MainelyReefer Posted December 5, 2018 Author Share Posted December 5, 2018 Been a while since I updated, did a WC today and grabbed a shot of Fritz and wetherbee while they were eating flake. Couldn’t find the filter so the shots are blue washed so I didn’t bother grabbing other crappy shots of coral. Better update to come soon 4 Quote Link to comment
Christopher Marks Posted December 5, 2018 Share Posted December 5, 2018 I have been researching ideas and solutions for a pico jar of my own, rereading our contest pico container journals, and I want to say I am so impressed with the growth and success of pico reef @GraniteReefer! I am thrilled that you chose to keep it going in this unique container and improve upon the limitations of the contest rules. Our humble light requirements were tough to work with in hindsight, but you made the most of it, and now it's truly flourishing under the Ai Prime. Thank you for documenting your process and progression with so much detail, it has been very helpful in clarifying and further proving the pico jar 100% water change methodology. 👍 Have you been happy with the Cobalt Aquatics heater and ultrasonic air pump that you've been using? I am considering a similar piezoelectric air pump for mine. Any changes you would make to the riser tube or airstone? I may not need a heater with my setup, but time will tell. I will definitely use your coral selection as my guide, you have an impressive collection in such a small space! It's so cool to see it all filling in now. 4 2 Quote Link to comment
MainelyReefer Posted December 7, 2018 Author Share Posted December 7, 2018 Thanks for the kind words and reading the tanks journal @Christopher MarksThe lighting upgrade post the contest was definitely a pivotal point in this tanks development. Though having joined the hobby after its adoption of LED it was nice to learn why I should love my LEDs! I used 2 CFLs in the 6 month competition and by the third month each time the light was so weak! Plus the spectrum sucked The heater has proven to be reliable, though it has to be coupled with the controller to be viable. It’s suction cup is starting to fail so I keep finding it loose in the tank. I picked up a few of the same spare cobalt heaters for like 3.50 or something during that ridiculous sale DR. Fosters and smith had so I may replace it soon or Atleast exchange the suction cup. I also purchased the Archaea (the heater that everyone was recommending during the contest) and have yet to use it as it isn’t smaller and it is glass so I thought it would be more breakable in the small space. The cord is also miserably short on the Archaea heater. The air pump has proven to be invaluable as my wife wouldn’t put up with an airpump noise in the kitchen and this one all you can hear are the bubbles popping. At 8gph of air movement it leaves a little to be desired( my battery backup air pump is 30gph and it’s noticeably stronger flow when in use). With such slow flow the pistol shrimp has actually jammed a rock into the tube one night(I don’t run an air stone anymore) and the next morning I had to unclog it in order for flow to resume(I thought the pump had died but good thing I kept trouble shooting). I just googled the piezoelectric air pumps and maybe I will try one next but it seems they too suffer slow flow. The lift pipe(riser tube) is still functioning 100% though it used to be centered in the tank which kept the flow even around all sides. As wetherbee the pistol shrimp excavates and skews the rockwork forward the lift pipe discharges more to one side and creates more variability which is what I blame for the blobby growth on the lower half of my blue trumpet 5 1 Quote Link to comment
Christopher Marks Posted December 7, 2018 Share Posted December 7, 2018 Thanks for all the extra details! If your air pump is the Phantom model from Cobalt, it's also a piezoelectric air pump, that's how it's so quiet! Limited flow though, as you've found, but it seems to be sufficient, especially with a riser tube. I ordered a $12 one very similar that arrives tomorrow. I came across this version that seems to have double the output, it is presumably just as quiet, maybe that would be a better choice to increase flow for my pico jar? The Archaea heater is one I was considering as well, since it seems to have its own reliable temp controller. I'm hoping to keep gear minimal, but a 'dumb' heater that's tiny coupled with an Inkbird temp controller might be my best option for stability. I may have to use the cooling side of the controller too, along with a desktop fan in the summer. 1 Quote Link to comment
seabass Posted December 8, 2018 Share Posted December 8, 2018 @GraniteReefer quite impressive. @Christopher Marks do you have a pico tank build thread yet? 1 Quote Link to comment
Christopher Marks Posted December 8, 2018 Share Posted December 8, 2018 Journal coming soon @seabass ☺️ 4 Quote Link to comment
RayWhisperer Posted December 8, 2018 Share Posted December 8, 2018 Pfft! We mods all chipped in and bought him a pico for his birthday, years ago. Never saw that. Now he’s gettin a jar. Had I known, I would have just chugged a bottle of whiskey, and sent him that. 1 4 Quote Link to comment
MainelyReefer Posted December 18, 2018 Author Share Posted December 18, 2018 During the WC this week I modified the heater by glueing an old magnet off a hydor koralia to the heaters suction cup. This should solve the issue of it detaching and settling on my Acans and zoas. I also used this time to re zip tie the controller thermometer to the heater(dumb placement I know) Dollar store toothbrushes, turkey baster, tweezers, super glue, zip ties.... macgyver pico heater fix. Wetherbee renovating post WC Considering a full sandbed replacement as the detritus is getting extremely coagulated in the sand and doesn’t easily separate so I’m losing a fair amount at each WC. I’ve been adding some new sand occasionally but this is only diluting the issue. I know Brandon stresses the vigorous sandbed rinse even going so far as using tap to do it. That method is not quite for this tank but a solution is in the works. considering dropping an air driven sponge filter like this for a few hours after each WC to help remove unaddressed detritus. 3 Quote Link to comment
MainelyReefer Posted December 23, 2018 Author Share Posted December 23, 2018 Feeding this morning So many bristleworms, I fear an eventual population collapse that could rerelease captured nutrients en masse and nuke the tank. Acan Feeders= The Coolest The aqua Blue tips on this acans feeders are my favorite 2 Quote Link to comment
mcarroll Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 2 hours ago, GraniteReefer said: So many bristleworms, I fear an eventual population collapse that could rerelease captured nutrients en masse and nuke the tank. Unless you starve them out or do something else bad to your reef, it's not going to happen, so pls don't spend any actual thoughts in worry. They breed up or down in population to the available food source, so just stay consistent on your end and it'll continue to be fine. 🙂 As it is now, they are what's keeping that tiny enclosure working as well as has been! 2 Quote Link to comment
Lula_Mae Posted December 24, 2018 Share Posted December 24, 2018 On 12/7/2018 at 4:21 PM, GraniteReefer said: Thanks for the kind words and reading the tanks journal @Christopher MarksThe lighting upgrade post the contest was definitely a pivotal point in this tanks development. Though having joined the hobby after its adoption of LED it was nice to learn why I should love my LEDs! I used 2 CFLs in the 6 month competition and by the third month each time the light was so weak! Plus the spectrum sucked The heater has proven to be reliable, though it has to be coupled with the controller to be viable. It’s suction cup is starting to fail so I keep finding it loose in the tank. I picked up a few of the same spare cobalt heaters for like 3.50 or something during that ridiculous sale DR. Fosters and smith had so I may replace it soon or Atleast exchange the suction cup. I also purchased the Archaea (the heater that everyone was recommending during the contest) and have yet to use it as it isn’t smaller and it is glass so I thought it would be more breakable in the small space. The cord is also miserably short on the Archaea heater. The air pump has proven to be invaluable as my wife wouldn’t put up with an airpump noise in the kitchen and this one all you can hear are the bubbles popping. At 8gph of air movement it leaves a little to be desired( my battery backup air pump is 30gph and it’s noticeably stronger flow when in use). With such slow flow the pistol shrimp has actually jammed a rock into the tube one night(I don’t run an air stone anymore) and the next morning I had to unclog it in order for flow to resume(I thought the pump had died but good thing I kept trouble shooting). I just googled the piezoelectric air pumps and maybe I will try one next but it seems they too suffer slow flow. The lift pipe(riser tube) is still functioning 100% though it used to be centered in the tank which kept the flow even around all sides. As wetherbee the pistol shrimp excavates and skews the rockwork forward the lift pipe discharges more to one side and creates more variability which is what I blame for the blobby growth on the lower half of my blue trumpet Tank is looking great! Lighting options were definitely very limited for picos until LEDs became viable. The short cord on the Archea heater is my only complaint, but it looks longer than the one you've got so probably isn't the best option for a tank of this shape and size. I'd stick with what you've got, if I were you. Gluing the Koralia suction cup to it was a pretty clever fix! 1 Quote Link to comment
MainelyReefer Posted December 25, 2018 Author Share Posted December 25, 2018 White Christmas in the reef bowl! Well actually it’s a 75% new sandbed! Snow Globe Status Christmas Morning 7 Quote Link to comment
MainelyReefer Posted January 3, 2019 Author Share Posted January 3, 2019 An interesting and rather irritating side effect of my coral placement and scape design is that zoas started out on the top of the rock work and their growth pattern is somehow leading to them bailing. As they grow the lower down zoas slowly extended their trunks to push out towards the lights. For a while I have thought this has created a unique desirable effect that resembles a Zoa Christmas tree. Now as they over extend it appears they are losing grip and floating free. Here is a gorilla nipple in the mouth of an Acan the other day.then today I see an eagle eye floating above my blasto as I’m looking the bubbles keeping it afloat pop and it drops into the blasto which immediately shrinks. I shut off flow and turkey basted it off within a minute and since the blasto has been fine, as has that Acan. There are a few vermetid snails directly beneath where the floating Zoa occurred who were casting their nets and keeping it afloat. Starting to think without intervention the zoas will become the dominant coral in the bowl. I would either only add zoas or not add them at all if starting again. If only the bounce grew like the zoas. The OG bounce has stayed almost the same size but Atleast it has stayed attached and colored up. that thing is tiny, but it just recently started responding more to feedings of reef roids, the force is strong with this one 5 1 Quote Link to comment
MainelyReefer Posted January 4, 2019 Author Share Posted January 4, 2019 Dropping Zoas continues, is this a way zoas self spread? I have just left the stragglers on the sandbed and they open up and try attaching to rubble. Then the pistol moves them and buries them. Still no apparent damage, perhaps a good pairing? 2 1 Quote Link to comment
teenyreef Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 My palys do that but I haven't seen it with my zoas. Quote Link to comment
Christopher Marks Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 Happy New Year @GraniteReefer! How's your pico reef doing this month? Have any of those dropped zoanthids managed to attach anywhere? Quote Link to comment
MainelyReefer Posted January 23, 2019 Author Share Posted January 23, 2019 The tank is doing good I neglected it the past two weeks because of my new reefer 250 transfer and just did a WC today. The gorilla nipples zoas are still dropping in good health, when transferred to my other tanks they reattach. I think viable real estate is at a premium and they lose in stretching capabilities/ chemical warfare perhaps. I sucked 5 more fallen zoas out this WC. Also the pistol is slowly shifting the rockwork, spinning it counter clockwise and pulling it towards the rear wall. This is causing the spot the gorilla nipples are located to shift away from the light toward the heater. Fritz the fish likes the open space this is creating. Fritz Distorted Fritz towards the bottom BrittleStar holding its own scavenging among an army of worms. Eating flakes, that’s right I’m feeding 1 hour AFTER my WC 4 Quote Link to comment
MainelyReefer Posted February 5, 2019 Author Share Posted February 5, 2019 Been watching this small patch of some kind of macro growing for a while now, anyone have an ID? Looks like a tiny red caulerpa prolifera, rode in on KP Aquatics rock so would be of carribean decent. Super slow growth and less than 10mm in length. Quote Link to comment
seabass Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 IDK, maybe Gracilaria of some kind. 1 Quote Link to comment
Christopher Marks Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 🎉 🙂 7 1 Quote Link to comment
vlangel Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 Congrats Granite reefer, a well deserved honor! Your bowl has really become a beautiful reef. 2 Quote Link to comment
MainelyReefer Posted February 13, 2019 Author Share Posted February 13, 2019 TOTM! Such an honor to have my tank showcased, thanks @Christopher Marks for reconfirming that this hobby makes my wife think of me like this but makes me think I look like this Here are a few of the pictures that didn’t make the final cut 6 1 1 Quote Link to comment
vlangel Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 So many fantastic pics! 1 Quote Link to comment
MainelyReefer Posted February 16, 2019 Author Share Posted February 16, 2019 Want to give a thanks to @johnmaloney with reef cleaners as I got some critters for the reef bowl as a self-reward. I also needed a CUC for the Red Sea 250 which is a good thing so I had a tank big enough to put the excessive amounts of snails in! John must have double vision as there were twice the number of critters from what I ordered! Everything arrived well packaged and alive(other than a crab who ate the other crab, but John sent an EXTRA crab!). Bags Floating in my Dirty Red Sea I added two Dwarf Planaxis. I put them on the sandbed. 4 zigzag periwinkles 10 dwarf Cerith And 4 baby filtering clams who also went onto the sandbed I got other goodies too but those are all for the Red Sea, I’ll try to update the reefer thread with what was added there. If you are looking for a CUC think reefcleaners! 3 Quote Link to comment
MainelyReefer Posted February 16, 2019 Author Share Posted February 16, 2019 Picked up a celebratory Blasto frag! It’s a “high end” blasto but I got a fair deal as it was labeled 75$ a head but the owner didn’t want to make me too small a frag so gave me a 6 head frag for 75$! I already have had a frag of this in my bigger tank but prefer to buy a new one rather than frag my own I glued the frag to a magnet from an old Koralia powerhead, growth structure seems to be more encrusting than branching so I’m hoping it will spread onto the magnet then maybe the glass Frag first added Magnet on the outside Happy Frag Brightest orange in the tank 7 Quote Link to comment
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