Sugar's IM Lagoon 25g... again!

[sugar]

2 hours ago, banasophia said:

Yes, my yellow banded is much more outgoing and active than my pink streak was. He zips around the tank all day long and rides the current like a clownfish. Could be due to the flow or scape or tank mates, I’m not sure… definitely not what I had expected when I got him. But since I got him I’ve noticed a few posts where it seems like a 50/50 mix of some people saying theirs are shy and other saying theirs are really active. 
 

Here’s a video I just shot for you showing my possum wrasse and yellow clown goby swimming around. Sorry, it’s late so the lights are very blue… hopefully you can still get a good idea. I think my yellow clown goby was showing off… he doesn’t usually swim around quite that much, but his hashtag is #strikeaposehank and he probably didn’t like Marshall getting all the attention. 😆😆😆

 

 

Absolutely love this.

[sugar]

Tha diatoms exploded yesterday! I don't have a photo but I snapped some this morning right after I turned the lights on. I think I might leave the lights off for a few days and let the cycle do it's thing, and hold off on the diatoms.

 

I modified the scape SLIGHTLY. And now I am keeping my hands out! I wanted the shape on the left to be a little different and open up the cave more.

 

I might not have great real estate for corals is the only thing but we will adjust as we go along.

 

I also installed the Sicce 1.5 and it is MUCH quieter than the stock Nuvo pump. Great flow. I am very happy!!!

 

 

 

 

 

[banasophia]

 

6 hours ago, sugar said:

I modified the scape SLIGHTLY. And now I am keeping my hands out! I wanted the shape on the left to be a little different and open up the cave more.

 

I might not have great real estate for corals is the only thing but we will adjust as we go along.

Looks great… and true, you can always adjust if they aren’t attached…

 

…it’s not set in stone 

 

…get it? 😬🤔😆

[sugar]

We have a fish!

 

Since my last update I've added a tiny clownfish, a few blue-legged hermits and a few easy corals: toadstool frag, a hammer/"grape" head, some xenia and cloves. Everything doing well so far!

 

The fish was a picky eater at first and being so tiny I was a little worried. He's come around and now and LOVES his PE Mysis pellets and frozen brine shrimp.

 

I did adjust the rocks a little since my last post and I am finally satisfied with it. Of course it can all change again but I really like the way it is now and have no plans to touch it!

 

I did run into an issue that I had in the past: not promptly calibrating or even checking my refractometer before even getting the tank filled. It was reading off, of course! I managed to get everything in line before adding livestock and will be diligent with checking that more often.

 

We have gone through a brief phase of diatoms which seems to have subsided and now begins the early stages of that green and brown film-type algae. Just rocks changing color as time goes on!

 

Lots and lots of pods. I added a bottle of pods a few weeks ago and I still see an abundance of life, so I am thrilled about that.

 

I added on my Reef Octopus NS80 Nano skimmer to add aeration to hopefully bring up/stabilize my pH. I need to upgrade my testing situation still, but the API tests are telling me I'm around 8 or even 7.8. Not critical, and it could be the tests themselves but, but I'd like to see the pH level out a little higher.

 

I have a running shopping list now! Still in the market for a temperature controller, upgrade my testing, and some other small things.

 

Now for some photos! Nothing crazy.. still easing into it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can't seem to rotate on mobile!!! Next time I'm on a computer I'll try to fix my little fishy pic!

[sugar]

Well folks, as it does, the uglies hit.

 

I don't have photos of the tank at its worst but here it was a few days ago (no thick layer of the stuff on the sand and rocks like I had been seeing for the week prior):

 

 

I ended up taking the skimmer offline. Not sure if it just made the water a little too clean, but I had what could be either dinos or diatoms or cyano or some other brownish filmy kind of algae. Lots of bubbles on the "algae" itself but no long strings.

 

Nitrate API test reads a hard 0 ppm consistently. I have nitrate and phosphate Hanna checkers en route! I had about 5 ppm a few weeks ago but it has been 0 ppm since.

 

I haven't done much in the last two weeks to combat this... my fear is that I'd make it worse since I can't precisely identify what little ugly/uglies I have.

 

When things were looking great, I did add a few more corals: Sunny D paly, a blue pineapple coral, GSP and a little Yuma. I also added a few snails to try to stay on top of what I thought was diatoms.

 

I do see the odd little tufts of GHA and the rocks changing to a green color so I feel like things are happening and hopefully in a good direction.

 

Certainly not out of the woods! But to try and combat the film I basted the rocks and sand every evening and changed filter floss every morning. It seemed like the algae or whatever it is does dissipate slightly at night but not entirely. 

 

I actually have not done a WC for fear that it would exacerbate things, and right now the tank is improving on its own with regular feedings and the cleaning regime. I do have 5 gallons of saltwater ready for a WC at any time! Maybe this week.

 

Annddd of course I changed the rocks around. I felt like I really didn't have the coral real estate that I wanted I also could not get good flow around the tank. Sigh.

 

A few online orders have been placed and I am very excited about those! Some Microbacter7 to maybe help me along, pods and phyto, a few other odd things along with the Hanna checkers and I finally bit the bullet and ordered an Apex A3 😊 Mostly for monitoring. Not sure if I mentioned but I went ahead and added the Helio heater which has brought me great peace of mind. 

 

Apologies for the long updates. I ought to post most often to keep them brief!!

 

Here we are today. Corals are a little sad but have come around in the last day or so which is great. I sure hope I don't lose my little hammer but it's quite possible 😔

 

 

 

 

[sugar]

A quick update!

 

I did a 20% water change last night and today things have overall immensely improved. Almost all corals opened up (the GSP and cloves had been closed up for a while and everything else just sad) and the algae is absolutely minimal after a day - the best shape the tank has looked since this stuff started forming.

 

I was scared to do a water change in case it made the situation worse (depleting nutrients, cause/worsen potential dinos) but in my case it has absolutely helped. I may do a 10% early next week. I guess the tank has been crying for a WC all along and I misinterpreted the signs! D'oh.

 

Even the poor cleaner shrimp is looking so much better. It was forming some black spots, and I was quite sure he was doomed. In less than a day after the WC almost all of it's discoloration has disappeared. 

 

More updates to come but just wanted to throw that in there in case anyone else finds themselves in a similar situation!

[ml86743]

I like the rework!  Tank is getting there, in some time it will start to really look great:)  Keep it up!

[banasophia]

I love the new scape, and your updates. Really looking forward to seeing your tank progress. 

[sugar]

I am the absolute worst for changes... but I can finally and contently say I am dooooooone with the scape! So done that I will finally be securing rocks and gluing down the TODAY!

 

This scape gives me everything I wanted, finally. I have great flow around the tank and between rocks, a little canyon/space between rocks, a cave, lots of coral space on rocks and even more space on the sand! I do have some small branches, rocks and rubble to add in without changing the arrangement I have. I'll need them to make little islands for my xenia and GSP.

 

I promise I'm done!!! 🤣 I know things can't establish until they are left alone!

 

Everything is looking so so so much better, what a huge relief. The tank is staying very clean and bright - it's so nice.

 

I have added two more fish and I think that will be it for additions for a while!

 

Shout out to those who encouraged me to get another clownfish! I believe it is a frostbite clown and so of course his name is Chilly 😊

 

I was certainly worried about adding a second clown. I had only ever bought paired clownfish or kept them singly. The frostbite is a little bigger than my original guy, but I wanted them both to be immature and hopefully they would get along. So far they are acting like best buds... here's hoping it stays that way. I must say, they are just precious.

 

I also added a little bicolor blenny. He's been extremely shy but has now claimed a hole that faces the front of the tank and actively seeks out food, so I am happy! 

 

For fish, I'll be holding out now for a possum or pink-streaked wrasse and a citron goby. 

 

I hope I don't kick myself but I added a little bit of caulerpa prolifera. The color and movement it adds is just... chefs kiss. I'll be watching it closely and hopefully it won't be a nightmare.

 

I have a couple of things on the way! I'm excited to add a second light - another AI Prime. I have the older model but I do find one just isn't quite enough to spread across the whole tank, although it certainly works fine! I just want a little more light and less shadowing.  

 

Summers are busy and this year I have finally gotten a vegetable garden going so between work, the tank, garden and dogs, there's not much time left in the day!

 

Photos to come!

[debbeach13]

I am sorry but I need a picture so I can tell if you change it again.

[sugar]

Here it is! Lol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've had my hands out ever since, and no desire to get in there, so that's a good sign!!! 

 

Everything seems happy and healthy and lively, so that's another sign - no touchy ✋

[sugar]

And no algae! 

[debbeach13]

That looks great. 

[Lebowski_]

That is a sweeeeet scape.

 

This tank is awesome!

 

[sugar]

🥲

 

[banasophia]

Niiice! And love the new scape and beautiful news fish!!

[sugar]

3 hours ago, banasophia said:

Niiice! And love the new scape and beautiful news fish!!

Thank you so much!!!!! We are getting there!! 

[sugar]

This photo is from early in the day so it's a bit blue but if you can see what I see - there is a difference between the two Primes, as one might expect.

 

The left side is lit by my original and older non-HD AI Prime. The right is my new AI Prime 16HD. The blues on the new Prime run a bit richer and stronger I find! Gotta love the old disco ball my phone picks up but in real life it's not that bad!! Instead I get a nice shimmer.

 

I run the Saxby settings and haven't decided if the difference is enough for me to go in a do some tweaking to try and match them more. I tried a few little adjustments but there is still a subtle difference! Not critical and having the two lights shines this tank up!! So, I'm happy. I'll leave it for now. I'll have to get a pic when it's midday - so bright and shiny.

 

[sugar]

Hello! 👋

 

It has been three months, and we are still here!!

 

There has been some changes. We're up to around 35 specimens of coral/anemone/macro added. I have five small fish, and a handful more inverts added. I'll update my first post, but here is a list ("new" if added since my last post!):

 

Fish

- Ocellaris clowns (2)

- Bicolor blenny

- Green clown goby (new)

- Yellow watchman goby (new)

 

Inverts

- Cleaner shrimp

- Blue-legged hermits (4)

- Nassarius snail (1)

- Cerith snail (1)

- Trochus snail (1)

- Astrea snail (3)

- Peppermint shrimp (new)

- Fighting conch (new)

- Emerald crab (new)

- Bumblebee snail (new)

- Tiger pistol shrimp paired to YWG (new)

- Stomatella snails, pineapple sponges, etc. !

 

Corals/Anemone

- Toadstool x2

- Xenia

- Cloves

- Green hammer

- Yuma

- Green and purple discosoma 

- Blue pineapple

- Sunny D paly

- Orange rainbow paly

- Caulerpa macro

- GSP

- Purple photosynthetic gorgonian

- Green alveopora (new)

- Peachy hammer (new)

- Finger leather (new)

- Pink constellation paly (new)

- White-polyp toadstool (new)

- Duncan (new)

- Stylophora (new)

- Ultra acan (new)

- Cherry charms paly (new)

- Magician paly (new)

- Blasto (new)

- Pink/green zoa (new)

- Green zoa (new)

- Purple monticap (new)

- Cabbage leather (new)

- Gobstopper paly (new)

- Mushrooms (blue, purple/red spot, green hairy/fuzzy, orange leopard, deep red) (new)

- Mini maxi carpet anemone (new)

 

Since my last update, I had a battle with dinos... shudder. I wouldn't wish dinos upon anyone! I'm not even sure I have photos to document, maaaybe a few. I'd like to post some and describe what I did and how it went away. I really didn't do much, besides backing off the tank a bit! I was likely dosing too much/many things, such as Microbacter7 after WC's and things like that. My nutrients were pinned at zero for weeks. I eventually went VERY simple: cut back WC's and increased feedings, changing filter floss, took off protein skimmer, stopped adding ANYTHING to the tank (aminos, Selcon, any supplements basically), stirring sand and blasting rocks with WC. 

 

I went into this setup to keep things extremely simple and just as I started to do a little too much BOOM. Dinos. We are back to very, very simple. No dosing for alk/calc yet - hopefully stays that way but we will see. Just a WC when I can remember, and testing on occasion. Nitrates hang around 5 ppm while phosphate is back at zero unfortunately. I had it around 0.04 ppm for a while after my dinos battle. GHA is minimal and well under control... for now.

 

Yes... the scape changed. Lol. But it has been this way for months and I am not interested in changing it AGAIN.

 

I actually had ordered a pink-streaked wrasse along with the clown and watchman gobies but he was DOA 😞 This, along with the clown goby not eating, has me pretty stressed and discouraged with buying fish. I feel so bad, and so guilty. It makes me feel like maybe I would be better off just sticking with captive, but I know there are always risks. The fish seem to be getting along really well and things seem good so I'm done for now anyways. Probably no new fish until I upgrade the system. When I do, I need to be selective with who/where I order fish from and make sure they have them for a few weeks and ensure they are eating before purchase, which should go without saying!

 

So, that's currently my only problem... the green clown goby does not appear to be taking any prepared foods. That said, he's been in there for over 2 weeks and to my surprise is still alive?? I have seen him peck at the rock so he must be finding something (pods?) to get him by? I haven't tried baby brine, or garlic extract. So frozen baby brine, garlic, and tigger pods are on the shopping list. I'll take suggestions! I've tried flakes, several pellet varieties, brine, spirulina brine, freeze dried brine, LRS nano, and frozen cyclops. All with or without Selcon.

 

The YWG and tiger pistol shrimp pair are SO much fun. My boyfriend, who isn't too interested in the tank usually, admitted that the goby + shrimp were pretty cool. The shrimp works tirelessly moving sand with the little goby hangs out. So happy to see big round bellies on all the other fish!

 

There is certainly more but that covers the main things for now! I need to get a diffuser for the Primes maybe, and learn how to take photos...