nonphotosynthetic biube pure 9g

[rad1]

display tank biube 9 gal 13 x 18"
sump tank aqueon 10 gal 20 1/4 x 10 1/2 x 12 9/16"
lighting stock biorb intelligent light, grassy ledio mystery purple 9w
overflow mame obafuro
return pump eheim compact+ 2000
skimmer tunze 9002 nano
heater ebo jager 75w
display powerhead koralia nano 425
ato elos digi osmocontroller
controller neptune apex lite
filtration rox carbon, brs pelletized gfo in a filter sock
rock 15# manado

started 1/27/11

livestock
coral purple lace stick, pink stylaster, w africa colangia, rhizotrochus, spiral wire, tubastrea, dendrophylia, balanophylia
other inverts spider sponge, magnificent hard tube coco worm, flame scallop, fire shrimp, blue banded coral shrimp, electric blue hermit, 2 halloween hermits, 2 bumble bee snails, pom pom crab, 2 scarlet hermits
fish helfrichi firefish, candy basslet

 

[rad1]

 

[saltjohnswharf]

Nicely done. Have not seen nonphotosynthetic nano yet. Quite a difficult accomplishment. How long have you had this running?

 

[rad1]

Thx. Since 1/27/11. Actually, these coral (mostly large polyp) are pretty easy to keep. Other nps corals like gorgonians, dendronepthia and scleronepthia (which i don't have) require almost constant feedings.

 

[GoingPostal]

Nice, is the light for the spiral coral? I know some need light and others don't, I have a similar nano and thought about adding one but don't have any usable light over the tank and heard they grow rather quickly as well. What are you adding for the filter feeders in there? Any issues with the inverts stealing food? I don't have any in mine but was trying to think of something suitable to add.

 

[rad1]

Nice, is the light for the spiral coral? I know some need light and others don't, I have a similar nano and thought about adding one but don't have any usable light over the tank and heard they grow rather quickly as well. What are you adding for the filter feeders in there? Any issues with the inverts stealing food? I don't have any in mine but was trying to think of something suitable to add.

Mine was sold as a nonphoto coral, but it's polyps do seem bigger if i turn on the mystery purple lamp. So i'm not so sure...

I feed once or twice daily. Reef Nutrition phytofeast, oyster feast, roti feast, mysis feast and arctipods. Also rod's food, new life spectrum pellets and cyclopeeze. Sometimes coral frenzy or reef chili at nite. half a silverside to the rhizotrochus once a week. I also use prodibio nano products, and also KZ sponge power, coral vitalizer, amino acid lps, and pohl's xtra.

Yeah, the cleaner shrimp love to steal food, but i usually broadcast feed first, which satisfies them most of the time, before i feed individual polyps.

 

[fullmonti]

Where did you get your vase. I have a 9.75x11.75" & that was the biggest I could find. I have NPS in mine too.

 

[ange062]

Looks awesome!!

 

[reefsahoy]

how do you keep the glass clean? is the rock that near to the glass or is it an optical illusion?

 

[rad1]

Where did you get your vase. I have a 9.75x11.75" & that was the biggest I could find. I have NPS in mine too.

It's no vase. It's a fish tank, made by the same people who make biorbs.

But yeah, i revived the tank after seeing the gaining popularity of pico vases, including yours!

 

[rad1]

Looks awesome!!

Thx ange!

 

[rad1]

how do you keep the glass clean? is the rock that near to the glass or is it an optical illusion?

I use a two little fishies nano mag once a week. Honestly it only wipes away pods as the led lights and photoperiod are so weak and short. I only have a little algae at the top of the rock and, unfortunately, on the overflow glass tubing:mad2:

It's an optical illusion. Things in the middle of your field of view look pretty accurate, but stuff in the periphery get distorted. U don't get a headache if you stare right in the middle.

 

[fullmonti]

Thanks

Your tank is really looking good. Your lace coral & spider sponge look like their happy. I had troubles with mine, they were part of my SPS system. Turned out to be a bad idea.How much water do you change a week.

Do you keep up with any of the NPS forums?

 

[rad1]

Thanks

Your tank is really looking good. Your lace coral & spider sponge look like their happy. I had troubles with mine, they were part of my SPS system. Turned out to be a bad idea.How much water do you change a week.

Do you keep up with any of the NPS forums?

2g water changes/wk for now, i may have to up it if nutrient export can't keep up...

i check out azoox org once in a while - i recognize your avatar from over there!

 

[fullmonti]

I saw your post of what you feed, it is all manually or do you have some kind of auto feeding?

I have come to the conclusion NPS & large water changes go hand and hand. It looks like 20% to more than 50% is pretty normal.

I used to feed a Fauna Marin mix. I feed the same mix for the scallop, the porcelain crabs & the goby likes the cyclops-eeze just feed 1ml a day, some reef snow & a little nutramar ova for every thing. I would love to have a lace coral again. Will be following to see how yours fairs. How long have you had the spider sponge? The sponge part of mine didn't do well in the NPS tank or SPS tank.

 

[rad1]

I saw your post of what you feed, it is all manually or do you have some kind of auto feeding?

I have come to the conclusion NPS & large water changes go hand and hand. It looks like 20% to more than 50% is pretty normal.

I used to feed a Fauna Marin mix. I feed the same mix for the scallop, the porcelain crabs & the goby likes the cyclops-eeze just feed 1ml a day, some reef snow & a little nutramar ova for every thing. I would love to have a lace coral again. Will be following to see how yours fairs. How long have you had the spider sponge? The sponge part of mine didn't do well in the NPS tank or SPS tank.

so far, feeding has been manual. i would like to incorporate an autofeeder, for times i go on vacation, etc. been interested in getting reef pearls and coralscaptiv-e for the autofeeder, but i think there's issues getting reef pearls approved for the states. coralscaptiv-e can be apparently purchased thru an online forum, but the store isn't set up yet!

yeah, i'll probably up the water changes to at least 3gals/wk.

how did you like the FM mix? directions for making it seemed a little daunting. i used to have a lace coral and spider sponge in a mixed coral 20g - i mounted the lace coral too high and it became encrusted with coraline. the spider sponge did ok, it would get nuisance algae growth at the top, which i trimmed off. both corals succumbed in a massive tank crash, courtesy of snowmaggedon last winter.

the new spider sponge was initially doing well for the first week, but for the last week, the white parazoanthus polyps have not been opening. my dendros in the center also have not opened for the last week, and they were always open in their old tank. i guess it's time to check water parameters.

 

[fullmonti]

Most of the NPS keepers use FM foods in some way or another. Your right every one seems to mix/use them in different ways. I mix a bunch of their prod together & freeze in mini ice cube tray. One guy uses an auto feeder with them dry, many use a mini fridge with liquid foods pumped from inside (rather elaborate but effective). I love the filter feeders but there are many issues to understand & solve. One day I will give them another go, but for now the large polyp NPS will do.

 

[rad1]

a few more pics...

helfrichi firefish, spider sponge and flame scallop

lace coral

colangia coral

magnificent hard tube coco worm

liopropoma carmabi hamming it up for the camera

 

[saltjohnswharf]

Nice design for your dining room. I am envious!

 

[fullmonti]

Man your corals/tank look great! It's no small accomplishment to keep NPS in good heath. Congrats!

Have you had issues with aptasia? If so what did you do? They eat the same things as the NPS & if they ever get started they go nuts! I'm still trying to get rid of them. I got some small berghia nudibranch, but haven't seen them for awhile, not sure their still in there. Didn't have much luck with peppermint shrimp either.