AGA92 Corner Reef Tank Build

[timschmidt]

Good to hear things are going well.

 

[HumanIMDB]

Snail Eggs

Snail Eggs

We came home today to discover we are "grandparents"!

One of the snails laid eggs, right on the front glass...
<a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/SE/IMG_1877.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/SE/IMG_1877-1.JPG" border=0></a>

 

[kudora]

have you bought any other livestock?

 

[HumanIMDB]

Nope, still just the mandarin, blue spotted watchman goby, cleaner shrimp, two elusive emerald crabs, and a few dozen snails (hopefully soon to be more).

We were going to get the Royal Gramma the other day but decided against it until we get the quarantine setup.

 

[kudora]

prob a good idea, cant wait for the weather to warm up so i can order a boost to the CUC tho.

 

[HumanIMDB]

Good news and bad news

Good news and bad news

The good news is that our mandarin has started eating <a href="http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/fd-opzf12/Ocean+Nutrition+Formula+1+Marine+Pellet+Food+%28Small%29+-+200+Gram.html" target=_blank>Formula 1</a> and <a href="http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/fd-opzf22/Ocean+Nutrition+Formula+2+Marine+Pellet+Food+%28Small%29+-+200+Gram.html" target=_blank>Formula 2</a> pellets.

The bad news is that he seems to have depleted the pod supply and is looking very thin.

My hope is that he will pull through now that he is eating the pellets.

I'm thinking of feeding him twice daily, morning and evening. Is that a good schedule? More often? Less often?

The refugium is still teaming with pods. I wonder if they aren't breading fast enough or just aren't making it up the return into the display tank for some reason.

I have been feeding the tank one tablespoon of DT's Phytoplankton every other day for a few months with the occasional once a day feedings.

I'm now going to start feeding the tank one tablespoon of phytoplankton once a day. If I notice that may be too much, I'll cut back to half a tablespoon a day, to keep a constant food supply.

I'll also check out the LFS to see if they have any Live Rock Rubble and make a few pod piles at the back of the display; behind the rock wall.

Any thoughts or ideas would be most appreciated.

 

[kudora]

thats great he is eating pellets, now have you been trying to feed him mysis then IMDB? i usually turn off the pumps, feed the other fish on one side of the tank and put some mysis in a spot the mandarin will be crusing soon away from the other fish.

 

[HumanIMDB]

We feed mysis to the watchman goby. I haven't seen the mandarin even show interest in the mysis as it floats on by; one even hit him in the face once without him even looking twice at it.

 

[kudora]

hmmm dunno then, mine will eat mysis but wont eat pellets, i have tried. i guess its up to the individual mandarin, i just picked a female so i will going through the same thing you are in the next comming weeks. after some initial bullying yesterday from the male they are now swimming together and she follows him around half of the time.

 

[HumanIMDB]

More snail eggs

More snail eggs

I looked at the tank this morning and saw that we had another string of snail eggs. This makes the third batch of snail eggs.

We already see little baby snails on the glass.

<a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/SE/P3260005-1.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/SE/P3260005.JPG" border=0></a>

 

[kudora]

Oh nice, glad to see everything is doing well.

 

[HumanIMDB]

Canopy Nearing Completion

Canopy Nearing Completion

My Dad took pictures of the canopy he is building for us today:
<a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/canopy/IMG_2245-1.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/canopy/IMG_2245.JPG" border=0></a><a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/canopy/IMG_2247-1.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/canopy/IMG_2247.JPG" border=0></a><a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/canopy/IMG_2248-1.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/canopy/IMG_2248.JPG" border=0></a>
<a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/canopy/IMG_2249-1.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/canopy/IMG_2249.JPG" border=0></a><a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/canopy/IMG_2250-1.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/canopy/IMG_2250.JPG" border=0></a><a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/canopy/IMG_2251-1.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/canopy/IMG_2251.JPG" border=0></a>
<a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/canopy/IMG_2252-1.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/canopy/IMG_2252.JPG" border=0></a>

The inside still needs to be painted with white epoxy and the doors need to be hung but it's just about done.

Guess it's time to order the Coralvue Lumen Bright Mini!

 

[naprestsleep]

Nice canopy, did he make it from a set of plans? I am going to be adding a canopy soon and would not mind stealing from your design, looks just like my stand.

 

[HumanIMDB]

Yep, I drew up the plans...<a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/ACDesign.pdf" target=_blank>here is a copy</a>.

Since the top is going to be open I'm thinking the two 4" variable speed fans that I planned for won't be needed but better to put them in and not need them than to need them and not have them.

 

[Tswifty]

Nice canopy!

Are you sticking actinics in there as well, or just the one halide?

Also, what bulb did you decide to go with?

 

[HumanIMDB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14701535#post14701535 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty
Nice canopy!

Are you sticking actinics in there as well, or just the one halide?

Also, what bulb did you decide to go with?

Just one halide for now though we may add actinics in the future.

Probably going to go with the 250w 12,000k Reeflux.

 

[naprestsleep]

Ok, my post from yesterday saying thanks for the plans is MIA. but.. Thanks.

Also I got a 250w 10,000k reflux in the LB large pendant, personally I like it, but I am not one to judge it too well as I am a noobie.

 

[HumanIMDB]

Canopy and Light

Canopy and Light

The canopy is being hand delivered tomorrow. I'll post pictures tomorrow.

I also ordered the light today from Reefspecialty.com...

CoralVue Lumen Bright Wide Mini
250w Dimmable Electronic Ballast
20,000k 250w ReefLux Bulb

Two CoralVue 4" Smart Cooling Fans.

Mike @ ReefSpecialty talked me into the 20,000k bulb. I told him we had seen other 20,000k bulbs before and thought that they were way to blue for our tastes. He assures me that isn't the case with the ReefLux 20,000k bulbs.

He also told me that the two fans will probably be overkill, but agrees that it is better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them. Considering summer is coming, I think we'll probably end up using them sooner rather than later.

If you are in the market for a light, I highly recommend working with Mike @ ReefSpecialty. He's been very helpful and always e-mails/calls back very quickly.

Since we aren't in a rush, I went with the slowest (cheapest) shipping option so it should be here next week sometime.

I will post pictures when it arrives and everything is setup.

 

[kudora]

nice, cant wait to see pics of the unit.

 

[naprestsleep]

Yeah Mike is great, dealt with him when I order a skimmer, then my lighting. He called me and talked me through all the options for lighting, then held his shipments until I ordered so mine would go out sooner.