Greyson's 18G Nano Build

[Greyson]

So i ended up adding the bio spira last night in hopes to give it a little kick in the cycle, and i just checked my ammonia levels and it came in at 0.50 ppm compared to the 2 ppm yesterday. So im assuming the bio spira is doing its job.

 

[Booboobear259]

Nice tank I can't wait to see it fully stocked

 

[BioCubeGuy]

Looking good man. I have the same test kit. Seems like the ammonia is going down so that's good. I'm new to the hobby so I can't give much advise regarding cycling etc.. But i'm learning

This is a great build thread, seems like everything is coming a long well. I just got my tank up and running myself...

 

[Greyson]

So i was a little bored earlier and decided i wanted to make some kind of quick throw together Mac Guyver Moonlight. So i did ..with some random stuff i found, worked out ok lol.


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Then i decided i wanted blue lights... so nothing a sharpie cant fix.


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[BioCubeGuy]

Haha cool, looks good !

 

[Boboli]

Dont care to read your entire build thread.
I am a pic whore.
But if your using a skimmer on this setup dont use the Aquastick!
It produces soo much foam. Save yourself a headache.
Get Aquascape Construction Epoxy Coralline Algae Colour

 

[Greyson]

Dont care to read your entire build thread.
I am a pic whore.
But if your using a skimmer on this setup dont use the Aquastick!
It produces soo much foam. Save yourself a headache.
Get Aquascape Construction Epoxy Coralline Algae Colour

Haha for the most part i think theres more pics than anything.
I plan on using a PLS-50 in the future as a skimmer, awesome skimmer.
and thank you for the insight on the epoxy. i will look into it !

 

[Greyson]

Okay, Just did another test for ammonia and it came up at 0 PPM , so with that said i decided to test my nitrites and they came in at 5 PPM, so i'm guessing that the nitrogen cycle is going good. I also noticed the few frags i had looked a little happier today, 3/4 open compared to not being open at all.

Also there are a few diatom specs here and there, but no "bloom" maybe its too early in the cycle ? can some one correct me if im wrong

 

[BioCubeGuy]

Okay, Just did another test for ammonia and it came up at 0 PPM , so with that said i decided to test my nitrites and they came in at 5 PPM, so i'm guessing that the nitrogen cycle is going good. I also noticed the few frags i had looked a little happier today, 3/4 open compared to not being open at all.

Also there are a few diatom specs here and there, but no "bloom" maybe its too early in the cycle ? can some one correct me if im wrong

Seems like your cycling is going well. My Diatom dramatically went down when I picked up water from Wal-Mart. I tested my tap water which came out horrible.

 

[Greyson]

Seems like your cycling is going well. My Diatom dramatically went down when I picked up water from Wal-Mart. I tested my tap water which came out horrible.

Yea i been using strictly distilled water as of yet, and only have a few diatom specs no crazy bloom. but its ganna get expensive constantly buying it, so i think im seeing a ro unit in the near future.

 

[BioCubeGuy]

Yea i been using strictly distilled water as of yet, and only have a few diatom specs no crazy bloom. but its ganna get expensive constantly buying it, so i think im seeing a ro unit in the near future.

Yeah, spoke to my fiancé last night. She's all about getting the RO unit for the tank. So, its just a matter of when it will fit in my budget.

 

[Greyson]

Another update :

Nitrites are down to 2 PPM ! maybe another day or two and i will do a small water change 1-2 gallons and throw in my chemipure elite and purigen media.

Also a fellow reefer was kind enough to give me a Really nice quality piece of Live rock totally encrusted with different color coralline algae from his sps dominated tank. Not only does it add alot of color to my tank but it will be enough to seed the rest of the tank and add good colonies of bacteria to my system.


LR

 

[BioCubeGuy]

That rock looks awesome!

 

[Hzuiel]

can anyone recommend a good cleanup crew pack for me ??

Snails and shrimp. Maybe conch's. Most crabs can become problems. Hermits can and will kill snails small enough for them to take. A lot of "ornamental" crabs get huge and can take fish. A skunk cleaner, few peppermint or sexy anemone shrimp, 2 or 3 nassarius snails, and a mix of mexican turbo, astrea, and trochus snails, probably no more than 6-8 snails total, or they will eventually outgrow the 18 gallons and starve. I know people love to throw like 40 snails and 20 hermits in but what happens is a bunch of snails starve, and the hermits kill and eat the rest, then each other.

 

[Greyson]

Snails and shrimp. Maybe conch's. Most crabs can become problems. Hermits can and will kill snails small enough for them to take. A lot of "ornamental" crabs get huge and can take fish. A skunk cleaner, few peppermint or sexy anemone shrimp, 2 or 3 nassarius snails, and a mix of mexican turbo, astrea, and trochus snails, probably no more than 6-8 snails total, or they will eventually outgrow the 18 gallons and starve. I know people love to throw like 40 snails and 20 hermits in but what happens is a bunch of snails starve, and the hermits kill and eat the rest, then each other.

Thank you.

Yes i was thinking about getting 2-3 trochus snails, 1-2 nassarius, a skunk cleaner or sexy shrimp trio. and maybe 1 halloween crab.

 

[bitwise]

I have 4 trochus in mine and a banded brittle star that was a hitchiker, and bristleworms. I don't have any nassarius snails. I honestly don't know if enough food makes it to the sandbed to keep them alive. In fact I think my brittle star might be starving. I'm strongly considering returning it to my LFS.

I had 5 trochus originally and I would constantly be flipping them right side up almost everyday. Eventually one died. Since then I haven't flipped a snail over in 3 months.

I highly recommend trochus snails. I had a boatload of algae at about week 2, and the snails made quick work of it in 3 days.

 

[Greyson]

I have 4 trochus in mine and a banded brittle star that was a hitchiker, and bristleworms. I don't have any nassarius snails. I honestly don't know if enough food makes it to the sandbed to keep them alive. In fact I think my brittle star might be starving. I'm strongly considering returning it to my LFS.

I had 5 trochus originally and I would constantly be flipping them right side up almost everyday. Eventually one died. Since then I haven't flipped a snail over in 3 months.

I highly recommend trochus snails. I had a boatload of algae at about week 2, and the snails made quick work of it in 3 days.

trochus snails are able to flip themselves back up, they might of not been trochus snails. But i hear ya.

I got 3-4 tiny brittle stars on my frags, along with (from what i seen) 3 collonista snails, 1 bristle worm, and 2-3 Cirratulids. I also seen a few pods scurrying around the frags so it looks like i introduced some of those too. i will be adding a cleanup crew shortly.

 

[BioCubeGuy]

Hows the tank coming along, update pics?

 

[Greyson]

So here is another update :
I added the purigen last night, boy does that stuff smell nasty, I put it in one of the middle chambers where flow seems to be really good. I am going to hold off on the Chemi pure elite for probably another week or so.

I have been checking on the "little" critter hitchhikers that are in my tank, including the brittle stars, collonista snails and worms and all are doing great. The collonista snails are constantly grazing on the little bits of algae that i have on my frag plugs, so my assumptions that my water params are good enough for a CUC.

I picked up a few more frags yesterday, so this is currently what i have in the tank :
(These arent their permanent locations in tank, just acclimating)

Duncans ( 5 heads, 3 mature & 2 smaller) They have been coloring up and puffing up.
Small Green FL ricordia slightly bigger than a dime.
Orange Acan (3 heads, 2 mature & 1 baby )
Blow pop zoas ( 20+heads)
Tequila sunrise + fire and ice zoas( they look similar )
Rasta 2 polyp zoa frag
RPE polyp with 2 babies.
Nuclear Green paly 1 polyp.
Unknown green and orange zoas (15+ polyps)
Unknown purple and pink zoas (10+ polyps)

I also decided on getting a 6 line wrasse for a fish, its always been my fav fish and they are great with parasites, so i will be getting one in near future.

Heres some pics


FTS


frags


frags2

frag3

 

[bitwise]

I see you've got a bunch of frags now! Nice.

Let me know if that black colored one with that big polyp ever perks up. It looks sort of umbrella shaped now in the 3rd pic. One of my frags had this happen to it for a while, and now a couple of the polyps are doing it again.