Teenyreef's IM40 Not-So-Teeny Tank - August FTS

[teenyreef]

At long last, almost three months after getting the tank wet, I finally found the time to organize the cables and hook up the DP-4 doser under the tank:

 

New Doser by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

I'm running Seachem Reef Fusion 2 part and (as of last night) NoPox in the third bottle. I haven't decided what, if anything, to run in the fourth channel.

[teenyreef]

I moved the sexy shrimp into this tank so the puffer in the 10g tank wouldn't eat them. I wondered it they'd get lost in this bigger tank, but instead I actually see them out a lot more, because they've decided to host the duncans, and rarely leave them.

 

I got a quick cell phone picture of one of them tonight. The other one is technically in the picture, but you can only see the very tip of his tail sticking out over the edge of the rock.

 

20160817_200518.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

[teenyreef]

Have you tested par on this new light yet?

And yea, a BTA will move till its found the worst place in the tank where you will never see it!

 

But only after its said hello to your power heads.

Yeah, that's my fear! But other people seem to be able to keep them without too much trouble. I'm not sure what the magic trick is. I may go over to my new favorite LFS tomorrow just to see what they have. If I'm going to try one, I want to do it before I have a lot of stuff in this tank that I don't want to lose.

 

On the new light, I'm running blues mostly at 80% and whites/limes at about 40%. The PAR reading are kind of crazy because I've got the light about six inches above the water, but the water is relatively deep. So PAR is at about 700 just under the water surface, but drops to 250 at the tops of the rocks on the left, because they're a lot lower, and they're not centered under the lights. PAR on the sandbed varies between 180 and 130 depending on whether it's in the middle, or in the front, or in the back. For some reason, PAR in the front is much higher than PAR in the back, even though the light is centered front to back.

 

After doing the measurements, I moved the light further towards the back to try to balance the lighting from front to back a little better.

[gena]

At long last, almost three months after getting the tank wet, I finally found the time to organize the cables and hook up the DP-4 doser under the tank:

 

New Doser by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

I'm running Seachem Reef Fusion 2 part and (as of last night) NoPox in the third bottle. I haven't decided what, if anything, to run in the fourth channel.

Looks so technical and organized .

[Sunstar]

looking pretty sexy.

[dropped]

Yeah, that's my fear! But other people seem to be able to keep them without too much trouble. I'm not sure what the magic trick is. I may go over to my new favorite LFS tomorrow just to see what they have. If I'm going to try one, I want to do it before I have a lot of stuff in this tank that I don't want to lose.

 

On the new light, I'm running blues mostly at 80% and whites/limes at about 40%. The PAR reading are kind of crazy because I've got the light about six inches above the water, but the water is relatively deep. So PAR is at about 700 just under the water surface, but drops to 250 at the tops of the rocks on the left, because they're a lot lower, and they're not centered under the lights. PAR on the sandbed varies between 180 and 130 depending on whether it's in the middle, or in the front, or in the back. For some reason, PAR in the front is much higher than PAR in the back, even though the light is centered front to back.

 

After doing the measurements, I moved the light further towards the back to try to balance the lighting from front to back a little better.

 

When i added my BTA I made a few mistakes. First it was in a beetroot container/strainer which i removed it from, i should have put the strainer in the tank and let it move. my second mistake was that i left my power head on, should have turn that off for 24 hours. In the end it went into the over flow and kind of got shredded by the overflow strainer... so id put some sort of foam over that next time i introduce a BTA. Otherwise it has not moved in over a year and has been happy since.

 

I didnt think of your lighting when i saw your rock scape to the side.... thats the problem with LED they are direct light and not broader cover like T5. Some good par from that light though!!

[spectra]

How is the tunze skimmer working out for you? I have a ghost in the 30 and micro bubble hell.........thinking of going with the tunze instead.

 

Looking good to!

[FlowerMama]

Looks so clean! So well done.

[spectra]

At long last, almost three months after getting the tank wet, I finally found the time to organize the cables and hook up the DP-4 doser under the tank:

 

New Doser by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

I'm running Seachem Reef Fusion 2 part and (as of last night) NoPox in the third bottle. I haven't decided what, if anything, to run in the fourth channel.

 

 

 

 

 

Looks way cleaner than my wifes IM Hell I need to get to work.........

[teenyreef]

 

When i added my BTA I made a few mistakes. First it was in a beetroot container/strainer which i removed it from, i should have put the strainer in the tank and let it move. my second mistake was that i left my power head on, should have turn that off for 24 hours. In the end it went into the over flow and kind of got shredded by the overflow strainer... so id put some sort of foam over that next time i introduce a BTA. Otherwise it has not moved in over a year and has been happy since.

 

I didnt think of your lighting when i saw your rock scape to the side.... thats the problem with LED they are direct light and not broader cover like T5. Some good par from that light though!!

Thanks for sharing your experience! It encouraged me so much I picked a pretty little rbta at the lfs today

 

It's doing well so far - pictures later, I promise.

How is the tunze skimmer working out for you? I have a ghost in the 30 and micro bubble hell.........thinking of going with the tunze instead.

 

Looking good to!

It's doing great! I like it a lot better than the ghost skimmer I have in my 10g.

[ninjamyst]

Thanks for sharing your experience! It encouraged me so much I picked a pretty little rbta at the lfs today

 

It's doing well so far - pictures later, I promise.

this is the best time for you to add one. I wish I added one before I had so many corals in the tank already. Now I am too scared of adding one and having it walk all over the corals.

[teenyreef]

this is the best time for you to add one. I wish I added one before I had so many corals in the tank already. Now I am too scared of adding one and having it walk all over the corals.

Exactly! Of course now that I've done it at the right time it will probably be a model citizen

[StinkyBunny]

For some reason I pictured this as flaming shrimp flying out of your butt like a rocket

Well, no, but we did wave when we went past, I guess we were 60 miles west of you on 95. We'll have to get together before the weather goes to hell in a handbasket and do some local collecting.

[teenyreef]

Well, no, but we did wave when we went past, I guess we were 60 miles west of you on 95. We'll have to get together before the weather goes to hell in a handbasket and do some local collecting.

Sounds good!

 

 

So far so good with the RBTA. It walked off the shells it came with, but only onto the rock they were glued to. I've got the power heads turned off while it gets settled.

 

20160819-untitled-020-2-Edit.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

Top view

 

20160819-untitled-028-Edit.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

It's fairly small, about two or three inches across when extended. I'm going to give it a few days to get settled before I introduce the clowns to this tank.

 

Does anyone have any advice on how to bring the clowns in to avoid fights with the angel fish?

[FlowerMama]

Pretty bta!

[StinkyBunny]

I've never had any issues with angels and clowns as long as the angel stays away from their anemone. If they get near their anemone, a SEVERE ass beating will ensue.

[gena]

That BTA . Makes me want to get my future BTA cube going LOL.

[teenyreef]

Well the rbta decided to let go last night, of course after I thought it was fine and turned on the pumps. I found what was left and put it in a breeder box. I can't tell if it got caught in a power head or not - there's no sign of any pieces or leftovers.

[dropped]

Well the rbta decided to let go last night, of course after I thought it was fine and turned on the pumps. I found what was left and put it in a breeder box. I can't tell if it got caught in a power head or not - there's no sign of any pieces or leftovers.

 

 

I thought we figured this out and you were going to learn from my mistakes show us a photo it will most likely recover.

[teenyreef]

 

 

I thought we figured this out and you were going to learn from my mistakes show us a photo it will most likely recover.

I'm afraid this is all that's left of it. I'm disappointed because it sat in pretty much the same place for over 24 hours. I guess I should have just left the powerheads off for another day or two just to be sure.

 

I'm not optimistic about the chances of recovery, but at least it's in a separate container if all it does is melt.

 

20160821_134419.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

[dropped]

I'm afraid this is all that's left of it. I'm disappointed because it sat in pretty much the same place for over 24 hours. I guess I should have just left the powerheads off for another day or two just to be sure.

 

I'm not optimistic about the chances of recovery, but at least it's in a separate container if all it does is melt.

 

20160821_134419.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

 

Looks like its attached to that rubble? thats a good sign.

 

They are pretty tough to be honest, it will surprise you how tough.

[teenyreef]

 

 

Looks like its attached to that rubble? thats a good sign.

 

They are pretty tough to be honest, it will surprise you how tough.

Fingers crossed then! But it hasn't attached to the rubble, it's just sitting on top of it. If it attaches I'll start to feel there's some hope

[Tamberav]

So sorry the BTA decided to go for a walk I have three and they never move. Seems like the one thing they really want is a big crevice to stick their foot into.

[ezcompany]

that's why i use $10 sponges to fit over my powerhead. btas can sit right on the sponge itself and be fine. hope yours makes it.

[teenyreef]

So sorry the BTA decided to go for a walk I have three and they never move. Seems like the one thing they really want is a big crevice to stick their foot into.

I thought so to, so I put him right where there were plenty of crevices. But it was pretty low in the tank, so I think maybe he floated off in search of more light. Or there was just too much flow in that spot.

that's why i use $10 sponges to fit over my powerhead. btas can sit right on the sponge itself and be fine. hope yours makes it.

I've got the sponges for my MP10, but not for the MP40. Just ordered some.

 

If I try again, I'll leave the power heads off for a couple days, then run them with the sponges just to be safe. It's hard to run with the sponges permanently because they tend to pick up debris and turn into Nitrate factories if I don't clean them at least twice a week, though.