Hawke's Pico Lamp

[c_k_kuehne]

Was going to take and post a FTS today ..... but now everything is really starting to look good except at about 8:00 pm Friday night the 2 mushrooms shrunk up and haven't came back in their full glory yet The zoas/pallys are going strong and even the alien lava is starting to push it's flesh back out. Who knows what this is all about other then the mushrooms might not be liking the LED's. Will do a wc and see how everything looks tomorrow.

 

Out of 14 frags It's probably asking too much to get 100% survivability rate.

[c_k_kuehne]

Here is the micro dot of Turbinaria -- keep in mind this only about 1/4" square. The hole thing is about the size of a larger zoa polyp.

 

The focus sort of sucks but the white balance/colors are getting better.

 

[c_k_kuehne]

Here is the Green "Toadstool". I don't think it's a real toadstool but a kewl leather just the same. It was cut from DeepThief's mother. He cut the top ring off the mother and then cut that doughnut ring into 6 or 8 frags. Mine piece/frag is kickin butt and starting to make a new stalk and go from a square top to a round top.

 

[Deep Thief]

Looks good, glad the frags are doing good. That tubinaria is looking really good. Better than it ever did in my tank. My bigger piece is getting a lot of polyps now. Waiting for it to grow. Keep going with the pics. Good to see.

[c_k_kuehne]

Ok one more before I go to bed.

 

Blue Micro Cloves -- not a great pic but an awesome frag.

 

[c_k_kuehne]

Started figuring out how to take decent FTS. It is a morning shot so not all corals are fully out yet.

 

 

[c_k_kuehne]

Here is my FTS for May.

 

I removed 3 of the 5 sps corals. This tank is really low level LED lighting so I figured from the beginning it would not be enough light for the sps but they were only small clippings from the mother so nothing ventured nothing gained as they say.

 

Because of the low level lighting the tank is holding it's own and only slowly growing -- but that's OK cause with that comes almost no maintenance. I could easily leave this tank alone for 3 or 4 weeks and it will still be humming along when I get back to it. This is what I was really hoping for -- a very long term pico that required little maintenance.

 

For now the yellow polyps are putting out babies but are slowly moving towards the false wall grate and stinging most everything in it's path. Micro Blue Cloves -- being stung, Mystery coral -- being stung, Nuclear Polyps -- putting out 3 or so babies and so far the only thing that can resist the yellow polyp sting. I have some Zoas in my other tank that is slated for this pico --will put them in within the next month or so.

 

Not sure about the 2 mushrooms -- I didn't mess with the tank for about 3 weeks so the Nitrates probably climbed. Since then I have done a 80% WC and the mushrooms seem to be responding favorably. Will do another 80% WC this weekend.

 

[thesmallerthebetter]

lookin good!

 

i love the tiny turbinaria frag! i neeeeeeeed one for my pico

 

oh, btw, did u ever get that package i sent your way? just wondering cuz i never heard back from you

 

edit: btw, that mystery frag looks like a sorta browned out deepwater acro prolly carolinata or loripes

[Wendy]

Wow, amazing what you have in there with such a tiny space. I really like how this build has turned out!

[c_k_kuehne]

Wow, amazing what you have in there with such a tiny space. I really like how this build has turned out!

 

TY Wendy -- Will put up a new stock list soon as I have another frag or 2 to add but .........

 

Right now I really need to add more lighting -- I have an option sitting in the house -- will try and install it this weekend. If successful will post new pics.

[c_k_kuehne]

After having a feeding/wc discussion on Friars thread I decided to do a big one tonight --- so .................

 

I gave the tank the most massive feeding ever. I hit the ReefKeeper Lite sandby mode (30 min, pump off but circulation going) and added enough food to totally cloud the water. After the 30 min standby mode with just circulation I turned all the pumps/filters back on. After an hour or so of full circulation I then gave the tank a 90% WC. (as much water as I could take out without totally sucking all the sand out). I got the water level to just above the sand leaving most corals in "low tide" mode. I then added fresh made SW (to fill the tank) and turned all the pumps/filtration/ATO back on.

 

Right now the tank is back in normal mode but the lights are off. Will probably do this again tomorrow night and then I will leave the tank alone for the next week or so.

[Weetabix7]

Interested to hear how the tank does with this.

Reminds me of brandon's methodology.

Is this tank working out as you expected?

What parts are?

What parts aren't?

[.Newman.]

interesting how you did it just like brandon does with the WCs. do all the corals not mind being exposed to air for a few minutes like that? because that is my only worry when i do WCs. I try to avoid exposing too many corals.

[c_k_kuehne]

Well Brandon was somewhat of an inspiration for me doing the massive WC's. When I do this I try and suck out as much water as possible without sucking out sand off the bottom. I can usually do the WC in less then 2 mins. Just suck it out, rinse out the HOB filter and then add the new water. I only get the new water at the correct salinity -- I don't even worry about temp.

 

Corals seem to love it and it has not adversely effect them (that I can tell anyway).

 

As for what you were asking Wheetabix I will list these as The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

 

The Good -- Basically the tank is working fairly well. It looks good and requires very little maintenance. Just a nice pretty little tank in the living room. The RKL works great and the system for the most part is spot on. Sometimes I leave it for a week or more without messin with it, sometimes I play in the tank every day.

 

The Bad -- Unfortunately with the way this system was designed I get a non changing flow pattern through the tank where more random flow would be better. Trying to rectify this but not sure if I can get that accomplished before the end of Aug. The tank could use better/more lighting. The lighting is working but I only get a very slow growth rate where I feel more/better lighting would give me a better growth rate. Of course the plus side to this is I don't have any funky algae issues to deal with and I don't have corals crowding out each other on a weekly basis.

 

The Ugly -- The hood section is warped and really needs to be replaced. This problem is a combination of the wood I used and the way I designed the hood. I do have a plan for making a somewhat direct replacement of the wood hood which will solve the warp issue. When I make this design change hopefully the warp will not come back. Since this will be a direct replacement of a somewhat broken part without doing any equipment upgrade I can accomplish this any time even after Aug 31.

 

In conclusion -- Just a nice looking addition to the living room. Yes I would design things a little differently if I had to do it over but I am still fairly pleased with the tank as a whole. It should still be around and going strong at the end of next Jan.

[.Newman.]

lol I'm too paranoid about temp shocking livestock to try out what brandon and you do with that cold water xD

[c_k_kuehne]

If you have been following this WC discusision here goes.

 

Friday Night -- Massive Feeding followed by a 90% WC

Saturday Night -- 70% WC and recovered Bright Blue Zoas from a low light area of the tank (almost no light for the past month)

Sunday Night -- Took this pic for my June FTS

 

Only corals that are not out is the green striped mushroom in the front but he hasn't came out in the last week so not sure whats up with him. Also the small patch of Bright Blue Zoas (just to the right of orange zoas). After recovering him from a low/almost no light area I hope they will eventually recover.

 

[.Newman.]

weird that you green striped shrom wont open =/

My only ric has been shrunk for almost a month now idk whats with these shroms u_u

[c_k_kuehne]

Yea I have no idea especially since the little red shroom (behind the Kenya tree) opens every day.

[c_k_kuehne]

Here is my July pic -- I'm still mucking in the tank. Removed the Kenya Tree and add the green finger leather and small hammer back in. Blue cloves are spreading up the back wall and the green stripe mushroom is coming back around. Unfortunately it lost most of it's strips but I guess that's what happens when a shroom stays closed for over a month.

 

My favorite is still the micro dot of Turbinaria. It took for ever to go from 7 to 8 polyps but now it's added a 9th polyp. Seems to be growing slightly faster as it slowly gets bigger. Will take a closeup pic when I get a chance.

 

[.Newman.]

what...

is with that aptasia lol

[c_k_kuehne]

what...

is with that aptasia lol

 

those are yellow star polyps I guess they really want more light. Would like to upgrade the lighting but not sure if I can get that accomplished before the end of Aug.

 

 

There is one small aptasia on the base of the finger leather. There was 2 when I moved it into the tank. I tried removing them but only got one removed. Can't see it in the pic but it's there.

[.Newman.]

oh lol those just looked like really big aptasias

[Shyla8]

Happy Birthday !!!!

 

 

(ok I just had to do it lol)

[Mr. Microscope]

W'oh! What are those orange zoas?

[c_k_kuehne]

Bright Orange Zoa's -- A $5 frag