Kylebeano's 4g Finnex Mixed Reef

[Kylebeano]

PURPLE MONSTER IN A 4G

 

And the rest of the attack

 

german blue polyp acro:

 

red planet:

 

tenius (tort, and setosa):

 

nana:

 

dendro (may be finally cloning!):

 

and some shots to show new placements:

 

 

[Kylebeano]

Oh, and I had my water tested by my LFS today finally. Phosphate is surprisingly 0, so I guess I can continue to feed the way I have been. And my alkalinity is 9.5 today after a water change yesterday afternoon. The alkalinity of my LFS saltwater that I use to do my water changes is 15! And the alk an hour after a water change today was 11. So I think I need to keep doing the water changes every other day! These tests were done with an API kit. It's very quick and easy to use, its consistent, so even if it isnt "accurate", it still shows me what my tank likes and what kind of usage is going on.

[Kylebeano]

I've clipped the purple monster plug, so its not sticking out like a sore thumb. In the mean while intil I get a good FTS and shot of the PM, here are some close ups I took today:

 

'Cans

 

I cant wait to see this tort grow out!

 

I dont know why I wated so long to get a red planet

 

The nana is really starting to grow well, and most of the polyps have completely changed to full blown green

 

The smaller piece of the tenius, wonder how either frag will turn out under the LEDs

[lljdma06]

You are kicking butt with your little 4g finnex. My 8g Finnex has served me well too.

 

You're the one with the Tanaka, I remember now! I want a tanaka in my new 8g with a fire fish. How are you liking the fish? Do they do wrasse things and eat the pesties of the tank?

 

L

[Kylebeano]

You are kicking butt with your little 4g finnex. My 8g Finnex has served me well too.

 

You're the one with the Tanaka, I remember now! I want a tanaka in my new 8g with a fire fish. How are you liking the fish? Do they do wrasse things and eat the pesties of the tank?

 

L

Haha thanks man! The wrasse is pretty secretive, doesn't like to be out in the open much. It has found holes in my rock I didn't know existed lol. And it does do wrassy things lol, it's always picking at the rocks and sand. Overall I really like the color and habits of the fish, just wish it would come out more!

[Kylebeano]

I've never seen this acan so freaking CANDY! All my acans are usually fuzzy with their tents out, but this guy has been like this for the past few days, dont know why?

 

 

And the SPS rock:

 

 

PM!

 

 

Tenius

 

 

FTS

 

[Jruberti]

Awesome tank, where do you get all of your corals?

[Rehype]

Wow the tank looks beautiful kyle..

[Kylebeano]

Awesome tank, where do you get all of your corals?

Thanks man! Most of the SPS are from a local guy named Dave (DogBoyDave), he has a 400g system that is amazingly remarkable. Some frags are from High Tide Aquarium here in Tallahassee, some softies and monties from rrcg50 here on NR, zoas from Tenor here on NR, and the acans are from Unique Corals out of NY.

 

Wow the tank looks beautiful kyle..

Thanks Rehype! : your tanks are inspirations

[Kylebeano]

I actually have fit a couple new pieces in this tank. Got a couple very small tips of Greg Hiller's Aqua Delight, to grow next to my pink lemonade (cant wait to see these two next growing along side each other)! And a small piece of ORA Birds of Paradise to grow with my ORA Green Birds on the sofite rock.

 

BOP

 

GH Aqua Delight

 

My wrasse is becoming a bit more adventurous too

 

And some FTSs

[FSUreefer04]

Hey its Cody from lab. Your tank does look nice man and it has come along way so far.

[jgpico]

You probably said somewhere but im lazy and dont want to go back and read lol.....what kind of wrasse is that?

[Kylebeano]

Hey its Cody from lab. Your tank does look nice man and it has come along way so far.

Awesome, Thanks man! Glad you finally made a post lol.

I forgot to ask, but were those pictures of your tank all taken with your phone? If so, they look a dick ton better than the photos my phone takes. We should meet up at high tide sometime, and then take a trip over to dave's (I wont bring any cash, because if I do; it'll be his).

 

You probably said somewhere but im lazy and dont want to go back and read lol.....what kind of wrasse is that?

It was sold to me as and for the price of a White Banded Possum Wrasse (Wetmorella albofasciata)

, but im pretty sure its actually a Tanaka's Pygmy Wrasse (Wetmorella tanakai).

[Builder Anthony]

maybe the acan is micromussa.im not really firmillar with that coral but theres some differences so maybe look into that.

[Kylebeano]

maybe the acan is micromussa.im not really firmillar with that coral but theres some differences so maybe look into that.

haha, thanks for the input, but it is definitely a lord. just for some reason, for a few days it was a little retracted and never showed tentacles. so it was looking extraordinarilly bright and colorful!

 

Same lord, just slightly different angle and camera settings. (and of course the coral itself is retracted a bit and its not desaturated like the bottom pic)

 

 

[lljdma06]

I covet your wrasse.

 

[Kylebeano]

I covet your wrasse.

 

Lol. I had to look covet up, and it is a pretty sweet fish. And im known to have a pretty nice wrasse around town... what?

 

Im just thankful my LFS is pretty awesome, and sold me a tanaka's for $32

[FSUreefer04]

No the pictures were taken with my DSLR camera (Canon 2ti). I got it recently and am still working out the color balance on it but they are getting better slowly haha. And yeah we should meet and head over there and check out that tank sometime.

[Kylebeano]

I havnt had a good update in a while. I had been letting the tank go to be honest, i was letting a week go by for water changes sometimes, and not really cleaning it. Some of the corals look like crap now; the red planet, pink lemonade, aqua delight, nana. Theyve all encrusted well, but then dropped color and polyp extension. Theyre still alive, but dont look like they should. The bacteria/algae sh!t is still everywhere, and ive had an explosion of vermetid snails. Its gross...I baste the rocks almost every other day, and the things go nuts when I do, sliming up the whole tank. Does anyone have suggestions for ridding such a small tank of these things?

So in the past week ive started doing dilligent every other day water changes and ive raised both lights another couple inches, and things are starting to look better. Im hoping the snails will starve themselves off somehow due to so much competition. The wrasse is great, constantly foraging. Chaeto grows like crazy in the ac70, I thin it out about once a month with four handfuls given to my LFS.

Anyway, here are some updated pics from the last couple weeks. In a couple months Ill try to have some pics of healthier corals.

 

Vermetid infestation!

 

 

Wrasse:

 

 

Dendro finally having clones:

 

 

Crappy looking RP:

 

 

Better looking corals:

 

 

Angry softies:

 

 

FTSs:

 

[lljdma06]

It's nice to see an update. I was wondering where you were.

 

Pests always stink. I have no idea how to get rid of those.

 

Glad to see the wrasse is ok. I always liked him.

 

L

[Reret10]

man i wish i had your tank

[iDream]

You beat me! My dendro head is still bigger, but I don't have any babies yet

 

I thought I had a vermetid problem, but you make me feel much better now lol. Your stuff, albeit maybe not doing so hot at the moment, is looking good. If I had a light source for it I'd definitely hit you up for some chaeto, I've been wanting to turn one of my biocube chambers into a fuge for a while now.

 

Once you get into a good routine in cleaning/etc. you're tank will bounce back, I'm sure of it. As for the vermetids, I don't know of a for sure way to kill them, but whenever you get in the tank to clean snap several of the tubes off at the base as you go, that might put a dent in their population

[Kylebeano]

It's nice to see an update. I was wondering where you were.

 

Pests always stink. I have no idea how to get rid of those.

 

Glad to see the wrasse is ok. I always liked him.

 

L

Thanks L, I was hoping the wrasse could find out a way to make those snails snacks

 

 

man i wish i had your tank

When I started it:

Tank & filter $50

Lights $130

Rock & sand $30

Misc supplies $40

 

Very low budget and tech, easy to maintain. Livestock is by far the largest expense.

 

 

You beat me! My dendro head is still bigger, but I don't have any babies yet

 

I thought I had a vermetid problem, but you make me feel much better now lol. Your stuff, albeit maybe not doing so hot at the moment, is looking good. If I had a light source for it I'd definitely hit you up for some chaeto, I've been wanting to turn one of my biocube chambers into a fuge for a while now.

 

Once you get into a good routine in cleaning/etc. you're tank will bounce back, I'm sure of it. As for the vermetids, I don't know of a for sure way to kill them, but whenever you get in the tank to clean snap several of the tubes off at the base as you go, that might put a dent in their population

Haha thanks a lot man! I sure hope the corals will regain former glory, I was hoping by a year old (next month!) the tank would be a jungle, but things seem to be stunted.

If you do make a chamber into fuge, let me know! I grow some great stuff...lol

[lljdma06]

We expect so much from our little wrasses & they still eat what they want.

 

I still want one though. Such a cool little fish & yours poses for pictures, so you actually see him on a regular basis?

 

L

[Kylebeano]

We expect so much from our little wrasses & they still eat what they want.

 

I still want one though. Such a cool little fish & yours poses for pictures, so you actually see him on a regular basis?

 

L

This fish has lasted longest in my tank than my previous two failures, so im quite happy with it. Its out and about almost all day now! It does shy away when I put the camera to the glass though, so good shots are rare. It is a fantastic fish, yawns a lot though (I think its getting bored with the tank lol).