my super low tech reef jarquarium (with diy pj reef)

[new-b-reefer]

 

Niiiccee! Looks nicer than my tanks!

Thanks

[new-b-reefer]

Got my dedicated light for my newest reef jar (diy pj reef) lots of pics

[brandon429]

thats dang nice right there.

 

ok whats the plan for algae this is how it will go down

 

within the next 3 weeks you will see a tiny tuft of green develop, said in the manner of the professor played by lawrence fishburn on higher learning holding a lit pipe and staring ominously down his nose: "What do you DO"

[new-b-reefer]

thats dang nice right there.

 

ok whats the plan for algae this is how it will go down

 

within the next 3 weeks you will see a tiny tuft of green develop, said in the manner of the professor played by lawrence fishburn on higher learning holding a lit pipe and staring ominously down his nose: "What do you DO"

Hahaha, well... in theory, and some amount of hope, the macro will hopefully out compete the algae for available nutrients and since there is little to none bioload other than the micro fauna. Logically it makes sense but we all know in this hobby, nothing usually goes the way it should. I am working on a micro mag for the glass. As far as the rocks algae wise...??? Still pondering. I have seen a couple tiny snails show up in the jar. Hopefully the micro fauna will help with some cleaning. Still thinking of my options. Right now it is a fairly steady light schedule, atleast till I pick up another timer. Then it will be a set light schedule. Maybe there is some type of micro critter I should watch for to add as a preventative measure.

I am open to ideas. I may place something under the light stand to raise it up a bit as well. Its a pretty bright led.

[cindyp]

looks great! i started with PJ Reef but the

coral i got were too big. the frags LFS sold

had many polyps and i can't say the instructions

were super clear for those not buying stock from him.

 

so it didn't go so well. ha!

 

i had a diatom bloom and hair algae. i blacked

out for three days and one of my mushroom corals

melted, so i emergency moved them all to my

pico tank (i donated my tetras--as it had been my

freshwater tank).

 

just lost my pom pom crab in my pico.

boy is it a process.

[new-b-reefer]

looks great! i started with PJ Reef but the

coral i got were too big. the frags LFS sold

had many polyps and i can't say the instructions

were super clear for those not buying stock from him.

 

so it didn't go so well. ha!

 

i had a diatom bloom and hair algae. i blacked

out for three days and one of my mushroom corals

melted, so i emergency moved them all to my

pico tank (i donated my tetras--as it had been my

freshwater tank).

 

just lost my pom pom crab in my pico.

boy is it a process.

Ah thats a bummer. I have done a few of the style reef jars. I have my little lightbulb that is almost a year old now. All my previous ones were chaeto, a super easy coral and fed off ambient light. Extra simple. Now this one. So far so good. Started with real small frags. Just trying to think ahead about algae blooms. I wonder is maybe a dwarf cerith would be a possible candidate?

[cindyp]

Ah thats a bummer. I have done a few of the style reef jars. I have my little lightbulb that is almost a year old now. All my previous ones were chaeto, a super easy coral and fed off ambient light. Extra simple. Now this one. So far so good. Started with real small frags. Just trying to think ahead about algae blooms. I wonder is maybe a dwarf cerith would be a possible candidate?

 

thanks newb. i was in way over my head, had

no idea what was going on. i'd be interested in doing

something again, but with much smaller polyps, if possible.

 

i think cleaning with magnet is a viable option and more

frequen water changes during algae blooms. i think plopping

a snail in there for a short amoutn of time is viable--but i'd

feel bad forever, because it's probably certain death.

 

good luck with yours!

[new-b-reefer]

 

thanks newb. i was in way over my head, had

no idea what was going on. i'd be interested in doing

something again, but with much smaller polyps, if possible.

 

i think cleaning with magnet is a viable option and more

frequen water changes during algae blooms. i think plopping

a snail in there for a short amoutn of time is viable--but i'd

feel bad forever, because it's probably certain death.

 

good luck with yours!

As you said it is a process. I would encourage you to try again. All of us have learned from trial and error at one point or another I started my fist ones with tiny hardy fraggs from my established tanks and started with things that many considder pests. Then worked up from there. The first one was actually rock and chaeto, just to see what kinda of life would thrive in such a minimalist setup. Then many jars experiments later..., im where I am now. Before all this I had been running my reefs for some time so some experience went with it. I could see starting new with something like this would be tough if you dont fully understand it all. Even many of us that do have an understanding, still have plenty to learn

 

I agree on the cerith, would need to be shourt term. I have a tiny snail hitch hiker I saw in there. Made me think of the little micro turbo snail hitch hikers I see from time to time. Those are tough and small. Could be an option

 

And seriously, try another time with yours would love to see pics and if I could be of any help and answer questions, ask away. For now I will support with encouragement

[Formula462]

O.o

[new-b-reefer]

Couple up to date shots

[cindyp]

so pretty! what is the red thing, new b? a macro algae?

and what kind of zoa? is it like the basic most hardy?

i wonder how xenia would do? i have one splitting off.

[new-b-reefer]

so pretty! what is the red thing, new b? a macro algae?

and what kind of zoa? is it like the basic most hardy?

i wonder how xenia would do? i have one splitting off.

Thanks the red is a macro algae. Its red grape kelp. I put it in cause it looks cool and the idea is that it should help out compete for any excess nutrients. The zoas are a cheap frag that I have had luck with in the past. Was a $5 frag and I know its pretty resiliant. I think xenia might do ok. Pulsing I know is debated over that it might be beneficial in creating flow. I think xenia would do ok since its tough. I have alot of waving hand anthelia in my 55. Its like a really long version of xenia. I have tried in other jars and that particular one does ok if the polyps are small, new polyps. If it has already grown long and been exposed to good flow, it just slouches.

 

So should I expect to see you try the xenia in yours?

[new-b-reefer]

Pic of an awesome hitch hiker feather duster in the diy pj reef

[cindyp]

Pic of an awesome hitch hiker feather duster in the diy pj reef

 

so cool! i've heard of these but never seen.

are they... pests? ha!

 

as for me, no. i won't be brave enough to start

anything again until the fall. i'm traveling to china

this month and then family vacation for 12 days

in the summer (worried about care for my pico!)

so yeah. but we'll see. =) your fotos are inspiring.

[new-b-reefer]

so cool! i've heard of these but never seen.

are they... pests? ha!

 

as for me, no. i won't be brave enough to start

anything again until the fall. i'm traveling to china

this month and then family vacation for 12 days

in the summer (worried about care for my pico!)

so yeah. but we'll see. =) your fotos are inspiring.

lol, nope, not pests. ornamental worms. usually the hitchhiker ones are white but i got lucky and got this pretty lil guy

 

i understand about the traveling. i checked out your thread about your pico care concerns. alot of ideas on there. even with an ATO system if you do that, i would still recomend covering it to minimize evaporation for piece of mind. less evap = less work for ATO = less equipment running = less things to go wrong

 

hope to see some new projects though

and thanks for the compliment

[BethLVT]

very cool

[new-b-reefer]

very cool

thanks

 

little update on the diy pj reef..., things are going well. corals all open and looking great. i have a good amount of tiny copepods that i see regularly on the glass and swiming around. i added a green mushroom coral yesterday. i have used these many times and they do very well in these type of jars even relying only on ambient light in the room. the little rock has a green mushy and another little one starting. also one polyp of xenia/anthelia, curious to see how it does, if it looks bad i can always take it out. i will get pics soon.

 

the mushy i added came from another reef jar/drinking cup i set up (my cool glass of reef i had previously posted), was doing fine but i tore it apart as it was kinda in the way so moved the mushy to the diy pj reef and the cheato that was in it went back into the rear sump of my 55 uniquarium where it started

[cindyp]

little update on the diy pj reef..., things are going well. corals all open and looking great. i have a good amount of tiny copepods that i see regularly on the glass and swiming around.

 

hey how is your jar doing?

any news?

 

i think that i have a feather worm or whatever

it's called. there's a circular fan thing that i thought

was a coral on the understand of my mushroom frag.

and it totally retracts the whole way too. i see no

tube, but i think it is one of those! pretty cool.

 

nothing has replicated in my nano yet though, at

about 8 weeks, excpet the xenia has split in three. ha!

[new-b-reefer]

 

hey how is your jar doing?

any news?

 

i think that i have a feather worm or whatever

it's called. there's a circular fan thing that i thought

was a coral on the understand of my mushroom frag.

and it totally retracts the whole way too. i see no

tube, but i think it is one of those! pretty cool.

 

nothing has replicated in my nano yet though, at

about 8 weeks, excpet the xenia has split in three. ha!

 

Hey there. The kar is doing great, corals are all open fully. I added a fraf with a couple mushrooms on it and 1 stalk of anthelia/xenia to see how it does. Was also at the lfs the other day and saw 2 very small hitchhiker limpets on the glass of one of their tanks, I asked and they gave them to me. They are somewhere in the jar.

 

What you describe sounds like a small feather duster worm. Pretty cool little critters.

 

Your xenia splitting is good. Xenia is a fast grower. Hard to tell growth on alot of corals in 8 weeks so dont be discouraged. Keep up with routine water changes to help replenish trace elements. As things establish more, things will grow more

[cindyp]

Hey there. The kar is doing great, corals are all open fully. I added a fraf with a couple mushrooms on it and 1 stalk of anthelia/xenia to see how it does. Was also at the lfs the other day and saw 2 very small hitchhiker limpets on the glass of one of their tanks, I asked and they gave them to me. They are somewhere in the jar.

 

What you describe sounds like a small feather duster worm. Pretty cool little critters.

 

Your xenia splitting is good. Xenia is a fast grower. Hard to tell growth on alot of corals in 8 weeks so dont be discouraged. Keep up with routine water changes to help replenish trace elements. As things establish more, things will grow more

 

i love that you asked for the limpets and they

gave them to you! ha! for free, i assume?

 

i had a tiny brittle star that hitch hiked with my

initial jar, and i know it must have died. breaks my

heart as it was a neato thing indeed.

 

the feather worm i saw is pinkish, but i noticed

i actually have a quite clear one also on the frag

of my kenya tree. very cool!

 

how often do you change your jar's water?

 

i'm doing weekly changes at least, so things

are going well. some hair and bubble algae, but

nothing out of control. 8) thanks!

[new-b-reefer]

I have not changed the water in the jar at all yet. Have alot of little swimming pods in the water column, dobt wanna suck them out. They seem to be breeding. Yes the limpets I got for free I always look for little critters that could be beneficial. I would toss in some blue leg hermits for th hair algae. And an emerald crab for the bubble algae. I have some bubble algae in my 4 gallon pico and take out what i can by hand. I never had good luck with emerald crabs unfortunately. They never last long for me.

I also have a couple mini stars in my jar. I also made a reef jar for a coworker and his rock I used I left in the rear fuge of my 55 gallon for a week so he got a few more brittles in his. The back of my 55 reef is a micro brittle breeding ground lol.

[new-b-reefer]

Update, the diy pjreef is going very well. The corals are doing very well and i think i even see a little growth. Have a lot of copepods swimming around. Seeing lots of bristle worms, some mini stars, feather dusters, etc. Here are pics

 

And if you guys remember my large mason jar reef, it is still going strong and the hermit is still cruizing, it has become my pest reef, I toss in lil bits from my pico in there, had some rocks with some bubble algae which I think is cool but not in my pico so, in it goes, threw in xenia and all that, anyway, I moved it into another, slightly larger, cleaner jar. Went from this

 

Into this

 

Im am planning or adding a nice piece of rock hopefully, we will see how things open up, this is a pic right after the transfer

 

This tank is still being run the same, nothing but an air stone and light. Rarely if any water changes and there is almost no evaporation since it is mostly sealed. And is only getting stocked with pests and extras. I also threw in a predatory whelk I had found in my 55 gallon snd been keeping in my 4 gallon. Long story short, it ate its way out of a deresa clam I jad in my 55 and was so cool looking I kept him. Think he is a molusk eater mainly, have had issue with him but I did make sure to keep it off corals if I saw it on there

Feel free to brows my thread if you want more info on this critter

[Tamberav]

Love this little tank!

[Angel<3Nanos]

Maybe an astrea snail instead of the hermit? My astreas are heavy algea eaters.

[new-b-reefer]

Hm, thats an idea. I do like astraea snails. Could be a welcome addition. Need more rock in there. I have about double or more water volume than I had.