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Coral Vue Hydros

Gil2Gil JBJ Picotope Project


Gil2Gil

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Hello!

 

I've known of this site for some time and have followed a lot of the advice on here. It's been a few years since my last saltwater set up and I really feel I can take it to another level this time around.

 

The goal for this tank is to maintain excellent and consistent water parameters. While maintaining a well rounded collection of stunning and rare corals. I'm not holding back on this on,min other words.

 

Equipment:

 

The tank is a 5 gallon JBJ picotope. Basically the tank is the only part I'm using from this kit. The light and filter were no where near strong enough to support any of my ideas.

 

My mechanical filtration is a HOB 20 Gal TopFin. Soon to be modded

 

Lighting: Wave Point Blade LED 9" 18 Watt

Extremely strong and sleek. I like the glass stand it has that fits perfect on a rimless tank. In excited to see how the tank grows with these lights

 

There is also a standard heater in the tanks, I want to eventually buy a smaller one I can fit in the HOB Filter.

 

I set the tank ablur three weeks ago. I ordered the test kit week one and saw a bit of ammonia, and the nitrate a bit high.

 

Left out of town for another week, and when I can back yesterday and tested the water, everything was zeroed out and perfect. Did a water change and made a trip to the LFS.

 

Tons of pictures to show off. Just need to figure this board out.

 

Talk soon!

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Here is the original setup

 

Lighting:

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Second Water Test:

You can tell the nitrate is a little high and so was the ammonia.

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Full Tank Shot:

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Few weeks have passed since these pictures. Updating later today with livestock update

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I'm going to consider this the first official entry to this build. And the last post - an awkward introduction.

 

11/11/15

 

Yesterday It was decided the tank was officially cycled and was in need of its first inhabitants. At this point a huge majority of the surface was covered by hair algae.

 

Tested the water that morning and everything was perfect. Quick 90% water change and Off to the LFS with a plan in hand.

 

Because the conditions of this tank have been measuring out so great from the get go, I thought I'd set it up right on this first trip with confidence.

 

The Bill:

 

Inverts:

1 skunk shrimp

1 female emerald crab

4 verity snails

1 Sand sifting snail

 

Coral:

1 zoa frag

1 Galaxia frag sold to me as GSP

 

And a chunk of live rock. Figured this would be the easiest and most natural way to insure the new additions wouldn't overload the bacteria in the system too much. The goal for this tank is to avoid adding any chemicals with the aid of a ton of water changes, proper filtration and close observation.

 

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The plan was to buy a hardy zoa and GSP to see how they'd do in the newly established tank. I asked and he said it was GSP, the annoying thing is I knew better. Anyways, I found another shop I going to visit tomorrow. They said they'd take my Galaxia frag to trade. We'll see what I come home with tomorrow.

 

An updated FTS:

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Here is the Galaxia coral doing exactly what I feared, reaching as far as it can. Luckily the current is blowing clear away from the other frag. I am considering this a good sign of great water quality. All the corals are fully extended and there is obvious activity. All the inverts are doing their thing.

 

I kid you not the rock on the right was COVERED in green algae last night before introducing the emerald crab. It's since made quick work of it and has the rock almost completely clean!

 

Updates to come!

 

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11/12/15

 

Today I was able to make it out to the new LFS I had ran into online. Random spot in china town, NYC, but the guy knew what he was talking about and really hooked me up.

 

He ended up taking that Galaxia off my hands and giving me a pulsing Xenia as a trade.

Xenia is one of my favorite corals, what's a tank without Xenia lol.

 

He also had some zoa frags for sale, ended up giving me a mixed plug with around 6-8 NICE polyps for 10$! One of them was called Dark angel or something to that sort, and the other I can't remember. Maybe someone on here can ID them.

 

Anyways, here is an update picture of the frags in the tank. I'll try and get some better pictures tomorrow.

 

 

 

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Thank you, NinjaReefer! It's since been replaced because it was was to aggressive in way to cramped a place.

 

Update on the tank:

 

As far as all the new inhabitants, including coral, the tank seems to be doing better than expected. New coral has really opened up and became comfortable in the the tank really quick.

 

Bad news; there was a small patch of Red Slime on one of the LR. Having bad experience with this stuff when left alone, I didn't want to wait to see what happened. Since it was a small patch, on an easy to remove part of LR, I took it out and scrubbed it off with fresh water. All this did was buy me time, unless I find the cause.

 

I did a water test, everything was perfect except the slightest bump in ammonia. Did a water change on the 10th, so I'm not sure. I'm going to let the system catch up and see how it does in the next few days.

 

Any pointers on Red Slime???

 

Also, waiting for first official Aqua-scaping during my next weekly water change.

 

I'll glue down all the new frags and set the LR where I actually want them.

 

Love to hear some comments!!

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Thank you, NinjaReefer! It's since been replaced because it was was to aggressive in way to cramped a place.

 

Update on the tank:

 

As far as all the new inhabitants, including coral, the tank seems to be doing better than expected. New coral has really opened up and became comfortable in the the tank really quick.

 

Bad news; there was a small patch of Red Slime on one of the LR. Having bad experience with this stuff when left alone, I didn't want to wait to see what happened. Since it was a small patch, on an easy to remove part of LR, I took it out and scrubbed it off with fresh water. All this did was buy me time, unless I find the cause.

 

I did a water test, everything was perfect except the slightest bump in ammonia. Did a water change on the 10th, so I'm not sure. I'm going to let the system catch up and see how it does in the next few days.

 

Any pointers on Red Slime???

 

Also, waiting for first official Aqua-scaping during my next weekly water change.

 

I'll glue down all the new frags and set the LR where I actually want them.

 

Love to hear some comments!!

 

You mean cyanobacteria?

 

I'd check my phosphates and get some phosphate remover. That has generally been my problem in the past that caused it. Another thing you can do is add flow because it likes to be in low flow areas, but really nitrates and phosphates cause it in my experience.

 

I personally have never used any of those red slime removers.

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This things stressing me out...

 

So a few days back, went to my new LFS and he really hooked me up with some great frags. The tank is doing great, all the frags open immediately.

 

So my plan was to set all the frags on the sand bed, till the next water change, where I'd glue them to their spots. Last night I catch my emerald crab take one of the frags apart. I'm assuming there was algae she was trying to get too, didn't go after the polyps, just tore the rock they were on off the frag.

 

To say the least, it was almost flushed when I saw that. But I let it be. Told my self I was gluing everything down first thing before work.

 

Glued everything down this morning, everything is pretty much opened. Go to check on a frag and it's missing!!! The rock it was on that I glued down is still there, just the f@@@@@ polyp was gone.

 

That was just one zoa, I think an eagle eye, but still. That crab was the first person I looked too... Her time in my tank is about to expire.

 

Also, there is a zoa polyp on another frag that seems to be holding on by a thread. Will this reattach itself? Die off?

 

I'm assuming if that a** crab leaves it alone it may make it. Any input?

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There is plenty of algae for her left. I made sure it wasn't introduced without plenty of algae in the tank.

 

Like I said, I haven't seen it aim at the polyps. Just attack the algae around them.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Quick update on the tank:

 

The tank is about a month an a half at this point, it has kept perfect parameters since it finished cycling.

 

The algea outbreak at the start of the nitrogen cycle was taken care of by an emerald crab that's now living in the filter till I can exchange the little guy. Found it with my PPE in its claws one night. Not his fault, it ran out of food.

 

Was able to glue the little PPE to another plug on the sand bed. Opens every day, but it doesn't look the same. Not sure if it's budding a new polyp? Will post pictures soon.

 

Got a ton of new frags. Will post some pictures soon.

 

Was also able to pick up so "high quality" zoa frags. You guys can be the judge of that.

 

Besides that, everything seems to be stable and growing.

 

One question; I have a frag of zoas mid way through the tank. I'm pretty confident the lights are over kill. But, one pf the polyps in that plug is extending a lot, but only that one polyp. Even the ones pointing straight down are fine. Should I raise it?

Sorry for the typos, I wrote this on my phone, you can guess where. ?

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  • 3 weeks later...

Tank update 12/27/15

 

The tank has been running for around 2 1/2 months at this point. I'm pretty sure I started cycling mid October 2015. A tons changed.

 

I've held back from updating as often so it wouldn't become stale. But there is plenty to update on.

 

About 3 weeks ago I finally swapped out the bad emerald crab and replaced the skunk shrimp that the filter swallowed. While I was at the LFS that was far as hell, The owner gave me some mesh to fix my filter intake issue so I could take a fish home with me that day also(side note, I forgot I eBay ordered a new replacement intake cover which I still haven't used. It's too long.). This guy convinced me on this supper small maroon clownfish they've had for a while. Besides my better judgment, it came home with me...

 

Immediately regretted it when I let it go in my system. I wanted the main feature to be an impressive and interactive animal; Which clown fish are interactive, just "super basic", as my beautiful girl friend would say. I could only really keep one animal in this small pico besides the coral. Anyways, I sucked it up.

 

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You can see how small he was. I say was because the little bastard suddenly died about a week ago. No idea in the world why it died, woke up one morning and it was chilling behind a shell trying to avoid the current. It went down hill from there. When it started laying on its side I did a water test and everything was perfect, like always. Did a water change like 4 days prior. He was eating and just fine the day before. Anyways, my coral guy said it must have been an old fish, because not a thing else has suffered in this tank. Everything is literally exploding in growth. Even the ones I thought would take their time. I'm going to run out of space sooner than I thought. Which is freaking great!!!!

 

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My coral guy.

I've been going to this guy every weekend, what a find, in china town. This guy has his little NYC apt PACKED with reef tanks. This guy has the nicest coral and variety I've seen in the city. AND the guy ALWAYS hooks me up. I always leave happy with a deal.

 

For instance, the new focus point of my tank. Smith (purple ring) Mantis Shrimp.

 

My Coral guy has had him for about 1 1/2 years. A year of that was spent in a medicine bottle. He's had him up for sell, so he was holding it in his filter in the medicine bottle for quick access. Obviously if no one can see it, it won't be sold. I found out about it in his filter when I casually brought up mantis. It's a hell of a mantis. And for 15$ I can't complain. He claimed it was a rainbow mantis shrimp. Very vague if you ask me. Anyways what sold me was; the color, he's had it a while and it hasn't grown much, I couldn't resist the deal, and it's EXACTLY what I've wanted for this tank!!

 

 

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This is when I first started acclimating him. He's been in that bag for an hour at that point so I wanted to be quick. And yes, that's the bottle it's lived in for the past year.

 

I took him out of the bottle and let it float acclimate in just the bag for a long while before he was let loose. This little pico feels like a mansion to this little guy.

 

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This is the best picture I've been able to capture. He won't stop moving long enough! He/she needs a name, suggestions?!?! And does anyone know how to find the answer - if it's a she or he?

 

It's so much fun to watch this little guy hard at work setting up his space under one of the rocks. Right up front too, which is great! It seems pretty smart, it's built some impressive caves. I traded in the little skunk/cleaner shrimp with the coral guy. This mantis was a STEAL I feel. After a morning of research, I figured out its a smith mantis/purple ring.

 

I'm going to take some pictures with my dslr, these were with my iPhone. I'll take better FTS and give you a more in depth update on all the coral with pictures.

 

Thanks guys, feel free to chime in your opinions!!

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