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My 20L [3/10] No Skimmer = Best Growth!


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FTS (3/10/16) DAY 453

 

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Established 12/14/15

Tank: Deep Blue 20 gallon Long

Stand: Aquatic Fundamentals prefab

Filter: AC 70 w/ inTank Media basket. Running floss, ROX carbon and GFO. Rubble on top.

Overflow Box: False overflow for surface skimming, ATO switch/return, temp probe, and chaeto/rubble.

Heater: 75w NeoTherm in the AC70

Flow: MP10

Skimmer: Eshopps PSK-100 HOB

Light: Aquaticlife 4x24w T5. 3x ATI B+ and 1x ATI P+. 8hrs of B+, 6hrs of all four.

ATO: Tunze Nano w/ 7g reservoir in stand.

H20: Aquaticlife RO buddy producing 0 TDS, IORC salt.

 

Livestock

20lbs Special Grade reef sand

12lbs Florida base rock

Inverts

Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp

Hermits x5

Astrea Snail x2

Nerites x4

Ceriths x5

Fish

Red Firefish

Ocellaris Clown

Coral

Zoa's

Frogspawn

Red Goniopora

Birdsnest

GlovePolyp

Xenia

Lemon Tree
Leather Finger

Button Polyp

Red Monti

Blue Acro

GSP

 

Parameters

79F

1.025

pH 8.0

Amm/-trite/-trate = 0

P04 = 0

Mg 1400, Ca 450, dKH 8.4

 

Let me know what you guys think, I'll be checking in on here for advice regularly.

 

Thanks for looking!

Chris

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Slightly nervous about the frogspawn. He was added on 2/16 and has been losing color and becoming transparent ever since I got him. I drip acclimated and dipped in Revive. I put him into the sandbed and left the lights off for the night, then allowed my regular photoperiod to ensue, which was a little longer then, like 13hrs attinics and 10hrs day lights.

 

I didn't think my T5's could cause bleaching, but I don't know what else it could be. I have since changed my photoperiod and moved the frogspawn under a ledge so it gets little light. Let me know what you guys think.

 

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I've had that frogspawn in the past, it was somewhat transparent so it might not be bleaching, it might just be the color that particular frogspawn is supposed to be. Not 100% sure though, just letting you know about my experience with it. Also, they look to be healthy to me.

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I've had that frogspawn in the past, it was somewhat transparent so it might not be bleaching, it might just be the color that particular frogspawn is supposed to be. Not 100% sure though, just letting you know about my experience with it. Also, they look to be healthy to me.

It came from a tank with many other frogspawn, all of which have that dark brown body and fluorescent green tips. Mine has lost most of it's color except for the bottom (out of the light) which leads me to believe I may have shocked it with too much light. The params are rock solid and everything else is doing great.

 

That looks really nice so far. Love what you did with your rocks.

 

Thank you! Used eggcrate, zip ties, fiberglass rods and cement. It is all very solid, yet pulls apart easily when needed :)

Tank looks great, nice equip list as well.

Thank you, tank has just been setup after I graduated college. Wanted a solid setup without totally breaking the bank,so much for that...

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I have a new algae forming all over the tank. Given the age of the system, I am not too concerned. However it does look a little suspect with all of the bubbles I am seeing...15E31525-39E6-4BBE-82C8-36A423EC9860_zps

 

What do you guys think?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Update 3/14/15

Got myself a cleaner shrimp, clown and firefish. I suppose this will be it for fish/inverts at least for a while. Time to keep my water params nice and stable and try to move onto some easy growing corals. My zoa's seem happy but frogspawn and goniopora have lost some of their color.

 

I do not understand why my frogspawn is doing so poorly. I think I shocked him with too much light. My red flower pot also has lost some color. Params are perfect and all fish/inverts are doing excellent!

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CronicReefer

My frogspawn has always enjoyed pretty strong lighting but sometimes frogspawn can lose zooxanthellae due to stress.

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My frogspawn has always enjoyed pretty strong lighting but sometimes frogspawn can lose zooxanthellae due to stress.

It must have been stressed...

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righttirefire

My LFS has all its corals in "frag trays" 3 ft 3 ft 8 in with MH lighting he claims 300 par on the center and 200+ par around the edges... I always buy my coral as close to closing time as possible so I know they've had a full light cycle. Typically I do about a 2 hour drip and depending on the coral I start them in the sandbed and observe them for the weekend and typically move them up 4". I have 20h and led lights so I know I don't have the same light values. And I see color changes in my corals as a result.

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porkchop-rob

Looking good man. I would keep an eye on the algae and if needed go light less for a couple days....that may also help your frogspawn calm down.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Sk8n Reefer

Tanks coming alone nicely - you'll want to be careful with the Rox carbon and GFO. Especially with a new tank- it can strip the water very quickly and start to bother corals . Are you feeding the tank? Always good to add some food for the corals. Even though your seeing some algae the trace elements could be stripped by the carbon. Blow off the rocks daily if you can. I like your scape- very nice

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  • 1 month later...

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Button polyp (bottom left), Glove polyp (center), Birdsnest (Right). Not sure what to do with the birdsnest it is already growing/encrusting very quickly and I can't find a good spot for the plug. I have no experience removing SPS from plugs.

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Tanks coming alone nicely - you'll want to be careful with the Rox carbon and GFO. Especially with a new tank- it can strip the water very quickly and start to bother corals . Are you feeding the tank? Always good to add some food for the corals. Even though your seeing some algae the trace elements could be stripped by the carbon. Blow off the rocks daily if you can. I like your scape- very nice

 

I have heard that with carbon/gfo, even skimming a brand new tank. I made some mistakes in the beginning which led to me needing GFO. Right now I am only feeding the tank with PE mysis/cyclopeeze and NLS pellets. Right now (knock on wood) I have no issues with algae, and both PO4/NO3 are at 0.

 

What would be the best overall additive from this point? I don't have TONs of corals but certainly have many more now. I don't need 2 part with my weekly waterchanges but I do think I could benefit from adding something to the feeding regime..

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righttirefire

I'm on the edge of dropping the cash for a new mp10qd. Curious what yours is set on. I have a 20 long also. And hate the cord in my tank and lack of control of flow. What are your opinions on the mp10?

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I'm on the edge of dropping the cash for a new mp10qd. Curious what yours is set on. I have a 20 long also. And hate the cord in my tank and lack of control of flow. What are your opinions on the mp10?

I run the MP10 on 80% ReefCrest. This is a variable high energy setting, ramping up to 80% of the power before winding down again. I love it. No chance of stray voltage or heat dissipation. I have it placed in the center on my side panel there and it eliminates almost all deadspots.

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righttirefire

I ordered my mp10qd last night. So playtime next weekend.

I was planning running center of end wall

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Sk8n Reefer

Tanks looking good! To remove your sps from the plug just pull it out and take a strong razor blade and cut through the base- into the plug a little if need be. It should pop right off- do it on a towel to support the coral. I use a thick glue (ecotechs) to attach all my frags. ? if you happen to break a branch off keep it and mount it - now you have two ?

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thecoralbeauty

Following along- I have the same tank, but radion lights and no fancy mp10 (yet). Though after hearing y'all talk about it, I'm even more tempted now, especially if you've had good results with it in an identical tank. Interesting that you are skimming. I almost never do. (I have a little skimmer, but don't use it)- in these size tanks it doesn't seem to make any more of a difference than a good water change and established biological filter, for me anyway. As far as your frogspawn, he's inflating nicely, so though the color loss may be a concern, I don't think it is cause for alarm yet. In my experience, LPS can be moody, and get super touchy over flow. I wouldn't get too worried unless it retracts itself and you're seeing a lot of sharp skeleton.

 

Looks great so far, can't wait to keep reading updates!

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Tanks looking good! To remove your sps from the plug just pull it out and take a strong razor blade and cut through the base- into the plug a little if need be. It should pop right off- do it on a towel to support the coral. I use a thick glue (ecotechs) to attach all my frags. if you happen to break a branch off keep it and mount it - now you have two

 

I guess I just have to man up, makes me nervous though :mellow:

 

Following along- I have the same tank, but radion lights and no fancy mp10 (yet). Though after hearing y'all talk about it, I'm even more tempted now, especially if you've had good results with it in an identical tank. Interesting that you are skimming. I almost never do. (I have a little skimmer, but don't use it)- in these size tanks it doesn't seem to make any more of a difference than a good water change and established biological filter, for me anyway. As far as your frogspawn, he's inflating nicely, so though the color loss may be a concern, I don't think it is cause for alarm yet. In my experience, LPS can be moody, and get super touchy over flow. I wouldn't get too worried unless it retracts itself and you're seeing a lot of sharp skeleton.

 

Looks great so far, can't wait to keep reading updates!

 

Yes the MP10 has been gold. As for skimming, you can most certainly do without. With the all the pros/cons, it might be more of a pain than anything. That being said, I pull out about half a collection cup (large amount) of dark brown/black goop every single week so it is certainly helping me keep the water clean.

 

If I was to do it again, I most likely would not include skimmer.

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thecoralbeauty

I don't run a skimmer. Don't plan to.

I guess I'm old-school, and I hover over my tank pretty constantly. Between my watchful eye, and my cat's watchful eyes, I think my manual monitoring methods and water changes as necessary are working out fine. Plus, I don't want to skim away any of the good stuff with the bad- skimming reminds me of the old saying "throwing the baby out with the bath water"- so, I'd have to agree.

 

Also I find it pretty amazing that I've only done one water change since I've inherited the tank back from my friend two months ago. Even that probably wasn't necessary, I only had 5ppm nitrates. I've been pulling up 0's since. Perhaps my test kit is old/faulty, but i'd like to think that the tank has just done beautifully with biological filtration.

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Sk8n Reefer

I guess I just have to man up, makes me nervous though :mellow:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hahaha- yes it can be nerve racking for sure- but the Birdsnest are pretty resilient - as I said- keep any part you might break and glue it in also. Have a good glue base- don't be shy. I tend to take an instrument and push it around the rock also- it's interesting the Birdsnest don't really encrust and tend to get large but have a little spindly base.

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  • 3 weeks later...

(5/24/15) - A lot has gone on in the few weeks both good and bad. First of all I found out I had the dreaded Zoa Eating Nudibranchs:

 

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As well as the eggs:

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So I began to manually pick them out every time I saw one. This made a marked difference day by day and my Zoa's were beginning to open up more. I don't know whether I was just being lazy or wanted a new fish but I read that a lot of people have a Wrasse that eats most pests. I turned over my PJ Cardial for a six line wrasse. NO MORE NUDIBRACHS HAVE BEEN SEEN IN OVER A WEEK! So far it has been a great success, however, now the Wrasse is beginning to harass my Firefish :( One of them may need to go, as my firefish is spending most of his day inside his hole within the rock...

 

A pic of all the fish, and my NEW Red Monti and old Birdsnest that is taking off!!

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