I ♥ Lizzie's Tank

[aquadonkey]

Hello friends!
I've decided to start a thread for my tank
Beware - there are lots of (mediocre camera-phone) pictures.

I bought the 29g tank and stand on CL for $60, intending to turn it into a FW set-up, then made the fatal mistake of visiting the closest LFS to me - CF......
Tank was filled 10/17/09, then added LR and LS the next day:

After about a month, I added some snails (probably the most watched and cared-for snails ever!). Then I focused on researching lights, skimmer, sumps etc until after the winter holidays.
In January, I got my lights and skimmer, and finished putting the sump together (plumbing installation courtesy of guys at CF - thanks!). I also added some more LR:

Here's the sump:

Got my first corals 1/18/10 (take a good look at that zoa colony)

And my first fish (joy oh joy oh joy!!), Elfie on 1/20/10

 

[toddmh]

love the rock..Love the name of your tank thread even more

 

[aquadonkey]

A week later I added two tiny clowns

I was a little worried about making everyone feel comfortable - which led to over-feeding - which led to dinoflagellets (sp??)....

Boo
I also saw the tiniest speck on one of my clowns - which I assumed was ich (perhaps it was) and that all my fish were going to die.
Which led to me over-reacting.....

Here's my QT, complete with plastic cutting boards to keep the fish from jumping:

And coral QT (so that I could scrub all the LR in peace)

 

[aquadonkey]

love the rock..Love the name of your tank thread even more

Thanks Todd

 

[aquadonkey]

It was pretty horrifying for everyone involved to catch the fish (particularly Elfie, the ywg). It broke my heart and I soon knew I had made a big mistake, but I couldn't turn back at this point (heaters, filters and water were all moved over).
After everyone was out of the DT, I scrubbed each rock with a toothbrush (in the WC waste water), then left it dark for four days - after which I did one more WC and moved the corals back in.
I used Herbtana in the fish QT to combat ich (or the possibility thereof), but afer about a week is was clear that no-one was doing well in there. The QT was sitting on the floor and I couldn't get enough circulation to avoid cold spots. So.... I moved the fish back in as well and started over with a 10 day treatment of Herbtana (herbal reef-safe).
Blah - don't make my mistakes! I was lucky that everyone survived!
Although.... I will say this - I haven't seen a trace of dinos since.

Oops! How'd that get in there? Well..... they Are cute though....

 

[aquadonkey]

Begin the Big Dig

Begin the Big Dig

On 2/20/10 I finally got Efie her new pet

For 3 weeks, this funghia had to sit up on the rocks to avoid being buried!

The shrimp is called Hannu. Every week I go to CF to get Hannu some new rubble. It is SO cute watching how excited he is, and how quickly those pieces get built into the burrow. I'm guessing there are about 2 feet worth of undersand tunnels built now!

 

[aquadonkey]

Meet Fidget :

She had a rough introduction to the tank. Elfie (ywg) was not very happy about a new fish and tried to eat her. They've come to terms now and everyone gets along swimmingly ( sorry....).

In March, my euphyllia garden is starting to take shape and I brought home an rbta.

I also added a crocea clam and my first Gary frag, the pink pocillopora:

Here's a pic of my urchin, Jorma. He has since been banished to the sump for ripping apart a zoa colony (which died). He seems happy enough down there. In this pic, he's carrying a snail, a mushroom, and a small clam

RIP elegance and red shrimp. I lost these two when my tank over-heated with the unseasonably hot spring weather at the beginning of April.

 

[aquadonkey]

May 2010

May 2010

Here's where my tank is at now. I'm pretty happy with it!
Nemmy is doing well, and seems to have found a happy spot:

My zoanthid/mushroom rock is growing in - take a look at how much that first zoa colony has grown!

Frogspawn/euphyllia garden:

May FTS:

 

[aquadonkey]

Sorry it's kind of cheesy, but I just want to say how grateful I am to all of you for all the help, advice, commiseration and frags!! It's such a luxury to have such a nice community of people to interact with!

 

[dreaminmel]

I ♥ Lizzie's tank too!

I ♥ Lizzie's tank too!

Things are filling in very nicely Lizz! So glad you started a thread. :thumbsup:

 

[reefscape15]

Yea it's really looking good!

 

[toddmh]

looks way cool now...wish I had progression pictures..

 

[superkat]

Lizz.....you should be EXCEEDINGLY proud of that tank...and of yourself. Your enthusiasm is contagious!

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

did that pink Poci grow larger or what? :eek1:

 

[Grenade Glass]

very nice!

 

[solRNY]

looks beautiful, enjoyed seeing your progress pictures

 

[Henry Colf]

Very nice looking tank. Everything looks happy and healthy.........

 

[reefscape15]

I really like the spawn/euphyllia area.

 

[dan10342]

Tank looks great! everything looks really happy in there

 

[aquadonkey]

Thanks everyone! Your compliments mean a lot to me!