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Where the Wild Things Are: 100 Days (rezing the thread)


lkoechle

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Original post:

Spoiler

@skoechle and his better half here with our first contest tank!

The Original Plan (pre-April 26):


I'm going to be brief so I can post this edit and not lose everything I've written.  (Playdate at 10:30 am) back from the playdate. disaster fyi, three year olds are terrible people. Especially mine.

 Livestock

Tentatively planning 

1x Blue Green Reef Chromis  Bangaii Cardinal

1x Hi Fin shrimp goby

1x candy stripe pistol shrimp

1x skunk cleaner shrimp

3x sexy shrimp

1x Pom Pom Shrimp

1x Hawaiian Feather Duster

Possibly a tailspot blenny, but thats depending on a lot of factors.<--I'm not totally sold on the chromis yet.  So this guy will be added based on the chromis as well as how much room I feel there is.  I don't like crowding fish. He's going to be a "wait and see" as the tank comes along

1x Yellow Clown Goby

 Coral etc

SIMPLE is the name of the game.  If you know my tanks, you know I don't do that. lol

Macroalgae

LPS

Zoas

Ricordeas

Gorgonians

Maybe one or two sps, but I'm aiming low maintenance and simple

I'm also going to a local coquina beach to get our sand (and leftover sand from the lagoon build) and will be buying liverock this time.  I normally start all dry, but I don't want to waste time with a long cycle.  Plus LR could be fun... Or a mistake, we'll see.

 

 Inspiration:

I've been on NR for a while.  Not as long as a lot of members, but with my terrible 2011 year, I also joined NR.  I offhandedly said "I think having a saltwater tank would be cool." and @skoechle said "Okay, lets do it." He wanted to help me through horrendous 2011 year and that was the year I found you guys. So, I've seen a lot of tanks but I'm way to impulsive for my "main" tank to be super planned.  The Lagoon is the most planned I've done.  I have a pinterest list and everything.

 

But this tank finally gives me the opportunity for a "project" tank.  I can really plan this one and throw all my impulsiveness in my "main" tank.

 

Tanks I love and plan on using as inspiration:

Hey's 50 gallon. This tank made me be like that cartoon wolf seeing Jessica Rabbit. I loved the sleekness and the scape and all of it.  Now, I haven't seen the 14 in person so I don't know if my "scape" plan will work, but I've always wanted a drop-off feeling tank. and since I don't plan on cramming it full of coral, this is a great opportunity to experiment with a drop-off scape.

 Yoshii, the macro-algae queen, her 10 gallon.  Don't really feel like I need to say anything more.

 Nanotopia I've loved all of her tanks.  I think she's an artist.  I love her use of negative space and I hope I can incorporate very clean, open, simple feeling her tanks always seem to embody.

 
And Ziareefer really feel like I don't have to explain this.

 So, I'm trying to incorporate negative space, with beautiful macros and gorgonians and some LPS, zoas, and rics (for the sexies to dance on)

 And that's my plan! Hopefully I can do it on budget!  

 

 

Linkage to some posts (Pages 1 - 6 are all pre-build):

IM basket vs inTank Basket Review

CONTEST START

Tank Start Up

Porcelain Crab video and Tube Coral

Mr. Cling Eating and Hitchhikers

Vendor Reveal

Second Shipment

Serpent Star Eating (bottom-up video)

Feeding A. formosus (snapping shrimp) Video

Week 3 FTS

 

Inspiration

I’m a Florida native.  Sort of.  I was born in Washington state, moved to Hawaii when I was 4 weeks old, came back state side at 2 years old and I’ve been here (Florida) ever since (mostly, once I persuaded @skoechle to take me back home).  I’m the daughter of a US submariner and a sun tan lotion sales lady.  I was born with the sand in my hair, the waves in my soul, and the salt in my veins.  You know that song from the new Moana movie, the one about the sea calling? Written about me.

 

I love Florida. I love its swamps, I love its beaches, I love its rivers, its inlets, its estuaries, I love all of Florida.  Minus the panhandle and mosquitos and FSU.  They suck.

 

So, when looking for this contest, I thought “Florida biotope” but the thing is our waters are so well protected that it ends being more of a “Caribbean biotope”.  So I shrugged that idea off and you can see what my other idea was in the early posts.

 

I decided to start with live rock and then I came across TBSaltwater (http://www.tbsaltwater.com).  Now, this was great for two reasons, one just look at their testimonials.  Florida biotope? Done!  Second, I went to school at Eckerd College which is just south of Tampa.   This tank is from the best years of my young adult life (no offense @skoechle).  I spent every day after class, in between class, breakfast, lunch and dinner either on the water of Boca Ciega Bay or in it or shoreside.  So that makes this tank extra special to me.  Not only is it my “home water” It’s the best water!

 

I ordered a 15 gallon “package”.  This tank is a different start up than others because everything is packaged in water and flown same day to your airport where you pick it up so there is minimal transit time. Additionally, the “package” also includes live sand.  Real live sand.  Dug up from the same place they harvest rocks. Take that bagged sand!

 

This tank is going to give a lot of interesting experiences, I’m sure.

 

Equipment

 

Spoiler

Stock equipment plus:

inTank filter basket

Koralia Nano 425

IM Hydrofill Ti ATO system

Aqueon heater

JBJ NanoGlow for refugium

 

Goals:

Spoiler

 

Now, I have been preparing for this tank in a lot of ways.  Using Tampa Bay Saltwater’s known hitchhiker’s guide (http://www.tbsaltwater.com/thepackage/organisms.html), I have been pulling articles and forum posts all over. Some hitchhikers, like toadfish, aren’t even on the list but can be found on forum threads.  I have been researching for hours every single day (ask @skoechle, its getting on his nerves).

 

My primary goal is to have maximum biodiversity and minimal casualties for the first 100 days.  This rock is usually filled with life ranging from mollusks, to sponges, to macro algae, and coral. And comes with hitchhikers ranging from stomatopods to echinoderms to crustaceans to even sea cucumbers. Sponges and mollusks like barnacles don’t have a good track record in captivity and neither do cucumbers.  So, I’ve been pulling information both anecdotal as well as scientific on how to ID and care for all of these animals who are all potential inhabitants.

 

My secondary goal, of course, is for long term success.  Rather ambitious: I want to still retain at least 75% of my original habitants by my next birthday (May 4).  (I’m not counting things like crabs eating each other or removal of harmful pests ie gorilla crabs, but rather unexplained deaths that may be faulted through husbandry). I want to see my original corals and sponges to grow.  The sponges are going to be tricky.

 

Notice, I didn’t say “adding sps, growing a beautiful vibrantly colored system”.  I’m letting it go how it goes.  I have a very controlled system, this the “I want to try and see how God meant for it to be” system.  The only possible additions are a chalk bass, who will go to the 25 if he out grows this tank.

 

 

Pest Control:

Spoiler

 

This is going to be a natural reef.  So I don’t plan on removing normal “pests” from the tank.  However, the big three I will remove: mantis, gorilla crabs or any other black tipped crab, and isopods.

 

One lucky mantis shrimp will become my pet in the Evo 5 sitting opposite of the 14. If there are more than one, I will try to find homes for them via LFS, local reef group, and the new aquarium.  If none can be found, then they are going into the freezer to become food for “the chosen one”.  Bad crabs will have their claws removed before becoming live food for “the chosen one”.  I plan on not wasting anyone, bad or good.  The only pest that there is no redemption for are isopods.  They get put in the trash.

 

 

Challenges:

Spoiler

 

The husbandry of this tank will be very different from previous tanks as far as food sources, water changes, and dosing. 

                                                               

Many of these animals are not readily available at an lfs, nor are they normally kept in a home aquarium.  So there’s not a whole lot of information or they fall under the “difficult to keep” category.  I have been doing a ton of reading on Advanced Aquarist and getting my former roommate to grab me scholarly articles (she’s currently in grad school).  I am intimidated but I am also eager for a different kind of challenge.  It will be hard to not have the normal amount of wealth NR provides though. 

 

Identification is going to be a fun challenge.  I will attempt to ID everything.  So that will give me hours of entertainment. I’m sure I’ll probably get some kind of magnifier. 

 

 

Husbandry tactics:

 

  • Spoiler

     

    • Silica dosing.
      • Yep, you read that right.  I will be dosing silica.  An article you can locate in the “sponge” section of the guide to this thread, details the importance of silica in a spongey system as well as how other animals use it.
    • Vinegar dosing.
      • Research has implied sponges feed on bacteria.  This is an avenue I may or may not explore depending on what further research says.
    • No skimmer. 
      • This tank will run skimmerless.  I think the amount of macros, sponges, and other life will clean the water possibly too much.
    • Water changes.
      • This is something I go back and forth on.  We’ll see what the tank is reflecting in tests. It can really go either way to where I can be doing no changes or multiple times a week. I potentially will have a lot of animals that need that dirty water, but I will be feeding a large variety of foods possibly multiple times a day.
    • Feeding.
      • Kind of a loaded question. 
      • On the menu: phyto, pe calanus, pe mysis, pellets, sponge power, reef chili, oyster feast, reef roids, PhytoGold-S (4 to 10 microns), PhytoGreen-S(1 to 2 microns)
      • Frequency: daily, at least.

     

 

Tank Guide

This section is organized by topic and subdivided by my actual journal entries with observations and my research.  I really hope this organization will help not only people following my thread but users who are researching for their own tanks. For space consolidation, subdivisions are hidden behind the “spoiler tag”.  I will try to keep this as up to date as possible.

 

Sponges

Sea Cucumbers

 

Mollusks

West Atlantic Corals

Tunicates

Spoiler

 

Tank Journal:

 

Tank Research:

Tunicates from Marine Education Society of Australasia

 

Gorgonians

 

Known Inhabitants:

Spoiler

 

Octocorals:

·         Candelabrum Gorgonian (Eunicea succinea)

·         Purple Sea Whip

Corals:

·         Cup Coral (Phyllangia americana)

·         Tube Coral  (Eusmilia fastigiata)

·         Oculina robusta 

 

Inverts:

·         Gorilla Crab x1 ( Xanthidae pilumnus, eaten by pistol shrimp)

·         Red Porcelain Crab x4 (Petrolisthes galthinus)

·         Long wristed hermit crabs (Pagurus longicarpus, lots)

·         Red hermit crabs

·         Blue Legged Hermit Crabs

·         Nassarius vibex

·         Lettered Olive Snails (Oliva Sayana, moved to mantis tank)

·         Cerith Snails

·         Striped Snapping Shrimp (Alpheus formosus)

·         Common Atlantic Marginella Snail (Purnum apicinum)

·         Blue Legged Hermit Crabs

·         Keyhole Limpet (Fissurellidae sp., mantis tank)

·         Whelks

·         Spaghetti worms 

·         Feather dusters (Anamobaea oerstedi, et all)

·         Curley Cue Anemone (Bartholomea annulata)

·         Serpent Star x2 (Ophiolepsis superba)

 

Fish:

·         Stippled Clingfish (Gobiesox punctulatus, “Mr Cling” & “Mrs Cling”)

·         Seaweed Blenny (Parablennius marmoreus)

Sponges:

·      Chicken Liver Sponge (Chondrilla nucula)

·      Orange encrusting sponge (Spirastrella coccinea)

·      Red Tree Sponge (Amphimedon compressa)

·      Orange lumpy encrusting sponge (Scopalina ruetzleri)

·      Dysidea etheria

·      Callyspongia fallax

·      Mycale laevis

·      Yellow ball sponge (Cinachyrella alloclada)

 

Macros:

·         Caulerpa Mexicana

·         Grape Caulerpa

 

Sources used for Identification:

 

 

Livestock cost:

TBS "extras": $10

 

  • Like 10
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I LOVE this on so many levels that I'm literally kinda speechless right now. 

LOVE that you are doing this, especially the reasons why. 

You got this, all of it. 

  • Like 4
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33 minutes ago, Mariaface said:

I'm in this contest, and I'm rooting for you! 

Awww thanks.  It would be great to win but I still win because I gotta new tank out of it :P

I'm rooting for you too.  I'm excited to see what everyone does.  Since these tanks are so new, its like looking for a "owner thread" of all owners to get ideas, except there isn't one! We're pretty much it!

(I always stalk similar build tanks when planning. lol maybe I'm weird, but thats what I do...)

 

3 hours ago, Weetabix7 said:

I LOVE this on so many levels that I'm literally kinda speechless right now. 

LOVE that you are doing this, especially the reasons why. 

You got this, all of it. 

Thank you :)

  • Like 1
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Just now, metrokat said:

If you're going to do macros, how about gorgonians too?

already ahead of you. I'm editing the first post right now.  It's going to be epic. Maybe.  I hope.  This tank is all about new stuff @skoechle won't let me put in our main tank!

  • Like 2
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53 minutes ago, metrokat said:

If you're going to do macros, how about gorgonians too?

What gorgonians would you suggest?  LA makes them sound terrifying. haha  I mean, I was thinking of just picking up the ones at my LFS but after googling and finding some need "a constant supply" of food, I'm not confident in choosing one that isn't going to die on me because I left town for the weekend.

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28 minutes ago, lkoechle said:

What gorgonians would you suggest?  LA makes them sound terrifying. haha  I mean, I was thinking of just picking up the ones at my LFS but after googling and finding some need "a constant supply" of food, I'm not confident in choosing one that isn't going to die on me because I left town for the weekend.

 

Don't mind me, just lurking here to see the answer for my Fusion 20... :) Kat mentioned them to me a while back, too!

  • Like 2
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2 hours ago, lkoechle said:

What gorgonians would you suggest?  LA makes them sound terrifying. haha  I mean, I was thinking of just picking up the ones at my LFS but after googling and finding some need "a constant supply" of food, I'm not confident in choosing one that isn't going to die on me because I left town for the weekend.

The really bright (like red or yellow with white polyps) ones tend to be NPS.  Look at KP aquatics site, they have a ton.  Usually the purple ones with tannish polyps are photosynthetic.  But I think they all do better with feedings.

 

I, too, love the reasons you're diving into this tank.  I hope this tank and this year brings a lot of healing for you because no one deserves to live with monsters like that.  Time to slay dragons! :wizard: (This smiley has nothing to do with slaying dragons but it was the closest available and I've never gotten to use it, so here ya go!)

  • Like 3
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49 minutes ago, Lula_Mae said:

The really bright (like red or yellow with white polyps) ones tend to be NPS.  Look at KP aquatics site, they have a ton.  Usually the purple ones with tannish polyps are photosynthetic.  But I think they all do better with feedings.

 

I, too, love the reasons you're diving into this tank.  I hope this tank and this year brings a lot of healing for you because no one deserves to live with monsters like that.  Time to slay dragons! :wizard: (This smiley has nothing to do with slaying dragons but it was the closest available and I've never gotten to use it, so here ya go!)

Thanks! I am going to have to do some research tonight.

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So, @skoechle isn't sure but I have decided the tank is going on our dry bar.

 

34143187956_f221c69cdb_c.jpg

 

The dry bar is not all that it seems.  This is actually the original "TV nook" built with the house.  Our living room is laid out totally wrong.  But I like our layout better because the other way would make it feel like a coffin.  The owners before us (we're #3) agreed with our outlook and decided to make this a dry bar and put up a mirror.  What's nice is that means there is an outlet in the bar! w00t! The mirror, I think, can either go awesome or horribly wrong.  We'll see :D

 

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Bar top

 

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Bar insides

 

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Power outlet!  Lets GFCI that beach!

 

Also because of its previous use for tv, there are holes already drilled.  The mirror covers the top hole so we will need to drill a new hole, but other than that pretty convenient?!

 

33799484240_b0458c7268_c.jpg

MAIL DAY!

 

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Bad puppy has to watch from inside so she doesn't eat the packing material.

 

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In her spot!  Hopefully we'll leak test tomorrow! (and yes, that's a pokémon shirt. I'm one of the pkmn generation)

  • Like 9
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On 4/20/2017 at 2:39 PM, lkoechle said:

What gorgonians would you suggest?  LA makes them sound terrifying. haha  I mean, I was thinking of just picking up the ones at my LFS but after googling and finding some need "a constant supply" of food, I'm not confident in choosing one that isn't going to die on me because I left town for the weekend.

KPA has a nice selection of gorgs, so does Live-plants. I got mine from live-plants always.

Tank looks good! Are you going to keep it facing the side or make it peninsula so you can view from all 3 sides?

  • Like 1
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10 hours ago, metrokat said:

KPA has a nice selection of gorgs, so does Live-plants. I got mine from live-plants always.

Tank looks good! Are you going to keep it facing the side or make it peninsula so you can view from all 3 sides?

going to keep it at the side.  i think the mirror will keep all 3 visible.  to have it truly peninsula style puts it at great risk and easy reach of my 3 year old who wants to hold the fishies. lol

 

He noticed the new tank as soon as he came out of his room and went "MORE FISHIES?! WE GET MORE FISHIES?! YAY!!!! Alaric  (his name, he refers to himself in the 3rd person) wants to hold them!"

  • Like 7
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Alaric is such a cool name!!!!

My youngest killed one of my Prop Tanks when he decided to dose it with his eardrops. 

I think he was around 3 at the time. 

So yeah, I totally understand your caution. 

  • Like 2
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10 minutes ago, Weetabix7 said:

Alaric is such a cool name!!!!

My youngest killed one of my Prop Tanks when he decided to dose it with his eardrops. 

I think he was around 3 at the time. 

So yeah, I totally understand your caution. 

o.O  I take him fishing alot for pan fish so we use bread for bait and my biggest concern atm is that he is going to try and feed the tank bread.

 

So far though, he has been very good respecting the "No Touch" rule with the other two tanks. And the spot this tank is in is an area he already is not allowed to mess with...  so hopefully it all works out. lol

  • Like 2
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I remember playing "house" at my aunt and uncle's and we kept feeding the fish tank every time it was "night."  Got in big trouble for that one and learned my first lesson about overfeeding fish lol.

  • Like 3
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So, WE DID A THING.  The LFS had a "customer appreciation sale"  So of course we partook.

 

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But if you want to know what is being stored on that rack, you can look here:

 

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

Yeah, no.  You guys changed the date to May 10th.  You don't get to see nuttin' till then!

 

 

And we're leak testing:

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  • Like 5
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