Starting My 42g Saltwater Cube...

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Well pciked up the coral (she couldn't catch the fish, so we're coming back tomorrow to get them) the corals in worse condition then first thought, with a lot of die off, and it's starving, had it's polyps extended the whole time it was in the container, even though apparently it was only fed in mornings. So I'm acclimatising now, and can I start feeding tonight? or do I need to leave it until tomorrow?

 

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Heres the coral, you can see all the die off around the edges, as if it was once a whole coral, but is now two with a few small polyps scattered here and there.

 

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One word Wow LOL, I know this is my first coral and all, but watching it eat, is just well amazing. And the AMOUNT it's eating LOL, it's a bottomless pit, I've syringed one lot of mysis into it and it's polyps are still open wanting more LOL, I've defrosting another cube now. That is soooo cool though, Mum's annoyed though I've spent a lot more time "playing" with my coral then I have doing homework. Once I've got it healthy and happy I'll just be feeding it in the tank, but for now I'm taking it out and feeding each polyp to make sure it's eating, and of course because it's totally awesome LOL.

 

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Well pciked up my first cyano eaters for the CUC, zebra nerites, I've always loved these lil guys and was amazed to see them at the LFS, their quite rare round here. I only managed to get three though would've got tne if I could LOL, their main diet is diatoms and cyano so they should be happy LOL. Also got a single Turbo, will see how he goes, if he's too detrimental to any corals I get, I'll move him to the sump.

Argh stupid common names, just googled and what I know as a zebra nerite is not what most people know as a zebra nerite. These guys are also called Zebra tops latin name Austrocochlea porcata
http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra_top_shell

Well they at least still it algae and diatoms, will just have to supplement food when they finish whats in the tank.

 

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So jus to update, currently in the tank are

2 common warreners (Turbo undulata)
4 x small unidentified cone snail (pics coming)
3 x zebra top snails (Austrocochlea porcata)
1 x unidentified snail that has only been seen once

 

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Oky dokes still talking to myself, but oh well, heres some update pics. The maroon algae has disappeared to be replaced by some sort of ugly brown algae, which thankfully the snails are eating LOL.

FTS

One of the zebra tops

The turbo, who seems to really like all my algae LOL

Sun coral all closed up (It's had three big meals so far, and seems pretty happy)

Sun Coral feeding last night

Mystery snail (any idea what he is?)

Pics of the cardinals will come once their acclimatised

Plans for the future
I'll continue adding snails bit by bit till I've got enough to control algae etc
In four weeks I'll add the cardinals
2-4 weeks after that I'll hopefully add another coral (Hammer or Frogspawn)
2-4 weeks after that will get a pair of occelaris clowns
4 weeks after that will introduce the clowns to the main tank

I'm gonna do a bit of rescaping in the tank as well, the container of sand will go, I was using it to seed the tank, and the sun coral will be moved lower once I'm sure it's doing well and can be fed in the tank.

After seeing all the amazing reef tanks people keep, I'd really love to make this a full reef tank full of corals, which I hope will be a possibility, even if it is just filled with hammer/frogspawn corals and mushrooms LOL

 

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Still Talking to myself, but meet Lorenzo, Theodoro and Valentino the Pajama Cardinals

 

[timpetty]

Dont worry, people are following this thread. As of right now, you have 699 views. I'd take the lack of comments as nobody being able to jump in and telling you that you are doing something wrong.

The sun coral is nice. I plan on adding one when I set up my new tank. As far as that snail, I have absolutely no idea (but I usually dont).

 

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LOL I really love my sun coral, I know he's gonna take a lot of work, but he is totally awesome how he feeds, and he's no harder to feed then my freshwater kuhlis, I spend the same amount of time squirting bloodworms at them as I do squirting food at the sun coral LOL.

Hey are gloves bought from any store safe? As usual my skins decided it doesn't like saltwater, so want to pick up some elbow length gloves from somewhere, but the specific coral gloves are really expensive.

 

[SkiFletch]

Get powder-free surgical gloves . You can also use the thicker rubber gloves sold for cleaning around the house. They're just a little rough on dexterity.

 

[Larissa]

Still Talking to myself, but meet Lorenzo, Theodoro and Valentino the Pajama Cardinals

I absolutely love Pajama Cardinal fish! - moreso than Banggai Cardinals even.

 

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Just an update.

The tank is now going through a green algae bloom, the algae is quite fluffy, but not like hair algae, it's only a cm long at it's longest point. The four snails originally bought aren't doing the greatest job so two large turbos have been added which are working wonderfully. I've also switched off the halide, as right now I don't have anything in the tank that needs it.

The cardinals are being acclimatised now and are all plump and happy and eating pellets.

The sun coral is very happy with it's new life and there new babies virtually everyday, despite the fact I have to continually remove the algae which happily grows all over the corals rock.

Next purchases will be a hammer coral and a pair of clown fish, but thats a few months away yet.

 

[nanocubeking]

Hey... Wow your tank is gonna be really nice when you fill it with corals and stuff! So after your clowns and hammer's are added into the tank what are your plans from there on out?

 

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Ummm hmm, good question LOL. The stocking I would like to have, though at the rate I save money it'll take at least twelve months to get is

Fish
3 x pajama cardinals
2 x occelaris clown fish
1 x ? (maybe sixline wrasse)

Corals
2 x sun corals (hoping to get a branched one)
3-4 x hammer corals (hey there easy to care for LOL, and will live together)
2 x frog spawn corals (as above)
2 x torch corals (as above)
1 x candy cane coral
1 x mushroom cluster

Thats what I'd like to have, but I need the stupid algae blooms to finish, I'm hoping this is the last one, we've been through a maroon algae, cyano, an ugly as brown algae, a dark red hair algae and now a fluffy green algae which is everywhere.

I really like the euphyllia corals, and since they can all be placed together, I reckon the tank would fantastic just filled with them and all their swaying tentacles, with a couple of sun corals cos I absolutely adore the colour and as of yet have had no problems feeding the one I have now, and a candy cane as my Mum really wants one (the Pj's are hers as well).

I'm hoping that I can get a small hammer as soon as the bloom dies down, and the clowns will be a couple of months away as of yet, and the rest will be whenever i have money and see a good specimen.

 

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Just added in some new additions, 12 zebra tops which will hopefully demolish the algae.

So current known critters in the tank are
3 Turbos, two an inch across one half an inch across
13 nerites half to an inch across.
3 Pajama Cardinals
1 sun coral with approx 40 polyps