Six-month-old Aquatop 40-gallon cube

mta_morrow · Jun 4, 2019

Hello and welcome to R2R!

ReeferPat · Jun 4, 2019

Rather than trying to move my gorgeous anemone I decided to just go along to get along.:). Moved the rock above him instead to give him some light.

Hitman · Jun 5, 2019

Welcome to R2R!!!

renzlao · Jun 6, 2019

Nice build. I’m following yours as I just set up mine. Is your skimmer still working?

ReeferPat · Jun 6, 2019

renzlao said:
Nice build. I’m following yours as I just set up mine. Is your skimmer still working?

I’ll have to take a look at yours too.:). It took a while before the original skimmer was broken in, and then it seemed to stop working a few months in. Got a new one on warranty and so far so good...

ReeferPat · Jun 19, 2019

Well, the RBT has acclimated and seems to be doing well. Except the bubbles are gone. Still a good looking anemone but not quite as stunning as before. Ive read that it is fairly common for healthy RBT to not have bubbles in some tanks, and bubbles in others, and that it’s nothing to worry about. That being said, has anyone had any success with adjusting something (parameters, light, etc.) and having bubbles return?

Hers latest full tank shot. Things are not growing super fast but I’m excited to see my three birds nests thriving and growing. (Full polyp extension on the pink birds nest is beautiful. Didn’t realize the polyps would be fluorescent green.)

Reef-junky · Jun 19, 2019

Welcome to the site. Looks like a cool tank.

LiveWire · Jun 19, 2019

FTS is looking great @ReeferPat! I like how you have the GSP on an island so it does not take over. Smart move. Keep up the good work!

ReeferPat · Jul 11, 2019

8-Month Update:
Added my first acropora and a few montipora. Parameters are stable, except I can't really tell where my phosphates are at with the Salifert kit. Looks like somewhere between 0.1 and 0.5. At least it always looks like it's the same color...
Growth is good and I'm loving my acan garden (2nd pic). However, I thought they were all the same species but I read somewhere that some may be Lords and others Acans. Is there a way to tell?

Also, it's possible I may have added too many corals. I might need to upgrade to a bigger tank soon...:)

ReeferPat · Aug 16, 2019

10-Month Update:

I am now in the spot where I'm excited because most everything is growing well. Birdsnests are quickly sprouting new limbs. Each of the acans/micromussas have several heads growing at the base and my hammer and frogspawn are getting more and more polyp extension.

Problems: My RBT anemone split and now I have had two of them moving around my tank and stinging corals, including one of my first acroporas that has so far been the only one to start coloring up.
Speaking of acroporas: though they all seem to be relatively healthy, they are not coloring up much, pretty much staying brown/tan. My parameters have been remarkably stable and I hope it's just taking time. My Kessil A360 X is at 55 percent at max and I'm worried about increasing more since I don't want to hurt any other corals. I have plenty of flow and the birdsnests are all looking great and fluffy with outstanding polyp extension.

I have a big patch of zoas (below the hammer) that has grown like crazy and always been happy. For some reason the mat has been mostly closed up the last few weeks and I can't figure out why.

dbl · Aug 16, 2019

Wow...that is looking great...congratulations.

ReeferPat · Aug 16, 2019

dbl said:
Wow...that is looking great...congratulations.

Thank you!:) (To be honest, I'm trying sooo hard to be patient and let everything grow out before adding anything else...)

rodney · Aug 16, 2019

Beautiful coral good job!

vetteguy53081 · Aug 16, 2019

Looking great.
BTA- the only reason I will not keep them in my tank- They sting everything

ReeferPat · Sep 26, 2019

Latest tank shots, everything is growing nicely and acroporas are finally coloring up. My zoa garden is still mostly closed up and withering away. Not sure what the problem is.:(