24G Nano Cube DX Nano Reef Setup

[parker313]

Oooh, your new corals are very nice! Those green mushrooms are very pretty

Any word from your green clown goby?

 

[steelhealr]

Hi Parker...here is the ID on the four corals
1) Yellow Fiji Leather
2) Cauliflower Colt
3) Yellow colony polyp
4) Green Fluorescent Mushroom

As for the Clown Goby, I'd have to classify her as KIA....I think she is my first marine loss. I have not seen any bit of her since put in the tank over 2 weeks ago. I can't see how she could have survived. I will say that I am extremely happy that I went with Navarre's recommendation about wrasses...he suggested either the sixline or splendid. The sixline is just a great swimmer and it's eyes are amazing.

Unless a miracle happens and the goby shows up, I will hold at 3 fish until I am sure parameters will stay stable. My wish list now is either a yellow watchman and pistol shrimp or a swissguard basslet. SH

 

[steelhealr]

Hi...A comment about feeding. Here is what is working for me right now. I'm feeding VERY CAREFULLY once a day, only what they can eat in about a minute or 2 (remember, in many ways you are feeding your TANK if not careful). I'm having success with the following:

1) Nutrifin Marine Complete slow sinking pellets
2) Ocean Nutrition Formula Two flakes
3) Cyclopeeze
4) Frozen Mysis shrimp
Everyone is eating everything except the Firefish won't go for the flake and it took a while for it to warm up to the pellets.

Hope this helps. SH

 

[parker313]

As for the Clown Goby, I'd have to classify her as KIA....I think she is my first marine loss. I have not seen any bit of her since put in the tank over 2 weeks ago. I can't see how she could have survived. I will say that I am extremely happy that I went with Navarre's recommendation about wrasses...he suggested either the sixline or splendid. The sixline is just a great swimmer and it's eyes are amazing.

What a bummer

Those wrasses are really cool - glad you're enjoying him!

I'd go with the watchman goby and shrimp just b/c I love watching the relationship between them, but a basslet would be a good addition too.

It's fun thinking of the possibilities, isn't it?!

 

[steelhealr]

It is Parker...my other wish list is a Swissguard basslet..but...have you seen the price? I think they are $88 on liveaquaria without shipping (that would probaly push it to $116). I'm still waiting for those colony polyps to open. SH

 

[parker313]

*Ouch*

That would definitely be outta my price range

 

[steelhealr]

Hi...so you think these nano reefs are easy, ay?. Everyone runs into problems at some point. I'm not immune. First off, look how nicely two of the corals have opened up. Very nice:

I don't want to beat up these pictures like a dead horse. My polyps, tho'...look at the pic below...only about 4 or so opened up on the right side of the frag. They spent 2 days on the bottom....then moved up to 2/3rds the height...then I redirected flow towards them. I'll probably lose most of the colony.

And..check this out....thought my cleaner died again.

But...NOOOOO...this is his SECOND MOLT. See him further back in the pic hiding? If molting is supposed to imply good water params, then, what's with my polyps, ay? Or, is it a bad sign that he has molted twice in 2 weeks. Grrrr. My nitrates crept up since adding the sixline wrasse...went from 0-10 ppm. Was probably my overzealousness to get the new addition to eat and settle in. Time for a water change and to back off the feeding. SH

 

[Mr Miagi]

hey SH! One quick question, what portion of RO do you use for your nano? Would that proportion be used say in a bigger tank? Of say 100g

Its looking great though!

 

[steelhealr]

Hey Mr. M....I"m not sure what you mean by what portion of RO.....can you elablorate? SH

 

[Mr Miagi]

By portion i meant the percent (%) of RO water mixed with tap water u use whilst changing the water.

 

[JJ1234567]

I found another possible answer for the refugum question. I was at Wally World (wal-mart for those of you living in the Middle of nowhere). They had a pack of flexible LED lights that put out a tremendous ammount of light for their size, and after being plugged in for six hours they didnt get warm at all. So Im working on glueing/attaching them into the hood of the broken tank for practice. Hopefully ill have a Very well lit Refugum, as soon as I get my sisters digital camera for the weekend ill take and try to upload some pix!

 

[steelhealr]

HI Mr Miaggi...I use 100% RO/DI for everything..mixing SW and topoffs. I have a 5 gallon bucket that I use to mix sw in and then pour it into a 5 gallon plastic 'gasoline' container for storage, then fill two 2.5 gallon plastic jugs that held drinking water in the past to store plain RO water (just easier to lug in smaller containers). I do not use any tap water at all. Although my tap water tested 0 for phosphates, it has tested as high as 20 ppm nitrates. That would be lethal after several water changes for invertebrates and livestock.

To JJ: sounds like a good try. The only problem with trying out lights like the LEDs and my quartz halogen is whether the spectrum and 'lumens' are enough to support photosynthesis and thus contribute to nutrient export. Let us know how it goes. I can tell you know that my Halimeda is slowly fading to white and I have my doubts about the survival under 10watts of quartz halogen. I thus put some Halimeda in my main tank to keep some going in case I try something new in the fuge. I also added chaeto...if that goes as well, I'm putting the light back outside in the water feature where it belongs. LOLOL SH

 

[steelhealr]

Update

1) I think my nitrates climbed out of overzealousness to feed the new sixline wrasse. Went from 0-10. Water change tonite brought it back down to 5. Decreasing my feeds to every other day.
2) I'm pretty sure that the colony polyps are shot. Liveaquaria guarantees them til Sunday, so, if there is no miracle opening, I'm going to declare them DOA. Interesting note: they consider a nitrate level up to 30 ppm within the guarantee. Since everything else seems to be doing OK, I wonder if it was the shipping and not necessarily the tank params (wishful thinking). Someone suggested a Lugol's sol'n dip....if I can get my hands on some, I"ll give it a try.
3) To others still following, I strongly suggest to vacuum out those back chambers EACH WEEK. I can't believe what comes out of there, especially from the LR rubble.
4) Thought my ocellaris was dead today. Couldn't find him. Lifted the hood and found him in the 2nd chamber and was able to swim into the 3rd thru that small slot. Don't ask me how he made it over the wall. Had to net him out. Keep an eye on your livestock.
5) After being up and running now over a month, I found something peeking out from the rocks today...any takers? I think I know what it is. It is only 2-4 mms across and it retracted when the cleaner walked across it:

SH

 

[steelhealr]

When I played lacrosse from JHS thru professional school, one of the most embarrassing situations to be in was to make that fast break pass to the running attackman and see it sail over his head and go out of bounds. The entire crowd can fix their eyes entirely on you. Well...I posted earlier that I would post my 'turnovers'. You have to own up to it and can't blame anyone else.

I thought a brain coral would be a good addition. They are reported to do OK under moderate lighting and usually sit on the substrate. I don't have a good lfs near me, so, like many here, I'm on my own. I found a brain on Ebay that looked good to me....thought the dealer had a good rep/feedback and bought it. This is how it looked pre-purchase:

It shipped Fedex and arrived early and was opened immediately. When I opened it for acclimation, it smelled rank, like rotten eggs and the water looked a bit cloudy. I started a very slow acclimation, warming, etc. Here is what it looks like:

What would you do?
A) Toss it in the garbage and b@@##$%tch to the seller?
B ) Put it emergently straight into your tank to save it?
C) Continue acclimation and do water changes and put it in and observe?
D) Start up a separate holding tank with heater, powerhead, light and quarantine it and observe?

For the answer (is there one?) scroll down.

I also received new polyps and THESE OPENED!!! It now makes me feel that the other polyps were DOA or darn well near it. We'll see. Here they are on the bottom after acclimating:

I have to buy some epoxy for that one...it is on a 'branch' and will need support.

ANSWER

First off....I shouldn't have bought that coral. According to one nano-reefer here, " the skeleton is exposed and I would have never bought it". Well, fellow threaders, I would NEVER have picked up on that one. Experience is the best teacher. That's how you learn

The most correct answer is 3 and I had to go to the board for that one. What I WAS going to do was almost 4....fill a bucket with SW, add my extra heater and powerhead and watch it, then add to the tank. But...it is still getting some water changes and I'm going to add it back to my tank. Here are the replies:

Do you run a skimmer? It should be fine to put in if you do.

I wouldn't have bought that brain, you can see the skeleton even in the last picture.

coral exude mucus/slime when stressed. some exuuuude a lot.

i'd swap out some of the water in the bag before putting it in. acclimate, drip/add water, take out half, repeat a couple of times. just give it a little more time.

it looks ok for the 2nd pic, considering it just arrived. give it a chance. you'll see it deteriorate fast if it's dead but injured corals can also make a comeback.

i've had brains gaping and tattered make recoveries. otoh, i've had healthy ones crash while their brother/clone next to them is fine. give it a little flow and time when you put it in.

lps can be pretty buff. don't give up

Hope this helps anyone at the same point I'm at. SH

 

[Mr Miagi]

Man, thats some tough luck. Im always scepticle about buying goods off ebay. For the people on there just steal some pics of a pretty website and say its what your buying, which looks like what he has done to you SH!

I would gave expressed posted it back to him and demanded immediate refund and left negative feedback.

So is it ok, or did it die?