My 20g Oasis in the Las Vegas Desert

[DesertReefOasis]

I bought my boyfriend a 110g tank for his birthday last month, and I quickly understood his love for this hobby! So, here I am, working on creating a neat little habitat for my future coworkers in my Las Vegas desert home office.

 

I've researched and planned my "dream" home office tank for a couple of weeks (I've got a lot of time on my hands lately..) before pulling off the bandaid and came up with the following livestock "wish list":

For Sure:

Leopard Toby Puffer

Green Banded Goby

 

Possibilities:

Black Storm Clown Fish (though not sure I want 2, and I'd almost feel bad if just one got lonely? I've read mixed reviews on either experience)

Black and White Chromis

Neon Goby

Pink Streaked Wrasse

Nano Red Brittle Star OR Shortspine Urchin

 

**Yes, I'm aware that some of these may outgrow my lil' 20g tank.  But that's the beauty of having a boyfriend with a 110g tank available to re-home these little guys if needed. 😄

As previously mentioned I've done quite a bit of research on each of these possible tankmates, but I'm always open to your experiences that either differ or support my findings of these being suitable for my tank either part-time or for their full lifespan.

 

 I also plan on keeping corals in this tank. Yes, I'm aware it may be a slight gamble with my puffer, though per google research and forum research it appears as long as I keep him fed nice and well he ought to leave the corals fairly alone. I really dig the following corals (in no particular order as these are planned to enter my tank much later on):

Purple Sea Blade Gorgonian (remind me of some cacti 😄 )

Green Sympodium (these things are just straight underwater daisies! Love 'em!)

Plating Montipora

Jason Fox Vino Acropora (helloooo $$$$$)

Some sort of Acropora (like Jason fox Green Mango)

Short tentacle Orange Plate

And either a White or Green Polyp Toad Stool Leather

 

Day One:

The tank is in! Picked up my Nuvo Panoramoic Concept Pro Drop Off 20g tank from a local fish store along with live sand, a mixture of rock, and a little heater.  Thankfully my boyfriend already has a RODI (?) water system set up and some extra salt on hand to get me kicked off. Spent a couple of hours messing with the rock to get my aquascape as close to how I imagined as possible (literally drew out aquascapes for over a week in planning this). Then got 'er all in the tank!

 

Day Two:

We didn't have as much extra salt as we'd thought... ha.  Wound up back at the LFS to refill our salt supply to top-off my tank. Previously found a sweet deal on barely used Red Sea ReefLED 50w light and universal mounting arm that came in the mail today along with the Turbo Start that came with my boyfriend's algae barn order! Thus, Day 2 = Day 1 of cycling! (And will eventually throw this light on there since I don’t want to start unnecessary algae growth turning it on so soon anyway.)

Day Three:

Tested my water and came in around 8 for pH, around 0 for Ammonia, solid 0.25 for Nitrite and close to 0 for Nitrate.

 

 

 

[teenyreef]

Great start! I like the scape, too. Just a thought, if you have a few little pieces of rubble, you might put one or two on top of the flat shelf on the second-highest rock. Just enough to break up the straight line and make it look more natural. 

[DesertReefOasis]

1 hour ago, teenyreef said:

Great start! I like the scape, too. Just a thought, if you have a few little pieces of rubble, you might put one or two on top of the flat shelf on the second-highest rock. Just enough to break up the straight line and make it look more natural. 

 

Thanks! I do have some more rock and thought that too...  I tried a piece that took up more of the flat space up there, but then replaced it with the one in the pics.  I may still do that later on to make it more natural, but also debating a "fluffy-flowy" looking type of coral up there on the top shelf that could take over the flat space and hide it without reaching the top of the water.  Just like I kind of have a Hades Goni planned for the middle flat shelf just below the one you're talking about. Then I figure I'd do an encrusting coral on the left part of that high rock if I find one that would like it up there.

[505nano]

That looks amazing!! Great work!

[DesertReefOasis]

Tested the waters again today and came in close to 1.027 for salinity (bit too much evaporated yesterday I think), 8.0 for pH, around 0.25 for Ammonia, looks closest to 0.50 for Nitrite (definitely purple, just not so dark), and still close to 0 for Nitrate.... The cycling continues. 🙂 

 

Also looks like I'm going to need to start researching at least one powerhead with an obvious dead spot under the big arch in the back.

[DesertReefOasis]

3 minutes ago, 505nano said:

That looks amazing!! Great work!

Appreciate it!

[DesertReefOasis]

Daily water test everything came in about the same as yesterday. Between 0 and 0.25 for Ammonia, closest to 0.50 for Nitrite (purple for sure but not quite as dark as 1.0), and between 0 and 5.0 for Nitrate.

[DesertReefOasis]

Got my Red Sea ReefLED 50w set up on the tank, finally!

 

Cycling continues:

Salinity: 1.027

pH: 8.0

Ammonia: between 0 and 0.25

Nitrite: between 0.50 and 1.0

Nitrate: 10

[DesertReefOasis]

Another water test..!

 

Salinity is still at 1.027

pH: 8.0

Ammonia: 0.25 

Nitrite: 0.50
Nitrate: 10

 

Seems like I'm stable in these parameters and perhaps ready to do a water change, check the parameters again, and then get the official test at the LFS.  Probably should've done that a while ago saying as the turbo start should've had 'er ready in 5 days or less and could even add fish in immediately with it... Ha 😬

[DesertReefOasis]

Did a 5g water change with only 2 cups of salt this time for the new water.  Salinity is back down to 1.025 now 🙂

pH: Between 8.0 and 8.2

Ammonia: Closer to 0

Nitrite: 0.25

Nitrate: 0

 

😁😁

[teenyreef]

Getting close! I've seen a few cases where new tanks took a longer time to get nitrites down than ammonia. Who knows why, but it all goes to zero eventually 🙂

[DesertReefOasis]

'Nother water test:

Salinity @ 1.025

pH: 7.8 (To be fair, the boyfriend and I were right next to it all day long scrambling on a live auction for coral; opened up the office window, so hopefully that will help.)

Ammonia: more between 0 and 0.25

Nitrite: 0.25

Nitrate: pretty much 0, maybe a little above but definitely not 5.0

 

Going to put on the filter sock and media rack w/ GFO and carbon and see if I can't get this all sorted and do another water change in a couple of days.

[DesertReefOasis]

pH is creeping back up almost back to 8

Ammonia: pretty much back at 0

Nitrite: 0!

Nitrate: 5.0

 

Looking better eh!? 🙂

[DesertReefOasis]

Solid!!

Salinity: 1.025

pH: 8

Ammonia: 0

Nitrite: 0

Nitrate: 0

 

Currently getting ready to add the first addition as I type... 🙂

[DesertReefOasis]

I've been slowly adding in some corals while waiting for the star of my tank to come into stock (a leopard toby puffer)!  Everything appears to be thriving so far with the ReefLED 50w on acclimation mode for the next 7 days. I've been feeding the new additions about every other day with Algae Barn's Ocean Magic, and have Reef Roids arriving tomorrow.

 

Water tests today came back spot on with the new additions:

pH: 8.0

Ammonia: 0ppm

Nitrite: 0ppm

Nitrate: 0ppm

Phosphate: 0ppm

KH: 214.8ppm

Calcium: 500ppm

 

Working on getting photos since I don't have any fancy lenses... But so far I have a UC Hades Goni that arrived last Thursday morning (5/30), Teal Hirsuta Montipora, Phantasm Blastomussa, and CC Tangerine Juice Leptoseris that arrived yesterday morning (5/5), and a Cali Kid Half Baked baby mushroom arriving within the hour (5/6)!

[Ratvan]

On 5/6/2020 at 5:32 PM, DesertReefOasis said:

I've been slowly adding in some corals while waiting for the star of my tank to come into stock (a leopard toby puffer)!  Everything appears to be thriving so far with the ReefLED 50w on acclimation mode for the next 7 days. I've been feeding the new additions about every other day with Algae Barn's Ocean Magic, and have Reef Roids arriving tomorrow.

 

Water tests today came back spot on with the new additions:

pH: 8.0

Ammonia: 0ppm

Nitrite: 0ppm

Nitrate: 0ppm

Phosphate: 0ppm

KH: 214.8ppm

Calcium: 500ppm

 

Working on getting photos since I don't have any fancy lenses... But so far I have a UC Hades Goni that arrived last Thursday morning (5/30), Teal Hirsuta Montipora, Phantasm Blastomussa, and CC Tangerine Juice Leptoseris that arrived yesterday morning (5/5), and a Cali Kid Half Baked baby mushroom arriving within the hour (5/6)!

Pictures please, even if not great I love looking at people's tanks 

[DesertReefOasis]

57 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Pictures please, even if not great I love looking at people's tanks 

Oooook, here's the best I could nab with my ancient iphone and a pair of sunglasses with orange mirror lenses:

 

I first tried putting my Lepto between the top two rocks to hopefully grow along the bottom top rock and really add that color up there.

 

But, then decided to move it down lower after reading more and more on them and worried that even though it was in the shade up there that it would still be too high.

BUT, now I'm worried I see some bleaching being in the direct light now despite being in the lowest spot in the tank... Thinking of moving it back up but on the little arch on the left of my tank in the shade and see how it does - if I can find a spot that will hold it up there *fingers crossed*

 

I've also moved my goniopora around a little.  It seems pretty happy wherever so far, so I'm hoping it'll stay happy up on this ledge and grow out and be able to take over that platform ledge for my tank to have some real nice movement right in the center. 🙂

 

My teal hirsuta monti (no clue how to tell if this one is happy or not...) But have it in the high-middle of the tank over on the left side.  Getting decent flow too.

 

My phantasm blastomussa seems pretty happy being in the lower-mid of the tank on the shaded side of my big bottom rock.  Mostly shaded with some low lit spots and low flow there. Can't wait to see how it will grow out.

 

Really hard to get a good snap of the half baked mushroom - but dang I love this little guy!! So unique; I really have never seen another type of mushroom like it. I definitely super splurged on it, but worth it to watch it grow up 😄

Before it fully opened up:

Now wide open and happy as can be:

 

 

Current full tank shot (but, again, thinking of moving the lepto back towards the top in the shade again..we'll see):

 

[debbeach13]

Just found your tank thread. Every thing looks great so far. Love the scape. I think you are probably right it should be a more natural visual with some nice flowing corals up on that ledge. Good luck with your tank.

[DesertReefOasis]

2 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

Just found your tank thread. Every thing looks great so far. Love the scape. I think you are probably right it should be a more natural visual with some nice flowing corals up on that ledge. Good luck with your tank.

Thanks, I appreciate the feedback! I definitely designed the scape with a leopard toby puffer in mind... hopefully I can find a small one sooner than later as I really want to get it before other fish to make sure there's no territory problems for the peaceful puffer.

[DesertReefOasis]

Sooo, soon after my last post I disassembled my scape to drill a few holes for my frag plugs in my rocks.  Derpy derp me didn't even think about stirring up the bacteria on the rock when putting them back in.  So I had a little bit of a spike, but everything leveled out in a couple days and has been gucci since.. SOOOOO Guess what!?!?! Fish butt! Finally added my first fishy and 5 trochus snails 😄 😄 😄 😄 😄 

 

Lil' DJ gobbled up his first meal last night and has been a happy camper checking out his new home. Somehow managed to snap a couple pics even. 🙂 

 

Never noticed on my boyfriend's big tank how cute even these lil' trochus snails are, ha

 

 

Hoping to find a shark nose goby for a friend, but in the meantime DJ seems to be happy helping the snails up over the drop off, ha!

[DesertReefOasis]

Decided DJ the possum wrasse needed a friend, so I picked up a baby Wyoming White from a local breed yesterday morning (5/17). 😄 Pictures to come - this little guy is so tiny any movement and it's such a twitchy blur when trying to snap a photo, ha. So far he's just staying in his back top-right corner of the tank & DJ goes and checks in on him every now and then.  Stoked to be able to watch him grow up!

 

Why did no one ever warn me of the dangers of coral live sales!?!?! WWC got me good this last weekend! After a few picks each, the boyfriend and I decided to full on splurge and cut ourselves off after that live sale for how much $$$$ we blew through. Totally worth it for the good deals all in one shipping module though. Can't wait to see all the new colors in my tank when they arrive! Below is kind of a 'scape planning based on what I have and what I bought. 😬 

 

 

Only 2 things I'm really yearning for now is yellow type of encrusting monti for the top left under the stylo and hirsuta monti, and then some kind of torch or hammer for the middle right, above the blastos. Then I should be "satisfied." 😅

[DesertReefOasis]

New corals arrive tomorrow morning!!!!

 

Forgot to mention I recently bought some more filter socks to be able to change them out more frequently without hand washing the single one I had each time, along with some new BRS filter media and bags and added like 12-ish(?) bio balls in an empty column in the back of the tank where it may have been designed for a skimmer slot... Don't think I'll need a skimmer until I'm able to potentially nab a leopard toby puffer though, so should be solid and more surface area for that good bacteria to grow. 🙂

 

Ordered up some pods today from Algae Barn for the wrasse to be able to graze on and maybe get a baby mandarin goby (that could go in the boyfriend's bigger tank if it outgrows mine as he's already been building his pod population).  Obviously a waiting game for my population to build up, but we'll see.  Really just trying to brainstorm a fish that I could get for my tank that would add in some nice blues - any suggestions are welcomed! DJ the wrasse will love the pods in the meantime once they come in. 🙂 Also ordered some pellets for Young Jeezy aka the Snowman clownfish for a little food variation that should be here tomorrow. Stoked he's starting to checkout the tank some more as well, still staying towards the top though. Tried grabbing some pics of the little guy below:

 

 

Definitely seeing that algae growth from not perfecting my feeding technique yet... So hopefully the pods will help a bit with that, but also planning on getting an emerald crab tomorrow afternoon once I get my corals settled in. 🙂

 

Anyway, back on track... Corals coming in the morning!! So I did a water change and tested my parameters.  Holy crud I'm stoked!! My pH has never been so solid! I've been opening up my office window most mornings for a few hours before the Vegas Heat seeps in - obviously working!

 

pH: 8.2

Ammonia: 0

Nitrites: 0

Nitrates: 0

KH: 179

Calcium: 460

Phosphate: 0

(ppm)

[DesertReefOasis]

Got my emerald crab a couple of days ago and all my corals super glued into place yesterday with the exception of the mystic sunset monti, which I just moved up to the next level sand bed to further light acclimate.

 

Must say... it shows with excess superglue that it was done with alcohol in one's system.... awks.  But other than that super stoked with the placement of everything and stoked to wait and see how everything grows out! Ultron Favia looks Super dope with All of its feeders out right now! (Sorry, still just have orange lensed sunglasses as a "camera filter")

 

 

 

In other news, I've been visiting the LFS quite a bit trying to figure out my last fishy I want to introduce to the tank while I wait on my puffer to become available. So that would be a total of 4 fish for my 20g, should be OK yeah!? Think I read some people saying 4-5 max, so hoping that's OK.  Figured if I end up giving up on finding my puffer then I'd get a midnight clown as my final fourth fish to pair with my wyoming white.

 

Anyway, I wanted to keep with an unusual fish theme.  Possum wrasse is definitely unique along with a not-so-common clown. And as I've mentioned before, I keep coming back to a mandarin goby... My boyfriend wants the really vibrant red and blue patterned one for his tank. So I'm thinking of the tan one with the targets all over its body.  The LFS said I'd really need a refugium to keep copepods alive and breeding to really continuously feed a mandarin goby.  I just dosed my tank with the 5280 copepods from Algae Barn yesterday (5/22) mostly in the overflow section where I piled up those bio balls with a little bit dumped straight in the display.

So I guess the question is, if anyone is following along - should I look into adding a hang-on refugium even further off the back of my all in one tank? Or would the already added extra bio balls in the compartment in the overflow area be a sufficient area for copepods to call home to keep a population while feeding my tank? Also, any truth to the target mandarin goby being easier to supplementally feed with brine shrimp? Also, any nay-sayers on a mandarin goby in my 20g drop off just in general as far as sizing and current stocking list?

 

Cheers!

[DesertReefOasis]

It's been a minute, but yesterday (6/2) my emerald crab (Ghostface Killa) molted! Definitely a quick heart attack as seems par for the course while I tried to make sure it was a molt vs. the end of the little guy.  Thankfully found him in the rock work an hour later, and I see where he was on feast mode over last night. 👌

 

  

 

Lately been battling some red and green variants of algae, which would explain my little crab growing up before my eyes as he feasts on it all.  Though my parameters have remained steady, so I'm not sure the reason for my algae other than new tank syndrome? My coral frags are all doing well except for some bleaching on my monti so I removed it back down to recover, dead tips on my cactus pavona due to red algae getting stuck on it, and my goni is still being temperamental as it only sometimes comes out halfway... But the goni is in a spot it was happy before, lowest part of the tank but still on a rock and gets decent but not crazy flow, so just patience and some reef roids and we'll see what happens.

 

Young Jeezy the Snowman clownfish is growing and venturing around the tank a little more here and there with the guide of DJ the possum wrasse. DJ is always cruising around the tank assumingly hunting for the 5280 pods I dumped in there a while back (which I feed fairly steadily that green magic phytoplankton stuff either daily or every other day still).

 

And yeah, I think that's all the updates I have for now! 🐡

[DesertReefOasis]

Copepods have been all over my glass the last couple of days... of course I realized this once I brought home my new Bicolor/Flametail Blenny! Named him Wiz Khalifa #blackandyellow 😎

When I brought home Wiz and saw the copepods everywhere I was almost like, dang, should've just gotten the target mandarin goby..... But I've always like these flame tails ever since I first saw them as well, and now I won't have to be so paranoid I suppose for this one to eat vs. the mandarin.  I know DJ the possum wrasse loves the copepods anyway. 🙂

 

The new addition, and likely the last for about a year or so until I figure out if I can get the Leopard Toby Puffer or not.. :