Official Lifegard Aquatics Crystal (AIO) Aquarium Club!!

[Randall S Simpson]

Day 1 ammonia around 2

Day 2 ammonia around 1 with nitrites .5

Day 3 ammonia around 1 nothing for nitrites or nitrates

Day 4 ammonia around .75 nothing for nitrites or nitrates

Day 5 ammonia around 1 nothing for nitrites or nitrates

Day 6 ammonia perfectly on 1 nothing for nitrites and a tiny amount of nitrates (would need to get out my better test kit to find out how much, but no reason yet too early)

Day 7 ammonia around .75 nothing for nitrites or nitrates

Day 9 ammonia around .75-1 hard to tell trace amounts for nitrites or nitrates, basically just not white anymore.  2 more days and I'll get a much better ammonia test kit, and start using my good nitrite kit

[Randall S Simpson]

Two zip ties and the Heater Controller holder is mounted.  Slips right in, no problems.

[Randall S Simpson]

Tossed out the pump that comes with the tank, it is basically useless.  Replaced it with the tiny Tunze 5024.040_A, use the original plumbing to get into the main tank then connected into 2 curved pieces of Loc-Line so the flow would go at a 45 degree angle.  Connected a VCA Random Flow Generator to the end.  I've done this setup with one other 10g and really liked the flow of the HOB filter crashing into the RFG.

 

I am now getting nitrites and nitrates measurements but they are hard to read accurately..  I was supposed to get my new test kits yesterday but no go.  Once I get the new ammonia kit I'll record the measurements, without knowing the ammonia ballpark the other two don't matter as much.

[danimal1211]

Here to join the club! I’ve had my 9.98g set up for a little over a month ago. I used Caribsea base rock (nice stuff actually). A few small bio bricks in rear chamber. Cycled with Fritz 900. No NH3 or NO2 spikes. Diatoms came and went. Things are going pretty smooth.

Equipment:

Hygger mini wave maker 

ZKSJ mini slim wave maker

Smatfarm g3 light

hygger 25w heater

reef glass nano protein skimmer

optical ATO off Amazon (will likely be replaced but it’s working so far)

pin point ph. 
 

I need some flow on the back side of the rocks hense the mini slim. I found it on Amazon. It’s rated at 530gph max but is a super wide pattern. It’s working real well with the hygger. 
 

Eventually I’d like to run a CO2 scrubber. My PH fluctuates from 8.0 to 8.2 so it’s not a pressing issue but it won’t work with my current skimmer. So I may upgrade to the eschopps if it fits. Just got a shipment of Zoas in today and did a water change, that’s why they aren’t all open

[danimal1211]

Oh for livestock so far I’ve got one small black ice clown and assorted zoas and richordia. Two trochus snails for now

[Randall S Simpson]

Off to a good start there, passing the Diatoms is a great step.

 

Got my good test kits in, Ammonia is @57 and Nitrates are 5.7, I have not tested Nitrites yet. 

[danimal1211]

Trying to dial in the skimmer. Any experience would help. This is where I have it set, but I don’t know if I have it set at the right height or if my air valve is set properly. I’ve got just a little bit of brown skimmate in the collection cup and the skimmer has formed a ring of skimmate in the body.

[Randall S Simpson]

I am no skimmer expert so hopefully someone else can chime in, but if you remove the top and it does not smell horrid something is not working right.  Generally you are looking for a dark brown fluid that is slightly thicker than normal water, too thick and you probably need to raise it or lower the pump flow, if the liquid is light brown try the opposite.  You are after that happy medium where with the cap on you can't smell anything but once you remove the cap it runs everyone out of the room 🙂

 

I have never used that skimmer but the ones I'm using are easy to raise up and down and that has always been enough to find a happy place.  Keep in mind if you are not feeding a lot your skimmer will not produce as much, its main job is to remove waste before it breaks down, less waste = less skimming.  Not a bad thing.

 

My tank is moving right along .54 ammonia and 27 nitrites today.  Few more days and I'll do a 25% water change and add a tiny snail.

[Randall S Simpson]

16 hours later and my ammonia is now .42 and nitrites went up to 55, soon I will do a 25% water change and add a tiny snail + some zoas that are overgrowing where I want them.  Both will be watched to see if they do ok.  The snail will head straight to the top of the tank if it is unhappy and the zoas just won't open.  Easy signs to pull them out quick and move them back.

 

Meanwhile I will install the skimmer but leave it off until more things are added, at this point I want the waste material.  

[Randall S Simpson]

Just installed the Innovative Marine BioSkim 24-Volt DC™ Nano AIO Protein Skimmer, some people really don't like this skimmer so read up on it before buying one, it fits in the 9.98g like it was built for the tank, not even a little wiggle room.  It can actually be hard to get in straight out of the box until it builds up that slime coating everything in the ocean has.  Ran a quick test just to make sure it was working, and turned it off.  Will probably be a month before I turn it back on to "age".  I need it installed so I can get my lighting in the proper place.  Took a quick photo and found I have an alien living in there!  No clue what that is, likely the camera reacting with the surface water flow.

[danimal1211]

18 hours ago, Randall S Simpson said:

Just installed the Innovative Marine BioSkim 24-Volt DC™ Nano AIO Protein Skimmer, some people really don't like this skimmer so read up on it before buying one, it fits in the 9.98g like it was built for the tank, not even a little wiggle room.  It can actually be hard to get in straight out of the box until it builds up that slime coating everything in the ocean has.  Ran a quick test just to make sure it was working, and turned it off.  Will probably be a month before I turn it back on to "age".  I need it installed so I can get my lighting in the proper place.  Took a quick photo and found I have an alien living in there!  No clue what that is, likely the camera reacting with the surface water flow.

Let us know how you like the skimmer, knowing that it fits is good info.

[Randall S Simpson]

I have the same skimmer in two other 9.98g front view and I like it just fine.  Most people don't like it because it uses an O ring to set the collection cup height, and replacements are expensive.  But if mine ever breaks I'll just use zip ties instead.  Have the same one on a 30g with a much higher bio load and it pulls out tons of junk, the smaller tanks I tend to feed a lot less so the skimmer does not do as much.

 

Messed up both my testing this morning letting the vials sit to long so the reading are higher than they should be.  Ammonia came in at .32 and nitrites 87 (had to reopen the battery compartment and reseat the connection).  I may have a bad Nitrite meter.

 

Got one of the light installed this morning and plan to do a 25% water change then start my 10% a week ones.

[Randall S Simpson]

Did the testing correctly this time and got .26 Ammonia and 142 ppb Nitrite.  Started cycling on 14 Aug so just at 2 weeks, much slower using the Brightwell stuff than just the Caribsea Live sand alone from my experiences.

 

Added some extra Radioactive Dragon Eye Zoas and a single Astraea Snail.  Only one light is installed and it is at 40%, 2 hrs a day.

 

Dipped the Zoa in 50% saltwater/50% hydrogen peroxide for 5 minutes then quickly rinsed it back in saltwater to removed the hydrogen peroxide while I glued it to the rock.  This is for algae control, I will be dipping everything in hydrogen peroxide the ratio of saltwater/hydrogen peroxide comes from a thread I've been following for a while.  They tend to close up for a while but no long term harm if you keep the ratios within the tested ranges.  Your mileage may vary, please read up on this it can kill everything if done wrong.

[Randall S Simpson]

Added in the 2nd light and have both set at 40% for 2 hours a day.  They are Lominie Asta 20 LEDs comes with a gooseneck and mount.  I've used a single on the 4g tanks just fine and two on the 9.98g tanks to grow Acros in.  The new version of the light is much better than the older ones, they made some design improvements.  Only problem is they all share the same remote wifi so if you turn one on/off they all follow 😞.

 

Added in another few Blowpop Zoas, they are still mad for the 50% saltwater/50% hydrogen peroxide 5 minute dip.  The Radioactive Dragon Eyes are almost completely open today.

 

Testing from today, Ammonia .23, Nitrites over 200 ppb, even though Nitrites don't really matter much I'm probably going todo another 20% water change today mainly to try and get the Ammonia below .20.

 

 

[Randall S Simpson]

Moving right along Ammonia is now .17, Nitrites 157 ppb, and Nitrates 6.1 ppm.  Basically just adding a small coral every day and keeping an eye on things, I would not recommend the way I'm doing things to new people, take your time and don't add things this early.  I have a lot of cycled rock that can pull me back from a mistake.  That and NO fish are in there, so things are different, just the single snail so far.  

 

Yesterday I did another 20% water change (note the water changes, that is why I can add stuff like this) and added a few White Zombie Zoas, they took the 50% saltwater/50% hydrogen peroxide 5 minute bath better than the others.

 

This afternoon I added a Forest War Micromussa amakusensis (should be the correct name for that one) it got a 67% saltwater/33% hydrogen peroxide 5 minute dip since they are more sensitive.  However, it already has it feeders out?  Likely due to all the copepods I added early on with nothing to eat them.  Getting the proper name instead of the partial name I was sold this coral under helped me figure out it wants low lighting, so I glued it down to a Two Little Fishes Stax rock I hit with a hammer and chisel to get a shape I liked.

 

I might do another 10% water change, might not, depends on tomorrows testing.

 

Might have to go with a more white light for the photos the camera is just not handling the blue well.

 

[Randall S Simpson]

Need to get the old school camera out, this tablet just does not do macros well.  Better photo of the White Zombie Zoas and the Blowpop Zoas, 

 

Added in a pair of Pumpkin Patch Bounce Ricordea mushrooms (if you have a more accurate name for this one let me know), a small group of Red Raven Blastomussa merlettis, and a small group of Blue Raven Blastomussa merletti all mad from the 67% saltwater/33% hydrogen peroxide 5 minute bath for today.

 

Ended up doing another 15% water change due removing water to soak the three added corals, did not intend to do a water change but I had to lower the water level since my arm was going in the tank to glue stuff 🙂

[Randall S Simpson]

The two Blasos are much happier today, I pulled out my old camera but I don't own a memory card reader anymore!  So I had to order one.

 

Added in a handful of micro bristle starfish, some red macro algae (I'll get the name later), and glued down some coralline algae.

 

None of those can go through the hydrogen peroxide bath so my first real chance of introducing something bad has arrived.

 

The following got there 67% saltwater/33% hydrogen peroxide 5 minute baths and boy are they mad at me!

 

Tweety Bird Goni (no photo since I'm waiting for it to completely open up so I can find the proper flow place for it.

Lava Lamp Ricordea mushroom

Lava Ricordea mushroom

Reverse Hairy Ricordea mushroom

 

As always if you know a more accurate name please let me know.  I'm trying to post before and after photos of the Hydrogen Peroxide baths since it does a good job at killing pests and algae.

[Randall S Simpson]

Added in a Rainbow mushroom and a Long Lash Yellow Goniopora both got a 67% saltwater/33% hydrogen peroxide 5 minute bath.  The Gonis don't seem to like that much peroxide so I'm going to hold off adding the next one until these show signs they can handle it.  Both Gonis are in temp locations checking for flow but they are barely extending so I'll be checking the water today or tomorrow, once I figure out where they are going I'll get photos up.

 

Updates on some others and how they are doing post peroxide, all the Zoas are opening completely everyday.  Finally was able to get a good photo of the Forest War Micromussa amakusensi, my issue with focusing not the coral it had lots of feeders out within 12 hours and has looked happy ever since.

 

The two Blastos are looking a lot fatter.  The Lava Ricordea mushroom recovered very fast and is completely opened.

 

Added in a 3rd Pumpkin Patch Bounce Ricordea mushroom after its standard bath.

 

 

[Randall S Simpson]

Tested the water early this morning and Ammonia was .07 with Nitrates at 5.0 ppm.  The two Gonis are slowly opening up, it is like watching paint dry!  They really did not like the hydrogen peroxide, the next one I will go down to 75/25 and see if that helps any.

 

The first macro algae I added in with the Micro Brittle Starfish I'm pretty sure is Gracilaria hayi, the starfish were packed in it so I added a few pieces and I'll get photos when I properly mount them.

 

I tied 3 pieces of Halymenia durvillei (please correct me if the name is wrong) with some white sewing thread as recommended with a few loose knots to some rubble rock.  No way to get photos of the other two pieces due to there location behind the main rock.  I'm hopeful they will grow up above the rock, but this is a tricky algae as so many things find it a tasty treat 😞

 

Godzilla Ricordea mushroom attached to a large snail shell, so it went on the sand bed for now.  I'll have to wait until it completely recovers from the hydrogen peroxide bath before I can figure out where it came from and if it is a yuma or whatever.

 

Picasso Bounce Ricordea mushroom (once again please correct me if the name is wrong)

 

The two new mushrooms got the standard 67% saltwater/33% hydrogen peroxide 5 minute bath and why they are so mad.

 

The first Goni I added is finally coming out a little, the 2nd one is actually passing it.  This is the Tweety Bird Goniopora all mad at me.

 

Just for fun...while adding the Lava Lamp Ricordea mushroom I ended up with a baby on the side of the plug and returned it to the holding tank...well my Halloween Urchin decided it would make a good hat!

[Randall S Simpson]

Looks like it is taking 4-6 days for the Gonis to recover from the 67% saltwater/33% hydrogen peroxide 5 minute bath, the first one (Tweety Bird Goniopora) is about 5 days in and about 75% open right now.  It is extended enough that I can mount it in a few days.  Yes it is supposed to grow in all different directions and odd angles not in one big clump 🙂.

 

The 2nd one added was a Long Lash Yellow Goniopora, it still has a long way to go.

 

I dipped and temp placed the last Goni this afternoon (Sunflower Goniopora) it got the same bath as the other two since both of them are recovering, 67% saltwater/33% hydrogen peroxide 5 minutes

 

Moved over a Reef Rax Purple Nano Double Frag Rack with a Seasons Greetings Montipora glued to one side and a plug of WWC Contraband Grafted Digitata Montipora taking up one slot, leaving me one open.  I could not dip these in hydrogen peroxide as Montipora have a very low tolerance for it and it really would not kill any pest algae/whatnot I'm after.  Instead I removed the plug and used a paint brush to carefully paint on 100% peroxide over the frag rack then rinsed it in saltwater before adding it too the 10g.  Another point I really could have added something "bad" in the tank.  I had a photo but it is horrible I've have to take another later.

 

Much happier Godzilla Ricordea mushroom.

Reverse Hairy Ricordea mushroom

 

 

[Randall S Simpson]

Overview of the two sides so far.

[Randall S Simpson]

Tested water yesterday morning got Ammonia 0.00 with Nitrates of 5.2.

 

Added in a small piece of WWC Neon Astreopora, and finished adding pieces on the Reef Rax Purple Nano Double Frag Rack From left to right, Long Lash Duncanopsammia axifuga, WWC Contraband Grafted Digitata Montipora, WWC Stellaria, and Seasons Greetings Montipora.  None of those five could be dipped in enough hydrogen peroxide to do any good.

 

Added in two Nassarius vibex, two Trochus snail and one empty Trochus shell all three have different coralline colors to hopefully help seed the tank with something besides purple!  Another chance for bad things to get introduced into the tank, I dipped the empty shell with a standard dip and got two bristle worms out, sadly it is likely there will be eggs from them.  But it is really hard to keep those worms out, at least the two I say where the "good" type.

[Randall S Simpson]

Tested my phosphates on 11 Sept and they were at .21 ppm, so I've done a 10% water change every day since, working to get that down into the sub 10 range.

 

Here is the Reef Rax in the tank.  A very unhappy Frozen Apple Zoa it is recovering from the 67% saltwater/33% hydrogen peroxide 5 minute bath but much slower than the others.  Added in the last Pink Blastomussa merletti after its bath in 67% saltwater/33% hydrogen peroxide 5 minutes.  Blue is on the left, pink in the middle, and red on the right.

[Randall S Simpson]

The two unmounted gonis are still not extended enough for me to figure out the proper flow places for them.  The Duncan loves its location.  The last Zoa I added is unhappy, the big polyp is closed but the side polyps are opened.  The Seasons Greetings Montipora is not looking good right now, need to figure that out.  Likely the phosphates are too high.  So I'll be doing daily 10% water changes for at least a week. 

Last Thursday added a trio of Trimma tevegae, I can only see two at a time now, but I'm hopeful the third one is still alive and hanging around.  At least the two I saw this morning were eating, they are hanging vertically on the back wall by the AIO bottom intake.

Added an Aquaflame Montipora today.

 

Testing from this afternoon

Ammonia .07

Nitrates 5.8

Phosphates .29 ppm

 

Adding fish and thus feeding the fish has pushed me into another mini cycle, hopefully the water changes will speed it up.

[Randall S Simpson]

Well was doing stupid, no harm but I was using my Ultra Low Phosphate test kit so all the phosphate reading should be way under 1, I've corrected the wrong numbers above.  My test from today when I looked at the tester and went opps, was .28 ppm.

 

When mounting a chalice I mad a brittle starfish mad as I trapped his arm for 15s waiting for the instaset to kick in, no visible harm.

 

I saw all three of the Trimma tevegaes this afternoon so they are all still alive (crosses fingers), only seen two eating thou.

 

Bathed two Tonic Blood Moon Zoas in 50% saltwater/50% hydrogen peroxide 5 minutes and they are mad, but the snails will be all over them in a few hours to eat up any weak algae/whatnot.

Added a tiny Electric Panther Chalice piece, can not dip most chalices in peroxide they are just too picky.  So another chance for something bad to get in.

Aquaflame Montipora more that just can't take the peroxide.

TSA Cinnamon Apple Favia got a 67% saltwater/33% hydrogen peroxide 5 minutes dip.

TSA 100,000 Fireflies Leptoseris another that can not take a peroxide dip.  Really nice coral.