Reef Casa Studio 12 Rescape!
- Thread starter Reefing_Toronto
- Start date
Reefing_Toronto
Active member
Thank you !
Reefing_Toronto
Active member
I think right now the changes are going to start to slow down in the tank a little bit. I did add a small piece of Hollywood stunner chalice that broke off a larger frag in my big tank and moved a few things around on the sandbed but no major purchases or additions.
I am working towards getting both of my tanks reasonably automated between now and the summer so we can travel so a lot of my investments are going to go to gear rather than livestock for the next little while. I'm getting pretty good at figuring out how to make the Apex do double duty on both the tanks.
All of the corals that I have put in the Reef Casa tank have done really well and the light really has held its own. I have bought a protein skimmer but I am hesitant to set it up and mess with the tank's nutrient levels since things are going really smoothly. I am going to start feeding the corals a bit so I may need to set it up if I start to get any nuisance algae. I've never run a tank without a skimmer before but maybe I dont need one?
I am still thinking about adding one more peaceful fish, preferably one that will eat pellets.. not sure about which one though. Does anyone have any suggestions?
I am working towards getting both of my tanks reasonably automated between now and the summer so we can travel so a lot of my investments are going to go to gear rather than livestock for the next little while. I'm getting pretty good at figuring out how to make the Apex do double duty on both the tanks.
All of the corals that I have put in the Reef Casa tank have done really well and the light really has held its own. I have bought a protein skimmer but I am hesitant to set it up and mess with the tank's nutrient levels since things are going really smoothly. I am going to start feeding the corals a bit so I may need to set it up if I start to get any nuisance algae. I've never run a tank without a skimmer before but maybe I dont need one?
I am still thinking about adding one more peaceful fish, preferably one that will eat pellets.. not sure about which one though. Does anyone have any suggestions?
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BeanAnimal
Premium Member
I just skimmed the thread, but things look like they are starting to fill in a bit and the rock has some nice color.
Reefing_Toronto
Active member
Thanks ! I’m going to start and let things fill in for a bit. Need one more fish though !
vlangel
Premium Member
What fish do you have currently? Did you replace the royal Gramma? If not another one that is CB might be nice. A cardinalfish would be peaceful although they mostly just hover. Blennies are lots of fun too and rarely aggressive in the smaller species like barnacle, tailspot or bicolor.
Reefing_Toronto
Active member
I didn’t replace the royal gramma… that’s an option. I have a bangaii cardinal fish now. I was thinking about a blenny but I have heard they are jumpers and I don’t have a lid. Looking for something very placid for this tank.
vlangel
Premium Member
Yes, blennies are jumpers, although a barnacle blenny probably would not. They spend their whole life peeking out a hole in the rock except during meal time.
Reefing_Toronto
Active member
Well this week's reefing adventures got cut a little bit short when the whole family came down with COVID one after another! Everyone is fine but the tank was probably a bit neglected but still seems to be done well!
At this point I am just waiting to find a small green torch to put next to the NY Knicks and waiting for my Birds of Paradise colony in my other tank to be large enough to frag a piece off. The Reef Casa light seems to be doing a great job growing LPS, SPS and soft corals.. I am slowly bringing up the intensity and have it at about 60% on the blue spectrum right now with a little bit of white and light blue to balance it out.
I'm still debating on whether or not to set up the protein skimmer.. things seem to be doing well and I don't want to mess with things if I don't need to. I've started feeding every couple of days so I will see if that means that I need to add it to prevent algae. My clean up crew is a little bit light I think.. I tried adding a Halloween Hermit but he was a bulldozer so right now he is in my wife's empty Flat 6 until I get around to returning him.
This little tank continues to impress me. I am going to set up a 5 gallon bucket under the stand and use it as an ATO resevoir for both my tanks.. the little backpack until I put together works well for now but we plan to travel a bit in the summer so I will need more volume for the ATO. I also have to get my cardinalfish to start eating pellets by then too! Any advice?
Things are still moving along well and I seem to have broken my torch coral curse, as the torch in this tank is now splitting into 2 heads. I'm thinking of getting one more rockflower anemone, although you would think I would have learned my lesson!
At this point I am just waiting to find a small green torch to put next to the NY Knicks and waiting for my Birds of Paradise colony in my other tank to be large enough to frag a piece off. The Reef Casa light seems to be doing a great job growing LPS, SPS and soft corals.. I am slowly bringing up the intensity and have it at about 60% on the blue spectrum right now with a little bit of white and light blue to balance it out.
I'm still debating on whether or not to set up the protein skimmer.. things seem to be doing well and I don't want to mess with things if I don't need to. I've started feeding every couple of days so I will see if that means that I need to add it to prevent algae. My clean up crew is a little bit light I think.. I tried adding a Halloween Hermit but he was a bulldozer so right now he is in my wife's empty Flat 6 until I get around to returning him.
This little tank continues to impress me. I am going to set up a 5 gallon bucket under the stand and use it as an ATO resevoir for both my tanks.. the little backpack until I put together works well for now but we plan to travel a bit in the summer so I will need more volume for the ATO. I also have to get my cardinalfish to start eating pellets by then too! Any advice?
Things are still moving along well and I seem to have broken my torch coral curse, as the torch in this tank is now splitting into 2 heads. I'm thinking of getting one more rockflower anemone, although you would think I would have learned my lesson!
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Sohal Lover
New member
Very nice setup! 
Vinny Kreyling
Premium Member
Careful with a torch placement.
They have long stingers and use them very efficiently.
They have long stingers and use them very efficiently.
Reefing_Toronto
Active member
Thank you !Glad everyone is doing okay
Reefing_Toronto
Active member
Thanks !Very nice setup!
Reefing_Toronto
Active member
Thanks very much ! Appreciate it !
Reefing_Toronto
Active member
So far so good. I think it may outgrow this tank fairly quickly but it looks so good under the halo light and whenever I have put torches in my other tank (under radions) they have died within a week so I’m hesitant to move it !
Reefing_Toronto
Active member
Well I decided to risk it and added another torch coral this week. The first one has done really well in this tank so I thought I would try my luck once more. Working with hammers and torches is probably my least favorite thing to do so it was a bit stressful!
I moved the NY Knicks torch into the back corner (the stem was just too tall for where it was and I decided it looked a little funny. That opened up the spot right in front for the new torch. Hopefully the first torch doesn't mind being moved and the new one does well... it's always a bit of a coin flip with torches.
I have to move one of the blastos on the lower rockwork that is getting too shaded but I am going to wait for a week to let the torches settle before I stick my hand in the tank again.
I added (and then quickly removed) a Halloween Hermit crab that I thought would be good for keeping the sandbed turned over since the tank isn't big enough for a sand sifting starfish but he was a bit of a bulldozer and knocked everything over so back to the store he went!
Hopefully the torches tolerate the move well and keep thriving! I'm still torn about whether or not to set up the protein skimmer... I probably will in the next couple of weeks.
I moved the NY Knicks torch into the back corner (the stem was just too tall for where it was and I decided it looked a little funny. That opened up the spot right in front for the new torch. Hopefully the first torch doesn't mind being moved and the new one does well... it's always a bit of a coin flip with torches.
I have to move one of the blastos on the lower rockwork that is getting too shaded but I am going to wait for a week to let the torches settle before I stick my hand in the tank again.
I added (and then quickly removed) a Halloween Hermit crab that I thought would be good for keeping the sandbed turned over since the tank isn't big enough for a sand sifting starfish but he was a bit of a bulldozer and knocked everything over so back to the store he went!
Hopefully the torches tolerate the move well and keep thriving! I'm still torn about whether or not to set up the protein skimmer... I probably will in the next couple of weeks.
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vlangel
Premium Member
It looks really good. Why do you think you need a protein skimmer?
