Finally, my 20 Gallon build

[dmolavi]

Three weeks in and the clowns are as happy as can be. I'm hoping that my LFS has some skunk cleaners and a watchman goby/pistol shrimp pair available for me tomorrow afternoon.

After those get added, nothing till September when I start adding coral (assuming I get a Taotronics fixture by then).

I'm still battling the friggin' diatomes, but I've been assured that they will go away on their own, which they did in my FW tanks, so I'm just waiting it out.

 

[TangoTank]

Three weeks in and the clowns are as happy as can be. I'm hoping that my LFS has some skunk cleaners and a watchman goby/pistol shrimp pair available for me tomorrow afternoon.

After those get added, nothing till September when I start adding coral (assuming I get a Taotronics fixture by then).

I'm still battling the friggin' diatomes, but I've been assured that they will go away on their own, which they did in my FW tanks, so I'm just waiting it out.

Nice, they're beautiful! Congrats!! I got my Ocellaris pair last Monday. They're doing great, my 3 Stripe Damsel that came w/ the tank did not like them I had to take him to the store so he can be re-homed. I plan to add an Algae Blenny and after that, IDK what! I've got 75 gallons to fill. I only have a Sea Cucumber, CUC & one Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, so maybe another shrimp &...??

 

[dmolavi]

My newest addition. ..Pepe the skunk cleaner

 

[GoldfishJoey]

Cute.

 

[dmolavi]

Cute.

Hey now, I'm a married spud hehehe

j/k

This guy likes to hang out, literally, on the bottom of the live rock in the tank.

Next up a watchman goby/pistol shrimp pair, probably in a week or two; I have to coordinate the pickup with my LFS.

 

[GoldfishJoey]

Hey now, I'm a married spud hehehe

j/k

This guy likes to hang out, literally, on the bottom of the live rock in the tank.

Next up a watchman goby/pistol shrimp pair, probably in a week or two; I have to coordinate the pickup with my LFS.

Lol.

My cleaner shrimps hid when I had fish in the tank. They hid all the time! They are all over the tank now that its fish-less.

Watchman goby and the pistol shrimp pair sounds awesome! totally jealous!

 

[dmolavi]

Hopefully he comes out a little more in the coming weeks. I think once I get corals in there after my vacation that give him some more visible areas to tuck into, I'll see him more often.

And ****, you're up early. Go back to bed

 

[GoldfishJoey]

Hopefully he comes out a little more in the coming weeks. I think once I get corals in there after my vacation that give him some more visible areas to tuck into, I'll see him more often.

And ****, you're up early. Go back to bed

**** my name is a bad word now? Lol... I've been up since 5.

Heck yes!!! What type of corals are you thinking of?

 

[dmolavi]

I had typed in dam (with an 'n' at the end)...guess the board filters. Your name is far from a bad word hehe

I'm not sure what I'm going to start with. The prices at my LFS are out of sight (but they're large, not itty bitty frags), so I'm going to try to go the craigslist route. There's a guy not far from here that does frags for $5-$15. I think it will depend on what's available when i'm looking...

 

[GoldfishJoey]

I had typed in dam (with an 'n' at the end)...guess the board filters. Your name is far from a bad word hehe

I'm not sure what I'm going to start with. The prices at my LFS are out of sight (but they're large, not itty bitty frags), so I'm going to try to go the craigslist route. There's a guy not far from here that does frags for $5-$15. I think it will depend on what's available when i'm looking...

Ahhh that's true. Supply and demand doesn't really ring true when you live in your neck of the woods when it comes to coral huh? Sorry buddy!

Anyway, can't wait for your new additions! I'm expecting nothing but awesomeness from your reef progress!

 

[dmolavi]

I'm expecting nothing but awesomeness from your reef progress!

Yes ma'am

 

[dmolavi]

I just added a pistol shrimp/goby pair. The pistol disappeared under some of the rock and the goby is off on his own. Will they eventually find each other?

 

[dmolavi]

Is there anything I can do to help them find each other? The clowns are a little nippy with the goby.

 

[dmolavi]

Curses...the goby has settled on the opposite side of the tank from where I saw the shrimp. Hopefully they will pair up again in a day or so.

 

[dmolavi]

Phew...they found each other. The shrimp was busy last night

Next up, a skimmer, Taotronics, then some corals.

 

[GoldfishJoey]

Phew...they found each other. The shrimp was busy last night Next up, a skimmer, Taotronics, then some corals.

Yay to all the above!!!

 

[bluzepher1]

Once the cycle is conplete and all your levels are good ammonia , nitrite, nitrate , phosphate, calcium, ph , alkalinity etc. you can get Kent's purple tech . In my 20 g I dosed a little under 1/4 teaspoon once and I get coralline growing the next day

Won't that cause the coralline to grow all over the glass? Why not dose the purple up in a tub?

 

[dmolavi]

Won't that cause the coralline to grow all over the glass? Why not dose the purple up in a tub?

It's growing, no dosing needed. Must've come in on my cleaner shrimp, as it started appearing about a week after his arrival.

 

[bribo12]

It's growing, no dosing needed. Must've come in on my cleaner shrimp, as it started appearing about a week after his arrival.

You will hate the stuff eventually lol, scraping it off the front glass is a pain in the butt

 

[dmolavi]

Yay to all the above!!!

Thanks

I know the light is all that's really needed, but I know the skimmer will only help.

On a separate note..how do you target feed pistol shrimp/goby pairs when they are hiding away in their burrow all the time? I don't want to pollute the water with feeder tablets, and the goby enjoyed the few bits of mysis that got past the clowns..