Stella's ReefWeeds - 100 days of Nanos Contest Tank

[ReefWeeds]

8 minutes ago, Sk8n Reefer said:

I am sure they will be as amazing as your others!! 

Well, thank you! Then again, you don't see the ones that end up in the junk pile ?

[metrokat]

On 7/11/2017 at 8:28 AM, stellablue said:

You're absolutely right. I got lucky for the first 2 years in this hobby and didn't lose one fish or invert. Too bad that didn't last.

 

On a happier note, I was watching a reefbuilders video and spied one of my paintings on Jake Adam's art wall!  

 

right behind his head...

 

That's awesome Stella.

[ReefWeeds]

Week 10! Almost forgot  

 

https://instagram.com/p/BW52zP9HYKU/

Meet Pip and his new lady. Pip was in my reef tank - my female clown came down with brook and didn't make it through treatment. Pip, on the verge of death at one point, made it through and is happy, healthy and eating again. Pip is the little black and white guy.

 

 

[Weetabix7]

On 7/10/2017 at 11:31 PM, stellablue said:

Thank you all. It was such a shock! He seemed completely normal and fine yesterday. I hate not knowing the cause. But I guess that's part of this hobby sometimes. 

 

I'm so sorry about Bubba, somehow I missed this when you first posted it. 

One of the difficult things about Froggies is that this sometimes happens and we don't even know why. 

I love them to death, but they're trickier to keep in captivity. 

 

Super happy about the Pip comeback though, and it's neat seeing him in this tank. 

[ReefWeeds]

On 7/23/2017 at 8:29 PM, Weetabix7 said:

 

I'm so sorry about Bubba, somehow I missed this when you first posted it. 

One of the difficult things about Froggies is that this sometimes happens and we don't even know why. 

I love them to death, but they're trickier to keep in captivity. 

 

Super happy about the Pip comeback though, and it's neat seeing him in this tank. 

Thanks Weetie! Yeah I hate not knowing. It was a rough few reefing seems but I'm back on the right track! Gladys and the Pip are doing well. And the goby and pistol are too! Macros are growing insane but I've also been feeding more since Pip was recovering. I have in the back corner a mangrove planter filled with Fiji mud and the mangroves are planted in it. The mangroves are really starting to take off finally.

 

 

[metrokat]

Hi there

Almost time for the contest end in FOUR DAYS!!

 

Please post some pictures and a final FTS whenever you get a chance along with your challenges and observations.

Any equipment feedback would be great too.

 

And a summary of livestock with prices

 

Thanks

[ReefWeeds]

I will adjust in a bit but quick and dirty tally of livestock:

 

Bubba (  ) : $129

Cleaners:  $18 (valued since I pulled from existing tanks)

Gobies and pistol:  $89

Gladys:  $13

Pip:  $21

Mushroom:  $25 (value from Kat and Ben)

Snake Polyps:  $5

Euphyllia:  $20

Macro:  $12 (valued since I used from existing tanks)

Scutus:  $15x2  (valued since I pulled from existing tanks)

 

Total Livestock:  $362

 

On 8/16/2017 at 8:23 AM, metrokat said:

Hi there

Almost time for the contest end in FOUR DAYS!!

 

Please post some pictures and a final FTS whenever you get a chance along with your challenges and observations.

Any equipment feedback would be great too.

 

And a summary of livestock with prices

 

Thanks

Ok!  Tally is done!  I am taking the last FTS now and putting together my thoughts.  Those will be up shortly!  Sorry for the delay!

[ReefWeeds]

Ok!!!! Here is my last FTS! I will have a few more photos coming 

 

 

[ReefWeeds]

Ok!  Here goes my writeup!  Once you're done reading, go and vote at this link:  

I have really enjoyed this contest - the tank is a great size and part of my goal was to make it low maintenance so I could enjoy it rather than it feeling like a chore to maintain

 

 

Top Ten Observations:

1. 100 days is not a long time.  Time flew.  I had goals, lots of goals for this tank. I think I accomplished maybe a quarter of what I set out to do!

2. Summer can get busy.  Busy days means less tank time.  Less tank time when you have multiple tanks means less time to take photos and less time to post.

3. The maintenance wasn't the hardest part for me.  Keeping up with updates actually was!  I don't know why - it just seemed like that was the hardest part for me.

4. Macros grow. Fast.  If you don't trim them, they take over.

5. Anglers can eat hermit crabs.  Ugh.

6. Gobies are pretty resilient!  

7. Flexibility is key - but can be hard in a short time period and during a contest with set rules.

8.  Loud pumps drive me in-freaking-sane.

9. I detest - DETEST - Aiptasia.  And it continues to plague me.

10. Sometimes it is hard to remember to ENJOY the hobby - take time to look at the life in your tank and appreciate it at the stage it is at rather than where you want it to be in say a week, two weeks, a year.  

 

And just because:

11. Someone called it - I can't remember who.  But don't rely on the non-reefing husband to set up a webcam or post in Nano-reef   - he still only has two posts.

 

Livestock:

Orange clown:  Gladys

Black clown:  Pip

Hi fin red-banded goby:  Bumble

Hi fin red-banded goby:  Bee

Candy cane pistol shrimp:  Red

Wartskin Angler:  Bubba - died

 

Clean-up crew:

Dwarf Cerith snails (about 20)

Regular cerith snails (2)

Tapestry snails (2)

Money cowries (2)

Scutus Limpets (2)

Blue-legged hermits (5)

Feeder shrimp (1 - left over from Bubba days)

 

Macro algae:

Fern caulerpa

Caulerpa prolifera

Gracillaria -branching

Gracillaria Hayi

Botryocladia (red grape)

Blue scroll

random weird things that pop  up

 

Coral and stuff:

elephant ear sponge

Two frags of octospawn

a mushroom coral

10 mangroves

 

Maintenance:  

Scrape glass maybe 1x a week

Blow off sediment on rocks 2 x a week

Feed fish daily

water changes:  monthly 

clean pump monthly

test monthly 

 

Total Dollar Breakdown:

Value:

Bubba (  ) : $129

Cleaners:  $18 (valued since I pulled from existing tanks)

Gobies and pistol:  $89

Gladys:  $13

Pip:  $21

Mushroom:  $25 (value from Kat and Ben)

Snake Polyps:  $5

Euphyllia:  $20

Macro:  $12 (valued since I used from existing tanks)

Scutus:  $15x2  (valued since I pulled from existing tanks)

 

Total Livestock Value:  $362

 

 

High points:

• Pip wasn't originally planned for this tank.  He was originally bought to replace my male davinci.  However, my female davinci died in the hospital tank (suspected brook) and at first I didn't think Pip would make it.  Well, he did!  And i put him in this tank.  He is now thriving. After thinking he was done for, it is so nice to see him doing well.
• When I introduced the goby pair and the shrimp, one goby swam away and the other immediately paired with the shrimp.  Well, I didn't see the goby that swam away again - for about a month.  Last weekend, before I was leaving for Michigan, I saw the goby in the filter floss!  I had looked there multiple times and in the rear chambers and never spotted him.  I got him into the tank and he immediately paired back up with the other goby and the shrimp.  They are now all happily living together in their cave.

Low point:

• I was very excited to get a frogfish and when I saw Bubba, I knew I needed to have him!  He was a great addition to the tank and I really loved seeing him.  Well, one day he was floating  I was heartbroken. I'm still not 100% sure what happened, but I'm 99% sure he ate a hermit crab the week before as I saw the outline of the shell in his stomach.  Not sure if they're related or not.  That was definitely the low point for me.

Beginning:

I got in late but caught up!  Here were my original goals with this tank:

• Keep it simple.  No skimmer, no other equipment.   (accomplished)
• Don't spend a lot of money - use what I've got (accomplished - out of pocket was the fish and some snails - the rest I had or traded for so out of pocket I spent the money for the tank package plus $218 for the fish.  I had everything else already including rock, sand, mud, snails, macro, etc.)
• Livestock would be macro algae, softies, and a few choice LPS.  Frogfish and some inverts. (mostly happened, had a mishap with the Frogfish  )
• Hook up webcam (didn't happen)
• Utilize Fiji mud and mangroves for filtration and to keep parameters in check (accomplished)
• Backlight the tank to add interest and draw attention to rock scape (accomplished)
• Keep to one fish (didn't happen, there are 4)

I was happy with how my aquascape came out.  I liked the "mood" lighting and the arch. I also liked the mangrove planter.  Here's an initial shot:

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the mood lighting ?

 

 

[ReefWeeds]

Things starting to take shape 

 

 

Coral

 

 

Things starting to fill in 

 

 

[ReefWeeds]

Week 6

 

 

Loving this frog/octospawn 

 

 

 

[ReefWeeds]

The current inhabitants 

 

 

 

[ReefWeeds]

Today's final shots:

 

 

Unfortunately today's shots are kind of cloudy. I had just done a water change and cleaning - so things were all messed up.  Oh well!

 

Final thoughts:

I'm going to continue this tank.  I really like it!  IM builds a nice tank.  I like the Current!  Surprisingly.  I do not like the IM stock pumps

 

Goal:

I hope this tank will be a Featured Tank one month!

 

 

Want to vote?  Follow this link to the voting poll!

 

 

 

[Pjanssen]

Love the mood lighting Rachael. I forgot you had that.

[ReefWeeds]

1 minute ago, Pjanssen said:

Love the mood lighting Rachael. I forgot you had that.

Thanks Penny!!

[ReefWeeds]

Oh I forgot! Here is my mangrove planter! 

It's filled with Fiji mud 

 

 

 

[ReefWeeds]

One of my two scutus limpets 

And a cleaner cleaning a cleaner 

[SeaFurn]

Loved your tank!  And "Where's Bubba" posts were awesome - a highlight of the contest for sure!

[ReefWeeds]

And a cleaner cleaning a cleaner 

4 minutes ago, SeaFurn said:

Loved your tank!  And "Where's Bubba" posts were awesome - a highlight of the contest for sure!

Thank you!!

[Pjanssen]

Bubba. 

[ReefWeeds]

14 minutes ago, SeaFurn said:

Loved your tank!  And "Where's Bubba" posts were awesome - a highlight of the contest for sure!

Thank you!!

7 minutes ago, Pjanssen said:

Bubba. 

I know it: that was a rough loss 

[debbeach13]

Where is Buba. I was obsessed with your daily posts. Get up make coffee, log onto nano reef. Look for Buba. Thanks for that. Ton's of fun and many of us felt your loss. I am glad you continued on. Your tank looks like it has been up and running for a couple years well done.

[ReefWeeds]

40 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

Where is Buba. I was obsessed with your daily posts. Get up make coffee, log onto nano reef. Look for Buba. Thanks for that. Ton's of fun and many of us felt your loss. I am glad you continued on. Your tank looks like it has been up and running for a couple years well done.

 thanks Deb!!

[ReefWeeds]

I mentioned this in my write up. I had gotten the bonded pair of gobies about a month or so ago. One immediately disappeared the first day. I looked around the tank in case he jumped, in the back chambers and nothing. Well I spied him last Friday as we were leaving for the airport - in the floss basket. So here are some photos of both gobies reunited. Bumble and Bee. 

 

 

[debbeach13]

So cute together. It's like Christmas finding the missing one. Nice photo's