Gravity Posted April 14, 2019 Share Posted April 14, 2019 This is my first reef tank and is currently around 21 months old. Late into my first year I experienced some Dino and had really slowed my coral growth. It has taken many months to get things growing again. I initially started this tank as a softy and LPS build but it has now shifted to a softy tank. MY SETUP Tank: CoralLife Biocube 14 Heater: Cobalt Neotherm 50w Lighting: Stock Lighting - 24w Actinic - 24w 10K - 1x Blue LED Bar Filtration: Chamber 1: Heater/ False Bottom Removed Chamber 2: InTank Media Basket (4/29/19) - Top: Filter Floss - Middle: BRS Carbon ROX0.8 (5/14/2019) Chamber 3: Stock Pump/Temperature/ AutoAqua Smart ATO Micro Circulation: Hydor Koralia Nano 240 Sand: 20 lbs Caribsea AragAlive Special Grade Rock: BRS Reef SaverWater: BRS 6 Stage RODI SystemSalt: Red Sea (Blue Bucket) Dosing: None Testing: Refractometer Nyos Nitrate HI736 Ultra Low Phosphorus HI775 Alkalinity Salifert Calcium Salifert Magnesium Fish: - ORA Gladiator Clownfish “Pennywise” A. ocellaris (LA 4/18/2019) - Randalli Prawn Goby (AA 6/8/2019) “Timon” Invertebrates: - Blue Legged Hermit (AA 6/8/2019) “Jack” - Red Banded Pistol Shrimp (BTR 6/15/2019) “Pumbaa” - 1x Nassarius Snails - 1x Cerith Snail - 1x Trochus Snail - Dwarf Cerith Snails Corals: Soft Fire and Ice Zoanthid (WWC 5/24/2019) Green Star Polyp (WWC 5/24/2019) Weeping Willow Toadstool (BLC 6/8/2019) WWC AOI Zoanthid (CC 1/15/2020) OG Pink Zipper Palythoa (CC 1/15/2020) Orange Ricordia Yuma (MSR 1/2/2020) LPS WWC Blue Dragon Favities (5/24/2019) * Recovering from Blackout Frag Tank: Pink/Purple Blasto (AA 6/15/2019) WWC Red Comet Lord (5/24/2019) Green Acan Lord Green Ricordia Yuma (CC 1/15/2020) The Dearly Departed: - WWC Grapevine Lord (WWC 5/24/2019) *Shortly After Received - 1x Scarlet Hermit (AA 6/8/2019-6/21/2019) *Jack - Misbar Clownfish (BLC 6/8/2019-7/9/2019) *Clownfish aggression - Purple Monster Zoanthid (BLC 10/12/2019- *Single Head disappear - Black Ice Clownfish “Columbus” A. ocellaris (BLC 10/12/2019) *Disappeared, likely clown aggression - WWC Lavender Duncan (5/24/2019) *Blackout - Duncan (AA 6/15/2018) *Blackout - Purple & Pink Acan Lord (BLC 10/12/2019) *Blackout - WWC Candy Striped Lord (5/24/2019) *Blackout - Orange Acan Lord *Blackout - Hot Hawaiian Palythoa (CC 1/15/2020) - WWC Purple Monster Palythoa (CC 1/15/2020) Startup 3/16/2019 5/21/2019 9/25/2019 12/04/2019 2/04/2020 3/16/2020 One Year! 5/24/2020 Post Blackout 1 12/9/2020 5 Quote Link to comment
colinadam Posted April 14, 2019 Share Posted April 14, 2019 Another small Biocube reefer, and we are practically neighbors! Will be cool to watch your tank start up. 1 Quote Link to comment
Gravity Posted April 15, 2019 Author Share Posted April 15, 2019 Thanks Colinadam. Looks like your tanks is coming along nicely. Can’t wait to see all the corals you get. Quote Link to comment
Gravity Posted April 15, 2019 Author Share Posted April 15, 2019 Finally finished cycling the tank. Been dosing Dr Tim’s Ammonium Chloride for the cycle. This provided a nice clean cycle with only nitrate buildup while phosphorus remained low. The tank has completed four cycles over the last month with the last one taking less than 48hrs to remove 2 ppm of ammonia. During this time the lights have been turned off to prevent algae outbreak. I have now turned the lights on to start growing algae as I plan on adding a clownfish and snails later this week. 4/14/2019 Front 4/14/2019 Left 4/14/2019 Right 4/14/2019 ATO/Controls 1 Quote Link to comment
Gravity Posted April 19, 2019 Author Share Posted April 19, 2019 Received my clownfish and snails today. - Gladiator Clownfish - 2x Nassarius Snails - 2x Cerith Snails - 2x Trochus Snails 4/18/2019 Gladiator Clownfish in acclimation container 1 Quote Link to comment
colinadam Posted April 19, 2019 Share Posted April 19, 2019 That is a cool clownfish, love the markings! 1 Quote Link to comment
Gravity Posted April 19, 2019 Author Share Posted April 19, 2019 I realize I should have posted this before getting my fish. But here is my acclimation process that I used. Any feed back for the future would be greatly appreciated. Fish Acclimation 1) turn off tank lights, room lights and ATO 2) wipe fish bag with wet paper towel and RODI water 3) float bag on top of tank for 15 mins 4) open bag, pour fish into 1 gallon container drain container to 1/4 gallon line 5) add 1/2 ml of prime for ammonia detoxification due to transport 6) add 1 cup of tank water to the container wait 10 mins 7) add 1 cup of tank water wait 10 mins 8) add 1 cup of tank water wait10 mins 9) add 1 cup of tank water wait10 mins water volume should be around 1/2 Gal (50% tank water) 10) dump container water into bucket leaving fish and 1/4 gallon in container 11) add 1 cup of tank water to the container wait 10 mins 12) add 1 cup of tank water wait 10 mins 13) add 1 cup of tank water wait10 mins 14) add 1 cup of tank water wait 10 mins water volume should be around 1/2 Gal (75% tank water) 15) net fish and put in tank Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins Quote Link to comment
Gravity Posted April 19, 2019 Author Share Posted April 19, 2019 Photos of my new clownfish in his home. 1 Quote Link to comment
kimdawg Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 I love the view of the tank from the right and that clown fish. I think your fish acclimation sounds fine, but there are lots of ways to do it. Some of the more experienced reefs should chime in soon about that. You are in the right forum to get advice and help with any questions you may have. Quote Link to comment
Gravity Posted April 21, 2019 Author Share Posted April 21, 2019 Thanks kimdawg. I tried to consider the view from all directions. The acclimation was determined by multiple sources. I guess the concerns are the speed of acclimation. As my process was pretty long and my have caused extra stress. Lessons learned: Have water mixed for after acclimation. As the tank level dropped significantly through this process. 1 Quote Link to comment
billygoat Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Gravity said: Thanks kimdawg. I tried to consider the view from all directions. The acclimation was put determined by multiple sources. I guess the concerns are the speed of acclimation. As my process was pretty long and my have caused extra stress. Lessons learned: Have water mixed for after acclimation. As the tank level dropped significantly through this process. Your acclimation process certainly seems very thorough! The speed is the only thing I would be concerned about; I usually try to keep total acclimation time under an hour if possible. I also dislike netting fish and prefer to avoid doing so if possible. If you have the fish acclimating in a bucket you can herd them into a smaller container (I use a 32 oz. yogurt container) and then carefully pour out all but a little bit of the water, then submerge the container in your tank and allow the fish to swim out. By that point most of the water in your acclimation bucket should be tank water, so only a very small amount of shipping water will enter your system. It shouldn't make too much of a difference. This is just personal preference of course; clowns and many other fish are quite tough and can be netted and moved without any ill effects. I just like to keep my livestock submerged as much as I can. 😄 Quote Link to comment
Gravity Posted April 21, 2019 Author Share Posted April 21, 2019 Billygoat, thanks for the advice. I will avoid using nets whenever possible. Quote Link to comment
Gravity Posted April 28, 2019 Author Share Posted April 28, 2019 Gotta love Nassarius snails. They are hidden most of the day but as soon as food enters the tank they are on the hunt. 1 Quote Link to comment
Gravity Posted April 28, 2019 Author Share Posted April 28, 2019 First signs of algae after two weeks with the lights on. 4/28/2019 Quote Link to comment
Gravity Posted April 29, 2019 Author Share Posted April 29, 2019 Decided to calibrate my refractometer after a few weeks and realized the calibration was way off. Check my tank and had a specific gravity of 1.018. Planning on keeping with my weekly 20% water change at 1.025 until I get back up to 1.025. Anyone disagree with this approach? 1 Quote Link to comment
Gravity Posted April 30, 2019 Author Share Posted April 30, 2019 Got my InTank media basket today. Glad to be upgrading this. Thanks @inTank 1 1 Quote Link to comment
Gravity Posted May 6, 2019 Author Share Posted May 6, 2019 Found a snail on its back and open. Do you think it’s dead? Quote Link to comment
Gravity Posted May 6, 2019 Author Share Posted May 6, 2019 Pretty sure the snail is a goner, it didn’t move overnight so I removed it this morning in hopes of avoiding a nutrient spike. Any ideas on what could have caused this? Quote Link to comment
colinadam Posted May 7, 2019 Share Posted May 7, 2019 Is there enough algae in there to keep him and the others fed? Some of those guys are voracious eaters. I added 3 Tongan Nassarius Snails after I had my diatom bloom and man, they knocked that back in no time. Quote Link to comment
Gravity Posted May 8, 2019 Author Share Posted May 8, 2019 (edited) I would think so, my rocks have all turned green. And I had to scrape some off the glass last weekend. Edited May 9, 2019 by Gravity 1 Quote Link to comment
billygoat Posted May 9, 2019 Share Posted May 9, 2019 Could also be that the snail simply got flipped over and could not right itself. Any of those cone-shaped snails (astrea, turbo, etc.) lack the ability to flip themselves upright if they get turned over, so if they fall off your glass and there is no rock nearby for them to grab onto they are just out of luck. 😢 1 Quote Link to comment
Gravity Posted May 10, 2019 Author Share Posted May 10, 2019 I didn’t think that was an issue for Trochus snails. Quote Link to comment
billygoat Posted May 10, 2019 Share Posted May 10, 2019 Personally I don't keep any of those cone-shaped snails (only Nerites and Ceriths), so I am not 100% sure. But I was under the impression that all cone-shaped snails are vulnerable, Trochus included. I'm sure someone more experienced can clarify this though! Quote Link to comment
Gravity Posted May 12, 2019 Author Share Posted May 12, 2019 Noticed some purple/pink spots developing. Hopefully it’s coralline algae. There are about 5 spots so far. Salinity has been slowly approaching normal with my water changes, 1.021 specific gravity. Testing on Friday 5/10/2019 indicated no nitrates or phosphates. Assuming all the algae has consumed this. 5/8/2019 Quote Link to comment
banasophia Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 Looks like you’re off to a great start and doing tons of research - excited to follow along. Your fish is beautiful. I just flip snails over when I find them like that and usually they are fine and just needed a helping hand. I think you may want to add some additional snails... check out the recommendations on ReefCleaners, I did a custom snail only cleanup crew when I started and I was very happy with it. https://www.reefcleaners.org/when-to-add-a-clean-up-crew Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.