New to the Nano reef

Status
Not open for further replies.
Have you hugged your shrimp today?
This guy cracks me up! Do you guys have the same algae bloom on the sand everyday like I do?

shrhug-1.jpg
 
KF,
Most I have ever paid for one thing was $89 for the lavendar/purple acan lordhowensis. Next is probably the 4 branch frogspawn at $75. The 4 or 5 polyp xenia rock was $25, and the green goni was $23. Lobos, hammer, $30-40. Platygyra and orange fungia were $60 and $50 respectively and favite was $50. And the encrusting red goni was $65. I have my eye on a purple goni and a red extending goni and they are about $50 each.
 
Hopeful,

I got these zoa's from twon:

Unknown.jpg


I also got some Eagle Eyes and some Radioactive Dragon Eyes that just totally glowed (lost those though).

Ninja his tank.... I'll help :)
 
My zoos seem to look healthy but I have not noticed any growth. How fast do your frags and colonies grow? What do you attribute rapid growth to?
What about xenia?
 
King, that algae on the sand is cyano. It s**ks to get rid of. Increase your flow in the area you are getting it and lower your phosphates. If you are still getting it, use marcyn tablets at half the dose. It will cover and choke you coral. I had it bad once, I still get it, but work to get rid of it fast.

The coral banded is sweet! Fantastic color, and great pic!

The most I have ever spent for a coral was $50 and that was for my goni and lobo hantai, the lobo died within 3 days, and the goni is not doing to well, it was one of first and I have had it longer than I should have. I buy frags mostly, I love watching them grow. I take a picture ever other month and compare.

Tom
 
Zoa growth is dependant on each individual coral.

I have one frag that has gone from 1 polyp to 50+ in 6 months, others in the same time frame are the same size.

As for the cyano check out a product called phosban. It comes with a little mesh baggie, put some of the product in the baggie and drop it in a back chamber and that will help absorb your phosphates and clear it up.

I have a bit of cyano that I blame on my RO/DI machine giving me positive TDS due to spent DI resin, I replaced the resin and the 3 prefilters, I plan to replenish my phosban this weekend.
 
I have some" Kent Marine Phosphate sponge" I will give that a try! What sort of circulation do you recommend In a 14g cube? Seems like my fish are struggling with the current right now! so far my LR and coral are totally clean just that sandy area in the front has any cyano! Isn't cyano common in a new system?
 
King, maybe reduce the flow on the main or redirect it, try a smaller pump near the bottom. I have used the smallest via aqua with sucess.

Also, after you clear it up, dose a little kalk it helps. I use Mrs.Wages pickling lime order on line at mrswages.com. It is cheaper. Here is a link to make a homemade kalk dripper.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/nftt/index.php

and the article behind it: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.php#5

I use a bottled water bottle, as I have a 10 gallon.

Like Colin said, zoas grow at there own rate. I find that when the zoas are in a happy place the reproduce faster. I have frags where I wanted them to grow and nothing, moved them and bang tons of growth. The xenia grow fast, only if they are happy, I do add a few drops of iodine between water changes and that helps. Once they start to grow, you will wish they didn't. Still is my favorite coral to watch.

Colin, thanks for fixing my mistake and helping me with the resizing. I will try tonight. I would be interested in the nuclear greens, if you order with jsutton.

Tom
 
Colin is right...it is a toadstool leather...about the size of a quarter...I'm really anticipating getting this system set up and going...I'm going to be putting more light on my 30g system per gallon that he did, so I'm hoping stuff colors up even more... ;)
 
smketyr, that kalk dripper is great , but i will have to disguise it some how , my wife is very particular and would probably freak if i left that on the tank constantly! I can use kalkwasser right?
 
King, yeah use kalk, the pickling lime is $3 or so vs. $20 for kalk and it is the same thing. I drip only at night and every other day. Start it up before bed, put it away when you get up. My wife is particular too. Helps out a lot. I stopped dosing for a while when I set up the 10g, there was a difference. I dose when the water start evaporating. I don't after a water change.

Tom
 
Many people have different systems that allow them to constant drip Kalk...

Basic system is this...using a float switch in the return area of your sump, connect an air pump to it...have a small 2 gallon gas can, drill 2 holes int he top like the picture shows in the link for the kalk dripper a few posts above...run the airline as shown in that post also, except instead of the one end being just hanging there you can connect that end to the air pump...then, whenever you need top off, the float switch will activate the air pump and the kalk will flow in to the sump...I will most likely have a similar system on my 30g when I upgrade it... :)
 
Had two odd things happen to the nano last night! I found a dead emarald crab in the tank . Ok , it might be the molt from my original one but it seemed totally intact.
My perc. clown was MIA. After seaching the carpet , I found him in one of the filter chambers. He was a little confused but healthy!
 
My circulation is about 25x...if you include the DIY HOB refugium for surface agitation...

Alot huh...well, my tank is all about alot...lighting is at 9.6w per gallon... :D :eek:
 
Jason, on a smaller tank you may only want to dose at night, when there is a pH change. On my old 120g I used the float switches and a timer on DIY kalk reactor. When activated an aqualifter pump would pump water into the reactor and push out kalk water. 4 times a day the timer would activate a maxi 400 and stir the kalk. Worked great. When you build this shoot a picture I am interested.

I have about 16x change. I just change the pump from 23x, with the new aquascaping it is more open and it was just blasting everything. I may change out the maxi 600 and go with two mini jets, only if I keep the 10g going. I am still thinking of going with an all in one.

Lights I have a 70w MH in a gutted out satelite fixture. Works great. Still wish I would have put a 150w MH retro in there.

Tom
 
Tom,

As for my pH going to swing at night I doubt that will happen...I'm installing a 6,500K light above my refuge inside the stand to prevent a pH swing...dosing Kalk as top off isn't necessarily a bad thing if it is done slowly and in a high flow/turbulence area such as the return section of a sump...the system can also be used for pure RO/DI water as well, and not Kalk which is what I will probably do...I do water changes frequently enough to keep my Ca, Mg, and other traces in check...and I test at least weekly...if parameters start to drop, it indicates a need for a water change a day or two early...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

C
RSM Max Nano XL Plan / Build
2
Replies
21
Views
2K
griss
griss
DjPhato
LifeRock dry CaribSea or MarcoRock coralline?
2
Replies
30
Views
2K
shred5
shred5
P
Cycling Questions
Replies
7
Views
912
SantaMonica
S
Brian60077
1 and a half month old nano reef update
Replies
1
Views
301
Brian60077
Brian60077
D
What's the basics to know with setting up a nano reef tank?
Replies
4
Views
532
wvned
wvned
Back
Top