Billy's 18g Caribbean Biotope - Breakdown Complete!

[billygoat]

7 hours ago, Gakarl100 said:

was drawn to your tank from the TOTM, congrats!   Slow afternoon at work so that drew me to reading almost all 44 pages of your tank thread since I setup a cvue 18 about a month ago and I am curious to some of the things you have been through on your tank.  I thought I read at one point you switched to filter floss and removed the socks?  Did you take out those sock holders and what are you using to hold your filter floss?  Also what was the solution to the red algae on your sand bed?  Looks like that is all cleared up. 

Thanks for your kind words, and thanks for taking the time to read all of that! I hope you were able to unearth some useful information in there. 😁 Regarding the filter floss: I used the stock C-Vue filter socks for the first year or so of running this tank (I bought a few extra pairs so I could switch them out during maintenance more easily), but I recently switched to floss held in custom-fitted floss caddies made by InTank (these guys). Filtration-wise the difference between socks and floss has not been significant for me, but floss is easier to deal with and makes my weekly maintenance a bit shorter. The downside is that the floss caddies are rather large and don't work well unless you stuff them all the way full with floss, which is sort of wasteful. I may switch back to socks eventually, or perhaps I will try removing my mechanical filtration altogether.

 

Red slime algae on my sandbed was a consistent problem for the first six or seven months of this tank's life, but I was eventually able to overcome it with a combination of regular manual removal (performed in the evening when the lights are about to go down, so the cyano doesn't have a chance to rebound immediately), increased flow, and the addition of alkalinity supplements to maintain a consistent level of 8.5 dKH. That stuff is a struggle, but it seems to have a harder time holding on as the system becomes more mature (most of the time, anyway).

 

7 hours ago, Gakarl100 said:

Yeah unfortunate on cvue tanks not being made any longer, my lfs neglected to tell me that when I bought the tank last month and I have figured that out as I have learned more since setting it up.  How you liking that new sump pump you installed, I noticed the stock on mine came with could be better IMHO and thought about upgrading...

I wouldn't feel too bad about your purchase, because the C-Vue is still a very fine aquarium and there is still unofficial support for it thanks to companies like InTank that make custom designed products. My only complaints about the tank are that the overflows are rather loud without any sort of socks or floss in there, which makes it difficult to run without any mechanical filter, and that flow through the sump area is kind of slow. I recommend that you upgrade the stock pump as this seems to help increase water movement through the rear chambers, which in turn improves the effectiveness of your filter socks and increases the performance of your heater. The Sicce Syncra 1.0 has been a great pump for me so far, certainly much better (and quieter!) than the stock return.

 

7 hours ago, Amphrites said:

I knew you were holding out on us, don't think I didn't notice those beautiful shots of your adorable little basslet and goby in the well-deserved TOTM thread.

Haha, you caught me! It's been a busy week and no mistake, but tomorrow is maintenance day so I will try to snap some fresh pictures of the new livestock. For the time being I am pleased to report that the chalk bass has settled in very nicely. She's a bit shy still, and mostly keeps to a small territory that she's staked out under a rock ledge on the right side of the tank, but she's definitely a model citizen. I've seen no sign of aggression between the basslet and the jawfish, even at feeding time. They eat right alongside each other like proper neighbors. 😊

 

There's a lot of text in this post, so here's a picture of a crab to help balance it out! This green porcelain crab has been living in my system for many months. I don't make any effort to target feed it or anything, so I'm not sure what exactly it eats, but it seems to do pretty well for itself.

 

[billygoat]

Here are some pictures from today, as promised! I had some trouble getting a good shot of the jawfish and chalk bass together (the light is not great in the morning), but this one isn't half bad. Also featured is a picture of my new yellow whip gorgonian, as well as an RFA eating a snail. This snail-snacking happens pretty frequently, as dwarf ceriths get pushed off the glass by my powerhead and land on top of my 'nems. The snails appear to often survive being eaten. 🤷‍♂️

 

    

[Gakarl100]

How often you swap your floss out?

[billygoat]

2 hours ago, Gakarl100 said:

How often you swap your floss out?

Once per week, as part of my weekly maintenance. I've been experimenting week-to-week with the right amount to use, and I think there's a way to use less than a full floss-holder's worth every time. Just have to wedge it into the holder sidewise so it doesn't float away when my pumps are off for feeding.

[Gakarl100]

On 3/2/2020 at 11:30 PM, billygoat said:

Red slime algae on my sandbed was a consistent problem for the first six or seven months of this tank's life, but I was eventually able to overcome it with a combination of regular manual removal (performed in the evening when the lights are about to go down, so the cyano doesn't have a chance to rebound immediately), increased flow, and the addition of alkalinity supplements to maintain a consistent level of 8.5 dKH. That stuff is a struggle, but it seems to have a harder time holding on as the system becomes more mature (most of the time, anyway).

I have noticed a decrease in my sand bed algee since removing the socks and going to filter floss.  Did you notice this as well?  I am using some custom made caddies link below from my lfs.  Also 1 bag of chemi-pure blue under one of the caddies filter floss.

 

[Poodges]

Congrats on TOTM!!!!!!!!!!

[billygoat]

7 hours ago, Gakarl100 said:

I have noticed a decrease in my sand bed algee since removing the socks and going to filter floss.  Did you notice this as well?  I am using some custom made caddies link below from my lfs.  Also 1 bag of chemi-pure blue under one of the caddies filter floss.

My sandbed cyanobacteria cleared up long before I switched from socks to floss, so I think that wasn't a big factor in my case. Those are some very cool caddies your LFS makes though! Looks like the perfect alternative to the C-Vue filter socks. I personally I have never used chemi-pure (or any other supplement, except for activated carbon), but I imagine that the shallow depth of those floss caddies makes it easy to fit in some media bags underneath of them.

 

4 hours ago, Poodges said:

Congrats on TOTM!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you very much @Poodges! I hope everything is going well for you over in the 60 gallon. How's your jawfish doing? I never did get around to installing that DIY moonlight for my A160 (I was kind of discouraged by a lack of additional plugs on my power strip), but it's still definitely on my radar.

 

Today I got a small order from Reef Cleaners with some chaeto to restart my refugium. I believe that with the upgraded return pump for increased flow plus ChaetoGro for trace element supplementation, I may actually have success with the 'fuge this time around. I've noticed an uptick in algae growth since the addition of my chalk bass, so I think that the time might be ripe. Nutrients must remain in balance.

 

Along with the chaeto I also got a handful of Astraea snails and an interesting Caribbean curiosity: a banded-eye hermit (Paguristes tortugae). I noticed Reef Cleaners carrying this variety of hermit for the first time I can remember, so I decided to try it out. It's an interesting species, with stocky claws and a creamy white, fuzzy body. The specimen I received is about the same size as a scarlet hermit. Hopefully it will do well in my system.

 

 

I will name it Lurch, after the butler from the Addams Family. "You rang?"

[A.m.P]

What a cool crab, super-pretty.

[Sharbuckle]

Congrats on the TOTM. 🙂 

[Kangster911]

I knew your tank was going to be featured one day. Congratulations!

[billygoat]

14 hours ago, Sharbuckle said:

Congrats on the TOTM. 🙂 

 

10 hours ago, Kangster911 said:

I knew your tank was going to be featured one day. Congratulations!

Thank you both! It really means a lot to me. Sometimes it's kind of hard to believe that my tank full of beginner-level soft corals is featured alongside all the incredibly beautiful reefs in the TOTM archive, but folks like you guys make me feel like I've done something right. I appreciate all the support. ❤️

 

And don't worry - I definitely intend to keep up with my journal thread! I'll try to grab/post some new pictures before I leave for work tomorrow. 👍

[billygoat]

Here are some quick pictures from around the tank this morning! From left/top:

 

1. Masked goby on his mushroom throne.

2. Branching coralline algae.

3. Purple candelabra gorgonian.

4. Blue zoanthids starting to make a comeback.

 

        

[debbeach13]

Nice pictures! Got to try and find some blue zoas.

[billygoat]

Here are a few more pictures of Lurch, the new hermit. This species seems to have all the typical derpy hermit habits. It's quite enjoyable to watch him bumbling around my tank.

 

  

[melson]

@billygoat, how much light do your blue zoas normally get? I have mine near the bottom third of the tank and they have just about doubled in numbers. 

 

Also, when do you plan to go to Key West to see all of your species in the wild? 😉 haha

[Pjanssen]

59 minutes ago, melson said:

Also, when do you plan to go to Key West to see all of your species in the wild? 😉 haha

he doesn't have to go all the way to Key West. Better diving and snorkeling off Islamorada and Marathon IMHO.

[billygoat]

On 3/8/2020 at 1:15 PM, melson said:

@billygoat, how much light do your blue zoas normally get? I have mine near the bottom third of the tank and they have just about doubled in numbers. 

The blue zoas are almost directly in the center of the tank, so they get quite a bit of light. This used to be fine back when I was using the weak Kessil A80, but since upgrading to the A160 the blues have had a bit of a rough time. They're definitely starting to recover though, which is good to see. I'm optimistic that they'll make a full comeback in the months ahead.

 

On 3/8/2020 at 1:15 PM, melson said:

Also, when do you plan to go to Key West to see all of your species in the wild? 😉 haha

 

On 3/8/2020 at 2:16 PM, Pjanssen said:

he doesn't have to go all the way to Key West. Better diving and snorkeling off Islamorada and Marathon IMHO.

Honestly I'd be super happy to go to any of those places! But it's probably not going to happen soon, since I live on the other side of the country. 😔 It would be incredible to see real Caribbean reefs again though! It sure has been a very long time.

 

Here's a quick picture of my tank from earlier today. Nothing much to report, which I guess is good! 😁 I hope you are all having a good day as well.

 

 

 

[billygoat]

Here's a quick overhead shot from water change day. Every time I look at the tank from this angle I think to myself, "Man, I really need to get a bigger tank..." 😬😅

 

40 gallons, the dream. Some day it will be a reality. I'm thinking about holding out until Labor Day to see if IM tanks go on sale.

 

[Christopher Marks]

Don't upgrade, it's perfect! ❤️😄 

[billygoat]

1 hour ago, Christopher Marks said:

Don't upgrade, it's perfect! ❤️😄 

Far from perfect, I'm afraid! 😅 But it is very stable, and that is a lot to throw away. I'm simultaneously excited and annoyed by the prospect of an upgrade... having to cycle and build everything up all over again, maybe go through some ugly phases, possibly lose some livestock in the transfer, etc. doesn't sound all that appealing to me. Anyway, it won't happen for months yet - if it even happens at all - so don't worry! 😁

 

For the time being I am going to just observe and reflect on the beauty of these Caribbean creatures. It's been a week since I reinstated my refugium, and so far I haven't seen much sign of the cyanobacterial strands that popped up after all my previous attempts. Hopefully the 'fuge will end up being a success this time. My goby is certainly loving the pods that appear each morning on the glass, and everything else in the tank seems pretty happy too. Fingers crossed that the chaeto doesn't melt like it did the last time I tried this! 🤞

[billygoat]

Here are a few more photos from around the reef. Can you tell that I've had quite a few days off in a row? 😁

 

1. My small purple sea feather was closed up for 3-4 days, but this morning I found it all open again. Turns out it was just shedding. Typical gorgonian! I'm glad it is fine, because this little frag is the last remnant of some large and beautiful colonies that I lost in the Great Lightning Disaster at the end of last year.

2. Lurch the banded-eye hermit, doing hermit things. This guy is a lot of fun to observe.

3. Caribbean starlet coral. I think the growth of this little colony has accelerated quite a bit since I started feeding it regularly.

4. Ricordea florida. Always a pleasure to see these guys thriving. No matter where this hobby leads me, I don't think I'll ever have a reef tank without Ricordea.

 

      

[Pjanssen]

 Can you tell that I've had quite a few days off in a row? 😁
 

Seems like a lot of us may have several days off in the near future 🙁

[DNR88]

The new hermit is a real stunner! 😁

[billygoat]

On 3/12/2020 at 2:19 AM, DNR88 said:

The new hermit is a real stunner! 😁

I really like the new hermit! Historically hermits have done pretty poorly in my tank for some reason, but I have a single blue-leg that stuck around for four or five months with no issue so I decided to try another one. So far so good! It's cool that he's a species that is rare in the hobby too. 😁

 

On 3/11/2020 at 7:23 PM, Pjanssen said:

Seems like a lot of us may have several days off in the near future 🙁

 

I hear that! The public aquarium where I work is shutting down until the end of March... thankfully employees are going to continue to work and get paid during the closure (at least for the time being), but we're a non-profit so we definitely can't keep that up forever. Hopefully all this madness will blow over so things can get back to normal before too much time goes by. 😟

 

It's been pretty stressful for me and my co-workers of late, but I have to say that observing my home aquarium really helps me out a lot. It's so nice being able to come home and see my animals just hanging out and doing well, unconcerned with all the goings-on of the outside universe. My tank is a little oasis of serenity where I can relax for awhile, even when the rest of the world seems to have suddenly gone mad. ☀️🏝️

 

Here's a close-up photo of one of my favorite gorgonians, Eunicea calyculata. Its polyps are much larger than those of most gorgs. They remind me a bit of Xenia. This particular specimen is growing very tall, so I may need to frag it before long.

 

[Coastie]

Hey Billy! Your tank is a stunner (obviously you know that from TOTM!).  I almost bought the exact same tank as a temp tank while I rented!  I was looking when they were first introduced so they were sold out everywhere.  I ended up finding a deal on a used IM Nuvo 20 and while I loved that tank, and would have loved the Cobalt, the 40 breeder is where it's at!  I agree that you don't need to upgrade, but a 40B can be purchased at Petco for $50.  They're having the $1 a gallon sale right now.  Pair it with a 20L and it is the perfect setup!

 

Anyhow, loving the jawfish! I've had two in my inexperienced days.  Unfortunately I learned life lessons the hard way.  They are/were my favorite fish but I won't allow myself getting another due to the fish I've lost.