The Cooper's 20g Reef -- New Build
- Thread starter cooper13
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Sisterlimonpot
Premium Member
I would like to see a pic of this zoa covered rock. do you know what kind of zoa they are? (just the colors will be fine, too many people get caught up in the names)
cooper13
New member
Here are the pictures!
First, here is the great growth on this macroalgae I have:
Next comes a shot of everything acclimating. I dripped for over half an hour and dipped the zoas for 5 minutes in Reef Dip.
Here's the start of my CUC (red legged hermits, trochus snails, and margarita snails--also picked up a dozen plus extra shells for the hermits):
And here they are hard at work:
They really seem to be attacking the algae.
Speaking of algae, I got some chaeto for my sump:
Also, my skimmer is starting to calm down now after yesterday's epoxy putty excitement.
First, here is the great growth on this macroalgae I have:
Next comes a shot of everything acclimating. I dripped for over half an hour and dipped the zoas for 5 minutes in Reef Dip.
Here's the start of my CUC (red legged hermits, trochus snails, and margarita snails--also picked up a dozen plus extra shells for the hermits):
And here they are hard at work:
They really seem to be attacking the algae.
Speaking of algae, I got some chaeto for my sump:
Also, my skimmer is starting to calm down now after yesterday's epoxy putty excitement.
mudskipper1
Trust Me I'm an Engineer
I have always dripped for closer to two hours to be safe, depending on what it is, but for corals it was around that usually. Everything looks good though.
cooper13
New member
Now for the ones we've all been waiting for. As I said, I picked up two zoanthid-covered rocks (thanks again, Dad!). Here's the first minutes after putting it into the tank:
After maybe 5-10 more minutes, everything had opened up nicely:
Here's the second rock:
These zoanthids were not named (nor do I particularly care). I really like the mix of colors. I may break up the rocks some and spread them out around the tank some more, but that won't happen until the weekend.
The colors include:
green to aqua with lime tentacles
red & purple with lime tentacles
pink/mauve with lime tentacles
The last picture is the current FTS. The CUC has some work to do now that the nitrates have stabilized, but I'm sure it'll come along. I can manually remove some too, but I'm going to try not to hurt featherdusters, etc., so I'll see what the crew does for the time being.
After maybe 5-10 more minutes, everything had opened up nicely:
Here's the second rock:
These zoanthids were not named (nor do I particularly care). I really like the mix of colors. I may break up the rocks some and spread them out around the tank some more, but that won't happen until the weekend.
The colors include:
green to aqua with lime tentacles
red & purple with lime tentacles
pink/mauve with lime tentacles
The last picture is the current FTS. The CUC has some work to do now that the nitrates have stabilized, but I'm sure it'll come along. I can manually remove some too, but I'm going to try not to hurt featherdusters, etc., so I'll see what the crew does for the time being.
Sisterlimonpot
Premium Member
That's a very nice covered rock, not that there are other names for them but the red with purple centers are called whammin watermelon. They grow pretty fast in my tank. Coming along nicely. Keep the pics coming...
cooper13
New member
So given the "whammin watermelons", I spent some time on ZoaID.com. Wow aren't there a lot of colors and a lot of names! It was fun looking through -- the kids really enjoyed many of them. Maybe my green ones are "Radioactive Dragon Eyes". Not sure about the pinkish purple ones. Again, it doesn't really matter to me--I just enjoy them.
Here's one of the rocks today--my wife took a picture in the afternoon:
I did find one polyp that was different from the others. It is orange/pink in the center and has darker green tentacles around a blue-green disk. I'll be happy to have it multiply for even more variety.
Here's one of the rocks today--my wife took a picture in the afternoon:
I did find one polyp that was different from the others. It is orange/pink in the center and has darker green tentacles around a blue-green disk. I'll be happy to have it multiply for even more variety.
mudskipper1
Trust Me I'm an Engineer
Those are really nice zoas! and a lot of them, especially for a new tank! Great color addition.
Sisterlimonpot
Premium Member
Alright Chris, I think from this point on you need to let your wife take the pictures, those turned out awesome. 
They look really good. They're fully open looking healthy.
They look really good. They're fully open looking healthy.
BennyFrank
New member
Hey Chris,
I've been skimmer shopping as of recently and noticed you have the BM-NAC3. How do you like it?
I've been skimmer shopping as of recently and noticed you have the BM-NAC3. How do you like it?
cooper13
New member
It's been a while. I was traveling three straight weeks--ugh! But the tank is looking very nice and has a few new inhabitants. Time for pictures! :spin3:
First, I got a goby/shrimp pair about a month ago. Here's the goby the first night:
Sadly, I didn't see either shrimp or goby after that first night. The shrimp had built a nice burrow the first day, but no new excavation has been seen since. We waited a couple weeks and kept feeding light amounts, but never a sighting. We looked under the rocks and didn't see anything either, so I reluctantly have given up hope. :sad2:
Yesterday we introduced two new inhabitants--one coral and one fish. First the coral, a Duncan:
Next the fish, a purple firefish:
:inlove:
Both came from liveaquaria and arrived very nicely. The fish (since named Taylor by the kids) seems to be acclimating well and is eating frozen Formula One nicely. It is out of the rockwork during the day and is curious about us watching it although still a little shy. I'm very hopeful here.
The FTS for the moment:
As you can see, I fragged one of the zoanthid rocks and spread them around some. Boy, that was nerve-wracking the first time I did it!! Algae is receding well (good water changes, pulling it manually, and the snails/hermits seem to be working great). I'm generally very happy with the state of things.
First, I got a goby/shrimp pair about a month ago. Here's the goby the first night:
Sadly, I didn't see either shrimp or goby after that first night. The shrimp had built a nice burrow the first day, but no new excavation has been seen since. We waited a couple weeks and kept feeding light amounts, but never a sighting. We looked under the rocks and didn't see anything either, so I reluctantly have given up hope. :sad2:
Yesterday we introduced two new inhabitants--one coral and one fish. First the coral, a Duncan:
Next the fish, a purple firefish:
:inlove:
Both came from liveaquaria and arrived very nicely. The fish (since named Taylor by the kids) seems to be acclimating well and is eating frozen Formula One nicely. It is out of the rockwork during the day and is curious about us watching it although still a little shy. I'm very hopeful here.
The FTS for the moment:
As you can see, I fragged one of the zoanthid rocks and spread them around some. Boy, that was nerve-wracking the first time I did it!! Algae is receding well (good water changes, pulling it manually, and the snails/hermits seem to be working great). I'm generally very happy with the state of things.
cooper13
New member
I really like it. Here's a picture from tonight--it is pulling out a nice dark liquid:
While I'm showing pictures from underneath, I thought it would be a good time to mention that I've added chaeto and a light to my refugium. There are tons of feather dusters in there that came in on the chaeto. One is very handily attached to the glass right in front!
othercents
New member
How much flow did you end up with back to your display and back to your refuge?
I am building a simular setup with a 20L and a 10G sump and have been trying to decide if I need a Mag 1.9 or Mag 3 or even a Mag 7. My sump flows 1st Chamber Input & Skimmer, 2nd Chamber Fuge, and 3rd Chamber Return. My return will pump back to the display and the fuge simular to your setup.
David
I am building a simular setup with a 20L and a 10G sump and have been trying to decide if I need a Mag 1.9 or Mag 3 or even a Mag 7. My sump flows 1st Chamber Input & Skimmer, 2nd Chamber Fuge, and 3rd Chamber Return. My return will pump back to the display and the fuge simular to your setup.
David
Sisterlimonpot
Premium Member
How about a FTS of the progress????
cooper13
New member
I haven't measured, but the total flow is around what I'd expected. I'm actually quite happy with the Mag 3.
cooper13
New member
Soon! I'm hoping to have a new inhabitant this week or weekend.
cooper13
New member
Photo Update
Photo Update
Okay, here's the promised shots. I bought a torch coral and a royal gramma on Saturday. The fish is acclimating well, eating both frozen Formula I and freeze-dried mysis. The torch is stunning--it has brought motion to the tank.
Here's the gramma (kids have named her Spritzer; photo is a little too red--the tail is more yellow):
Here's the torch coral (forgot to clean the glass right in front of it, sorry):
And here's the FTS:
Photo Update
Okay, here's the promised shots. I bought a torch coral and a royal gramma on Saturday. The fish is acclimating well, eating both frozen Formula I and freeze-dried mysis. The torch is stunning--it has brought motion to the tank.
Here's the gramma (kids have named her Spritzer; photo is a little too red--the tail is more yellow):
Here's the torch coral (forgot to clean the glass right in front of it, sorry):
And here's the FTS:
