Chris's Reincarnated 10 Gallon Reef - Recovery Mode

[Chriss Fishes]

Hey guys!

 

This is the result of me combining all of my reef tanks into one small aquarium - partially due to space, but mostly because I didn't have enough in any of those tanks to justify keeping them up. So, I fragged what I wanted, got this tank from work (I work at Petsmart, as well as a small LFS), and started cycling. The rock is all established from my old tanks, but I decided to use some liquid ammonia anyway. It cycled through everything fairly quickly, so I decided to call the tank cycled, did a water change, and started adding stuff! I'll be adding old frags over the next couple of days, and will be adding stuff from a LiveAquaria order fairly on Tuesday as well.

 

 

Tank details:

 

Tank: Top Fin 10 Gallon Column Tank - $30, half off due to rim damage

Light: Wattshine 150W Black Box LED, 100% Actinics and 50% Whites

Flow: Aquaclear 50 and Koralia Nano 240

Heater: 200W Fluval Heater (oversized, but I had it laying around), 50W Preset heater in HOB for redundancy

Rock: 7lbs of pre-established rock

Substrate: Barebottom (hoping to carpet some GSP)

Water: Distilled water from Walmart

Salt: Fritz RPM

Water Parameters: Nitrates: 0 PPM, Phosphate: 0.2 PPM, SG: 1.026, PH: 8.1, Temp: 79F

Fish: Two Wyoming White Clowns

Inverts: Two Mexican Turbo Snails (I'll move these out soon - too big for this tank!), 1 Blue-Legged Hermit, 1 Fire Shrimp

Coral: Green Star Polyps, Green Rhodactis Mushroom, Orange Zoa Frag, Mystery Zoas that I found under a rock that are slowly coming back to life

 

I think that about does it for basic info. This tank has had a really smooth beginning - the fish went through QT in this tank (I know, I know... but I got them straight from the breeder!), and came out the other side healthy. I don't plan on adding anything else, fish-wise. I'm going to remove the Turbos ASAP, and replace them with a horde of ceriths and dwarf ceriths, and a few nassarius snails. All of the coral that are in here right now are from my old tanks, and this is just the hardier stuff that I threw in here to test the waters (pun intended!). I'll be adding a few more frags on Tuesday, as well as a couple of RFA's.

 

The only issues I've had so far with this tank have been my own fault - my refractometer was improperly calibrated (it got off over time), and this tank was started at 1.030. I only noticed things were off when I couldn't find my refractometer and chose to use my old hydrometer instead. I initially chalked it up to a hydrometer's inaccuracy, but decided to look into it a bit more and put some distilled water onto my refractometer. I was WAY off. After calibrating my refractometer with some calibration fluid, I brought the tank down to 1.026 over the course of a couple days. My FOWLR tank was at 1.034! Craziness. Other than the refractometer being off, I think part of the issue was that when I mix my water, I use Hamzareef's calculator, and I typically calculate everything in metric. Then I'd fill my bucket up with 4 gallons of water, not realizing that 4 gallons and 16 liters aren't quite the same. I guess that small difference builds up over time!

 

The high-ish phosphate reading is also due to a bad RODI unit. I got it, started the tank with it, and returned it after a couple days. No matter what I did with it (even after running several gallons through it) I'd get high phosphate readings and sometimes even chlorine readings. So the 0.2 PPM phosphate is just what's left after I've been changing it out with distilled. I'd like to try some hardy SPS in here, so I'll do my best to get that down a bit lower! I'm shooting for a mixed reef, so I think I'll try and keep nitrates and phosphates at readable levels. I'm still doing some reading on the Redfield Ratio, and while I like the idea, it seems like some people stand behind it 100% and some people that seem to be well-respected in a lot of circles (namely Randy Holmes-Farley) seem to think it's much less important. Anyone got opinions on that here? I'm not planning on micromanaging the tank that much, but if I have a clear goal to shoot for, it might help me out in the long run.

 

 

 

[Chriss Fishes]

Alright, so my LiveAquaria order came in! Everything looks healthy, and portions are decent. The RFA is definitely duller and much less colorful than promised, but we'll see how it recovers from shipping.

 

The corals all got a pretty slow acclimation, and some have really started to open up and look great, while others are still pretty obviously pissed. The duncan, for example has been an absolute trooper - it was opening up a bit in the bag!

 

 

Others, however, are a little more upset. The Yellow Porites has yet to extend any polyps, and this is the one I'm most worried about. My luck with SPS hasn't been great!

 

 

The leather is also still kinda upset, although it seems to be starting to extend it's polyps a little.

 

 

You can the candy cane to the right, in that picture, and it's also still kinda closed up. It's inflated a bit, but not much. The mystery zoas that I found on a random rock and the purple mushrooms I ordered seem to be doing well - the zoas are finally starting to open up (although they're all still bleached and lime green), and the mushrooms seems to have kinda inflated and survived. They're not crumpled up, and the only way I know of that a mushroom can show it's unhappiness is either through scrunching up or by dying. A few of the smaller ones they sent kinda fell apart - I scraped away the bits that looked really bad, and put the chunks of coral that seemed okay into the tank.

 

 

The RFA came in healthy. It was attached to the side of the bag, and quickly attached to the rock when I put it into the tank. That said, it's not very nice to look at at the moment. It's kind of a dirt-orange, with white-ish tentacles. I guess I was hoping for a bit more bright orange and green, but I paid a fair price. It's a cool texture too, so I'm not terribly upset that it's not what I wanted. I can always go to an LFS and cherry-pick one if I want to.

 

Sorry for the terrible angle with this picture - he kinda found his spot and hunkered down really hard.

 

 

I found an aiptasia on the Candy Cane's plug, so I took the coral off and re-glued it to a new one, and put the aiptasia and its' plug into a little 0.5 gallon cube I have. I named him Fred, and he shall live there eternally.

 

All these corals are basically on the bottom glass or pretty close to it, and I'll be moving them up. Does anyone have any recommendations on what should go where, considering I have at least medium-high light? I'm thinking of keeping the mushrooms down low, and maybe having a mushroom garden of sorts on part of the bottom glass next to the GSP. I'm planning on keeping all of the zoas on the rock where the orange zoas are now - I'll move the bleached ones over once they recover a bit more. I'm thinking of maybe getting a magnetic plug for the Porites, and slowly moving it up the wall on the right until it's in high flow and high light. Thoughts?

[Chriss Fishes]

FTS after everyone's settled in a bit:

 

[Chriss Fishes]

So I got my ReefCleaner's order in, and am adding in some frags from old tanks.

 

Here's what I'm adding:

 

Purple Candelabra Gorgonian

Purple Ribbon Gorgonian

Green RFA (this looks more like a BTA to me)

20 Dwarf Ceriths or so

8 Nassarius or so

 

Pics tonight, after work. I left my powerhead unplugged until I can find something to guard it from the anemone,

[Chriss Fishes]

So, everything's been in the tank for going on 10 hours now. Everything seems to have settled in decently for day one, with most of everything I've added over the past two days opening up. The only exceptions are the Candy Cane, Purple Ribbon Gorg, and Yellow Porites. The Candy Cane and Porites show signs of improvement from yesterday, but not a ton, sadly. Hoping it's just an acclimation thing.

Oh, and I DIYed a powerhead guard so the anemones don't get sucked into it. I just took some filter padding and wrapped it around the powerhead... I'll leave it like that till the nems settle in, and then it's coming back out.

Tank Parameters:
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0 (I've checked with API and Salifert kits - I can't get my nitrates above 0! Hopefully with all the coral I added, that'll change)
Phosphate: 0.2

Everything seems pretty okay as far as parameters go, although the high-ish phosphate and no nitrate bothers me a bit.

Here's what the tank looks like, as of tonight:

 

 

First, an update on the Orange Zoas - there's a new polyp forming! That makes 3. It's forming down and to the right of the big polyp, and the second polyp has doubled in size this week. Good to see growth!
 

 

The duncan is a champ. Constantly happy. Like a golden retriever without the fur. And teeth.
 

 

The leather is doing well, too. It's extending quite a bit now, and I like it quite a bit. I'm sorta hoping for it to get a bit more colorful as time goes on, but that's always the dream.

 

 

This orange RFA seems to be doing okay, too. It's still bland (IMO), but has stopped sliming and seems to be relatively content where I put it.

 

 

The porites is more extended than yesterday, I think - but it's also sloughing off some tissue from shipping stress, I think. Hoping it clears up quick.

 

 

Now, for the new stuff! This is the Purple Candelabra Gorgonian. This thing is awesome! It extended pretty nicely today, although I definitely don't think it's 100% extended. The plan is to angle it pointing more towards the negative space on the right, but it kinda slid sideways to its' current position. Oops.

 

The ribbon gorgonian, however, doesn't seem quite as happy with its' new digs. Not a single polyp extended today.

 

 

Alright, now for the anemone. When I first took it out of the bag, I was sure it was a BTA. Now, I guess it could definitely be an RFA of some sort - it's just much larger and has a certain BTA-ness to it. I'm still wondering if it's not a BTA, but I think the super short tentacles ID it as an RFA. Thoughts?
 

 

And, of course, the clowns are doing great. They're getting nice, round stomachs, and are no longer so timid. The male comes up and pecks at the bubbles on my hand - the female is a bit more wary of me, but she's coming around.

This is the last of the additions I'll make for quite a while, both for the sake of my wallet and for the tank.

[MainelyReefer]

4 hours ago, HarrisonAquatics said:

think the super short tentacles ID it as an RFA. Thoughts

I think it is an RFA.  I like that you are using a tank not commonly used in reefing, could make for a cool setup once grown in

[Chriss Fishes]

15 hours ago, GraniteReefer said:

I think it is an RFA.  I like that you are using a tank not commonly used in reefing, could make for a cool setup once grown in

Thanks! After it's been in the tank for a while, it's for sure an RFA.

 

I think it'll make for a cool tank, too! I like it a lot. Before this tank, I've only ever had your basic rectangular tanks, so it's a nice change to focus on up rather than out.

 

The Porites is still shedding a whole bunch - but the polyps are starting to open on some of the branches, just a little. Should I worry, or am I probably good? The candy cane is still pretty shrunken up, too.

 

The purple ribbon gorg is still completely closed - should I move it into lower flow? @billygoat, any input?

[billygoat]

20 minutes ago, HarrisonAquatics said:

The purple ribbon gorg is still completely closed - should I move it into lower flow? @billygoat, any input?

Higher flow will probably be more beneficial, especially in the beginning, but it's also possible to give it too much flow, so make sure it's not getting directly blasted or anything like that. What's likely going to happen is that the gorg will remain closed for a few days and then slough off a thick waxy outer layer, after which it should open up more normally. It's very common for specimens from this genus (Pterogorgia) to shed very heavily right after being added to the tank. They are champion shippers though, with nearly a 100% shipping survival rate, so I think it probably just needs a little bit of time.

 

If anything I'd be more concerned with the purple candelabra gorgonian, as that species is known to be a pretty poor shipper and sometimes takes awhile to acclimate. The fact that yours is already opening up is a great sign though. It looks very healthy to me.

 

Super cool tank btw! I like tall aquariums. They make a great habitat for gorgonians. 😉

[Chriss Fishes]

2 minutes ago, billygoat said:

Higher flow will probably be more beneficial, especially in the beginning, but it's also possible to give it too much flow, so make sure it's not getting directly blasted or anything like that. What's likely going to happen is that the gorg will remain closed for a few days and then slough off a thick waxy outer layer, after which it should open up more normally. It's very common for specimens from this genus (Pterogorgia) to shed very heavily right after being added to the tank. They are champion shippers though, with nearly a 100% shipping survival rate, so I think it probably just needs a little bit of time.

 

If anything I'd be more concerned with the purple candelabra gorgonian, as that species is known to be a pretty poor shipper and sometimes takes awhile to acclimate. The fact that yours is already opening up is a great sign though. It looks very healthy to me.

 

Super cool tank btw! I like tall aquariums. They make a great habitat for gorgonians. 😉

Good to know! It's not in super crazy flow - I'd consider it med-high, but it's definitely not bent over in the flow.

 

I'm glad that the candelabra looks healthy! I'm really digging it's shape.

 

Thanks for the compliment, too. It means a lot coming from you - I've been following your tank for a long time! You're the guy who got me into gorgs, so I thank you for that!

[billygoat]

18 minutes ago, HarrisonAquatics said:

Good to know! It's not in super crazy flow - I'd consider it med-high, but it's definitely not bent over in the flow.

 

I'm glad that the candelabra looks healthy! I'm really digging it's shape.

 

Thanks for the compliment, too. It means a lot coming from you - I've been following your tank for a long time! You're the guy who got me into gorgs, so I thank you for that!

Of course, I'm happy to help. And I'm very glad to hear that you're interested in gorgonians! They are very beautiful corals, and quite easy to keep when it comes down to it. I would love nothing more than to see at least a few of them in pretty much everybody's tank. 😁 Did you get yours from Gulf Coast Ecosystems?

 

The purple candelabra gorgonian is one of my personal favorites. Wait until it extends its polyps all the way - they actually end up being unexpectedly large. 

[Chriss Fishes]

1 hour ago, billygoat said:

Of course, I'm happy to help. And I'm very glad to hear that you're interested in gorgonians! They are very beautiful corals, and quite easy to keep when it comes down to it. I would love nothing more than to see at least a few of them in pretty much everybody's tank. 😁 Did you get yours from Gulf Coast Ecosystems?

 

The purple candelabra gorgonian is one of my personal favorites. Wait until it extends its polyps all the way - they actually end up being unexpectedly large. 

I did get them from GCE! I ordered in a ton of macro as well. All great stuff!

[billygoat]

Hey @HarrisonAquatics, how's that purple whip gorgonian looking? Did it end up opening up after a few days?

[Chriss Fishes]

Oh man - what a couple of months.

 

I ended up in the hospital sick, and as such, all of my tanks were neglected big-time. I didn't lose many (or any coral), but things look rough in every tank. All of my saltwater tanks were above 1.030, with one of my FOWLRs running at 1.037 - yikes! This tank was at 1.032, and was pretty easy to gently bring down over a few days.

 

Since the tank had evaporated down so far, the splash from the HOB had caused a lot of salt creep on the light. That caused the white LEDs to stop functioning, so that light is toast. I'm going to open it up and see if I can clean off the corrosion at some point, but I don't trust it as a daily driver anymore.

 

The tank was covered in cyano and hair algae, and looked awful. Corals were mostly closed, gorgonians were shedding skin left and right, and the only SPS frag in the tank is looking pretty terrible. Looking at all the destruction, I started planning on tearing the tank down and setting back up completely clean - and finally, I decided to just move the tank into a standard 10 gallon.

 

Part of the reason I moved into a different tank is because the light that I ordered to replace the black box is the Aquaknight A029. I've seen it used on here and on YouTube on similar tanks, and decided that it'd be perfect for my uses. Other than that, all of the equipment is staying the same.

 

Here's where the new tank begins:

 

I chose a standard 10 gallon tank that I had laying around. The footprint is bigger than the column-style tank that I was using, and while the column tank is cool, I think the clowns need a bit more room. The Aquaknight only mounts to rimless tanks, so I took a hacksaw and a knife and started to remove the rim on the tank - and promptly shattered the glass panel. Oops. Luckily, I have several empty 10 gallons laying around, and on my next try, I got the rear rim off without too much difficulty. I found that cutting through the rim in small 3" sections and ripping it up a little at a time works best - probably since the pressure is more easily shifted up and away, rather than down at an angle. Regardless, it's done. I didn't bother cleaning up the silicone too much, mainly because I didn't have any razor blades laying around. I'll get to it eventually, but it's not too noticeable.

 

Other than that, it was a pretty simple move. I drained down the old tank, cleaned up the equipment, filled the new tank with fresh saltwater, and acclimated everything in just like it was new. Syf and Thor (my clowns) got a 30-minute float in a bag, followed by being netted into the tank, and the coral got a 1-hour drip. The salinity was close enough, although other parameters were probably pretty far off, so I hope that doesn't have too much of an effect on things.

 

Before we get into how each tank inhabitant is doing, here's a picture of two baby Clarkii Clowns I just got a couple days ago. They're in my 55 FOWLR that crashed (total wipe-out - cycle was intact, but all the fish were dead), and are absolutely adorable. I rarely find fish cute, but these two are both less than 1 1/2" long and are little pigs.

 

 

Just had to share these guys - I've always wanted some Clarkiis, so I was excited to see them for sale from a local breeder.

 

Back to the topic of this thread - things are bouncing back quicker than I'd thought they would, but not as fast as I'd hoped. Here's a FTS:

 

 

Things aren't just completely dead and mushy, but things are visibly upset. The anemones are pretty shrunken, the gorgs have both shed some skin and have some exposed skeleton, the LPS are completely closed, and the leather looks awful most of the time. The yellow SPS has deteriorated pretty badly as well,.The zoas are the only thing relatively happy, it seems.

 

So, wish me luck! I've spent the last several days draining each of my 9 tanks down, getting rid of some, combining others, and resetting a few. It's been an ordeal!

[IHaveADegreeInMarineBioBut]

Sorry to hear that happened 😞 and I hope all is well health-wise. It seems like you've managed to salvage some things, and better yet, you didn't give up. Once your tank becomes more established, all this will definitely pay off.

What I find most amazing though is that the SPS didn't completely die. I think that they can tolerate a lot more than we think they can. 

[Chriss Fishes]

28 minutes ago, IHaveADegreeInMarineBioBut said:

Sorry to hear that happened 😞 and I hope all is well health-wise. It seems like you've managed to salvage some things, and better yet, you didn't give up. Once your tank becomes more established, all this will definitely pay off.

What I find most amazing though is that the SPS didn't completely die. I think that they can tolerate a lot more than we think they can. 

Thanks! I'm all good - moved past it now!

 

I think the organisms we keep are all more hardy than we think they are, for the most part.

[Chriss Fishes]

So, three days after the tank move, things are starting to relax a little. Syf and Thor have gone back to their normal antics, and most of the coral have started to open back up. The only outliers are the Yellow Porites, which has just now started to extend it's first polyps, and the two gorgonians. The Purple Whip hasn't extended at all yet, while the Purple Candelabra has been extending, but not much.

 

Here's some happy GSP:

 

And my Blood Shrimp staring at me from his cave:

[Chriss Fishes]

This guy has been much more active since the tank move. Love it!

 

[Chriss Fishes]

Here's a FTS from right before lights out tonight:

 

 

Things are looking better - besides my coral placement. Gorgs are falling every which way, and that Duncan has gotten pushed all over the glass bottom. That said, this angle does give you a peek at the new heads forming!

 

Things seem happier. The leather is still kinda "Meh", the candy cane is still on death's door, and the yellow porites still hasn't actually extended any polyps, but things are less pissed than they were. I'll take it!

[Chriss Fishes]

Did my first water test since I moved the tank:

 

Nitrate: 2-3 PPM

Phosphate: 0.03 PPM

PH: 8.1

SG: 1.027

 

I'm happy with things so far - SG has been swinging between 1.024-1.027, as I'm still running without a lid and am just topping off daily. I'll be getting a lid soon, hopefully. An ATO will come eventually, too, I'm sure. The only other issue I'm having is some cyano growing on the rocks. Not a ton, and it's not spreading much, but it's still a worry. Hopefully it'll go away while I keep nutrients low-ish! This is all taken from before my 1 gallon water change, and with me feeding pretty heavily every day (as well as reef-roids once a week). We'll see how things go!

[Chriss Fishes]

Quick update!

 

This tank has been doing well. Most corals have responded extremely well to the tank move, and are looking better than they ever have. I do have some red cyano, but I'll be trying to get a handle on that as I move forward.