n0rk's LEDPico Experiment Bonanza

[Mr. Microscope]

 

Ooh! Ahh!

[n0rk]

Wow you dose a lot! That's good Imo though.

 

That Duncan grows Fast!!!

 

 

That was the primary intent of it when I switched from SPS-focused to LPS-focused, to push the boundaries of feeding as far as possible. So far the DSB seems to be doing its job well, even with the three daily feedings and majorly relaxed water changes (was doing 100% weekly, now doing ~70% once fortnightly) I still struggle to pick up nitrates and my PO4 reading sits around about the 0.07ppm mark. I think I'm finding the most success with this particular system by relaxing my husbandry style... I'm dosing alk maybe once a week, I'm not testing for anything, I'm honestly just letting the corals tell me what they need to. So far so good

 

And hell yeah it does! I've never kept a Duncan before, but my god... I've never seen a coral that grows quite so fast...

 

Ooh! Ahh!

 

I take it that's a good thing?

[n0rk]

 

Remind me to do a water change sometime... and prune the macro... and clean the glass.. got a Frogspawn, 2 lots of Zoos and some Pachyclavularia from Darren @ Reef Secrets yesterday before the meet. Also got a pair of what seem to be closely related to the Clown Shrimp (Hymenocera elegans), absolutely stunning things they are. All I know is... the tank overflowed when I was finished last night...

[animalmaster6]

The tank sure is coming together

 

I wanna see the Clown Shrimps!

[n0rk]

Once I give the tank a good clean I'm gonna try get some macros of them they're really very pretty. I just wish I could get a proper ID on them. After a play on Google they appear to be Periclimenes yucatanicus. Absolutely stunning little beasties.

[animalmaster6]

Wow! They are pretty hard to find

[n0rk]

Apparently they're only Atlantic too... but my ID seems to disagree even better, I got given a breeding pair of them.

 

 

Terrible quality photo, but it's the best I could do until I get a macro lens set. Right click > view image for the fullsize.

 

 

EDIT: After some more googling, it may well be a Pacific Clown Cleaner Shrimp, Periclimenes brevicarpalis. This seems more likely given this particular Shrimp's distribution compared to P. yucatanicus.

[Weetabix7]

Nice!!!

 

And I don't even wanna hear it about that being a bad photo, I had problems all day yesterday trying to get a clear enough shot for the FTS for my Pico this month!

 

That shot was way better than what I've been coming up with.

[animalmaster6]

That's an amazing shot and shrimp

[n0rk]

lol, that is a 100% crop directly off the body. I've not got a macro lens that can adequately reproduce such small things yet, hopefully will do shortly though. Shame too... they're stunning

 

Cheers guys looking forward to seeing your tank finally, Weets!

[n0rk]

 

FTS 5/6/10

 

 

I guess I should probably update the list of what's actually in the tank, seeings I've not really bothered lately...

 

• Euphyllia glabrescens
  
• Euphyllia divisa
  
• Euphyllia parancora
  
• Trachyphyllia geoffroyi
  
• Cycloseris tenuis
  
• Duncanopsammia axifuga
  
• Fungia sp.
  
• Zoanthus sp.
  
• Pachyclavularia sp.
  
• Acropora sp.
  
• Discosoma sp.
  

 

As well as 3 hermits, and the 2 shrimp I added in. There's about a billion different types of pods that the coral relish.

 

Quite full for something that only holds 20L...

[.Newman.]

that green disk grew :X

[animalmaster6]

The tank is really looking good.

 

Nice variety of coral.

[n0rk]

that green disk grew :X

 

I dunno if it's necessarily grown as such... or if it's just inflated more. Both the Fungia and the Trachy are inflating a lot more of late, perhaps 'cos I've had to cut back on feeding a little. Hard to say.

 

The tank is really looking good.

 

Nice variety of coral.

 

Thanks mate. This tank to me was about picking things that go well together, both visually and habitat-wise. I'm pretty happy with what I've achieved so far

 

 

Ordered a new driver for my blues, and ordered some warm whites to put over my 'fuge to get the macro really growing so I can feed even harder. Let's see how effective it really is...

[animalmaster6]

You planning on fish?

[n0rk]

Once the macro and DSB really kick in I am. Dunno what species yet, but chances are it'll be something small like a Goby or a tiny Damsel. Time will tell

[animalmaster6]

Go goby

[n0rk]

lol, I'll have to see what's around at my many suppliers first. I just hope one of 'em doesn't try to convince me to put a Blue Tang in it again...

[thesmallerthebetter]

looking good

 

you still running the zeo? if you are, mind sharing a little sneak pic of the get up?

[n0rk]

Nah mate, sadly my aspirations to run ZEOvit on this system are long since crushed. Basically I could never get a skimmer to work on the system without filling the display with microbubbles. That was basically the turning point for when I converted from fully SPS to LPS/buttons. Once I'm in full swing on the main display with my ZEO dosing schedule I'm still gonna do components of the ZEOvit method on this tank, just not the full one as I'd originally intended.

[Freshfit]

I love the cleaner shrimp.. so cool looking. I agree with animalmaster, a goby would be sweet.

[thesmallerthebetter]

Nah mate, sadly my aspirations to run ZEOvit on this system are long since crushed. Basically I could never get a skimmer to work on the system without filling the display with microbubbles. That was basically the turning point for when I converted from fully SPS to LPS/buttons. Once I'm in full swing on the main display with my ZEO dosing schedule I'm still gonna do components of the ZEOvit method on this tank, just not the full one as I'd originally intended.

 

 

o, that kinda sucks

 

i was thinking about putting together a micro system for my 1/4 gallon contest tank in hopes of enabling a higher bioload. but i dont have the slightest clue where to start

[n0rk]

Honestly, I'd probably look at something like a continuous peri-pump waterchange if I had the means. On a system that small the bioload increase you could give with a continuous waterchange would be astounding. I guess another option would be look at building a mini column skimmer, wooden airstone and a tall column (albeit thin) to act as a skimmer which would allow you to look into things like free carbon dosing and amino acids - although the amounts of both you'd need to use would be innumerably small by virtue of the ridiculously small system volume.

 

What kinda ideas did you have?

[Lalani]

HI BEN

[thesmallerthebetter]

Honestly, I'd probably look at something like a continuous peri-pump waterchange if I had the means. On a system that small the bioload increase you could give with a continuous waterchange would be astounding. I guess another option would be look at building a mini column skimmer, wooden airstone and a tall column (albeit thin) to act as a skimmer which would allow you to look into things like free carbon dosing and amino acids - although the amounts of both you'd need to use would be innumerably small by virtue of the ridiculously small system volume.

 

What kinda ideas did you have?

 

i think that my system in its current state can sustain just about everything i had intended on, but the idea of adding a macrofauna (ie. fish, invert) in addition to the corals is something that would lead me to venture into more technical and involved maintenance measures.

 

the constant water change regimen is alluring, but then seems to border on adding system volume. its not really a closed system with a volume of 1/4 gallon if it has a large volume of water constantly flowing out of it and being replaced with clean. but thats just my opinion. i really am a stickler for these kind of things.

 

never looked into free carbon or aminos, again, im kinda on the dim side of the various advanced chemical additives, as usually my systems are run skimmerless, and dependent upon the biodiversity of the rocks and sand for stability.