SeaFurn's 100 Days of Nanos Contest Tank: 40 Baby RFAs

[Weetabix7]

16 minutes ago, Lula_Mae said:

Yeah, I had to gently rub detritus off my GSP a few times when it was closed up.  It's huge and fluffy now though lol.

 

And your GSP and Seafurn's come from the same place. 

 

Once it gets fluffy, it really starts growing. 

[Lula_Mae]

48 minutes ago, Weetabix7 said:

 

And your GSP and Seafurn's come from the same place. 

 

Once it gets fluffy, it really starts growing. 

I now have three different colors of GSP from three different Nano-Reefers. Maybe I should just do a GSP garden lol.

[GregEmmitte]

4 minutes ago, Lula_Mae said:

I now have three different colors of GSP from three different Nano-Reefers. Maybe I should just do a GSP garden lol.

Ok, 10 gallon tank. Inside the tank put a 1" border of sand around the perimeter ( to prevent GSP from growing up the glass ). In the center put a live shelf on top of a smaller live rock ( like a mushroom shape ) to create a shaded area where GSP won't grow. Add GSP to the bare glass bottom and let it flourish. On the live rock add whichever corals you like.

 

[Lula_Mae]

1 minute ago, GregEmmitte said:

Ok, 10 gallon tank. Inside the tank put a 1" border of sand around the perimeter ( to prevent GSP from growing up the glass ). In the center put a live shelf on top of a smaller live rock ( like a mushroom shape ) to create a shaded area where GSP won't grow. Add GSP to the bare glass bottom and let it flourish. On the live rock add whichever corals you like.

 

Haha you could just let it grow up the glass too!

[GregEmmitte]

Just now, Lula_Mae said:

Haha you could just let it grow up the glass too!

But then you wouldn't see anything but purple when it took over lol

[Lula_Mae]

16 minutes ago, GregEmmitte said:

But then you wouldn't see anything but purple when it took over lol

Well, the front glass would have to be kept clear.  But the rest would be fair game lol.

[Javiv]

I live like 2 miles from VIP reef that is my LFS, really cool store. I wanted to enter this competition but found out about too late. 

 

I am currently setting up a 29 Bio cube a friend of mine gave me, going to move all my stuff from my 16 Bow front, running out of room!

 

will post some pics when complete. 

[SeaFurn]

2 hours ago, Lula_Mae said:

I now have three different colors of GSP from three different Nano-Reefers. Maybe I should just do a GSP garden lol.

Do it!!  I'm sure you can find a little spot for it in your tank! 

 

2 hours ago, GregEmmitte said:

Ok, 10 gallon tank. Inside the tank put a 1" border of sand around the perimeter ( to prevent GSP from growing up the glass ). In the center put a live shelf on top of a smaller live rock ( like a mushroom shape ) to create a shaded area where GSP won't grow. Add GSP to the bare glass bottom and let it flourish. On the live rock add whichever corals you like.

 

That would be awesome! 

 

3 hours ago, Weetabix7 said:

 

And your GSP and Seafurn's come from the same place. 

 

Once it gets fluffy, it really starts growing. 

Nano-reefs top GSP dealer!

 

49 minutes ago, Javiv said:

I live like 2 miles from VIP reef that is my LFS, really cool store. I wanted to enter this competition but found out about too late. 

 

I am currently setting up a 29 Bio cube a friend of mine gave me, going to move all my stuff from my 16 Bow front, running out of room!

 

will post some pics when complete. 

I'm so jealous! Do you have a build thread? If so, send a link! 

 

It sounds like there may be a pico tank contest sometime in the future. @metrokat has some type of pico experiment going on that she's being secretive about. 

[Lula_Mae]

3 minutes ago, SeaFurn said:

Do it!!  I'm sure you can find a little spot for it in your tank! 

 

That would be awesome! 

 

Nano-reefs top GSP dealer!

 

I'm so jealous! Do you have a build thread? If so, send a link! 

 

It sounds like there may be a pico tank contest sometime in the future. @metrokat has some type of pico experiment going on that she's being secretive about. 

Yes, I am anxious to hear about this pico experiment lol.

[metrokat]

17 hours ago, SeaFurn said:

 

It sounds like there may be a pico tank contest sometime in the future. @metrokat has some type of pico experiment going on that she's being secretive about. 

 

17 hours ago, Lula_Mae said:

Yes, I am anxious to hear about this pico experiment lol.

 

The original experiment failed twice. 

But it resulted in an unexpected 3rd experiment which is now being done a 2nd time.

[Lula_Mae]

4 hours ago, metrokat said:

 

 

The original experiment failed twice. 

But it resulted in an unexpected 3rd experiment which is now being done a 2nd time.

Ooooooooh!

 

 

[Lula_Mae]

We could always do a miniaturized version of the current contest with a Spec or Evo V and maybe all get the same light just like with this contest!

[SeaFurn]

So I'm a little late getting this week's update posted. Was in Chicago most of last week. My son did a great job with the tank and putting up with my constant questions while I was gone - did you check for snails on the floor, did you blow off the rocks with the turkey baster, did you top off the tank, what are the water params, send me a pic of the anemones, etc etc etc. I don't think he's ever been so happy for his Dad to be back!

 

But it's not all good news - when I came home from work yesterday one anemone that has been unsettled and continuously moving around the tank and did not take any food this weekend had started churning out its insides and its foot was dissolving. I'm so bummed. It had been so bright and beautiful and as opposed to the others that didn't make it, this one seemed healthy when I got it.  So that's 3 that haven't fared so well. The remaining 7 seem great as far as I can tell so it's so frustrating not knowing what's wrong or what to do. And now I'm paranoid and freaking out when I see some behavior I haven't seen before. 

 

And I've been checking my water every day and it's been good. 

77.8 - 78.5 degrees

1.025

Ammonia 0

Nitrites 0 

Nitrates 1

pH 8.0

 

So if anyone has any thoughts let me know. 

 

Continued thanks go to @FlowerMama @kimberbee for answering all my questions!

And also to @BulkRate who I met at the LFS this weekend and has been helpful!

 

The fun news is I got a pair of porcelain anemone crabs on Saturday. They are pretty cool. 

They haven't found the anemones yet but maybe they will soon. 

 

I probably need to figure out and post my livestock expenditures so far. 

 

Here are this week's pics-

 

FTS #5 Tank in Daylight

 

Pics of the anemones from my son while I was gone. The one that didn't make it this week is in the second picture-wedged under that second rock back. It had put itself there. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lula_Mae]

Awesome vid, I love the crabs!  Such a bummer about the nem!

[BulkRate]

Glad to see you snagged those two mated porcelain crabs!  They're hard as all get out to find paired in local stores down here especially at the bargain price Pure Reef was charging for them.  Also glad that they turned out to have the more attractive bright red-splotched shell patterns... it's nigh impossible to tell when Pure's running the coral display tanks in Smurf Blue(tm) mode.

 

On your photo question - maybe the film mentioned in this thread will let you filter out the blue wash:  

 

 

 

[SeaFurn]

So here's a quick pic under the blues tonight.  I'm still freaking out though...the RFA in the front right has now been shrunken up like that for the past couple of days while the others are open and happy. I have no idea why. Checked the water and it's right on. Just so worried about losing another one. 

 

 

I definitely still need to get some of the gel filters. Thanks for the link @BulkRate

 

 

[Javiv]

It may not like where he is at, it may move or go into the rock and disappear for a few days,  this is normal, they are very hardy so i do not think it will die. I have 2 and one always seems to move around or melt into the rocks and reappear somewhere else, the other one has never moved. Drop a mysis shrimp and see if he takes it, they love that!

[SeaFurn]

@Mariaface I tried target feeding my porcelain crabs pellets today and they ate them! So cool!

One was super aggressive and started grabbing at the tube and held on to it as I was trying to dispense the pellet. It took the other one a couple of tries before he grabbed one. I was surprised he didn't chase down the ones that floated past him. 

 

The anemone that was shrunken down so much in the photo posted yesterday was more open early this morning when it was still dark but then shrunk back down by early afternoon. Maybe he's gonna be ok. Hope so! 

[SeaFurn]

 

[Weetabix7]

1 minute ago, SeaFurn said:

 

 

You've got some pretty RFA's in there and the GSP is looking good. Bet it starts spreading pretty well from here on out. 

[SeaFurn]

1 minute ago, Weetabix7 said:

You've got some pretty RFA's in there and the GSP is looking good. Bet it starts spreading pretty well from here on out. 

Thanks!  I'm still a little concerned about the RFA by the crab. Not because i think the crab is bothering it much - it just doesn't seem as vibrant and doesn't expand much past what you see in the video. I'm going to try to give it some food today while it's open.  If it takes it that will be a good sign. 

Your GSP is taking off now!  And there's another piece at the base of the main rock (it goes by quickly in the video but if you pause it a just the right second you can see it) that I still need to mount. It's grown out quite a bit so I think it's time.  

 

Still want to get some fish!  

[Weetabix7]

1 hour ago, SeaFurn said:

Thanks!  I'm still a little concerned about the RFA by the crab. Not because i think the crab is bothering it much - it just doesn't seem as vibrant and doesn't expand much past what you see in the video. I'm going to try to give it some food today while it's open.  If it takes it that will be a good sign. 

Your GSP is taking off now!  And there's another piece at the base of the main rock (it goes by quickly in the video but if you pause it a just the right second you can see it) that I still need to mount. It's grown out quite a bit so I think it's time.  

 

Still want to get some fish!  

 

Sounds like a very good plan for the time being for the RFA.

[SeaFurn]

Getting coralline spots on the glass already! Way sooner than I would have expected. 

[SeaFurn]

Weekly update -

The mini submersible light I was experimenting with grows cheato! 

So this past weekend I set up chamber 2 as a refugium. The light has several different colors that can be used - I tried white, pink, and red and the white works best. No surprise there I guess - other than I thought a softer/warmer white was needed to grow chaeto.

I'm going to run it at night opposite the tank light schedule. Will need to get it on a timer so I don't forget to turn it on every night.

I'm using plastic netting (bags) like the kind oranges come in at the grocery store to keep chaeto in the chamber and not in the tank. It's been working well. I actually asked the guy at Kroger if I could have a couple of unused bags and he was nice enough to give them to me. 

With the chaeto, extra rock in the tank, and regular water changes I think I should now be in a good place to handle fish and the added nutrients that will go into the tank.

Here's a picture looking down into chamber 2 with the lights on. (The mounting arm is off so I could take the picture.)

 

I had some bubble algae that I removed during this weekend's water change. Hopefully I got it out without getting spores everywhere. I had a siphon going on right near it as I pulled it off. I see today there's a spot I missed but I swear it wasn't there yesterday. 

 

No no other big changes. Still worried about the RFA front right. It would take any food this weekend. It spends most of it's time shrunken down. I don't think it's gonna make it. 

The RFAs on the round rock have started to move from the front of the rock to the back. The grey one moved first and then his buddy followed. 

 

I also mounted the rest of the GSP I had. I fragged into several smaller pieces and glued it down where I thought it was going to take the longest to fill in. I know this stuff grows fast but 100 days is quickly approaching. Will try to put together some growth profession shots when it opens. It's still pissed. 

Porcelain crabs are doing good. They spend a lot of time where I can see them. They don't seem to be bothering the RFAs. In fact, one of them appeared to be cleaning an RFA's tentacles...or maybe it was just helping itself to some feeding leftovers that remained. 

 

FTS #6

 

[metrokat]

Tank is coming along nicely. I love porcelains. They will enjoy small particle foods with their king-fu filters fans.