Nat's 29 Gallon Build Thread

[mikellini]

You can get a 10 pack of diabetic syringes from a pharmacy for around $2. Get syringes that are 29gx1/2" and inject 0.5 mL. Most of these syringes are 1 mL syringes, so it should be really easy to see the correct amount. Lemon juice works every time

 

[nattarbox]

Right now the two I found and blasted with two part look pretty bad. They are close up, like when a hermit crab walks over a zoa, and they lost all their color almost immediately. If I see any signs of life tomorrow I will head down to the pharmacy.

 

[mikellini]

The thing about aiptasia is that if you don't kill it outright, it releases tissue similar to 'spores' that land on other parts of rock and form new heads. From what I've heard, people that have tried to manually remove it have had an explosion a few days/weeks later. Let's hope you did the deed this time, or you'll be having fun later on...

BTW I've been told to only use lemon juice made from concentrate, don't know if it really matters but that's what I use and it works like a charm

 

[nattarbox]

Quick update on the tank, everything is doing well and growing. Nitrates have dropped to 5ppm and Phosphates are still undetectable with my test kit. Many of the corals have taken off at the base and started to cover their frag plugs and begun encrusting the live rock, which is great.

I've switched back to running just one Koralia 3, because having two on was a bit too much flow, particularly for the millepora. I'm a bit aggravated that Hydor just introduced controllable Koralia powerheads right after I bought the second 3. I'm considering getting a package of two Koralia 2's and a controller in the future, I think that would be just about right for my tank.

I have an enormous population copepods. I've seen the firefish picking them off the front glass, but he has done absolutely nothing to stem their population. I know most people have the opposite problem and try to cultivate these critters, but its getting border-line ridiculous how many are dancing around my tank. I'm thinking that whatever livestock I introduce next should be something that enjoys eating these guys, open to suggestions on what a good candidate would be.

Still planning on moving in July though, so any new acquisitions will be made after that date. I will try to get some new photos this weekend.

 

[MyMonkey]

Coming along nicely. Looking to start a 29 myself.

 

[IdahoReef]

Where can I find out more about the new Koralia stuff???!!!

 

[nattarbox]

Marine Depot has packages with two pumps and the controller, here is a link to the Koralia 2 package.

 

[smilby36]

6 line wrasse...everything looks great...good luck on the move

 

[IdahoReef]

Man, that stuff is WAY too expensive.

 

[MyMonkey]

$400 bucks for that does seem a bit steep.

 

[nattarbox]

I have a couple critters I could use help identifying. Sorry for the large photos, but they are small animals and I don't have a great macro.

Pretty sure these first guys are Zoas, they grew magically out of the rock a few weeks ago. Quite the hitch hiker, you'd never expect something like that to make the trip.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nattarbox/2468642361/" title="Need Identification by nttrbx, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3099/2468642361_4bdb514e18_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Need Identification" /></a>

This thing I have no idea. At first I assumed it was aiptasia, but I always like to assume the worst. They've been in there since my post earlier about it, and haven't grown or spread since. Now I'm not sure. There are maybe three or four of these in the tank, none larger than half an inch. I'm pretty sure I saw the one in the photograph bend over and eat a pod just now.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nattarbox/2469464838/" title="Need Identification by nttrbx, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2411/2469464838_7895421007_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="Need Identification" /></a>

 

[nattarbox]

Also as a slave to trends, today I ordered some zeovit supplies to try out experimentally. I'm going to try running the zeovite media and using the basic bacteria and food supplements on a trial basis.

 

[reefman13]

That looks kinda like a closed up hydroid. Not anything too good...

BTW, lets see a new FTS of the system!

 

[MyMonkey]

Number 1 could be some palythoas or some sort of rock anemone. I had one in a 58 Gallon. (Don't recall the type) That thing was small but would eat an entire fish whole. Nasty buggars.

 

[nattarbox]

Here we go! Man, I'm used to planted tanks where things grow to the point of needing a trim every week, this reef stuff requires a level of patience.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nattarbox/2468827359/" title="Full Tank by nttrbx, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2195/2468827359_8995efc887_b.jpg" width="1024" height="569" alt="Full Tank" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nattarbox/2469650326/" title="Right Side by nttrbx, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2116/2469650326_b5bb0f5b55.jpg" width="498" height="500" alt="Right Side" /></a>

 

[cereberus]

nice tank/ corals but needs just a smidge more liverock.

 

[cereberus]

nice tank/ corals but needs just a smidge more liverock.

 

[MyMonkey]

Looking good. Those corals will fill in nicely. In about a year.

 

[nattarbox]

Haha, the slow growth is actually a good thing for someone who has spent the past three years trimming a planted freshwater tank every week. I am looking forward to buying some more (and larger) coral colonies after I move to a new apartment in July.

 

[IdahoReef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12541416#post12541416 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nattarbox
Haha, the slow growth is actually a good thing

Especially for us guys that have such small tanks.