BEN's 40 BREEDER

[Flaxon-Waxon]

I'm very excited about this build finally getting rolling, and am making some headway battling the bryopsis by hiking up my magnesium levels with Kent Tech M. It's set up with an AquaClear 70, Reef Octo BH2000, Jäger 150 watt heater, and 2 Koralia EVO 1400's on a Hydor Wave maker. In the AC70, I run a sponge, then GFO, then filter floss on top. Im currently using a TaoTronics dimmable LED blue/white light, that is set to about 70% white and 100% blue. Here's a pic of the current setup...




As far as livestock, there are 2 mocha clowns, lavender dotty back, tiger goby, and a clown goby. I also have a couple snails, a coral banded shrimp, and a red legged hermit crab. The clowns are finally hosting my BTA.

I have a nice hammer coral at my LFS I will be adding once this algae subsides, or as soon as I'm confident it is nearly eradicated. Where would be a good spot for this hammer coral? I'm thinking to the left of the anemone?

Also, concerning corals, with the dimmable LED, I know I must acclimate them, but do I need to "reverse" acclimate the ones that are in the tank every time, or just drop the lighting when a new
one is added and slowly bring it up?

Also, any suggestions and or comments as to
help improve my tank and help me gain experience and knowledge are always welcome...

PS... Here's one of my dogs chillin

 

[MarinaClown]

Nice! I have a 40 breeder as well. I like making lots of caves with my live rock due to the fact that I own a Swissguard Basslet. They like living in caves.
Are you clowns sharing the anemone? When I bought my snowflake clowns I had one bubble anemone. The larger of the clowns took to it on the first day and would not let the smaller one in though. So I went ahead and bought another one for the smaller clown. To my luck the new anemone settled in the same area is the old one. However, the larger (probable soon to be female) clown took over the new anemone as well. The smaller guy wants to go in but the larger clown drives him away. So I have one clown hosting in two anemones and one hosting in none! Funny, isn't it?

 

[MarinaClown]

By the way, your dog is nice and funny. I own two bulldogs (English and French)

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

Nice! I have a 40 breeder as well. I like making lots of caves with my live rock due to the fact that I own a Swissguard Basslet. They like living in caves.
Are you clowns sharing the anemone? When I bought my snowflake clowns I had one bubble anemone. The larger of the clowns took to it on the first day and would not let the smaller one in though. So I went ahead and bought another one for the smaller clown. To my luck the new anemone settled in the same area is the old one. However, the larger (probable soon to be female) clown took over the new anemone as well. The smaller guy wants to go in but the larger clown drives him away. So I have one clown hosting in two anemones and one hosting in none! Funny, isn't it?

The small clown always seems to be within inches of the nem and the big clown likes hanging out in it... I was considering getting another anemone but would rather save the space for corals...

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

By the way, your dog is nice and funny. I own two bulldogs (English and French)

And thank you.. He is an Olde English Bulldog, about 2 years old. His sister is a Boston Terrier
about 3 years ol.

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

Any advice for placement on the hammer coral? Its a pretty decent size, maybe 4-5 inches. Also, would it be bad to add it while still fighting off bryopsis?

 

[erichm20]

Looks good! I would say you can add the hammer, ime euphylias tend to do better with some nutrients present. Def start it on the sb and you could leave it down there or move up to bottom third of the tank if you go higher I would choose a spot that is partially shaded by a ledge or something. A moderate flow area as well. Pic?

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

Ok thanks... I was thinking in that little spot that looks like a cave towards the left of the rock work. I don't have a pic quite yet, but my LFS had a $10 sale it was a part of... Good stuff.

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

Here's a pic update of before I started dosing Kent Tech M and a couple weeks into it, to treat the bryopsis. I also did a 25% water change right before I started dosing...





Definitely losing is lush green fern like characteristics... Starting to become clear and stringy. Hopefully not much longer...

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

So I'm considering doing either a HOB refugium, or a HOB phosphate reactor. What would be the benefit of each of these, and would one outweigh the other (space limitations)...

 

[erichm20]

Refugiums are a place to safely colonize pods so that's a plus in my book.

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

I'm kind of leaning towards the fuge, also for the same reason of pod breeding... Plus, I can remove phosphates through water changes, and the fuge can host some sort of macro for nitrate reduction to help with nuisance algae in my DT. Am I using the right train of thought here?

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

I was doing research on the CPR Aquafuge 2, size medium, and got a price from my LFS, and they recommended the Reef Octo HOB fuge, which I think I will be getting because it's the same price as the CPR, and probably has better lighting and a much better pump (OTP 1000)... Any thoughts on this, and/or what I should put in the fuge that would be most beneficial to pod growth and nutrient export? Thanks...

 

[erichm20]

Well I don't have exp with hob refugiums but all you need for pods is good porous rock. I would skip the sand and just put in rock an chaeto or caulerpa.

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

Well I don't have exp with hob refugiums but all you need for pods is good porous rock. I would skip the sand and just put in rock an chaeto or caulerpa.

The sand is what I'm hung up on... Sand, no sand, mineral mud... What to do what to do...

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

Pic updates..

 

[erichm20]

Nice! I see the clown enjoying the nem. Did you hold off on getting the hammer?

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

Nice! I see the clown enjoying the nem. Did you hold off on getting the hammer?

The clowns did take a liking to the nem, even in my 55 gallon about a month before I transferred to the 40. I will be picking up that hammer this week, I asked my LFS to hang onto it til the bryopsis went away...

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

Little update. Have added a very nice hammer coral that is seemingly happy. I have decided to mod an AC110 for a HOB refugium. I was going to buy a Reef Octo fuge, but the pump was way too big for what I was looking to do. I have also decided on my final stock additions, and they are in QT at my LFS right now. Hopefully they will be ready next weekend... Decided on a Flameback angel, starry blenny, and a royal gramma. The angel will be added a week after the other 2...

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

New additions...

Waiting to open up after acclimation:




Also got 2 larger tiger nassarius snails who have naturally burrowed under the sand.