MicroReefs 4.7 Gallon - Red Striped Trimma Goby

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

To add to the Tank Keepers total and complete frustration, I’ve decided I want to start my own little tank, that will eventually become my office tank. (Once we are back in the office, and not working from home, due to the Corona virus.) My goal is to learn from the Tank Keeper about husbandry, so I can help more with the other four tanks we currently have up and running. Also, it’d be a snowballs chance in hell, that I’d be able to talk her in to another tank to manage, so if I wanted it, I’d have to be responsible for it. 

 

I am beyond honored to have gotten the prototype from @Micro-Reefs Aquariums midnight series 4.7 gallon aquarium. 
 

Equipment :

Cobalt NeoTherm 25w Heater

Inkbird ITC308s (to control the heater, and fans if needed)

NanoBox Duo

WuyouChy Aquarium ATO System

 

The tank arrived Monday, and all though UPS did their best to damage the tank on the way, the box was so well packed, that it arrived unscathed. 
 

 

All of the frag racks and the media rack were inside the tank, under the packing popcorn. 

 

I set the tank up, and a guy in our local reef club had ordered too much ocean rock from Gulf Live Rock. The Tank Keeper has an affinity for live rock, and went with me to pick out a couple pieces. We put a really nice piece in to this tank, and picked out a second piece for our 365 day challenge tank. 
 

 

I think that I’m going to put an invert in this tank. I’m leaning towards a pistol shrimp, and maybe a small goby... But I’m definitely open to suggestions, since a tank this small is new to both of us. I also don’t want to put a fish in this tank, if it’s too small for it. 
 

As far as corals go, I’m thinking maybe a nice piece of euphyllia and a zoa garden. I’d like to keep it fairly simple, since husbandry is mostly new to me. All though, I read a lot, and enjoy learning. I am above average at fragging (the tank keeper doesn’t like to frag at all, so that’s a responsibility that’s been given to me.) 

 

Please feel free to offer suggestions, as being responsible for a tank of my own is a first for me. 

[debbeach13]

Congratulations this is awesome.

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

20 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

Congratulations this is awesome.

Thanks Deb! I’m excited, but also a little nervous. I’m blessed that the tank keeper works so hard on our tanks, to keep everything alive and happy, so I’m certain that I’ll rely heavily on her and the NanoReef community that I’ve come to love so much. 

[debbeach13]

I am sure you will do fine. Nano Box Duo on this size is going to need to be turned down but should make things pop and grow. Sounds like it is not going to be a standard frag tank. Are you using the frag racks to keep the rock off the bottom for easy cleaning?

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

10 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

I am sure you will do fine. Nano Box Duo on this size is going to need to be turned down but should make things pop and grow. Sounds like it is not going to be a standard frag tank. Are you using the frag racks to keep the rock off the bottom for easy cleaning?

Yeah - it’s definitely over kill for this tank, but we had it tucked away in the closet, not being used, so I couldn’t justify buying a new light. I tried to sell it locally here for months, and didn’t get any bites. I did sell it to someone on here, but they couldn’t get it to play nice with their WiFi, so they sent it back, and I refunded their money. Since then, it’s just been stuck in the closet. 
 

I am not currently using the frag racks, but that’s a great idea to try.  Thank you!
 

I haven’t put sand in the tank yet. If I end up going the pistol shrimp route, I’ll definitely put sand in. I also thought it might be kind of cool to just grow zoas on the bottom of the tank. 

[Tired]

An antenna goby would do fine in a tank this size, they don't need much space. They're also called things like high-fin goby. Very small goby that either looks black and white or maroonish and white depending on lighting, with a yellow face and a very long first ray on its dorsal fin. That and a candycane/randalls pistol shrimp will make a great pair. They would need sand, but not a huge amount- half an inch or less would be fine. You should also scatter in a handful of tiny bits of shell, pistol shrimp like to use them to build. Definitely put your rock on the bottom of the tank, not on top of the sand, so the shrimp's burrowing can't shift it around.

 

To my eye, the rock you have in there right now is a bit big. Are you able to chisel off that projecting bit on the bottom, to make a flat surface on the bottom so it would sit a bit lower? 

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

3 minutes ago, Tired said:

An antenna goby would do fine in a tank this size, they don't need much space. They're also called things like high-fin goby. Very small goby that either looks black and white or maroonish and white depending on lighting, with a yellow face and a very long first ray on its dorsal fin. That and a candycane/randalls pistol shrimp will make a great pair. They would need sand, but not a huge amount- half an inch or less would be fine. You should also scatter in a handful of tiny bits of shell, pistol shrimp like to use them to build. Definitely put your rock on the bottom of the tank, not on top of the sand, so the shrimp's burrowing can't shift it around.

 

To my eye, the rock you have in there right now is a bit big. Are you able to chisel off that projecting bit on the bottom, to make a flat surface on the bottom so it would sit a bit lower? 

We’ve had hi-fin/candy cane pistols before. We actually had a pair of pairs of them (all four of them lived together), before Chad the PolyClad made an expensive meal out of them, before we found and caught him. I just wasn’t sure if this would be too small of a tank for them, but that combination I think would be a really cool pair to watch in this tank. Thank you for the suggestion! 
 

That part of the rock is pretty flat, for about 2/3 of the rock. It sits really well in the tank, but the high point of the rock is within an inch or two of the water line. Here’s a closer picture of the rock. 
 

[debbeach13]

Sorry I wasn’t clear. I was questioning putting the rock on top on the frag racks because I thought that was what you did. I like the rock on the bottom with sand around much better.

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

I either had no cycle, or a very, very small one that was taken care of with a water change last weekend. I decided to throw a couple of frags in from one of our other tanks, to get this party started. As of now, I have four polyps of utter chaos, and three adult polyps, and two baby polyps of Queen Stratosphere zoas in this little tank. I also put two cerith snails, in to help keep the tank clean. 
 

I wanted to upgrade the return pump, because there’s no replacement for displacement. *Cue Tim the Tool Man Taylor grunting!*

 

I decided on the IM Mighty Jet 326gph (we use this pump on our IM 20 Gallon Peninsula), but since I’d rather spend money on livestock, than a pump, I found online that Jajale makes the IM pumps, and their own version is about half the price. It appeared to be the same thing, and ordered it from Amazon. Today, the pump arrived, and it said Daibao aquarium 5000 on the box. The pump itself said DCS 1200, which I'm assuming means 1200 liters per hour.  The controller says Daibao 8000... It works just like our MightyJet controller, including having two operating modes(constant and a wave pattern) as well as a feed mode. So who the hell knows what I received. It’s super quiet, and it moves a lot of water. I’ve got it on constant mode, 1.2, which according to the IM MightyJet 326 chart Is 196 gallons per hour. Which means, with about 3-1/2 to 3-3/4 gallons of water volume, I’m turning this tank somewhere between 50 and 60 times per hour. In the ever immortal words of a coked up Charlie Sheen, “Winning!”
 

For good measure, I added a VCA RFG nozzle, because apparently I enjoy cleaning up spilled tank water.  

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

I’ve added sand, and a few corals to this tank. I’m not sure that all of these corals will end up staying in this tank. There’s a good chance that they’ll get moved to our 80 gallon tank. The only thing I’ve glued down, is the Todd’s torch (the front left torch) and some Queen Strat zoas. 
 

Full Tank Shot 

 

 

Top Down

Here’s a couple close ups, from me playing with my new macro lens. 
 

Blue Raven Blasto 

 

 

Cotton Candy Torch

 

 

I put in a candy cane pistol shrimp, and a small high fin goby last week, but I haven’t seen them since putting them in the tank. I’m hoping they’re just hiding, and will come out in the coming weeks. I’m trying to patient, and not pull this rock out and look for them... You hear that, Goby? It’d be a whole lot better for the both of us if you just swim around briefly, so I can see you. 

[Tired]

High-fin gobies are very shy, it's not at all uncommon for them to hide a lot. Have you heard the pistol shrimp snapping? That's a good indicator it's alive. 

If you don't have a lid, you should very much get one. Gobies, like all fish, can jump. I lost a high-fin to a quarter-inch gap in my lid shortly after adding it. Heck, pistol shrimp can potentially jump. 

 

Is that substrate just straight gravel? The shrimp might have some problems with that, they're normally in sand. It should theoretically be able to dig, but the lil guy's gonna have to move a couple pieces at a time, so he might take awhile to get anywhere. 

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

7 minutes ago, Tired said:

High-fin gobies are very shy, it's not at all uncommon for them to hide a lot. Have you heard the pistol shrimp snapping? That's a good indicator it's alive. 

If you don't have a lid, you should very much get one. Gobies, like all fish, can jump. I lost a high-fin to a quarter-inch gap in my lid shortly after adding it. Heck, pistol shrimp can potentially jump. 

 

Is that substrate just straight gravel? The shrimp might have some problems with that, they're normally in sand. It should theoretically be able to dig, but the lil guy's gonna have to move a couple pieces at a time, so he might take awhile to get anywhere. 

I’ve got a piece of acrylic I keep over it - I just removed for the pictures. I haven’t heard any snapping, but in my experience once they’re paired up with the goby, the snapping diminishes a lot. 

[Tired]

Ah, good, that should keep 'em in. 

 

Try squirting some mysis or other tempting food around the back and sides of the rock. They might dart out to get it. If not, well, I'm sure there are detritivores in your rock that could use a snack. 

 

That's some really nice rock, look at all the life! Keep an eye on that brown macro on the far left, I think that's something that can be a bit invasive? 

 

What zoas are those ones on the lower left? They're so little. 

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

10 minutes ago, Tired said:

Ah, good, that should keep 'em in. 

 

Try squirting some mysis or other tempting food around the back and sides of the rock. They might dart out to get it. If not, well, I'm sure there are detritivores in your rock that could use a snack. 

 

That's some really nice rock, look at all the life! Keep an eye on that brown macro on the far left, I think that's something that can be a bit invasive? 

 

What zoas are those ones on the lower left? They're so little. 

If you’re talking about in the green in the sand bed, that actually and alveopora, that’s a little cranky from all the flow in this tank. 
 

You are right about that brown algae. It seemed to pop up out of nowhere, and is really growing. I have no idea what kind it is though. Do you know?

[Tired]

Oops, my bad. Apparently I've got zoas on the brain.

 

I don't know what the algae is called, unfortunately. I just know that I saw a list of relatively unusual pest algaes somewhere, and stuff like that was on it. Maybe ReefCleaners? 

[A.m.P]

Dunno, could be lyngbya cyano, kind of just looks like green hair algae to me though honestly...

Two oddballs I'm actually seeing pop up allot more frequently are the former and calothryx, honorable mention to chrysophytes.

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

I’ve started dosing TM All For Reef in this little tank - I’ve settled in at 2ml per day, to keep things stable. I was surprised that it needed so much. 
 

I never did find the Goby(or a body), but the pistol shrimp is still alive and kicking. I never hear him snap, but I pulled the rock yesterday to clean the back wall, and there he was about to crawl up my hand. I think we both nearly evacuated our bowels, when I shrieked like a 7 year old girl. 
 

The tank keeper was out of town last week for work, so that meant I was own my own for entertainment(Boo!)... So of course that meant a trip to the strip club 80 gallon tank, to raid some frag racks.
 

Blue Raven Blasto: 

 

Alveopora:

 

Glitter Goni (I had to frag this... Shhh... Don’t tell the tank keeper!):

 

Ricordea Yuma:

 

I also grabbed a few zoas, but I haven’t gotten any good pictures of them yet. I’ll post a full tank shot in the next post, even though I hate that there’s a frag rack in it. 

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

September Full Tank Shot:

 

Also, here’s a shot of the Tood’s Torch. It’s so insanely bright. The pictures just don’t do this torch justice, on how bright it truly is. The cotton candy torch behind it(I’m pretty sure it will get moved to the 80 gallon tank, since it looks drab compared to the Todd’s) pales in comparison when it comes to brightness. 

[A.m.P]

Oiy, that blasto is just so pretty.

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

54 minutes ago, Amphrites said:

Oiy, that blasto is just so pretty.

Thank you! I love that the oranges are starting to come out on it. 

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

More and more life is coming out on this rock, including multiple different types of algae. There’s also a couple of, what I believe are hidden cup corals. Can anyone verify that’s what this is?

 

 

I also picked this little cutie up at the LFS, but I’m pretty sure the Tank Keeper is going to pull rank on me, and take it for her SPS/Christmas Tree worm tank, which can be seen here(all though she sucks at updating it) :  https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/topic/412369-efrains-ada-60p-bringing-the-fuzz/

 

 

For those that don’t know, it’s a flaming prawn goby, and the tank keeper has wanted one for the last 20 years. She’d never even seen one in person though, and with a stroke of dumb luck fell in to this one. For now, he’s quarantined in a cup in this tank, while she decides if she’s going to take him. (The smart money says she will.) 

 

 

 

That’s all for now... Back to work, and day dreaming about one day getting to have one (or a pair!) of these guys of my very own. 

[debbeach13]

Part of me thinks you have a chance. Only because it will be easier to admire that beautiful fish in the smaller tank. 

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

9 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

Part of me thinks you have a chance. Only because it will be easier to admire that beautiful fish in the smaller tank. 

Thanks Deb! I think you're right - there's a small chance. She kept going back and forth on it last night, but this rock has a million hiding places, and her SPS tank, all though larger, doesn't have as many hiding places based on the rock work that's in there. Ultimately it's her choice - I'm ok with it either way.

 

If there was something I'd been wanting for decades and finally had it within my grasps, she'd never take it away from me. There's no way in my heart I can tell her no if she wants it. 

[debbeach13]

You should not say no to her for a lot of reasons. Happiness is and all that. I didn’t realize the difference in rock type between the two tanks. I would imagine tank mates come into consideration also. I hope you both agree soon so the fish can be free. The cup is going to be feeling pretty small        before too much longer. 

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

This tank is really starting to explode with algae’s. There’s bubble algae, halimeda, red grape and dragons breath, along with a couple other kinds I haven’t been able to identify. Last weekend I had to trim back most of the dragons breath, but fortunately E-fin in our 80 gallon disposes of this for me, easily. I’m up to dosing 2.4ml of All For Reef a day to keep things stable. Also, I gave the flaming prawn goby to the tank keeper (let’s be honest, did anyone really think I was going to be able to keep it?! As much as I enjoy the hobby, I enjoy seeing boobs the tank keepers company more.), so I’m still fishless in this little tank. 
 

October full tank shot: 

 

 

Here’s a photo of the red grape algae that’s popped up next to the queen strats. I’m sure I’ll have to trim this back at some point, but it’s growing in a few different places. 

 

 

I also picked up a couple new zoas this weekend. I got my hand on a Big R Space Choas (it’s significantly different than the space chaos we had) and a zoa I can’t run down a name on, but it’s so pretty I wasn’t leaving the LFS without it. 
 

 

 

Also, this Blue Raven blasto just gets more and more insane as the days go by. It’s quickly becoming my favorite coral in this tank. 

Under Blues

 

Under Whites