skyscraper’s PicO III Reboot (7 Month Update 4/8, new photos)

[skyscraper2290]

So bit of an update, yesterday I picked up a rainford goby as my final fish addition to the tank. It was one that I had been watching at the LFS for the past few weeks and was eating everything there. After doing more research on the fish it seemed that it used to be that you needed some filamontous algae for it to really thrive but it seemed about 2008-2009 that more captive bred species were on the market that were more successful to keep in an aquarium. After seeing it eat at the store I decided to go for it. Acclimated the fish and then fed last night and was already starting to eat. Already swimming around the tank more today and my firefish was much less shy today so was able to get picture of all the fish out at once. This past weekend there was a local reef tour and picked up a Millie frag, galaxea, and one more acan from another local. No pictures of those yet but will probably get some in the next couple days. Need to grab a new FTS as everything is mounted where I want it now.

 

 

 

 

[ninjamyst]

always wanted a rainford goby or hector goby but read both were difficult to feed.  glad you got one that is already eating!

[skyscraper2290]

30 minutes ago, ninjamyst said:

always wanted a rainford goby or hector goby but read both were difficult to feed.  glad you got one that is already eating!

Ya that was definitely something I was worried about but knowing it had been at the LFS for at least 3 weeks and eating convinced me to go for it. I almost feel like it should be a more expensive fish to discourage people who don’t research it first from getting one.

[skyscraper2290]

Time for a bunch of pictures. I picked up a new hammer today as well as a green acan frag. The tank has been doing great and everything is looking healthy. I am trying to resist adding too much to the tank right now. There is a local frag swap at the beginning of November and I want to pick up some pieces there. The tank is filling in nicely though with how I envisioned it, have seen some new zoa polyps pop up in the zoa garden too. 

 

FTS

 

Zoa Garden

 

Hammer Garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Green Acans

 

 

 

Captain America's (bottom right)

 

Fire and Ice

 

Hawaiian People Eaters

 

Ice Walkers

 

Scrammbled Eggs

[skyscraper2290]

Spit Fire

 

Sunny D

 

Utter Chaos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Reefkid88]

Tank is looking amazing !!! Love the new additions. Whatre you looking to score at the frag swap ? 

[skyscraper2290]

10 minutes ago, Reefkid88 said:

Tank is looking amazing !!! Love the new additions. Whatre you looking to score at the frag swap ? 

Thank you! I am hoping to find one more hammer and a couple rics. I’m also gonna keep my eyes out for a monti cap and a few acros to start filling in the top half of the tank. Also there is a huge bounce craze in this area right now so might get one. I feel like the zoa and acan gardens are done though. 

[skyscraper2290]

Got some extension tubes in the mail yesterday so took some more macro like photos tonight

 

 

Newest addition chunk of birds nest

 

Captain America's

 

Splatter Hammer

 

Fire and Ice

 

Sonic the Hedgehog Galaxea

 

Hawaiian People Eater

 

Mary Jane's

 

 

 

 

 

Scrambled Egg's

 

White Walkers

[skyscraper2290]

Won a nice piece of WWC grafted cap for $10 on a local auction and a couple polyps of Frostbrite zoas for $16. The guy holding the auction had a bunch of other nice pieces I put bids on but didn’t get because I couldn’t watch the end but hoping I can just buy a couple more frags from him when I pick these two up.

 

 

 

 

[skyscraper2290]

So yesterday I picked up the frostbrites and graphed monti cap and they are looking great! The monti cap is probably about 3” by 1.5” and already encrusting the plug, I feel like it was a steal for $10. While I picked those up I also grabbed a nice pieces of pearl berry that I missed out on during the auction because it ended while I was out at dinner. 

 

In in other news I did add a green clown goby to the tank and a sexy shrimp as well. This Thursday we have a local frag stock event and I’m hoping to pick up one more hammer, a couple rics, and a rock flower nem. After that the tank will be pretty close to the grow out phase besides picking up some more pieces of SPS for the top. I should be getting my Duo back over the tank soon but the temporary light I have been using has been working great. Makes me want to set it up over an empty 5G tank I have and do a mini maxi and sexy shrimp tank. I’ll probabky get a bunch of pictures after the frag stock event and everything is settled. Happy feeding everyone!

[skyscraper2290]

Happy Halloween everyone!! Had some work move around this morning and because of that was home and decided to grab some picks of the new pieces I just added. 

 

Morning FTS

 

Halloween Hermit felt appropriate 

 

Frostbrite Zoas

 

WWC Graphed Monti

 

Pearlberry, hopefully it doesn't just brown out on me haha

 

[Reefkid88]

More than likely the only part of the Pearlberry that will brown is the under side of thw frag but thats to be expected. 

[skyscraper2290]

8 minutes ago, Reefkid88 said:

More than likely the only part of the Pearlberry that will brown is the under side of thw frag but thats to be expected. 

Haha ya that’s what I’m expecting and hopefully that is it though

[skyscraper2290]

[skyscraper2290]

Some pics from my local frag stock event . I picked up a toxic splatter hammer and a RFA which was 2/3 of my list. I was hoping to get an orange ricordea but only saw one at all the vendors and he was charging 200 for it which I thought was ridiculous.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[skyscraper2290]

And here are the newest additions to the tank, I wanted to get a picture of the RFA before it moved to the back of the tank and out of view 😂. Still isn’t the greatest picture but all I could manage tonight. These were shot under almost all blues and pulled them straight from the camera.

 

RFA

 

Toxic Splatter Hammer

[ninjamyst]

$200 for orange ricordea?!  I usually pay $15 or less.  CRAY CRAY

[el_ote]

I love the look of those splatters! Nice couple of finds!

[skyscraper2290]

1 hour ago, ninjamyst said:

$200 for orange ricordea?!  I usually pay $15 or less.  CRAY CRAY

Ya it was absurd, another vendor had an anemone he was selling for $2K. Some of the prices were appalling. For the most part though there was a lot of nice stuff for $10-20 or at least under $50.

 

15 minutes ago, el_ote said:

I love the look of those splatters! Nice couple of finds!

Thanks! I am really loving have a variety of hammers in the tank. Feel like I still need one more haha 

[skyscraper2290]

I really need to stop but just won a few local auctions of some nice pieces. All of them were between $6-$16 except one piece was $50. Once these are in the tank it is pretty much going to be just grow out time. Still want to find a few more rics but if I can’t I may just pull the rock out or go in a different direction.

 

Here are all the pieces I’ll be picking up soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Reefkid88]

[skyscraper2290]

 

Not too much to update but figured I would put up a couple photos. I now have 3 sexy shrimp in the tank and they are always hanging out in the hammer garden. Really cool animals and fun to watch. I also have been watching this cool fan worm grow on one of the pieces of LR.

 

I did pick up the Jedi mind trick monti, Rasta zoas, turaki, and dc starry night frags the other day. Everything settled in nicely except for the turaki which seemed to have RTN’d right when it got into the tank or possibly even started when I dipped it. I’ve left it in the bottom of the tank for now as the clown goby likes to perch in it. Also should get my Duo back over the tank either tomorrow or Friday and really excited about that.

 

[skyscraper2290]

So was out of town for about a week for Thanksgiving but the tank did good. Had some dirty glass when I got home and had the birdsnest knocked over by a snail probably and it lost some tissue but that was the only bad thing to happen while I was gone. Took some time to get some photos tonight of the tank including a new FTS. I pulled one of the rocks out that was going to be a ricordea rock and am really happy with how it looks now. I don't really plan on adding anything to the tank and just let it start growing out. Also in the FTS you can see the turaki at the bottom that RTN'd as soon as it was being dipped, I decided to leave it in because the clown goby likes to hang out in it. I also have my Duo back over the tank and the coral have already started responding well, thanks @DaveFason!! He worked on the light through 2 hurricanes and kept me updated and was great to work with again. It's so nice having wireless control of the light now, I really like the feature! 

 

 

 

 

Captain Americas and Hawaiian People Eaters

 

No name zoas, really liking the coloration these are starting to show, ID welcome!

 

Scrambled Egg's

 

Maryjanes, you can see a wonderful strand of dog hair that probably got in there during my WC

 

Spit Fire

 

Frostbrite's, these are quickly becoming one of my favorites, I wish I could capture how bright these really are!

 

Sonic the Hedgehog Galaxea, originally got this as a single head and now its showing about 5-6

 

Rock Flower Nem and you can see one of the Sexy Shrimp hanging out on it

 

Pearlberry, really love the color of this one

 

Grafted cap, showing better colors after fading a bit under the temporary light I had

 

Splatter hammer, one of my favorite corals for sure

[Reefkid88]

I've been so patient waiting on a update. Won't lie,its one of the very few tanks I wait for a update !!! 

 

 How are you liking the new light ? 

[skyscraper2290]

36 minutes ago, Reefkid88 said:

I've been so patient waiting on a update. Won't lie,its one of the very few tanks I wait for a update !!! 

 

 How are you liking the new light ? 

I really appreciate that! Looks like you have been moving along nicely in your build! 

 

I love it, I sent it back to Dave after being in storage for a couple years and had him add the bluefish controller. My tank always did great under it so really happy to have it back and a little fancier now too.