Natalia's Nuvo 8 Zoa Garden...RETIRED!

[natalia_la_loca]

Got any pics of the ponie tank?

Oh I've got bazillions. (Ok dozens.) I'll post some new ones later. I started a thread on my sh tank awhile back, but I've been really bad about updating it because I haven't really been making any changes to it.

 

chocolate cupcake with bacon on top?????

I know, right? They are yummmeeeeeeeee

 

Those splattered melons from glennr.....sick.

Splattered melons rock my world even under the stock LEDs...I can't wait to see how they look under the nanobox

[chazde3]

Yeah this is making me crave some sushi something fierce. We used to get some at lunch at work but we are on half hour lunches so that's out. The wife works Tuesday night so maybe I'll sneak off for some after work.

[natalia_la_loca]

Yeah this is making me crave some sushi something fierce. We used to get some at lunch at work but we are on half hour lunches so that's out. The wife works Tuesday night so maybe I'll sneak off for some after work.

I'm overdue for some sushi too. Last time I had sushi was at an airport and it barely passed muster

[chazde3]

I'm overdue for some sushi too. Last time I had sushi was at an airport and it barely passed muster

I keep staring at the sushi in the meijer deli everytime I walk by. That usually means I need to go to a restaurant for some lol.

[natalia_la_loca]

I keep staring at the sushi in the meijer deli everytime I walk by. That usually means I need to go to a restaurant for some lol.

That's my cue too. When big box store sushi looks appetizing you know you're in serious withdrawal

[Nanofreak79]

Me wants to know.

[natalia_la_loca]

Me wants to know.

Lol, I just replied in ur dwarf seahorse thread

[vlangel]

Hey Natalia, congrats on the ATO. That should make life a little easier!

[natalia_la_loca]

Hey Natalia, congrats on the ATO. That should make life a little easier!

Thanks I've been putting off getting one for ages. If I end up liking the spectrapure UPLC-II on the nuvo, I'll probably get one for the seahorse tank too.

[vlangel]

Thanks I've been putting off getting one for ages. If I end up liking the spectrapure UPLC-II on the nuvo, I'll probably get one for the seahorse tank too.

After I had already purchased my DIY top off I saw the one you got and it looks great. Well worth the investment. Mine has floats and thank goodness I purchased the dual float system because once in a while enough micro stars sit on the main float and cause it to call for water even though its topped off but the 2nd float has always caught it and stopped. My reservoir is only 5g so it could never call for enough to crash the tank with low salinty but it would flood my sump if the reservoir was full.

[natalia_la_loca]

oof, been so busy, long overdue for an update.

 

First off I am totally loving my ATO. The Spectrapure UPLC-II is awesome. Nuff said for now.

 

And last week my Nanobox arrived I knew I was going to love it and I do. It's the best light I've ever had by far. I was afraid I would find the Storm controller counterintuitive, but it was super easy to work with. I even like the look of the clear acrylic case, I know some are not fond of it.

 

And of course I absolutely love that this is an artisan product, crafted in the USA by one person.

 

I didn't want it to compete with my black tank, so I only ordered one little mod:

 

 

Here it is over my tank:

 

 

It makes my Zs and Ps pop like freaking crazy (I'm not one for the natural look, lol). When I've got some more time I'll shift the lighting more toward white and take better pics, these are way too blue.

 

 

 

For a while there I was having some trouble with cyano. It showed up within two days of adding Fuel and wouldn't go away even after I discontinued the Fuel, increased flow and reduced feedings. It was also irritating the zoas. So finally I hit the tank with Chemiclean. Poof! Gone. So I'm officially a huge fan of Chemiclean.

 

I'm also going to try only feeding Sponge Power and Coral Vitalizer (on alternating days) for a while. I have a suspicion that the vast majority of the Coral Frenzy goes uneaten except by the vice zoas and some of the biggest palys. I may still target feed the biggest ones but won't hit the whole tank like before. So far (one week) everyone seems to be responding well, although that also may have something to do with getting rid of the cyano. Even my rastas finally have new growth, the first new head since they got the pox a couple months ago

[metrokat]

Zoas IMO eat micro foods such as phyto and larva feed. I've never had them eat anything bigger. Coral frenzy makes LPS and fishies go nuts though.

[natalia_la_loca]

Zoas IMO eat micro foods such as phyto and larva feed. I've never had them eat anything bigger. Coral frenzy makes LPS and fishies go nuts though.

 

hmmm, I've got phyto, I'll give that a try what's larva feed?

[natalia_la_loca]

and in other important news, my orchid is flowering

 

[Nanofreak79]

Sick new light! Your zoas are looking real good. I love orchids, yours is beautiful.

[natalia_la_loca]

Sick new light! Your zoas are looking real good. I love orchids, yours is beautiful.

 

hey thanks it's coming along pretty well. There are just a few more Z and P varieties I want to add before I sit back and let things grow out, but I'm gonna lay low for a couple months to pace myself $$$$$!

 

I really love my orchid, the flowers are well worth the wait

[Mirya]

Tank looks great and the light is super sexy! It is so hard to wait for my NanoBox delivery, but I know it will be awesome after seeing it light tanks like yours.

[metrokat]

hmmm, I've got phyto, I'll give that a try what's larva feed?

just micro sized foods. like golden pearls. Ideal as first foods for newly hatched larvae

 

An Effective Brine Shrimp Replacement Diet

contains

Golden Pearl is a revolutionary new larval diet that has successfully replaced live Artemia nauplii in marine fish hatcheries in Europe. A patented processing technique (agglomeration of micro-encapsulated particles) results in feed particles or "clusters" that resemble raspberries under the microscope. Golden Pearls have tiny air pockets that keep the feed particles in the water column, not on the bottom of the tank. Golden Pearls mimic live brine shrimp nauplii.

Available in Seven particle Sizes

(Note: The larger the micron number, the larger the particle size. A newly hatched brine shrimp is about 400 microns.)

• Diatom Replacement: 5-50 microns
• Diatom Replacement: 50-100 microns
• SS Rotifer Replacement: 100-200 microns
• LS Rotifer Replacement: 200-300 microns
• Artemia Nauplii Replacement: 300-500 microns
• Instar V Replacement: 500-800 microns
• Baby Brine Replacement: 800-1,000 microns

 

• Protein: 60%
• Lipids: 18%
• Ash: 15%
• Moisture: 8%
• Vitamin C: 1000 ppm
• Vitamin E: 400 ppm
• Astaxanthin: 500 ppm

Proximate Analysis Ingredients

Fish protein, whey, yeast and yeast extracts, marine fish oil, phospholipids, astaxanthin, vitamin and mineral premixes, anti-oxidants.

 

Gorgeous color on the orchid BTW.

[natalia_la_loca]

Tank looks great and the light is super sexy! It is so hard to wait for my NanoBox delivery, but I know it will be awesome after seeing it light tanks like yours.

IMHO you will be thrilled.

 

just micro sized foods. like golden pearls. Ideal as first foods for newly hatched larvae

Awesome, thanks for the tip I'll give it a try.

[natalia_la_loca]

welp...I've been very good about not buying new zoas because of having dropped piles of money into my new light and ATO. I sat patiently through all the uber-tempting live sales and mega-discounts and blah blah blah. And then I got all busy and didn't have time to buy anything anyway.

 

But I was at the LFS last week and grabbed this yummy frag with two types of big glowy blue zoas for $40

 

Any idea what they're called? Pic does not do justice, they are GAW-juss

 

 

Everyone else seems pretty happy too. Several of the zoas are stretching toward the light because I've still got the light at a relatively low setting.

 

 

 

 

Oh, and my seahorse tank is happy too. Justa and Rufina aren't in view here, they were resting after several hours of coital exertions.

 

[Mirya]

welp...I've been very good about not buying new zoas because of having dropped piles of money into my new light and ATO. I sat patiently through all the uber-tempting live sales and mega-discounts and blah blah blah. And then I got all busy and didn't have time to buy anything anyway.

 

But I was at the LFS last week and grabbed this yummy frag with two types of big glowy blue zoas for $40

 

Any idea what they're called? Pic does not do justice, they are GAW-juss

 

 

I love the ones on the left. They make me think of apples sliced in half.

 

[natalia_la_loca]

 

I love the ones on the left. They make me think of apples sliced in half.

 

Ha, it is like a sliced apple, and even more so in person The marking is very clearly delineated...more so than on any of my other zoas.

[vlangel]

Just caught up with your thread. New light looks great and glad you're liking the ato. Makes you wonder how you lived without it? The new ZOA's are sweet too and such a good price!

[DaveFason]

Great stuff and glad your enjoying the light. Email me your photos.

 

-Dave

[natalia_la_loca]

Just caught up with your thread. New light looks great and glad you're liking the ato. Makes you wonder how you lived without it? The new ZOA's are sweet too and such a good price!

I know, right? It's amazing how something we've lived without for our whole lives can suddenly become so indispensable.

 

Great stuff and glad your enjoying the light. Email me your photos.

 

-Dave

Will do