Diary of my LiL 40 Gallon Breeder(Intense)

[InsaneClownFish]

Project, thank you so much. Your setups are truly inspiring... I will definately look into the reactor. However, I'm currently using Oceanic salt, so my calcium levels should be VERY saturated at 1.0255. In fact, I really need to purchase a test kit for the calcium.

If I do go the reactor route, this would mandate me having to change salt brands.....eerrrrr I think? The Oceanic is pretty heavy in the calc/magnesium department...

As always...any insight would be greatly appreciated...

Oh and Project, can you post a pic of your old skimmerless tank here so I can follow a blueprint...

 

[masterswimmer]

ICF very nice job. I applaud your research. That's almost a pat on my own back. I also spent about 1 year on RC and books, slowly buying equipment over that year before I put any water into my tank. You've done your homework.

If I can add something to the suggestion of a sump without your asking me for input, it's one phrase, "the solution to pollution, is dilution". Basically the larger the water volume the more forgiving your system will be.

Good luck with your setup. Looks great. One other thing. Before you get too comfortable and start stocking your tank, heed the advice above by moving the LR at least from the left side, away from the glass. You will be soooooo much happier.

Again, good luck,
and post more pix,
Russ

 

[InsaneClownFish]

Update:

I really need to stop calling specific gravity salinity...

These are my readings from last night using salifert:

ph- 8
alk- dkh, 12.5 meg/l 4.46, or 4.56
ammonia- inconclusive...

sg- 1.0255
temp- 79.5

The tank is starting to smell like a warm caribbean breeze.. Actually, you can only smell it if you stick your nose right above it.

Here's a pic of the beginnings of some life in my tank:

I had frozen a cocktail shrimp from my house warming party. I added it to the tank directly after the LR. I wanted to really give the cycle a kick start. In the pic you can see the now decomposing shrimp has migrated from the sand. Little fleshy strands of this decomposing shrimp have almost 'attached' themselves to the LR.
Yummy....bacteria at play...

Tonight I added about 2 lbs. of southdown from my next door neighbor's established, and fairly pristine, tank. I cut the powerstrip switch right before I added the sand, and I let the new sand settle while my girlfriend and I had dinner. The tank was a tad cloudy. After dinner I kicked on the power and manually blew some sand and detritus off of the LR with one of the maxis. The tank clouded up more as I hit the sand in the front of the tank a bit, and more so when I rearranged a couple of pieces of LR rubble that had fallen...

 

[InsaneClownFish]

Update:

I tested both the ammonia and nitrite using salifert. Both were inconclusive/nonexistent. It's possible I'm doing the test wrong. Irregardless the tank is definately cycling.

The cocktail shrimp is now at the bottom of the rock....turning gray with tons of little holes in it....mmm bacteria.

I'm also starting to see my first real signs of life in the tank..
I could have sworn two days ago something jetted into a little crevice on the top of my LR. My girlfriend and I were checking out all of the little filter feeders and worms that are beginning to extend from the rocks.

Suddenly she says to me...."what's that thing?!?" I struggled for about ten minutes to see what/ where she was pointing at...."don't you see it...?" "the hole thingy" "looks like a hole going in and out of the rock?" I finally saw it....Aiptasia! LOL...I'm probably the only one who's excited to see this pest anemone in my tank ..

Hey it's my first real sign of substantial marine life...
When my cycle is near up, I'll be sure to add a couple of peppermint shrimp and some red legged hermits.

Aside- I was just on wetwebmedia reading all about aiptasia, and one of the "munchers" is the red hermit crab(hairy). I believe the author is making the destintion between the smaller 'scarlet' hermits, but I'm not sure if these are also considered "hairy legged." Anyone know if any of the smaller hermits also eat aiptasia? I know there are other solutions....fish...emeralds...specialized nudis...and concentrated calcium...

I've also started to notice orange and red specks forming on the rocks...I believe these are sponges... If anyone else has some suggestions I'd be grateful.

I also think I saw a little tiny snail, but I couldn't get a good pic of the little bugger.

On another aside...is it possible that the ammonia is still very low? The tank was born 2/11/05, and the peek of the "smell" so far was last night...a bit of carribean stank if you put your nose over the tank and really sniff....today....smelled like a warm breeze....weird.

My specific gravity is still jumping up to slightly over 1.028 after about 1.5 gallons of evaporation. When I add one gallon of distilled water back to the tank, it levels out right at 1.026. After my first water change this weekend, I'm going to keep the specific gravity closer to 1.025..that way if too much evaporation occurs it shouldn't jump pver 1.027.

 

[masterswimmer]

As you know, I've been following along. Keep up the good work. Since you have nothing in your tank at this time, I would take a turkey baster, fill it with boiling water and give your aptaisia a nice warm jacuzzi bath. Nuke that puppy before it has a chance to spread. There is a real good reason they call it a pest. BTW, I've also used this treatment with my tank cycled, filled with livestock to the max and it works great. I just have to make sure I have real good aim. Your setup is quite a bit more foregiving at this time.
Joes Juice works great too. As does a nice Kalk paste.
Keep up the good work,
Russ

 

[InsaneClownFish]

masterswimmer, thanks for the great tip! I might try that tomorrow. Do you think adding a concentration of my Oceanic salt(loaded with calcium) into the turkey baster would help nuke it?

I also noticed you're using T5s. I'm ordering my 36x6 in a couple weeks...what are you running for bulbs? Happy?

 

[masterswimmer]

Very very happy. I just changed my bulb configuration to a little more blue.

2 - actinic 03 (a bit disappointing, somewhat dim)
2 - blue + (love'em)
1 - 6500k daylight (a bit yellow)
1 - aquablue (60/40 very nice, I might add one more of these and remove the 6500k)

I hope you are going with a quality reflector. SLS or the equivalent. Going cheap will be a mistake.

Adding salt to the boiling water will not do anything. Just plain boiling water.

Russ

 

[InsaneClownFish]

Here's a little update...

I've been more and more amazed at the life emmerging from my rock. I've got little spiniod worms all over. On one piece of live rock there's at least 4 or 5 feather duster worms just in one corner.

Last night I took a ride out to Exotic Fish and Corals. I couldn't resist buying a couple #s of sand out of two different of his 7 year old reefs.
MMMMMMMMMMM
I then took a ride to my cousin's house and snagged another couple of pounds from his tank(his tank had a decent outbreak of cyano, but i wasn't afraid!)...
When all is said and done I probably have added a total of 6 #s of live sand from 4 different tanks. A handful of people are bringing me a little cupful of sand at our next reef club meeting.

I am so intrigued by the life in the tank now. There's a little tiny(about 1/8-1/6 inch), white Asterina starfish that's cruisin the glass. There are also a couple of VERY tiny white worms that hang out on the glass. The tank looks so nice with a coating of a courser sand, and fine crushed coral, sitting over the sugar sized oolitic.

The tiny little shells that came along for the ride give the tank such a natural look.

There were also several forms of macro algae that were mixed in Bobby's sand that I have yet to ID. I'll post a pic later.

Thanks again to masterswimmer for the great tip on Aiptasia control! Early this morning, after the tank had cleared, I boiled up some water. I gave that little pest 3 straight doses of the hot stuff! Good news is I think I completely zapped the anemone. Bad news is I nuked the front of my rock.. No worries, worms are slowly startin to grow there...

The experience would have probably appeared quite comical to the third party observer, as I ran from my kitchen through my dining room trying to figure out new ways how not to inadvertently shoot boiling hot water out of a turkey baster :mixed:

 

[InsaneClownFish]

Asterina Star:

What I believe to be Caulerpa racemosa:

Nice shot of the Caulerpa racemosa(I received two nice pieces of this, one is lying on the sand in the back of the tank, along with a nice lettucey leaflet of macro) and added live sand:

 

[masterswimmer]

ICF, looking very nice. Keep those pix coming.

I personally am not a big fan of any of the caulerpa's, especially in the display. They can become a nuisance in the display and they go sexual to boot. JMO though, MANY others love'em. Do some reading on it and make an informed decision. However, knowing your attention to detail, you've probably done that already.

Looking good, I like the fact that you seem to have patience. Remember, don't rush into any livestock.

Russ

 

[Aquatic Noggin]

Your tank is looking great. I like the rockwork. Keep us posted.

 

[Shoestring Reefer]

I'm also not a big fan of caulerpa, I've got at least 3 types and the grape seems to go sexual the most. Almost impossible to remove all of it from the display, but mine grows very, very slowly (chaeto dies slowly for me, I think my tank is lacking something) so it's not really a problem for me.

I remember watching my rock and sandbed, finding new life. It's definately cool, and makes it easier when waiting for that first fish.

 

[InsaneClownFish]

Aquatic, thanks for the kind words.

masterswimmer and Shoestring, thanks for the tip. I'll definately do a bit more reading. I thought it was just Valonia that was a pest. From what I've read macros in general can be a double edged sword.

But I do plan on keeping a Flameback Angel, so it should have a field day with it....lol I was actually more concerned with it disappearing entirely once I added a couple of greedy fish...

masterswimmer, I'll be ordering the Tek fixture as well, I think they are standard with the SLS, but I'll double check. Great info about the bulbs. I think I'll order 3 blue + and one aquablue- and save one of the suns.
Back to Front
Blue +
Blue +
Blue +
Sun
Sun
Aquablue

Sound good? Good day night transition?

Mike, are you going to the meeting this coming Sunday? I definately have to pick yours' and Minh's brains about keeping high volumes of softies...lots o chemi warfare questions rollin around in my noggin..
{My export is limited by design, so I'll have to be very careful in what I keep and placement}

 

[masterswimmer]

ICF, the only prob I see with your bulb strategy is the aquablue placement. It is a 60/40 bulb, daylight/actinic. Therefore, I see too much daylight on the two bulb outside ballast switch. I would move the aquablue to the middle and put another blue + on the other end.

While your tank is empty, it is the easiest time to remove your caulerpa racemosa. I know a few people that wound up having to take the rock out and pick it clean with a tweezer to get all the tiny runners out. Not the best macro algae to use. I use cheato and turtle grass exclusively. I would use either red or green or both Gracileria also. But, I haven't had much success keeping it alive.

Russ

 

[InsaneClownFish]

Update:
Worm sign!

I've started to notice more tube worms, feather dusters, and the tail of what looks to be a baby bristle hangin from my live rock. I also think I've figured out where the little specks of orangey sponge are coming from- I noticed tonight that underneath that particular piece of LR there is a rather large piece of orange sponge.:strooper:
Drip Drops for my new friend:

I had tested some water parameters early in the day, so I was assured I could make my little snail happy. As I was acclimating, I started my first water change(6 gallons...almost 20%).
My new friend Mr. Snail:

Mr. Turbo snail chillin on my glass:

He seemed very happy and healthy. He recoiled from the camera flash and popped right back out for a looksey.
Doing as Turbos do...findin a nook at the top:

 

[AJP]

Hey next time you get some snails an easier way to acclimate is to leave the snail out of water for 10-15 minutes. Then touch the snail to the glass above the water line, when it attaches to the glass let go. It will then acclimate itself to the water. Works very well. Looks good though.
Also be careful with turbos, if they fall on there back they will die, they can not self right.

 

[Shoestring Reefer]

I'll see you at the meeting, but I'll not be much help with chem warfare except: carbon just in case. I'm still a newbe, too.

 

[InsaneClownFish]

Russ, you are absolutely right about the bulb placement. I did some searching again for T5 tanks. Some of the best looking setups had Blue + on the outside, suns on the inside, and aquablue in the middle.
The best looking ratios seem to be 4 blue+ 3 Sun 1 Aquablue..or 3 blue + 2 sun 1 aquablue.
There are also a couple of nice tanks that ditch one sun and do almost an even mix of blue+ and aquablue.

Those damn 3000 post newbies...
Hey Mike, you know more than I do...that has to count for something... You have a nice big softie tank. I have an empty tank with pretty live rock..

You win.

I posted on Dr. Ron's forum for an ID on this "worm," which I had originally thought to be a round worm, Phylum Nematoda, hangin out on my glass. Now I see this more pronounced version and am a bit befuddled:

I also noticed this little bugger, snail?

There was also a butterscothy cream version yesterday...
Good vibrations...

 

[Shoestring Reefer]

I've got a big tank softies in it, but It's far from full. In fact, I bet you could put all my corals and inverts in a 20 and it would look about perfect. But I'm getting a couple of frags each meeting, and they're growing, so I'll have my tank filled in nicely in a year or so.

 

[InsaneClownFish]

Mike, you should give all those softies to me, they'll fill in my tank better..

Update: Everything has been going smoothly. I went through a very light cycle. The ammonia peaked at the lowest amount on the salifert test...then the nitrite peaked about 6 days later at the lowest reading.
This past Friday the nitrate seemed to have peaked at the lowest reading. Saturday night I did another 7 gallon water change.

I had added a few new friends on Friday- another Turbo(aka- Whatthehellisallovermyback) and a couple of Nassarius Snails(Oppidy and Doopidy respectively).

I attribute the light cycle to the live rock coming in partially cured- there was very little die off. Also, adding small amounts of live sand from different sources, seemingly at just the right times, has provided a nice balance. The cocktail shrimp was blackening a bit, and I would say 2 weeks in was less than half the size. Now it's less than 1/3 the size and covered with sand.

More to come later tonight..