Nano noob build

[aztoza]

Fun stuff:
Growth on the gsp, you can see how much new purple mat there is!

The empty snail shell has become a door for Squirtle. He is quite at home with the snails now…the other day he picked a nassie up and chucked it INTO his burrow! Guess it was in his way XD

The remaining trochus has decided his only job is to clean this power head…leaving the rocks a mess =/ I may have to go for a crab after all, or get the tuxedo urchin earlier than expected.

We may have found a fish and a coral to add later this week! Fingers crossed.

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

Fun stuff:
Growth on the gsp, you can see how much new purple mat there is!

The empty snail shell has become a door for Squirtle. He is quite at home with the snails now…the other day he picked a nassie up and chucked it INTO his burrow! Guess it was in his way XD

The remaining trochus has decided his only job is to clean this power head…leaving the rocks a mess =/ I may have to go for a crab after all, or get the tuxedo urchin earlier than expected.

We may have found a fish and a coral to add later this week! Fingers crossed.

Woah, that’s a TON of new mat! Are those polyps poking out from them? I’ve only got a couple millimeters of new mat and no polyp yet.

I have gotten more comfortable plucking snails and dropping them back where they belong. If they are easy to grab I’d give that a try!

 

[MDAquatics]

everything is looking great!

 

[aztoza]

everything is looking great!

Thank you!

 

[aztoza]

Woah, that’s a TON of new mat! Are those polyps poking out from them? I’ve only got a couple millimeters of new mat and no polyp yet.

I have gotten more comfortable plucking snails and dropping them back where they belong. If they are easy to grab I’d give that a try!

Yes it’s gotten baby polyps on the new mat =) maybe it likes dirty water haha.
Oh ok thanks, was afraid of hurting them by pulling to hard but maybe I’ll try that.

 

[Flameback Pair]

@aztoza nice start!!! Subscribed.

- Mitchell.

 

[aztoza]

New friends!
After waiting months for our original stocking list, we’ve decided to begin taking what is readily available fish and coral wise.
Today that would be a firefish and an angsty blue-leg hermit.

The GSP continues to explode, and the cyano is going away. I think the hair algae is outcompeting it. Need this crab to stop trying to escape and clean some rock!

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

I wish I had included a fire fish! They are so cool looking. Cyano is such a PITA, glad yours is going away. Of course GHA is also a PITA, but your hermit should help! How many snails are in your CUC? I’m up to 10, LOL. The snails keep the GHA short and the emerald crab scrapes the rock clean again.
Any corraline on your rocks yet? I have dozens of little dots everywhere and I’m looking forward to them reducing the surface area GHA can take.

 

[aztoza]

I wish I had included a fire fish! They are so cool looking. Cyano is such a PITA, glad yours is going away. Of course GHA is also a PITA, but your hermit should help! How many snails are in your CUC? I’m up to 10, LOL. The snails keep the GHA short and the emerald crab scrapes the rock clean again.
Any corraline on your rocks yet? I have dozens of little dots everywhere and I’m looking forward to them reducing the surface area GHA can take.

Firefish are pretty, but it’s got as much personality as a goldfish lol. But a nice open swimmer. There’s just 2 nassarius and 1 trochus that hosts the powerhead. I do need to round out the CUC. Maybe more snails or maybe urchin.
I did just recently notice dark specks on the rock that do not brush off with a toothbrush, but not confident it’s coralline vs another ugly. Some look brown and some black. Time will tell I suppose! I’ll try to get a white light pic next tank clean day.

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

Firefish are pretty, but it’s got as much personality as a goldfish lol. But a nice open swimmer. There’s just 2 nassarius and 1 trochus that hosts the powerhead. I do need to round out the CUC. Maybe more snails or maybe urchin.
I did just recently notice dark specks on the rock that do not brush off with a toothbrush, but not confident it’s coralline vs another ugly. Some look brown and some black. Time will tell I suppose! I’ll try to get a white light pic next tank clean day.

There were lots of things that I thought were corraline first, but you'll know for sure that it's corraline when you see it. It contrasts clearly with the rock under blue light, too!
I've put a ton more frags in my system since way earlier than you have so I think I probably got a head start. If you buy corals in person, see if you can find frags that have more corraline on them.
Or just wait, haha. It's SO SATISFYING when it finally appears.

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

Oh, and as for fish personality: I wish I had known in advance that clownfish have none, except for being jerks that literally bite the hand that feeds them! LOL.

 

[aztoza]

Everything lives!
And put 4 new corals in the tank this week. An unidentified leather that doesn’t seem to have polyps, but has some nice coralline! Krusty the Krab is doing his job to scour the new frags. Then a bullseye shaped zoa, a very angry blue zoa, and a cutting of Kenya tree that was a freebie. And look at that GSP go!
Aaaaaaaand it’s time to leave for vacation in 2 days because I am a glutton for punishment apparently XD

 

[Jaden9933]

My build thread is for my old reef tank, but it was a 22 gallon mixed reef. I even had some SPS and NPS! If you ever have questions or want inspiration you can definitely check out my thread or message me any time! I'm excited to see how your tank progresses

 

[aztoza]

6 days of vacation and no casualties!
Full tank shot and managed to get almost everyone in it. The Kenya tree came unglued and is now Squirtle’s toy though, so that may not make it.

This leather fully extended and is massive! And it does have polyps after all! Not sure where to put it besides sandbed though.

All of the Rasta zoa heads have opened, but one has black tissue on the edges…I found some others on here having the same issue with Rastas in particular. We’ll see if it goes away.

Found these shells at the beach, will dip and add them to the tank. Hats for future urchin. This looks like a coral skeleton? Any reason to not add it?

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

Leather coral looks great!
Good luck on the rastas- mine have acclimated nicely since reefapalooza.
My oldest zoas, after three months, are suddenly exploding with new growth. So keep an eye on them—such a fun surprise to see one polyp after another pop up!

 

[xitsmike]

Looks Great, following!

How is the red sea light? I'm tempted to upgrade mine soon and I've been eyeing this one rather than AI Prime..

 

[aztoza]

Leather coral looks great!
Good luck on the rastas- mine have acclimated nicely since reefapalooza.
My oldest zoas, after three months, are suddenly exploding with new growth. So keep an eye on them—such a fun surprise to see one polyp after another pop up!

Sweet! Will give them some time then.
Good to see your GSP taking off too!

 

[aztoza]

Looks Great, following!

How is the red sea light? I'm tempted to upgrade mine soon and I've been eyeing this one rather than AI Prime..

I’m clearly no expert haha, but the light has been set it and forget it. You can set a “maintenance mode” too so it doesn’t mess up the program. The moonlight phase is nice. I just looked up what other people set it to, and am having good results I think. Not sure about how customizable the settings are though.

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

Sweet! Will give them some time then.
Good to see your GSP taking off too!

R2R: GSP are horrible invasive jerk weed plants for noobs
Beginning reefers: for noobs, you say? *first coral*

 

[aztoza]

R2R: GSP are horrible invasive jerk weed plants for noobs
Beginning reefers: for noobs, you say? *first coral*

Yes I’m sure I’ll feel differently in 3-5 years, but for now….preeeeeetty