Tudizzle's BC29

[TUDIZZLE]

Well here we go, finally taking the time to put some of this stuff down.

 

Finally got the wife to sign off and even get excited about setting up a Reef Tank. I was selling here on a 12g Nano DX just so it would not seem like alot of money to get started. I bought the tank and stand and brought it home. When the wife saw it she said "No Way!" Worried she had already lost interest I began to think up all the great excuses why to keep it, when she blurted out "that's not a tank, I was expecting something a little bigger?" Knowing when I am ahead I loaded it back up and went to the LFS only to return with the BC29!

 

 

Now I have some experience in the past with FW and SW FOWLR's but it has easliy been at least 15yrs and as we know alot has changed since then.

 

I started my BC29 in the middle of July (sorry dates are not exact, so many dead brain cells! j/k) with 22lbs of LR cured(no really) and 20 lbs of LS. I plugged her in a let it cycle for a few weeks, going pretty quick thru all the stages of algea.

 

My research had all been around mod'ing a Nano DX so I took the cycle time to figure out exactly what I want to do to the tank. (All mods are up and running)

 

MODS

 

 

Nanotuners 4.36 lights with fan upgrade

 

CHAMBER 1

 

removed false bottom and put 2lbs LR

50w Heater

purigen

chemi-pure elite

filter mod

widened gap into chamber 2

 

 

CHAMBER 2

Converted into a Fuge

 

false floor, bio balls and drip tray removed

5lbs LR

Cheato

calpura (sp?)

azoo palm light (5w 6500k) with goose neck removed and mounted flat against outside back w/ velcro

 

 

CHAMBER 3

 

rio 6HF

 

 

IN-TANK EQUIP

 

koralia 1

lockline y-split

 

 

 

After about 2-3 weeks I added a CUC consiting of:

3 Zebra snails

1 Turbo snail(golf ball size)

2 Astrea snails

3 Nassarius snails

2 blue legged hermits

3 scarlett hermits

I also thru a rock in with about 7 red mushrooms

 

After a few weeks of feasting by the CUC I thru in a 2 headed torch coral and a 4 headed hammer. It has been a little over a week since adding these corals and they have been doing great. Both the hammer and the torch are already showing signs of splitting, and I have 11 mushrooms now!

 

 

So I would say almost 6 weeks up and running and I am very pleased with how things are progressing. All my parameters are on point and I am begining to enjoy the fruits of my labor. Now if everything goes like this forum says I should have my cyano outbreak by next week! j/k

 

The tank sits in a finished basement allowing it to stay at a constant 78 with no temp flucuations. I do 3 gallon water changes every 5 days and since adding corals I am dosing every other day with b-ionic calcium buffer. I started small feedings every other day switching between roti-feast and phyto-feast.

 

Here are a few pics with my HP point and shoot camera

 

 

FTS at the beginning

 

Torch Coral

 

 

 

 

Hammer Coral

 

 

 

Mushrooms

 

 

 

 

I will try to post weekly or when new critters arrive!

 

Any thoughts, opinions or criticisims are welcome and appreciated.

 

Thanks-

 

Brandon aka Tudizzle

[diggman08]

to the BC 29 gang.... sounds like your well on your way.. looks like youve already done all the mods and stuff... now you can sit back and enjoy..that torch is swweetttt.. check my BC out in sig..

[TUDIZZLE]

to the BC 29 gang.... sounds like your well on your way.. looks like youve already done all the mods and stuff... now you can sit back and enjoy..that torch is swweetttt.. check my BC out in sig..

 

 

Thanks I love that torch I could stare at it for hours. My pic does no justice to it's amazing colors.

 

I've been following your tank progress since my first day on this site, what a beautiful slice of ocean you have!

[divecj5]

Hey man...congrats on the tank....I agree with Diggman. Looks like you are definitely off on the right foot and everything looks great. Welcome to the BC Crew!!! I have been loving my 29 for almost three months now.

[irishtexan]

Great tank! And Welcome to NR.com!

 

 

That brownish colored rock in the front on the right, would look sweet covered in zoo's.

[Obi Juan kenobi]

Welcome and looks good!!!

[TUDIZZLE]

Great tank! And Welcome to NR.com!

That brownish colored rock in the front on the right, would look sweet covered in zoo's.

 

 

Thanks

 

I was thinking the same thing about that branch of Tonga as well. Currently I have moved it and am using it to divide a section of the tank, for future pieces.

 

Speaking of zoas.......I will be getting a special delivery from zoanuts.com tomorrow...can you say colors!!

 

 

Here is a current FTS

 

[irishtexan]

Looks good! Cant wait to see the new zoo's. They should really add some color.

[diggman08]

prepare to be amazed by the zoanuts treatment..

did you order your torch online?? or LFS?

[TUDIZZLE]

prepare to be amazed by the zoanuts treatment..

did you order your torch online?? or LFS?

 

 

Thats what I have heard and seen here on NR about Zoanuts.com. I will be like a little kid at xmas!

 

 

The torch came from my LRS here in Colorado Springs, CO. They have amazing pieces in pristine condition at what I am assuming are resonable prices. 45$ for the torch seemed like a fair price to me, but I am truly a noob at pricing, is that a fair price?

 

 

It is nice having a place 15 min away, those pics of the torch and hammer where taken literally 20 minutes after going in my tank.

[diggman08]

thats awsome.. ive been wanting to get one sooo baddd.. my lfs sells them for like $70,, im not paying that much... ripp offf. you got a good deal on yours...

[TUDIZZLE]

Good to know I was not getting robbed.

 

 

Can't wait for my zoa delivery today, is it 3 yet?

[diggman08]

haha.. they tell you 3oclock delivery. but i must warn you.. all my zoanuts deliveries came around 11a.m. so be watching.

[TUDIZZLE]

got my order from zoanuts today...hopefully everything will come together.

 

The bag w/ the #19 zoa had leaked all of its water out, it was still wet but definetly not under water like the other pieces, none of them have opened 2 hrs in (except 3 which never closed and I think are of a different variety) but it is still very early.

 

My #12 zoa was broken in two pieces with the smaller one not even being heavy enough to sink, I thinks it is all zoas with no rock or anything attached. Being the optimist that I am I guess I just got two colonies of #12!?! (still none have opened 2hrs in)

 

#18 zoas opened up within 10 minutes and look sweet

 

Blastos are happy and puffing up

 

Free Frag was completely open in minutes(go figure)

 

 

I will post any progess on the closed pieces and post some pics tomorrow when I turn all the lights back on.

 

I do not want to have this come off as a complaint, I am just providing my experience with this particular order

It is the first time that I have ordered online and not sure how it will all work out. I do not want to jump to any conclusions and will wait patiently for the results.

 

 

With that being said I would like to compliment zoanuts for outstanding customer service. Dustin responds promtly to any questions I have had and I am confident if there are any problems (still leaning towards none) he will make it right. His actions alone will make me do business with zoanuts again.

[Pickle010]

I agree the Customer Service aspect of the purchase is the key. Things happen and sometimes bags leak and for whatever reason sometimes frags just don't open. It's good to work with a company that will back up what they sell. I have seen frags shipped in nothing more then a damp towel around them in a plastic bag and do just fine.

 

That being said... You can try to ensure that you are providing your corals a great environment and double check your peramiters just to be on the safe side. Most often the zoas I've purchased have opened fairly quickly but there are those that seem to be a little more stubborn from the start.

 

I purchased some on Saturday at Reef A Palooza which was only 15 minutes from my house. They didn't open untill the next day.

[TUDIZZLE]

well #19 has started to open...slowly..about 8 of 40 have opened...yeah

 

 

now #12 is my only concern. When it arrived 1/3 of the colony had detached from the frag it was attached to. I took the loose piece and gently wedged it into a crevice ( the only way I could get it to stay). Now another 1/3 is starting to seperate off the main colony and it looks like the whole thing may detach from the frag.

 

Is this a sure sign of bad things?

 

 

All my parameters are on point not to mention a 3 gallon water change yesterday.

[diggman08]

might want to glue them to a piece of rock.. stick them in a shaded area for awhile, see if that does anything.. also get them in some good flow...

[TUDIZZLE]

might want to glue them to a piece of rock.. stick them in a shaded area for awhile, see if that does anything.. also get them in some good flow...

 

My main rocks have alot of perfect size crevices to wedge stuff into, so thats where they currently reside. And I have only been running the atinics and put into a lower flow area as per zoanuts suggestion. By the way Dustin (zoanuts) has been responding to all my concerns and still feels like there is a good chance of making it.

 

The "breaking up" has just made me have three small colonies! See always the optimist.

 

 

Thanks to all who have chimed in w/ suggestions

[divecj5]

Sounds like everything pretty much faired well...you will know how things turn out for sure with the frags after a day or two. Things will take a while to settle into your tank based on conditions, etc.

 

Just be glad that you received your package today DHL is happily holding mine in Oklahoma still to be delivered tomorrow....

 

Looking forward to seeing some pics

[TUDIZZLE]

yeah I saw you bad luck w/ DHL, keeping my fingers crossed that your order arrives safe and alive by tomorrow at the latest.

 

 

 

I have a feeling my zoa's will all eventually open and everything thing will be ok.

 

 

On a positive note my torch coral has completed the flesh aross its split and is now 3 headed! My master plan involves frag mag'n the torch, hammer and a possible Frogspawn on the back wall.

[diggman08]

ill take a head of that torch off your hands..hehe

[TUDIZZLE]

ill take a head of that torch off your hands..hehe

 

 

If things keep going this way you may just get your wish

 

 

An update on yesterdays delivery from zoanuts.com

 

#19 zoa about half opened up along with with 4 larger zoa hitchhikers

 

#18 zoa 100% open and standing tall

 

Blastos puffed to max and looking sweet!!

 

Freebie zoa 100% open and reaching for the sky

 

 

Unfortunately #12 never opened...but thats just how it goes sometimes

 

 

Once again Dustin from zoanuts has been on the ball and checking in on my shipments progress.

What a class operation!

 

I will get pics up in a day or two when things are looking their best.

[ge0]

I demand pictures now. You are so cruel. I read all the way to the end of the thread, excited to see a beautiful flowing ecosystem, and all I get are black and white pixels.

[diggman08]

awsome. lets see some shots

[ge0]

Hey what filter mod did you do? Do you have a picture or a forum post you can link?

 

Cheers,