40 Breeder Build

[+Grog]

Added an ATO today.   Works pretty good.  The little optical sensor is kind of cool. Had to trim some of the rim off of the tank to fit it, but that is expected.    Petco has tanks 50% off so I bought a 20-gallon tank for the ATO reservoir.   

I'm pretty happy with this.  It has an optical sensor and looks like it will work well.     One thing is the instructions suuuuuuuuuuck.     They shipped with Chinese instructions.   Had to find better ones online and those were questionable.  Got it set up and I'm not back siphoning any more.    

Worth $80 and I don't have to worry about daily top offs.   I'll just fill the ATO reservoir when I do my weekly water changes.

I do worry a snail might adjust its position.   I may get a big *** neodymium magnet to replace the stock one.   I'll do that when I buy magnets for hanging my cover on the front of the stand.   Trying to make this look presentable and not ghetto like some of my systems look. 

 

[+Grog]

ATO is working.  And I'm enjoying the bit of freedom.    Seems to be sensitive and keeping the tank filled at all times, not letting it drain down an inch then filling up.

Got some really cool green palythoa grandis from Tim.  They won't stay in this tank long term.  They are detined for the 75 but they are doing great, opened up and full of that nice green color.   Fireworks polyps opened up. 

The cryptic 6-line is making appearances now.   Cool little fish.   Skittish but fun motion patterns.   Seems like a good citizen.

Did the weekly water change.  All is good.   All parameters right where I want them.   No surprises.   Put all the things I need to turn off during the water change on a single strip, so I can turn them off at once.  (Heater, HOB filter, power head, ATO)    It sucked unplugging them individually.  I even labelled them. 

Tomorrow, I'm redoing the screen top with a less PAR blocking screen.   Should be fun.  More details tomorrow.  

 

 

[+Grog]

Tim came by last Friday and was nice enough to bring his PAR meter.  We tested the tanks and there were two surprises.

1.) The 75G tank's cheap Hygger lights don't put out much PAR but the actinic supplemental strip from SB Reef does.   IIRC 80% of the PAR was from the supplemental bar.   (I'm trying to order a second, so it gets the right 'look'.)   Hygger not being high par was not a surprise but the actinic supplemental putting out about 125 PAR itself at the bottom of the tank was a shocker.  

2.) The big surprise was that the screen I had on top of the 40G breeder was blocking 2/3 of the PAR from the Kessil 😬

After finding out item number two, I knew I had to replace the screen on the top.    It is window screen designed to keep sunlight out so, I guess it was doing its job!  

I removed the lid and temporarily put an Amazon box over the top to keep Mr. Fantastic from jumping.    Removed the window screen and added wooden dowels a cross bracing for the new material.

The new material is what is called 'bird netting'.  People use it over tomatoes to keep birds off.  Plastic so it won't rust.   About 1/4" gaps.   I cut grooves for the dowels with a round bit with a Dremel tool.  Then just glued them in.   This keeps the netting from sagging.

After assembly I painted it all black.

Then I stapled on the bird netting with stainless staples.

This should work to keep the fish in, and not Nerfing my Kessil.      

Since there is so much more PAR hitting the tank now. I re-did my light settings, and reset the light on to 'acclimation mode'.     This is VERY easy in the Kessil.   I'm very happy with the light, the app, the mounting, everything.  It is a great light.   Only not running two over the 75G because of the fiberglass shark replica above the tank.   Shark is not moving!   So, I needed surface mounting lights for that build.

Overall, even redoing this project the lid was under $20 total.    The bird netting was a huge 14' square piece for $9 so I have enough to build a similar lid for the 75G.

Below are the obligatory FTS and look at the screen installed.  I'm playing with manual camera settings to get the pictures to look as much like the actual tank as possible.   Eventually, I'll get that down.

One last development.  The Hollywood Stunner had sweepers out today.   They are pretty substantial.   Remind me of the sweepers my Frogspawn used to put out.   These were a good 6" earlier.  Very cool.

Until next time. 

Edited April 4, 2023 by Grog
Sweepers

[+Grog]

New livestock!

Went to Aquadome yesterday.   Grabbed a nice Galaxea, a mushroom rock, and a red shrimp. 

Shrimp is hiding but here are the Galaxea and mushroom rock.   Galaxea is already sweeping like a boss.   

[+Grog]

All parameters stable.   No issues with the tank.   Nice slow roll. 

Something I'm working on is photos documenting growth and growth patterns on the Hollywood Stunner.  I won't post these weekly but more like quarterly, but here is the start.   

Interesting to see same angle shots with growth over time. 

This is about three weeks.   IMO the growth area is where the black and red lines are.   That is about 1/4" of growth in those three weeks.  Multiple mouths have formed and grown.   The area with the red line only now has pronounced other flesh under the mouths that was not there previously.

I'm going to keep taking photos weekly from the same angle.   I want to save these to document how they grow, and not just say that they grow 'fast'.

Sample size of one, so take it for what it is worth....  😛

This is also a marked improvement from the earlier post.

The other side also has interesting growth.   Almost looks like it drips or oozes into spots.   The red highlighted areas were not there when it was added a few weeks ago.   

Cool critter to observe.

 

[Timfish]

Cool.  Wish there was some way to quantify a corals health.  One of the dogmas that annoys me is the idea that fast growth = healthy growth when it may in fact impact a corals ability to deal with stress or infections.  One obvious issue is a more fragile skeleton as faster growth requires more open spaces in the skeleton.

 

  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3758286/

 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022098111004588

[+Grog]

I'm no expert, but everything I've read about the HS says, 'fast growth' and 'easy to frag', even accidentally.   So, that tends to match what you are saying.   

Fast and easy don't really tell us anything.   All relative.   So, my goal is to document it somewhat, if only for this specific hunk of coral.   The oozing growth areas are noticeably larger even this morning.   It aint as fast growing as my cucumbers in the hydro tent but it is a fast-growing coral for sure.   I'm hoping over a few months I can say something like, this coral averaged X" in diameter per month.

Another note:  it is interesting to watch everything close up at night.    The HS looks like a flat chunk of rock at night, completely retracted.

[+Grog]

Ooh,

UPS arrived.   New corals.

• Purple Milka Stylo X4 (Top rack)
• Orange Monti Cap (Lower rack)
• Mystic Sunset Monti (Middle rack)
• TCF Flurry Acro (Top right)
• Garf Bonsai Acro (Lower rack)

Stylos are going in the 70 when it is set up. Might keep one in this tank.   Montis and Acro should likely stay in this tank.

Hard to get a picture but I am most liking the colors on the Mystic Sunset monti.   An irridescent blue with some red in there.  I'll likely move it down to the same rack as the orange monti.

Still waiting on my live rock and sand.   Need that tank up and running, the Galaxea's sweepers are real!   Like 6-8" long and out all day long.   It has taken over a good 1/3 of the tank space.    70 it will have the top area of half the tank to itself.

Once the Galaxea is in its proper place, I can spread the montis out in this tank.  For now they are chilling/acclimating in the frag rack.

[Timfish]

With two systems, keeping corals from disparate families or corals with specific requirements is easier.  Keeping mixed reefs can more difficult IMO.  Wright showed there can be significant differences in immune system resiliance at the genotype level (Wright, et al.).  Beside have distinct microbiomes or holobionts, corals also manipulate the microbes in the water around them and the potential for biological warfare exists (Walsh, et al.)  Veron's books show some corals can be very cosmopolitan or have very specific conditions.  One example of a coral that requires specific tankmates is Acropora microclados or Shortcake Acro.  In the wild A. microclados is found almost exclusively in the company of other acropora species with only about 5% found in the company of other coral genus (Strawberry Shortcake). 

 

The problem for us aquarists is figuring out which corals are hardy and which are delicate.  Two obvious variables are price and commonality.  If you want to have a bunch of "designer" corals, to help get the right microbial stuff getting closely related species that are "hardier" is probably the best way to start stocking a system.

 

[+Grog]

My intent is to have two different systems for sure.   Maybe not totally unmixed but I'm trying to do less in each system.  I think that was one of the issues with my last tank.  Tried to do to many things.  Competing requirements etc.    Very tricky.

[+Grog]

Galaxea is looking like it should tonight.  Sweepers out and all the little green mouths open.  Very cool

[Timfish]

If you're thinking about glueing stuff to the glass pre-applying superglue to the glass helps improve the odds of a frag staying until it starts to encrust.  Have the frag ready to glue.  Using a clean frag plug apply a big goopy amount og superglue gel to the flat face.  Rub the glue against a clean spot where you want the frag to start encrusting.  When you pull the frag plug away you should see a fair amount of glue sticking to the glass.  Quickly apply glue to your frag and hold it against the glue spot until the glue sets.

[+Grog]

Hide and Seek

I'm super paranoid about the Helfrichi Firefish.    Expensive, to me, small fish.     Disappeared again.

Pops up.   Disappeared again.

What is going on?

Tank has been disrupted.    Normally, I hear folks adding a fish with aggression disrupts a tank.   Nope.    The addition of the blood red shrimp caused it!

Took me a few days to figure it out.   All the fish love this one hidey hole.    Blood red shrimp decided that hidey hole is now his.   Fish are all pissed....     Well.    Oddly enough blood red shrimp and Helfrichi are buddies.    Helfrichi is deep in the hole.    Big blood red shrimp is in the entrance.    None of the other fish will come near.   Pygmy Angel and Royal Gramma want NOTHING to do with the blood red shrimp.   They avoid it like the plague.   Helfrichi comes out for feeding, and a few minutes after, but goes back in and is 'guarded' by the shrimp.    Very odd but this has been going on for about a week now...

 Not what I expected.

[Timfish]

After 4 decades I'm still amazed by what happens in these systems.

[+Grog]

Interesting thing.

The Paly Grandis were almost all with the cinnamon and green variant.   There was one head in the colony that had no green.    Now it has developed the green like the rest of the group.

Bottom right head.

Now if they can get that blue center like some get. 

 

[Timfish]

Probably going to have to mess with the lighing spectrum.  These were the brown ones you had back in 2015. 

[+Grog]

I like the green.    But.....

I did move the settings on the AP9X closer to what BRS recommends.   It is more purple to the eye than I prefer but the corals look better to me.     Reminds me of running multiple Fiji Purple in my T5 fixture.   A lot more pop.

I'll just adjust my eyes. 

 

 

Edited April 18, 2023 by Grog
Light spectrum

[+Grog]

Example of what I was describing.   This picture is fairly close to the visual.  Took some phone and GIMP edits to get it right.  

GARF Bonsai.   Looking much more like the pictures that drove my purchase.  

 

[+Grog]

Photography ain't my thing but I'm trying.   

Two good things today.  

1. Fireworks clove polyps really like the better lighted, higher up, spot I put them into and have developed the splash of red and orange. 
2. I was actually able to take a decent photo.    Some post-processing done to make it look closer to what the eye sees.

Ordering some filters for the cell phone camera to see if that makes a difference.

I'm happy with this one though.  

Edited April 20, 2023 by Grog
spelling

[Timfish]

Depending on the filter they can help alot.  Also, friend of mine has gotten pretty good pics with an aftermarket camera app.

[+Grog]

The cheap $30 filter clip on from Amazon did the trick IMO.   Using automatic HDR settings.  Looks decent with minimal edits.

Stunner has a huge new growth spurt on the left side, and on the right side.  8 o'clock and 4 o'clock.     I agree with all the online musings.   It is a fast grower.

[+Grog]

Tanks at night are a different world.  Unusual inhabitants out, and the normal guys behaving differently.

Hollywood Stunner has now shown me why people call it aggressive.     Thing has 3" long approx. sweepers, and like 20 of them.     Never seen it like that but I don't normally look at the tanks when the light is out.  Only seen one or two small sweepers in the day, and they were small.     Guess it opens its mouths up in the day and sends the sweepers out at night...

Glad it is not near anything else and on his own little island.  Love this coral though.  One of my favorite purchases.   Entertaining is an understatement.   More like fascinating.

I'd get a picture but no lights.   I took a few and they were all terrible.   I need to work on night shots next.

[+Grog]

Hollywood Stunner update.     I like this thing.   Seems to be doing good in its little corner of the tank.  There is a row of new mouths on the left side.    Neat how that side is growing outward and the right is curling upward.

Side note:  I'm much happier with my recent photos.

[+Grog]

New corals    Getting some good colors.

Gold hammer, you can see the birds nest in the to and the mystic sunset monti in the back.    Gold looks cool and really opened up.

Frogspawn and Hammer, orange monti cap in the back.   Fire shrimp photobombed me but I'm happy with it.   He owns that little hole and won't let the fish in.    I LOVE frogspawn.

[Timfish]

Everything's looking good!  Nice to see your fife shrimp isn't shy and hiding a lot like some I've seen.