Fresh start with 13g tank!

[Eroll026]

Hey! About one year ago I started a nano tank with a 13g starterkit from Aquael. I decided to use most of the stock equipment included in the box, but added a heater and streamer.

I also removed the sponges from the HOB and replaced them with creamic rings for more biological filtration. 

 

Just as I started the tank I became a father and alot of stuff changed that took my time and I lost most of my interest in the tank. 

I basicly just let the tank run its course but kept changing water weekly and kept feeding the livestock. 

 

Now my situation is alot more stable and I have decided to really make an effort to get the beautiful reef tank that I allways wanted. 

 

My main things to do right now is:

-Change to a better quality led, Im looking at moon led right now. 

-Clean the tank up from all algae and unwanted growth. 

-Add corals. At first Im looking at soft corals, leathers and maby some xenia or similar. 

 

Livestock at this point:

2 ocellaris clowns

1 yellowfin damsel

1 firefin goby

1 peppermint shrimp

1 hermit crab (unknown) 

6-10 snails ranging from turbos to nassarius and some others. 

1 crab (unknown) hitchhiked with LR

Unknown other critters that hitchhiked with the LR, Ive seen some worms in the substrate and some other stuff. 

 

Okey so enough text for now, here is the tank from then to now:

 

The box arrives, damaged:

 

All set up with indonesian LR, cloudy:

 

Tank clearing up, also added more LR, unknown origin:

 

Tank reaching end of cycle:

 

First CUC goes in:

 

First sign of big trouble, I shouldnt have ignored it but I did and got to pay the price later:

 

LR really coming to life:

 

 

Added some more dry rock to create a more pleasing look:

 

First fish goes in, two ocellaris clowns:

 

At this point aiptasia has really taken hold of the tank, spreading like wildfire:

 

CUC really appreciate my lack of interest for the tank, they are working overtime at this point:

 

At this point I decided to start fix the tank and start cleaning it up and making an effort. After nuking all the aiptasia I could find with aiptasia-x over the course of two weeks, I decided that the really small hard-to-reach ones could keep a peppermint shrimp well fed for awhile so in he went:

 

Next addition to the livestock was a yellowfin damsel. I was really worried about the aggression but it turned out that he and the clowns got along fine from the start:

 

After seeing the damsel getting so comfortable in the tank I decided to add yet another fish to the livestock, a firefin goby. 

He was really shy at the start but has really started to take place in the tank now, and the other fish seem to accept him as part of the gang:

 

Im aware that Im close to overtock such a small reef, but I am monitoring the waterparameters as well as keeping an eye on aggressive behaviour. 

 

This is were Im at right now. From now on Im dedicating alot more time to clean the tank up, adding more colour and life. 

Hopefully this journal will act as a motivator and to keep me inspired to make this the reef Ive dreamt about for a long time! 

 

Im open to all suggestions and tips regarding everything surrounding this project. 

 

Thanks for reading and checking in! 😀

Disclaimer: English is not my native language! 😉

[Eroll026]

Small update today:

Decided to remove my biggest LR to scrub most of the algae off after tips in another thread here, and also to move some of my other rocks to easier clean the glass and open up some swimmingspace and hidingcaves.

 

 

Also currently Im looking actively for frags so hopefully I can add some corals soon!

[Ladytank]

Here is an easy fix for aphasia. Boil some water. Using a syringe with some tubing on it squirt the aphasia. Kills it immediately,and no need for chemicals. Get them quick or they will take over your tank. I used this method just last week,and it worked. I saw it on a YouTube video. Nice looking tank.

[Eroll026]

17 hours ago, Ladytank said:

Here is an easy fix for aphasia. Boil some water. Using a syringe with some tubing on it squirt the aphasia. Kills it immediately,and no need for chemicals. Get them quick or they will take over your tank. I used this method just last week,and it worked. I saw it on a YouTube video. Nice looking tank.

 

Thanks for the advice! If I get another outbreak of aiptasia I will try this first!

Right not the lysmata wurdemanni is keeping the tank clean so hopefully I wont need to. 🙂

[Eroll026]

Update:

Today my new led showed up! 

I bought the coralbox moon led. 

 

Im still tinkering with the settings and trying to figure out a good schdule for the lightcycle, but here is a first actionshot. (Notice the lightshade my gf forced me to make to block out the massive lightspill in the livingroom. 😄 ) 

 

Here is the schdule I will be using til I figure out what works best for the corals I will get. 

 

 

Next step, corals! 😄