12 gallon Mr Aqua.... Lessons learned.... 🤓

[Clown79]

8 hours ago, LivingWaters said:

I imagine the schedule would be less dictated by routine and more by what the water tests at? After my cycle I'm planning on regular testing of Salinity, Alk, Mag, Calc, Nitrates and Phophates. Are there any others I should be concerned with?

My weekly routine is 15% water change. I blast my rocks with a turkey baster, scrape any algae from glass, vacuum sand, change floss, rinse media bags(media replaced regularly)

 

I would input a 50% water change for emergency situations  and for reduction of nitrates(if very high) i normally start with multiple waterchanges a week or a 30% waterchange.

 

 

[JcSH2o]

Guess what's in the box?! ??

[holy carp]

Sweet.  That box looks huge, so I will assume those dents didn't cause any problems with the glass.

[JcSH2o]

All is well! 

 

As I sit the tank in its new home though, I realize I may want to find a smooth surface for it. And one that can be shimmed to level. Perhaps a nice stone slab or something of the sort. 

[Lula_Mae]

Welcome!  The others have given some great ideas.  If you're looking to do a budget build you can do an AquaClear, maybe modified into a mini refugium (several posts on here with tutorial on it), can also get media baskets from In-Tank (not sure if Ocean Box has them too).  A heater can be hidden in one of them if it's not too big.  No need for a skimmer, just regular water changes.  Weekly water changes are a good idea and you definitely don't need to do only 10%--I've done 100% on my picos before. 

 

I think rimless tanks need to be on a mat of some kind--someone who's had one should be able to inform you better (I didn't worry about it with my tiny tanks lol).

[JcSH2o]

17 minutes ago, Lula_Mae said:

Welcome!  The others have given some great ideas.  If you're looking to do a budget build you can do an AquaClear, maybe modified into a mini refugium (several posts on here with tutorial on it), can also get media baskets from In-Tank (not sure if Ocean Box has them too).  A heater can be hidden in one of them if it's not too big.  No need for a skimmer, just regular water changes.  Weekly water changes are a good idea and you definitely don't need to do only 10%--I've done 100% on my picos before. 

 

I think rimless tanks need to be on a mat of some kind--someone who's had one should be able to inform you better (I didn't worry about it with my tiny tanks lol).

That is so much! I've been doing a lot of thinking, and considering this is my first build (and it's an apt) I will more than likely do what you suggest. An AC modded would definitely be cheap and more than efficient. And it would afford me the space to do a refugium or something similar if I felt it was needed. Once I get out of the apt and into a house (hopefully in the next year or two) I will have the space to drill and plumb and sump away. ?

I'll explore and see if I can find some of those posts. Thanks again for your suggestions!

[Lula_Mae]

3 hours ago, LivingWaters said:

That is so much! I've been doing a lot of thinking, and considering this is my first build (and it's an apt) I will more than likely do what you suggest. An AC modded would definitely be cheap and more than efficient. And it would afford me the space to do a refugium or something similar if I felt it was needed. Once I get out of the apt and into a house (hopefully in the next year or two) I will have the space to drill and plumb and sump away. ?

I'll explore and see if I can find some of those posts. Thanks again for your suggestions!

Ha I know that feeling!  Have moved way too much the last few years lol.  That's why picos are the way for me to go.  I believe el fabuloso's legendary pico thread has an AC mod detailed on there, you can find it in the pico forum or do a search.  His whole thread is very informative too.

[Nixperience]

I'm really liking those oceanbox aio kits. If I ever upgrade again, it will be a custom tank with an aio kit from them. That's sweet! Do it. 

[JcSH2o]

First round of supplies showed up today. Hanna Phosphorus meter, Red Sea Pro Foundation Test Kit, Refractometer, and the Pukani Rock from BRS (on top of the Tonga Shelf they sent by mistake last week)

Very excited to get to work on the scape! ?

[Clown79]

Fyi, i switched from AC filter to the seachem tidal and I have to say, the seachem is my preference.

 

Really powerful, completely controllable, the sicce pump is silent, and it has a surface skimmer. 

[JcSH2o]

Nice! I'm a big fan of Seachems products with regards to my Cichlid tanks. So I was pretty stoked when I heard about the tidal. I may try it out on another nano build. ?

This being by first go I opted to take the plunge and just ordered the Ocean box POB last night. For the longest time I thought about an AC, and adding the Oceanbox skimmer box and inTank media basket to have a Chaeto option.... Once I started to add things up I realized I wasn't that far off of the POB, and being a noob the extra 6 gallons of water volume seemed a wise choice. 

The Pukani and footprint of the Mr Aqua is my newest challenge. I quickly realized that I will need to break up the majority of what I received and piece together my own rock design. I tried to do 'mock ups' by tieing pieces together with fishing line (didnt work well) and then tried to use rubber bands (better but not great). So i think old fashioned sketches on graph paper and build as i go is the answer. There's a lot of different rock cements out there and I went with Aquaforest Stonefix. Hopefully it works! 

[holy carp]

FWIW, Pukani saws very easily, so you can put a flat side to shorten a rock and make it more stable in the tank.  Sometimes that works better than breaking/chiseling.  But it looks like you got a really nice selection of pieces there.

 

The challenge in the Mr. Aqua is making the rock work interesting, while keeping it short enough to accommodate growth of corals on the rocks.

[JcSH2o]

Today has been interesting to say the least. I'm probably 2 months away from actual livestock, but wanted to see what was out there. So I would like to ask everyone's opinion about what I experienced. 

I understand a lot of things are purchased online. I my self do it all the time. But today I had a few hours alone with my girlfriend while the kids were in school and we decided to visit a few Aquarium stores in the area. Neither one were 'big box' stores, and one of them actually has a beautiful website and is listed in the back of Coral Magazine. So my excitement was high and my expectations were raised. 

However it was not as I had hoped. We first went to the store with the lovely website. The fish all had a 'meh' sort of demeanor, the tanks all had a lot of brown algae everywhere, and the store in general was dirty. Even the display tanks, which I would think should be dialed in and screaming "Look! Look what YOU could do with corals bought from THIS store!" were instead brown and dingy with glass that barely offered a view. To be fair, there were no dead fish, the cleanest tank in the store was obviously a QT for purchased fish on hold for a happily paying customer, and 1 out of 3 staff members was cheerfully doing maintenance on a tank and offered help. 

The second store was an 'everything pet related' store, but they had a nice and clean display with some impressive corals and had better prices. However most of their frag tanks also displayed the same murky brown algae look.

Is this normal? Should I buy from places like this or should I continue my hunt and venture further away from home? I've heard hobbyists trade and sell to each other but I have no idea where to find them? Craigslist?

Or do I stick to online places with good customer reviews like LiveAquaria, Worldwide Corals, and Tidal Gardens? It seems to me that supporting local business would be a positive choice, but I don't know if the local businesses I have seen are worth supporting. 

 

[Lula_Mae]

In my experience, sometimes frag tanks will be sparkly clean and sometimes...not (depending on when you visit the store and how well it's been maintained lately).  Haha.  I am willing to deal with a little hair algae but not a lot on my frags, and I avoid purchasing anything with obvious pests like aiptasia if I can (though now that I've discovered peroxide, it would be easier to get rid of aiptasia).  Some corals can handle a peroxide dip to help get rid of hair algae.  Truth be told though, I've usually been disappointed with what I found locally, often it's high priced mediocre stuff with occasional good deals thrown in.  It all depends on your local area though.  But local stores will be much better than a big box store is, usually.

 

Most of my corals in my early days, especially, came from online vendors.  I try to save up and spend a good amount all at once to make it worth the shipping cost (or even get free shipping).  There's some good online vendors out there for what you can't find locally!

 

 

[JcSH2o]

6 minutes ago, Lula_Mae said:

In my experience, sometimes frag tanks will be sparkly clean and sometimes...not (depending on when you visit the store and how well it's been maintained lately).  Haha.  I am willing to deal with a little hair algae but not a lot on my frags, and I avoid purchasing anything with obvious pests like aiptasia if I can (though now that I've discovered peroxide, it would be easier to get rid of aiptasia).  Some corals can handle a peroxide dip to help get rid of hair algae.  Truth be told though, I've usually been disappointed with what I found locally, often it's high priced mediocre stuff with occasional good deals thrown in.  It all depends on your local area though.  But local stores will be much better than a big box store is, usually.

 

Most of my corals in my early days, especially, came from online vendors.  I try to save up and spend a good amount all at once to make it worth the shipping cost (or even get free shipping).  There's some good online vendors out there for what you can't find locally!

 

 

Thanks, I feel a bit better now. Come to think of it, I was so thrown off by the algae I didn't even think to look for pests! ? Being so new I'm not 100% sure I'd even be able to identify them. I do plan on dipping every coral that goes into my tank. I've read about scrubbing but I need to learn more about that part.

On the positive side I saw a lot of corals that I've been reading about, only this time in person! Hahaha and I had no idea how impossibly SMALL some of those zoas are! Most were closed in the first store,  so my girlfriend almost yelled when we went to store number 2 and they were all open. (I think she's starting to enjoy my hobby ?) It definitely gave me some perspective as I start working on my scape. I think we'll plan another outing as there's a few stores in the greater Seattle area, about an hour away.

Thanks for the comments and the help. I really appreciate it all!

[Lula_Mae]

3 minutes ago, LivingWaters said:

Thanks, I feel a bit better now. Come to think of it, I was so thrown off by the algae I didn't even think to look for pests! ? Being so new I'm not 100% sure I'd even be able to identify them. I do plan on dipping every coral that goes into my tank. I've read about scrubbing but I need to learn more about that part.

On the positive side I saw a lot of corals that I've been reading about, only this time in person! Hahaha and I had no idea how impossibly SMALL some of those zoas are! Most were closed in the first store,  so my girlfriend almost yelled when we went to store number 2 and they were all open. (I think she's starting to enjoy my hobby ?) It definitely gave me some perspective as I start working on my scape. I think we'll plan another outing as there's a few stores in the greater Seattle area, about an hour away.

Thanks for the comments and the help. I really appreciate it all!

Isn't it amazing?  To look and say "OOH THAT'S A (fill in the blank)!!!"  I just got a freebie zoa frag from someone I bought stuff off of, and the zoas are TINY, like literally a couple millimeters in diameter per polyp.  And then I have palythoa grandis frag with the main polyp almost 2 inches across!  Quite a contrast.  Best thing you can do is try a few different things and see what you love.  I love ricordea and recently found I love blastos, and for the first time am keeping zoas alive (used to die on me pretty quickly lol). Always new things to see and discover and that's part of what I love so much about this hobby.

[JcSH2o]

2 minutes ago, Lula_Mae said:

Isn't it amazing?  To look and say "OOH THAT'S A (fill in the blank)!!!"  I just got a freebie zoa frag from someone I bought stuff off of, and the zoas are TINY, like literally a couple millimeters in diameter per polyp.  And then I have palythoa grandis frag with the main polyp almost 2 inches across!  Quite a contrast.  Best thing you can do is try a few different things and see what you love.  I love ricordea and recently found I love blastos, and for the first time am keeping zoas alive (used to die on me pretty quickly lol). Always new things to see and discover and that's part of what I love so much about this hobby.

Lol exactly! I know I love Blastos and Brains (not sure the actual name?) And plating (montiporas?) and zoa gardens and anything that moves like hammers and torches and xenias... ??? I'm right there with you!

Are Zoas difficult? Is there anything I should know or should I pay close attention to researching them?

[Lula_Mae]

2 minutes ago, LivingWaters said:

Lol exactly! I know I love Blastos and Brains (not sure the actual name?) And plating (montiporas?) and zoa gardens and anything that moves like hammers and torches and xenias... ??? I'm right there with you!

Are Zoas difficult? Is there anything I should know or should I pay close attention to researching them?

Not particularly (usually) though they can be a little finicky sometimes.  I remember when I was new, reading that sometimes certain corals just don't do well for certain people, and for years I thought that was me + zoas, because mine ALWAYS died!  They are a great starter coral for most, though, and come in a bazillion and one colors!

 

Best thing you can do is dip every single coral that comes in your tank with something.  I use Lugol's but I've heard Bayer recommended (it's newer and I haven't researched it much but it's supposed to be effective and gentle on corals).  I'd probably read up to get an idea for pests you're looking for on new frags to avoid adding them to your system.  And Lugol's is a great all-purpose dip for when corals are ailing too, I will never not have it on hand.

 

 

 

[JcSH2o]

New question! I'm researching all about water movement, and after ditching the idea of the MP10 series I thought I had settled in on the Tunze 6040. I like that it's small, can be mounted on the rear wall, and seems to offer more controllabilty than the Jebaos.

BUT....

Then of course today I discovered the Hydor offshoot company, Aqamai, and their new circulation pump that splits the price points of the Tunze and Jebao. This thing is TINY, and its wifi so controlling via app sounds cool... not to mention you can customize every 30minute chunk of every 24 hours... Very cool.

The only downside is the slowest end of this pump is still about 350gph, where the tunze can go much less. That's my question, is that too much flow in my 12 gallon long?? 

I'm planning on a mixed reef with only 2 or 3 SPS corals.... ?

[JcSH2o]

Finished the Pukani bath in Muriatic acid today. Its now rinsed and sitting in its bleach soak. My Aquaforest Stonefix will be here later this week so with luck I can start assembling the scape structures next weekend. ?

[JcSH2o]

Who knew this would be such a difficult scape? Throwing this out there looking for suggestions... 

I quickly realized I had to break all the rock down and build it back up to scale. Now I'm struggling with visualizing corals I've never had before. Hahaha

Also I'm having a hell of a time using Aquaforest Stonefix. This just seems to make a mess without bonding anything?  I've reverted to using super glue (loctite) and going back over cracks with rubble and dust to hide the glue.

Again any suggestions please fire away!

[WV Reefer]

1 hour ago, JcSH2o said:

Who knew this would be such a difficult scape? Throwing this out there looking for suggestions... 

I quickly realized I had to break all the rock down and build it back up to scale. Now I'm struggling with visualizing corals I've never had before. Hahaha

Also I'm having a hell of a time using Aquaforest Stonefix. This just seems to make a mess without bonding anything?  I've reverted to using super glue (loctite) and going back over cracks with rubble and dust to hide the glue.

Again any suggestions please fire away!

 

I think it's looking good.  I would worry about the end pieces being so close to the sides.... might be hard to get in there. 

 

With my 12 long I started with my basic shape which was three islands and then slowly started hooking them together to create my reef.  It was easier to visualize the corals when I gave it some time to rest in between additions. 

 

I love this tank because when you get it right the tank looks huge and really messes with your perspective. 

[JcSH2o]

@WV Reefer Thank you! I never thought about adding as I went!!! Something to think about!

I'll try squeezing in the sides a little to give more room for cleaning. 

[WV Reefer]

Just now, JcSH2o said:

@WV Reefer Thank you! I never thought about adding as I went!!! Something to think about!

I'll try squeezing in the sides a little to give more room for cleaning. 

 

I definitely like where you are going with it.  

 

I wanted to do saltwater for awhile and then I found the tank for sale on Craigslist and I googled "12 gallon long reef" and @Scorched's video came up...... I knew I had to have the tank after watching his reef!!

[JcSH2o]

17 minutes ago, WV Reefer said:

 

I definitely like where you are going with it.  

 

I wanted to do saltwater for awhile and then I found the tank for sale on Craigslist and I googled "12 gallon long reef" and @Scorched's video came up...... I knew I had to have the tank after watching his reef!!

Thanks. And I can see why, as his tank is definitely on fire! One of a few builds I've had the pleasure of reading in its entirety! 

Somehow I stumbled across CJsAquariums YouTube videos and found myself fascinated. I started researching more about corals and for me, my tipping point was when I found Tidal Gardens. I knew I had to experience coral keeping first hand. Somewhere I found a link to @MrNanoReef and that's how I discovered the MrAqua12 and Nano-Reef.

And here I am!