NeonRabbits 40 Breeder Negative Space Build
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NeonRabbit221B
2500 Club Member
Where are you from?
The Petco in Harrisonburg actually has a healthy and diverse selection of fish/corals for a chain store. Manager is a nice guy and reefer himself.
Next would be Pets N Pals in Staunton (30 min south on 81) which is nice cause there is a good Thai place next door. Pets N Pals has improved in the products/livestock they have and has employed a few local reefers to help in the saltwater section. Corals are pretty pricey but every now and then I find something nice. It has a bad reputation locally but I think they have improved drastically in the 2 years I have been going there.
From there the best place I have found is Pet and Aquatic Warehouse in Lynchburg which is about 1.5 hour drive but I have family in that area. Worth the trip as its a large specialty store with gear, meds, fish, corals and solid knowledge.
Other than that I largely buy online for anything specific.
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NeonRabbit221B
2500 Club Member
I went to tech and worked at Wolverine Advanced Materials down there for 3.5 years. Love that area and I miss it!
OP
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NeonRabbit221B
2500 Club Member
Brief Update
Move all my coral from the frag/QT setup into the tank. Parameters have stabilized and nutrients are steady and low after setting up my very old original Berlin Classic. Dialing in that sucker was not fun at all. I have an order coming in from indo-pacific for a refugium startup kit that comes with macros, bristleworms, spaghetti worms and pods to help with clean up.
Corals are doing well besides my high cost Acan I bought on black friday. Seems like I have flatworms so I will be doing a lot of dipping and research. My puffer took a nip out of my Cherry Tree Monti but I guess decided he didn't like the taste and preferred his clams. Final moving of frags will likely be this month to dial in par/flow but everything is coming along nicely.
Still want to add in a aiptasia eating filefish and mandarin as my final additions once my pod population takes off.
Move all my coral from the frag/QT setup into the tank. Parameters have stabilized and nutrients are steady and low after setting up my very old original Berlin Classic. Dialing in that sucker was not fun at all. I have an order coming in from indo-pacific for a refugium startup kit that comes with macros, bristleworms, spaghetti worms and pods to help with clean up.
Corals are doing well besides my high cost Acan I bought on black friday. Seems like I have flatworms so I will be doing a lot of dipping and research. My puffer took a nip out of my Cherry Tree Monti but I guess decided he didn't like the taste and preferred his clams. Final moving of frags will likely be this month to dial in par/flow but everything is coming along nicely.
Still want to add in a aiptasia eating filefish and mandarin as my final additions once my pod population takes off.
OP
OP
NeonRabbit221B
2500 Club Member
Bigger Update!
In prep for the mandarin I setup a refugium with Macros from Indo-Pacific Sea Farms that included some cool detritus eaters for the tank. I setup my fuge into the drain section for my Grape Caulerpa and my main fuge section for the Cheato, Ulva and Gracilaria. Topped it off with a few orders of pods from Algae Barn. Becauce I really wanted a higher pod population I built myself a chaeto reactor out of an arduino/neopixels and the old berlin skimmer (I do have a spare if I want to undo this). I have since covered it with black film but here it is. I have harvested it twice in a month and it had doubled in size... twice
To supplement I bought a areation-less brine shrimp hatchery and then built this guy based on paul B design. I made myself several mandarin feeders before settling on a conch shell base.The fish really like it so far but not exactly sure how I can clean it out besides replacing the stocking mesh.
Finally I ordered my filefish and mandarin. I kept them in acclimation boxes for a few day and fed heavily until I released them in the tank. They have been happy but I have already seen filefish nip at a leather... Pod population is booming at the moment I just need to remember to shake the algae. I also dialed in the flow and aquascape so I had more areas of low flow and proper lighting. The fish are happy!
Please forgive the mess around the tank..
In prep for the mandarin I setup a refugium with Macros from Indo-Pacific Sea Farms that included some cool detritus eaters for the tank. I setup my fuge into the drain section for my Grape Caulerpa and my main fuge section for the Cheato, Ulva and Gracilaria. Topped it off with a few orders of pods from Algae Barn. Becauce I really wanted a higher pod population I built myself a chaeto reactor out of an arduino/neopixels and the old berlin skimmer (I do have a spare if I want to undo this). I have since covered it with black film but here it is. I have harvested it twice in a month and it had doubled in size... twice
To supplement I bought a areation-less brine shrimp hatchery and then built this guy based on paul B design. I made myself several mandarin feeders before settling on a conch shell base.The fish really like it so far but not exactly sure how I can clean it out besides replacing the stocking mesh.
Finally I ordered my filefish and mandarin. I kept them in acclimation boxes for a few day and fed heavily until I released them in the tank. They have been happy but I have already seen filefish nip at a leather... Pod population is booming at the moment I just need to remember to shake the algae. I also dialed in the flow and aquascape so I had more areas of low flow and proper lighting. The fish are happy!
Please forgive the mess around the tank..
OP
OP
NeonRabbit221B
2500 Club Member
I hope I have about a year or year and a half with this one. I just got it “finished” 
and my bank account is in a rough spot!
and my bank account is in a rough spot!
