Tank Journal Archive

[Cryxblade]

Introduction:
This was the pico tank I first started with that crashed big time. It’s been sitting with just some live rock and crushed coral for a several months while my hermit crab has wandered its expanse. I was at the LFS today and for once they had a large range of sun corals. I couldn’t help myself so I picked up one.

Reefing Since:
November 2011

System Objectives:
Something to brighten up my office space (The Bat-Cave as I call it)

Type of reef:
Simple coral reef that contains non-light dependant corals

Display System:

Initial Fill Date:
12th January 2012

Display Tank Dimensions:
W180 x D225 x H245mm

Display Lighting:
Attached LED light with moonlight

Stand:
None

Hood or Rimless:
None – need to make a small cover to help with evaporation

Sump Design:
Internal filtration section

Filtration:
Filter wool and sponge. Some Ceramic beads and carbon as well

Support systems:

NSW or ASW:
ASW

Display Water circulation:
Return pump

Return Pump:
100-200lph return pump that came with tank

Skimmer:
Air driven skimmer

Evaporation Top Up:
Manual

Chemical additions:
Nothing at this stage but will be considered as time goes by

Calcium Addition:
Nothing at this stage but will be considered as time goes by

Alkilinity Addition:
Nothing at this stage but will be considered as time goes by

Magnesium Addition:
Nothing at this stage but will be considered as time goes by

Prodibiotics Addition:
Nothing at this stage but will be considered as time goes by

Coral Food Addition:
Nothing at this stage but will be considered as time goes by


Contents
Crushed coral with black pebbles on top. This was to help balance the look of the coral
Small chunks of live rock

Clean-up crew:
Hermit Crab
Small red crab from live rock

Coral:
Sun coral

 

[Cryxblade]

Excuse the quality of the photo's. I got a Canon EOS 1100D a few months ago and still figuring out how to drive it to get the best results.

Day 1
Full tank shot after cleanup

Couple of hours after I got home and cleaned up the tank a little.

After seeing them popping out I decided to mix in some frozen cyclop into the tank

Top view of the tank

 

[Cryxblade]

Day 2

They've had just the moonlight leds on all day and I noticed they seemed a little more relaxed. Not hiding as much as when I first got them. I did realise that with so many polyps on the base of the rock it probably wasn't a good idea to have it on the substrate. So used some corflute board and made a triangle stand to lift it off the ground.

Full tank shot with different lights.

General shots. Hermit crab loves when I feed these guys as he goes after the left overs.

 

[Cryxblade]

Day 5

Been working on getting theses guys to eat. Wasn't able to get some mysis today so I grabbed some krill and mulched a few into smaller chuncks. Used the juices from that with a little Marine Snow and some garlic water. Only managed to get one mouth to actually eat so it's a start.

These two started a tug-o-war but ended up loosing the food when they let go at the same time.

And I had to give the hermit crab some to keep him from climbing up the sun coral to get at the food they had. He seemed happy.

 

[MTG]

It's going to be hard to keep your water quality good feeding that much in such a small volume !!
Black substrate looks nice !

 

[josh]

It's going to be hard to keep your water quality good feeding that much in such a small volume !!
Black substrate looks nice !

looks like the tank need a water change? Cryxblade how long since you did a water change???

 

[MTG]

i found 600ml 2x a week was perfect.

 

[josh]

i found 600ml 2x a week was perfect.

was that for a tank of that size matt???

 

[Cryxblade]

Yeah been worried about the tank getting too polluted so I've been taking about 1 litre out of the tank, placing it in a small container along with the sun coral and saturate feeding them for about a hour. Need to really get some mysis as the krill is still too big even after blitzing them with a stick blender. Done that for the last 3 days then topping the tank up with new water.

The pictures were taken after my last in tank feeding so it was a lot messier than planned.

 

[MTG]

was that for a tank of that size matt???

based on a 10L tank josh. so 1.2L per week roughly

 

[josh]

based on a 10L tank josh. so 1.2L per week roughly

cool thats not to bad hey :)

 

[Cryxblade]

Well the Sun coral is doing well. I decided to frag it this evening so I could place the larger piece in the main tank and have smaller ones in the pico. Plus after finding some mini-hermit crabs I figured it was a good time for Colossus the tank wrecker to get a new home in the big tank.

One of the many critters in my tank. Also found I have a Mysid shrimp who runs around like he's on speed and there's atleast to worms about 1cm long in there some place

The chunks of sun coral I snapped off. Most of the polyps have already opened up this evening and had a snack which surprised me.

The new mini-hermit in the tank. The turbo snail I put in there has already vanished

 

[Priscacara]

Once I get the hang of marines I might try these tanks, the idea of a small tank with 1 or 2 stunning specimens like your sun coral appeals to me. Thanks for sharing!

 

['vspec']

Getting there @Cryxblade Its fun going down the pico lane.
Having them at work is the best. You can have a blast when you should be working...haha

I couldn't help myself ether. ~ sh^t I was effectively out the door of this hobby and even then I still messed about at the office.
As a suggestion you can try what I did, add a focal point with your rockwork and place a sea fan in the background. You never know, it may do wonders on the aesthetics.

I used small coral gravel as well, it maintains the current banked landscape with ease, and to be honest, loved the dramatic rises and curves. Although sorry, you cant see it in this picture.
I've lost so much content over the years by not caring. ~ Hang on a sec, that doesn't sound anything like me

 

['vspec']

Here, I found some more company funded play time to rev you up. :p
That spare boardroom table saw a few secret women snuck in as well just quietly.
ah ~ I loved my job.