My Flower Box

[Zia]

Whoa busy lady. Pico upgrade looks stunning! Colors, scape coral placement, Yes! Love how the scape is like a island, allowing to nems to roam all sides. Hopefully majority stay in the front for better eye humping though.

[t8raff]

newest fts looks great gena!

[gena]

Whoa busy lady. Pico upgrade looks stunning! Colors, scape coral placement, Yes! Love how the scape is like a island, allowing to nems to roam all sides. Hopefully majority stay in the front for better eye humping though.

You would know...mr. busy pants .

 

Thank you . I'm really happy with how it turned out. So far only one has moved since I did the transfer. A little white one.

newest fts looks great gena!

Thanks a bunch! Did you buy any rock flowers from VIP? How much was he asking for them?

[t8raff]

unfortunatly no i didnt. i dont think my tank is ready enough since i restarted it. they had them from 40-80 depending on color patterns which i thought was pretty good.

[gena]

unfortunatly no i didnt. i dont think my tank is ready enough since i restarted it. they had them from 40-80 depending on color patterns which i thought was pretty good.

I'll have to check out your tank. $40-$80 isn't bad for ultra rock flowers. I think they are typically $60-$100 on the website.

 

I'm hoping he has a Black Friday sale like last year. I'm in no rush for more flowers so I don't mind waiting .

[gena]

I played around with the filtration today. The other day I found my box of reef stuff. Had some HOB filters in there, a surface skimmer. The HOB surface skimming filter I've been using on this tank has not been very efficient. It's not terrible, but I know it could be better. So I took it off and replaced it with an AC filter with surface skimmer attachment. So far so good. The only trouble I have now is trying to figure out what to use for an ATO. I have a JBJ ATO (actually have two sitting around), but I'm limited on space. I can't use a SMART ATO because the water level is too high.

 

Here's the space I have to work with. Pretty much none unless I remake the screen top, which I definitely could do.

 

Anyone have an tiny ATO suggestion? I also thought about using my Reefkeeper lite and have it come on once a day for like 20 seconds or so with freshwater going in. Right now I have no problem topping off by hand. But I'm thinking of the future and vacations.

 

So again, here's the space I'm working with .

 

 

 

If anyone has an idea or suggestion, and don't mind sharing it with me, that would be great. Thanks .

 

 

 

 

I think I came up with my own solution. I'm going to ask my husband to cut the surface skimmer tube which will allow me to lower the level of the water in the tank and then hook up my SMART ATO to this tank. Just needed a little brainstorming

[Felicia]

Glad you figured it all out! You were using the little power filter that came with the JBJ picotope originally right? That's the filter I have running on my betta tank. It really isn't very efficient, but I use it just for a bit of water flow in the betta tank. All I have in it is some filter floss to trap any big pieces of plants or whatever. The AC20 is definitely a huge upgrade over the JBJ filter.

[nicholc2]

I bought the Tunze Nano and couldn't be happier. For $100 it was worth it and then some. I have my Spectrapure with a float valve going into a 5 gallon holding bucket with the Tunze pump in that for ATO, so it's an endless supply of RODI water and I don't have to do a thing.

[gena]

Glad you figured it all out! You were using the little power filter that came with the JBJ picotope originally right? That's the filter I have running on my betta tank. It really isn't very efficient, but I use it just for a bit of water flow in the betta tank. All I have in it is some filter floss to trap any big pieces of plants or whatever. The AC20 is definitely a huge upgrade over the JBJ filter.

Well, I thought I did . After 4 different HOB trials, 1 protein skimmer, and one ATO installation, I'm right back where I started. Nothing was working out for me. The SMART ATO sits too low because of the rim on the tank. The AC filter was making too many bubbles. I thought while I'm playing around in there I'd try installing the little protein skimmer I have, but again, too many bubbles. The little JBJ filter that came with the pico won't even fit on the rim. I've been using an API surface skimming filter.

 

So I'm right back with the original API surface skimming HOB. It works fine. And I spent a little time in El Fab's pico thread looking for his DIY ATO system, which I finally found on page 16 in case anyone wants to make one. Ordered the little float switch from the place he recommended. I already have all the parts to set that up once it gets here. I made one before and it works great. It's small and the rim on my tank won't get in the way . Should of thought of that from the beginning . Oh...I will have to buy an extension cord too. The wiring is pretty easy to set up.

 

This morning was a big fail with trying to figure things out . Oh well .

I bought the Tunze Nano and couldn't be happier. For $100 it was worth it and then some. I have my Spectrapure with a float valve going into a 5 gallon holding bucket with the Tunze pump in that for ATO, so it's an endless supply of RODI water and I don't have to do a thing.

I researched that ATO today. It sounds really nice, but it won't work for this tank because of the rim I have on it. The water level would have to be way too low. In hindsight, I should have made this tank taller. Thanks for the suggestion though!!!!! I will definitely consider one of those ATOs in the future!!!!

[gena]

Here's the latest FTS. It's still cloudy from me messing around in there earlier. Hopefully I didn't mess things up too much .

 

I fragged some of the turquoise trumpets and stuck them in here. One of my rock anemones had moved so I put them in it's place .

 

I love trumpets . I would love to have more colors of them and some blastos too.

 

 

BTW...I've been feeding those rock flowers every other day with mysis. They are growing . Look at the size difference from today to just over 10 days ago...yikes LOL

 

[Nanofreak79]

Great pics gena! Love the comparison shot, wow what a drastic change.

[natalia_la_loca]

Looking really nice Love the comparison shots.

[frankdontsurf]

A DIY with a float switch wouldn't work? I keep my water level at the edge of my black rim with a diy ato. I can get a picture uploaded if you need

[gena]

Great pics gena! Love the comparison shot, wow what a drastic change.

Thanks! Feeding them makes a world of difference . They are little piglets too LOL.

Looking really nice Love the comparison shots.

Thanks!!!!!

A DIY with a float switch wouldn't work? I keep my water level at the edge of my black rim with a diy ato. I can get a picture uploaded if you need

I hope it works cuz that's what I'm going to do . I'd love to see a photo of your setup!!!!!

[Mirya]

I like how the teal trumpets echo the color from the one SPS you have in there. (Is that a Pocillopora? I'm not very good with SPS, they are all fuzzy sticks to me.) It is fun comparing the sizes of your nems over just 10 days. What pigs! But even your SPS look fluffier. Everyone is so happy in your flower box!

[gena]

I like how the teal trumpets echo the color from the one SPS you have in there. (Is that a Pocillopora? I'm not very good with SPS, they are all fuzzy sticks to me.) It is fun comparing the sizes of your nems over just 10 days. What pigs! But even your SPS look fluffier. Everyone is so happy in your flower box!

The green is a birdsnest and the pinkish is the pocillopora. I am really loving those SPS in there. They are very hardy so they should do fine for me .

 

They are pigs and getting really big. I hope they behave and don't sting anything...yikes! The SPS are definitely fluffier. That second picture was just an hour or so after they were placed in that tank so they weren't fully happy yet .

[frankdontsurf]

Alright tomorrow I'll post pics but since you are focused hard on this I'll give you a quick write up but a picture is worth a thousand words...

 

I used a float switch from eBay, I punched holes on the lid of a Rx pill bottle (the orange ones) mounted the switch to the lid (its like a small screw and nut). I popped some holes in the pill bottle. I then used a leftover suction cup w clip (from a heater) and put that as low on the pill bottle as I could. This is what let's me put my float as high as I want. They call it a snail guard but its the only way I could figure to mount the switch that wasn't bulky.

 

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/diy/64681-chipmunks-diy-ato-guide-step-step.html

 

The difference with mine is I wired the float switch directly to the Aqualifter pump and I used a suction cup clip from a spare heater. I notched holes so its stays put at the bottom of the bottle giving me the height of the pill bottle as my adjustment range. A bracket wasn't functional for my cramped 10 gallon.

[gena]

Alright tomorrow I'll post pics but since you are focused hard on this I'll give you a quick write up but a picture is worth a thousand words...

 

I used a float switch from eBay, I punched holes on the lid of a Rx pill bottle (the orange ones) mounted the switch to the lid (its like a small screw and nut). I popped some holes in the pill bottle. I then used a leftover suction cup w clip (from a heater) and put that as low on the pill bottle as I could. This is what let's me put my float as high as I want. They call it a snail guard but its the only way I could figure to mount the switch that wasn't bulky.

 

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/diy/64681-chipmunks-diy-ato-guide-step-step.html

 

The difference with mine is I wired the float switch directly to the Aqualifter pump and I used a suction cup clip from a spare heater. I notched holes so its stays put at the bottom of the bottle giving me the height of the pill bottle as my adjustment range. A bracket wasn't functional for my cramped 10 gallon.

Awesome!!!! Thank you!!!!! I'll go over that link you gave. I still would like to see what you did too, tomorrow .

[BilgePump]

If those nems keep growing like that you're going to be upgrading tanks again soon!

[debbeach13]

Looks amazing. You have a gift - blue thumb

[gena]

If those nems keep growing like that you're going to be upgrading tanks again soon!

I know

 

Looks amazing. You have a gift - blue thumb

Thank you deb .

 

The light isn't on yet, but everything looks to still be alive, so all that fussing yesterday didn't hurt anything...thank goodness . I always get nervous when I have my hands in the tank a LOT.

[nicholc2]

I got very lucky with my tank being an AIO and still being able to use the Tunze. It pretty much fits perfectly in the overflow/skimmer area which is great. You'll figure something out!

 

I agree with the trumpets too. I actually have two colonies myself and they are both the same color variations that you have. My neon one has only grown one extra head so far, but the other one has exploded. The cool thing is the other one I used to have in this tank back in 2002 when I had initially set it up and then had to break it down several years later and gave the colony to a friend. It was still in his tank so I had him give me a frag so I could bring it back home and it's been doing great. Pretty sweet that I was able to do that.

[frankdontsurf]

As promised: http://imgur.com/a/mvVyB It's an album

 

I made this as a mock up thinking I would add a relay and secondary float switch and use an old film canister so it would be more discreet. I installed and adjusted it 7 months ago, I haven't touched it since.

 

You can use a paper hole punch instead of a steak knife like I did.

 

I wired the float switch straight to the Aqualifter plug, float switch triggers the aqualifter to turn off and on.

 

I mounted the suction cup-clip to the pill bottle as low as possible to maximize my adjustment range (since the float switch is screwed into the top of the pill bottle. You can't tell in the picture but my water level is even with the black support rim of my standard 10 gallon.

 

This is very bare bones, some would say unreliable. My tank is where I prepare my 6 meals every day, it's where I keep my wallet and keys, it's in the heart of my home - the kitchen. I don't have much to worry about unless my 3L ATO container is empty - that takes 72hrs IF I run my lights extra long (the fans on my hood cause mucho evaporation). Otherwise it's about a gallon and a half a week, and I refill whenever it's convenient for me. You could avoid all that worry by dropping another float switch upside down in the ATO container that kills the power to the aqualifter should the water in the ATO container run out.

[gabe3eb]

Great shot up there. I have had a few ATOs over the years and the only one I hated was the digital aquatics one that plugged into my RKL. It malfunctioned in multiple ways and I only finally threw it away when it put 5 gallons of ro/di into my 12g and all over the floor. Maybe try to rig something with a switch or two by bending acrylic with an aqua-lifter pump?

[gena]

I got very lucky with my tank being an AIO and still being able to use the Tunze. It pretty much fits perfectly in the overflow/skimmer area which is great. You'll figure something out!

 

I agree with the trumpets too. I actually have two colonies myself and they are both the same color variations that you have. My neon one has only grown one extra head so far, but the other one has exploded. The cool thing is the other one I used to have in this tank back in 2002 when I had initially set it up and then had to break it down several years later and gave the colony to a friend. It was still in his tank so I had him give me a frag so I could bring it back home and it's been doing great. Pretty sweet that I was able to do that.

It's very sweet! I think it's a great idea to spread your corals around so that if something happens you can get a frag of them back in the future .

 

If you come across any other colors of trumpets, let me know!!!! I'm always looking for different colors.

As promised: http://imgur.com/a/mvVyB It's an album

 

I made this as a mock up thinking I would add a relay and secondary float switch and use an old film canister so it would be more discreet. I installed and adjusted it 7 months ago, I haven't touched it since.

 

You can use a paper hole punch instead of a steak knife like I did.

 

I wired the float switch straight to the Aqualifter plug, float switch triggers the aqualifter to turn off and on.

 

I mounted the suction cup-clip to the pill bottle as low as possible to maximize my adjustment range (since the float switch is screwed into the top of the pill bottle. You can't tell in the picture but my water level is even with the black support rim of my standard 10 gallon.

 

This is very bare bones, some would say unreliable. My tank is where I prepare my 6 meals every day, it's where I keep my wallet and keys, it's in the heart of my home - the kitchen. I don't have much to worry about unless my 3L ATO container is empty - that takes 72hrs IF I run my lights extra long (the fans on my hood cause mucho evaporation). Otherwise it's about a gallon and a half a week, and I refill whenever it's convenient for me. You could avoid all that worry by dropping another float switch upside down in the ATO container that kills the power to the aqualifter should the water in the ATO container run out.

That looks great and very similar to what I plan to do. The only difference is I won't wire directly to the Aqualifter pump, but to an extension cord and then the pump is plugged into the extension cord. I think that's how it works. I guess I need to double check, but that's how I remember it.

Great shot up there. I have had a few ATOs over the years and the only one I hated was the digital aquatics one that plugged into my RKL. It malfunctioned in multiple ways and I only finally threw it away when it put 5 gallons of ro/di into my 12g and all over the floor. Maybe try to rig something with a switch or two by bending acrylic with an aqua-lifter pump?

Thanks, gabe! I looked into the digital aquatics one since I have a reefkeeper lite. I read some bad reviews so that turned me away. I think the hardest part with the one I'll be making is finding a way to securely mount it to the tank.

 

 

 

In tank news, did my water change today. I had made an order with Marine Depot for some things and included the new Blue Chemipure. Put that in today....we'll see what it does. I'm a little nervous about it since it's a lot of media. I got the smallest container. I hope it doesn't strip the water too much.