It’s jarring... 2g jar SPS Pico!

[hart24601]

Added 10 more frags haha. I helped my friend move a while back so he just gave them to me. Mind trick undata, awesome yellow lepto and a tiny red plate coral among over various montis like a red cap with yellow polyps. Got a couple coral that don't fluoresce but are still pretty like purple stylo. I passed on any acro right now though. The plate coral I might have to give back when grows, but he has had it a long time and it's still small. My one definite lps! But have a expanse of sand so it is a good addition.

 

[hart24601]

Oh man, I love this! I never knew you could have a reef like this, in such a small and isolated space.
I will have to give this a go when i'm craving a new project. Any advice on must read threads?

I thought this was a good read.

https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/topic/180570-el-fabs-simple-guide-to-pico-tanks/


And anything by Brandon but I'm not sure there is a central post area for it.

And can Google search maritza the vase reef too.

 

[Jake Read]

Thanks!

 

[hart24601]

I was thinking of buying some pods, but idk if there is enough to support them. I would hate for them to all die off.


Also considering a snail or crab, but I am not sure. Maybe a stomatella? If I could find just a couple.

Did notice some hair algae on a frag, last w/c I put peroxide on q tip and dabbed it when tank was empty, but doesn't look like it totally died.

 

[hart24601]

 

[hart24601]

 

[JuanGutz]

Love this tank and was thinking... if you didn’t have a sand bed what if you had two jars and let’s say pumps and you just transferred the rock and Corals to the new jar that already had clean saltwater as a water change system? Maybe a little bucket to shwoosh the rock around and clean stuck food off.

 

[hart24601]

I thought about the same thing!

The two things I wasn't sure about was as the coral grow they won't fit out the top well, and the glass is very slick on the bottom, the sand helps keep the rock in place. It's not flat as a tank bottom.

 

[hart24601]

Everything seems to be doing well, good PE in the birdsnests, those JF stylos sure have some sweepers, I wonder what will come from that later on, but no issues right now as they are not in range of other coral.

Ordered a couple stomatella, they are suppose to arrive today, I hope they make it! Found a vendor off ebay and they were not very expensive even shipped.

I don't think I said this but one of the BN when I got it had some die off and brown jelly on the dying part. I fragged off the parts as I noticed them, but seemed to spread more. I finally after fragging a quarter inch off again also dipped in peroxide for just a second. That was a week ago now, or more, and it seems to have worked. I had not encountered anything quite like that before but happy seemed to stop it.

With all these SPS it will be interesting to see how the handle the alk swings between the water changes. I hope being frags they can be acclimated to it. I can only assume they will deplete the alk until it slows their demand but then the high alk of RC will be 100% of the water.

I am also slowly raising the intensity of the kessil. About 50% now and no bleaching. I will let that go a week and see if can bump to 75%

 

[hart24601]

Couple videos, love the polyp movement of the ora birdsnest.

 

[choss]

I am enjoying this thread but am stressing mentally about the maintenance you must go through on a daily basis to keep things healthy. So a few questions. First, I'd love to see a FTS (or should i say FVS) to see how you mounted the Kessil. I have used Kessils before and shadowing from a single lamp has been an issue with SPS. Are you rotating the vase a bit each day to avoid this? Next, I know it sounds crazy but have you considered setting up a AWC system? You could drill 2 small holes and run 1/4" line through to a larger reservoir etc. Finally, what do you do if you are gone for a few days? Great job - keep the pics coming

 

[hart24601]

No problem, I will get a full shot here later today!


For shadowing it would be easy enough to rotate the jar, but I don't think it will be needed, being a small jar with that complex lid acts like a huge reflector, which is why I went with kessil as I was concerned with other lights seperating into colors, but the sides of the jar refect so much light and with the lid there is light even if I put my hand over a spot on the jar there is no shadow as the light is reflected so many angles! One benefit of the jar. However should I notices issues I can sure rotate the light or the jar itself.

I thought about an awc but will just see how the jar does without one for a while. I don't do any daily maintenance at this point. I only change water once a week, so no issues if I am gone as it's totally hands off until the weekend! Perhaps that will change, but right now it's all good.

Daily work = o. Weekly work is 10 min including making the water!

 

[hart24601]

Guess that didn't take too long...

Can see it's between my sofa and chair for maximum close up viewing.

The reason the gooseneck is on the side like that on not back is there is a lip on the stand where the drawer is and I like to keep the drawer facing out. I had plans to do something else, but it's not distracting when you see the jar.

 

[hart24601]

Fed and big w/c, 200%. That is drained it, added 2g, drained again as seems like still particulate in water, so did it again!


Few hours later all have full PE again. Looks good.

Sadly my snails are in VA as the post office seems to have lost them. Bummer.

 

[hart24601]

Picked up a bottle of pods, 2 banded trochus and one nass snail today. Trochus might get too big but can give them away. Lfs never has any and for regular tanks they are my fav snail so figured would snag some when I saw them. Still be nice to have stomatella but I can't imagine they are still alive lost in the USPS system out there somewhere on the east coast.


They also had in two legit 6" maxima. Wow those are nice. I don't see that size even online much, but I know better than put one of those in the cube!

 

[hart24601]

Pretty nice the ebay seller of stomatella said he would reship as they still didn’t make it here. Class act!

Here is a pic of the discus 180, I didn’t clean glass or anything but thought was pretty tonight. That kessil h380 on the back turns of a few hours a day as I have nepenthes and few other carnivorous plants I am growing hydroponically in the external overflow to see if I can raise them like that with no soil.

 

[choss]

wow that is a gorgeous tank! Makes me want to jump back into fresh water

 

[hart24601]

Thanks! Best part is with auto daily waterchange with RO/DI around 20% the tank is very little upkeep. Wish I could use tap water but iowa water is some of the worst in the country from agricultural runoff.

 

[hart24601]

Plate seems happy. The glass distorts at the bottom when taking pics, but here is one under full blues and one with bit of white.

 

[hart24601]

Look at the sweepers.... someone has to go on the sand.