The Interim Tank

[The Reef Dork]

Just got my thread moved from the main member tanks section to here. I feel more at home in the nano section!

 

[The Reef Dork]

Brand new Samsung s8 plus. £18 waterproof case made in China. What could possibly go wrong?



So turns out underwater photography is more difficult than you might think. Seeing what you're shooting is what's known in the business world as a 'challenge'. Then there's getting your arm out the way of the light. Then there's holding the blighter still while the powerhead jiggles it about like a fat dude with a pneumatic drill. This is the only decent shot I got out of about 7. It's got potential though so I'll have a proper practice when i'm feeling more energetic.

 

[woodguy]

what tank is this, is it 24x24x20?, nice job, really like the clean look and dimensionally its what im looking for

 

[The Reef Dork]

what tank is this, is it 24x24x20?, nice job, really like the clean look and dimensionally its what im looking for

Thanks ;Woot

It's 24x18x18 - an Aqua One Mini Reef 120. Perfect height but 24 a little extra distance back to front wouldn't go amiss.

 

[woodguy]

ahhh, yes, im looking for 24 cube, love the look of your tank, shes a beaut clark

 

[The Reef Dork]

Moved all my zoa frags to the frag rack tonight. Intention being to turbo charge the growth by target feeding them (it's easier to do when they're all cuddling up together on the frag rack)


Using reef roids for now and will feed once a week to start. There's a coral farm channel on YouTube that reports significant growth increase with feeding. Not that you need them to tell you that but always good to know what the pros do.

Reef roids are probably better for broadcast feeding to be fair but I have them to hand so i'll see how it goes. Might try to get something more meaty (open to recommendations) but for now my Acan appears to appreciate the scraps spreading around.


Did some testing tonight too:
KH - 8.3
Nitrate - 1 (between 0 and 1)
Phosphate - 0.03

Very happy with that - I know it's early days but those are pretty decent numbers and gives me a little scope to add coral food too (and maybe more fish;Facepalm). Got my eye on a Silver Belly wrasse and a Flame Hawk but desperately trying to force myself to slow down! Must. Resist. Pretty. Fish.

Had a notification for a new BRS TV video today - focus on the Kessil A360 Tuna Blue. I've changed my settings a little now and it looks much better so really chuffed with that. Tuned the colour down from 80% to 50% which gives a really nice, subtle blue tinge. They also made a cool, simple DIY mounting rack which will be great to hold my 3 A360s above the upgrade. Here's the vid for anyone interested in Kessils.
I ordered a Seneye Web Server which should arrive tomorrow so i'll start doing PAR tests after that arrives. Well. I'll start doing PAR tests when I can be bothered after that arrives. Beer time now methinks.

 

[The Reef Dork]

Who'd like a photo-only post with no waffling?

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Looking good!

 

[Tim2@Triton Verified Sponsor]

what algae reactor is that in your sump?

 

[The Reef Dork]

what algae reactor is that in your sump?

It's an ITC ALR1 - I'm based in the UK and I don't think they're sold in the states...

 

[The Reef Dork]

Been a while since I bought some new livestock(!) so...



Utter Chaos


Darth Maul


Watermelons


As yet UFO (Unidentified Free zOa)


Red Acan


Supposedly, when you group Acan Lords together, their skeletons fuse. So an orange, blue, red and green one all fused together is the plan.

And the pièce de résistance...

A SCARLET HAWKFISH!!!


This is the best I can do for now - he was out in the open for about 3/4 of a second. I absolutely LOVE these guys. Had one in my last tank and was gutted to let him go

Also got me a Seneye Web Server. Won't connect to the app at the moment but i'll figure that out at some point - for now, it will work on the web page.

 

[The Reef Dork]

Got 'im!

 

[The Reef Dork]

I think i've suffered my first setback tonight. This guy is missing, presumed dead ;Nailbiting


He was looking very unwell yesterday and he's gone into hiding. I think it was the stress of the move - I collected him the day he arrived at the LFS then he sat in my office for 3 hours before I could go home. Sorry mate, my bad. He was only small too which probably didn't help. Should have reserved him and let him settle for a week. I haven't given up hope yet but it doesn't look good.

For those new to the hobby, this is what a 2 week old filter sock looks like ;Vomit. It does nooo smell any better.


Tonight, I picked up 2 more zoa frags - Scrambled Egg and Alien Anti Venom. Good pictures to follow but here's a half open shot under dark lights for now. I visited a fellow reefer last Friday - his Alien Anti Venoms were awesome so I had to get some ;Drool


I also have a Pink Dragon acan and a couple of hammers (purple and metallic green) arriving tomorrow. That will take me to 15 zoas, 4 eupyllias, 3 acans and a ricordea. 23 corals. Less than 3 weeks after I started the tank ;Facepalm SLOW DOWN ALEX, FOR PETE'S SAKE!!!;Stop

On that front, the good news is, i've spent the money I put aside for livestock so I have no choice but to slow down

BUT! I ordered a ceramic zoa structure today from a UK company called R&R Aquascapes. They do some really cool stuff - for example the below 'scape for a Red Sea Peninsula. I'm thinking about one of theirs for my upgrade - my only reservation is they don't have as many hiding places as you get with a normal, multi piece 'scape. They put up photos of 'scapes they've done on their FB page so i'll keep checking back -to see if they create anything that would suit my requirements.

Anyway, the zoa tree. The point of this is to cover it in a load of cool zoas whose colours will compliment each other (the colour wheel from earlier will be deployed). I'll also drill frag plug size holes so I can pull out frags when they get grown over and sell them on. Getting that will also allow me to take the zoas off my frag rack and put them in place in this tank so it will look a little less clinical.

R&R send you photos of the scape as they make it so i'll post them on here when I get them. As well as better pics of the new zoas and the new LPS arriving tomorrow ;Brb

 

[The Reef Dork]

2 part update tonight. Firstly... this, boys and girls, is how you package corals for transit! P&P was £15 but that's definitely worth it - polystyrene box, newspaper, heat pack, double bagged and Spcial Delivery before 1pm
















In Part II, I'll put up photos of the nubes when they've opened as well as the new zoas and... the first shots of my new R&R aquascape! Very exciting! ;Joyful

 

[The Reef Dork]

Ready for part II?

Metallic green hammer


Purple hammer


And that completes the euphyllia garden - fill pics in a week or so when they're all out together having a cuddle.

The acan hasn't come out any more so here's the photo from the website. Odds of it looking like this in my tank??


Alien Anti Venom ;Vulcan


Scrambie Eggs ;Eggonface


And the zoas will be going on this bad boy...






And here's the bit that'll go on top of that...




That will replace the rock currently on the right hand side of my tank.

If i'm honest, it's totally different to what I first had in mind! But I think it'll look amazing when it's covered in 20 odd different colour zoas ;Stig. Plus I should be able to start fragging the zoas from this in 6-12 months ;Greedy. And i'm coming round to the idea of having R&R do the complete 'scape for my upgrade. It'll have to travel the length of the country by courier though so I hope they package well.

Finally, I think my Hawk is dead - can anyone confirm?!;Nurse


Gutted about this for a number of reasons - cool fish, £55 lost but mainly it was my fault and totally avoidable. I'll definitely have one in my upgrade but not again in this tank. Might just get 2 clowns and have done with it.

 

[The Reef Dork]

I got an email today saying that phase 2 of the zoa tree is now complete! Now all that's left to do (well, after it arrives) is name it. Mount KrakaZoa is an early front runner. I'd like a more tortured pun though ideally so i'll give that some thought tomorrow (i'm in my notice period at work )









I fixed the new LPS into their new rocks tonight - it'll take a few days for them to come out but i'll post a pic in a few days of all 4 euphyllias together and all 3 acans ;Snaphappy

 

[The Reef Dork]

No tank is complete without...

(also, note the photobomb)

 

[The Reef Dork]

You know when you research a coral to check compatibility and it says x coral should be compatible with y coral?

Well, supposedly frogspawn are compatible with hammers most of the time. Ummm...


Unfortunately, I didn't get photos over the last 48 hours but this looked distinctly like it had been stung. I took it away from the hammer too late and now... he dead.

I haven't measured kh for a week but I've been no reason to suspect a change and everything else is fine so I reckon it was tentacles ;Facepalm

On the plus side... More space for zoas! ;Woot

 

[The Reef Dork]

Well, Stroppy McHammer Face got his way and is back in his little homogeneous group. Here's the updated euphyllia garden...

 

[The Reef Dork]

Bought a zoa today - shop didn't have a ridiculous name for it though so I'm going to call it 'Blue Sphincter' ;Cyclops



And here's the zoa tray as it stands. 4 more on the sand bed