reef-rc Fluval Evo 13G

[reef-rc]

The copepods, phytoplankton, chaeto and pom pom gracilaria went in without much of trouble. Here's a shot of the small HOB refugium with all three macroalgae.

Today I also had a chance to add a pistol shrimp and a goby. The hope is that these two will form a symbolic relationship. The two has not yet meet unfortunately.

 

[reef-rc]

So it has been a week since last update and a few items have changed.

• ATO: I had replaced the ATO with the Smart ATO Micro and it is working good for this size tank. ATO is in the same compartment as the heater and return pump. Using the Apex controller, I only have the ATO on for a limited number of hours when people are in the house (4pm-10pm). This is to limit a possible risk of flooding when no one is around. In later weeks I will setup a backup for this using another float switch if water is higher than it should be.

• Lighting: I had replaced the default lighting with the Kessil A80 Tuna with a Spectral Controller. It's currently set to run 10 hrs. with dawn and dust settings. I am planning to use the standard lighting for the Qtank.

• Polyps + ricordea: I added 2 polyps and 1 ricordea frags from the previous Sunday. So far these are doing good from the look of things.

• Frostbite Clowns: These are doing great and are buddies and rules the tank. As expected they are now biting my hands every time I put my hands inside their domain.

• Lawnmover blenny: new addition since Sunday with the quick lost of the goby a day before the lawnmover introduction. Has been 5 days and he's doing alright and getting all the algae around the tank. I also thought to introduce nori to help with this as the tank is new.

• Peppermint Shrimps + emerald crab: the guys are doing just fine and eating. I especially like the crab as it does make his way around all the rocks.

• Tank: overall the new tank looks healthy and getting there. For now I sitting out and watching the progress.

 

[reef-rc]

Earlier today I found both the pistol shrimp and yellow watchman goby all buddy up in a burrow under one of the rock. There were a number of burrows under the rock for some time but I was not sure who was in it. Earlier this evening I saw both inside. Only concern I have is they don't come out...I do drop food outside and blow some inside the burrow just to be sure. They seem to be doing alright together otherwise.

 

[reef-rc]

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[reef-rc]

So what's the latest? more frags...more frags...more frags...and oh...more frags .

I took advantaged of the local reef event yesterday to build out this tank. I have gone frags insane (most frag on floor are new except for polyps). The plan is to keep it simple and colorful soft and lps corals. I am planning to build out a polyps flower bed, a mushrooms bed, a acan grouping and using torches and duncan to give height to the tank.

• Torches (gold, purple and green) - introduced week to days earlier
• Zoa (varieties) - introduced week earlier
• Acan (varieties)
• Mushroom (varieties)
• Maxi mini carpet anemone
  
• Duncan
• Rock anemone

Took me a few hours yesterday to accumulated everything and was successful imo. Days earlier I had prep 5 extra gallons of new saltwater in preparation. Good thing I did as the process of coral dipping took more tank water than I had anticipated and so the extra gallons of water came in handy.

Today was more about observing if the new inhabitants like the temporary locations and whether they'll open up. So far so good. I think only the duncan will i be moving to the bottom as the current lighting may be a little too much as it was closed when lighting was over 50% intensity.

Next steps are to continue the accumulation process (will lower light intensity down 25%) and slowly position the new inhabitants into the appropriate locations within the next week.

 

[Sm51498]

What are you going to do now that it is full?

Nice haul!

 

[reef-rc]

just noticed i had written accumulated instead of "acclimated"...guess that's what happened when you post @ 1 AM

 

[reef-rc]

What are you going to do now that it is full?

Nice haul!

Thx. I am looking forward to placing these across the rocks, watching and letting it grow out. I have some frag supplies coming this week and so I am looking to use them to stabilize the rocks before starting to place the corals in their location slowly.

No worries however, I have an AGA 210 RR tank and supplies sitting around for years ready if need be

 

[reef-rc]

3 days later and and all the little frags are opening up nicely. Currently using the Kessil acclimation program on the A80 to not shock the corals just in case.

I took a few shots while playing with the camera while I was observing.

 

[reef-rc]

So I did about a 2G water change yesterday and noticed there was a large die off of the chaeto macroalge. Both caulerpa and pom pom gracilaria continues to grow. It would seem being a new tank there just wasn't enough nutrient in the tank to support it.

 

[reef-rc]

Can't believe one of the frostbite clown tried so hard to ram/bit me while I was arranging a few frags around during lunch that he ending up missing me slightly, flew threw the air and landed on the wood floor with a small thud sound . For a few seconds I just stared at it laying their thinking it's a goner.

Within a few seconds it moved and I just gently picked it up with a towel and placed him back in the tank. He's looking to be doing alright. Don't need this guilt on my watch .

 

[Zack K]

Looks awesome! I would cation you about the peppermint shrimp. They are notorious for munching LPS. Especially Plates,Acans, and Torches

 

[reef-rc]

Looks awesome! I would cation you about the peppermint shrimp. They are notorious for munching LPS. Especially Plates,Acans, and Torches

Thx Zack. Will sure to keep eye out for the peppermint shrimps since I have 2 of them; and they're molting like crazy (every week it seems). A week earlier one was all over one of the golden torch I had dipped too long. Torch started oozing out stuff and the shrimp was around it digging for some time. The torch is good now though.

 

[reef-rc]

Frags placement: It's 7th week into this now and I got this PAR meter (Neptune Systems PMK) with the senor stick. I got this because I wanted to know the average intensity of the tank based on the current lighting so I can place the frags accordingly.

So earlier today I spent a few hours trying this out to get an idea of the PAR across the tank with Kessil A80 @ 100 intensity.

PAR Readings: So I placed the sensor across a few critical spots and captured a number of readings (basically I covered those areas I can place frags) by letting the sensor sit on the spot for anywhere 2-5 minutes. I had covered:

• Bottom of tank (1" above sand)
• Highest point on tank (2" below water level)
• Front, middle and back of tank
• Left, middle and right of tank

Keep in mind the light and tank specs are as followed:

• Tank Height - 12.5"
• Tank Width - 11.5"
• Tank Length - 18"
• Distance Light (Kissel A80) above water surface - 6"
• Light Intensity - 100%
• Light Color - 45%

Well here's what I came up for the few hours I played with it.

Summary:
Based on this 1st pass, it would seemed LPS may be the most I will be able to sustain and thrive with this one light. There's potential for a few SPS like montipora I think.

As suspected I will likely be more successful with another A80 or stronger light source if I focus more on LPS.

At the end of the day, I am glad to have some confirmations that the plan I had for this nano with beds of zoas and mushrooms will work including colonies of LPS acans. However another A80 or stronger light source would be best to increase light intensity and better light coverage as near the end of the tank, light penetration is below 30.

BTW:
I found this brief guide on Innovation Marine. Thought it was good enough to help guide light + coral selection and placement.

 

[reef-rc]

This passed Sunday I started to place some frags in their locations now that I have a relative idea of the light intensity and spread in the tank. First I had to stabilize the rocks using coral gum for the joints to ensure stability. Also use a combination of coral gum and thick glue for the remaining. Hopefully with time the pink epoxies will wash out among the coralline algae that just now look to be starting to grow.

Here are a few shots of the work in progress.

 

[reef-rc]

I have gone wave pump nuts...

Below is the inside mind of an reef addict "genius" at work...

Dilemma: I have been pondering this for weeks. I am currently not satisfied with my current wave pump (Tunze 6040) as it does not offer me the ability to control intensity and patterns as well as I like.

Logical Solution: Try other wave pump options

Not So Logical Execution: I purchased 2 additional wave pumps for this purpose based on my research taking into consideration of better control over intensity and patterns.

• EcoTech MP10WQD
• Current EFlux Wave Pump 660 Kit

Yeah....

So there you have it. I picked up the MP10WQD late yesterday and so will be running it in the tank for next few days until the Eflux pump arrive mid week.

 

[Mike N]

You've got some serious cash into that evo lol. Looking great! How's the flow with the mp10?

 

[Mikedawg]

Great build and I really am impressed by all the mods you've made. I've got two Evo's and upgraded stock pump to Sicce 1.5 dialed down a little and get good flow. Keep going.............

 

[reef-rc]

You've got some serious cash into that evo lol. Looking great! How's the flow with the mp10?

Did you not know?...an aquarium is like a black hole for hard earn cash!!!

You put everything into the tank (money, time, energy, solutions, fish, corals, equipment, food, etc.) and the only think it put out in return is evaporated water and poop

JK -

 

[reef-rc]

You've got some serious cash into that evo lol. Looking great! How's the flow with the mp10?

@Mike N - So I have the MP10WQD running for the passed 2 days mostly in the Logaoonal Random Mode as it's seem most similar to what was on the Tunze pluse mode. I do like the flow much better as the pump allow for flow control to very low compare to Tunze 6040. Even @20%...the water flow on the Tunze was a tag higher than I liked at the front corner of the tank based on my flow orientation. Many of the corals I had placed there just didn't like the flow. I think if I had SPS, montipora coral or something that liked medium/strong flow it would be ideal for that corner. Since there are mostly LPS and soft corals in the tank, I was not able to place many corals in that corner. Otherwise the flow is great for the tank. If this tank was a 20G, it would be just fine.

MP10 also offered a Night Mode which would basically ramp the pump down by 50% from the current setting for easier flow. This feature is the 2nd big thing I like. IMO this made it easier on the clowns and corals @ night and seem to be more realistic. Tunze also has night using additional add-on but with the pump already at the lowest settings, it would not be able to go much lower I do not think.

In short, I like it and have removed the Tunze 6040 from the tank for the time being. Will be watching to see how the corals respond.