MrJDanP's Nano Reef Build

[MrJDanP]

Got my upgrades today

 

Have the light about 9” above the water for now to help the coral acclimate along with low percentages. Pretty much just lowered the ab+ from brs

 

Excited to see how the tank changes, hopefully for the better. 

 

Does anyone think increasing the flow and changing the light is too much at once? And since we’re on the topic of flow I’m not sure if I like where it is because the hammer seems to be getting blasted during the magic moment where the spin stream and Aqamai like up 

[MrJDanP]

Now that I have the extra light I'm very tempted to go buy another tank. Especially with Labor day sales 😀

[MrJDanP]

Bumped my blues up three percent today (going for very slow acclimation) and added the multiple peaks that I just found out about. Seems to be doing wonders for people. Started the hd off around 8w because I had been using the a80 at half power, so they should've been equivalent. Also decreased the photo period for green and red because I noticed some increased algae growth.

 

The digitata frag (or small colony, its a pretty beefy frag) has some exposed skeleton on the undersides and one branch seems dead. Also I think I can see a small apatasia on that branch. Need to get some kind of cutters and take care of that branch. I might just go ahead and frag the healthier branches too

 

 

[MrJDanP]

Picked up some super glue at the dollar store today but could find clippers of any kind. Will probably just order a cheap frag kit off amazon so I can snip the dead branch with aiptasia. I think I will go ahead and snip all the healthy branches like I mentioned so It will look healthier overall and possibly trade with some of the frags. Also need to get the other coral in a permanent spot and off the rack. Been super lazy about that, but they look happy

[MrJDanP]

Got the german blue digi taken care of. The fraging did not go as planned, did pay attention and got liquid glue instead of gel. Also ended up chipping the coral unintentionally and that was the piece that ended up sticking to the plug 😒

 

Either way got both pieces back in the tank. The original ended up with a lot of bleached spots, but otherwise its coloring up nicely.

 

Shortly after this fiasco, I noticed another aiptasia so I ordered some aiptasia x. My first time with it and I was not disappointed. Future aiptasia be warned, I know your kryptonite. 

 

Finally, I got the motivation to pull out the frag rack and find more permanent positions for my corals in limbo. I'm not sure if some of them will stay where they are but the reef looks much better for it. It seems to have given me a lot more room to play with, especially on the back left side. Unfortunately, the blasto seems to have lost the two heads that it had. The chalice was growing so fast I think the sweepers got to it before I did. I don't know that I will be adding too many more species of coral at this point. I do know that I want to start a zoa garden down where I have the digi frags sitting. That will be my next endeavor. 

 

10-1-18 FTS

 

[MrJDanP]

Long time no see...

 

After spending five or so odd months back at home (in true recent graduate fashion) I landed a dream job. Moved to Knoxville, TN. Very cool place. Mom took care of the tank for a month while I got settled in. She did fine, but some things did go awry.

 

 Will add more words at a later time, but here is an FTS and a shot of my frag rack with some goodies from work!

[MrJDanP]

Update time:

 

So, things in my life have changed. Moved to knoxville for my first big boy job. Working as a process biologist at a fish hatchery. It. Is. Awesome. Can't begin to describe how happy/lucky I am. Patience pays off I guess.

 

Moved here back at the end of November and had to leave my tank in my mom's care while I got settled in. I gave her a list of basic maintenance and rolled the dice on not having her do any water changes. Easiest way for things to go south in my opinion.

 

Fast forward to January:

Went home for a visit and to pick up my tank. Everything was healthy for the most part. Nutrients stacked up on the tail end of the nitrogen cycle, so naturally: hair algae. (Almost taken care of now). The only thing that suffered was the hollywood stunner. It had bleached in the middle and got taken over by algae. I ended up fragging it up in an attempt to safe it, but it kept coming off the plug (Couldn't find my super glue and who knew Echinopora was so brittle???). Not the cleanest job in my club-like fingers. Alas I still have a piece of it.

 

Other things flourished in the nutrient rich environment.

The acans that I've had for over a year and hadn't grown anymore than the 4 polyps it had at purchase -> 10 polyps now

Blasto now has a developing polyp as well

Frags of the german blue digi have encrusted. The one I stuck in the rock is doing so much better than it's twin

The blue/purple mushrooms went from three to seven

 

 

New corals are jack o lantern lepto, golden pavona, and superman chalice

 

[Christopher Marks]

Congratulations on your new job @MrJDanP! What kinds of fish do you work with?

 

Glad to see the tank transitioned well to your new location not too worse for the wear! Fragging your hollywood stunner coral was a good move, that's great you could save a little piece, hopefully it will rebound.

 

Have you explored any local fish stores in your new area?

[MrJDanP]

Thanks @Christopher Marks! I work with ornamental saltwater fish, mostly designer clowns but some others mixed in. It's awesome. 

 

I've made it out to one lfs so far. Will definitely be making an appearance at the others soon. I've been having an itch for a bigger tank for awhile! Probably around a 40g. Trying to decide between Red sea, waterbox, or jbj.

[MrJDanP]

Stability.

 

My tank experienced a lapse of normal maintenance beginning almost a year ago now when I left my tank in my mom's care while I was moving. This caused an eruption of  GHA that I thought I was on the verge of eradicating, but it seems to have a high stake in my tanks real estate. And now it has also invited some bubble algae??? Time for some serious tlc and cuc revamp. Got an emerald crab from work yesterday to help sprucin up the place a bit if you will. The clowns greeted his friendly wave by ripping his left chela off.

 

I also switched to a different water source a while back which probably triggered the algae invasion (still using distilled, will switch to an RO unit one day). 

 

Some corals have suffered. Bits of tissue loss on the german blue digi. Blasto was stressed from something and the hermits finished off the big polyp. But, a new polyp has risen to takes its place. Superman chalice and gold pavona have succumbed to the algal threat.

 

Nonetheless, things will be back to ship-shape soon. Pods and other inverts have really taken off in my tank.