castiel Posted February 5, 2012 Author Share Posted February 5, 2012 I'll get around to getting the crab at some point, I just know how much it will take to get the darn thing out of there. Well had another power outage yesterday after a storm, no power for 12 hours or so. Thankfully the storm brought cooler temperatures - dropped from 92F to 63F in the space of an hour, which is when we lost power. And these tough little picos stood up to it all yet again, as far as I can see no casualties. Link to comment
castiel Posted February 6, 2012 Author Share Posted February 6, 2012 Just did the first tests on the tanks for a while. Interestingly both almost identical (this just before the water change is due, 8 days since the last one, and the day after a 12 hour power outage): Phosphate - 0 Nitrate - 0 Calcium - 360 Alk - 7ppm/125dkh So I have placed an order for C-Balance to boost those numbers a lot, but really happy to see the phosphate and nitrate so low. Link to comment
lljdma06 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Just did the first tests on the tanks for a while. Interestingly both almost identical (this just before the water change is due, 8 days since the last one, and the day after a 12 hour power outage): Phosphate - 0 Nitrate - 0 Calcium - 360 Alk - 7ppm/125dkh So I have placed an order for C-Balance to boost those numbers a lot, but really happy to see the phosphate and nitrate so low. six months old! Wow, mine will be there in like a week. How time flies when you're having fun. L Link to comment
castiel Posted February 7, 2012 Author Share Posted February 7, 2012 I don't think this colour really comes through, but I need to find a way to capture how damn green this acro is! Oh there is a lot of #### in the water column because I had just fed heavily. Link to comment
buddythelion Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 I don't think this colour really comes through, but I need to find a way to capture how damn green this acro is! Oh there is a lot of #### in the water column because I had just fed heavily. Excuse my laziness, but could I have a close up of the coral on the top right hang side? The polyps one. Link to comment
castiel Posted February 7, 2012 Author Share Posted February 7, 2012 Sure thing - excuse the crappy phone pics, I made them as large as I can (view in new window for larger) - hope one of these turns out okay. Also, NOT MINE, but this is the best colour comparison I can find for my Dallas Acro: Link to comment
castiel Posted February 10, 2012 Author Share Posted February 10, 2012 Well as I showed in this post, I am pretty certain my duncans and hammer are both dead. The hammer has a few wisps of green left on each side but is not inflating any more, and I can no longer see any green on the duncan. Not my first coral losses and I am sure not the last, but it sucks nonetheless. In particular I loved hte hammer and it has been probably my favourite coral so far. It never seemed to adapt to the new higher flow from the Koralia - with just the stock pump (nowhere near enough flow for the tank as a whole), it was growing huge and stinging the favia above it ... with the Koralia in the tank it stayed quite small and compact, and when I just thought it was adjusting it goes and dies on me. My mourning period may be short though and a trip to the LFS tomrrow or Sunday might bring something new. The question is really - a new hammer or other euphyllia, or something different .... Link to comment
brandon429 Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Peter your reported numbers show the classic phenomena in tiny Pico reefs where either water changes must ramp up or dosing must begin They behave much differently than even 3 gallon tanks and your tank hit those numbers pretty much on time, the period usually coincides with an increased coral load Do you have c balance yet Also, if your doing weekly changes of 80% what are the numbers just before you change i'm so curious Link to comment
lljdma06 Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Awww, I'm sorry about the duncan and the hammer. Link to comment
castiel Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share Posted February 11, 2012 Hey brandon - the c-balance is en-route so should be here any day now, I will be sure to post some numbers. And yeah I figured that particularly the addition of the SPS would leach the calcium from the NSW and so need dosing. The first week or two I'll measure both quite regularly to see how it varies during the period between changes. Paid a visit to several LFSs today, and of course ended up with some new goodies. Pictures to come shortly when they open up Link to comment
castiel Posted February 12, 2012 Author Share Posted February 12, 2012 Still not 100% on the Elegance placement ... my hammer has left a hole on teh left side where I was thinking of placing it, but it's bigger than I thought when I bought it so not sure it will fit there! That area is higher flow, where it is now is just enough to move its tentacles. Link to comment
lljdma06 Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Wow, that is some elegance, Peter. I like going to the lfs and finding something cool. L Link to comment
castiel Posted February 12, 2012 Author Share Posted February 12, 2012 I don't know how common they are up in the US, but down here I see them quite often. It is indeed pretty and I hope I can keep it alive. I have read a lot about their ever decreasing life spans in aquariums, but a reefbuilders post gave me hope that the Aussie Elegance is not suffering the same fate, maybe due to tighter coral collection controls. Even though those little Palys are brown, I really like their hot green mouths! Haven't see them before. Link to comment
castiel Posted February 12, 2012 Author Share Posted February 12, 2012 Baby blastos =0) Link to comment
castiel Posted February 12, 2012 Author Share Posted February 12, 2012 Hah sorry I really am spamming today, but I just spotted that some of the zoas in Ang's tank have a cool double skirt! And they colours are amazing under actinics ... to think I used to think this was just a rock full of dull brown zoas. Link to comment
chippwalters Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Cool zoas. Wouldn't it be cool to have one sump to service both your tanks? I'm thinking about having a single sump for two tanks. Been working on some proof of concept-- check my main thread. Link to comment
MetaTank Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Cool zoas. Wouldn't it be cool to have one sump to service both your tanks? I'm thinking about having a single sump for two tanks. Been working on some proof of concept-- check my main thread. I DO have a single sump for both my picos, it's awesome! I just added some chaeto to the fuge section today! BTW Peter, sorry to hear about the Duncans and hammer...real bummer...Buy Hooray for Baby blastos! Link to comment
castiel Posted February 12, 2012 Author Share Posted February 12, 2012 Hah, thanks. As for the sump idea ... trouble of a single sump is that I foresee these two tanks being separated at some point. But I love the idea generally of a pico sump, particularly a side-by-side one - I would have to make it a macro display fuge I think. Link to comment
pbjelly Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Those baby Blastos are great - and the Elegance is really lovely. I've wanted one forever, but there's just no room for one in my tank. Congrats! Link to comment
chippwalters Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 Hah, thanks. As for the sump idea ... trouble of a single sump is that I foresee these two tanks being separated at some point. But I love the idea generally of a pico sump, particularly a side-by-side one - I would have to make it a macro display fuge I think. I think there's no problem creating a shared sump/fuge between the two. You can certainly separate them later if you want. You could use 2 DIY HOB Overflows, with a single Aqualifter managing the siphon, and a single small pump in your sump/fuge to fill both tanks. Don't forget the snail guard on the overflow and you might want to get an ATO for your fuge which would handle BOTH tanks. Just imagine how easy it would be to change out your water! Just turn off your pump, empty the fuge, fill it back up and you're good to go! (In my case I have a PVC fixture with hose which I press fit to my overflow exit and let the pump do the emptying of the sump for me.) Link to comment
castiel Posted February 13, 2012 Author Share Posted February 13, 2012 While a sump is a great idea for these tanks, my next priority is going to be tank+sump for my 17G. I think I am going to try the Elegance on the rockwork, where the hammer was. Link to comment
lljdma06 Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Ooooooo, so pretty. I want them, but understand that I cannot have them because they are yours. By the way, guess who's birthday it is today? L Link to comment
castiel Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 That is correct, you cannot have them. Just as I can't have your cool rics and zoas! Happy tank 1/2 birthday! Link to comment
castiel Posted February 19, 2012 Author Share Posted February 19, 2012 So we're moving house in about a month ... should only be a short trip, maybe an hour from power off at this place to power on at the next. I have bought two battery air pumps (also for the power outages we keep having), and was planning to empty as much water as I can without exposing corals. Any other tips for moving tanks like these? Link to comment
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