Llj's 8G... Yuma/zoanthid Garden

[MBOU]

Your Monti looks the same type as mine, or at least as when i first got it.

Guywho posted mine out was great, two frags in a tall pot of water with a bit of filter wool to stop movement, wrapped in bubble sellotape and then bubble wrap and then packed in a cardboard box with the foam packing and the cardboard box had so much brown tape in it i think it was completely watertight! Oh and a heat pack in there too. Arrived within 12 hours and was still toasty warm LOL only charged me £2 for P&P! £8 for each frag which is maybe 1.5 inch wide and closer to 2" long.

Mine are doing really well up top of the tank, literally 2-3" max below the compact T5s, they have gone from being pink to being bright orangey red I also let my calcium creep up a tiny bit (i did manage to get it down btw!) and its around 500 atm.

Also invested in some squishy packs of concentrated live Zooplankton and Phytoplankton. Taking no chances now lol. But its awesome stuff, i would asume you have a more local similar source but this is what i have and everything loves it!

Long Life Phytoplankton
http/www.reefphyto.co.uk/all-products/phyto-reef-plus.html

Long Life Zooplankton
http/www.reefphyto.co.uk/coral-feed/zooplankton-reef-plus-long-life-zooplankton.html

Each pouch lasts about 24 months! I also got the pipettes and 1ml of each does 100L and im using it maybe twice a week.

I hate that website because i want to buy everything on it!!

But yeah... Monti seems happy enough like it. Or at least... not killed it yet!

 

[lljdma06]

Your Monti looks the same type as mine, or at least as when i first got it.

Guywho posted mine out was great, two frags in a tall pot of water with a bit of filter wool to stop movement, wrapped in bubble sellotape and then bubble wrap and then packed in a cardboard box with the foam packing and the cardboard box had so much brown tape in it i think it was completely watertight! Oh and a heat pack in there too. Arrived within 12 hours and was still toasty warm LOL only charged me £2 for P&P! £8 for each frag which is maybe 1.5 inch wide and closer to 2" long.

Mine are doing really well up top of the tank, literally 2-3" max below the compact T5s, they have gone from being pink to being bright orangey red I also let my calcium creep up a tiny bit (i did manage to get it down btw!) and its around 500 atm.

Also invested in some squishy packs of concentrated live Zooplankton and Phytoplankton. Taking no chances now lol. But its awesome stuff, i would asume you have a more local similar source but this is what i have and everything loves it!

Long Life Phytoplankton
http/www.reefphyto.co.uk/all-products/phyto-reef-plus.html

Long Life Zooplankton
http/www.reefphyto.co.uk/coral-feed/zooplankton-reef-plus-long-life-zooplankton.html

Each pouch lasts about 24 months! I also got the pipettes and 1ml of each does 100L and im using it maybe twice a week.

I hate that website because i want to buy everything on it!!

But yeah... Monti seems happy enough like it. Or at least... not killed it yet!

Yeah, this weekend, I think I can move up the frags to their final places in the tank. They're doing ok so far, but I started them out in the bottom to avoid bleaching as I've got a MH.

 

[lljdma06]

Alright, time for a wee update. I got bogged down with school. I do work for a living. LOLOL I finally got around to attaching the sps frags I got from another hobbyist. I've been accumulating quite a few frags and had been storing them in this poor 8g... It was a mess!

This was the poor tank during the last frag acquisition...

Afterwards, Hahaha, on FB, it was called Fragamania!

This tank isn't designed for all these frags! It's my first pico, so I went invert crazy cause I love them! It features a lot of clumsy, clumsy inverts. I love them, but every 5min something would get knocked down! Or sand would get dumped on something. I took a hard look at my new Biocube and notice how gentle the CUC is in there, so...

I move many of the frags to the Biocube. They were going to end up there anyway. Newbies, please don't do this. I don't run my tanks on 10% weekly water changes, I do 60% weekly water changes and can get away with a lot more. Much quieter now and the corals actually look happier now that they've got some peace and quiet. Was going to add a display invert or two to the Biocube, but I don't think so anymore. Maybe sexy shrimp and pompom crabs, they are quiet and don't disturb corals much. But enough about the Biocube, that update will come later, back to this tank...

I also had some sps frags that needed attaching. A rainbow pocillipora, a montipora undata, and a pink birdsnest. Yes, I has the sps now. Polyps are doing great and there is growth and extension, but these corals were constantly being knocked all over the place while I was trying to find the best location for them. Used glue, epoxy, got stuff all over my hands, I stink at this. But I'm happy with the results, and I made some of my own frags! Yay! propagation! Been using a 14k bulb, so I get growth. Will switch out to a 20k at around May. This tank is maturing nicely. I'm looking forward to just kicking back and watching things grow. Ok, time for pictures...

full tank shot

zoanthids, this was a rock I got from the lfs, it's pretty sweet, I love the colors. No clue what kind they are... I don't keep up with that stuff.

The tank from the back, zoanthid garden for sure! The front is appealing too, but this was a surprise. You don't notice the growth so much until you see the tank from the back!

You can see here where I mounted my sps. Good locations, I think. Kinda agonized over it, as they are my first sps and I want them to do well. I gotta frag that big ol' green paly soon. He's big. I think it's one of my first corals. Almost lost him to a frogspawn, but look at him now!

Views from the top.

I like the bare sand. I'm tempted to add a Fungia, but I don't know, with that Tiger pistol and other clumsy inverts, I'm also tempted to leave it as is, maybe some more sps that I can mount directly to the rock, as I don't think a substrate coral is a good idea.

Thanks for looking, I'll be giving this tank an HD and blue light treatment this weekend. So those should be nice pictures.

L

 

[FishAreFriendsNotFood10]

Wow this is looking awesome, how many corals are in there now

 

[This Old Spouse]

Incredible Liz! It's amazing all the life that flourishes in that tiny space. Lovely!

 

[lljdma06]

Wow this is looking awesome, how many corals are in there now

Thank you. I really haven't done a head count. There are less corals in there than there used to be. Like I said, I thinned things out and put them in the biocube.

Incredible Liz! It's amazing all the life that flourishes in that tiny space. Lovely!

Thanks again, right now, I just want to kick back and enjoy this tank.

 

[Biulu]

Even though you thinned out; this is still my favourite of your 4!

 

[Riddling.kill@gmail.com]

What is your calcium reading ?? I spent at least 2 hours reading this thread your really lucky you haven't hand any dieases or anything!
PS tank looks amazing I'm setting up a 270l SW tank in a couple of weeks was just wondering I have a 150w metal halide light,was only going to do a FOWLR tank but I think you have converted me,would I be able to keep corals with this light ?and is it hard to keep them ? Im a newbe

 

[lljdma06]

Even though you thinned out; this is still my favourite of your 4!

Awwww, I like this one too. It's just pretty and showy. The fish are nice too. All softies except for the new sps, well not really super new, had them for about a month, I think. Yeah, took me that long to mount them.

What is your calcium reading ?? I spent at least 2 hours reading this thread your really lucky you haven't hand any dieases or anything!
PS tank looks amazing I'm setting up a 270l SW tank in a couple of weeks was just wondering I have a 150w metal halide light,was only going to do a FOWLR tank but I think you have converted me,would I be able to keep corals with this light ?and is it hard to keep them ? Im a newbe

Knock on wood, I've been lucky and yet careful, in a weird sort of way.

I did a test, just for you. About 420, so not bad. The way I mix salt, I have between 455-475 after a water change, so I'm due to change the water. It'll happen Saturday, or even Friday if I get my butt in gear. I use Red Sea Coral pro salt and have an sg of 1.025. Need to mix saltwater today. Most of the time, I just watch my corals. My Yuma and sps tell me what I need to do.

What are the dimensions of your tank? I've got a 150w sunpod over my planted Marine. You can check it out in the journal in my signature "Pearls of the Antilles"

L

 

[Riddling.kill@gmail.com]

Ok the tanks a aqua medic percula 90 the dimensions are 90 by 60 by 61 !
Is their much up keep in soft corals ?

 

[lljdma06]

Ok the tanks a aqua medic percula 90 the dimensions are 90 by 60 by 61 !
Is their much up keep in soft corals ?

You should be fine with softies and lps in that tank. Probably sps too depending on what kind of water you're using.

IMO, there isn't much to keeping softies. In fact, they don't mind imperfect water conditions. I started this tank on softies, because I was a newbie and I wanted to learn without taking much risks. Zoas and Ricorda yumas. After about 6 months, I'm starting the transition to more sps, though I don't think they'll dominate this tank. The only thing about softies is that they sometimes don't play nice. More of my coral accidents were caused by softies going mean when crossed than anything else.

1. Frogspawn frag stung a paly. Paly releases a toxin and kills a yuma and zoanthid colony (you saw it early in my thread). Thought it was the frogspawn, but it was the paly. Paly almost died too.
2. Mushroom polyp (small) eats, not joking, eats a sun coral polyp (my 5.5g).
3. Rhodactis (another type of mushroom) tries to eat a porcelain crab (my 5.5g).
4. My green mushroom falls on my favia, damages a few polyps.
5. Green rhodactis polyp almost dies when a blue and orange yuma falls directly on it. Both are ok
6. Zoas killing zoas. They get nasty for space.

If you understand that they do this, you'll be fine. Mushrooms also slime. Haha, when they are mad, they let you know!

So these guys fight via chemicals released into the water column and with direct contact. As long as you are aware, you'll be fine.

There are a ton of other softies besides mushrooms and zoas though. Some really nice ones.

L

 

[Riddling.kill@gmail.com]

Thanks have just finished reading your tread on the planted marine it's amazing it it's like you've got 20 years of keeping marine fish behind you !
Thanks for all the info

 

[Biulu]

Geesh, I never thought of corals that way! For me somehow they are more like plants, but of course they are living organisms with their own strategies...

After having followed this thread and being a complete noob on marine, am I right about the following conclusions? After all that info, I feel that light intensity and flow are the most important factors that determine whether a coral/mushroom whatever, can thrive in a certain place. Of course not taking into account its neighbours, but as primary considerations.

Is it also right then that for a nano reef, height is a more important factor than width, as this provides you with more variety in light intensities and therefore provides you with more chances to find the right spot for these organisms as well as having a larger choice of species?

So, let's say that I have the choice between a standard 5 gallon (wider than heigh) and a more 'cube' like tank with more height, it would be more beneficial to choose the cube if I am after keeping the stuff that you keep?

 

[lljdma06]

Geesh, I never thought of corals that way! For me somehow they are more like plants, but of course they are living organisms with their own strategies...

Plants will also employ defense strategies to gain an advantage.

After having followed this thread and being a complete noob on marine, am I right about the following conclusions? After all that info, I feel that light intensity and flow are the most important factors that determine whether a coral/mushroom whatever, can thrive in a certain place. Of course not taking into account its neighbours, but as primary considerations.

First, thank you for following my thread. Honored. I do my best, but I'm still learning myself. Light, flow, water quality

Is it also right then that for a nano reef, height is a more important factor than width, as this provides you with more variety in light intensities and therefore provides you with more chances to find the right spot for these organisms as well as having a larger choice of species?

When you're dealing with nano tanks that are shallow, as mine both are (one is a rectangle, the other a cube, but both are still rather shallow, 11"), the PAR levels if the lighting is strong enough (one has Halide, the other Rebel LEDs) are going to be roughly the same throughout the tank. Part of the reason why my sps were extending even when they spent a month at the substrate. The deeper you go, the more of an effect you'll get, but this is more apparent in larger tanks, not at the size you mention below.

So, let's say that I have the choice between a standard 5 gallon (wider than heigh) and a more 'cube' like tank with more height, it would be more beneficial to choose the cube if I am after keeping the stuff that you keep?

Pick the tank that suits your aesthetic and budget and then invest in good lighting. If you want to keep what I keep. Unless you go nps, then it doesn't matter. LOLOL The difference in height isn't all that much to effect PAR. A cube at 5g and a rectangular tank at 5g is only going to have like max a 1" difference in depth, so you won't really change much there. Bear in mind, much, much, much easier to scape a rectangle than to scape a cube. You gotta build up in a cube and you have a lot less substrate space. Why you thinking marine, Biulu?

 

[Biulu]

Why you thinking marine, Biulu?

I am definitively interested but and these are big BUTs, I travel too much for my work (might be away for a month again soon) and I don't see myself administering mysis shrimp through an automatic feeder during that time...
I also have no space and have reached my tax on the number of tanks I can have. And my last consideration is an environmental one: if I cannot be sure these organisms are bred/multiplied or whatever you want to call it in captivity, I am out. I have lived too long in Mexico to know exactly what is happening in terms of illegal fishing in the Strait of Cortes, also called the World's Aquarium. Maybe I should take a diving course instead?