AIO Nano 15ga Moe-asis Build

[MoeStachio]

And the battle with ammonia has been won!

Added a good chunk of the CUC to get to work on the diatoms, supplementing with pellet food and algae wafers.

1x Blue Legged Hermit
1x Halloween Hermit
5x Nassarius Snails
3x Trochus Snails
2x Astraea Snails (pretty sure they're Astraea)

Everyone seemed dead until I got them out of the bag, and started adding tank water to acclimatize them, then it was off to the races

Managed to watch a Trochus right itself when it fell, quite the spectacle

 

[MoeStachio]

Shrimp to be added at a later date:

1x Peppermint
1x Cleaner

 

[TheNative192]

With peppermint shrimp make sure to not get a boggessi as those went after my coral and I think a lot of people reported that they are not reef safe. I got two and had to bring one back because he was eating my zoas and candy cane corals. The other not at all. Hard to tell but I have a chart someone else posted. I believe the one people say you want is the wurdemanni. My LFS didn’t really know the difference lol (rip baby hairy mushroom getting ripped in half)

 

[MoeStachio]

With peppermint shrimp make sure to not get a boggessi as those went after my coral and I think a lot of people reported that they are not reef safe. I got two and had to bring one back because he was eating my zoas and candy cane corals. The other not at all. Hard to tell but I have a chart someone else posted. I believe the one people say you want is the wurdemanni. My LFS didn’t really know the difference lol (rip baby hairy mushroom getting ripped in half)

Thanks for this! I'm sure the folks at New Dawn Aquatics only stock reef safe stuff. Except for the one serial murderer fish they have

And they have peppermints in a few coral tanks so I trust them

 

[MoeStachio]

Picked up a Kenya Tree, Blue Sumpodium, some GSP and got a great deal on this RBTA. Ended up getting a bonus hermit (electric Blue) and wound up with some hitchhikers.

A cowrie (gold ring I think)

And a BABY SERPENT STARFISH

 

[CoastieCorals]

Looking good! I like the bubble tip!

 

[MoeStachio]

Looking good! I like the bubble tip!

Thanks! I walked by and they were just acclimating (I think) in a strainer in the coral tank, the colour of this one caught my eye and I had to have it.

Might be a bit early to add it, but I think it'll be ok.

Couldn't pass up the sale!

 

[MoeStachio]

Finally a fish in the tank!!!

Huge shout out to R2R, Brightwell Aquatics, and New Dawn Aquaculture

Added in this Gladiator Ocellaris, a peppermint shrimp, astrae snail and 2 more zoas today!

This brings the community to:

1x Gladiator Clownfish

1x Rainbow BubbleTip Anemone

1x Dwarf Blue Legged Hermit
1x Halloween Hermit
1x Electric Blue Hermit
1x Peppermint Shrimp

5x Nassarius Snails
3x Trochus Snails
2x Ninja Star Snails
1x Gold Ring Cowrie Snail
1x Astrae Snail

1x Banded Serpent Sea Star
1x Asterina Starfish

1x Colony of Tisbe Copepods

1x Green Star Polyps
1x Blue Sympodium
3x Kenya Tree

Zoas:
Sunny D
Pinwheel
Gatorade
Pandora Hybrid
Blowpop

 

[Crabs+Shrimps-69]

Tank looks great!

I see you plan on adding lots of clean up crew, including a decorator crab.

Are you a fan of invertebrates?
If so I would recommend getting a porcelain crab or pom pom crab (or both!).

Porcelain crabs have filter feeding hands that are quite entertaining to watch, and pom pom crabs have little anemones on their hands that look like cheerleading pom poms. Plus, the porcelain crab will likely live in your anemone.

They are both peaceful and reef safe, only things to note is how the pom pom crabs' anemones can sting corals and porcelain crabs can only live by themselves or in a mated pair.

I'm not 100% sure they will be safe with the decorator crab if you're getting a larger species, but if you're really concerned the orange sponge decorator crabs don't get as large as normal decorators and stay small.

Also, how's the peppermint shrimp going and when do you add him/her to the tank?
Do you suspect he's eating the corals or is he behaving?

 

[Crabs+Shrimps-69]

And a BABY SERPENT STARFISH

Chances are it's actually not a baby serpent star but a different variety called micro brittle stars.

They're exactly the same as the normal ones, they just stay really small and will likely reproduce.

 

[MoeStachio]

And a BABY SERPENT STARFISH

Chances are it's actually not a baby serpent star but a different variety called micro brittle stars.

They're exactly the same as the normal ones, they just stay really small and will likely reproduce.

Yeah discussed that with the LFS.

It's lacking the arm spikes and it maybe too big to be a micro brittle.

Time will tell, if I ever see it again, and if it grows or not

Things about 3" tip to tip right now

 

[MoeStachio]

Tank looks great!

I see you plan on adding lots of clean up crew, including a decorator crab.

Are you a fan of invertebrates?
If so I would recommend getting a porcelain crab or pom pom crab (or both!).

Porcelain crabs have filter feeding hands that are quite entertaining to watch, and pom pom crabs have little anemones on their hands that look like cheerleading pom poms. Plus, the porcelain crab will likely live in your anemone.

They are both peaceful and reef safe, only things to note is how the pom pom crabs' anemones can sting corals and porcelain crabs can only live by themselves or in a mated pair.

I'm not 100% sure they will be safe with the decorator crab if you're getting a larger species, but if you're really concerned the orange sponge decorator crabs don't get as large as normal decorators and stay small.

Also, how's the peppermint shrimp going and when do you add him/her to the tank?
Do you suspect he's eating the corals or is he behaving?

Thanks!

I started with the HelloReef kit, so they call for a lot of inverts. I haven't added the urchin yet, or the other shrimp, I don't think it's needed

The peppermint is good so far. He's just scooting around scavenging food , he's very flighty and funny to watch. He's been in for 24hrs so I haven't seen much bad behaviour but I'll keep an eye out for it

My plan here is to have a decent biome, and inverts make that very doable.

Two fish in a glass box is sad to me. This way they'll have friends

I definetly want a Pom Pom crab. None available right now, but in a bit I'm adding one.

I considered a porcelain but I don't see myself adding another anemone (atleast for while) and don't want a fight for the RBTA

Oooh I'll have to look at the orange sponge deco crab, doubt I'll find it here

More research led me to hold off on getting one due to tank size. But when I go up to a bigger system it's gonna go in

Right now the focus is gonna be on stabilizing the biome after adding the fish, and making sure the parameters stay solid.

Then it'll be finding a mate for it

Then, a bigger system

 

[Crabs+Shrimps-69]

Thanks!

I started with the HelloReef kit, so they call for a lot of inverts. I haven't added the urchin yet, or the other shrimp, I don't think it's needed

The peppermint is good so far. He's just scooting around scavenging food , he's very flighty and funny to watch. He's been in for 24hrs so I haven't seen much bad behaviour but I'll keep an eye out for it

My plan here is to have a decent biome, and inverts make that very doable.

Two fish in a glass box is sad to me. This way they'll have friends

I definetly want a Pom Pom crab. None available right now, but in a bit I'm adding one.

I considered a porcelain but I don't see myself adding another anemone (atleast for while) and don't want a fight for the RBTA

Oooh I'll have to look at the orange sponge deco crab, doubt I'll find it here

More research led me to hold off on getting one due to tank size. But when I go up to a bigger system it's gonna go in

Right now the focus is gonna be on stabilizing the biome after adding the fish, and making sure the parameters stay solid.

Then it'll be finding a mate for it

Then, a bigger system

Going slow is certainly a good choice.

You're right about the potential for clownfish to bully porcelain crabs out of their anemone if the clownfish choose to host it.

Porcelain crabs can be hosted by mushroom coral as well though.

 

[MoeStachio]

Thanks!

I started with the HelloReef kit, so they call for a lot of inverts. I haven't added the urchin yet, or the other shrimp, I don't think it's needed

The peppermint is good so far. He's just scooting around scavenging food , he's very flighty and funny to watch. He's been in for 24hrs so I haven't seen much bad behaviour but I'll keep an eye out for it

My plan here is to have a decent biome, and inverts make that very doable.

Two fish in a glass box is sad to me. This way they'll have friends

I definetly want a Pom Pom crab. None available right now, but in a bit I'm adding one.

I considered a porcelain but I don't see myself adding another anemone (atleast for while) and don't want a fight for the RBTA

Oooh I'll have to look at the orange sponge deco crab, doubt I'll find it here

More research led me to hold off on getting one due to tank size. But when I go up to a bigger system it's gonna go in

Right now the focus is gonna be on stabilizing the biome after adding the fish, and making sure the parameters stay solid.

Then it'll be finding a mate for it

Then, a bigger system

Going slow is certainly a good choice.

You're right about the potential for clownfish to bully porcelain crabs out of their anemone if the clownfish choose to host it.

Porcelain crabs can be hosted by mushroom coral as well though.

Oh interesting.

Not sure I have room for a mushroom tho. The footprint of the tank is quite small, and full...

I'll have to look at it and see. If I don't put a Torch in, I might be able to pull it off.

Or if I remove the sympodium ... hmmm

I want all the inverts, but also all the corals

It's a tough decision lol

 

[MoeStachio]

So it appears now that the Clown has taken to the Nem...

The nem of course is unsure and starting to ball up, but the clown is determined to win it over.

Pretty sure it's been in the nem for the last few hours building immunity and/or being that super clingy annoying new friend

24hrs

 

[jabberwock]

Going slow is certainly a good choice.

You're right about the potential for clownfish to bully porcelain crabs out of their anemone if the clownfish choose to host it.

Porcelain crabs can be hosted by mushroom coral as well though.

I would not call this going slow. The OP is two weeks past the cycle and has a WHOLE lot going on. I will be following along.

 

[MoeStachio]

Alright. Tank Update as life has been busy

I can't find all the Nassarius Snails

The peppermint shrimp is missing

And the Electric Blue Hermit appears to have abandoned its shell

Fish is happy, Nem is happy, Zoas are growing happily except the King Midas which has yet to open.

Adding in another Zoa today (Blue Hornet) and looking at adding another clown.

The only question is which kind of Occ clown?

Flurry? Storm? Mocha?

LFS has no Gladiators so I'm thinking of going another route

 

[Crabs+Shrimps-69]

And the Electric Blue Hermit appears to have abandoned its shell

Do you mean he's got a new shell or has no shell?

 

[MoeStachio]

And the Electric Blue Hermit appears to have abandoned its shell

Do you mean he's got a new shell or has no shell?

He doesn't have a new shell

He hasn't been seen since I removed what I assumed was a molt from the tank that was found near the shell, and the Nem/Clown

I'm assuming the clown murdered him defending the Nem

As for the Peppermint Shrimp, it was dumb enough, the nem probably got it because I haven't found a body