chippwalters Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Well, I finally converted over from my ADA 60-F to the 60-P. It's exactly the same footprint, but twice as high. The front profile is supposedly a golden rectangle. I measured. Seems pretty close. So, this probably adds about 40-50% overall water to my system, which I'm thinking the corals will like a lot. Timfish thinks I should put a school of yellow tangs in there, but I'm thinking just 2 or 3. But I do want to take Patrick's advice and add a shark as soon as possible! So, you may be looking at this and thinking to yourself, "nice aquascape, dude." Yep, it's not. But, it's the exact same layout as my 60-F, and for a very good reason. Last time I 'moved up' there were some losses, but even worse was the whole recycling business-- esp with the algae storms. So, this time, I'm trying to keep everything exactly the same, so that there will be *hopefully* minimum algae issues. I had just gotten to the point with my 60-F that I didn't have any algae issues whatsoever. Glass cleaning once every 2 weeks max, and not because it needed it. So, I want to try and see if I can't maintain that equilibrium. Fingers crossed! Literally, just yesterday my clown, "Pat," took a midnight stroll. Didn't know she was a jumper. I'm keeping the water level down a bit for now as my snail guard overflow design is the determining factor...but I'm 3D printing an adjustable height overflow/surface skimmer which I'll use when it's done. I would like some fish recommendations if anyone has some ideas. Remember, this tank is smallish-- 18 gallons-- 24W x 12D x 15H, so other than the "school of Tangs and lemon shark", I need to keep the family critters small. HERE's a FTS: And some macro shots 1 hour after setting up! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Are you going to keep it open like that or add more rock? Oh wait, your seeding your rock with sub sea right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Did you have amphipods or copepods in your original system? In your display tank, it loops like coarse gravel at less than 1" and your sump has not changed, cryptic sump with live rock. Do you have mud in the sump? Those answers will determine what fish can be supported with live food from the system. I did not see this system set up. It has been too long since I visited. After your encouragement and success, I made a major change in methods on my 11 year Jaubert Plenum set up. I changed from a mud/macro refugium with 120W of lights to mud/rock refugium with no lights. I am tickled pink with the four degree temperature reduction of the system. After replacing MH canopy with slim 4' BML sticks, the ease of access to tank has drastically changed ease of substrate maintenance. Patrick 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woods Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Patrick, tell me about the change from Mud/Macro fug with light to Mud Rock fug with no lights and no Macro, as well as why you like it better... Also how that has impacted Nutrient uptake, etc... I am somewhat surprised by this change since I consider you "Mr Macro".... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 I will always recommend a macro lagoon for a bullet proof set up. Litte to go wrong with a complete Eco system in one tank. On my 75G Jaubert Plenum tank the changeover on the mud macro refugium were driven by temperature considerations. The macro needs light, which in my case brought too much heat. I find little change in nutrient uptake. However, it is difficult to determine because the DSB over the Jaubert Plenum already processes nitrate to free nitogn gas as an export mechanism. The maintenance is easier as it is not necessary to do macro prunning. It is not cheaper to go with a rock refugium. Good quality live rock with much porosity to support sufficient de-nitrification bacteria is required. It cost much more initially to set up a rock refugium. Patrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Chipp, I added this one recently , but a yasha goby (and pistol shrimp if you dont mind some sand work) is by far the coolest fish I've ever had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chippwalters Posted August 27, 2013 Author Share Posted August 27, 2013 Chipp, I added this one recently , but a yasha goby (and pistol shrimp if you dont mind some sand work) is by far the coolest fish I've ever had. Thanks, but unfortunately I'm not one for deep enough sand beds. In fact I have only a thin layer of CC as a bed. Still, I have to agree with you! A paired Pistol Shrimp and Goby are fascinating and provide endless hours of entertainment. Shane has one in his DT at FishyBusiness and it's so much fun to just sit there and watch them! You're in Oak Hill, correct? Any chance of grabbing lunch sometime and talking fish? I'm half way between Oak Hill and DS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Chipp, I added this one recently , but a yasha goby (and pistol shrimp if you dont mind some sand work) is by far the coolest fish I've ever had. Thanks, but unfortunately I'm not one for deep enough sand beds. In fact I have only a thin layer of CC as a bed. Still, I have to agree with you! A paired Pistol Shrimp and Goby are fascinating and provide endless hours of entertainment. Shane has one in his DT at FishyBusiness and it's so much fun to just sit there and watch them! You're in Oak Hill, correct? Any chance of grabbing lunch sometime and talking fish? I'm half way between Oak Hill and DS. Absolutely! I work a little bit futher into town (manchaca/71) but there are so many good places to eat around here I'm always game. With respect to the goby, you definitely don't have to pair them. Mine haven't even found eachother yet. The shrimp is busily fortifying a bunker and the yasha chills in the back area of the tank until feeding time. I',m more keen on the look of the goby than the shrimp personally, but the behavior is certainly very cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chippwalters Posted August 28, 2013 Author Share Posted August 28, 2013 Chipp, I added this one recently , but a yasha goby (and pistol shrimp if you dont mind some sand work) is by far the coolest fish I've ever had. Well, I took your advice and purchased a tiger pistol and yellow watchman goby (not my pics): and also picked up a pair of fire fish gobies: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Great choices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chippwalters Posted August 28, 2013 Author Share Posted August 28, 2013 Great choices. Umm. Actually, not so great. Went to check on the tank in the middle of the night and the Coral Banded Shrimp was just finishing off the pistol shrimp. The CBS was quite a bit larger, but I had assumed it would leave the pistol alone. The PS didn't look too good when I put him in the tank (1.5 hrs of acclimation) and perhaps he was just too defenseless or sick to put up much of a fight. Anyway, I'll think about getting another, bigger, one. Though, I really don't want WW3 breaking out in my little tank! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Oh no ! You know what I've started doing with good success ? Skipping the lengthy acclimation. 15 minutes max with a 50% dilution for fish and 2 50% dilutions with inverts. Corals just get temp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chippwalters Posted August 28, 2013 Author Share Posted August 28, 2013 Hmmm. Interesting. The fact is this shrimp had just arrived at the store the same day I bought it. Perhaps just too much stress for it in one day... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Yeah, very plausible. The pistol is going to be in a burrow 99% of the time. I think the CBS just got him because he was already in bad shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chippwalters Posted August 28, 2013 Author Share Posted August 28, 2013 Yep, just called Shane and he agreed, too much acclimation for one day. He said the pistol shrimp, even though quite a bit smaller, could defend himself easily against a much larger CBS. In fact I believe his words were something like, "he'd rip one of his (CBS) legs off." He told me to come by and pick up another- no charge. I'll do it this weekend. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 That and a CBS would have a hell of a time getting into the PS' burrow. Good luck with # 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 I've seen my old PS take a CBS on and then CBS walked away with one claw missing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esacjack Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 my ps took out my cbs as well, only to have karma step in, the next morning he was sucked into one of my powerheads... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Choptrucks Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Chip I just read through all of your forum posts and everybody here repling to them from the shallow crash and all the aching, bc wondering why you were selling it and now finsishing your thread I know bc you got a taller one.(which looks great I might add, really dig it) just your postes makes me heartbroken man i look at my aquarium as a part of my family and to have all that hard work nd money just gone in an instant is kinda scary... just being real... I wish I would paid more attention to the forum and could have given you serveral free frags a few months ago to help get you back in the reefing mood lol. I hope the best for you and im still trying to talk my wife into another/your pico/nano shallow 60ada that you have for sale lol. Hope to see You on ACR later. BTW vortech pumps are awesome huh!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chippwalters Posted September 29, 2013 Author Share Posted September 29, 2013 Chip I just read through all of your forum posts and everybody here repling to them from the shallow crash and all the aching, bc wondering why you were selling it and now finsishing your thread I know bc you got a taller one.(which looks great I might add, really dig it) just your postes makes me heartbroken man i look at my aquarium as a part of my family and to have all that hard work nd money just gone in an instant is kinda scary... just being real... I wish I would paid more attention to the forum and could have given you serveral free frags a few months ago to help get you back in the reefing mood lol. I hope the best for you and im still trying to talk my wife into another/your pico/nano shallow 60ada that you have for sale lol. Hope to see You on ACR later. BTW vortech pumps are awesome huh!!!! Thanks for all the kind words. It is a process and it takes time and patience to get to where you going. I've had some great help from members here on ARC. I'm thankful for that! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chippwalters Posted September 29, 2013 Author Share Posted September 29, 2013 Updated my overflow with a new 3D printed one with surface skimmer action and interior snail guard. For more on IT go HERE. Added a new pistol shrimp. Let him ride out the first night in a floating container, then put him to work the next day. Started tunneling around quite a bit. While I see his handiwork, I never see him. Is this normal? Also, my yellow watchman goby hasn't been seen in weeks. I think I saw the little fella the first 3 or 4 days, but he went around back and I haven't seem him since. I suspect he's gone. :-( Same thing happened with one of my firefish. Never did find him-- he just disappeared. Looked all around for the jump, but didn't see it. Plus it's a good 2-3 inches over the top of the tank. I suspect the hermits and coral banded shrimp make quick work of dead/dying fish. Anyway, here's a FTS. Still working on my BMLED tank mount... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chippwalters Posted August 25, 2014 Author Share Posted August 25, 2014 A year after I started this. Been through some ups and downs, but I told Timfish I'd post changes. Lot changed. Switched out the crushed coral for Tropic Eden Reeflakes Aragonite. Had a crash and lost the hammer and zoas. Added in a Samosa months ago and it's doing fine. Had a bit of a flatwork outbreak and bought a 6-line and it seemed to take care of it. Just upgraded to the new single Radion and I think it makes a difference as it is brighter and has UV. Here's what it looked like a few weeks ago. You can see 1) the UV BMLED fixture (orange) I 3D-printed and the old Radion: Here it is today: Added a chalk bass which really gets along well with the 6-line... who would've thought? And these ACANs have been with me now for years. They've survived total destructive tank crashes. They are amazing and I really enjoy feeding them. Hopefully, I'll update again sooner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KimP Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Things are looking good! I've always liked your tank and I'm glad to see an update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chippwalters Posted October 5, 2014 Author Share Posted October 5, 2014 Another update. Inspired by Timfish and KimP, I've decided to do some new aquascaping. Plus, I've got a new iPhone 6+ and I wanted to check out the video camera stabilization feature. Here are 2 videos. In the first one, the fish were on strike and decided not to show. After lengthy negotiations with their agent, Mr. Cleaner Shrimp, (and involving some frozen mysis shrimp), they showed up and played to perfection their award-winning 'swimming fish' roles for which they were hired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 I bet their agent could have held out for more! Looking good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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