My, I started you as an experiment, and now I'm not sure tank.

[terraincognita]

This tank is dedicated to Jake Adam's from ReefBuilders and WWC. (He'll probably never know)


10/1/2020


Rev said update this bish, so here i am. Two hand salute. I actually am just not wanting to update my 45 Thread since it's so incomplete. hahahaha. So This will do for now.

After watching Jake Adams talk about no WC's I decided. If Jake Adams can do it, why can't the world. Still no WC's to date.

Lol not really, but I really thought "No WC's for the first 6 months might be more stablizing than water changes.

In order to accomplish that though, it requires a lot of patience, and unfortunately starving. I only feed this tank now a little bit of Nano Reef Frenzy once every 3 days.

I'm not dosing any AB's or Elements anymore.

Only LPS and Softies besides a Monti Velvet which I now no longer consider should even belong in the SPS family, Monti's are the Cheaters SPS .


AQUA JAPAN 10G

MOST RECENT FTS 10/1/2020

FIRST STOCK ADDED 2 DAY AFTER SET UP FTS: 08/01/2020
2 Clowns
1 Skunk Cleaner

MOST RECENT PARAMS:


STOCK LIST AS OF 10/1/2020:
1 Black Clown
1 Skunk Cleaner
1 Randall's Pistol
1 Hi-Fin Banded Goby
2 Hermits
4 Snails

Story:
Someone was selling this Aqua Japan 40L on Craigslist with this Zetlight for $150 all together.

I couldn't resist.

I had just recently watched Jake Adam's talk about his 20G nano. He did NO water changes for 6 months. And it was set up all ON DAY ONE. Fully stocked with Coral and 2 Clowns.

So I told my GF this was going to be "her tank" since I have my JBJ 45 (Recent Upgrade from Fluval 13.5) but really It's just my second tank .

I had some strong interest in the fact that he STOCKED it day 1, and everything was totally fine. His method to it was unique, which was basically he barely fed the clowns twice a week. No other dosing, additives, etc etc.

I started it with completely DRY rock. about 15 Lbs

Live Sand, and 1 Oz of Dr. Tims Quick Start BB, all on Aug 1 2020.

So I'm following that to some extent, with a little different approach. Which you'll notice as I go through the build etc.

As of this writing 08/29/2020 I've yet to do a water change. I feed only every 3 days, however I switch up my feedings.

I'll feed just Small Garlic Pellets for the clowns, hermit and skunk sometimes.

Some feedings I'll feed Nano Reef Frenzy Frozen

Some feedings I'll just feed a dash of Reef Roids

Some feedings I'll just feed the coral with Red Sea A+B Reef Energy

Once every other week I'll also dose some Kent Marine Coral-Vite in between feedings.

I'll be making notes every time I feed or do anything. So some updates might be boring. But I want to have a record so I can always trace it back and see what worked, and what didn't.

Custom Made Egg Crate Media Basket.

For the first couple of weeks I ran Carbon with ChemiPure Elite Activated Carbon

and PhoGuard GFO.

Now just has the same ChemiPure Elite and PhoGuard. I've not changed it, but I imagine they're basically useless at this point.

Filter Floss up top.

some Extra BioCeramic Media rings in the back 2nd Chamber.

Return Pump and Heather and Thermo in the 3rd.

No water Changes to date

08/01/2020 to 08/29/2020

 

[lilkiwi930]

welcome to R2R... hopefully you will like this site. I just started my account a week ago and love it. Your tank is beautiful

 

[terraincognita]

Seeing as no one on that website even ever said "nice tank" we're already off to like a 1,000,000% increase of success haha

Thank you.

I'll give mroe details on this tank, but it's actually only 1 months old. started completely dry. My main tank is a JBJ 45 which i'll ge tup here soon.

Added Live Sand, and Dr. Tims. Changed the game.

 

[harley32907]

nice tank!

 

[terraincognita]

One thing of note here.

Did have some Hair Algae and possibly Dinos? (Never got it under a scope) after I took a 4 day trip to mexico.

I added

2 Nassarius
2 Astrea
4 Hermits (only 2 are alive now 1 Blue Leg dwarf and my big Halloween Hermit that ate 2 Scarlets )

I also then just fully stocked the tank coral wise with

5 Zoa/Paly Species
1 Goniastrea Favites
1 Toxic Hammer Coral
1 Chalice Coral
1 Jack-O-Lantern Lepto
1 Neon Gold Clove Polyps
1 GSP
1 Blastos
1 Velvet Monti Branching Coral

The sudden increase of bio-diversity, and I think just the corals then over ranking the algae for nutrients completely wiped out ALL the Algae, I didn't even have to do a thing. (I also dropped the RGW down to 30% from 70%)

Now I've just got beautiful signs of beginning green coraline growing all over my rock.

Couple of B&A Photos.

BEFORE

AFTER

 

[terraincognita]

Today I was at LFS and they had recently propigated their SPS in main Display tank and had a bunch of frags for sale.

They had some SPS frags with 6 or 7 branches for only $40! I was super tempted, for my JBJ 45, but I want to get that tank a little more stable first. So instead, I got 3 of their $20 "Not sure if these ones are even worth it piled in a corner section" haha.

I think they're some good picks from the liter though and will grow out beautifully.

Here they are, with some other Close ups of what I've got stocked RN. These are my first Acros. Since they were $20 It was worth the risk/experiment. and since they're frags and the original animal is still alive, if I kill an arm or two I wont' feel like im going to hell.... lol.

quick shout out to Mike Guerrero of micro-reefs. I recently got this awesome 5G Frag Nano he custom made, for only $100!






and while I get it set up and cycling for my own future propigation and hopefully (get SOME of the thousands I've invested back) I've got his side frag racks just chilling with my new frags.

**Note 4 Hours after putting into my tank they've extended the polyps. Very good sign. 2 of them had no extended polyps in LFS tank..... now questioning competence of whoever is managing that tank at the LFS.

Oh and Coco she doesn't care about my stupid coral.

 

[saltnut]

Well I followed you over here my user name is saltnut. I will try and get a thread going and the greetings tomorrow. Looks like you got some nice replies already.

 

[terraincognita]

P.S. if anyone can ID those acros by name also appreciated, I forgot to ask at LFS.

 

[terraincognita]

I've been very, very bad . P.S. Up top, if anyone can ID these Acros by exact name would still love it.

Not updating like I said I would/wanted too.

On Saturday 2 hours after addition the Green Acro had polyp extention and Blue/Green Acro had some as well.

I fed Red Sea A+B and dash of roids.



Today is... Tuesday... lol COVID....

And I dosed A+B and a dash of roids again.

Haven't fed the fish solid food mb. I will feed em on Thursday. But they're fine.... so they can just shut up. ;Clown



No water changes to date, so this makes it an official 1 month anniversary. HOORAY!

I'm way to lazy to test params, and everything is doing beautifully. So, why chase.

I'll take measurements soon, just to appease any number heads out there.



PHOTOS:
Blue green one. Tried to get the polyps. Can’t wait til I get my lens! Ugh!

Most people avoid photos like this, but I’ve stated they were “salvage frags” since Saturday this has healed so much I’m impressed. Had tons of lose and rotting tissue hanging from it, so the decay has very clearly stopped, and started to reverse.

This purple guy is still not really showing much extension though, he seems to be the slowest to adjust.

And just another cuz idk why.

**update edit note, but for myself, first time keeping SPS, and I'm noticing now, they're gaining a lot of color. I didn't realize how "bleached" they looked before in comparison to how they are looking now 4 days later.

The one leaning sideways had like a white purple,blue color when I got it.

Now it has a deep purple blue/ and green that was barely noticeable before.

The Lighter purple one now looks dark purple, the green is still green lol, but the color of green is way deeper and darker than originally.

 

[terraincognita]

Acro gaining back flesh color.

Good signs.

I've been dosing slightly higher amounts of 2 part while it is re-establishing. I'm not testing daily following those doses so I'm not sure if it's actually helping or is pointless.

But its growing and getting healthier so I'm just using that as an indicator.

I normally don't test until I notice adverse reactions. I watch my tanks for 10-15 minutes about 5-10 times a day... so it enables me to catch things quick.

I observe them like this for my own enjoyment, I love watching each and every coral up close and just looking at them for a little bit. it's therapeutic for me.

I think that has a large part to do with my success in reefing.

Call me weird L.A. type but I believe love and affection and attention affect these tanks the same way people believe it affect gardening.

quick progress macro so you can see what I mean. The white is no longer just white.

 

[Glass Algae]

This was a fun build thread read

 

[terraincognita]

Yesterday I was out all day and my area reached a highest ever recorded temperature of 121 degree's.....

Needless to say even though I knew the heat wave was coming, never knew how bad.

My tank reached 87degree's F when I got home.

I turned the fan on, and got it all the way back down to 78 but I realized maybe I shouldn't have made it that cold that quick....

Then when I woke up this morning somehow it was 73... my heater was on.... I don't know.. maybe there was a power outage in the middle of the night or something? Just the thermo on my heater is off, I think it might've been my own fault when intially trying to adjust it, it's off by a whole 6 degrees. Yikes.

Either way now it's at 77 again, and I'm keeping it stable.

I don't have a controller on this thing cuz it's only a 10G but my SPS really, really, really took a big step backwards with that temp swing....

hope they recover.

They basically look like when I JUST got them from the store all pale and sad.

Polyps still extended though, so that's a good sign, hopefully a swifter recovery.

Might just be worth buying a $50 ink bird.... ugh... more money... found a similar one for $30 so bought it, hopefully this never happens again.

 

[terraincognita]

Overdue update. Been crazy with work starting to pick up again, and then I had 2 budding tanks. Ugh.. to much... haha.

Got the controller set-up.

Velvet monti ended up bleaching too with those heat waves, starting to come back, I was going to move it, and then didn't, and then did, and then didn't...... now it's kind of sad....

But i removed all frags from this tank for now *sigh just because it's not as stable as I initially thought (the temp swing showed that) and until I can figure out if it was just the temp swing, or possibly more, I'll never know.

Went from 87 to 73 to 84 to 72.... over 2 days.... it was horrible.

--------------------------

Either way - It's really not as easy as I thought it would be with no water changes (thanks Jake lollll JK)

I think also the couple weeks I had the SPS in there I took a lot of nutrients out of the water column.

With barely dosing a 2 Part, I don't think It was enough to keep up.

I don't have enough equipment on this nano to be able to dial in my dosing and figure it all out like that....

So I'm dialing back my stocking for now....

This is now just my clowns home with a few corals until I can figure it out.

 

[saltnut]

Jeez sorry to read about the temp. swings. Did you start a thread for your other tank? I still haven't made one yet. Today I wanted to start one in the market place WTB but I couldn't find a way to do it. I hope all the SPS do better for you. I do not think Jakes take had any SPS. Did it?

 

[terraincognita]

Jeez sorry to read about the temp. swings. Did you start a thread for your other tank? I still haven't made one yet. Today I wanted to start one in the market place WTB but I couldn't find a way to do it. I hope all the SPS do better for you. I do not think Jakes take had any SPS. Did it?

Hey! Good to see you.

Yeah you can't post in the marketplace for your first 30 posts. you gotta make 30 other posts first, not sure why they have it like that but they do.

I did get it started here:

Build Thread - 45G Mixed Reef - 1 Year Anniversary

FULL TANK SHOTS PROGRESSION CURRENT August 7th JUL 23rd 2021 MAR 21st 2021 DEC 16th 2020 Nov 2nd - progress October 23rd 2020 Progress Sept 20th Re-Scape Sept 7th Transfer Sept 1st START UP August 25th 2020 HARDWARE/GOODS LIST: $2,495 - Oct 3rd 2020 Tank $900 AI...

www.reef2reef.com

This one I'm doing some WC's in though, only like 15% once a month, but I plan to up it, I'm trying to dial this one in to really good SPS growth.

No he only had super easy to care for coral, all the easy to care for coral are alive and still kicking and have grown and show now stress or worries (zoa's, leptoseris, Hammer, Goniastrea, Chalice, GSP, Clove Polyps, Mushroom, and Blasto) all 100000% fine even with temp swing.) Along with the clowns and skunk shrimp, so really without SPS this does work super easy. I guess for a first time reefer it could be done .

However slow growth on the LPS and Zoa's, super slow growth, but still growth. I still haven't done a WC, i'll take a photo later.

 

[saltnut]

I will check out your other thread. I figured it was a required post thing. Thanks for confirming.

 

[terraincognita]

Cuz @revhtree said so

Haven't updated for a minute.

I'm really not sure what to do next with this guy, I want to increase my coral stocking but I'm not sure with what exactly..... I have a LOT of in my 45... so kind of want different stuff? If that makes sense?

Was thinking about just letting the 45 Grow and fragging off things here and there and putting them in here, but then I'll just have two seperate tanks with the same coral....

BORING

But, being an AIO 10G (I'm not even sure if it's a total Water Volume of 10G lol......) I feel like I need to let this thing just age for a year or two before I try to add something that's going to require a lot more nutrients.

I think I could probably dial in to EXACT nutrient dosing amounts for SPS in here once it's established, but while it's still growing corraline everywhere, it's just not time yet. So I'm gonna just let it be until I'm 100% happy with my 45. And THEN I'll decide what to do.

Still no WC's to date.

Like i said I've been focusing most of my attention on my 45 now, and my sick Nem.

But here's some updates:

First Have this Green (Cyano?) growing in a little patch. looks kinda neat. idrc. I haven't stuck my hand in this tank for idk how long now, not since i had the temp swing.

I did add this guy! and a little Randall's Pistol With him.

This photo that I took literally 20 seconds ago though, is the ONLY photo op he's given me.... lol perfect timing.... but they better start giving me some more before I charge rent!!!!

Hi-Fin Banded Goby

They've made some nice little burrows around the sand.


Tank is growing SUPER SLOW due to lack of feedings. But it's fine. I'm not in a rush to grow here.

that's it for now.

 

[saltnut]

Is this tank still running or did you move it all into the 45? Is the baby due in a couple more weeks?

 

[terraincognita]

I still got it :x I gotta do a litttlee clean up and I'll post something tomorrow

 

[fishguy242]

hi,will be looking for that tomorrow