38G Reef Build

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Sixlines, they can be aggressive. There are a couple of threads going about how they go after new additions and find sport in knocking snails off the glass. YMMV as usual fish have personalities. I love wrasses, they are great fish.. I found Halichoeres chrysus locally and have 4, definitely worth looking at if you can find them.

 

[Xiaan42]

I added some more diversity to my tank this weekend. I popped over to LFS on Saturday and picked up 5 Zebra hermits and a couple of different snails. I also walked away with a Fuzzy Chiton (I think they are super cool) and a porcelain crab (impulse buy).

All my water parameters are so far good except for Calcium it is a little low (385ppm) so I started dousing daily until It goes within parameters (440ppm). The auto top off is working great and is currently toping off just below a gallon a day. My skimmer also seems to have kicked in (It said it had a two week brake in period) and has so far collected over 100ml of stuff. I am also seeing a bit more coralline on the rock but that could be due to the fact my snails cleaned up allot of the brown algae.

I think I will add some Clown fish soon to the tank but next week I am planning on going away for 5 days. So I probably will not any any more stuff to the tank until I get back.

I will try and get pictures of the porcelain crab and the Fuzzy Chiton when I get home tonight but they are sometimes hard to find (The Chiton is around 1.5" long but blends in really well)

 

[Xiaan42]

I tried to get images of the chiton and my porcelain crab but they are hiding out today.

Here are some full tank shots

I had my first death yesterday it seems that one of my astrals fell off and something ate it (most likely the hermits) I figured it was not doing so well anyway if it fell off, also 1 in 34 is snails not so bad.

 

[Deb91]

You have way to many crabs in a small tank. I would take most if not all back before you loose all your snails.

 

[Xiaan42]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12006277#post12006277 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Deb91
You have way to many crabs in a small tank. I would take most if not all back before you loose all your snails.

I am keeping a close eye on them. For now they are keeping away from the snails and are busy hanging around the rocks. The snail that died was not killed by the crabs he was already dead when they got to him.

 

[Deb91]

If your tank is to clean then you have to feed them. I would see if you could get a store credit on them.Snails do a much better job at cleaning the alqae and poop,plus you want more later on that are on your stocking list.

 

[Xiaan42]

Time for an update.
All the water paramaters have been nice and stable the last few days. I performed a 10G water change on Sunday (Wow it has been one month already!) and I have added some more life to the tank. Last night I picked up some coral from a local reefer and I also managed to get a nice Tuxedo Urchin.

I also got a dry goods order from J&L aquatics with a TDS meter and a float valve for my RO/DI system, TLF Phosban Reactor with a MJ400, and some Coralife Aquarium Gloves.
I still need to get a Hydronamic Auto Shutoff Valve to prevent all the waist water when not making RO/DI water.

Here are some photos of my new acquisitions:

I finally got a good photo of my chiton (no photos of my porcelain crab yet he hides when the lights are on)

Here is the Tuxedo Urchin

Some Hammer Coral

Neon Green Birdsnest

Pink Stylophora

Green/Yellow with Pink Center Zoo's

More Zoo's

Here is a current full tank shot:

 

[nreefer]

Looks great, I like the lighting alot! It was nice to meet you last night.

 

[BLKTANG]

very nice job.

 

[Xiaan42]

Time for my weekly update ;D

So far so good...

Well everything is still going well in the tank. water parameters are still nice and stable. I am starting to see spots of coralline on the back wall of the tank.

I have added a couple more corals to my tank. Last Friday I picked 2 nice zoa frags and I was on my way to another place to pick up a Yellow Watchman Goby (YWG) and a pistol shrimp, when my car decided to not work any more so I had to postpone picking up the fish. I had to keep the zoa frags nice and warm while we waited for the tow truck (It was the alternator).
On Saturday I finally made it over to pick up the fish and a candy cane frag but not after stopping over at the LFS and picking up a very nice open brain (This is the coral I wanted before I even had a tank).

I got home acclimatised and placed them into the the tank. My pistol shrimp had then decided to make his new burrow underneath the open brain. this was quite funny as the brain kept continuing to expand and close off the openings of the burrow. I guess he gave up as the next morning It looks like the shrimp found a better place.

Here is the current list of inhabitants in my reef so far:
Yellow Watchman Goby
Pistol Shrimp
Porcelain Crab
Tuxedo Urchin
Chiton
Scarlet Hermits
Blue Legged Hermits
Zebra Hermits
Cerith Snails
Astraea Snails
Trochus Snails
Nassarius Snails
Candy Cane Coral
Open Brain Coral
Hammer Coral
Zoas
Pink Stylophora
Neon Green Birdsnest

Hichhikers:
Small Feather dusters
Worms with very long tentacles (like feather dusters but with one or two tentacles )
Micro Starfish
Small Brittle Star
Flat worms
Aiptasia (Zapped with vinegar)
Orange and White Sponges
Small Nerite snail
Green Sea Slug (Looks like a small sea hare)
Lots of Pods

Here are some new photos:

Orange Zoa

Candy Cane

Green/Red Open Brain

Open Brain ready for feeding

YWG Poking out of the rock work

This weeks full tank shot

 

[Robin764]

Very nice, Love the rock-work. Any luck with your goby hangin out with your shrimp yet?

 

[Xiaan42]

Not much has been hapining with the tank I have just been slowly adding a couple new corals every week. Last week I picked up a plate coral and Superman Monti I also pick up another fish Missbard Tank Rased Ocellaris Clownfish. This week I got a nice Duncan Frag.

Here are some photos of my tank.

Duncan

Plate Coral

Superman Monti

My Goby (He is not tuning yellow I think he might be a Banded Watchman Goby) He has not been hanging out with my shrimp yet at least the shrimp has stopped digging under my open brain.

Full tank shot of the week

 

[BeesGoneWild]

Looks really good so far, how do ou like the current extreme pro? im thinking about getting one myself.

 

[Xiaan42]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12225956#post12225956 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BeesGoneWild
Looks really good so far, how do ou like the current extreme pro? im thinking about getting one myself.

So far it is good and super bright. my bird's nest is growing like crazy (in 3 weeks it went from 3 points to 12 points ) but I did replace 1/2 of the bulbs with Giesemann bulbs. I also replace the stock fans and replace them with 8db computer fans.

 

[shackscs]

I am also looking to replace the factory fans with Silenx fans. I notice that the fans are AC powered by the Silenx fans are DC powered, how did you over come this?

 

[Xiaan42]

I used a old dc power supply from a joystick and hooked the fans up to those. You could use just about any DC power supply from a phone or other electronic devices as long as you match the power requirements from the fan.

 

[shackscs]

oh, ok.

I was hoping this was something that was simply built into the fixture. I am already running quite a few power cords to the tank, I don't think I an stomach adding yet another one.

 

[Xiaan42]

I have not had a update in a while so I guess It is time for one.
The tank has progressing nicely It is now over 6 months old since I put water in the tank. I have been adding a coral or two every week or so (I am running out of space in the tank)

Some Hardware improvements to the tank:
Aquacontroler jr
Aquatic Systems Design Kalk Reactor
2 x Two Little Fishes Reactors (One for Phosban and one for Carbon)
Replaced MJ1200 and Hydor Koralia 1 with 2 x Hydor Koralia 2
Got a QT 12G tank
Replaced Current USA Bulbs
My current lighting configuration is:
Front
Giesemann Pure Actinic
Giesemann AquaBlue +
UVL Super Actinic
UVL 75:25
Giesemann Pure Actinic
Giesemann AquaBlue +

I have yet to have any major problems with algae or pests (knock on wood ) although I am experiencing some cyanobacteria in lower flow areas and some in the sump but it comes and goes but it has not been a problem.

I have had some bad luck with fish. so far I have got 6 fish and only 3 have survived.
Watchman Gobie - my first fish is doing fine
Clown fish #1 - suddenly died on me he was eating fine one day then stopped swimming well and then died :'(
Clown fish #2 - doing quite well and happy
Purple fire fish - lasted a week in my tank then vanished I found what was left of him in the tank the next day.
After the fire fish I decided to set up a QT tank
Neon Gobie - 2 weeks in QT under Hypo salinity currently living happily for the last month in the display
Royal gramma - Got Ick lased 2 weeks in QT (he never realy swam I think he had some sort of swim bladder problem)

All my coral is doing great but I have had some losses but nothing major. I have seen lots of nice growth on my SPS coral I will post some growth shots later. For now here is some new coral

Red Goniopora

Maze Brain, Platygyra

Red Montipora

Yellow branching Sun Coral

Purple Montipora

Crocea Clam

Orange Ricordea

finally Here is a full tank shot

 

[Xiaan42]

Here are some growth shots

Green Birdsnest (was a small stick now about the size of a baseball)

Superman Monti (now spread to the rock)

Candy Cane (lots of new growth)

Duncan (I got 3 heads now there is around 12)

 

[Xiaan42]

Green Hammer (has doubled from 2 to 4 heads)

Masterpiece Chalice (nice growth)

Purple Stylopora (It can't be all good it just seems to be slowly fading away but I am optimsitic that it will bounce back)