turned down the skimmer and it is now just an aerator.

 

I don't test anything besides salinity, not that I am opposed to it. I would like to test for calc/alk eventually and maybe even do some manual 2-part dosing as necessary. Between foods/supplements, an ATO and test kits I will be gradually doubling my investment in this tank. I'm trying not to peak the $500 mark with this build, right now I'm about $260 in.

[streamline.by.design]

This is a very cool concept. I thought about doing something like this with only a hammer and clown. Have the hammer mounted dead center of the back wall. Didn't think it was logically possible, can't wait for you to prove me wrong.

[BilgePump]

If I fail miserably I can always turn it into a ricordea nursery.

[thesmallerthebetter]

This should be interesting. I'm wondering if the acro will croak from doing such large water changes though. If the water params aren't spot on, won't you shock this acro?...and acroporas are known to easily get "shocked" by param swings.

 

my acros handle 3 BIG water changes a week, many exposed to air for a few minutes while i do the change, they dont mind. at all. and umm, i dont temp match the water either

 

I can't imagine a skimmer having anything to skim out of that tank. Except maybe the AcroPower that you're feeding and a little free-floating algae. Do you actually get icky smelling skimmate?

 

One of my main concerns with SPS in such a small tank would be maintaining alkalinity. How much alk do you lose over a week?

 

Big water changes alone should be able to regulate alk intake. right now that coral hasnt started growing yet and is likley not using any or only very little of the dissolved minerals in the water. eventually it might pull enough to make a swing, but its plenty of water compared to some other dosing-less tanks on here and should be easily managed by near 100% water changes and diligence.

[BilgePump]

Even though the coral has visibly declined in health since I received it, it has grown swiftly (IMO). I estimate it has added as much as 1/3" to its tips in the month I have owned it. My hope is that with the improved feeding regimen and the new light that it will color back up and the polyps will return to their previous glory.

[BilgePump]

So here's a short video showing the condition of the frag.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ7mRdW4U5c

 

The colors in the video are off, none of the blue shows up. Notice the abundance of copepods on the bottom of the tank, they seem to have literally appeared overnight, which is when I last dosed 4-5ml of DT's Phyto. So far phyto is the only thing I've been feeding the tank. There is also a small snail, which I think of as a wandering bacteria factory. I'm going to start using acropower on both of my tanks starting next week.

[BilgePump]

The Valida seems to be growing, but it's not particularly colorful and its polyps are much smaller than when I first received it. I've had it for over a month now. I kind of figured that based on the reputation people give acropora for being hard to keep that it would have either died or showed more affirmative signs of recovery from the transition. I started adding acropower today (3ml). Do any of the resident experts have any suggestions as to what these symptoms might mean?

-Weak polyps and faint coloration

-Growth is still occurring noticeably

[bdevillier19]

when i had my tri color frag i found it actually did better when the water had higher nutrient levels. i used to feed sparingly but had problems with coloration. after i started feeding more and brought up the phosphate levels a bit the purple really came back.

[BilgePump]

New pieces!

The local reefer I got my valida from fragged some of his other colonies and I couldn't resist! I bought a green acro (unknown) and an orange setosa. My goal is to eventually use this tank to house an individual colony, but I haven't fully committed to the valida so it will be an acro frag tank until I find just the right piece. I do however enjoy the contrast in color and shape between the three corals.

[Reefkid88]

How's the color holding up on the big frag ?

[BilgePump]

Nice little experiment. Very interesting.

 

Wish you luck.

 

 

I once kept a ricordea alive in a shot glass for about month.

 

Of course the NC28 was its sump

 

 

 

I would break up that frag block, myself. Having it on say an antique Coke bottle would be cool. Or one if those old cobalt blue glass pharmacy bottles.

 

 

How big of a pain are your 100% water changes? How often are you doing them?

 

Thanks! I like the blue bottle idea, I'll keep my eyes peeled for one. I was doing the full changes every 14 days, but I have switched over to one gallon water changes every 4-5 days. I'm hoping this will be less of a surprise to the coral and will help to maintain bacterial concentrations in the water column.

 

How's the color holding up on the big frag ?

 

The valida is recovering daily. As the color starts to return I'm seeing a lot more blue/purple and less green than when I bought it.

[BilgePump]

Here are some better shots of the acro collection:

Valida

? Acro

Setosa (Montipora)

Also, I have noticed some bowing on the front panel of my tank. I have owned the tank for just over a month and it has been like this since the first week:

Should I be concerned?

 

 

 

 

[thesmallerthebetter]

 

Also, I have noticed some bowing on the front panel of my tank. I have owned the tank for just over a month and it has been like this since the first week:

Should I be concerned?

 

 

 

 

 

just keep an eye on it. thats alot of bowing tho. thats why i wont ever own an acrylic tank....glass all the way.

[BilgePump]

I've added some zoa's and now it looks like a frag tank, which I kind of like.

 

 

I just got these from a local reefer and they were fully open within ten minutes of being in the tank!

[Reefkid88]

I would contact Mike,and see what he says.

 

That's the 4 gallon right ? An uses 1/4" acrylic ? I'd say that's a good bit of bowing. Maybe see if anyone else had/has the same problem.

[thesmallerthebetter]

good to see the acros are still doing good. i really like this project. everytime i visit this thread i get closer to trying the same thing.....

[BilgePump]

I would contact Mike,and see what he says.

 

That's the 4 gallon right ? An uses 1/4" acrylic ? I'd say that's a good bit of bowing. Maybe see if anyone else had/has the same problem.

 

I wrote Mike and he informed me that bowing isn't covered under the warranty, only leaking.

 

On a brighter note, I just bought an ATO!

[Reefkid88]

Damn,that's crazy and unfortunate. Hopefully it stays together.

 

On another more,everything looks good.

[BilgePump]

Just installed the ATO! The system is now just over 2 months old. Between the skimmer, ATO, heater and return pump this tank has more wires than gallons of volume. I budgeted $500 dollars for this build, and as of now I have spent almost exactly $400 on equipment and the system is presently holding around $100 dollars in coral, which will of course change as things are grown out, sold and traded.

 

The valida isn't as colorful as I would like it to be, but the other two acro frags are looking great and have grown noticeably in the past 2+ weeks. I want to add a couple more frags to the tank, maybe some non-acro SPS.