Texas 3.5G Pico

[castiel]

Those zoas are pretty.

[amiralisomji]

@peter, do you mean this one??

its the only one i found called aquastik by 'TLF'.

 

 

@chipp, without the lights on, what temp does your tank remain at?

i do not have a heater/chiller for my pico; and manage to remain at a constant 80F.

btw, those are some beautiful corals you have there.

[chippwalters]

@chipp, without the lights on, what temp does your tank remain at?

i do not have a heater/chiller for my pico; and manage to remain at a constant 80F.

btw, those are some beautiful corals you have there.

 

I'm in Texas, and we've had a scorcher of a summer. The house itself can get hotter or cooler, based on who's home and what the thermostat is set at. My tank generally swings from 77-82 depending on many factors, including time of day, lighting and what the house thermostat is set on (it changes when I'm not around!).

 

If I am here, I watch it carefully and turn the fan on when it gets over 81, and turn the lights on when it's low. I just ordered a submersible 25W heater, which will help when things cool off a bit.

 

Thanks for the compliments on the coral. I'm not looking for size, but rather species who will work together. The tank is small. Hopefully, the coral will grow.

 

First, I bought this incredible star polyp for $58. It was about the size of a tangerine, all on LR and super green and healthy. I carefully cut it up into four pieces and set it about the tank. It's doing great. The zoa cost me $25 and was huge, maybe 50 polyps or so, and I had my LFS cut it in half and put it in two places. And my last buying spree netted me the brain coral for $44, the 3 stalk candy cane for $31, and the torch for $22.50. Damn, this is getting expensive!

 

The brain coral, while very small, was so much more intense in color than any of the others. I hope that means it is healthy. I'd hate for someone to tell me, "Yeah, they turn super green just before they die!"

[castiel]

amir that's the stuff, though I am sure any kind of putty would work (marine of course).

[amiralisomji]

about the "your coral is beautiful.. is it dying?" - hahaaa, that would definitely be a bummer.

 

not that this is a competition, but i live in dubai... while TX gets hot, Dubai is the entrance to hell. we've had one of the nastiest summers in a while; which is why the AC at home is constantly on 24/7. keeping that in mind, i am able to maintain a constant 78-80... this might all change come november when things start cooling off... i guess i'll have to keep an eye out and make sure the pico doesn't cool down too much.

 

if you dont mind, what heater did you get? its is a dual voltage? I'd like to have one sitting around for those "oh crap" moments. better safe than sorry.

 

about the corals, i only have 3 frags in there at the moment, and 2 dusters. will probably add some more this weekend.

[chippwalters]

about the "your coral is beautiful.. is it dying?" - hahaaa, that would definitely be a bummer.

 

not that this is a competition, but i live in dubai... while TX gets hot, Dubai is the entrance to hell. we've had one of the nastiest summers in a while; which is why the AC at home is constantly on 24/7. keeping that in mind, i am able to maintain a constant 78-80... this might all change come november when things start cooling off... i guess i'll have to keep an eye out and make sure the pico doesn't cool down too much.

 

if you dont mind, what heater did you get? its is a dual voltage? I'd like to have one sitting around for those "oh crap" moments. better safe than sorry.

 

about the corals, i only have 3 frags in there at the moment, and 2 dusters. will probably add some more this weekend.

 

OK. We're both hot! I'm on a horse ranch, and we're also in the midst of the worse drought in 50 years. Our pastures are scorched.

 

Here's a link to the heater I just purchased:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006JLPG8

[amiralisomji]

voltage isn't mentioned anywhere - chipp, please do me a favor and let me know if it is dual voltage or just 110V. not urgent, whenever possible. thanks...

[chippwalters]

voltage isn't mentioned anywhere - chipp, please do me a favor and let me know if it is dual voltage or just 110V. not urgent, whenever possible. thanks...

 

Will do. If I forget,please remind me

[chippwalters]

Just got in my first prototype part. If you're interested it's shown over here:

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...80868&st=20

 

Here's a FTS from today where things have cleared up a lot, and all corals are happy!

 

[amiralisomji]

reminder about the heater voltage...

 

what are you feeding your corals - they look very happy indeed.

[chippwalters]

reminder about the heater voltage...

 

what are you feeding your corals - they look very happy indeed.

 

Haven't fed them a thing yet. I will try and buy some phytoplankton this weekend and feed everyone on Saturday with a large water change on Sunday.

[Go Tigers!]

Beautiful tank ! Makes me rethink how i'm going about mine .......

[chippwalters]

Here's a link to the heater I just purchased:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006JLPG8

 

The heater just arrived and it's good for 220V as well. Has a standard american style power cable and connector.

[amiralisomji]

Thanks for the info bud. I'm placing my order this weekend.

Hows your tank doing? I added some zoas and paly frags a few days back... opened right up for me.

[chippwalters]

Thanks for the info bud. I'm placing my order this weekend.

Hows your tank doing? I added some zoas and paly frags a few days back... opened right up for me.

 

Sounds good. I had a good week, and just came back from a LFS run. I ended up with a couple sexys (man are these guys xSmall!), a Pom Pom crab, and my first SPS-- a tri color acropora. I put the SPS close to the top of the tank and am now using my PanPro LED and 2 stunners to light the tank. I'm still waiting on my final parts to come in for my enclosure ;-)

 

I do have a couple of questions:

 

1. I've got these very very tiny red worm things coming out of my LR. Here's a picture:

 

and another pic but the worms are back 'inside':

 

Are these guys OK? Are they some sort of aptasia? If it wasn't for my daughters fresh eyes, I would never have even seen them. Just wondering...

 

2. My green open brain looks good EXCEPT it has a white soft area shown by the arrow in the photo:

 

Is this something I should worry about? I think the fella lost the green part there upon insertion into the tank, or the ride home-- but I'm not sure-- it might be getting bigger. Other than that he seems pretty good. Very colorful. Any help anyone?

[brandon429]

The number one thing the open brain needs is direct feeding.

 

Not all corals retain mysis shrimp even if they ingest them. a keen eye will see them spit out large portions of attempted feedings as time goes by, Ive seen that if you take time to blenderize the mysis, and mix in a little frozen cyclopeeze so that you have red stained large and small meat particles, its unbeatable for a feed they will accept and retain.

 

This recession revealing septa is common tissue loss either from starving or physical injury. as you feed it to bring it back to full health, Im talking a one month regimen to really make a difference, you'll have to have a poker ready to fend it from marauding shrimp and crabs or it will never eat.

 

Most of the time in the pico reef these heavy bodies stony corals starve and recede over the course of a year or two, this is a really heavy coral and it likes food every day or every other day if you can, just tiny direct amounts that won't pollute the tank.

 

Unless this coral is kept in a tank that is fed like pj86's, a strong feed input of mixed phyto and pods or something, it really needs a direct focus feeding to thrive.

 

People don't have hard times with them in larger nanos like 5+ gallons

 

the extra feed in suspension is complemented by having fish in the tank and in the smaller nano's like the 3's on down they tend to run too sterile for these active feeders

 

that's the spot on deal man!~

B

[.Newman.]

the red fan worms are fine and safe. the brain looks retracted and getting used to the tank. do not touch it if you think its in a good spot in the tank (sand). with time it should inflate and be happy.

yes and feeding when its hungry, is good as suggested above.

[brandon429]

I wont take the time to feed mine directly any more but my friend will ! so Im shipping it to her for permanent residency. its a lobophyllia, this looks like a trach but same feeding needs and prefs in the pico reef.

[.Newman.]

I wont take the time to feed mine directly any more but my friend will ! so Im shipping it to her for permanent residency. its a lobophyllia, this looks like a trach but same feeding needs and prefs in the pico reef.

aww, but it can be fun! I feed each polyp on my acan and blasto colonies

[chippwalters]

Thanks for the info. I did feed tonight, first time. Earlier I tried a very small amount of Coral Frenzy and just mixed it in a cup of tank water, and dropped it in with the powerhead and filter on. I'm thinking it's not a good idea to leave the filter on, DUH.

 

Later, I took very small 'bites' of frozen brine shrimp-- tiny stuff, and manually fed my candy canes with tweezers. They seemed to like it as long as the lights are off-- which they were.

 

I tried some for the brain, but he didn't seem to move any. The torches were retracted (and asleep?) but that fan worm in the middle jumped out and had some dinner. Seems like just about everything woke up. A hitchiker funky snail, which hadn't moved from under a rock in two weeks, started about. And my Pom Pom jumped for joy at the floating pieces of shrimp-- this time with both powerhead and filter OFF.

 

Couple questions. How long can you leave the powerhead and filter OFF when feeding? I assume all night is not good.

 

And, any threat to my Sexys and Pom Pom from my two small fiddler crabs? They are bigger than the sexys and about the same size as the Pom Pom. One fiddler already butchered a snail and grabbed it's new house, which sent me to the store to get more and larger empty snail shells. Thanks.

[.Newman.]

all night is probably not good. i'd only do it for 30 mins max. maybe an hour if you forget about it lol. but it may have bad effects on a new tank with newly introduced coral.

[chippwalters]

Sorry to be a pain. But, if you don't mind, can I ask a few more questions?

 

1. My torch has completely retracted since the feeding. Is this because it already has enough food, or is it because it's nightime? I don't remember seeing it so retracted before.

 

2. Is the mouth on the brain right in the middle?

 

3. I suppose it's OK for the sexys to hang around in the star polyp?

[.Newman.]

1. they retract completely at nighttime. I usually feed mine in the day time...(well i just sold mine today, but when i had it lol...)

 

2.the arrow in your pic is pointing in the direction of the mouth. it is in the middle green region of the coral and it is that faint slit you see in the pic. i think for that species, the tentacles have to be extended in order to feed this coral. put food on tentacles and the coral should bring the food toward the mouth. do not force feed lol... it may take a few days before the coral is feeling good enough to extend the tentacles.

 

3. yes they will hang around coral a lot. sometimes they will eat it so watch out. feed them well.

[castiel]

My open brain has two mouths, either side of the centre. It likes to eat the nano-pellets I bought that are too large for the gobies to eat.

[.Newman.]

i guess they grow mouths as they grow their skeleton? makes sense.