ojonas JBJ 28g build thread

[ojonas81]

Got a new Acro yesterday. This one looks very bright and I have high hopes for it. Will be going in the dead center of the tank (although behind the anemone).

If anyone knows the name of it please let me know. The rock it came mounted on had a plastic rectangular sticker attached to it.

I also, earlier in the week, got a frag of a red millepora (I think) and of of the Reversed Superman that I have high hope for. Planning to have it cover parts of the branches I have up top in the tank where it is too close to the surface to make sense mounting a vertical growing SPS.

 

[ojonas81]

Stopped by my LFS today and picked up an Undata frag.

 

[ojonas81]

Time for a short update again. Got two new frags this past weekend. One ORA Borealis and one Green Millipora. Will add my last fish later this week (probably on Wednesday), a neon goby.

Green Millipora

ORA Borealis (sorry for the crappy picture. Really need to get a decent macro lens soon)

 

[ojonas81]

Another short update. Visited my trusty LFS today and picked up my last fish for this tank (unless someone will pass away down the road). Got two Neon Goby that I am hoping is/will be a mated pair. So far they have behaved like a pair so there are hopes.

I also picked up a Ghost Pistol shrimp for my other Yasha. Never seen a Ghost Pistol before but they looked cook and would add a new "color" to the tank.

Unfortunately I won't be enjoying this little guy. Shortly after being put in the tank he decided to go for a "swim" and ended up on my MP10. Before I got a chance to turn it off his whole tail got shredded. When I finally turned off the power to the power head he "fell down" to the bottom and walked around. I was hoping that that was a sign that he might survive after all. But with a lost tail and meat exposed to the open water a frenzy started. My dottyback was first in line and took a big bite. The shrimp managed to get loose and hid in under a rock. But 10 minutes later I found him dead and my cleaner shrimp got one expensive meal today. Very sad since he looked like a cool guy. Guess I have to find another pistol for my Yasha.

 

[ojonas81]

Got a few items on Black Friday sales today at my LFS.

Got a Candy Pistol Shrimp for my other Yasha Haze goby. Let's hope this one won't mask its way into the power head.

I also got two SPS corals that I have been eyeing for some time. Finally pulled the trigger.

First up is a ORA Gecko Green Acro. Love the green velety color in this.

Then I also got a green encrusting coral I don't know the name of.

I also took the opportunity to restock some of my CUC. Got a few more hermits and snails.

 

[ojonas81]

I think it is time for an update again. Almost a month since last time. Way too long.

The last couple of days something really exciting has happened in the tank. But before I get to that it is time for some photo updates.

First out is a new FTS taken today.

And here we have some random coral shots.

This guy has grown like crazy since I first got him a couple of months ago. He now sticks up above the waterline when I do watcher changes.

My Acan has a lot of new heads growing.

A green Acan that I got about a week ago.

A brand new Seasonal Greetings I picked up last weekend.

This is where the tank is today. It is running very well on its own now with me feeding and doing water changes. Almost all the algae is gone as well which I take as a good sign even though I am a fairly heavy feeder from time to time.

I have lost a few fish though lately for unknown reasons. Last fish to go was my neon Goby. I think he just stopped eating and one day I found him stuck in the return pump nozzle in the tank (!). He might have been stressed to death by the Orchid Dottyback.

I am heading for Christmas vacation for 6 days tomorrow so this will be the first big test for the tank without me being home taking care of it since the crash this last summer. This time I am more prepared though. Have full access to my APEX wherever I am so I can constantly check on the tank. The Apex is also sending me a text message every day if everything is fine (also sending me if something is wrong). There are also people on standby should anything need to be taken care of while I'm gone.

But no to the exciting part....

 

[ojonas81]

...which is that it looks like one of my clowns finally has started to go into the RBTA!! The last week she has been hovering close to it and occasionally swimming in to it but then leave immediately.

Well today she decided to stick around much longer. Think she was in and out constantly in the anemone for 3-4 hours total until the light went off and she headed back to her "sleeping quarters". I am thrilled about this and could not stop watching her in action today. Managed to snap a "few" pictures and also a video. See below and enjoy. :-D

And here is the video with a link for you Tapatalkers.
http://youtu.be/N1bQNrxzr3A

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/N1bQNrxzr3A?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[ojonas81]

Picked up a new SPS yesterday. They said it was a Hawkins but I am not sure. It is baby blue and not the darker blue/purple that my ORA Hawkins is. Different versions of the same coral? Very hard to photograph and to get the colors right. The picture below does not do it justice.

Had to do some minor rearrangements in the tank as well. My RBTA is starting to spread out a lot and was killing some of my SPS.

 

[FishWrangler]

just read all 12 pages, great updates!

 

[smtank]

Fantastic looking JBJ. Stunning clowns.

The Hawkins is a nice blue.

 

[ojonas81]

Happy New Year to you all!!

just read all 12 pages, great updates!

Thanks!

Fantastic looking JBJ. Stunning clowns.

The Hawkins is a nice blue.

Thanks! I really love the clowns. Unfortunately since the female (or who I think is the female) started to live in the RBTA she has been very aggressive towards the male and chasing him around all over the tank. Not sure that is a good sign for the long run?

Yesterday I found a newly opened LFS close to where I live so decided to stop by. When I arrived the door was locked so I turned around. Then the owner unlocked and opened. He said he was closed for the holidays and just were there to work on his store interior. He let me in and this store was brand new. Not even done with all the tanks. Looked very nice though and I will come back later again when they are "open for real".

The frag tanks were completed and I found a nice SPS I have been eyeing at my other LFS for some time but always held off on due to high price. Asked how much he wanted and he gave it to me for $10.

Picture below does not do it justice. The green parts are actually yellow but for some reason I could not capture that with my camera. Does anyone know the name?

 

[pleuralplexus]

Jonas did you change light fixtures or do any mods to you canopy? you seem to have much more actinic than I do. I still havent switched to the radion yet.

 

[ojonas81]

No, I'm still using the stock LED Advanced light. Have had fairly good luck with those. Debating upgrading to the Radion's but will probably hold off until i do a tank upgrade.

 

[ojonas81]

Update time again. The tank is doing very well. Have started to manually dose Red Sea Reef Nutrition A and B, 2ml every other or third day or so. Everything seems to be doing very well and growing nicely although not as fast as I would like. The tank is starting to get very crowded and right now I only have space left on the lower parts of the rocks for zoas and possible Riccordeas.

Below are some new additions to the tank since the last update. I have also added two peppermint shrimps that I don't have any pictures of. Reason for adding them, besides being a cool part of the clean up crew is that I found one tiny Aiptasia anemone and I am hopeful that the shrimps will take care of it. If it is still there in a week or so I will manually remove it outside of the tank.

Picture time!

First out is King Midas Zoas.

Added a Hyacinth birdsnest in the back (kind of hard to see on these pictures)

Sunny D's zoas.

Finally a new batch of FTSs

 

[coral_addict]

WOW! I just read all twelve pages, and this is simply incredible! Amazing that you jumped back from your loss and recreating this beautiful tank! I do have some questions though, if you don't mind me asking. I have the same tank, and right now I have two torches that came from the same colony, several GSP colonies, some colts, a clam, a big toadstool leather, and a montipora sp. (not a cap) But the montipora is doing really poorly. It's only been in for a week but it's almost completely bleached and almost no PE. How did you get yours to live???

 

[ojonas81]

WOW! I just read all twelve pages, and this is simply incredible!

Thanks!

I have the same tank, and right now I have two torches that came from the same colony, several GSP colonies, some colts, a clam, a big toadstool leather, and a montipora sp. (not a cap) But the montipora is doing really poorly. It's only been in for a week but it's almost completely bleached and almost no PE. How did you get yours to live???

Not sure I have made anything specific to get them to live more than the usual when it comes to SPS. SPS need good water quality and very stable parameters. It was not until I added an ATO and dosing pumps for Alk and Ca that I started to get really good results. I still have issues with some SPS but most of them seems to thrive and do well. I am also dosing with Reef Energy A and B (Red Sea) every other day or so. I also feed my LPSs and RBTA with frozen mysis/krill every 3rd day and in the same blend I add in various coral foods and squirt on my SPS at the same time. It does get the water somewhat dirty for the moment but about 1-2 hours later it is clean again. The skimmer does a very good job here.

Other than this the only thing I can say is that it is a trial and error kind of deal to some extent. Some corals you get lucky with, some not. I do have lost my share of SPS over the year so it is not all a success.

 

[ojonas81]

Yesterday I finally found a Formia starfish that I have been searching after for a long time at my LFS.

I know these are a hit and miss whether they will survive long term or not but thought I would at least give it a shot. Always liked starfish but due to the small size of my tank I am very limited to what I can have.

Anyway, here it is in the tank after a 3h drip acclimation last night.

Will keep a close eye on him over the next week or two to make sure he is doing well and get enough food.

 

[coral_addict]

Not sure I have made anything specific to get them to live more than the usual when it comes to SPS. SPS need good water quality and very stable parameters. It was not until I added an ATO and dosing pumps for Alk and Ca that I started to get really good results. I still have issues with some SPS but most of them seems to thrive and do well. I am also dosing with Reef Energy A and B (Red Sea) every other day or so. I also feed my LPSs and RBTA with frozen mysis/krill every 3rd day and in the same blend I add in various coral foods and squirt on my SPS at the same time. It does get the water somewhat dirty for the moment but about 1-2 hours later it is clean again. The skimmer does a very good job here.

Other than this the only thing I can say is that it is a trial and error kind of deal to some extent. Some corals you get lucky with, some not. I do have lost my share of SPS over the year so it is not all a success.

Ok, thanks! I definitely need a skimmer. I've been trying to get one but the LFS I work at never has the one I need... Although I think you're using a different one, maybe I'll look into that! If I may ask another question, when you get a new SPS, do you acclimate it to your light? Like put it at the bottom and move it up?
Thanks and continued good luck! :wave:

 

[ojonas81]

I am using the AquaMAXX HOB-1 skimmer which works great and of many considered one of the best for the JBJ Nano.

The way I acclimate my SPS is probably not completely according to the textbook. This is what I normally do:

1. Buy the frag I want.
2. Temperature adjusting the bag by floating it in the tank.
3. Open the bag and put most of the water (depending on how much) and the frag(s) in a small bucket(I use Pyrex measurement containers).
4. During 1h slowly adding water from the tank to the container.
5. When done adding water I add some CoralRX to make sure any pests falls off and dies. If I detect any "good critters" I usually put them in the tank before I add the CoralRX.
6. Rinse the frag and add it to the bottom of my tank (sand bed).
7. Here is where I should take it slow and move it up one level a week or so.
8. I seldom have that patience and after one or two days I usually remove the frag from the plug (I have frag plugs and don't want them in my tank) and glue them to where I want the frag.
9. Move the frag during the next couple of days if I am not happy with its placement.

The reasoning I am using for moving up the frags so quick is that my LFS all have stronger and better lights that what I have in my tank so by moving it up quick I would only do the frag a service instead of going from bright light -> low light -> less brighter light (less than at the LFS). I know this is not what the SPS gurus say you should do but it works for me.

Another, maybe less important, reason is that wen I tried to keep the frags down on the sand bed (or higher unglued) in many cases I found the frags being moved around by my snails, urchin etc. which in some cases did more harm to the frag than moving it quickly up. I even lost one or two frags to this.

 

[Postyoa28]

I saw this thread and followed it from the first page... I was heartbroken for you when I saw the carnage after the loss of power. I was glad to see you came back with the same tank. Everything looks great keep up the good work. It's builds like this that give me hope for my 10 gallon.