Nano Reef Crest

[JerryB1232]

Great build so far. Aquascape looks amazing. I’m starting up a 20g and wishing I did the 25g to get those extra few inches of depth. Running 4 bulb ati fixture on it so can’t wait to see how that goes.

Thanks! Both have their advantages, I like the low profile aquascapes, but you can make some great aquascapes with that extra vertical space. I have always wanted to use MH and t5 because the spectrum and growth can not be beat. I will be following your build.

 

[JerryB1232]

First batch of corals went in Monday and Tuesday. So far they are acclimating well. I wish I could get some good pictures of them but my phone makes it look so blue. The humilis is almost almost ready to be placed in its final spot and has become very shaggy and green. The new corals are RR firecracker, grafted monti, Starburst monti, teal birdsnest, and rainbow stylophora. Everything but the firecracker came from a TSA sale. The firecracker made a plane trip with me in my carry on from Houston.

I have been trying to increase my nutrients by dumping a lot of pellets and mysis into the tank, but both my nitrate and phos are pegged at 0. I wish it would rise, but I do not mind if all the corals are looking good. Maybe some of that “transient” nutrients is in the water column

 

[JerryB1232]

I have been struggling with the tank the past few weeks. Due to a large alk and phosphate swing. I didn’t expect such a large alk draw from just 5 small frags and my alk went from 8.5 to 6.4 in just 3 days. At the same time I was feeding very heavily to try to keep phosphates above 0 and when I added snails it shot up from 0.04 to 0.18! As you can imagine the corals were not happy at all. I ended up losing the humilis by it stripping over the course of 2 weeks. I started testing more frequently to get a daily draw and now my parameters are back in check. I am up to 6 mls of AFR a day and 0.02 phos a day. Everything is starting to color back up and give good PE. Here are some pics of the corals during the swing and how unhappy they looked. Going to take some good photos of them later for a comparison.

 

[JerryB1232]

Changed the name to reefkeeping on hardmode, because I totally underestimated the swings that a nano tank comes with. Although the tank was only using 6 ml of AFR that is a .5 dkh swing meaning I had to grab a doser to be able to take a weekend from the tank.

Stopped by reefapalooze texas and picked up my first clam! Was disappointed to see not very many derasas or squamosa, but I managed to get a nice maxima and it is opening up good. I also picked up a pink branching cyphastrea, gonzo cookie monster, “green slimer,” and a i forgot the name of frag.

The tank really is hitting a nice stride now every thing except the starburst is regaining color and giving decent PE. I don’t know what is wrong with that monti. Algae is receding by the day, it is very rewarding seeing the tank taking off.

 

[Tahoe61]

Fantastic additions. I am a huge fan of Acropora, especially smooth skinned. I am sucker for Tridacna.

 

[JerryB1232]

Fantastic additions. I am a huge fan of Acropora, especially smooth skinned. I am sucker for Tridacna.

Same here, especially the tridacna. Do you have a reliable source of information on clams? Its hard for me to find some info I trust especially when I hear people have 1-2 years of success then suddenly die. I would like to see some info coming from reefers with some very mature clams.

 

[zdrc]

Nice set up!

I'm looking to do something similar to this something in the next year, though I was thinking of going with something a little larger and with a sump (like ~40 gallon display or so).

My three primary goals are to

1. Grow acropora
2. Keep Tridacna
3. Keep a carpet nem (probably a maxi-mini, but maybe a haddoni)

The main reason I decided I needed a larger tank with a sump is to hide a dosing set up. Based on my research, clams and SPS will have very high calcium needs that will only increase as they grow. It sounds like you're finding that they need lots of calcium as well.

Another thing is the Tridacna are supposed to have much higher feeding requirements when they're smaller than ~1in than when they're older. I'm not exactly sure what size yours is from that photo but you may want to feed the clam.

There's a IM 25 lagoon on facebook marketplace near me that I've been pondering as a starter set up that I would size up at a later time. I think I want to get a pretty good amount of florida live rock and it might be nice to cure it in a set up before setting up a larger display tank. Maybe I'll get it!

 

[JerryB1232]

@zdrc Your goals are very similar to mine. I would definitely go with the 40 gal with the sump if your funds are able. The more water volume the more stable the tank will be. Plus a sump has too many upsides to list. If you do want to start small. I like lagoon tanks and my IM 25g lagoon is everything I wanted besides the back chamber being so small, I had to get creative with the heaters, but must nano skimmers fit.

Florida rock was the plan for this tank, but tampa bay saltwater was on a hiatus when I started it up. A lot of very good reefkeepers have been harping on liverock lately and I think it is the smart thing to do.

I have read the same about clams, but I have also read a lot of stuff that isnt true. So I want to see some results of a very old clam and follow their routine.

I kept a mini max for 9 months before I had to break down a tank and that was back before I knew what I was doing at all (i am still winging it). Despite neglect, it kept its colors and appeared happy so you shouldn't have a problem there. A haddoni is on my list as well, but it was hard for me to find one that wasnt already 8” plus.

Mini max is green in the bottom right. This was peak tank and the anemone had been with me for 6 months

 

[Tahoe61]

Same here, especially the tridacna. Do you have a reliable source of information on clams? Its hard for me to find some info I trust especially when I hear people have 1-2 years of success then suddenly die. I would like to see some info coming from reefers with some very mature clams.

It's hard to find consistent info, even amount experts. Feed phyto, they don't need to be fed......I have read pretty much everything. Bought my first Tridacna in 1996 and I was hooked. Rules I try to go by.
1. Buy cultured whenever possible. Don't introduce a wild to your system if possible.
2. Consistency, don't mess with parameters, don't move clams.
3. Don't trust Angelfish.
4. Clams die, they are sensitive inverts, just hope it's an isolated incident.
5. They tolerate FW baths just fine.
6. Avoid GFO and like products.

After spending enough money on Tridacna to probably buy a car I have very little insight regarding Tridacna husbandry other than give them a lot of light.

 

[JerryB1232]

It's hard to find consistent info, even amount experts. Feed phyto, they don't need to be fed......I have read pretty much everything. Bought my first Tridacna in 1996 and I was hooked. Rules I try to go by.
1. Buy cultured whenever possible. Don't introduce a wild to your system if possible.
2. Consistency, don't mess with parameters, don't move clams.
3. Don't trust Angelfish.
4. Clams die, they are sensitive inverts, just hope it's an isolated incident.
5. They tolerate FW baths just fine.
6. Avoid GFO and like products.

After spending enough money on Tridacna to probably buy a car I have very little insight regarding Tridacna husbandry other than give them a lot of light.

Thank you for insight. I feel like that is just how this hobby goes, we do our best to keep everything alive but sometimes you just don’t know. I am light acclimating my maxima right now do you think clams need a light acclimation period? I planned 200 par for a week then 250 for a week then 320. Also you mentioned GFO and products like it does that include carbon?

 

[Tahoe61]

Thank you for insight. I feel like that is just how this hobby goes, we do our best to keep everything alive but sometimes you just don’t know. I am light acclimating my maxima right now do you think clams need a light acclimation period? I planned 200 par for a week then 250 for a week then 320. Also you mentioned GFO and products like it does that include carbon?

The clam will expand the mantle more when lighting is insufficient, to achieve more surface area exposed to light.
Completely anecdotal, I observed adverse reactions to the use of GFO and Carbon products.
I assume most clam retailers have their stock under at least 250 par.

 

[JerryB1232]

Almost ready to place the new corals on the rock work. Everything is starting to color up more and more by the day and the lemon lime drop is actually starting to look like a lemon lime drop.

Here is a shot during blues with an orange filter.

 

[JerryB1232]

With the corals mounted it is starting to look like I actually have some corals in it. Still very empty but I am adding things slowly.

Sadly dinos showed up 4 days ago. This is a great example that dinos are not linked to low nutrients. I have kept my nitrates at 10-15 and my phosphates at 0.06-0.1 and still got them. I believe this to be totally due to not having any live rock in the system. I ordered a TBS package coming in two weeks.

Corals are looking great until a nice dino string decides it is going to grab onto them and tick them off for the day. I tried using a syringe to push them off but they are stuck on them good. A good thing is that they are the dinos that go into the water column at lights out so the corals get a break some times.

 

[JerryB1232]

Held parameters where I wanted and the dinos started turning white and disappeared before the TBS shipment got here. Everything is now doing great except that the maxima clam keeps jumping off its rock at night. After the 5th time I got tired of moving it back and left it on the sandbed hoping it is getting enough light. The Firecracker frag was a dino magnet and always covered in them. It suffered some bleaching from smothering, but it has stopped since the dinos disappeared.

Been away from the tank for 6 days hoping everything is okay when I get back tonight.

 

[JerryB1232]

Corals reacted well to the TBS live rock and sand and I am surprised at the amount of growth over the past month. Sadly as dinos disappears cyano commonly follows. Nitrates bottomed out and I have been working on raising them back up to 10 and they are finally there. I expect the cyano to stop spreading now that nutrients are in check and will start kicking it up to see if it comes back.

Acros have started slowly puddling, but I feel like I am still missing something that they need to really take off.

 

[Sdoutreefer]

Corals reacted well to the TBS live rock and sand and I am surprised at the amount of growth over the past month. Sadly as dinos disappears cyano commonly follows. Nitrates bottomed out and I have been working on raising them back up to 10 and they are finally there. I expect the cyano to stop spreading now that nutrients are in check and will start kicking it up to see if it comes back.

Acros have started slowly puddling, but I feel like I am still missing something that they need to really take off.

Have you submitted an ICP test to see what's going on with your parameters? That may tell you something as to why the acro hasn't really taken off. Have you checked your PAR where your SPS is sitting? Acropora really are slow growers but once they encrust, they start going.

 

[JerryB1232]

Have you submitted an ICP test to see what's going on with your parameters? That may tell you something as to why the acro hasn't really taken off. Have you checked your PAR where your SPS is sitting? Acropora really are slow growers but once they encrust, they start going.

No ICP test yet. I am moving the tank next month and will do an icp then. I am using red sea blue bucket with 20% weekly so I assume if the salt has good trace it will be getting trace. I guess I should look. I mapped the tank when I first set up the tank they are all under 250-320 par. What are yours under?

 

[Sdoutreefer]

No ICP test yet. I am moving the tank next month and will do an icp then. I am using red sea blue bucket with 20% weekly so I assume if the salt has good trace it will be getting trace. I guess I should look. I mapped the tank when I first set up the tank they are all under 250-320 par. What are yours under?

I haven't mapped my PAR. I know I'm getting substantial light tho. All of my SPS are top in my tank... Running Radion XR30 at 55%.

I've actually had to lower a couple because they're paling out. Mostly all from my LFS... All online orders seem to like the brighter light, except for one of my Montis. Going to see if I can't get them to color back up being a little lower.

 

[JerryB1232]

After researching cyano I decided to do the chemiclean thing. The pics show before, 15hrs in, and after the water change. Couldn't be happier with the results. Skimmer is totally unusable because I did not know to do the 20% water change using the skimmate as commonly recommended. Going to push that off for a couple of days.

Now with the green cyano gone, I just hope dinos are not next. Coraline spots are popping up and are increasing in size. Im so ready for this tank to be on cruise control.

 

[Sdoutreefer]

Chemiclean isn't a for sure... I used it on my tank and it came back in about a month. It unfortunately is just part of a new system.

Dinos shouldn't come in, unless your nutrients are low. If they are low and you're having issues getting them to a suitable range, I would dose NeoNitro and NeoPhos just to be sure.