9 gal nano reef build

[Ausfish]

If I owned my house I would have a 10ft room divider tank already

 

[ricardo48]

On my 5g I run some GFO in my small internal filter and a 900l/h koralia power head. Thats it.

Had a small skimmer but saw no difference with or without. If anything since I have removed it i now have 0.5ppm nitrates at most

 

[Ausfish]

Well i thought it's time for some pictures. Otherwise you'll have to take my word for it

1: some of my favorite mushrooms
2: fts
3: hammer coral macro
4: I believe it's a frogspawn, anyone that can help me out? It came as a tiny little dot that hitchhiked on a mushroom frag, and growing rapidly!

I had a bit of a cyano problem that's all gone now. Still doing weekly 25-35% pwc's with aged NSW

 

[Mjpendrey]

I see you added another clown how do you think they get along? I really want a b/w and orange pair but I heard they can fight?

 

[Ausfish]

Well they won't fight any more or less than a same colored pair IMO. Mine are best friends, the bigger, black one does show the smaller one sometimes that she's the boss but that takes 2 seconds and no harm done. I bought it off my LFS with the option to return it if any fighting should occur, there's no guarantee they'll pair up or even get along.

 

[Ausfish]

Oh yeah, I bought the second one intentionally a bit smaller and reorganized everything upon introduction, I read on multiple occasions that helps.

 

[Ausfish]

Does anyone know for sure the species of coral in picture number 4?

 

[carey]

To me it looks like a baby torch.

 

[Ausfish]

Well I guess only time will tell huh?

 

[Ausfish]

A little update. My tank is still doing well, the two clowns are a happy pair now and since I started adding calcium and iodine my mushrooms have doubled in size and multiplied. I find tiny purple mushrooms popping up all over the life rock.
Last weekend I drove up the coast and collected natural sea water wit the result that now, one week later my hammer coral is 25-30% bigger than it used to be and I am getting a bit unsure how fast it's going to outgrow my tank any advice on that? I don't see any possibility to frag a hammer, is there?

The little frogspawn that hitchhiked into my tank is twice as big as 1 month or so ago when I got it so overall I'm quite pleased with my first reef attempt. Still learning but...

I do a weekly 30% water change adding stress coat, stress zyme, calcium and iodine and feed daily with NLS micro pellets and once a week frozen dinner

I'll post a picture or two as soon as my SLR is back from maintenance.

 

[carey]

I would stop adding the supplements. The big water changes that you are doing weekly are most likely the reason why everything is growing a so nicely.
Youre replacing the trace elements really quickly so the iodine and calcium additions are most likely un necessary.

Can't wait to see a picture! Sounds awesome!

 

[Ausfish]

Thanks carey! I just found a thread of your "last" tank that came after your very last 125g build!?! Having another go?
You're probably right, I shouldn't add the supplements but you know how it it, they're mi kids and I want them to be happy

I researched a little on fragging a hammer coral and decided I will never attempt that, you'd have to cut through the flesh...

 

[carey]

I'm just now starting to investigate fragging and have no idea. LOL Ihear there are alot of youtube vidoes on the how to and it makes it look easy. Might try that cause you can frag most any coral.

 

[scubasteve03]

Wow your tank looking awesome good job

 

[Ausfish]

Wow your tank looking awesome good job

Thanks scuba!

Carey, I have fragged mushrooms in my short marine career and I would def. Attempt a hammer with multiple heads, my hammer only has one head though so if I wanted to Split it in two I'd have to cut the skeleton plus flesh. Apparently there is a high infection risk so I decided should it get too big I'll rehome this one and start smaller

 

[Fotopoulos]

I'm just now starting to investigate fragging and have no idea. LOL Ihear there are alot of youtube vidoes on the how to and it makes it look easy. Might try that cause you can frag most any coral.

The whole ricordia in a blender blows my mind...horrible.

 

[Ausfish]

So, time for pics! I tried to get everything is. Quality isn't amazing, used my iPhone for now.

1. Full tank shot

2 - 6 Different mushrooms
7 came as a hitchhiker, no idea but looks and acts peaceful
8 closeup of the other guest, most beautiful!

 

[carey]

Looks good! Looks like a baby torch ya got there and a palythoa too. Very cool

 

[Ausfish]

Which one's the palythoa? I was afraid the little brown one is aiptasia

 

[carey]

The bottom left looks like a playthoa to me. Next to the baby torch. Does it retract if you go near it or does it just close up into a nub?