Frank's 28 gallons of experience - Happy Birthday

[frankdr]

This will be a 'late term' build thread. I'm starting it in August 2014 but it's been in existance since December 2013. This was my Christmas present to myself..

 

This tank and stand was found on Craigslist and needed some major cleanup.Here's the current equipment.

 

Early FTS before stocking (Dec 2013)

 

 

Tank: JBJ 28G Nanocube

Stand: Stock model with some major screws and nails added to eliminate the unsteadiness

 

Lighting: AI Nano with 1st Generation controller

 

Controller: Neptune Apex with Temp and Ph probes and VDM

 

Flow -

• Hydor rotating return
• 2x WP-10 controlled through an Apex VDM module

Filtration:

• Aquamaxx HOB-1 skimmer
• InTank media basket with filter floss and Purigen

 

Hardscape:

• 25 lbs CaribSea Aragalive sand
• 30lbs of BRS Reefsaver rock

 

Corals (soft)

• yellow polyp colony
• pulsing Xenia (not pulsing but growing like crazy)
• Green star polyps (various locations)
• Kenya Tree

 

Zoas:

• Whamin watermellons
• Radioacive dragon eyes
• Lunar eclipse
• SC

 

Macroalgea:

• Codium
• Dragons breath
• Blue scroll

Fish

• 1x Clownfish
• 5x Pajama Cardinalfish

Inverts:

• Rock Flower Anemones (5)
• Emerald crab (1)
• Banded serpent star (1)
• Astrea star (multiple)
• micro serpent stars (dozens)
• Reg legged hermit crab

Snails:

• Astrea snails (3 or 4)
• Nescarius snails (about 7 or so)
• Mexican Turbo

 

 

Here are some recent pics..

 

 

 

Two of the recent RFA's from the VIP Reef group buy this summer

 

These two are lounging under the 'GSP Waterwall' and next to the 'Kenya Tree forest'

[owenj]

it has its own thread! Did those RFAs start out on the rock and move down to the sandbed or did you put them there from the start?

[frankdr]

Did those RFAs start out on the rock and move down to the sandbed or did you put them there from the start?

 

These two are on one side and another three are on the other

 

I started them in those same positions,right where the rock and sand meet, so they have options to go either way. They've moved less than 1/2"

[frankdr]

Here are the other three. The one on the left jumped over the rock to his left and has been making his way half under some rocks

 

Here's some Xenia gone wild. It's in the top left, right in the flow of the WP10 on that side of the tank.

 

[frankdr]

I have my Apex controller connected to two Jebao WP-10's. I'm still playing with the settings, but this is going to be an excellent upgrade

[frankdr]

Some pics of Dragon's breath and Codium

 

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Number 2 RFA on the right hand side of the tank

 

Number 1 RFA on the right hand side - growing nicely

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Here are some zoas and palys I picked up from local folks over the last two weeks. They are hanging out on the sand until I pick a place for them.

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and going a new direction - I added an Idaho Grape Montipora at the top where there's plenty of light and flow

 

[frankdr]

Building a new frag tank to hold some of the overflow. Everything is growing too well

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/350895-franks-frag-tank/

[frankdr]

I was at MACNA 2014 in Denver this past weekend and picked up a few new additions

 

Two head Duncan

Favia

about 6 heads of candycane

and some ricordia

[reefernanoman]

Looking good!

[joy13]

Looking good, what kind of light do you have?

[atrox]

Looks good, bout time for some big boy sps.

[frankdr]

I've got a AI Nano wired into my Apex. I'm using the Apex Fusion interface and it makes the lights *so* much easier to configure. Trying to do it with the old style interface was not very intuitive.

 

I'll need to put some new pics up - lots of growth going on..

[frankdr]

Here it goes - I took a round of photos to document growth and such. It's mostly for my own records, but I love sharing. I've added some notes/thoughts

 

Two head Duncan I picked up from MACNA. It was getting late so this guy is smaller than during the day..

 

...

 

 

Xenia forest

....

A little bit of everything framing one of the RFAs. Some of this is coming out and going to the frag tank once it's ready

 

Two Pajama Cardinals on the prowl. I've got 5 and it seems to be a good number to dissipate aggression.

 

 

One of the three RFAs on the left side.

 

 

Candycanes from MACNA - they get pretty lively at dusk and have colored up nicely since I got them

 

 

GSP 'Waterfall' and 2 RFAs on the right side. Both of these guys have good feeding responses and are growing nicely

 

 

Some yellow polyps that have grown beyond their colony and are headed up the rocks

 

 

These ricordias also came from MACNA - They've grown at least 1/3 since I got them

 

 

This monster is going to get sold or seriously trimmed soon... If you're in the DFW area - come get some..

 

 

I picked these up from my LFS and they've grown off the frag disc and are spreading like crazy

 

 

Dragon's breath in the top back..

 

 

Not sure I even remember where these came from - local reefer I think. I like the lines..

 

 

The Idaho Grape Montipora I bought locally has filled up it's area and is starting to expand out. Interested to see what the shape becomes..

 

 

 

And all this in 28 Gallons..

[reefernanoman]

Do you have a FTS?

[frankdr]

Do you have a FTS?

 

Just took some shots with my phone - they're not that great. I took some from each side- since each one has its own set of things to see. I may do a video later..

 

from the right side

Further back on the right

From the front - angled right

Front - angled left

Left side

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[metrokat]

How do you like the pajama?

[frankdr]

How do you like the pajama?

 

I've got 5 of them and they get along well. I think the larger number disperses any aggression between them. They are fun to watch hovering around in a little school. But then they are ready to move, they shoot around like darts.

[Sk8n Reefer]

Like that Idaho grape shot !

[frankdr]

Like that Idaho grape shot !

 

Thanks - it's my first "toe in the water" with SPS corals. I heard they're a good starter hard coral. If I'm gone a few days on a trip, it's obvious that it's grown a little - even in a short time.

 

I'm going to be removing some of the softies near the top and add some more hard corals up there eventually. As soon as my frag tank finishes cycling, some of the softies re going in there.

 

Just finished acclimating a Emerald Crab for the tank - hopefully it lives up to its reputation as a bubble algae muncher..

[Sk8n Reefer]

Thanks - it's my first "toe in the water" with SPS corals. I heard they're a good starter hard coral. If I'm gone a few days on a trip, it's obvious that it's grown a little - even in a short time.

 

I'm going to be removing some of the softies near the top and add some more hard corals up there eventually. As soon as my frag tank finishes cycling, some of the softies re going in there. Just finished acclimating a Emerald Crab for the tank - hopefully it lives up to its reputation as a bubble algae muncher..

 

Ya the grape looks like it's doing good- interested to see how your Emerald does too on the bubble algae. Thinking about getting one but my previous one years ago was a little wreaking ball!

[frankdr]

Ya the grape looks like it's doing good- interested to see how your Emerald does too on the bubble algae. Thinking about getting one but my previous one years ago was a little wreaking ball!

 

I've had another emerald a few months before that I stopped seeing a while back. Not sure if there wasn't any bubble back then, or if he was eating it..

 

I never saw any bubble for the first 8 months of the tank. Suddenly there was one tiny patch and within a few weeks - about 5 little patches. I'm trying to head them off before it gets crazy. I tried removing by hand, but they were really attached and I didn't want to pop any of them for fear of making a *really* big mess.

[frankdr]

My 2 head Duncan is sprouting new heads. I can only get a good look at one of the two - but there are at least 3 new heads starting to sprout

 

[Sk8n Reefer]

My 2 head Duncan is sprouting new heads. I can only get a good look at one of the two - but there are at least 3 new heads starting to sprout

 

 

Nice , how long have you had that in the tank?

[wildbill79]

Great looking tank! I really like that monti. With I had more room for some in mine.

[frankdr]

Got some shots of my clown (who hangs by the WP10 unless there's food)

 

 

Also need to figure out what this flaky yellow stuff is.. It blows off easily

 

And a Idaho grape Monti pic