cfeist's Aquapod 24

[hoganrj]

Really sorry to hear about your goby . The same thing happened to me a couple of weeks ago with my clown. I have since changed the return pump to the MJ900, it comes with the undergravel filter cover, I made sure to put that on, Keep the little ones out if they do manage to get back there!

[cfeist]

Thats a great picture of him. Sorry.

So sorry to hear about the little guy Cfiest he was great addition.

I had that happen to me many times. I've have my clowns go back there a few times, a valineini puffer go back there and die, a sixline live back there for 4 weeks!!! I know have a stainless steel plate that covers up the gap.

 

Thanks for the replies... I will miss him for sure, but i'm thankful I took a lot of photos of him for the good memories

 

Really sorry to hear about your goby . The same thing happened to me a couple of weeks ago with my clown. I have since changed the return pump to the MJ900, it comes with the undergravel filter cover, I made sure to put that on, Keep the little ones out if they do manage to get back there!

 

Thanks, sorry you had to experience the same thing with your clown.

 

That's a great idea. I think I have a few of those lying around assuming the MJ900 one fits on the MJ1200 that is... I know there were accessories that came with the pump I didn't use at all. That would definitely solve the little fish problem and i'm sure it doesn't restrict the flow that much, so it would be well worth it imo.

 

I'm looking forward to having some updated tank shots and coral shots this weekend. I have a shipment of Zoas and Palys coming from Altis and plan to go to a few stores as well. I also have to rig up the JBJ ATO I picked up and get that going as I am having major evap due to open top and the small fan attachment blowing on the surface for the halides.

[hoganrj]

I did not notice any restriction of flow on the 900, Even with the filter on it it was an improvement over the stock pump. Good call on Alti's, I got a bunch of Zoas and Paly's from him early on, I have been counting new polyps on them every week since. He has really nice stuff and is good to deal with.

[cfeist]

Well, a lot of things have happened in the last week!

 

I have been doing some projects and did some work on the tank and the stand, installed a JBJ ATO system that has been working great aside from me figuring out a few tweaks on the water level. I bought a 5g rubbermaid bin which is stored at the base of my stand, filled with distilled water for top offs, fed by a maxijet 900 that pumps the top off water up about 4ft+ to the tank. I plan on putting the ATO sytem on a timer just to reduce my risks a bit.

 

 

I also picked up a baby yellow clown goby because I couldn't stop thinking about my other yellow clown goby that had the tragic accident... I wasn't planning on another yellow clown goby because I didn't want to 'replace' my old one, but I saw this little guy in the store and he was so tiny (1/2 inch) and cute that I had to take him home. He's adjusting quite well and after four days of having the tank to himself has become much more assertive. His personality is great and it reminds me so much of my other one, I'm really happy about my decision and how well he's doing. He is literally smaller than some of the hermit crabs in the tank and it's pretty funny to watch them interact. He's also very quick and can hide in almost any nook and cranny the LR has to offer.

 

 

In addition, I've added a bunch of new zoas and palys, and a beautiful multicolored frogspawn. I am so excited with the zoas and palys i've added. I got a frag pack from Alti's Reef which was pretty nice, all have since opened up well, but I scored a major find imo at a LFS and got a colony of about 60-80 polys of palys/zoa that look like Armor of Gods... I'm no expert so i'm not sure exactly but I love the pattern and color regardless. Plus, I got a great deal on the amount of polyps. I had primarily green palys/zoas so I was glad to get a pink/red morph. Btw, if someone want's to ID them be my guest. I am happy regardless of the name.

 

 

 

One other funny thing that has happened recently is the little yellow clown goby decided that he would make the frogspawn his new home. He literally has spent hours in this thing and the frogspawn doesn't seem to mind. The goby rolls around in the frogspawn like its a huge pillow and lays on it for minutes at a time. He has literally spent half the day with it since I've added it to the tank last night. It really is fun to watch.

 

 

 

 

Speaking of the goby hosting the frogspawn, I picked up two baby tank raised ocellaris clownfish last night. I don't have any good pics of them yet as they are still adjusting to the new tank. I've watched them at night playing around in the flow and they have taken well to new life spectrum pellets, so I am pleased that they are eating. I hope in the next few days they will come out front and center and be more comfortable. I acclimated them with the lights off, but they still aren't sure they want to come out in the middle of the tank, right now they like the upper right corner. The good news so far is that they haven't left each others side and hopefully they pair up well.

 

Maybe they will take the hint from the goby and come out and play. Obviously they've been in the tank about 24 hours now, so I assume this is a normal adjustment period.

 

I haven't taken any FTS photos in a while so here goes. One during the day and one at night. I plan on making a few adjustments in the next few days, but I think the tank looks great for one month old!

 

 

 

Also, I've started dosing ESV B-Ionic to get my calcium up from 320. The water parameters are as follows.

 

Ammonia: 0

Nitrites: 0

Nitrates: 5-10

Ph: 8.2

SG: 1.025

Calcium: 320

Alk: 9

Phosphates: 0

 

So far so good. Still trying to get my Nitrates to 0, but not sure that will happen very soon. I have Purigen and Chemipure on my eggcrate shelf and have been doing 10% water changes every week. I plan on doing a slightly larger water change this weekend in order to siphon some of the algae/dirty substrate out from the front of the tank.

[Lalani]

Great update, Colin!

That baby YCG is ADORABLE!!! He looks so happy in the frogspawn... I hope he'll be able to share it with the clowns if they ever become interested in it. I know my little threesome is fun to watch when they share theirs.

The ATO must be a big help. I wish I had the room to hook one up for mine.

And the corals look great. Glad to see your tank is progressing so well.

[airangel]

Love the new YCG, such a cutie. Good luck with him.

I need more info on the JBJ ATO....pics!!

My next coral I hope will be frogspawn, I just love the look of them.

Nice to know its not only my calcium thats low....I've just been dosing with purple up when I remember.

Am still trying to figure out my fan, now that its trimmed it still isnt sitting well....there is always something I think.

Still debating on the next fish... I really do love the clownfish....

Wish my pics were as nice as yours, sigh. 2 cameras and I've discovered its user error, lol.

[Ocho Cinco]

Looking sweet man!!!!

[cfeist]

Great update, Colin!

That baby YCG is ADORABLE!!! He looks so happy in the frogspawn... I hope he'll be able to share it with the clowns if they ever become interested in it. I know my little threesome is fun to watch when they share theirs.

The ATO must be a big help. I wish I had the room to hook one up for mine.

And the corals look great. Glad to see your tank is progressing so well.

 

Thanks! He really does seem to love the frogspawn, and he's become much more comfortable in the past few days. I hope he gets along well with the clowns and they add even more personality to the tank. I plan on getting some more corals to add some color and movement, just have to make sure there is real estate and a good spot for them

 

Love the new YCG, such a cutie. Good luck with him.

I need more info on the JBJ ATO....pics!!

My next coral I hope will be frogspawn, I just love the look of them.

Nice to know its not only my calcium thats low....I've just been dosing with purple up when I remember.

Am still trying to figure out my fan, now that its trimmed it still isnt sitting well....there is always something I think.

Still debating on the next fish... I really do love the clownfish....

Wish my pics were as nice as yours, sigh. 2 cameras and I've discovered its user error, lol.

 

Thanks, he's a great little personality for the tank. I think the clownfish will be great additions once they get more comfortable.

 

The ATO is pretty cool. I'm have a bit of trouble getting the adjustment on the water level in the rear chamber so it doesn't fill it too high. The notches on the hanging bracket are spaced out a bit too much for the level I want, so i'll have to figure something out to get it to the desired water level.

 

The main problem is the second chamber in my aquapod has a lower water level than the first/tank because of the filter floss, purigen, chemipure that the overflow water goes through, as the maxijet1200 return pump pumps the water out faster than the overflower takes it in. The trick is finding out what the water level of the second chamber needs to be to reflect the perfect level in the display tank.

 

I hope you figure out your fan issue. It shouldn't be too difficult, just need to find a happy medium where it is secure enough and won't become a risk of falling off. Just be sure not to overtighten the clamps.

 

Looking sweet man!!!!

 

Thanks man, hopefully my tank will start to fill out soon and look as good as yours! Slowly but surely, but I'm having a great time.

[Ocho Cinco]

Take your time. Pick out stuff you like. Mines full and I have nothing to do but water changes!

[hoganrj]

Looks great. I love the pics of your new YCG in the frog spawn. He looks like he is loving it!

[cfeist]

Finally managed to snap a couple shots of my new clowns. They are still adjusting and spend most of their time in the upper right corner of my tank. They will come out and swim around when I go up to look at them occasionally, and it seems they have been exploring more and more each day, but always go back to the corner. They are fast little guys, so I need to get used to shooting them, here's what I managed so far.

 

 

 

Things are still going well, all the parameters are checking out. Dropped my Nitrates under 10 finally, and thanks to ESV Bionic my calcium is now 420 and Alk is at 9. I will continue to dose and monitor that to make sure it's balanced.

 

My little yellow clown goby is still doing great, he's enjoying his frogspawn and goes everywhere in the tank. It was so cool the other day, he was perched on a rock and watching the clowns swim by and decided he wanted to join them so he left his perch and went to go swim with them. He was fluttering his fins as fast as he could to stay up with them, but it was great to see... the clowns have taken a few glances at him to check him out, and so far so good. Hopefully they will all be buddies.

[Lalani]

Great action shots!

[Lizzie1324]

Your tank is looking awesome. And your clowns and goby are adorable. Right now I only have a bi-color blenny in my tank, and a YCG is hopefully going to be my next addition.

[cfeist]

Your tank is looking awesome. And your clowns and goby are adorable. Right now I only have a bi-color blenny in my tank, and a YCG is hopefully going to be my next addition.

 

Thanks for the compliments. You won't be sorry getting a YCG, they are the most amazing little fish. I've seen a lot of fish, but the personality of a YCG is very hard to match. They are by far my favorite, and they are so tiny they hardly add to the bioload and are perfect for nanos.

 

I like the bicolor blennys too, I saw one in the LFS today and almost took him home. How do you like yours?

[Lizzie1324]

He is adorable! Mine is pretty small now, but it is so amusing to watch him swim in and out of little holes in the rocks. They are pretty hardy, and help eat algae in the tank, but mine eats just about any food I put in there. At first I was worried I wouldn't see him very much, but he has become quite comfortable and swims around a lot. IMO they are great additions

[hoganrj]

How do you like the metal Hilide Lighting. I have been wanting to upgrade the lighting but I keep going back and forth on what to get. Do you find that the 14K bulb has enough blue in it?

[cfeist]

How do you like the metal Hilide Lighting. I have been wanting to upgrade the lighting but I keep going back and forth on what to get. Do you find that the 14K bulb has enough blue in it?

 

I love the look of the Halides, and the ability to get pretty much any coral I want. The 14k imo is blue enough, although I would like to see variations of 14ks like Phoenix, Ushio etc side by side to compare, since there are differences even though they are all 14k. The 20k is definitely too blue for me.

 

Just be prepared for the heat factor. I have dual mini fans on a timer with the lights to keep my tank cooled off and the temp fairly stable 80-81. I eventually will get a chiller, but really don't want to right now. So far so good with the fans, although the evaporation is major with an open top + halides + fans, so an ATO is required imo.

[cfeist]

Well I ended up adjusting my aquascape slightly, added some epoxy for stability, opened up the right side a bit more to accomodate more corals and did all of the tank maintenance. I'm pleased that finally I have nitrates at 0, no 5-10 reading. Also everything else is doing well, still balancing the Calcium/Alk with dosing. I will take some more FTS' tonight after the sun goes down due to reflections to show you the new scape. It's not drastically different, plus i've made some additions and moved some corals since the last one.

 

As for the update right now, I added two anemone shrimp. One sexy anemone shrimp and one glass or white spotted anemone shrimp. Both were drip/temp acclimated and the sexy had a minor run in on the way down with one of my clowns but seems to be fine now. The glass anemone shrimp is very cool to watch and has decided to host some zoas or my lps micromussa. However the hermits have since made it move a bit, I love watching it swim/float up, and it's completely transparent which is very cool. The fish don't seem interested in it, although it is much bigger than the sexy shrimp, about an 1.25". It's really tough to get a good shot of this guy too because of his transparency. I'll try and get some shots of the sexy shrimp later tonight, it's in a bad spot of the tank for photos at the moment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The clowns are also doing well. They are still ironing out their relationship, but they seem to spend most of their time together and are fighting a bit less, so hopefully they are near the end of the dominance thing.

 

What are you looking at?

 

They are also starting to explore the rest of the tank and although I haven't seen him do it, one of my little clowns "Puggsy" (pug face) may have been trying to host the frogspawn as he has little black spots on his body which are stings due to his skin mucous layer not being thick enough yet. (thanks Lalani)

 

Puggsy and his spots

 

Together as goby watches in the distance...

 

 

Goby in his watchtower

 

I plan to get some more recent FTS' up soon, thanks for looking!

[Lalani]

Oh my gosh, that glass shrimp is awesome!! The fishies look happy too... your YCG looks like Bob when he admires his domain.

[cfeist]

Oh my gosh, that glass shrimp is awesome!! The fishies look happy too... your YCG looks like Bob when he admires his domain.

 

Yea it's pretty cool lookin. I gotta get a macro of it tonight, or at least i'm going to try... it's difficult at the moment. The fish are becoming more and more active every day, i'm glad they appear to be pairing up and fighting less now. Lol, goby is great, he just overlooks everything in the tank from his little perch up top, I love it.

[Lizzie1324]

Ah! Your pics are so amazing!

This makes me want the rest of my fish so badly!

Alas, the curse of reefing... patience .

And your Glass Shrimp is pretty cool too.

[Reef507]

I love your tank. The ycg is so cute. The sexy shrimp like to live in groups so you might want to add a few more. Most people keep them in odd numbers. I plan on adding a group of 5-7 to my 39g.

[hoganrj]

I love the look of the Halides, and the ability to get pretty much any coral I want. The 14k imo is blue enough, although I would like to see variations of 14ks like Phoenix, Ushio etc side by side to compare, since there are differences even though they are all 14k. The 20k is definitely too blue for me.

 

Just be prepared for the heat factor. I have dual mini fans on a timer with the lights to keep my tank cooled off and the temp fairly stable 80-81. I eventually will get a chiller, but really don't want to right now. So far so good with the fans, although the evaporation is major with an open top + halides + fans, so an ATO is required imo.

 

 

Good to know. If I do go to halides I was going to do the fans as well, But I guess a chiller would do better. My normal temp runs at 80 day and night so I don't want to go much higher.

 

Great additions. The glass shrimp is awesome! A six line is pretty much out now, with a beauty like him in your tank.

[cfeist]

Here's an updated FTS. I did a little re-aquascaping primarily on the right side to open up the tank a bit more. I also removed a smaller rock from up front to give a bit more room on the substrate. I also used some Aquamend epoxy this time to secure the rocks a bit better, now I can sleep a bit better at night.

 

Also, sorry about the quality of the night one. I needed to get the tripod out but I was lazy, so i'll have a better one in the next few days. I'm very pleased with the progress and lovin every minute of this hobby so far.

 

 

 

Glass anemone shrimp on open green brain

 

Woo hoo! I thought my sexy anemone shrimp was a victim of one of my clowns, but I found it hanging out in the Frogspawn! Closest thing to an anemone in the tank I suppose.

 

 

 

 

Home sweet home...

 

 

[Lalani]

Haha, awesome shots... the two shrimps look mighty comfortable in their new home.... I want a glass shrimp.