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Penny's Lane-A BC29 Journey. Retired


Pjanssen

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October 18,2020

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October 14,2019

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August 3,2019

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FTS 6/1/19

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FTS 04/08/18

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FTS-03/19/17

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FTS-06/30/16

27148824752_0836605830_c.jpgIMG_3284 by Penny, on Flickr

 

SO I've been meaning to start this since last october, but life sometimes gets in the way...

But here it goes. Yes, my name is Penny, and this is my journey down what I hope to be a long and beautiful journey (lane), twists and turns and all!

After trying, mostly unsuccessfully, to build and manage a 5 gallon "scuba" tank that was a gift from hubby, (because we/are into scuba diving), I begged for a larger tank. last October he delivered for my birthday a BC 29. Yay!

I've re-tweaked the rock/aquascape several times over the last few months and come up with the following.

 

file-22.jpg

This is the most recent full tank shot. Let me know if you think I should post older photos, or just move forward from here.

 

Following is a list of what I currently have:

 

BC29 with stock lighting- one actinic blue CPF, and one 10,000K white (I think)

Added led's- 2 blue and two white strips. getting ready to switch to all blues.

about 22 lbs live rock. since I've added and removed a few times over the last couple of months, I'm not really sure.

Fiji pink sand. It's not really pink, and they should'nt really call it so!

Stock pump (?)

Koralia 450 power head

Coralife 1/10 hp aqua chiller set at 76

 

Current Livestock:

Fish:

Percula Clown

Black and gold damsel- mostly black now. Much prettier as a juvenile.

Diademma basselette.

 

Inverts:

Cleaner shrimp

Blood red shrimp

Assorted snails

1 blue legged hermit that snuck in with the ceriths

fuzzy chiton (I think that's what its called)

2 little sea urchins

 

Corals:

vice zoas from Aquascapers

2 red mushrooms-from 5 gallon tank

Ricordea Florida from Aquascapers- Currently not doing so great.

Red Gorgonia

Sinularia (spaghetti Leather)

Flower anemone from Aquascapers.

Acans- dubbed Elmer Fudd after devouring my hare.

2 frogspawns

1 hammer with 5 heads- recently purchsed from PBMAS frag swap

ORA neon finger

pulsating xenia- my oldest coral, transfered from the 5 gallon

montipora- recently purchsed from PBMAS frag swap

 

I currently dose 2x a week natureef 2 part calcium/alkalinity to keep caalcium around 440, and dKh around 8.4. There have been some ups and downs with this, as I had inadequate test kits (API). I have since switched to salifret , getting what I believe to be be much more accurate readings.

 

I do a 2 gallon water change once a week, more if I am having a problem(Like Algae, cyno, dinos...I've had it all!). And Change the filter floss 2-3 times a week.

 

I have a media basket from InTank, and run carbon and phosban

I also have a makeshift refugium with Chaeto

 

The fish get fed pellets most mornings, but sometimes they don't

Corals get fed Mysis and Cyclopese once a week

I also add DT's live phytoplankton, diluted in salt water 3x week.

Occasionally, I'll feed fresh seafood that we have for dinner I.e. fresh claims, mussels, fish, shrimp, etc. making sure I do a water change the next day.

 

I'm sure I'm missing something, the problem with trying to put 6 months worth of stuff into one hour.

 

 

 

file-31.jpg

 

Sinularia

file-29.jpg

 

file-28.jpg

 

 

file-27.jpg

 

Gorgonia

file-23.jpg

 

Acans

file-25.jpg

 

Elmer Fudd devouring Buggs.

file-21.jpg

 

Hope you enjoy my journey. Feel free to add comments, suggestions, criticism, etc. I'm a big girl, I can handle it! I hope to always grow and learn from my fellow reefers, most of whom probably have waaaaaaaaaay more experience and knowledge than I do.

 

  • Like 4
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My ricordea florida have been looking really bad for quite awhile now. I've tried relocating them around the tank to no avail. This morning I was reading an unrelated thread about the differences in Phosban, Rowaphos, and phosgaurd, as I am dealing with hair algae. I've been running phosban for about 3 months. I'm thinking this is about the same time that my ricordea started looking bad, but I didn't make the connection. BUt one of the posts made stated that they are all poison, and to use caution. Noone ever suggested this before. So I've decided to remove the phosban (which I had just replaced a few days ago, ugh), and just run carbon for a little while to see if that makes a difference for my ricordea. The phosban doesn't seem to be helping the algae anyway. I think an emerald crab may take up residence. I've been putting that off because I've heard that they like to eat zoas. trading one poison for another?

file-38.jpg

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  • 6 months later...

So I've upgraded my tank with two Koralia 600 pumps and smart wave pump controller. Took out just one of the 450's, but left the other one in under the rock work to aid in flow between the rocks and help eliminate dead zones. Currently I have the controller alternating the pumps every 15 seconds. I'm not really sure what the best option for my tank is. Would welcome advise and suggestions.

 

Since last posting, I've rearranged a little, and added a few corals. Including a 2 headed torch, 7 headed Duncan, sun coral, war coral and chalice. I thought I killed my chalice when I removed it from the plug it was on, but now I actually have two smaller chalices instead of one. I'm finding that with the extra corals, I now have to dose calcium/alkalinity every day. I still do weekly water changes, but now do about 7 1/2 gallons instead of 5. I figure with the added feeding of the sun I need it.

 

Still battle some hair algae, but not so much that I want to pull my own hair out!

 

Nt happy with my sinularia. It's suppose to be white, but is pinkish and not really attractive. Also my Montipora which use to be green is now pink too. Would like to get rid of both of them, but don't know what to do with them.

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  • 1 year later...
  • 10 months later...

so it's been about 2 1/4 years since I've done anything on this thread, and at the request of Stella I'm going to start working on it again. There have been some losses and some additions which I will try to go over in detail over the next couple of days.

The biggest change equipment wise is that I upgraded to an LED light from Steve's LED's. I wish I knew more about the specs of the light, as I'm not sure it's what I want. Corals never look as colorful in my tank as they do in the fish store or on line. I thought spending all that money on LED upgrade would change that. I'm going to try to find the paper work to see what I have and if Steve can help me figure out what I need to get the effect that I'm looking for. Will go back and find some back pictures to start loading to show a history of the last couple years until current. Thank you Stella for encouraging me to get on the ball with this

  • Like 1
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This was taken April 2013- The sinularia, Monti, and whatever the bright green coral in the front (my first coral!) is, have long since out grown the tank and been traded off. The gorgonian sadly didn't make it. The black and gold chromis was too aggressive and was traded for a PJ cardinal which I just recently lost. As you saw in previous picture the hammer grew like crazy. /Frog spawn also did well, but my recent salinity swing killed my torch and drastically affected the frog spawn and some of the hammer.

file-32.jpg

  • Like 2
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New inhabitants:

 

IMG_0609.jpg

 

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IMG_0608.jpg

 

Also an emerald crab, but she won't come out of hiding for a picture. Maybe later.

 

Sadly Scooter and the open brain didn't make it. I'm guessing I starved the fish, as he wouldn't take the tigger pods that the lfs said he would. I hate when I trust lfs employees. The clown decided to host in the brain, which I thought was really cute. Little did I know that it ws slowly killing it by causing the soft tissue to constantly rub against the skeleton.

My ricordea florida have been looking really bad for quite awhile now. I've tried relocating them around the tank to no avail. This morning I was reading an unrelated thread about the differences in Phosban, Rowaphos, and phosgaurd, as I am dealing with hair algae. I've been running phosban for about 3 months. I'm thinking this is about the same time that my ricordea started looking bad, but I didn't make the connection. BUt one of the posts made stated that they are all poison, and to use caution. Noone ever suggested this before. So I've decided to remove the phosban (which I had just replaced a few days ago, ugh), and just run carbon for a little while to see if that makes a difference for my ricordea. The phosban doesn't seem to be helping the algae anyway. I think an emerald crab may take up residence. I've been putting that off because I've heard that they like to eat zoas. trading one poison for another?

file-38.jpg

The ricordia didn't make it either. would like to try them again sometime now that my tank is more stable with better lighting and more diligent care. we shall see.

This is my current light fixture, with a moon strip for night time.

25814525795_a73ce22128.jpgUntitled by pjjanssen1, on Flickr

I wish I knew exactly what I had and how I can make changes or small additions so that I can get the door pop from my corals that I want

  • Like 1
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so it's been about 2 1/4 years since I've done anything on this thread, and at the request of Stella I'm going to start working on it again. There have been some losses and some additions which I will try to go over in detail over the next couple of days.

The biggest change equipment wise is that I upgraded to an LED light from Steve's LED's. I wish I knew more about the specs of the light, as I'm not sure it's what I want. Corals never look as colorful in my tank as they do in the fish store or on line. I thought spending all that money on LED upgrade would change that. I'm going to try to find the paper work to see what I have and if Steve can help me figure out what I need to get the effect that I'm looking for. Will go back and find some back pictures to start loading to show a history of the last couple years until current. Thank you Stella for encouraging me to get on the ball with this

 

Yeah!!! I'm looking forward to this :) And that next photo - wow - that hammer is HUGE! How cool.

  • Like 2
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There is more detail about my salinity mishap in another thread, but this is what most of my hammer colony looked like for several days. I lost a total of 8-10 heads. Beautiful torch which I don't have a picture of completely melted away. Frog spawn is about half the size. UGH! I've since added a simple ATO pump (Tunze nano) in a 5 gallon bucket behind my tank. Smartest thing I've done thus far. It's amazing how much more stable my params are.

24725253574_42beb0a34c.jpgHammer by pjjanssen1, on Flickr


 

Yeah!!! I'm looking forward to this :) And that next photo - wow - that hammer is HUGE! How cool.

Thanks for looking, and giving me the push I needed move forward. It's too expensive of a hobby not to stay invested. And too beautiful even at its worst not to share.

  • Like 1
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this is the same lord acan from before, dubbed Elmer Fudd because it devoured my sea hare. This is the Clown that likes to host in inappropriate corals. was hoping he'd go in one of the euphiia or the new anemone but nooooo, he has to torment poor ole Elmer.

25693563482_bae9265a14.jpgUntitled by pjjanssen1, on Flickr

  • Like 3
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This is hubbies favorite creature, a tube anemone. I've had a couple feather dusters but they never seem to survive more than a couple of months. I must not feed them enough.

25693569172_e7f4817914.jpgUntitled by pjjanssen1, on Flickr


basic button polyps seem to be holding their own against the devil!

25184030874_f9e6c283fa.jpgUntitled by pjjanssen1, on Flickr


Rhodactis mushroom and clown goby. Rhodactis was much more neon looking at LFS :angry:

25693565212_e2359a705f.jpgUntitled by pjjanssen1, on Flickr


Mushrooms use to be bluer. Not sure what is causing them to change color, but I don't like it.

  • Like 3
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This was also discovered under all of the hammer. At first I thought it was part of my frog spawn, but as it is regaining some color I think it is more hammer. Not 100% sure though.

25817256315_b95b3a7379.jpgUntitled by pjjanssen1, on Flickr


this is definitely my frog spawn. A glimmer of its former self. But I'm confident it will grow even bigger and better than before.


25791181736_a55fa7e6c2.jpgUntitled by pjjanssen1, on Flickr

  • Like 2
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This is my back chamber- I have just a small heater in the 1st chamber- don't really need it too often here in Florida. The second chamber as an InTank media rack with Chemipure Blue and Floss, next to that is a bunch of Chaeto growing with a small Coralife fluorescent light. The 3rd chamber has my return pump and ATO hose.

25517223900_d5fabc202f.jpgUntitled by pjjanssen1, on Flickr

The stock pump that came with the tank stopped working a couple of weeks ago so I took the RIO 1400 that I use for my 1/10 hp Coralife chiller (which I didn't need at the time) and have been just running that. After doing some research I ordered an Eheim 1000 to replace it. It should be here today. I will need to hook the chiller back up soon, as temps are already in the mid 80's here in paradise. I also run a single Koralia 600 for added flow. I did have two of them on a wave maker, but they were so noisy overtime they turned on and off. Probably should have gone with an mp10, but I don't like the look of the motor on the outside of the tank.

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HA! I love that you called your acan Elmer Fudd :) You've got a beautiful mix of stuff in there, PJ :)

 

Thanks. Yea, Elmer finally got his wascally wabbit! Wish I could have all of the things that I've lost over the years back. I think I might try Gorgonians again. Definitely another torch, and maybe an octospawn. Thinking about a toadstool too, and some more acans!

most recent full tank shot

25191378383_79f8fec29e.jpgUntitled by pjjanssen1, on Flickr

keep in mind that the Hammer on the left will not be there for long.

  • Like 3
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I clicked on the FTS Picture...the external link told me this....

 

"

This photo is private.

Oops! You don't have permission to view this photo.

Here's a link back to your home page. "

Link to comment

 

Thanks. Yea, Elmer finally got his wascally wabbit! Wish I could have all of the things that I've lost over the years back. I think I might try Gorgonians again. Definitely another torch, and maybe an octospawn. Thinking about a toadstool too, and some more acans!

most recent full tank shot

25191378383_79f8fec29e.jpgUntitled by pjjanssen1, on Flickr

keep in mind that the Hammer on the left will not be there for long.

 

This looks beautiful! I love octospawn. Eventually I want to get some as well. I love how soft all the colors are.

  • Like 1
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  • Pjanssen changed the title to Penny's Lane-A BC29 Journey. Retired

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