My .75g update

[riotj]

Well things are going well at week 6 except for the hair algae that has started in some parts of the tank. I had to move that piece of branching corraline lower to remove some of the hair algae. I lost one of two original astrea snails and replaced it with another but lost that one also. I guess the small tank can support only one astrea snail even though there is plenty of hair algae remaining. The one alive certainly does eat it. I also have one zebra hermit and one blue hermit neither of which eats hair algae. I have a bumble bee in there also but he is not doing much of anything except knocking down the corals at night and adding to the bioload. I have two tiny tiny nassarius snails which I thought would eat the hair algae but they are only interested in real food. I painted a piece of water color paper, turqoise blue and added it as a background. I do like the effect and gives the tank some depth. The corals are really growing and it will soon be time to upgrade - to a 2.5g or 5.5g shortly. Originally that polka dot mushroom in the front was a dime size when fully open and now it is more like a quarter size. That torch coral that I thought would be dead my now is also growing larger - who would have thought with it broken down it's skeleton. The branching coralline algae doesn't appear to be growing and any corraline on the rock is gone. I guess the 7W 50/50 lighting is not strong enough to support it. I also think that some of the color intensity from the mushrooms is also lessening.

 

Any ideas on hair algae control and keeping more than one astrea snail alive in this small tank?

 

Later

 

Joe

 

 

 

Here's a pic.

 

[cannon_eer15]

.75 gallons? That is beautiful!

[shivametimbas]

is that a red sea candy combo xl tank?

looks really nice.

[Daemonfly]

Algae could just be your nomral "new tank" bloom that happens to pretty much all tanks in at least the first year.

 

Other than that, it is a .75g with a fish in it, so phosphates/nitrates could be a bit elevated. Also, even if you test these, they could show low still, as the algae could be using it up as it's produced.

 

Whats your feeding process for the fish? Does he get everything put in there?

[riotj]

Daemonfly - Hair algae was around before the 3/4 inch firefish was introduced. He's been in around a month. He gets a small flake every other day and eats the little pods that float around. Anything he doesn't get of the flake is eaten by the hermits and snails. Haven't tested phosphates but nitrates are zero. I was thinking about using Purple up to try to get coralline to grow but I think I would need to upgrade the lighting.

 

Shivametimbas - Thanks. Don't know what an xl is, just know it's a Red Sea .75g with upgraded lighting 7W 50/50 combo.

 

Cannon-ear Thanks.

 

Daemonfly - Hair algae was around before the 3/4 inch firefish was introduced. He's been in around a month. He gets a small flake every other day and eats the little pods that float around. Anything he doesn't get of the flake is eaten by the hermits and snails. Haven't tested phosphates but nitrates are zero. I was thinking about using Purple up to try to get coralline to grow but I think I would need to upgrade the lighting.

 

Shivametimbas - Thanks. Don't know what an xl is, just know it's a Red Sea .75g with upgraded lighting 7W 50/50 combo.

 

Cannon-ear Thanks.

[shivametimbas]

makes me want to set mine back up.

[sammydee]

Don't want to open a can of worms here or anything but... Isn't .75 gallons a little small for a firefish?

 

Mine swam around a lot in my 20 gallon tank and looked like he needed the space. I would only keep a tiny clown goby or something similar in a tank that size, that does not swim around much.

 

Just a thought.

Sam

 

EDIT: Beautiful tank though!

[riotj]

sammydee - Thought about it but my observation of fire fish is that they hover around their cave so that they can dart back in. Also he is the same size as a goby at this stage and that is why I couldn't resist. Gobys don't do much and I need some movement in a tank. I plan on upgrading the tank in the near future and he will go along to the larger surroundings. I can't stay with a .75g forever in view of the fact that everything is growing faster than I expected.

[sammydee]

Ahh ok.

 

Well when you upgrade get something with plenty of room like a 10g :-)

 

sam

[scarf_ace1981]

wow that is a piece of art. nice corals

[riotj]

Thanks scarf-face

 

Any other ideas out there about the hair algae and astrea snail problem?

[Phil F]

Very nice tank! That is only one light???, usually people run two on those tanks, if it is one, I'm impressed, it looks very nice. What are you doing about water changes? Also, are you just using the little HOB filter that comes with it for flow? Are you running any media in it?

[riotj]

Thanks

 

It is only one light a 7W one bar is white and other bar is actinic - it says 7000K on it. I keep it directly over the tank on an acrylic cover for most of the day.

First and last hour it is attached to the tank so it is raised higher. It's on 10 hours a day.

 

Regarding water changes - originally I was doing a 30-40 % every 4 days, now once a week same amount.

 

I do have a minor hair algae problem and keeping astrea snails alive. I place the one diehard astrea snail in the hair algae field and he starts grazing. I think I need one more but don't want any others to die.

[tinyreef]

nice aquascape/layout! a great pico setup!

[dort]

Still amazing Thanks for all the details, too! I'm probably going to set one up, mostly shrooms and shrimp, no fish.

[riotj]

Maybe a small small cleaner or scarlet.

[supersecretshinto]

I have noticed that my Astreas don't much care for hair algea but my turbos do. They mow it down clear to the rocks. I think the Astreas prefer a softer algea

[riotj]

the only turbos I see are huge. They would knock everything over in the tank. Wish I could find a small one.

[xavier1]

nice meeting you today riotj, we have some scarlet hemits that were nocking down the hair algae in that tank right after you left

 

just fyi

[riotj]

same here reefgeek. Thanks for the FYI

[Donatello]

Wow awesome tank . What do you do for heating and filtration?

[riotj]

No heater - temp fluctuates between 70-80. red sea nano HOB that came with tank. All soft corals and the torch coral are doing fine just a hair algae problem on one rock. Maybe not enough flow.

[PieNinja]

Hi riotj,

How did you adhere the light fixture to the middle of the exterior panel for this tank? Superglue? Velcro? Black magic?

I want to start up a pico like this at work and your pico has been a great inspiration. Keep up the good work!

[irishtexan]

Yes his tank is really neat. He updated it to a 2.5G. Check out this forum in the pico forums.

 

texan

[riotj]

Hi riotj,

How did you adhere the light fixture to the middle of the exterior panel for this tank? Superglue? Velcro? Black magic?

I want to start up a pico like this at work and your pico has been a great inspiration. Keep up the good work!

 

 

Pie Ninja - don't know what you mean. The light fixture that comes with the tank is on a screw on type clamp which you attach to the side of the aquarium. I took it apart and sawed the arm in half so that the light was closer to the water. Also, I alternated between keeping the light directly on an acrylic cover I made for the tank and attached on the side. It stood most of the day directly on the tank.

 

My concern with keeping it at the office is when everyone goes home - off goes the a/c, and in warm climates up up goes the temp. Keep that in mind with these small tanks.

 

 

 

 

 

Yes his tank is really neat. He updated it to a 2.5G. Check out this forum in the pico forums.

 

texan

 

thanks again irish texan. P.S. The 2.5 is doing great - only problem is that everything is growing too fast. That mushroom that is taking center stage is dividing now and in no time I'm afraid i'm gonna have two huge mushrooms.

 

I also had to cut that neon green finger leather and offered it up on this site but no interest.