Josh's 20L mostly SPS mixed reef

[SPS20]

The new blue color in one month was such a drastic change, for the better of course. Were you aware this was going to occur when you first bought it? Tank looks awesome. I like the top down shot.

 

I figured it would color up, since the tips were blue. In my experience, if the tips have some color, the rest of it will too if you give it enough light. But, I didn't think it would happen so fast. That coral has barely grown in the past month, but has changed color, as you can see. Most of the growth has been in the past 2 weeks or so. I guess it put all its energy into pigments for a little while. I was definitely surprised.

[PurpleUP]

I figured it would color up, since the tips were blue. In my experience, if the tips have some color, the rest of it will too if you give it enough light. But, I didn't think it would happen so fast. That coral has barely grown in the past month, but has changed color, as you can see. Most of the growth has been in the past 2 weeks or so. I guess it put all its energy into pigments for a little while. I was definitely surprised.

 

Interesting. I'll have to keep that in mind when looking for hidden gems at the LFS.

[SPS20]

I went to the LFS today, and made 3 purchases, one of which I regret. I got a small acan colony, a purple encrusting SPS which I think is pavona, but i'm not sure. I also got a yellow clown goby. The second he hit the water, he started munching on my green slimer (ish) coral. Now, I had one of these guys years ago in a much larger tank (120) which had in it numerous SPS and he never caused a problem. As I look deeper into it, I find that I was just very lucky years ago, and am not now. So, the little guy has to go, and I will spend some time tonight devising a way to get him out of there without hurting him or anything else in the tank. More about that later.

 

The new acan:

 

the new Pavona?? This guy looks like he lost alot of growth sometime in the past but is recovering. Probably trouble in shipping. It was cheap, and I see great potential. Does anybody know what it is? Is it Pavona?

[SPS20]

Update: goby problem solved with 5 feet of 3/4" vinyl tubing. I siphoned him into a bucket and now he's in my refugium until my next LFS visit.

[Oregon]

A very well-thought-out, well aquascaped tank. One of the best small hard-coral tanks I can remember seeing. Keep photographing the progress as this little tank grows and progresses, please. Great job!

[SPS20]

A very well-thought-out, well aquascaped tank. One of the best small hard-coral tanks I can remember seeing. Keep photographing the progress as this little tank grows and progresses, please. Great job!

 

Thanks for the compliment! Its so nice to have a forum to discuss this stuff. My real-life friends seem to not appreciate the tank as much. I have dozens of corals, and all they want to see is the algae blenny getting fed, since he is so damn silly. I try to tell them the really interesting part is the corals, but they don't care. Its good to have other reef nerds to commune with. I'm so glad I joined this site!

[Sushi]

I had troubles with the yellow clown goby too...

 

This is what I did to get him out:

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...89842&st=40

[SPS20]

I had troubles with the yellow clown goby too...

 

This is what I did to get him out:

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...89842&st=40

 

Ingenious solution! Luckily, the siphon hose was sufficient for me. What I don't get is how yellow clown gobies still have the reputation of being reef-safe in many circles. I mean, this little guy just went NUTS on my green slimer the second he hit the water. As i read your thread, seems yours had the same preference. Maybe its the fuzzy meaty polyps slimers tend to have. I guess they are just tasty lol. Now when I look at my green slimer, All the terminal polyps (the ones on the ends of the braches) are looking a little sad. At least half of them are missing some of their tentacles, and a few are missing entirely! I'm sure they'll grow back soon enough, but it was a bit traumatic for me watching my coral get devoured while i devise a method of capture. I'm just glad my fish wasn't afraid of the vinyl tubing that ultimately removed him.

[Pacifique]

Hey Joshua, great looking tank.

[psam]

the new Pavona?? This guy looks like he lost alot of growth sometime in the past but is recovering. Probably trouble in shipping. It was cheap, and I see great potential. Does anybody know what it is? Is it Pavona?

 

Judging by those 'eyes' and growth, looks like psammocora, maybe P. profundacella. Can you get a sharper, closer shot? Very nice looking.

[SPS20]

Ok I tried to get better shots of the purple mystery coral. The polyps are fully expanded now, so it looks a bit different than before. The earlier photo was just an hour after I put it in the tank. I think its happier now.

 

 

and cropped to be a bit tighter in:

 

So, based on those pics, what does it look like to you?

 

And a couple of gratuitous tank shots...

 

My blenny chilling by a clam, one of his favorite perching spots:

 

And a close-up of my blue anthelia:

 

-Josh

[aparker]

I have read of swings in pH related to lighting periods, but I never understood it as well as you've explained it here. How can I maintain steady pH and mimic what you do to balance CO2 levels without keeping a refugium? also without spending crazy amounts of money.

 

Unfortunately, the refugium is by far the easiest solution. In any marine aquarium with a lot of photosynthetic animals, CO2 is consumed when the light is on (driving the CO2 - H2CO3 buffer system to the alkaline side) and released when the light is off (driving the pH to the acid side). A counter-lit fuge balances this - the more light and the more photosynthsis that's going on the better. In my tank the pH hits 8.35 during the "day" (lights on in the main tank) and drops to 8.15 at "night" (off in main tank, on in fuge). If I leave all lights off for 24 hours, it drops to 7.95 (too low for me to be comfortable).

[c est ma]

Josh, this is a wonderful thread about a wonderful tank! I've read through it 3 times, now. I love it that you're so picture-heavy, but that makes me just want to comment on EVERYTHING!

 

Someday I'm going to indulge in a bigger tank, and my first leaning is always toward a 20L...I just love the proportions, and your 'scape and overall gestalt definitely make the most of it.

 

I am also impressed and inspired by your maintenance schedule! So many of your posts would make great stickies.

 

For instance, the one about Fungiids. I have been hooked on these corals since I got one as a hitchhiker, and that would be one of my main goals in upgrading--getting more! Any chance you can figure out how get a pic of the Heliofungia at night in full extension?

 

Those close-ups of the yellow acro and that gorg are just so lush looking! The former almost looks like so many ears of corn-on-the-cob stuck together. (I should eat before posting...) Oh, and that blue Anthelia is breathtaking.

 

Of course, I'm a real sucker for hitchhikers, and I can't believe you've gotten both a hitcher Goniopora AND a hitcher fish!! Sweet duster garden on the LR as well.

 

Funny, I've been trying to decide if I could fit the small CPR HOB fuge on my tank (in my case it'd be SIB--"stand in back"). The dimensions look doable but one of the drawbacks for me would be not being able to see--and take pics!--into the fuge from all sides and angles. Bet that drives you crazy, too! Or maybe you have better sight lines than it appears from your pics...

 

Anyway, super job! I look forward to following this thread!

 

--Diane

[fries852]

gorgeous tank!! very clean. Keep those pictures coming!!!

 

I can comiserate with everyone around you ( well almost everyone, my daughter shows some interest) not sharing your tank obcession. My friends and family all think I am nuts. That's nothing new though...lol. It is definitely nice to share it all with fellow reefers here.

 

Enjoying your thread, very informative. keep it coming.

[psam]

 

So, based on those pics, what does it look like to you?

 

probably Psammocora profundacella. nice one!

[SPS20]

Diane, thank you for your kind words! I'm glad my tank is appreciated!

 

For instance, the one about Fungiids. I have been hooked on these corals since I got one as a hitchhiker, and that would be one of my main goals in upgrading--getting more! Any chance you can figure out how get a pic of the Heliofungia at night in full extension?

 

I'll try to get a shot of him at night. Maybe overhead using the flash would work. I'll play around.

 

Those close-ups of the yellow acro and that gorg are just so lush looking! The former almost looks like so many ears of corn-on-the-cob stuck together. (I should eat before posting...) Oh, and that blue Anthelia is breathtaking.

 

You just named 3 of my favorites! I tend to go for fuzziness almost as much as color. I dunno why, but fuzzy corals just look "happy" to me.

 

Of course, I'm a real sucker for hitchhikers, and I can't believe you've gotten both a hitcher Goniopora AND a hitcher fish!! Sweet duster garden on the LR as well.

 

I got REALLY lucky with the live rock in this tank. The LFS just happened to have just gotten some "ultra premium florida plant rock". I took one look at it and realized this stuff was not at all overpriced at 10 bucks a pound. I have found a filter feeding crab, a goniopora, bajillions of tubeworms growing on the rock, 2 small filter feeding cucumbers, dozens of miniature synaptid cucumbers in the fuge, a few chitons, lots and lots of different algaes, and millions of stomatellas, mysiids, amphipods, isopods, and copepods. Hell, it even came with a fish!!! I attribute alot of this tank's success to really good luck in finding amazing quality live rock, locally. Unfortunately, this LFS hasn't had anything close before or since .

 

Funny, I've been trying to decide if I could fit the small CPR HOB fuge on my tank (in my case it'd be SIB--"stand in back"). The dimensions look doable but one of the drawbacks for me would be not being able to see--and take pics!--into the fuge from all sides and angles. Bet that drives you crazy, too! Or maybe you have better sight lines than it appears from your pics...

 

Sadly, I can barely see into the fuge at all. I can only look in one end, the back and the other end of the refugium are blocked. The algaes are gorgeous (especially the gracilaria, that stuff is so cool looking) but they block my view of anything else in the fuge. Ah well, its there to make pods and export nutrients, and it does that very well for its size.

 

gorgeous tank!! very clean. Keep those pictures coming!!!

 

I can comiserate with everyone around you ( well almost everyone, my daughter shows some interest) not sharing your tank obcession. My friends and family all think I am nuts. That's nothing new though...lol. It is definitely nice to share it all with fellow reefers here.

 

Enjoying your thread, very informative. keep it coming.

 

Thank you! I'm glad you like it!

 

IMO, any really involved hobby tends to become sort of bizarre to people who don't share the obsession. I love it, but I don't often meet people who are also into it in my day to day.

 

probably Psammocora profundacella. nice one!

 

Thank you! that confirms what one other source said, so I consider that a positive ID. Mystery solved! I hope it grows well for me, I think it'll make a nice carpet on the back glass. Hmmmmm.....

 

More to come,

 

-Josh

[SPS20]

Ok, its a REALLY bad picture, but its the best my little point-and-shoot can do in the dark with flash.

 

Here is my heliofungia at night:

 

I have seen him swell up even bigger than that! He fills the entire nook and the tentacles get much longer at night. I love this thing, its the coolest coral I have ever owned. One day I will set up a fungiid system, maybe in a 30 breeder. (like a 40 breeder, but not as tall.)

 

-Josh

[Oregon]

REALLY nice tank. But that syphon overflow has me worried in the event of a power outage. You should get one of the CPR CS50's of eBay for about $60-70. They have the restart pump which is a little extra insurance in case you are not home, or its the middle of the night. Considering how much you already have invested, I think it would be a really good addition.

[SPS20]

REALLY nice tank. But that syphon overflow has me worried in the event of a power outage. You should get one of the CPR CS50's of eBay for about $60-70. They have the restart pump which is a little extra insurance in case you are not home, or its the middle of the night. Considering how much you already have invested, I think it would be a really good addition.

 

I have already had a few outages, no problems. It holds its siphon nicely, and my sump is large enough to hold the backflow. The U-tube seems to be just the right diameter in the sense that it can easily handle the flow yet the flow though the tube is too fast for air to accumulate.

 

Having said all that, it has worried me too at times, but I think its safe, provided I check on it daily. So far so good. This same overflow worked without any problems for 4 years on my 40 breeder. Of course, at any day some clump of algae could wedge itself in the tube at just the right angle, a snail could plug it, etc etc. If I had to set this tank up again, I would do it in a a drilled tank with internal overflow.

 

When I initially set this tank up, it wasn't neccessarily planned out like many here on these forums. I hadn't had a reef tank for three years, due to the fact that the place i lived for a time was destroyed by flooding twice during the time I lived there. (loooong story) Suffice it to say, it wasn't the kind of stable place you want to put a reef tank. Well, early this past spring, I moved into the little house I now rent, and I began to feel the itch to set up a tank. I dug into my boxes and boxes of reef equipment and stuff accumulated over the years, and realized I already had almost all the gear I needed to set up a small reef tank. I had a never-used 20L tank and stand for years before I lived somewhere I knew I would stay long enough to bother setting it up. (I bought the tank shortly before the place i was living flooded for the first time)

 

Among the salvaged gear was the overflow. It seems to work ok, but after seeing all the meticulously planned out tanks here, my reefkeeping techniques will be forever influenced. My next reef tank will have a build thread and will be planned down to every inch of tubing before I even buy the first piece of equipment. But, that takes money, and I wanted to spend my limited funds on getting the gear I didn't have, like lighting and the chiller. I know a chiller is overkill on a nano, but it gets hot here in the summer, and I am running 300W of MH light over 20 gallons. I'm begging for disaster without a chiller, so I bit the bullet and bought one.

 

For future upgrades, I plan to add (one by one, when I can afford them) a Neptune aquacontroller JR, a calcium reactor, and an automatic top-off system (leaning toward the Tunze osmolator). That will cost more than I could afford at the moment, of course. The calcium demand in my tank is starting to get ridiculous. 15-20 mL of each part of bionic every day and the calcium level and alk still fall slowly such that I have to supplement with seachem reef calcium and buffer once or twice a week, along with weekly 5 gallon water changes. The calcium reactor will probably be the next large investment I will make into the tank. It will make my life SO much easier.

 

Anyway, i'm rambling now lol.

 

-Josh

Edited November 28, 2007 by SPS20

[SPS20]

I'm going to start editing the first post in this thread to reflect what livestock and gear is in this tank currently. I figure I typed it all out before, may as well keep it current.

 

-Josh

Edited November 28, 2007 by SPS20

[c est ma]

probably Psammocora profundacella. nice one!

 

Uh, could someone elaborate on this coral a little bit? I don't know much about coral to begin with, and I've never heard of this. Did a search, but mostly learned it's in the Siderastreidae, which didn't tell me much. Also that it's in a higher taxon (order) of Fungiines (or some such--don't remember the spelling) so--is it SPS or LPS? (I did find a really pretty pic of it!)

 

 

I got REALLY lucky with the live rock in this tank. The LFS just happened to have just gotten some "ultra premium florida plant rock". I took one look at it and realized this stuff was not at all overpriced at 10 bucks a pound. I have found a filter feeding crab, a goniopora, bajillions of tubeworms growing on the rock, 2 small filter feeding cucumbers, dozens of miniature synaptid cucumbers in the fuge, a few chitons, lots and lots of different algaes, and millions of stomatellas, mysiids, amphipods, isopods, and copepods. Hell, it even came with a fish!!! I attribute alot of this tank's success to really good luck in finding amazing quality live rock, locally. Unfortunately, this LFS hasn't had anything close before or since .

 

I am so jealous.

 

 

Sadly, I can barely see into the fuge at all. I can only look in one end, the back and the other end of the refugium are blocked. The algaes are gorgeous (especially the gracilaria, that stuff is so cool looking) but they block my view of anything else in the fuge.

 

I feel better.

 

J/K!

 

 

 

Ok, its a REALLY bad picture, but its the best my little point-and-shoot can do in the dark with flash.

 

Here is my heliofungia at night:

 

I have seen him swell up even bigger than that! He fills the entire nook and the tentacles get much longer at night. I love this thing, its the coolest coral I have ever owned. One day I will set up a fungiid system, maybe in a 30 breeder. (like a 40 breeder, but not as tall.)

 

-Josh

 

Very sweet! I, too, desire a fungiid system. Meanwhile, how about a closer look at your Cycloseris?

 

--Diane

[psam]

Uh, could someone elaborate on this coral a little bit? I don't know much about coral to begin with, and I've never heard of this. Did a search, but mostly learned it's in the Siderastreidae, which didn't tell me much. Also that it's in a higher taxon (order) of Fungiines (or some such--don't remember the spelling) so--is it SPS or LPS? (I did find a really pretty pic of it!)

I am so jealous.

I feel better.

 

In hobby terms, you'd call it sps. Some of them, like the P. contigua and P. Vaughni grow little nubs up from the base, but the majority are encrusting, massive, and shades of brown / green, medium size corallites. The feature that really gives them away is the 'eyes'. Here's a link to one of my psammocora. Check out the eyes:

 

 

They can grow in low or high light, medium - strong flow gives best growth, ime. They'll grow horizontally, vertically, you name it. Great coral not seen that often for sale, but comes in on live rock from time to time and pretty common in the ocean.

 

Sorry for the hijack

Edited November 28, 2007 by psam

[PurpleUP]

I have already had a few outages, no problems. It holds its siphon nicely, and my sump is large enough to hold the backflow. The U-tube seems to be just the right diameter in the sense that it can easily handle the flow yet the flow though the tube is too fast for air to accumulate.

 

Having said all that, it has worried me too at times, but I think its safe, provided I check on it daily. So far so good. This same overflow worked without any problems for 4 years on my 40 breeder. Of course, at any day some clump of algae could wedge itself in the tube at just the right angle, a snail could plug it, etc etc. If I had to set this tank up again, I would do it in a a drilled tank with internal overflow.

 

When I initially set this tank up, it wasn't neccessarily planned out like many here on these forums. I hadn't had a reef tank for three years, due to the fact that the place i lived for a time was destroyed by flooding twice during the time I lived there. (loooong story) Suffice it to say, it wasn't the kind of stable place you want to put a reef tank. Well, early this past spring, I moved into the little house I now rent, and I began to feel the itch to set up a tank. I dug into my boxes and boxes of reef equipment and stuff accumulated over the years, and realized I already had almost all the gear I needed to set up a small reef tank. I had a never-used 20L tank and stand for years before I lived somewhere I knew I would stay long enough to bother setting it up. (I bought the tank shortly before the place i was living flooded for the first time)

 

Among the salvaged gear was the overflow. It seems to work ok, but after seeing all the meticulously planned out tanks here, my reefkeeping techniques will be forever influenced. My next reef tank will have a build thread and will be planned down to every inch of tubing before I even buy the first piece of equipment. But, that takes money, and I wanted to spend my limited funds on getting the gear I didn't have, like lighting and the chiller. I know a chiller is overkill on a nano, but it gets hot here in the summer, and I am running 300W of MH light over 20 gallons. I'm begging for disaster without a chiller, so I bit the bullet and bought one.

 

For future upgrades, I plan to add (one by one, when I can afford them) a Neptune aquacontroller JR, a calcium reactor, and an automatic top-off system (leaning toward the Tunze osmolator). That will cost more than I could afford at the moment, of course. The calcium demand in my tank is starting to get ridiculous. 15-20 mL of each part of bionic every day and the calcium level and alk still fall slowly such that I have to supplement with seachem reef calcium and buffer once or twice a week, along with weekly 5 gallon water changes. The calcium reactor will probably be the next large investment I will make into the tank. It will make my life SO much easier.

 

Anyway, i'm rambling now lol.

 

-Josh

 

Hi Josh. Wow, 4 years with a successful siphon overflow setup! How do you keep your return pump from pumping the water back in after a power outage? Do you have a return pump in your sump at a certain height, so it doesn't completely flood your display tank?

Edited November 28, 2007 by PurpleUP

[SPS20]

Hi Josh. Wow, 4 years with a successful siphon overflow setup! How do you keep your return pump from pumping the water back in after a power outage? Do you have a return pump in your sump at a certain height, so it doesn't completely flood your display tank?

 

Hmm. I'm not sure what you mean, exactly. If you were to turn off the power to my aquarium right now, what would happen is water in the tank would siphon back down to the sump through the return lines until the return lines are above water, then the siphon would break. That would only drop the water level a couple of inches in my tank, since the return nozzles are just below the surface of the water during normal operation. Of course, the water level in my sump would rise a corresponding amount. The overflow box itself never breaks its siphon unless I physically remove the U-tube. When water stops being pumped into the tank, the overflow box just sits there and waits for water to begin circulating again. Its basic operation is no different if the flow rate is a 0 GPH from how it is at 500 GPH. It just keeps the water level in the inside box the same as in the outside box. Since there is no way for water to get into the U-tube, there is no way for the siphon to break. Both the inside and the outside box prevent the U-tube from ever being drained, since both ends of the tube are always kept submerged.

 

I'll post pics tonight of my overflow box. i think perhaps some people here have a slightly innacurate concept of how it works. Or, maybe my overflow box is designed differently. I'm not sure. Regardless, its more trustworthy than alot of people give it credit for.

 

-Josh

[c est ma]

In hobby terms, you'd call it sps. Some of them, like the P. contigua and P. Vaughni grow little nubs up from the base, but the majority are encrusting, massive, and shades of brown / green, medium size corallites. The feature that really gives them away is the 'eyes'. Here's a link to one of my psammocora. Check out the eyes:

 

 

They can grow in low or high light, medium - strong flow gives best growth, ime. They'll grow horizontally, vertically, you name it. Great coral not seen that often for sale, but comes in on live rock from time to time and pretty common in the ocean.

 

Sorry for the hijack

 

Thanks much, psam! Most interesting. And your specimen is very attractive. Nice to learn something new, and I'm going to be keeping my eye out for these. (Not to buy, just to observe somewhere...maybe someday I'll have a suitable tank for something like that.)

 

Josh & PurpleUP--interesting discussion. I'm following closely as I've been wondering about this matter myself, lately...

 

--Diane