Small but mighty!

[sharkyahd]

I think I’ve decided to label this project my “small but mighty” reef tank. Thank you so much for the support thus far everyone. I can’t wait to share with you all this build as we go along.

AIO FLUVAL EVO V (5 GAL)
- inTank media basket with floss and ceramic
- Kraken reef lid with feeding cup attachment.
- AI Prime 16HD running pirates
- Hyper Reef 30W with sunrise/sunset dual channel timer
- Egg crate mat to balance rocks on and stick frags into
- generic 50 watt heater and floating temp gauge
- Hygger Mini wavemaker
- 7lb ish of Rock
- less than 1” sand bed

SPECS
Salt: Instant Ocean Reef Crystals
Water for Top Off: RODI
Salinity: 1.024
Temp: 79 deg Fahrenheit
PO4: 0.107ppm
NO3: ~10 ppm

MISC EQUIPMENT
- RedSea marine pro test kit
- Hanna: Salinity, ULR phosphorus
- Orphek Lenses
- Fl!pper Pico
- Fl!pper 4” Magnifying Glass

CORAL
Fed with a thick mixture of Benereef by Benepets and Coral Aminō by Brightwell Aquatics around every three to four days.

- Red+Orange Acan Lord
- FL ricordia mushroom
- Meteor shower cyphastrea (pg 3)
- Purple Snake Skin Torch (pg 3)
- Bruce Carlson Hammer Coral
- Blue+Green Acan Lord
- Green+Purple Micromussa
- Blue Stripe+Orange Micromussa
- Neon Branching Octospawn
- purple and red zoas (maybe people eaters?)
- 24k Malaysian Torch
- "mountain dew" Green Star Polyps
- blacklight torch
- teal frogspawn

as of 2/1/2023 I have switched the majority of my supplements, media, additives, and coral dips to Brightwell Aquatics

- microbactor7
- coral aminos
- Xport biocubes
- lugols

VISUAL JOURNEY
I do all the posting straight from my phone, and pictures on the PC/Mac seem to come off much darker and blue. As of 1/18/2023 images will be taken with an orphek lens for better coloration and clarity.

1/12/2023

1/13/2023

Unfortunately had to do a different scape. Last scape was more of my style BUT the vertical rocks made it near impossible to mount any frags. I’ve also made room in the front for a torch display on the sandbed. Acans will now live on the lower right, zoas in the lower left, shrooms in upper left, and misc. euphyllia will be upper right.

1/15/2023

1/17/2023
Wife worked from home today and was kind enough to send me some really cool pics. I never get to see them this open because I leave for work before the lights come on and get home when they’re done looking nice.

1/21/2023
Finally getting some inflation on my hammer. Octospawn adjusted nicely. I also moved the cyphastrea into a shadier spot. He seemed unhappy in my opinion. I’m definitely new to this type of coral. check page 3 for brown jelly scare post.

1/25/2023 - Page 3

1/28/2023

2/1/2023 - Page 4

2/3/2023 - Page 4

 

[AydenLincoln]

Any plans for fish or inverts?

 

[FreshSaltH2o]

Following

 

[sharkyahd]

Any plans for fish or inverts?

One lucky fish will get to make this his home lol I’m not happy about it but the wife insists. I will be putting in a CUC though, just waiting until we actually get enough to clean up in there. Suggestions?

 

[sharkyahd]

Following

Appreciate it!

 

[AydenLincoln]

One lucky fish will get to make this his home lol I’m not happy about it but the wife insists. I will be putting in a CUC though, just waiting until we actually get enough to clean up in there. Suggestions?

A cleaner shrimp, some snails, and any of the small goby/blenny species seem like a good choice!

 

[sharkyahd]

A cleaner shrimp, some snails, and any of the small goby/blenny species seem like a good choice!

My 13.5gallon had a handful of CUC and a war paint goby. Maybe we can get another one of those. not all that impressed last time but maybe this time I will be

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Tank looks great!!!

 

[sharkyahd]

Tank looks great!!!

Thanks it’s a start!

 

[brandon429]

top shelf corals, quality scape that makes it look like a 20 nicely done

 

[sharkyahd]

top shelf corals, quality scape that makes it look like a 20 nicely done

Thanks! I know the real estate is limited, so I'm trying to be selective on corals, and keeping to only a small variety to fill it out.

 

[sharkyahd]

Long winded updates are my specialty apparently…

Brought some new buddies home from an auction by Murrman’s Reef (landlockedcorals on WhatNot) in Denver, Colorado. It was my first time doing something like this online but pieces were different than what I expected. Wasn’t impressed by the customer service though. Actually felt out of place.

Did a quick peroxide dip because I just have this gut feeling I need to start being more careful (I normally just plop them in after drip acclimating) and now everyone in this dang house (dogs, wife, corals) is gonna take a nap, we are NOT made for road-trips.

Also Fish Den in Denver, Colorado… absolutely disgusting and sad shop. Wouldn’t let aiptasia live there.

My makeshift chop shop dip station… gotta streamline this process from now on and get more tools. Any recommendations?

Here is what I brought home:

Bruce Carlson Hammer

Gatorade Zoas and Friends

Purple Snake Skin Torch (dang she thicckkk)

Some new acan/micromussa friends @ChiCity said I could put together (thank you again for the info cause I was HIGH KEY worried) next to my big meaty Acan.

Once everyone is acclimated and hopefully still alive, I will update the main thread with better pictures.

Happy reefing everyone!

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

Where you located in colorado? Good looking build. If you are ever up north check out biggs lagoongot some awesome stuff and deals.

 

[sharkyahd]

Where you located in colorado? Good looking build. If you are ever up north check out biggs lagoongot some awesome stuff and deals.

I’m just down in the springs. Chris’ shop REEFKOI down here is pretty awesome and he’s super down to earth.

Lemme google how far north that is!

Thanks! I’m trying to be on top of documenting a build this time around. Might help later on when I plan on upgrading.

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

Yes sir and its fun to see the b4 during and present pics for growth and everything look forward to seeing more. I am northern Colorado myself in fort collins area. But its only a 35min drive to biggs for me. I took a drive to murmans reef and was kinda disappointed due to the limited fish stock and frags were on the higher side for my tastes. Biggs has some awesome deals very clean and amazing staff. If im ever in the springs ill have to hit you up and go look at some shops that way....

 

[sharkyahd]

Yes sir and its fun to see the b4 during and present pics for growth and everything look forward to seeing more. I am northern Colorado myself in fort collins area. But its only a 35min drive to biggs for me. I took a drive to murmans reef and was kinda disappointed due to the limited fish stock and frags were on the higher side for my tastes. Biggs has some awesome deals very clean and amazing staff. If im ever in the springs ill have to hit you up and go look at some shops that way....

There’s really only reefkoi worth dipping into. But I’d definitely meet you there! He’s got some pretty nice frags and they’ve got a cool softie that’s from their shop. BRIGHT butt PASTEL YELLOW. I’ll have to snag a pic next time I’m in there.

ill definitely look into Biggs then. The thing with murmans for me was they were kinda standoffish. Way happier online doing deals. I think the auctions make it worth it but man some of these frags look a little chewed up lol. The torch frag did surprise me. So it went both ways LOL. His nem tank is gorgeous though to see up close and the place was clean.

surprisingly my FAVOURITE frag is that meaty acan in there and he was from Petco down here. Idk if you’re on FB but this guy Tomas is running the Aqua department off 80th and Wadsworth and his deals are fire. I think he was doing maxima clams for less than 50 and he’s in the hobby so they all look real nice.

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

There’s really only reefkoi worth dipping into. But I’d definitely meet you there! He’s got some pretty nice frags and they’ve got a cool softie that’s from their shop. BRIGHT butt PASTEL YELLOW. I’ll have to snag a pic next time I’m in there.

ill definitely look into Biggs then. The thing with murmans for me was they were kinda standoffish. Way happier online doing deals. I think the auctions make it worth it but man some of these frags look a little chewed up lol. The torch frag did surprise me. So it went both ways LOL. His nem tank is gorgeous though to see up close and the place was clean.

surprisingly my FAVOURITE frag is that meaty acan in there and he was from Petco down here. Idk if you’re on FB but this guy Tomas is running the Aqua department off 80th and Wadsworth and his deals are fire. I think he was doing maxima clams for less than 50 and he’s in the hobby so they all look real nice.

Thats awesome might have to go check it out and those big palys are
grandis palythoa
I love acans. Torches are kinda my thang i guess so many different variations and the movement got me

 

[sharkyahd]

Thats awesome might have to go check it out and those big palys are
grandis palythoa
I love acans. Torches are kinda my thang i guess so many different variations and the movement got me

Yeah this is my… very effed up sketch of what I’m thinking the layout will be.

I am low key a fan of that cyphastrea though he’s just gonna have to encrust that Little rock. Im also saving up for a better return pump and a Nero 3. Just to have more space in the tank if I need to put my hands in there. Once everyone’s decently happy I’ll probably bond the rocks together permanently too and glue the frags down. Right now I don’t have fish so leaving them where they’re at has worked out.

I’ll have to look up those palys. Did you get them from LFS? Or online?

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

Yeah this is my… very effed up sketch of what I’m thinking the layout will be.

I am low key a fan of that cyphastrea though he’s just gonna have to encrust that Little rock. Im also saving up for a better return pump and a Nero 3. Just to have more space in the tank if I need to put my hands in there. Once everyone’s decently happy I’ll probably bond the rocks together permanently too and glue the frags down. Right now I don’t have fish so leaving them where they’re at has worked out.

I’ll have to look up those palys. Did you get them from LFS? Or online?

Lfs had em but let me see what i can do for a frag maybe i can hook you up with a couple grow pretty quick. And layout seems legit going in with a plan is always best lol. I learned that the hard way on some of them

 

[sharkyahd]

Lfs had em but let me see what i can do for a frag maybe i can hook you up with a couple grow pretty quick. And layout seems legit going in with a plan is always best lol. I learned that the hard way on some of them

Lol don’t worry when I plan on stocking your palys I’ll just come steal yours. My little tanks too small right now but we plan on upgrading probably next year to a big boy tank. Just not allowed in our apartment, but I’m thinking at least 55 gallons with a full sump setup