The Arch Solana Experiment

[archx]

I don't have an outter orbit although I would love to buy one. All I'd be running is a sunpod, and that really doesn't have any flexibility as the outter orbit does. I feel as the RK2 or any other controller woudl be pointless at this stage. I will have ATO, but that should be fine on it's own. I could always buy a 250w outter orbit, but i'm sure that'd be expensive.

 

I was going to get the sunpod, but I read a lot about T5 lighting so I opted for the outer orbit. It's really big though. At least with the sunpod you can move it out of the way while you do your maintainance and it'll still be sitting on top of the tank.

 

As far as controllers, if you decide to get one, I'm sure there will be some good deals on used ones as people begin moving over to the RK elite.

 

 

 

Very nice solana and cool jawfish home.

 

As for the poster asking about the RK2, i have an AcJr. Got it two days ago, very very very easy to program. I looked at the RK2 but it was too expensive. The acjr does the same if not more for less.

 

Thanks. I was close to getting the acjr, but I have to admit the blue lights of the rk2 got me. shallow I know

[oh my fraggin gosh!]

Dude, i'm convincing the wife to get a 250w Outer orbit. I'm using the "it's only about 20 dollars" argument. I know on reegeeks.org, they sell the acjr with the ph probe, temp probe, and dc8 for 259. Not a bad opt

[archx]

Dude, i'm convincing the wife to get a 250w Outer orbit. I'm using the "it's only about 20 dollars" argument. I know on reegeeks.org, they sell the acjr with the ph probe, temp probe, and dc8 for 259. Not a bad opt

 

 

lol. I read that thread too. that acjr sounds like a good deal

[oh my fraggin gosh!]

do you leave your nanostreams on all the time? or intervals? I'm debating on whether or not to do this to create random flow.

[archx]

I have them on 1 hour intervals during the day. There's also a night mode where the settings double between a certain time that you designate as night mode. I have night mode set from 10pm to 8am so the powerheads switch at 2 hour intervals automatically during those times.

[oh my fraggin gosh!]

Thanks for the response... I ended up getting the Current USA 24 inch Outer Orbit 1x250w 10K HQI-MH w/ 4x24W T5 HO & 12 Lunar Lights. How do you have your lights set up on the controller?

 

I'm also looking into the Korallin Cal reactor. Since it will be dominantly BB SPS tank with zoo bottom, dosing everyday will be a nuissance.

[archx]

very nice lighting selection. It will look really nice on your tank.

 

although it does overhang a few inches on both sides, it doesn't look out of place. Also, there's not much room to work in the tank with it on so you'll probably have to remove it often when first setting up your tank. once you have the tank going though, you can just slide the light back for forward on the rim of the tank and there should be enough room to get your hand in the display or behind the false wall for you to work.

 

right now I'm still adjusting the light schedule several times a week, but here's how I have it currently:

 

white lunar lights

8pm - 12am and 8am - 3pm

 

blue lunars

9pm - 2am and 7am - 12pm

 

T5

3pm - 8pm

 

The MH I haven't decided when to keep it on yet so I continue to change it often. I'll probably end up keeping the blue lunars on all night and decide on the other lighting when I finally start getting coral and what their requirments will be.

[archx]

while my wife was participating in a dragon boat race this past Saturday, I went to my LFS to pass the time. I ended up buying a greenspawn and bubble coral. Took them home and I was finally able to test my quarantine tank (2.5g, heating pad, micropump,azoo palm filter, coralife mini-aqualight) .

 

 

I first placed them in a reef dip solution then transferred to my QT. I left them in there for a few days then put them in my tank. I wanted to keep them in the QT awhile longer, but they didn't look like they were doing so well in there. I guess I need to re-examine the tank. It's possible the light was boiling them since I did notice the water was very hot. Maybe I'll try my RIO minisun next time.

 

Since I put them in the main tank last night, they're looking a lot better. You can't really tell from the pics because I took the shots right after I put them in, but the bubble is, well, bubbly now, and the frogspawn is looking good too and is extending itself.

 

I didn't realize the pics would look this bad, but that's all I have for now.

 

 

 

 

I ordered some magnets for the eggcrates, but haven't arrived yet so I'm using suction cups for now. the frogspawn is on a soap dish.

[archx]

so I'm checking out a LFS last week and the owner seemed to think i bought a tank from him recently. I was checking out the SPS tank and a green acro caught my eye. The owner came buy and said I can buy it for $30 if I like. Couldn't pass up the offer so I took it.

 

Dipped it, quarantined it and it's now in my tank. parameters are good and the coral looks to be adapting well so far.

 

[Biocube14GAL]

any updates?

[archx]

I'm usually away from my tank 3 nights a week so I've been in the process of setting up the tank to be self sufficient for a few days a week. I bought an autofeeder and filled with some freeze dried food, have the ATO with enough water for several days, and a steady lighting schedule. I've had this in place for over a week and so far everything is working as planned. Since I haven't touched my tank since Tuesday morning, I have to monitor it through a webcam. Feeding time is at 5pm and it's been pretty consistent, water looks to be the right height, and lights come on when they should.

 

However, we're in the middle of a mini-heatwave so my lights have shutdown a few times this week after reaching the max temp I set for it. It does reset and the lights do came back on when the temp goes down. Realizing my current fan may be inadequate, I bought a stronger fan. Hopefully this will work better and I can put off buying a chiller. At least I finally get to go home tonight and do some maintenance on it.

 

On another note, I bought 3 zoas from zoanuts.com yesterday. They arrived in the office today and were packed very well and included a cold pack. I can't wait to get them home. I bought a Yellow Mellow, Purple Monster, and a Yellow Eye. There's an extra frag in the bag, but I'm not sure what it is yet. Zoanuts definitely deserves their excellent reputation. Unfortunately since I chose to receive the package at work, my Live guarantee is void. But the zoas are looking good so far.

 

Hopefully can post some pics tomorrow.

[archx]

two of the zoas that I bought from zoanuts didn't make it. I dipped then QTed them for a day and I guess the QT wasn't a very good idea. At least one made it. The funny thing is one of my zoas that didn't make it was attached to a clam and it's still alive.

 

 

this past weekend, the wife and I drove to Sacramento to check out some fish shops. We went to 4 including yourreef. wasn't too impressed with yourreef, but the other 3 were pretty nice. I ended up buying 4 corals and 1 tube anemone. Here's all the stuff I bought the past couple of weeks.

 

hammer

 

monticap

 

torch

 

flower pot

 

anemone

 

I have to say the tube anemone is awesome, both in color and look.

 

brain

 

zoas. the top middle one is from zoanuts. the rest are local

 

FTS:

[archx]

I thought I'd show the fish I bought over the past several weeks. My first purchase was a 6 line wrasse. Cute little guy, weirds eyes and a very tiny mouth. but his belly's always big so I know he's eating something. I thought he was eating the zoas for awhile, but he's more like a caretaker and keeping the garden clean. he actually sleeps under one of the zoa rocks

 

 

my next purchase about two weeks ago was a maroon clown. so far, he's been behaving himself and he's showing some really good color

 

 

I purchased a bi-color blenny during my vacation in san luis obispo over the weekend. I switched from wanting to get a jawfish to a blenny. took out my jawfish pvc a few weeks ago after I saw a blenny on display at a LFS. he looks like a catfish in the pic, but he's pretty cute and has some funny looking expressions while sitting on his perch.

 

 

I also ordered a phoenix bulb from hellolights last night. after looking at enough tanks for the months, I realized my stock MH is too yellow. hopefully the new bulb will look much better considering all the rave reviews everyone gives it.

[revaltion131]

I have to say, whether you thought about it or not, the 6-line and Maroon are probably two great fish to have together. Since both sound like they can be pretty nasty on their own, I'd bet they keep each other in check if they do develop bad attitudes. However, if you add more fish, you might want to stick to the semi-aggressive to aggressive end of the spectrum.

 

Anyway, the tank looks awesome so far. It looks like you definitly got an outstanding deal on that acro.

[archx]

I have to say, whether you thought about it or not, the 6-line and Maroon are probably two great fish to have together. Since both sound like they can be pretty nasty on their own, I'd bet they keep each other in check if they do develop bad attitudes. However, if you add more fish, you might want to stick to the semi-aggressive to aggressive end of the spectrum.

 

Anyway, the tank looks awesome so far. It looks like you definitly got an outstanding deal on that acro.

 

I really haven't thought about that when I bought the fish. good to know though.

 

On another note, I found a fairly large bristle worm in the tank and a hitchhiker emerald crab. my first impulse was to kill them, but I'll leave them alone for now.

 

Also, this morning I notices 25% of my hammer is gone, as in eaten or something. My wife was saying the other day that my peppermint shrimp was messing around with it. Anyone know if pep shrimps eat hammers? could it be the crab?

[revaltion131]

I really haven't thought about that when I bought the fish. good to know though.

 

On another note, I found a fairly large bristle worm in the tank and a hitchhiker emerald crab. my first impulse was to kill them, but I'll leave them alone for now.

 

Also, this morning I notices 25% of my hammer is gone, as in eaten or something. My wife was saying the other day that my peppermint shrimp was messing around with it. Anyone know if pep shrimps eat hammers? could it be the crab?

 

It could have been the crab, but I'd say it probably wasn't. A lot of people will say to get rid of it, but mine's been good. In what way was the hammer gone? I know people have had peppermints that have caused problems for their corals, so it could have been that. I'd ask in the Invert Forum if you don't get anything more on this thread.

[Biocube14GAL]

I have seen all of those in the act of eating coral. emeralds peppermint shimp especially GED RID OF THEM

[archx]

I have seen all of those in the act of eating coral. emeralds peppermint shimp especially GED RID OF THEM

 

 

I found the little **** that's eating the hammer. It's the peppermint shrimp. I spent about an hour last night trying to kill it with one of those cheapo plastic grabbers and a red light that wraps around your head.

 

My wife kept coming out of the bedroom and she must've thought WTF since she noticed that it's midnight, I'm in the dark, one hand on the grabber, the other on the stand holding me steady, red light pointing into the tank, a murderous look in my eyes, and as still as can be. Well, it was definitely a wasted effort.

 

maybe the plastic bottle or bristle worm trap will work?

 

oh, and note to self, take out hammer and put in QT until shrimp has been eradicated. Duh

[archx]

still haven't caught the little bugger. but I was close last night. here's what he did.

 

before

 

after:

 

so sad

 

stupid me, I didn't take out the hammer at the start, but left it there for a few nights.

 

oh yeah, I got my phoenix bulb. as you can see, the phoenix is in the after pic, the stock bulb is in the first pic.

[revaltion131]

still haven't caught the little bugger. but I was close last night. here's what he did.

 

before

 

after:

 

so sad

 

stupid me, I didn't take out the hammer at the start, but left it there for a few nights.

 

oh yeah, I got my phoenix bulb. as you can see, the phoenix is in the after pic, the stock bulb is in the first pic.

 

Wow, that's serious damage. Poor coral.

[archx]

well, I had to wait until my lights turned off, but 10 minutes after that I caught the shrimp. I bought a plastic critter cage and made a hole in it. I also got a tube used for epoxy sticks and cut it in half. I filled both containers with a combination of all my freeze dried food and flakes just to make sure there was enough food so this guy would come a running, then held them down with filter floss so it won't float into my tank. placed the tube in the container then I waited.

 

I stepped away for a couple of minutes, but when I came back, the shrimp was already trying to get in the container. He couldn't find the hole i made for the longest time though. then, as if it was a dream since I spent several nights trying to catch this sucker, it just swam through the hole just like that

 

container in the tank

 

Caught!

 

the hole for the shrimp to get through

 

 

The hammer looks to be in really bad shape though, but still hoping for the best

[justbob]

Emerald Crabs are not reef safe? Are you sure about that?

[Biocube14GAL]

i would say 50/50 as far as good emeralds and bad i have had 3 different ones and ive noticed all of them picking at my corals

[revaltion131]

i would say 50/50 as far as good emeralds and bad i have had 3 different ones and ive noticed all of them picking at my corals

 

Yeah, and see, just like with dwarf angels, my emerald hasn't touched a thing. The only "offense" it had was chowing down on a hermit that was running lose without a shell, and yes, I know it wasn't a molt. That was the very first night I had it and I haven't had trouble since.

 

Archx, with that hammer, I would just make sure you feed it a whole mysis or two once a week and hopefully it will grow back. The turkey baster technique is something I can't get the hang of, so I just use tweezers and drop the mysis right onto the tentacles. The frogspawn head I have was pretty well beat up, but I'm feeding it once a week and it's slowly coming back.

[archx]

speaking of crabs, I looked in my tank this morning around 6am and I saw 3 crabs. I thought I only had 1 emerald crab. I did see him and what looks like another emerald crab. The 3rd one looked different. I tried identifying it, but couldn't find anything that looked like it online yet

 

No pic at the moment, but it looks like the crabs that you order at restaurants, but grey and about the size of a nickel.

 

Also, the several corals I have attached to rock by epoxy stick have become detached over the past few weeks and I always had to re-glue them. I just thought it was the emerald crab hard at work walking through the cracks and crevices, but now that I know there's at least 3 causing havok

 

should I get rid of a couple of them especially since they uproot some of the corals? they're all hitchhikers probaby from my rock