The Garden -- Rakies shallow SPS cube

[Rakie]

So a few more pictures that look better.


IMG_0001 by T S, on Flickr

IMG_0011 by T S, on Flickr

IMG_0013 by T S, on Flickr


I'll be putting a bunch of 4" tiles on the bottom for coral grow out too. More than a few need more space than those shelves give, and that would just be a waste of space for the structure until I've got an idea of what I want to be placed permanently.

 

[Rakie]

Thanks for the tag @Fudsey

Not sure how Ive not found this thread before but it’ll take me quite a while to read through!

I found some wrasse dens from the guy that made those magnetic rock frag mounts. I’m drawing a blank on the company name just now but they were a sponsor here. He had some issues with his hands and isn’t molding them anymore to my knowledge. Tupperware worked for me with a Radiant for quite a while but was messy. I needed to vacuum the bottom often and refill the container periodically.

With these they are covered to a degree so in theory less messy but I haven’t tried yet since losing my sand sleepers to velvet.

**Alternative Reef I believe was the company**

Those are really cool!

I'm kinda looking for little rock huts for the fish to hide in. I do have some black 1/2" and 3/4" PVC tubes that will tide them over I believe, but still not the best option to me. I can make them look a little more organic, but still.

 

[Scurvy]

Found these in the UK. Not sure if they'd ship but similar.

Ceramic Power Station - Large

These innovative new ceramics are designed to provide sleeping areas in tanks with wrasse, but with a shallow sand bed. Simply create a 'deep sand bed' inside the ceramic by filling it with substrate. The wrasse should be attracted to this new and improved sleeping area, and settle in the den at...

shop.reefculture.co.uk

The only other thing I could think of is cichlid huts/hideouts.

 

[Crabby48]

Looks good so far. The structure going to look great when it fills in.

 

[Rakie]

Well, it's official, my gobies are all dumb.

So I mentioned goby tubes for the fish -- basically I took some 3/4" PVC pipe, cut them about 5-6" long, glued a small "natural" frag plug to them to weigh them down and give them angle, and over the openings glued on a ceramic single coral mount -- like this, so it would have a natural-ish look. Once a little algae and coraline grows on it they look pretty natural.

I figure the fish will get the idea, have a little semi-natural looking thing to live in and feel safe and secure in. Can't tell you why it breaks my heart seeing the firefish sleep in a corner last night.. She was always such a delicate fish I figured she'd love the cave idea most of all.

THEY'RE ALL SLEEPING UNDER THE TUBES... NOT IN THEM.

Poor derpy little things...

 

[najer]

Looking very nice.

 

[Rakie]

Looking very nice.

As the water clears and the bottom is being covered in 4" tiles it's looking better and better.

 

[GoVols]

So a few more pictures that look better.


IMG_0001 by T S, on Flickr

That is so cool, Tim

 

[Rakie]

So thanks to another buddy my frag tank has been cleaned up. I have a tub of medium value zoas just kinda chilling.. lol

 

[Wrangy]

Looking good man!! Cleaning up real nice!!

 

[Rakie]

Yeah, I'm surprised the structure left a little more room than I expected. I'll be moving in more SPS on the bottom. Some don't like the look, and I can see that -- but frankly the best growth and color will come from the display, so I definitely don't mind!

 

[Rakie]

So small update -- Everything is fine, but overall just a little annoyed. Everything for the first time in my reefing experience has gone brown. Not totally browned out, just a little -- so far.

Lots of big changes, so it doesn't surprise me, although still unwanted. Most things still look pretty good, but a few here and there are worse for wear.

 

[najer]

So small update -- Everything is fine, but overall just a little annoyed. Everything for the first time in my reefing experience has gone brown. Not totally browned out, just a little -- so far.

Lots of big changes, so it doesn't surprise me, although still unwanted. Most things still look pretty good, but a few here and there are worse for wear.

Big changes for them, darker is better, they sound like they are just "urinated" off!

 

[Crabby48]

Do you use a calcium reactor? I guess with that much SPS you would have to

 

[Rakie]

Do you use a calcium reactor? I guess with that much SPS you would have to

Yes, I use a reactor big enough for a 200g tank lol

 

[Hemmdog]

Any idea why your stuff browned out? Just changing heights of everything from putting in the bonsai structure?

 

[Rakie]

Any idea why your stuff browned out? Just changing heights of everything from putting in the bonsai structure?

I removed the majority of my sand, stirred up years of sand gunk, re-did the frag tank as well. So I've done a whole lot in a short time.

Additionally, doing a 25g water change while removing sand gave me a bit of an alk spike. -- in my tank 25g is more than half the water volume of the display. Red Sea blue bucket still mixes to about 9.5+ at 1.0265 sg, so alk jumped up by about 1dkh instantly, which will also annoy corals.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Are those electric oompa loompas in the near-side bottom-right of the zoa cup?

 

[Janci]

Looking great Tim.
How many frags can this structure handle?

 

[Rakie]

Are those electric oompa loompas in the near-side bottom-right of the zoa cup?

Nope, no oompa loompas. Those may be an unnamed ones if were looking at the same ones

Looking great Tim.
How many frags can this structure handle?

I think final count was like 80 or so -- Definitely a lot. as they grow out i'll anticipate fitting like 40 of them, and eventually probably 20 once they're mini colonies.. If I stop fragging them that is