A good little tank (IM Nuvo 10 gallon)
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Well this Sunday was a big day for the Good Little Tank. I went a pretty distant LFS (there aren’t any decent ones nearby) and got some new friends. They are 2 trochus snails, a frag of birdsnest coral and (drum roll please)... my first fish, Agnes the geometric pygmy hawkfish! Here she is early this morning, with just sunlight for illimunination.
A pygmy hawkfish wasn't in the top 3 or so fish for me for this tank, but Agnes was so endearing and ate frozen brine shrimp immediately. Though she is actually in the anthias family, Agnes makes me think of seeing hawkfish on the reef in Hawaii when my husband and I snorkeled last winter. I'd never heard of the pygmy hawkfish until I was reading through @Lasse's thread months ago, and so Agnes reminds me of when I first wanting to get a tank again and coming to r2r for inspiration.
So far Agnes has mostly hid during the day, but she was very active this morning and in the evening. I love how she finds crevices I didn't know existed in the rock to perch in, and waves her little dorsal fin. She hasn't accepted the ground up pellets we've been trying to feed her, but I have seen her hunt the pods I got from @AlgaeBarn last month. I will be getting her some frozen food from a pet store in SF tomorrow or Thursday. Maybe she's still too shy to eat when we're by the tank, or maybe it would be better to try to feed her in the early morning when she's more active. I'll try that tomorrow morning.
A note on the pods and the phyto - I've definitely noticed that the tank is full of pods, which cling to the glass and come out to eat when we feed the tank, filling the water with white specs. I've also noticed that when I put phyto into the tank, that several corals (especially the Acan) have a feeding response, and that the pods come into the water. I can't tell if the phyto is helping buffer the tank or reduce algae growth, but I am happy with how the pods seem to be doing well and hopefully reproducing in the tank. This November I'll be leaving the tank for a week, and I will definitely order more pods to serve as supplemental food before I do (in addition to probably getting an auto feeder).
Otherwise, the trochus snails have been munching on algae since the second they arrived in the tank and one of the blue legged hermits has chosen a new shell, which seems a little big and clunky on her, but hey its her life. Stay tuned for some equipment upgrades that came from BRS today and which I'll instal during my water change this weekend.
A pygmy hawkfish wasn't in the top 3 or so fish for me for this tank, but Agnes was so endearing and ate frozen brine shrimp immediately. Though she is actually in the anthias family, Agnes makes me think of seeing hawkfish on the reef in Hawaii when my husband and I snorkeled last winter. I'd never heard of the pygmy hawkfish until I was reading through @Lasse's thread months ago, and so Agnes reminds me of when I first wanting to get a tank again and coming to r2r for inspiration.
So far Agnes has mostly hid during the day, but she was very active this morning and in the evening. I love how she finds crevices I didn't know existed in the rock to perch in, and waves her little dorsal fin. She hasn't accepted the ground up pellets we've been trying to feed her, but I have seen her hunt the pods I got from @AlgaeBarn last month. I will be getting her some frozen food from a pet store in SF tomorrow or Thursday. Maybe she's still too shy to eat when we're by the tank, or maybe it would be better to try to feed her in the early morning when she's more active. I'll try that tomorrow morning.
A note on the pods and the phyto - I've definitely noticed that the tank is full of pods, which cling to the glass and come out to eat when we feed the tank, filling the water with white specs. I've also noticed that when I put phyto into the tank, that several corals (especially the Acan) have a feeding response, and that the pods come into the water. I can't tell if the phyto is helping buffer the tank or reduce algae growth, but I am happy with how the pods seem to be doing well and hopefully reproducing in the tank. This November I'll be leaving the tank for a week, and I will definitely order more pods to serve as supplemental food before I do (in addition to probably getting an auto feeder).
Otherwise, the trochus snails have been munching on algae since the second they arrived in the tank and one of the blue legged hermits has chosen a new shell, which seems a little big and clunky on her, but hey its her life. Stay tuned for some equipment upgrades that came from BRS today and which I'll instal during my water change this weekend.
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I'll be posting a FTS when I can get a decent pic of the tank. For now, I want to just share some of my plans for the tank's other livestock. I don't know if this kind of stuff is interesting to people to read (I should look back at @Brew12's thread about what people like in build threads). But I find it fun to write up what I'm thinking.
One thing that might happen down the line is that I might re-home Johnny the cleaner shrimp. He's gotten so much bigger in the last month, and he bothers the corals pretty frequently. He's really fun to have in the tank for movement and personality but I think he may just be too big, glutinous and active for my sized tank. Perhaps I'd replace him with a Pederson cleaner shrimp, which is a bit smaller.
For fish I'm thinking of some combination of the following (probably 3-4 fish total, including Agnes)
a shrimp goby pair (probably an orange spotted or randall's)
a rainford goby
a tailspot or pictus blenny
a cleaner goby
a yellow or blue assessor
Other possibilities are a pink streaked or possum wrasse, but my husband doesn't love the way they look. I'm not sure if any wrasse would be happy in a 10 gallon. If there was a small, peaceful dottyback I'd also consider that, but I don't know if an elongate or orchid dottyback is really peaceful enough or would be happy in a 10 gallon. An azure damsel is also in the back of mind as a more peaceful damsel that would bring movement, color and pest control to the tank.
For corals I just know so much less about them so it is harder to plan. I think I need to stop with the SPS if I don't want to worry about dosing kalk, which I'm not mentally ready to do just yet. I got the birds nest because it is probably my favorite coral (I love its tangled shape and colors) and I know it is considered an easy SPS. I have loved watching the orange monti that came with the tank grow in the last month. Its growing edges are a beautiful pink. As it grows it looks like it is oozing over its plug. I think I will want to get a frogspawn coral and then maybe finish the tank with some mushrooms and zoas. I know so much less about coral than fish, and so it is hard for me to imagine and plan
One thing that might happen down the line is that I might re-home Johnny the cleaner shrimp. He's gotten so much bigger in the last month, and he bothers the corals pretty frequently. He's really fun to have in the tank for movement and personality but I think he may just be too big, glutinous and active for my sized tank. Perhaps I'd replace him with a Pederson cleaner shrimp, which is a bit smaller.
For fish I'm thinking of some combination of the following (probably 3-4 fish total, including Agnes)
a shrimp goby pair (probably an orange spotted or randall's)
a rainford goby
a tailspot or pictus blenny
a cleaner goby
a yellow or blue assessor
Other possibilities are a pink streaked or possum wrasse, but my husband doesn't love the way they look. I'm not sure if any wrasse would be happy in a 10 gallon. If there was a small, peaceful dottyback I'd also consider that, but I don't know if an elongate or orchid dottyback is really peaceful enough or would be happy in a 10 gallon. An azure damsel is also in the back of mind as a more peaceful damsel that would bring movement, color and pest control to the tank.
For corals I just know so much less about them so it is harder to plan. I think I need to stop with the SPS if I don't want to worry about dosing kalk, which I'm not mentally ready to do just yet. I got the birds nest because it is probably my favorite coral (I love its tangled shape and colors) and I know it is considered an easy SPS. I have loved watching the orange monti that came with the tank grow in the last month. Its growing edges are a beautiful pink. As it grows it looks like it is oozing over its plug. I think I will want to get a frogspawn coral and then maybe finish the tank with some mushrooms and zoas. I know so much less about coral than fish, and so it is hard for me to imagine and plan
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Thank you! I love the stand too!
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I tried to feed Agnes the Pygmy hawkfish frozen Mysis last night and this morning. She definitely responds to the food but she doesn’t seem to actually eat. At the store she swam out from her rock and grabbed a frozen Mysis so I hope that in a day or two she does the same in her new home. Otherwise she seems active and healthy so I’m hoping it is just her settling into the tank.
In other news, saw an amazing stomela snail in the tank yesterday morning, who seems to sleep on the return spigot during the day. Last week my husband pointed out a bristle worm in the rock, it’s awesome to see the biodiversity!
In other news, saw an amazing stomela snail in the tank yesterday morning, who seems to sleep on the return spigot during the day. Last week my husband pointed out a bristle worm in the rock, it’s awesome to see the biodiversity!
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Now the less good news. I upgraded the stock return pump to a Sicce 0.5 and added a spin stream nozzle. As you can see from the FTS in the above post, the goniopora has reacted to this change by staying retracted. I don't know if it is:
1. getting too much flow
2. too little
3. or is just cranky from the change.
If 1 then I'd take the jebao wave maker offline (which is why I got the spin stream and upgraded pump in the first place!). If 2 then I need to keep the jebao online, and if 3 then I need to just keep things stable.
The spin stream has also been making lots of micro bubbles and a grinding noise as it breaks in. Suffice it to say I'm not super happy with how the spin stream is going, and am wishing I'd just left the tank alone, even though I do really want to get rid of the jebao for a cleaner look, less electricity use, and the risk of a fish or snail getting hurt in it.
Any advice or support would be super appreciated!
Finally, the cute as heck stomella snail got stuck in the jebao when I turned it off during the water change and died from a cracked shell. I know its "just" a hitchhiker snail that I discovered in the tank less than a week ago, but I still felt sad and guilt for killing it....
1. getting too much flow
2. too little
3. or is just cranky from the change.
If 1 then I'd take the jebao wave maker offline (which is why I got the spin stream and upgraded pump in the first place!). If 2 then I need to keep the jebao online, and if 3 then I need to just keep things stable.
The spin stream has also been making lots of micro bubbles and a grinding noise as it breaks in. Suffice it to say I'm not super happy with how the spin stream is going, and am wishing I'd just left the tank alone, even though I do really want to get rid of the jebao for a cleaner look, less electricity use, and the risk of a fish or snail getting hurt in it.
Any advice or support would be super appreciated!
Finally, the cute as heck stomella snail got stuck in the jebao when I turned it off during the water change and died from a cracked shell. I know its "just" a hitchhiker snail that I discovered in the tank less than a week ago, but I still felt sad and guilt for killing it....
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A quick update- I switched the pump and nozzle back to standard a couple days ago but the goniopora still hasn’t come out. Hopefully it will soon!
I’m happier news, 2 new fish arrived in the mail late last week. They are Emily the pictus blenny and Toni the rainford goby. Here they are hanging with Agnes this morning!
I’m happier news, 2 new fish arrived in the mail late last week. They are Emily the pictus blenny and Toni the rainford goby. Here they are hanging with Agnes this morning!
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Thanks! I love how these 3 fish interact and seem to hang together without any aggression. Can’t recommend them enough for small tanks. Since I added the blenny and goby the hair algae is basically gone and in fact is now a useful food source in the tank and not a pest!
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Meantime here’s Agnes hanging out on the side of the tank after lights out!
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a little update. The water change does seem to have helped the goniopora, although it is still only half out this week. Let’s see what a water change today does.if it’s not out more I’ll do a second water change later this weekend.
Emily the pictus blenny is eating the acan, to the point where all of the new polyps are gone and there are bite marks in the big polyp. I don’t know what to do. Feeding twice a day and putting nori on the tank hasn’t helped. It is sad to see the acan get eaten and frustrating. Hopefully Emily won’t eat other corals and I’ll just stay away from acans and other fleshy lps corals.
In general I’m trying to remember that the tank is filled with living creatures that I am caring for but over which I don’t have full control. Pictus blennys are supposed to be reef safe, but each fish is different and mine finds acans tasty. The goniopora can’t tell me what’s wrong, so I am trying to keep up my husbandry and hope it recovers.
Emily the pictus blenny is eating the acan, to the point where all of the new polyps are gone and there are bite marks in the big polyp. I don’t know what to do. Feeding twice a day and putting nori on the tank hasn’t helped. It is sad to see the acan get eaten and frustrating. Hopefully Emily won’t eat other corals and I’ll just stay away from acans and other fleshy lps corals.
In general I’m trying to remember that the tank is filled with living creatures that I am caring for but over which I don’t have full control. Pictus blennys are supposed to be reef safe, but each fish is different and mine finds acans tasty. The goniopora can’t tell me what’s wrong, so I am trying to keep up my husbandry and hope it recovers.
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The GLT has had some problems in the last week. With the addition of fish without a QT setup comes the risk of disease, and I have a suspicion Agnes has ich. Emily, the pictus blenny, has been chowing down on the Acan and has eaten all 3 of its baby polyps and made bite marks in the original polyp. Toni, the rainford goby is doing fine, but she hides a lot and doesn't eat from the water column, so I guess she gets all her food from picking at the rocks and sand. The leptoseris coral seems to have turned a bit milky looking where we placed it in the back so I"ve move it to the sand in hopes of helping it recover. It is growing, on the other hand, so that is good.
But I've also had some half successes. I've increased my water changes from 1 gallon to 3 or 4 in the last 2 weeks and the gonipora is more out then it was for the two weeks after the pump changed. It is still peaking at 50% or so PE. Let's hope it makes a full recovery.
I've also moved the Acan off the rock and back to the sand in an effort to get Emily to stop eating it and I do think that it has helped (along with her now eating when I feed).
In the next post I'll put some pics to chronicle where the tank is now. Despite the problems I do love the tank. I'm posting tonight partly to get over the sort of sad feeling that my tank has any problems at all. Even when a coral isn't looking its best or I'm checking to see if fish are sick it is important to try to also enjoy the beauty of the creatures and keep the hope that the whole tank will get better as I learn more. My husband has taken to calling Agnes "my brave little fish" because she now aggressively gets food away from Johnny the cleaner shrimp. It is lovely to share the hobby with him.
But I've also had some half successes. I've increased my water changes from 1 gallon to 3 or 4 in the last 2 weeks and the gonipora is more out then it was for the two weeks after the pump changed. It is still peaking at 50% or so PE. Let's hope it makes a full recovery.
I've also moved the Acan off the rock and back to the sand in an effort to get Emily to stop eating it and I do think that it has helped (along with her now eating when I feed).
In the next post I'll put some pics to chronicle where the tank is now. Despite the problems I do love the tank. I'm posting tonight partly to get over the sort of sad feeling that my tank has any problems at all. Even when a coral isn't looking its best or I'm checking to see if fish are sick it is important to try to also enjoy the beauty of the creatures and keep the hope that the whole tank will get better as I learn more. My husband has taken to calling Agnes "my brave little fish" because she now aggressively gets food away from Johnny the cleaner shrimp. It is lovely to share the hobby with him.
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