3 Gallon Bowl to 6 Gallon Cube

KQuillan · Aug 28, 2022

Very cool!

Mr. Roboto · Aug 28, 2022

Here is one for ya. I have pretty much narrowed him down to a peanut worm.

BranchingHammer · Aug 29, 2022

reefmann said:
Here is one for ya. I have pretty much narrowed him down to a peanut worm.

Love those guys! They're so strange! Nice tank too!

Mr. Roboto · Aug 29, 2022

BranchingHammer said:
Love those guys! They're so strange! Nice tank too!

Yeah. I wasn't sure what it was Saturday night as I only got a quick glimpse and it had its head in the zoa plug but, tonight I got a real good look and some videos. He's good.

Mr. Roboto · Aug 31, 2022

Looks like this evening will be the first water change on this tank. So far in a week I have not had to add ANY make up water for evap, the salinity has stayed stable and the water is still right on the line I drew on the side.

I see no reason to do a 100% change as all levels are still totally undetectable and I am going to ease it to RC salt instead of the regular that was used so I don't want to shock it. Maybe a couple small changes like I used to do in my smaller tanks at the store. Back then it was a coffee cup a day. Might be something that I work into the evening routine. All test corals are doing great, both snails and the hitchhiker are out and about. I will update when I have some new info.

I will also begin a couple feedings at this point so things should start to slowly change a little.

Kehy · Sep 2, 2022

In my 2 gallon pico I was having good luck with with 1/2 gallon water changes x2-3 times a week, a few hours after feeding. I also realized that in a temp-controlled room, I could get away without needing a heater. Temps go between
68-whatever, often 5 degree swings daily with no ill effects. Some zoas actually seemed much happier with lower temps. Honestly not seeing an issue going cool, but both the tank and myself are objecting to summer heat.

Will love seeing how this develops

Mr. Roboto · Sep 6, 2022

Well, since I was out of the hobby for forever and being my true self of course I filled a bowl with saltwater and rocks before even having a test kit or a way to make RO water out here in the sticks. Then again nothing Amazon couldn't solve. Thanks to the delivery man I was able to do a full test on this thing after almost two weeks of it being set up. Results not that bad.

1.024 - 25ish. Needed a cleaner line
7.6 dkh
450 cal
1420 mag
No3 10ish
PO4 .1

Not going to even lie. I started out the gates feeding this thing with reef roids and reef energy ab+. I had figured those numbers were going to be a bit higher but I knew it was working because the digi has browned up and starting to show hints at pink tips where it was just really pale and blah. The purple zoas that didn't want to open for like 4 days are now out in style and polyp extention on everything seems good. Only thing to fail was an already failing entrusting monti and he is looking rough but I think it was the light paired with very little nutrients at first that might have pushed him over the edge a little.

I dialed the lights down a notch and have been trying to get this thing in a safer spot for the start up. The LFS store water mixes up at about 7.6 dkh at 77 degrees and I want to crank that up just a hair to help out the PH so hopefully now I can start doing a cup a day over to IO original formula and bring the tank closer to what I want it at and can keep it more consitantly.

One of these days I will figure out a way to get better pics without the curvature blowing things out of proportion.

Mr. Roboto · Sep 7, 2022

I have a feeling you guys are going to think I am crazy at some point but I have been contemplating what I really want to do with this tank. I have pondered over it and I keep coming back to plating montis. They are fairly hardy and I love the way they look when they plate out and stack up. I am pretty sure they can handle the light on this thing and adjust to the rolling flow of this bowl. On top of that I just think it would fit the round shape of the bowl, kinda fill it up and plate up with the shape. Still not in stone but it's something I am giving a lot of thought to. The test corals are cool but as soon as I get it where I want and it settles in a good zone I am thinking about starting the process.

Let me know what you think.

Plus they just look cool!

Alycia · Sep 9, 2022

Very cool setup!

Mr. Roboto · Sep 9, 2022

I have to come to grips that with the LED light and the curve of the bowl, I will never get a great picture of this thing.

Mr. Roboto · Sep 14, 2022

3 weeks in and still kicking. Entrusting Monti has healed up after moving him out of the direct light. And everything is moving right along. Upkeep has increased a little as I knew it would. The glass is getting a film on it needing to be wiped and salt creep is a small but cleanable issue.

Other than that it's running fine. Set on a gallon a week water change right now. Switched to IO regular with the new 5 gallon batch so I might move to a cup a day for a while until I can get it fully aclimated to the new salt.

I appreciate the encouragement!

And what is going on in my guest bath looks kinda illegal.

Mr. Roboto · Sep 19, 2022

I am about to glue the peanut worms hole shut. The guy is cool but this is getting on my nerves.

Mr. Roboto · Sep 23, 2022

Still kicking right along. Started the 2 cup a day water changes to the new salt this week. Everything seems to be fine. Really no changes. Added a couple things but really just still just trying to remain consistent with it.

jabberwock · Sep 23, 2022

Get a GoFish fishing cam, or if you have a GoPro that might work for underwater pictures!

Mr. Roboto · Sep 23, 2022

Yeah. I am going to have to get creative for sure. It's a strange shape and bends and distorts everything. Along with the light it's almost impossible.