29g nano (Ento-Reef Jr.)

[Ento-Reefer]

I have been wanting to start a build thread on my 29g mixed reef, but I have been super busy with work this summer and never managed to get it done. I finally took some time and got some photos that are at least passable over the past couple of weeks so I decided to just post them up so I can at least have some to look back on as my corals grow.

FTS Daylight -September 2019

FTS- Blue light- September 2019

Equipment
std. 29g- 30" x 12" x 18"
approx. 20lbs cured LR
.5-1" arragonite sand
24" Reef Breeders Photon V2+
AI Nero 5 pump
Aqamai KPS pump
100 watt heater
HOB filter x 2
Smart Micro ATO
Salt-Tropic Marin Pro

Tyree Pinky the Bear

 

[Peach02]

That clown looks awsome

 

[Spare time]

I look at that and what I see is a future of empty alkalinity bottles

 

[Ento-Reefer]

I finally got my sand bed cleaned off moving some corals up into the rock work. I am working on a coral stock list so I can keep track of what I have in here. I don’t think I could possibly fit any more frags in here anyway lol. My latest FTS and a side view.

 

[Peach02]

Looks great so far

 

[Rjukan]

I finally got my sand bed cleaned off moving some corals up into the rock work. I am working on a coral stock list so I can keep track of what I have in here. I don’t think I could possibly fit any more frags in here anyway lol. My latest FTS and a side view.

Really, it looks great. Sorry if I missed it but when did you start this system?

Aquascape and coral placement is spot on. That tank is well stocked, what a beauty. Well done!

 

[Ento-Reefer]

Thank you @Rjukan and @Peach02 .

This tank started it out as my fish quarantine when I was first stocking my 180g. Then once I didn't need it for that anymore I decided having a second tank running would be a good idea so I was using it as a coral qt. I was happy I had it running when dinos struck my 180 as I ended up transferring a bunch of corals over to save them. This was around end of March beginning of April this year. Everything was doing so well in the 29g and it started to look like its own reef and less like a quarantine tank. I started calling this tank Ento-Reef jr. and decided to go all in and ordered some nice sps and zoas to finish up the stocking.

The fish were not planned at all. I knew I needed to get a few into the tank to add some nutrients and saw the cutest little red sea sailfin tang at the LFS. It was about the size of a 50 cent piece, and I had never seen one that small so I bought it. It was an impulse buy, but one that I was prepared for. I will keep it in the 29g until it needs more room then it will go to the 180. The gold nugget maroon is a fish I have always thought was beautiful and my plans are to just keep it here in the 29g as a single.

My next project for this tank is to get it connected to the apex on the 180 so I can control the heater and the ATO. I will program the ATO to shut off if the Ph reaches 8.5 since I have kalk in my top off. I have this same set up the big tank and it gives me a measure of safety in case my ATO goes wonky.

I'll get my coral stock list done tonight if I have time. Thanks for following along.

 

[Peach02]

Sounds like a great plan!

 

[Ento-Reefer]

Ok, I think I have my coral stock list.

SPS

AV99- Orange Crush
AV99- Purple Plasma
AV99- Sunset Envy
RMF- Unicorn's Mane
RMF- Blueberry Special
RR- Pink Floyd
RR- Skittles
CRT- Delight
BC- Rainbows in Spain
BC- Dart Board Millie
BC- Rainbow's Army
BC- Secale
BC- Indigo Violet
BC- Pink Spath
BC- Unknown Pink
BC- Unknown green highlights
Tryee- Pinky the Bear
Unique- Un-named contest Tenuis
Unique- Mint Chip Millie
Unique- Green Fuzzy Acro
Boom- Forest Fire Digi
Boom- ORA Pearlberry
LFS- Probably Ora-Scrips
LFS- Red Cap

LPS

Gold tipped Purple torch
Purple tipped frogspawn
Yellow Lepto
Red with yellow eyes favia

Zoas

Pink Slippers
AOI
Blue Hornets
Ring of Fire Hornets
Eye of Rah
King MIdas
Tryee Solar Flare
Green Bay Packers
Mean Greens
Candy Apple Green
Angry Birds
Blue Eyed Blondies
Bleeding Sapphire
Tubs Blue
Citrus Cooler
Eagle Eyes
Fruit Loops
Gobstopper
Unknown peachy paly

Various mushrooms
Long Polyp green leather
Purple Gorgorian
Tan Gorgorian

Whew, that is quite a list. I have been maintaining Alk and calcium with kalkwasser in my ATO water. I check alk daily to make sure it stays between 7.4-7.8. Thus far it has been fairly stable, but I have ESV 2 part to supplement if needed. All of the sps are growing well, some faster then others. I change between 2.5-5 gallons of water weekly which also helps keep things stable.

My biggest issue right now is bubble algae. It is growing out of control and I am sure competing with my coral for the available nutrients. The N03 is below 3ppm and P04 is at .001-.003. I would feel better if I could get both of those a little higher. I don't want to risk dinos, but maybe because the bubble algae is growing so well it will keep them away... lol.. I don't plan on doing anything except manual removal at this point as I don't want to add any chemicals to this tank. I think I will shoot a video later today after I get the maintenance done for this week.

 

[Rjukan]

Now that's some list lol. You sure it's not for the 180g?

That stinks about the bubble algae, have you thought about rolling the dice on a couple emerald crabs?

 

[Ento-Reefer]

Now that's some list lol. You sure it's not for the 180g?

That stinks about the bubble algae, have you thought about rolling the dice on a couple emerald crabs?

It is quite a list. Some of these corals were moved from the 180g during the Dino outbreak to save them. I am sure I will need to thin them out shortly so some of them will end up back there. I have some tester acro frags in tHe 180 right now. If they continue to do well and start encrusting I will move some stuff over. I also want to move the Red Sea tang over soon, but I am a little worried about my Powder Blue reacting badly. I am thinking about getting a purple and a yellow tang through quarantine and adding them all at the same time. My intuition tells me this would work out better and my 180 is really a little on the low side as far as stocking. It is has mostly small to medium sized fish except for the 2 tangs.

At this point I think I would need an army of emeralds to make a dent in the bubble algae. It amazes me how fast it seemed to just take off. I also need to deal with some vermitid snails that are irritating a couple of my acro frags with their webs. I hate those dang things.

 

[Rjukan]

Yeah vermatids are annoying, I had a few several months ago but they are gone now. Don't know what took care of them for me so unfortunately I can't share that info.

If you don't mind taking a chance with the emerald crabs picking at coral (I never saw any evidence mine was), I would get a couple just so you have some help. I have bubble algae in the teeth of my OF that I pop and scrape out every month or 2, but that's the only place I get it. I feel like the emerald is helping me keep it from getting a foothold in the tank.

 

[Ento-Reefer]

I made a short video clip last night.

 

[Ento-Reefer]

I haven't had a chance to post an update on this tank in a while. Things are growing so well I have had to start fragging. I moved the torch coral and a few zoas to my 180 so I would have a little more room. These two FTS are from 12/26/19 just before I fragged up the ORA scripps.