[STOCK] tinyreef

[tinyreef]

hmmm, i just noticed our galleries pics are sometimes posted in lower resolution/quality than actually posted. it doesn't look like we can control whether it's displayed as high-res or low-res though for some odd reason. anyhow, this was one of the pics. i noticed the resolution was "off".

 

[Zaraxus]

Love the pics. I must say Im a bit surprised by the ammount of growth how many hours of sunlight do you have right now.

[Orange Crush]

I dig your tank, tiny. I like how it looks natural with the sunlight/shadows.

[tinyreef]

Love the pics. I must say Im a bit surprised by the ammount of growth how many hours of sunlight do you have right now.

thanks! i'm definitely pleasantly surprised by some of the growth rates i'm seeing. by and large the zoanthids and stolon-type polyps are growing faster than seen in my other tanks (under MH lighting).

 

then again, now i'm really quantifying it and cataloging it. whereas in the other tanks it's more: "hohum, everything's looking good, nothing's dead, see you guys next week. honey, is dinner ready?"

 

otoh, there are a couple of laggards. my clavularia for example, is my fastest grower in my other systems. colors up nice depending on the tank too. but here in the sun pico, it's still one polyp. i was actually most concerned about that one taking over the tank, hence i only fragged a single polyp. i think it has more to do with the limited water flow that hits it though, than the lighting.

 

there's a little stoloniferan that's also just by itself but it almost constantly gets tossed around the tank by the snails or myself. so i'm giving it some slack there. i think things could take off even better if i fed the tank but i've never done that and i refuse to do so now. it sounds too much like work for me.

 

i'm getting about 8~9 hours of light on the tank right now. but that's not all created equal. it's probably 3~4 hours of intense sunlight and 4~5 hours of indirect or fading light, rising and setting sun. if i can keep it cool in the spring and summer i would expect to see very significant growth rates then.

 

i'm actually worried if it still gets enough light. i see the new growth but it just seems (to me) that so little "quality" light seems to get to it. e.g cloudy days, rain, snow, winter, etc. i know i'll probably be opposite-worried come the spring time though.

 

 

 

I dig your tank, tiny.

i knew this was going to be a chick-magnet.

 

I like how it looks natural with the sunlight/shadows.

well, i don't really get much choice with the lighting and shadows. the sunlight pics are actually pretty drowned out in red/yellow when they're recorded. i have to re-adjust them to appear like what i'm seeing but i think they look pretty accurate.

 

the glare and position of the tank is still the most difficult thing for me. i.e. getting a good fts shot from the front. also the photoperiod's a pita to work with. it's usually dark by the time i get home so often all i get are room-light pics (a tiny 40W halogen light, recessed in the ceiling, shining from 10' up at an angle <sigh> ).

[Ann]

The colouration of the zoas pictured above looks great.

 

Best regards

 

Ann

[tinyreef]

The colouration of the zoas pictured above looks great.

thanks! i'm pretty happy with the camera upgrade (macro shots now, woo hoo!) and i've been studying up on te finer points of photography too.

[tinyreef]

a bunch of update shots but i'm still filtering thru which i like. some have glare, reflections, etc. <sigh>

 

this is a pic i finally got of my Wandering Shroom. it likes to poke its head thru this rock hole and another on the other side of the rock over an inch away, alternating daily. not sure why or how it moves so quickly. but it's finally beginning to color up a little from exotic brown. bleh.

 

 

the single clavularia is the same one i was afraid would overrun this little tank. HA! <grumble> at least it's coloring up too finally.

 

added a couple of coral frags this week. a blue cane that's pretty hardy, i.e. difficult for me to kill. i glued up a couple of smallish zoo rocks too.

 

finally got rid of my aiptasia! joe's juice! killed the little fuggers in less than 5-sec. truly an amazing product! i was very concerned how it would react in such a small setting but no issues. no fuss, no muss. didn't even bother with a waterchange or additional filtration, the aipts just melted away.

[tinyreef]

just a quick non-photo update.

 

i had the first casualty. the yellow polyps i had put in (two tiny buds about the size of this "o" ) weren't really growing. they were located in the back of the tank and only getting indirect sunlight (i guess).

 

i moved them to the front and uh, lost them. my bad habit of not glueing most of the frags bit me. i think they fell into the LR crevices. maybe i'll see them in a month or so like the Wandering Shroom, maybe not.

 

anywho, i grabbed another two yellow polyps from the display. but these are more 'mature' buds, about the size of this "O". this time i put in the direct sunlight and hoping they'll be fine.

 

side note: i fed some of the corals for the first time. on another post i was resisting feeding (basically because i never feed anything, corals or fish) but for entertainment value for the kids, i figured why not.

 

i had some golden pearls sitting in the frig for the past couple of years (see, i really don't feed-they were throw in's/freebies) so i fed the corals some of those. they haven't puked up their guts so i figure they liked it. the corals, not the kids.

[Tony]

corals are looking good with natural light...

[tinyreef]

corals are looking good with natural light...

thanks, i was worried they might stay blah-brown. but they're finally beginning to color up a bit.

[shivametimbas]

fts!fts!

nice job so far,i think i'm most interested to see how your tank comes along. love the lighting system. u got nads.

peas,

tk

[tinyreef]

fts!fts!

nice job so far,i think i'm most interested to see how your tank comes along. love the lighting system. u got nads.

sorry, shiv, but the photoperiod really doesn't allow me to get a decent FTS until the weekends. and i'm finding that i really need to time it for the morning or mid-afternoon for a pic low on glare but still showing corals out.

 

so you're going to have wait until saturday for the next fts. i also did some slight re-aquascaping recently. i also just upgraded my dw-18 air pump to a new whisper 40. it is a lot quieter than the dw and cranks out a tad more air so it's bubbling a bit more/higher (wished they rated them by CFM or something). i'll have to keep an eye on salt creep on the frame.

 

thanks for the overall interest. i'm finding myself re-interested in the hobby with this pico project. there are other projects and ideas i have had tabled for years that i'm now thinking of getting back into and cranking out. lookout!

 

oh and uh, my 'nads thank you for the compliment too.

[Ann]

From what I can see of the rocks they look very clean. Are you finding the algae growth to be less in this sunlit tank? Also, what's the pod population like without any pumps to chew them all up?

 

I'm looking forward to the full weekend update.

 

Best regards

 

Ann

[debbeach13]

Tiny

This is the first time I have replied on your thread. I have been following because this is with out a doubt one of the most interesting tanks going on right now. Of course along with the others I can not wait to see a bunch of full tank shots. None since the new camera you have been having so much fun with the maco but a month is enough. FTS every side this weekend is needed. Your doing great keep up the good work.

Thanks Debra

[tinyreef]

when two reefer gurls post to my thread, i gotta respond quick! i actually did a couple of fts last weekend and posted them in my gallery. they were a bit biggish though so i didn't link them here but this is the better shot of the two imo. too much glare on the other shots i had (e.g. see the camera's reflection, focused on the glass versus the inside, etc.). i'm still trying to manually focus, i'm a photo-dummy.

 

 

even this pic has a bit of a glare/reflection on it. it was taken before i joe juiced the aipts in the foreground.

 

ann, the nuisance algae's about the same growth rate as the other tanks BUT my chaeto growth is spectacular. it doubles every two weeks so i know it's pulling a lot. i also run carbon and Poly-Filters, which comparatively speaking (size/ratio-wise) is probably prodigious.

 

i am seeing more pod population than "typical". i account that partially to the impeller-less issue you mentioned (i'm an Adey-advocate) and the significant phytoplankton powered by the sun-spectrum lighting. i have some pics i took today/morning i'm going to try and post later, maybe a fts too if they don't look too shabby.

 

deb, i'll try to get better shots but the photoperiod really bothers me. when i get to the tank everyday, it's already lights-out. plus the awkward position (window) really limits the view (me and the camera). the pic above is off the new camera but i'm still learning how to use it.

 

thanks for the comments! i'll try to get some pics up soon.

[tinyreef]

eh, to hell with the bandwidth.

 

FTS as requested, i actually took this pic early this morning. i just didn't have time to pull it from my camera while at work. sorry for the angled shot (funky) but i was rushing out the door.

 

 

the following are a couple of interesting shots of a potted shroom (also taken this morning) that i had moved into the pico from my office tank. the first one is a shot from the end of the tank, like the FTS from the previous post. the first view gives you a blander hue.

 

 

while this shot below is the same shroom/time but shot from the front of the tank (lighted side).

 

 

you're basically getting the "top" view of typical tanks that are lit artificially. this is the color "clam-effect" people usually see when they view croceas/maximas from the front and then from the top. easier to view in this pico setup because the light source is basically emanating from the side versus the top.

[ZooGirl]

It's looking good Tiny! Really very interesting how the sunlight is affecting the corals.

 

Yes and I can see your palys are getting green again! That's great!!

[Ann]

Interesting about your Chaetomorpha growing so well, the stuff in my tank seems to have stopped growing recently. It's not dying but just kinda sitting there doing not much at all. I had wondered if it'd run out of nutrients on which to 'feed' but I find that hard to believe. Of course it could be that the Sargassum is out competing it.... Perhaps it just needs some sun to get it going again like yours has. It's impossible to beat the power of the real thing eh.

 

What's with the potted 'srhoom, is it just a neat way of getting a frag to settle out and take a hold? Lovely colour blue btw.

 

Keep the updates coming.

 

Best regards

 

Ann

[Tigahboy]

yeah. what's the potted shroom about? is that just a reef plug/disc?

[tinyreef]

yeah. what's the potted shroom about? is that just a reef plug/disc?

yup, it's just a reef plug/disc/base for "xyz" coral. i bought a bunch of itty bitty pots and was using them for a bit, a couple of different sizes.

 

the "Stubby" toadie in my gallery is actually in a pot too. but it's so encrusted with crud :puke: that you can't see the clay pot too well. ime sometimes it's easier for the coral to attach, sometimes not.

 

ann,

 

yes, i think the chaeto (and phyto especially) are growing like mad. i've been thinking of the concept of employing 'solar refugiums' to really power plankton-tank feedings.

 

the 'pods and chaeto are more resilient than in my other tanks by far. i wasn't sure before but i've scraped and mushed a lot of pods this past week and they're back with a vengence within a couple of days (this plus i had added a couple of carnivorous corals). much better results than my mh-lit tanks.

 

the chaeto/carbon/poly-filter/waterchanges/snails are keeping the nuisance at bay but i think a solar refugium would be a very effective option even with the chance of greenwater. the benefits may outweigh the "risks".

 

here's a pic from today (early morning shot-9AM). i had added this frag during the week to add some color to the tank. it's a redder morph of some orangey zoos.

 

[icenine]

So Tiny, you're telling us your coral is on pot?

I like the new zoas.

[dickie52]

You have come a long way baby......

 

Tiny, the mad professor......

[tinyreef]

So Tiny, you're telling us your coral is on pot?

uh, reefer?

I like the new zoas.

thanks, i'm hoping they balance/add the colors out a bit.

 

dickie, the master-baker.

[tinyreef]

some more pic updates

 

i hadn't been able to get a decent pic of this zoo colony until today. either glare, temperment, position, or timing was always against me. i finally got it with a good look (still a little glare in the middle though).

 

 

i moved the stoloniferan colony from the main LR. i got tired of it getting toppled over by the snails. still, lazy cerith rumbles by (i guess they just love this colony or sumthin'). the polyps are all out catching the morning rays.

 

[reffer9391]

Lets see a full tank shot please