The Voodoo Pico 5g Picture Dump!

[Langer6]

+1 on the bare bottom. I like the zoa/gsp matt concept. Takes a while to establish but looks really cool and is beneficial. I love my AC50...reliable, easy to clean, adjustable flow, etc. I'm not too experienced with euphyllia but I'm sure it will recover in time.

[BuddhaReef]

Strange update:

 

A day or two ago I noticed that where my one monti caps polyps' extended, there were black pores, so to speak. I had noticed what I thought to be hair algea underneath a day prior. I had the intention to remove the algea manually, and when I pulled the monti out right after lights on, there was no algea underneath! I was surprised but happy, so I went about my day. Hours later I saw the monti had those black pores again, and the hair algea had returned! I once again removed the monti with the intention of scrubbing algea off, this time to notice there seemed to be calcified tubes under it. After a little research I concluded that it was most likely a form of hydroid, (ruled out vermitid because there was no sign of mucosal nets and there were calcified tubes with long hair like protrusions) so I resorted to smearing glue on the tube openings. A day later and the black pores have disappeared and the polyps are back out!

[vlangel]

I really like your little tank and I am starting a very similar one. Mine will be more macro algae with a few very low light coral since my light fixture is just a reading light.

[Elizabeth94]

Im surprised to see that you plan on removing the sand, it looks super white. However, I'm guessing its white like that because you have been cleaning it so much. I was thinking of taking the sand out of mine too, but I am going to see what kind of effect the skimmer will have on my system..

[BuddhaReef]

I really like your little tank and I am starting a very similar one. Mine will be more macro algae with a few very low light coral since my light fixture is just a reading light.

Thank you! And that sounds awesome, which macros are you thinking about? And I have to say your work is fantastic!!

 

Im surprised to see that you plan on removing the sand, it looks super white. However, I'm guessing its white like that because you have been cleaning it so much. I was thinking of taking the sand out of mine too, but I am going to see what kind of effect the skimmer will have on my system..

 

The front stays relatively clean, but behind the rocks it collects a lot of crud that is also in an awkward spot to vac out. It is still a work in progress but I'll see if I like it. Which skimmer did you get? How long has it been up?

 

 

As for a tank update:

 

My hammer bit the dust he receded over the course of a day and by the evening he was gone. A sad sad day for the Voodoo pico, makes me feel terrible for putting a healthy coral in an environment in which it perished. (Got eaten)

 

Otherwise, the tank is fantastic. The goni has finally found his sweet spot, full extension all day is making me think that he is too large for my little pico. The gorg is happy and healthy, and has teamed up with my hermits to keep clean and provide a grazing area.

 

Got a few new frags to replace the hole in my heart from my hammer. I picked up a few reverse rasta zoas, a war coral frag, another duncan, and an awesome little mushroom. I see that a lot of people develop an amazing display side to their tanks, but from other angles it is barren. I have decided to make the back half of my tank a shroom garden or aggressive side, and have my mushrooms on the back with the war coral towards that way. I like the idea of having a full, full tank.

 

Pictures are coming after I am off of work!

[vlangel]

Thank you! And that sounds awesome, which macros are you thinking about? And I have to say your work is fantastic!!

 

Well thank you very much for the kind words. Ha ha, I will probably just snatch a few macros out of the seahorse tank to start with.

[BuddhaReef]

 

Everyone seems pretty happy!

 

My candy canes have split on one side:

 

[BuddhaReef]

 

Couldn't help myself!

[vlangel]

Couldn't help myself!

Is that a RFA? I was thinking of those too but worried they would get too big.

[BuddhaReef]

Yea it is. I was/am a little worried too, but whether or not it likes where it is or it travels, I'll be able to accommodate around it since most of my frags are tiny.

[Langer6]

Sorry about the hammer but the rest of the tank looks great!! My goni is still pretty retracted. I've been trying zooplankton every couple of days for the past week but no improvement yet. Glad yours is doing well!

[BuddhaReef]

Sorry about the hammer but the rest of the tank looks great!! My goni is still pretty retracted. I've been trying zooplankton every couple of days for the past week but no improvement yet. Glad yours is doing well!

Thank you! I have heard they eat zoo, but I've had the best luck with rotifers. I also seem to have a shorter tentacle species than yours. When I first put it in my tank I would keep bothering it or moving it trying to find the perfect spot, which in my case was detrimental because he was never secure enough to open up. After I introduced a live roti population, the goni seems very happy.

 

 

As for a tank update, I've taken a page out of Brandons' book and started blast changing my water once a week a few hours after a heavy feed. Parameters and coral have been fantastic since. I have rearranged some corals, and doing so accidentally fragged (broke) my red monti cap.

 

My YCG jumped, , so I now have a scissortail damsel! (Neopomacentrus bankieri)

[BuddhaReef]

Pictures!!!

 

First, a FTS:

 

The blue polyp monti:

 

Neon green monti:

 

One Ricordea and the RFA:

 

Zoa colony:

 

Other Ricordea:

 

Top down of War coral:

 

New Scissortail Damsel, Neopomacentrus Bankieri:

 

Goniopora loving life:

 

 

And some non pico pictures!

 

My freshwater 75g skittles tank:

 

My favorite Thai temple rubbing:

 

My loving conure Dr. Gonzo:

 

One of my many Ball Pythons, this is a Super Pastel:

Almost forgot my rescue birdsnest!:

[vlangel]

Pictures!!!

First, a FTS:

The blue polyp monti:

Neon green monti:

One Ricordea and the RFA:

Zoa colony:

Other Ricordea:

Top down of War coral:

New Scissortail Damsel, Neopomacentrus Bankieri:

Goniopora loving life:

And some non pico pictures!

My freshwater 75g skittles tank:

My favorite Thai temple rubbing:

My loving conure Dr. Gonzo:

One of my many Ball Pythons, this is a Super Pastel:Almost forgot my rescue birdsnest!:

Awesome pics, I even liked the snake one.

[BuddhaReef]

Awesome pics, I even liked the snake one.

Thank you very much! I'm guessing you're not a big reptile fan?

[natalia_la_loca]

Beautiful pics. I love your ball python. And Dr Gonzo

[BuddhaReef]

Beautiful pics. I love your ball python. And Dr Gonzo

Aw thank you! Let me know if you want one, it's almost snakey love season.

[Merthynia]

Love the snake! I'm a snake person myself! If I ever get another, I want a hognose.

[BuddhaReef]

Love the snake! I'm a snake person myself! If I ever get another, I want a hognose.

Yea, hognoses are awesome!

 

 

I got a new light yesterday, a LED striplight with a 10 3W diodes including UV, 465 nm, 480 nm, 18000K, and 10000K. I still run two 3W LEDs in the back corners to get some light hungrier corals or a mushroom on the sandbed. All in all I have about 31W during peak daytime. So far everybody loves it!

 

 

Also tied up some wires to make the whole setup a little more clean looking.

 

[BuddhaReef]

Added a black sun coral! Just put it in today and was lucky to get this (terrible) picture after lights out! Glad it likes my tank, have it upside down in a low light spot in the front corner.

 

 

 

To make room for the Suns, I had to do some serious rearranging. I took the gorg off the big rock it came with and removed the acans from it as well. They are all now glued to the bare bottom of the front center of the tank. Really hoping the acans grow into that nice hemispherical shape. After another week or so I plan on cutting off a part of free floating zoa matt from the zoa rock, it just flaps whenever I am moving the colony, so it'll be perfect to snip off and glue down. The GSP has also been growing off the plug, so I should soon be able to frag a bit of it off and secure it to the bottom as well.

 

My big duncan is forming 4 heads at once, 3 of which already have tiny tentacle tips poking out. The candy cane has just about completely split, and the other polyp seems to be pinching up. The montis and birdsnest have all reacted great to the new light and have good signs of growth, white tips on the birdsnenst, and a nice light ring around the montis!

 

My tank is really turning into a very, very mixed reef. There are the anti-zoox gorg and suns; the Euphyllia, Acans and Goniopora; Montis and Birdsnest; and the Rics, Shrooms, Zoas and RFA.

 

So far in my pico journey I have lost a hammer coral to a peppermint shrimp (who was subsequently donated) and a Yellow Clown Goby to the floor. Very sad moments, but overall I am very happy with this little jumbled reef.

This reef is just a month and a half old!

 

My maintenance has changed now that I have more stabillity in the system, as well as more mouths to feed. I have forgone daily maintenance to maintaining every second or third day so long as things look ok. I rarely test unless things look off, and am just careful about monitoring the salinity, which I like to be around 1.026 - 1.025. Stays steady at 78-79F.

 

My new feeding regimen, now tailored to fit in the sun coral, includes a modest feeding every other day an hour or two before that days maintenance. On the in between days, I feed specifically the NPS.

 

I now feed:

-1/5 block frozen cyclops

-1 tsp Coral Smoothie

-a tiny tiny pinch of Coral Vibrance

 

All mixed into tank water in a container and target fed with a baster. On NPS days I use only the Coral Vibrance, which is enriched Zoo.

 

Maintenance includes a 40%-60% water change along with a swapping out of filter floss.

 

My media currently includes:

-Rox carbon

-Purigen

-Phosguard

-Foam Block

-Filter floss

 

In that order. My tank has a very diverse population of individuals that would normally never even be near other specimens in the wild, resulting in, I feel like, lots of allelopathic toxins. Since I began using carbon everything has seemed to be much perkier and more tolerant of their neighbors. I change the carbon every other week and the purigen and phosguard every third.

 

As for dosing, the regular water changes take care of most of my chemical needs. The LFS I get my water from uses Tropic Marin which has superb levels for my system. Once a week, the farthest between water changes, I add a tiny amount of Kent part A and B. I also add a tiny bit of carbon source, Continuum microfuel, every other day. When adding livestock or coral, I like to toss in a bit of Bacter Gen-m just beforehand to help avoid param spikes.

[Langer6]

Looks great thanks for the detailed summary.

[BuddhaReef]

Upgrading to a 10g! Need more, more, moreeee space! And with the mixed reef it appears I am attempting, double the water can't hurt!!!!

[BuddhaReef]

New setup!

 

Tank thread is now:

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/371331-buddhareefs-mindful-mixed-10g-with-pictures/