The Narrow Sea - Aqueon Evolve 4

[lkoechle]

We are just full of busy news here. We got the house and are just waiting on the loan stuff to finish up and then we'll be closing at the end of the month and moving in the first week of August. We also have more secret excitement coming August.

 

My snails arrived. They were not delivered to the door like they were suppose to be. The poor guys were left in the community mail box but I only had three casualties among the big snails so it's all good!

 

 

Floating the bags

 

 

And a week later:

 

They did a fantastic job cleaning up! Another awesome clean-up by reef-cleaners.

I really want to start stocking and am trying to persuade the hubby to go to the LFS tomorrow. We'll see how it goes. He wants to wait until after we move in but I want it now. I'll probably have to special order the green clown goby anyways since it doesn't seem like LFS carry them regularly. But, that doesn't mean I can't buy something for the tank...

[lkoechle]

Corals! I got the first corals for the tank today. Both small, but something. I also put my green clown goby on order and I should know Monday if the LFS got him. If they did, he'll be delivered Wednesday and go into a two week quarantine.

 

Anyways, so I acclimated them. Didn't glue them down because I wanted to make sure they were happy where they were at before gluing. Now I'm paying for it with my zoanthid clump settled on the floor of the tank lol. Tomorrow I guess I'll have to go to petco and see if there are any forceps or anything I can use to move them. Any ideas on tools for such a small tank? Ironically, they're opening up and don't seem too irritated. But I digress, you don't want to hear me jammer! On with the photos.

 

Angry corals in the Acclimate

 

 

These were taken about five to ten minutes after being put in the tank.

My cute little ricordea:

 

And those tank touring zoanthids:

[lkoechle]

Whelp, the LFS didn't order my fish. I don't know why. They didn't call me to tell me if they could or could not so I called yesterday. The guy that answered the phone sounded like a druggie and said "Uhhhh, I'm looking at the quarantine list and I don't see it. Who did you talk to?" I told him and he responded "She's really good at her job." Well that's nice, but why isn't the fish there and why wasn't I called? So, we're going in this weekend to see if we can catch her while working because I didn't have much luck with her co-worker. Hopefully she just forgot and we can get my fish.

[lkoechle]

Not too much has changed. We are in the new house as of today.

 

The ricordea is growing really well under the stock lights and so are the zoanthids. So far, i don't think i am going to upgrade. I may purchase a higher light frag in the future to see what the stock lights can and can't do, but as for softies, i am pretty pleased so far.

 

No new additions with everythong going on with the house i haven't made it out tp the fish store. hopefully i will be going next week since my clown goby came in. Super excited for him. The LFS thinks they will be ready next week. Can't wait for my phone to ring! When i add him, i will post new tank shots.

[lkoechle]

Tank is doing well and today I picked up my green clown goby! Turns out, this LFS really sucks at calling customers. They got my fish two weeks after I called and then its been two weeks in quarantine.

 

I also picked up some Rod's Food just to see how the tank likes it. Let me tell you, I am sold. As far as my experience has been, new additions don't eat the first few days but Meraxes (the fish) completely pigged out like no ones business! And the ricordea snagged two shrimp of its own which I've never seen before.

 

Additionally, there's a new member to the hobby! I am expecting our first baby March 3rd. So, exciting, exciting stuff! Just cleared the first trimester, so this baby looks like its gonna stick!

 

 

Meraxes in the acclimation tank. I havn't been able to get a good photo since being in the tank. His eyesight is really good and he darts off at the sight of the camera.

 

 

The ricordea finishing off the shrimp.

 

 

Working on shrimp number 2.

[Lucubration]

Looks good! But then, I'm brand new to this hobby and just get excited at everything I guess.

 

I didn't know Ricordea would catch and eat food like that. They didn't seem to have the same sort of trawling tentacles that some of the other corals have. That's really cool; I've been looking forward to getting some of them.

 

I'm surprised at the angle you placed the tank at. I would've expected to see the back to the pillar there so it could be viewed in profile from either side of the counter.

 

Also, congratulations.

[lkoechle]

Looks good! But then, I'm brand new to this hobby and just get excited at everything I guess.

 

I didn't know Ricordea would catch and eat food like that. They didn't seem to have the same sort of trawling tentacles that some of the other corals have. That's really cool; I've been looking forward to getting some of them.

 

I'm surprised at the angle you placed the tank at. I would've expected to see the back to the pillar there so it could be viewed in profile from either side of the counter.

 

Also, congratulations.

Welcome to the hobby They don't have feeder tentacles. They work more like an anemone. Food hits the body and then the body sort of curls it to the mouth. Also, I don't look at my fish tank when I cook Then it was meant to be viewed from the living room. Now, in the new house, I have it angled to be viewed from the breakfast nook.

[lkoechle]

Slowly, Meraxes is getting a little braver. He's been perching more and more often instead of hiding in the cave.

 

[LylaPico]

Hey, congrats on the baby! I have an evo 4 also so I'll be tagging along for the ride. I don't have my thread up yet but the tank is about 6 months or 8 months old. I can't remember when I started it. lol. But I'll post a link when I get it up. Love your green clown goby! We hardly ever get the green ones here.

[lkoechle]

Thanks! I'll definitely be on the lookout for the thread. I like seeing what others doing. Did you leave everything stock? I was going to change everything but then figured it'd be interesting to see what it can do out of the box. The corals have been in there for two months I think and are doing great and growing. I was surprised.

 

You could ask if they can order. I've never seen one in a store so I was worried maybe a lot can't get them. But I guess people just aren't interested so they don't order. lol He's a cutie. Caught him hanging out on the sand bed today. I know they're notoriously shy, but in a few more weeks I think he'll be settled enough that he won't flying for a cave when someone walks by lol

[LylaPico]

Thanks! I'll definitely be on the lookout for the thread. I like seeing what others doing. Did you leave everything stock? I was going to change everything but then figured it'd be interesting to see what it can do out of the box. The corals have been in there for two months I think and are doing great and growing. I was surprised.

 

You could ask if they can order. I've never seen one in a store so I was worried maybe a lot can't get them. But I guess people just aren't interested so they don't order. lol He's a cutie. Caught him hanging out on the sand bed today. I know they're notoriously shy, but in a few more weeks I think he'll be settled enough that he won't flying for a cave when someone walks by lol

My new thread is Lyla's evo4. I don't have a great camera, so don't judge my pics too harshly. I also use my ipod sometimes.... lol. I'm using the stock pump and I didn't cover the bottom intake hole. The light though, the stock was okay for gsp and zoas, but I'm making mine into a ric garden. So my light is a solar flare. It doesn't really have the blue balance I'm looking for though so I'm looking at maybe adding a mini blue spotlight just to increase the blue.

[LylaPico]

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/332377-lylas-evo4/

My new thread. What camera do you use? Mine doesn't pick up colors very well.

[lkoechle]

lol just my cell phone. Since I'm pregnant though, I think I might be able to persuade hubby to spring the money for DSLR. For the baby, of course...

[lkoechle]

Best Husband Ever: After a long day and fighting rush hour traffic for two hours, we were passing a plaza where an LFS that's too far for us to normally go to. I knew better than to ask my husband to pull in and he was on the phone with his mother anyways. To my surprise, he tells his mom to hold on and says, "Isn't that your fish store? You want to go in?" (All fish stores are my fish stores now.) So I took it. He only let me buy from the $5 tank, but since my tank is so small and he was doing it as a gift and not from my tank budget, I'm not complaining. I got a couple zoo frags since the one ric they had in there wasn't looking so grand.

 

Oh, and I learned how important it is to dip your corals. I always dip just in case, but so far they've always seemed to be clean. Not these guys. Got myself a nudibranch and some flatworms. But now they're all clean. A little pissed, but clean. They're still closed up but I'll post pics later!

[reefernanoman]

Best Husband Ever: After a long day and fighting rush hour traffic for two hours, we were passing a plaza where an LFS that's too far for us to normally go to. I knew better than to ask my husband to pull in and he was on the phone with his mother anyways. To my surprise, he tells his mom to hold on and says, "Isn't that your fish store? You want to go in?" (All fish stores are my fish stores now.) So I took it. He only let me buy from the $5 tank, but since my tank is so small and he was doing it as a gift and not from my tank budget, I'm not complaining. I got a couple zoo frags since the one ric they had in there wasn't looking so grand.

 

Oh, and I learned how important it is to dip your corals. I always dip just in case, but so far they've always seemed to be clean. Not these guys. Got myself a nudibranch and some flatworms. But now they're all clean. A little pissed, but clean. They're still closed up but I'll post pics later!

Hi! Nice tank. We are totally opposite, when it comes to our partners. I am the fish freak and have to be nagging my wife to let me go to the LFS!Lol.

[LylaPico]

I always dip my coral. You just would not believe the nooks and crannies some pest hide in. Got 12 bristle worms off of a zoa frag that looked completely clean once.

[lkoechle]

Hi! Nice tank. We are totally opposite, when it comes to our partners. I am the fish freak and have to be nagging my wife to let me go to the LFS!Lol.

Thanks! I'm an animal lover and I'll keep anything if I'm allowed to. I was really surprised how easy he was to persuade to try reef tanks. It turns out, his friend in college had a 50 gallon and hubby was the "hold my fish so I can drive" person. He's also a software engineer so he's always getting nerdy with ideas for whole home automation and incorporating the tank into that.

 

 

I always dip my coral. You just would not believe the nooks and crannies some pest hide in. Got 12 bristle worms off of a zoa frag that looked completely clean once.

 

That's crazy. I always dip but this was the first time anything came out of it. I hate, HATE bristle worms. I don't care what people say about "they're a good part of cleaning crew." They are unwelcomed and freak me out!

[lkoechle]

Pics of the new zoas. I wish I had a better camera!

 

There are three other polyps but they have yet to make an appearance.

 

There are about four additional ones on this but like the other, they have yet to open.

 

And the previous residents:

 

The ric has grown quite a bit. I think I'm going to have pick up the pace on finding the remaining colors I want, or the there won't be any space for them! lol It has also taken to eating a large (as far as mysis is concerned) shrimp or two every other day.

 

 

These guys have also been doing well and growing. I think they've really appreciated finally be glued down and the target feeding I've started doing out of curiosity.

[LylaPico]

Bristle worms are a good part of the clean up crew, but they can annoy alot of corals too, and can over populate fast. They do stir up the sand and eat uneaten food though.

[.Newman.]

I hate, HATE bristle worms. I don't care what people say about "they're a good part of cleaning crew." They are unwelcomed and freak me out!

 

Then you'll be glad to know that you can never have a bristleworm clean tank. somewhere in your rock they are in there...multiplying

lol.

They're kind of a given when you start up a reef tank. and if you pick them out of everything you see, you'll mostly get tiny ones inside some of the rocks you buy that you wont see until they grow enough to be more visible.

[LylaPico]

Then you'll be glad to know that you can never have a bristleworm clean tank. somewhere in your rock they are in there...multiplying

lol.

They're kind of a given when you start up a reef tank. and if you pick them out of everything you see, you'll mostly get tiny ones inside some of the rocks you buy that you wont see until they grow enough to be more visible.

Sadly, this is true. THEY. ARE. EVERYWHERE. lol.

[lkoechle]

I had a ton in my 20. We'd set out traps for them to get rid of some. My tank was pretty clean until i bought a ball of chaeto. That tank was started with dry sand and base rock. -Sniffle- and the chato ruined it.

[LylaPico]

I thought about doing some macro algea but not cheato. People complain about it too much.

[lkoechle]

I am not doing any with this tank. My next pico i want to set up won't have chato either but other macro algae. I want to set up a dwarf seapony tank. I have been planning it for years but right now i travel too much and don't have a knowledgable tank sitter. So, i am waiting until after the baby to see how my traveling changes and it might slow down enough for that tank. I would really love to figure out some kind of auto-feeder or mostly auto feeder that will allow me to leave for three days and anything longer with only really simple instructions for the sitter.

 

I don't have any real complaints with chaeto but i couldn't get it to really grown. It started picking up once i switched lights but even that was mediocre. I think it might have been thw water because nothing really grew well in that tankm we lived in phoenix at the time and it is super super heavy in minerals. We used the r/o unit installed in the house but i don't think it got everything. We have a better unit i bought from a reefer i met at the dog park but i haven't set it up yet. It will be interesting to see the difference. Already this tank has better growth with the stock lights than the 20 did with the AI sol. So i am thinking it was the r/o water that was the issue.

[LylaPico]

Possibly. If you start the dwarf seapony tank, post a link! I love those tanks. I had to be away for a while because of a family emergency, and I just taught my roommate what to do. She'd call me a couple of times to make sure she was doing it right and it was fine. She even sent me pictures. lol.