Mikeeal's 20

[jasutton]

try a diamond goby, mine wont stop eating...sometimes i worry it may get CAD.

Also re: your camera. My brother has that camera and i think it may have a recalib autowhite bal. check the manual and calibrate it with a sheet or something...or it may have a preset function for flourescant lights that will filter out some of the blue.

dont know for sure

jamie

 

[Mikeeal]

Jamie, maybe I will try a diamond goby when I get some more fish. Eventually I'll want something that cleans up the sand, because mine is getting kinda nasty. I might focus on corals for the time being, and see where that takes me. Thanks for the suggestion on the camera, I'll definitely pull the manual out tomorrow and see what I can find.

 

[Mikeeal]

I got the MJ stream painted. I couldn't find gray, oh well.

And.....

 

[Mikeeal]

All the polyps came out on the horn and the cap today. The acro is showing some nice green in it, and the tips have a nice light purple. I sure hope it continues to color up. Just before lights out, it showed some polyps for the first time. There is also a small acro crab living in it's branches.

 

[kamla]

Mikeeal ââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ Ur tank is shaping up niceââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¦
I have couple of question for you..
Do you have anything b/t the water and the MH light.

The reason I ask is because I have a PC retrofit kit installed in my AGA canopy and the bulbs keep cracking, I have been told it could be because of the wood warping and causing the bulbs to break or it the bulbs could break from water splashing on the bulbs.

The bulbs are about 2.5 inches from the water surface..

 

[Mikeeal]

My bulb ended up being REALLY close to the surface of the water. What I did was have the glass shop cut me a piece of glass, that fits on the tank frame, length wise, but it's only about 5 inches wide. So I more or less still have an open top, but the bulb is shielded from the water. I don't like this though because I have to constantly take the glass out and clean it of salt spray.

With your situation, I'd have to say it is the water hitting the bulbs. I would think your canopy would have to do alot of warping to cause them to crack. JMO though.

 

[Kigs]

damn, I'm sorry about your YWG. How did it die?

 

[Mikeeal]

I never saw it eat anything. Starved most likely, although I don't know why.

 

[Mikeeal]

I went to the LFS the other day, and found another YWG/pistol shrimp combo. I bought em. No pics of the shrimp, since I have not seen him since I put him in there, but I hear him. I wish I could get a picture, because he is REALLY cool looking. He looks like a candy cane. Here's a pic of the goby.

He is eating really well which makes me happy.

Here's a few pics of the corals.

I really like this one.

Another pic of the acro. It is doing very well now, much more green coming in (wish my camera would pick it up) and some nice PE at night.

 

[Mikeeal]

I got my ATO finished today.

Supplies:

1. Float switch from here: http://www.floatswitches.net/index.html
2. 1.5 quart cereal container. I found it at Longs Drugs.
3. Pico pump. 80GPH Max. head, 24"
4. Misc. tubing and fittings
5. Scrap acrylic for bracket
6. Extension cord

Total cost was around $20. It works perfect.

No more salinity swings!

 

[Mikeeal]

Check it out. I FINALLY got a couple pictures of my pistol shrimp. I totally had to sneak up on the tank, and the pictures still aren't that good. Anyway, here they are:

 

[Kigs]

great pair Mike! where did you get the pistol?

 

[Mikeeal]

Thanks! I got both of them already paired up at my LFS. Cost me 40 bucks. :eek2: But I'm rich so it's ok. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Kigs]

hahaha yea... wish I had that thing called money once in awhile. looking at your tank progress makes me jealous. mine's starting to look alot shabby compared to yours. How big is your YWG and pistol? Your YWG looks alot bigger compared to mine. Mine's only about an an inch and a half right now.

 

[Mikeeal]

Dude, thanks for the compliment. If I was rich, I wouldn't be building 20G reefs, I'd be building 2,000G reefs. Not that I'm unhappy with my 20G, it's really coming along, but, you know. I think the main reason this build went so smoothly is because of how much planning and research I did first.

 

[Mikeeal]

I just wanted to say that I'm out of town, and my wife is tending to the tank......I'm scared. I wrote up directions, and premeasured daily containers of food to just drop in. Everything should be fine right?

 

[chocolateblnt]

lol ... how long you gone for/where to?! I really like your YWG and Pistal Shramp I'm glad you like my top off dude That monti cap is sick too!

 

[Mikeeal]

I'll be back Wednesday night, left on Sunday. I'm in Ventura Co., where I grew up, visiting family.

I like your top off since you can use it to dose too.

The goby/shrimp pair are coming out more and more each day, ever since I put another clown in the tank. Coincidence??? I doubt it.

These were my first SPS, and so far, they are all doing VERY well. The cap is showing some CRAZY growth.

Thanks for checking it out blunt.

 

[chocolateblnt]

Oh ok ... I thought you might be in the Bay Area ... I would have given you some GSP and Zoo Frags

The pair are awesome I want them for my tank however I rarely see Pistol Shrimp around here What are you using to place your frags... Epoxy?! I lost my monti cap due to phosphates so sad ... one lil thing goes wrong and bam dead coral!

 

[Mikeeal]

Well, the frags aren't really mounted, they're just wedged into the rocks, and since they're doing so well, I just haven't messed with them yet. I'll most likely use putty when I do mount them though, but, I want to upgrade to a 40 breeder since those tanks are BADA$$, so I might just wait.

HMMMMM, free frags, I might just have to go the other way back up there and make a stop! Nah, just kidding, I never feel right accepting free stuff. Thanks though, that's awesome. Maybe we can work something out soon though, when my 2.5 is ready. Those are the exact types of corals I want to stock it with. Keep an eye out for the new 2.5G thread. I'll probably start it when I get back.