Friar's 20 Galllon -- Still Alive!

[friar1]

1 Year Anniversary! Yay!

[friar1]

So,

My 1 year old Rena Filstar Cannister filter broke. Cracked the rim, which is why it was leaking.

 

Oh well,

It has forced me to move to a reactor. I will get a reactor to mainly use with GFO. It is a small one but I really need something going through the back chambers. This is really what I was using the Filstar for anyway. So...

[markalot]

Happy 1 year anniversary!

[friar1]

Thanks Mark!

[friar1]

So........ The Peppermint Shrimp ate my Aiptasia YAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!

:happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance:

Yeah, I was looking at the tank last night and noticed the two aiptasias were gone. I had a little one and a big one. just to be sure I waited until today and sure enough! Both Gone!

[Auto Midnight]

Just read all your tanks. Awesome to see reverse progression in size, awesome tanks and DIY lights and wiring. Keep up the good work.

 

[friar1]

So, Update.

 

FTS 05/25/15

 

 

Fought tooth and nail an algae problem then as soon as I get it under control, my canister filter breaks. And due to lack of funds, I had to wait a while. Algae came back, but kept it from getting too bad by upping water changes.

Purchased a SunSun Canister filter through Amazon, and for 46 bucks it runs really nice. it was all I could afford. I really need to have a sump, but without a new cabinet, that is just not practical. Plus I would need a new tank with overflow or drilled bottom, etc etc. Way too much money for me.

Algae though is well under control now. I just built a new airstone skimmer, should say, installed, since it just requires cutting a smart water bottle bottom off and plugging it into the drain hose. The old skimmer was getting crudded up and I could not clean it well enough.

 

Last trip I had made to Sacramento, I found this great LFS that had some things I had been looking for, so I picked up a war coral frag for like 10 bucks. there it is below:

 

 

I also got a Royal Gramma, beautiful fish by the way. You might catch glimpses of it in some other pics. Also was able to get 2 emerald crabs.

 

Then last week, I got one of those cleaner packs from reef2go, since it was 20 bucks and free shipping, Got a gazillion hermits, all sizes. They also included a lettuce Nudibranch with the order, which I thought was cool, it is below the Trumpet colony in this next pic

 

 

I moved some coral around because I have some red spot mushrooms that nearly killed my Acan colony. Not sure what I will do about these mushrooms, but until I figure that out, I had to move what was left of the Acan colony. I also am playing around with my Candy Cane coral for placement, but have not found a good place for it yet. Here is a shot of the Mushrooms.

 

 

And here are some more shots of the tank.

Enjoy!

B

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[friar1]

Oh, I forgot to mention! I also purchased a Jebao WP-10 from Amazon. Lasted about two weeks. Returned it and got a Jebao RW-4, a newer version of the WP-10. I love this pump, it has a lot of different wave settings on it and is tiny but produces a lot of flow. I have it set to the lowest setting. There are things I wish it did and things I wish it did not do, but you really cant beat it for the price, that is if the controller lasts. The WP-10 controller died after 2 weeks. They say you can hook one of these up to I think a RKL or one of those controllers, but I am not sure about this. If the product matures and increases in quality I will get another one. I really like the flow in the tank now.

[markalot]

Oh, I forgot to mention! I also purchased a Jebao WP-10 from Amazon. Lasted about two weeks. Returned it and got a Jebao RW-4, a newer version of the WP-10. I love this pump, it has a lot of different wave settings on it and is tiny but produces a lot of flow. I have it set to the lowest setting. There are things I wish it did and things I wish it did not do, but you really cant beat it for the price, that is if the controller lasts. The WP-10 controller died after 2 weeks. They say you can hook one of these up to I think a RKL or one of those controllers, but I am not sure about this. If the product matures and increases in quality I will get another one. I really like the flow in the tank now.

 

I bought 2 WP10's and was able to keep one working using parts from the other. Total piece of junk. I'm very happy with their newer pumps though, RW-15's in my big tank and an RW-4 in my 29 gallon.

 

Great update, great pics! You need to visit more often.

[friar1]

Thanks Mark!

[friar1]

Oh yeah,

one more thing,

I am now dosing C-Balance 2 part. two capfuls each morning, each part. Is making a Huge difference in Coraline Algae growth. All the dry rock I started with a year and a half ago is now showing major growth of Coraline. I began dosing a few months ago with one capful each part every morning, but now moved to two capfuls each part after I did not see any real improvement. But now, it is great. Hope this helps my crabs do better. I lose crabs all the time.

[Mr. Microscope]

Great update Friar! Love those trumpets and duncans.

 

 

Is that a dragon soul favia? Crazy growth pattern if it is. Beautiful coral!

[DocReef]

 

 

 

Very nice prism and very nice growth.

[friar1]

Thanks Doc! That Prism ate a small Hermit, Shell and all! There is another mouth in the back. Wish it would grow like my Trumpet does. The trumpet is growing crazy

Thanks Mr M!

 

They call it a

Prism Goniastrea

Wish it would grown like the Trumpet. That thing is going crazy. The Prism just ate a small hermit crab, hasn't spit it out yet, been 4 days now.

I Love that coral, it will be awesome once it grows out.

 

Great update Friar! Love those trumpets and duncans.


Is that a dragon soul favia? Crazy growth pattern if it is. Beautiful coral!

[friar1]

Here is the Video from my phone, not great, but you get the idea

.

https://youtu.be/6LjnNL0XpYA

[friar1]

so... long time no see.  almost 4 years since my last post.  Still have the 20 G tank, although those darned mushrooms wiped out a number of great colonies and have taken over much of the tank.  Still, I have the same fish and a new addition that I thought died two years ago and then suddenly appeared a year back, a yellow Watchman!

Anyhow, because the Mini mini Anemones I have don't seem to be bothered by the Mushrooms, and my corals are almost all toast, I have decided to keep some larger nems.  Traveling south for a Wedding and will prob pick up a couple, hopefully a Bubble Tip that looks nice and something else.  Have a bunch of cloned Mini mini nems and a couple Rock flower nems.  We will see what happens!  Will post pics next week.

God Bless you all!

[friar1]

Here are a couple of Pics before adding Nems, not that it gives any context at all.  Took these a few days ago.

 

 

You can see the Mushrooms crowded around, even at the top of the Water column.  Sheesh!.  Any how got a Rose BTA, a Green BTA and a Condy and another Rock Flower Nem, try to get pics tonight.

[friar1]

Last post was about a year ago.  Tank still truckin.  Have those darn mushroom in there still but because of the Covid crisis, I'm stuck working from home, so I have had some time to make major changes in the tank.

I have been adding some rock flower anemones such as these, well also a couple of Yumas and a Ric though you can't see the ric in these pics

 

[friar1]

Have that rose Bubble tip nem and for what it's worth an FTS, sorry from my phone.  I am going to try to catch the Clown fish and transfer him to a 10Gallon I'm starting, but I am waiting for parts and cycle before the tank is ready for him.  He is such bully.  Hope you all are doing well, stay safe.  Cool to be stuck at home though since I get to spend so much time with my tank, the unfortunate thing is not many companies are getting shipments of livestock, so nems are hard to come by.  Oh and I got a hob Macro Aqua M-50 skimmer.  It is pretty good especially for my 20 gallon tank.  I ripped out the back partitions I had built for this tank and took off the canister filter.  So apart frrom some micro bubbles introduced by the skimmer, I am way happy with the new setup

[friar1]

Six Years and 5 months old!

[Reefkid88]

Tank is looking awesome. Glad to see it's still going. Hopefully all is well on your end. 

[friar1]

Thanks ReefKid.

Family and I are safe at home, so far so good

[friar1]

Here are a couple of my new Baby Rock Flower Nems I added to the 20 G

Salt Critters FTW!

 

 

[debbeach13]

Nice to see this tank is still going. Glad I spotted the update and saw the nice additions. Stay safe. 

[friar1]

Thanks!  I am happy it is still alive and that I am finding animals that are not so weak against the pesky mushrooms!

Water is much cleaner thanks to the  Macro Aqua M-50 HOB skimmer.  So I like that I don't have that canister filter running on the tank, all those extra hoses prevented me from using my tunze nano ATO, which is now installed in the tank and working great.