Mr Pillow Returns - 40B Build Thread
- Thread starter MrPillow
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OP
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MrPillow
Aquarium Advice Freak
After some increasingly strict observations I have decided the angel is going to have to take a trip back to the LFS. He has become increasingly aggressive towards the lion, chasing and nipping at his caudal and dorsal fins. Tomorrow I get to play catch the angel which should be fun.
Getting some diatom varients and other colorful algae showing up on the rocks, popped up almost as if overnight. Phosphates were still testing 0 before the algae showed up.
I am planning to get a couple of banggai cardinals started in QT in my 26g, and in the meantime perhaps get ready for a couple of corals in the DT.
Lion is eating as well as ever, and has migrated well onto chopped squid, silversides, krill, mysis, etc.
Progress continues!
Getting some diatom varients and other colorful algae showing up on the rocks, popped up almost as if overnight. Phosphates were still testing 0 before the algae showed up.
I am planning to get a couple of banggai cardinals started in QT in my 26g, and in the meantime perhaps get ready for a couple of corals in the DT.
Lion is eating as well as ever, and has migrated well onto chopped squid, silversides, krill, mysis, etc.
Progress continues!
Awwww... Too bad you gotta return the beautiful angel. But I totally understand, I had to take a dwarf angel out of the 55g, and to do so, had to remove nearly all the rock and re-do the scape. They are fast little buggers!! Lol. Hope your angel hunting goes easier than mine did. 
OP
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MrPillow
Aquarium Advice Freak
Another boring update The harassment of the angel caused a minor ich outburst on the lion, now treating with hypo. He is looking much better and eating as normal - will even go for pellets with some consistency. No new pictures today... I am fixing to order something tasty off of Divers Den, I will update when it arrives
The harassment of the angel caused a minor ich outburst on the lion, now treating with hypo. He is looking much better and eating as normal - will even go for pellets with some consistency. No new pictures today... I am fixing to order something tasty off of Divers Den, I will update when it arrives
OP
OP
MrPillow
Aquarium Advice Freak
Got my new fish in today - a Barred Hamlet. Came in from DiversDen at about 4", nifty little guy. Looks like my tank is slowly turning into a mini-predator reef He has been acclimated and is now chilling with the lights off. No good pics, but here is something at least -
Tank readings are looking good - NH3, NO2, and NO3 all reading 0 on tests. Phosphates 0. Green corraline phase is filling up nicely.
Progress
He has been acclimated and is now chilling with the lights off. No good pics, but here is something at least -
Tank readings are looking good - NH3, NO2, and NO3 all reading 0 on tests. Phosphates 0. Green corraline phase is filling up nicely.
Progress
OP
OP
MrPillow
Aquarium Advice Freak
Couple good shots of the hamlet and lion. Haven't tried feeding him yet, will tomorrow.
OP
OP
MrPillow
Aquarium Advice Freak
Hamlet is feeding readily on pellets - rather aggressively at that, far quicker than the lion. Will be feeding pellets daily and spot feeding the lion with frozen every 3rd day.
Last night the hamlet swooped in to try and steal a pellet from the lion and gut a little nudge on his side, started jerking around and freaking out and went and hid in a crevice. Looks like he got a little bit of a prick, but he was fine this morning. Won't take him long to learn not to get that close I imagine
Last night the hamlet swooped in to try and steal a pellet from the lion and gut a little nudge on his side, started jerking around and freaking out and went and hid in a crevice. Looks like he got a little bit of a prick, but he was fine this morning. Won't take him long to learn not to get that close I imagine
absolutangel04
Daphnia are People Too.
Cool fish. Glad to see Ophelia is ok and settling in.
Glad to see Ophelia is ok and settling in.
OP
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MrPillow
Aquarium Advice Freak
Got home to a nice big package waiting at my door today
Love it so far, the picture is just with both channels at 100%, and the blue at 8% for the moonlights. For midday I am currently running around 75% white, 100% blue. Haven't mounted the driver in my stand yet, it's just sitting on my water can The lights have a great shimmer and output, and the unit is very slick overall. Easy to program and low profile to boot Very different look from the T5s it is replacing but so far I am enjoying it! I am toying with the idea of suspending from the ceiling to get a little more dispersion and coverage. Will update more as time goes by.
Love it so far, the picture is just with both channels at 100%, and the blue at 8% for the moonlights. For midday I am currently running around 75% white, 100% blue. Haven't mounted the driver in my stand yet, it's just sitting on my water can
The lights have a great shimmer and output, and the unit is very slick overall. Easy to program and low profile to boot Very different look from the T5s it is replacing but so far I am enjoying it! I am toying with the idea of suspending from the ceiling to get a little more dispersion and coverage. Will update more as time goes by.
OP
OP
MrPillow
Aquarium Advice Freak
Time for another fun update from MrP. Got the lights hung today, looks very clean. Here are a few examples of the LEDs -
My current midday setting - 80% white, 75% blue
100% white -
100% blue -
Here is a short video of the hamlet eating some NLS 3mm pellets. You'll have to excuse the quality, it was shot with my phone. Once I sell my camera body and get a new one in I'll try to get up some higher quality videos
Barred Hamlet Eating - YouTube
And a longer one of the lion doing his thing, eating some AquaDine pellets - this was taken under the old T5 lights, and before the hamlet was around.
Lionfish1 - YouTube
With some tasteful background music
Enjoy.
My current midday setting - 80% white, 75% blue
100% white -
100% blue -
Here is a short video of the hamlet eating some NLS 3mm pellets. You'll have to excuse the quality, it was shot with my phone. Once I sell my camera body and get a new one in I'll try to get up some higher quality videos
Barred Hamlet Eating - YouTube
And a longer one of the lion doing his thing, eating some AquaDine pellets - this was taken under the old T5 lights, and before the hamlet was around.
Lionfish1 - YouTube
With some tasteful background music
Enjoy.
OP
OP
MrPillow
Aquarium Advice Freak
Just finished up this video of my tank and all it's inhabitants as of today. Was a slow weekend
Enjoy
40b Mini Predator Tank - YouTube
Enjoy
40b Mini Predator Tank - YouTube
OP
OP
MrPillow
Aquarium Advice Freak
I forgot about this thread
I am out of town currently but will return tomorrow maybe with some updated pictures. Let me try and see what has happened since the last update...
Hypo treating for ich went well. After 6 weeks the tank is now almost back up to normal salinity. I will be bringing it up the rest of the way over the next few days, and adding some corals here in the next week or so.
During hypo the lack of proper skimmer function caused a bit of hair algae growth in the display tank, but now that the skimmer has kicked back in things are clearing up. I have also added a small screened Algae Scrubber in the sump which is starting to pick up and grow some good green algae. It has been running for about two weeks.
The hamlet is being a bit of an annoyance, it would appear to be terrified of people an often smashes itself on rocks/glass trying to flee when I approach or work in the tank. He is still eating and for the most part appears fine. He has incurred some sort of physical trauma to the spine and front edge of his anal fin, I suspect it was scrapped/ripped off on a rock. Part of the fin appears dead. It is neither improving or getting worse, perhaps scarred over by this point.
We will see.
All fish now eating NLS pellets rather reliably.
I am out of town currently but will return tomorrow maybe with some updated pictures. Let me try and see what has happened since the last update...
Hypo treating for ich went well. After 6 weeks the tank is now almost back up to normal salinity. I will be bringing it up the rest of the way over the next few days, and adding some corals here in the next week or so.
During hypo the lack of proper skimmer function caused a bit of hair algae growth in the display tank, but now that the skimmer has kicked back in things are clearing up. I have also added a small screened Algae Scrubber in the sump which is starting to pick up and grow some good green algae. It has been running for about two weeks.
The hamlet is being a bit of an annoyance, it would appear to be terrified of people an often smashes itself on rocks/glass trying to flee when I approach or work in the tank. He is still eating and for the most part appears fine. He has incurred some sort of physical trauma to the spine and front edge of his anal fin, I suspect it was scrapped/ripped off on a rock. Part of the fin appears dead. It is neither improving or getting worse, perhaps scarred over by this point.
We will see.
All fish now eating NLS pellets rather reliably.
OP
OP
MrPillow
Aquarium Advice Freak
Boy oh boy has it been awhile since I updated this! Much has happened in the time past and many new pictures await
Hypo has been a thing of the past for a few weeks now - all fish looking, acting, eating fine on NLS 6mm pellets. The algae issue from the hypo has been for the most part resolved, although there are still a few tufts sprouting up here and there on the topmost rock I am working to eradicate.
Lion showing off his chompers -
I was finally able to get a good look and diagnose the hamlet with good ol' lymphocyctis which has cleared up nicely on it's own. He is still being somewhat reclusive, but is out far more now and readily comes out for feeding.
Algae scrubber is slowly but surely growing things. The growth is not at all very even but at this point I have been too busy to spend much time fiddling with it. I plan to get smaller reflectors to help concentrate the light and see what happens. At least it is doing something for now?
Today I got my first shipment of corals from PacificEast Aquaculture consiting of a large green-tip birdsnest, a small pink birdsnest, a lime-tip torch, a rock with some alveoporas, green clove polyps and some green star polyps. Everything has been placed and seems to be doing well. The clove polyps haven't opened, and the GSP is position next to the rear wall to hopefully grow over it in time.
Finally an updated full tank shot. Unfortunately the hamlet did not feel like complying with photo time so he is MIA.
Hypo has been a thing of the past for a few weeks now - all fish looking, acting, eating fine on NLS 6mm pellets. The algae issue from the hypo has been for the most part resolved, although there are still a few tufts sprouting up here and there on the topmost rock I am working to eradicate.
Lion showing off his chompers -
I was finally able to get a good look and diagnose the hamlet with good ol' lymphocyctis which has cleared up nicely on it's own. He is still being somewhat reclusive, but is out far more now and readily comes out for feeding.
Algae scrubber is slowly but surely growing things. The growth is not at all very even but at this point I have been too busy to spend much time fiddling with it. I plan to get smaller reflectors to help concentrate the light and see what happens. At least it is doing something for now?
Today I got my first shipment of corals from PacificEast Aquaculture consiting of a large green-tip birdsnest, a small pink birdsnest, a lime-tip torch, a rock with some alveoporas, green clove polyps and some green star polyps. Everything has been placed and seems to be doing well. The clove polyps haven't opened, and the GSP is position next to the rear wall to hopefully grow over it in time.
Finally an updated full tank shot. Unfortunately the hamlet did not feel like complying with photo time so he is MIA.
