Various critters were added altogether last Thursday.I'm not looking for trouble it just has a way of finding me.
Stock list: 2 pipe fish-2 zebra hermits-3 peppermint shrimp -2 porcelain crabs and a yellow gobie.
Last night one of the pipe fish died.It has been exactly one week since he was shipped to my house.I have over 8 pounds of live rock in the tank and I was adding copepods from my main display tank daily.He was rotund and active the day before.I was surprised and disappointed that he passed away.I hope the rest of the fish will thrive as they all came from the same company in bags that stated"This water has been medicated do not release it into your aquarium."I presumed there was copper in the bags.It is my understanding that pipe fish don't tolerate copper well.My water test indicated 10 ppm nitrates,0 ammonia,0 nitrates and a pH of 7.8.Salinity is kept at 1.025.Rest in Peace little guy.On a nicer note all inverts are doing well and the corals are growing steady.
  All the inhabitants are doing well.The corals are growing steady and I added some new pieces.Here's the tab; two 1 inch brain frags -$25 each,one mushroom 5 bucks.
Last minute additions:
1 inch acropora FMV-$20. 1/2 inch pot of gold favia -FMV $12.50.1 head caulastrea FMV-$5.1 Acan head FMV-$5.1 inch Green monticap FMV -$15.
I believe this puts my total for corals at $490.50
I moved my pipe fish to a ceato refugium because the jaw fish was hogging all the introduced copepods.I have been doing regular water testing and recently bumped up my calcium dosage to 1 teaspoon per day.Magnesium is added twice a week and I am doing water changes once per week.I have really enjoyed seeing this system come to life with tiny feather dusters,ball anemones,copepods,button snails and coraline algae.I have also observed the various coral reactions to Pico tank culture.Some of the specimens are notably more vigorous and I will be sure to include them in my entry next year.Here's some pics:
Zoas coloring up and replicating:
The Mary Janes have two additional heads.Fire and Ice zoas have produced 6 more polyps! Adjacent platygyra has healed over and extends tentacles at night.