365 Day Challenge: 1G Office Ocean

[karisma]

1 hour ago, Azur said:

Thanks guys. Softies aren't exactly gunna be stripping stuff left right and centre from the water column, either. I think the take home is let's just listen to what the corals are saying, mannn ✌️

Exactly right buuuuuuuddy! I love your tank.  I have a 4gal. and you make me want to go even smaller haha!

[karisma]

8 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

If I remember correct. The 100% water change became popular during the creative contain contest. I think some of the containers that ran with out filters where pretty much emptied into a bucket while the container was cleaned. Then every thing put back in with all new water. A bunch of rule breakers. Even rinsing out the sand with tap water! 

Oh my....that just seems wrong to me.

[Ratvan]

1 minute ago, karisma said:

Oh my....that just seems wrong to me.

Lol which part?

[karisma]

8 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Lol which part?

Right? Lol id say the tap water. I dont have an rodi system. Therefore i go to the store and buy two big jugs of water for about one dollar each. If thats too much for people to do and they use tap water instead maybe they shouldn't have a reef tank imo

[debbeach13]

Some times we learn the most from the rule breakers. Other wise no nano or pico tanks would exist. My favorite part of these contests is the new things people try.

[karisma]

6 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

Some times we learn the most from the rule breakers. Other wise no nano or pico tanks would exist. My favorite part of these contests is the new things people try.

True true. But tap water? I dont know man.

[Ratvan]

2 minutes ago, karisma said:

Right? Lol id say the tap water. I dont have an rodi system. Therefore i go to the store and buy two big jugs of water for about one dollar each. If thats too much for people to do and they use tap water instead maybe they shouldn't have a reef tank imo

With the exception of massive algae blooms at the start, tap has been fine for me so far. A year seems a good experiment

[debbeach13]

1 minute ago, karisma said:

Right? Lol id say the tap water. I dont have an rodi system. Therefore i go to the store and buy two big jugs of water for about one dollar each. If thats too much for people to do and they use tap water instead maybe they shouldn't have a reef tank imo

After some members mentioned they have been only using tap water in their tanks since set up. I have been using tap water with prime added on my grow out tank when I do W/C with out really seeing any difference. It has been months but the tank only has Kenya trees, gsp, and mushrooms.. In fact that is one of the things I plan to do on my unofficial contest tank. Start it and run it for a year using tap water. It should be here and get wet this weekend.

[SaltyGallon]

41 minutes ago, karisma said:

Exactly right buuuuuuuddy! I love your tank.  I have a 4gal. and you make me want to go even smaller haha!

Haha give it a few months - the 1 gal could end up being a total headache!!!

 

27 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

After some members mentioned they have been only using tap water in their tanks since set up. I have been using tap water with prime added on my grow out tank when I do W/C with out really seeing any difference. It has been months but the tank only has Kenya trees, gsp, and mushrooms.. In fact that is one of the things I plan to do on my unofficial contest tank. Start it and run it for a year using tap water. It should be here and get wet this weekend.

My only worry is that it'd be a ticking timebomb. Surely neglible amounts of undesirable stuff (particularly persistent stuff like heavy metals) will build up over time...? But then I guess you get those things in the ocean too (albeit its a much bigger/more resilient system). This paper on it looks pretty interesting - suggests that softies incorporate the metals in to their tissues over time.

[karisma]

Well power to whom uses tap water. Im surprised how many people use it 😵😂

[Ratvan]

20 minutes ago, Azur said:

Haha give it a few months - the 1 gal could end up being a total headache!!!

 

My only worry is that it'd be a ticking timebomb. Surely neglible amounts of undesirable stuff (particularly persistent stuff like heavy metals) will build up over time...? But then I guess you get those things in the ocean too (albeit its a much bigger/more resilient system). This paper on it looks pretty interesting - suggests that softies incorporate the metals in to their tissues over time.

Depending on your Water Provider in the UK you should be able to access the Water Quality Test results for your area online. I get mine on a weekly basis. Some of the results have given me a second thought 

[debbeach13]

I will probably put a little pc. of poly filter in there to remove any metals. I have not used it in the grow out tank. That tank has no fish just a few snails and blue legs. Get's feed very little and only get about 10% WC every couple of weeks or less. Started with a combine of distilled from Wal-Mart and RO/DI from Publix (they no longer carry this)

[Ratvan]

4 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

I will probably put a little pc. of poly filter in there to remove any metals. I have not used it in the grow out tank. That tank has no fish just a few snails and blue legs. Get's feed very little and only get about 10% WC every couple of weeks or less. Started with a combine of distilled from Wal-Mart and RO/DI from Publix (they no longer carry this)

I let the tap sit for 5 days to remove any Chlorine or Chlorides and then add a tapwater conditioner that removes heavy metals, I keep seeing people recommend this poly filter stuff 

[debbeach13]

Azur I apologize if we have high jacked your thread. I shouldn't even tell you this. When I set up my first S/W tank decorated with dead coral skeleton and under gravel filter. I used tap, filled a bucket with luke warm tap water, added start right and Instant Ocean regular salt no reef salt was even available at my LFS. Let it mix for a couple hours once it cleared up boom do a W/C. Cycled with a blue devil given to me as an ammonia source. 20% W/C every month until nitrates reached 20. Took for ever. Like 4 months maybe longer. Of course we were so stupid we thought growing a wall of green hair algae on the back wall was cool! And surprisingly the fish and coral did OK. Most fish loses were from putting types together that ate each other. Once a decorator crab tore most of my coral to shreds while on vacation. OK no more history from an old fart. I give Azur this thread back. 

[SaltyGallon]

10 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

Azur I apologize if we have high jacked your thread. I shouldn't even tell you this. When I set up my first S/W tank decorated with dead coral skeleton and under gravel filter. I used tap, filled a bucket with luke warm tap water, added start right and Instant Ocean regular salt no reef salt was even available at my LFS. Let it mix for a couple hours once it cleared up boom do a W/C. Cycled with a blue devil given to me as an ammonia source. 20% W/C every month until nitrates reached 20. Took for ever. Like 4 months maybe longer. Of course we were so stupid we thought growing a wall of green hair algae on the back wall was cool! And surprisingly the fish and coral did OK. Most fish loses were from putting types together that ate each other. Once a decorator crab tore most of my coral to shreds while on vacation. OK no more history from an old fart. I give Azur this thread back. 

Hahaha, no Deb I've enjoyed it. I bet it was a frustrating time to be in the hobby but also a right laugh!? The learning part is part of the fun isn't it - I'm lucky to have come in to salt water aquariums in the last two years or so when everything you could ever imagine is discussed somewhere on line - I bet in the earlier days it was a real challenge but really rewarding.

[SaltyGallon]

Update as of 10/03/2020

 

Finally moved offices last week and got the perfect spot for the tank, I just need to set it up now! We moved house this weekend too so not a clue where the tank gubbins are - everything's pretty nuts right now to be honest. Thankfully my cousin's into reefing and he's looking after my other nano which is housing all the stock. I'm dying to get the pico wet, I reckon it'll happen in the next two weeks or so. The frags bought last week are all looking well rested (can't find the mushroom though!?) and the scape will have had a good month to cycle 🙂

[SaltyGallon]

Well, Sunday 15th of March and the tank's officially wet! Pre-empting the enforced home working in the next few weeks I've opted to get the tank wet at home and see how things play out.

 

All looking good. The scape's been cycling in my other tank for the last few weeks and it's so well cycled it's got an aiptasia...! The aiptasia will be getting a gluey covering later and the GSP, green kenya tree, radioactive zoas and papaya cloves will also be getting stuck down 😛

 

 

[Ratvan]

17 hours ago, Azur said:

Well, Sunday 15th of March and the tank's officially wet! Pre-empting the enforced home working in the next few weeks I've opted to get the tank wet at home and see how things play out.

 

All looking good. The scape's been cycling in my other tank for the last few weeks and it's so well cycled it's got an aiptasia...! The aiptasia will be getting a gluey covering later and the GSP, green kenya tree, radioactive zoas and papaya cloves will also be getting stuck down 😛

 

 

Looks great mate, wish I had mine set up at home. 

[SaltyGallon]

16 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Looks great mate, wish I had mine set up at home. 

Thanks mate. Can you easily get it home - is it liftable? If so you could maybe cling film the top and duct tape it/carry it was one piece?

 

The lights clicked on just as I was leaving for work this morning and the kenya tree and cloves were looking a little less pissed off - I reckon both will open full today. No signs of the GSP emerging yet (it was freshly cut and glued, so no surprise there) and the zoas had opened slightly, which I'll take as a good sign. I was worried I cooked everything a little bit yesterday... I left all the frags and rock in a bucket in my boiler cupboard for a few hours before setting the tank up and was worried I might have lightly boiled everything haha!

 

I slung a minimal CUC in from my other tank too - a couple of hardy asterina stars and dove snails - and they seem okay and happily grubbing about this morning. Also spotted a mini brittle star on the rock yesterday, which was a nice surprise.

 

I think I've got the beginnings of a mini bacteria bloom but it's cool, it's not like water changes will be a pain on this tank! Here's the last photo of the tank with no coral - see the floss in the back left, and heater in the back right. Need to find something to stuff some carbon in later ☺️

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ratvan]

1 minute ago, Azur said:

Thanks mate. Can you easily get it home - is it liftable? If so you could maybe cling film the top and duct tape it/carry it was one piece?

 

The lights clicked on just as I was leaving for work this morning and the kenya tree and cloves were looking a little less pissed off - I reckon both will open full today. No signs of the GSP emerging yet (it was freshly cut and glued, so no surprise there) and the zoas had opened slightly, which I'll take as a good sign. I was worried I cooked everything a little bit yesterday... I left all the frags and rock in a bucket in my boiler cupboard for a few hours before setting the tank up and was worried I might have lightly boiled everything haha!

 

I slung a minimal CUC in from my other tank too - a couple of hardy asterina stars and dove snails - and they seem okay and happily grubbing about this morning. Also spotted a mini brittle star on the rock yesterday, which was a nice surprise.

 

I think I've got the beginnings of a mini bacteria bloom but it's cool, it's not like water changes will be a pain on this tank! Here's the last photo of the tank with no coral - see the floss in the back left and heater in the back right. Need to find something to stuff some carbon in later ☺️

 

 

 

 

 

 

Office is locked down, cannot get it. Couldn't care less about the Pico to be honest. Its the RSM and QT Tanks thats worrying me

[SaltyGallon]

49 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Office is locked down, cannot get it. Couldn't care less about the Pico to be honest. Its the RSM and QT Tanks thats worrying me

Ahh mate that's shite that it's literally locked down! Seems a bit over kill when the aim is just a bit of isolation - doesn't really matter if you're the only one there. Are they hooked up to dosers and ATOs etc...

 

Another tank update before I forget - the green discosoma I bought last week melted within two days of arrival. It was cheap, thankfully, but still not great - I've got other happy discosoma in the tank so I'm guessing it just didn't handle shipping well. The two zoa colonies are alright (rastas, goblins on fire) but I'll give it a few days yet before putting them in the pico.

 

So yeah, I'm going to have to get a cooler shroom now, a bit of a show piece perhaps... Something like this I reckon. It's definitely Mean & Green... 🤪

 

 

[aclman88]

1 hour ago, Ratvan said:

Office is locked down, cannot get it. Couldn't care less about the Pico to be honest. Its the RSM and QT Tanks thats worrying me

I literally just ordered and put in live rock the past two week for my classroom tank and now schools are being shuttered. Hoping I can still get in occasionally to water change. If not, I might be able to rely on a custodian to at least top off with RODI in my absence. No chance of bringing it home at the moment. 

[karisma]

39 minutes ago, aclman88 said:

I literally just ordered and put in live rock the past two week for my classroom tank and now schools are being shuttered. Hoping I can still get in occasionally to water change. If not, I might be able to rely on a custodian to at least top off with RODI in my absence. No chance of bringing it home at the moment. 

Fingers crossed for the little tank to survive. Did you have anything in it or just live rock?

[SaltyGallon]

1 hour ago, aclman88 said:

I literally just ordered and put in live rock the past two week for my classroom tank and now schools are being shuttered. Hoping I can still get in occasionally to water change. If not, I might be able to rely on a custodian to at least top off with RODI in my absence. No chance of bringing it home at the moment. 

Sorry to hear that mate. I reckon just the live rock will be okay, even if it gets a little saltier than planned? Times like these I guess we just have to trust that our little critters are hardier than we give them credit.

[SaltyGallon]

Found out why nothing opened up today... Salinity at 1.030 😂

 

... Off to a flying start! Now corrected.