Squatch's Continuing Adventure with a 40g breeder
- Thread starter Squatch XXL
- Start date
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Tank is doing well. I really attribute the "issues" I had in the past few months to the total tear-down and rebuild when we moved it. I think that stirring up everything just irritated everything. My zoas are doing well again. Opening up as I paid for them to do. The snails have stopped breeding. The tank is on auto-pilot. I keep meaning to toss a piece or 2 of shrimp or scallop into it just to feed the inverts. I have very little time to worry about any new corals or fish. Id rather what I have now makes a full recovery from whatever was ailing it....But the tank is boring. If anyone has any pest inverts they want to donate to this 40, feel free to contact me. Please, No Xenia offers. I don't want that.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
I have taken my time with livestocking....A few months back I donated my urchin to a local guy. Then I picked up a number of new frags. I started dripping kalkwasser on a very sparse rate. I have been able to maintain 440-460 ppm calcium. The corals have been growing at a much much faster rate. I am due for a bulb change as well. Last cycle I did ati 12k, 14k, 2x actinic...This time I may just go with a pair of 14k and a pair of actinic.
Full tank shot:
This pocci has been here a long time. Set-and-forget coral that has grown quite a bit. Also, beside it is a very odd large hermit. None of the other ones got that big.
The urchin really chewed up the paint on my overflows. I could have painted the inside before installation, but that was an after thought.
I got bored the other weekend, and got sick of seeing a 20 gallon long tank just sitting empty, so I made a frag tank:
The frag tank was just a 30 second though process that took an afternoon and cost me next to nothing aside from the light. My full siphon drain from the DT supplies the frag tank. I also added a HOB rio nano skimmer....just because it was the ONLY hob water mover that I had.
Cheapo 4x 24" t5 ho. 2x 10k 2x actinic, but only running 3 bulbs (2 actinic/1 10k)
I have 3 hermits and 3 snails. nothing great is really going on in there. More than a few pieces of cyphaestra, a monti and a small piece of frogskin acro. I need to catch and transfer more CUC.
I REALLY want to break a piece of my green pocci off, but I am happy with its look, and would be sad if I got one I could see.
As time goes on, the quality contents of this tank are going to move to a permanent tank that is being planned for the family room. Lights will be going also. From there I will switch to normal output lights, and look at another mantis. I will probably keep the frag tank hooked in.
Currently unknown coral hitchhiker. This frag has been in my tank since 10-215, and had a few zoas on it....They died off. But this started growing in their place in 01-2016
Full tank shot:
This pocci has been here a long time. Set-and-forget coral that has grown quite a bit. Also, beside it is a very odd large hermit. None of the other ones got that big.
The urchin really chewed up the paint on my overflows. I could have painted the inside before installation, but that was an after thought.
I got bored the other weekend, and got sick of seeing a 20 gallon long tank just sitting empty, so I made a frag tank:
The frag tank was just a 30 second though process that took an afternoon and cost me next to nothing aside from the light. My full siphon drain from the DT supplies the frag tank. I also added a HOB rio nano skimmer....just because it was the ONLY hob water mover that I had.
Cheapo 4x 24" t5 ho. 2x 10k 2x actinic, but only running 3 bulbs (2 actinic/1 10k)
I have 3 hermits and 3 snails. nothing great is really going on in there. More than a few pieces of cyphaestra, a monti and a small piece of frogskin acro. I need to catch and transfer more CUC.
I REALLY want to break a piece of my green pocci off, but I am happy with its look, and would be sad if I got one I could see.
As time goes on, the quality contents of this tank are going to move to a permanent tank that is being planned for the family room. Lights will be going also. From there I will switch to normal output lights, and look at another mantis. I will probably keep the frag tank hooked in.
Currently unknown coral hitchhiker. This frag has been in my tank since 10-215, and had a few zoas on it....They died off. But this started growing in their place in 01-2016
Last edited:
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Some of the corals during/after feeding time. "Feeding" time consists of .5-.75 ml Selcon and 1/3 of a frozen square of mysis, krill etc. Once a week I add a small diced up piece of scallop or shrimp (from the deli counter). All pumps are turned off.
I target feed the pocci and the green zoas (protopalythoa if I am correct?) with a diluted selcon from a turkey baster. The piece of frozen food square is thawed and targeted to the acan, than just blasted into the water to settle. Chunks of meat are dumped in for the crusty crabs that keep the tank clear of all nuisance algae. Boy do they move fast when the smell hits the tank.
After 15 minutes or when the fish gets a fat tum-tum I turn on a 225gph powerhead to circulate the water/food in the tank. After 15-20 minutes of this, I turn it off and restart the sump to display pump.
I target feed the pocci and the green zoas (protopalythoa if I am correct?) with a diluted selcon from a turkey baster. The piece of frozen food square is thawed and targeted to the acan, than just blasted into the water to settle. Chunks of meat are dumped in for the crusty crabs that keep the tank clear of all nuisance algae. Boy do they move fast when the smell hits the tank.
After 15 minutes or when the fish gets a fat tum-tum I turn on a 225gph powerhead to circulate the water/food in the tank. After 15-20 minutes of this, I turn it off and restart the sump to display pump.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Was running ATI 2x blue plus, 1x aquablue special 1x coral plus.
Installed new giessman bulbs.
1x purple
1x lagoon turn on first
1x actinic
1x aquablue turn on second
This photo is when all 4 are on. I can say that the colors seem more crisp. I do like the combo. I seem to find warmer colors more vibrant. I prefer the first set over the second, but when they are both on it looks amazing.
compared to the old ATI bulbs
Close ups of a few corals.
Installed new giessman bulbs.
1x purple
1x lagoon turn on first
1x actinic
1x aquablue turn on second
This photo is when all 4 are on. I can say that the colors seem more crisp. I do like the combo. I seem to find warmer colors more vibrant. I prefer the first set over the second, but when they are both on it looks amazing.
compared to the old ATI bulbs
Close ups of a few corals.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
12-19-2015
08-09-2016 during feeding time)
At first I was unimpressed with this color, but it has grown into a great shape. The polyps look like green fiber optics. Im looking forward to seeing what this does over time. I pondered breaking a frag from the back, but I can't bring myself to do it.
It has nearly consumed the frag plug, and is busily spreading out on the rock.
The rock beside it has cyphestra, which is moving in quite quick. I doubt there would be any issue with coral battles, but if there is, the pocci is moving out.
The fish is a hooven's wrasse. I gave it a container of sand to sleep in, but it prefers the crushed coral. I have never seen her sleep in the sand, nor even dart for it. I only ever see her near the substrate at 9pm. Between 9 and 9:30pm, her day is over and she goes to bed. This photo is after feeding time, and she is fat.
I use a small piece of some frozen cubes for feeding the fish and some of the corals. its a medley of brine and some other small things that acans and hermits love.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
FTS: Early day full spectrum
Pocci colors are crisp and intense. It will be nice to watch these fill out that area of the tank.
Acan. Not growing fast, but certainly eats and has new heads.
Encrusting porites. It was called a darth maul. Strong colors still and growth that was expected as slow. It has begun to encrust the rock it is on. I intend to grow this onto a few rubble rocks in a few weeks.
Frogskin acro. This one makes me want to find other acro. It has been growing well. It quickly affixed itself to the rock it was on, and has spread out a bit in the 3 months I have had it.
proto paly and paly. the green one grows fast, and the other just sits there.....which is fine because I think they are ugly.
Frogspawn hitchhiker.
Here's its history:
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?threads/coral-or-otherwise.96741/
ricordea and protopaly on travertine tile.
Pocci colors are crisp and intense. It will be nice to watch these fill out that area of the tank.
Acan. Not growing fast, but certainly eats and has new heads.
Encrusting porites. It was called a darth maul. Strong colors still and growth that was expected as slow. It has begun to encrust the rock it is on. I intend to grow this onto a few rubble rocks in a few weeks.
Frogskin acro. This one makes me want to find other acro. It has been growing well. It quickly affixed itself to the rock it was on, and has spread out a bit in the 3 months I have had it.
proto paly and paly. the green one grows fast, and the other just sits there.....which is fine because I think they are ugly.
Frogspawn hitchhiker.
Here's its history:
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?threads/coral-or-otherwise.96741/
ricordea and protopaly on travertine tile.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Enjoy my first published tube ever.
Last edited:
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Picked up some new zoas last weekend. I am a sucker for $6 frags that have a few odd polyps/dying corals. I got a plug that came with a really slick colored zoa all over the plug....except the top part that had the rock glued to it with an aptasia. If the lemon juice did not kill it, the super glue coffin may. I glued the plug then upside down to a rock as to keep the cuc or mantis from relocating it. With an urchin EVERYTHING need to be glued down.
I fragged off 2 full polyps yesterday that seemed not even connected to the colony. they did not peel as easy as I thought. 24 hours later they are opened fully and still connected to their new frag rock. Its the middle frag in the picture
After it was all said and done, I ended up getting a total of 5 polyps from that frag plug. They were all attached to odd pieces of agrocrete. 2 were gifted away to local reefers, and 3 remained in my tank.
The fish was messing with these tonight, and I was glad I got to see the entire mass of these things closed up. The spot where it is climbing to the upper rock is just a thick wad of flesh. These are by far the fastest growing thing in my tank.
I quoted myself on that, because its nice to put a time/date on ownership so I can see how far it has grown.
If you look at the photo, you can see 2 flat pieces of oddly shaped agrocrete glued to the top of that middle rock. One is the one that was in that photo from 08-2015
I actually cleaned the side glass. I really like to save it for the snails, but it was starting to get pretty intense.
I got a decent view of this acro...honestly, it the first time I saw it from the side clearly. It looks better from that angle than from the front lol.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Today I spent a few hours "re-arranging" some of my smaller rocks. The reason was simple. They were simply sitting on the CC substrate.
I have WAY WAY WAY too much CC substrate. I had 40# of CC because my mantis shrimp liked to play in it.....Now that I have no manitis, it is a waste, and possibly a future water quality issue.
I removed a little bit less than 4 quarts of CC, and stacked things to survive. Next week I will do the same again in an attempt to remove a few more quarts.
Thankfully my 90 gallon needs more substrate, so it works out. Out of one tank, and right into another.
When the dust settles, there will be photos.
I have WAY WAY WAY too much CC substrate. I had 40# of CC because my mantis shrimp liked to play in it.....Now that I have no manitis, it is a waste, and possibly a future water quality issue.
I removed a little bit less than 4 quarts of CC, and stacked things to survive. Next week I will do the same again in an attempt to remove a few more quarts.
Thankfully my 90 gallon needs more substrate, so it works out. Out of one tank, and right into another.
When the dust settles, there will be photos.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
I lied lol.
Life got terribly busy, and I had little time since my last post.
Today I did my weekly change 10g, and continued the previous post's project to move/remove rocks and CC.
I am doing bits and pieces every few weeks instead of one "event".
At this point all of the rocks in my tank are either supported directly by the bottom of the tank (eggcrate bottom) or are solid on the structure.
I did not remove any crushed coral after I became bummed out when I dropped a rock onto a frag of encrusting monti. It will take at least a week for it to heal. Possibly more. It was a glancing direct hit. I am pondering taking the chop saw to the whole 1.5" piece....Could easily create quite a few nice frags.
I cleaned out all the filter boxes, and flushed out the sump. The last 2 gallons of my sump smelled entirely of sulfur.
Replaced all filter pads and carbon.
I was looking into increasing random flow, and decided to remove the "nozzle" from my store-brand 160gph powerhead.....Since doing that, I can certainly say that it has substantially increased the amount of flow....It is less directed also, and seems to really affect the whole tank.....so I redirected the return lines to cause more turbulence.
Was a nice relaxing afternoon, and long overdue.
After it was all set up....I have this neat frag of a "Blue Ridge Coral" and it has had great PE where I placed it. I don't know if that is good or bad, but It sure looks cool.
I will get photos.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
So yesterday I did a boatload of moving rocks around. Because I don't use frag plugs often, each rock has some sort of something fully attached.
I really have not liked where the monti-cap is. It has the potential to soak up quite a bit of good light and real estate. The rock it is on has an acro attached as well, but Ill just frag it off, and if its stump gets light, it will grow. I may end up just fragging the monti cap as well.
Before:
After:
(early day light)
(Midday light)
Im ready to start sucking out the rest of the crushed coral. Ill take it out as I change the water over the next few weeks. I don't plan on changing any of the rocks, except the one mentioned earlier....Its got a monti cap, some monti stick on a frag plug, and some flesh and green acro. The monti plug is just setting there, but its about 2 cm away from getting hit by the cap.
EDIT
I actually cleaned the side glass by exerting effort yesterday. It had quite a bit of caked on inverts etc. They got crunched up.
This is how it looked today:
Midday
Lateday
Last edited:
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
I have been very "naughty" this month.
I have put off water changes totally last month. I had stringy brownish algae starting to get bad on the back glass, and on the glass. Life was terribly busy, and very little free time was given.
I did a 15 gallon wc today, and while pulling water out, I tooth-brushed all the algae out (as much as I could get). Had this tank been well stocked it could have created a real issue for long term.
I still have random pieces of the algae fluttering around.....however now there are a few pieces that are getting hung up in some of my corals.
No photos at the moment, because I am continuing my lazy streak.
USA people: Don't forget to vote on Tuesday. I don't care who you vote for, but don't make up some excuse as to why it is not important. You pay taxes, and you have an opinion so go and do it. It is your civic duty.
I have put off water changes totally last month. I had stringy brownish algae starting to get bad on the back glass, and on the glass. Life was terribly busy, and very little free time was given.
I did a 15 gallon wc today, and while pulling water out, I tooth-brushed all the algae out (as much as I could get). Had this tank been well stocked it could have created a real issue for long term.
I still have random pieces of the algae fluttering around.....however now there are a few pieces that are getting hung up in some of my corals.
No photos at the moment, because I am continuing my lazy streak.
USA people: Don't forget to vote on Tuesday. I don't care who you vote for, but don't make up some excuse as to why it is not important. You pay taxes, and you have an opinion so go and do it. It is your civic duty.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Just a bit of an update:
15 days ago I did a 15 gallon water change. The tank's algae issue has resolved itself totally. Any and all bits of algae have been eradicated. Im back on a 10g change every other week, and the tank is "back to normal"
I found out that cyphestra and encrusting montipora don't play well together. The cyphestra frag was knocked loose by my pain-in-the-butt large hermit crab onto a monti frag. It caused a large portion to bleach out where the corals touched. It may be a coincidence, but I doubt it.
15 days ago I did a 15 gallon water change. The tank's algae issue has resolved itself totally. Any and all bits of algae have been eradicated. Im back on a 10g change every other week, and the tank is "back to normal"
I found out that cyphestra and encrusting montipora don't play well together. The cyphestra frag was knocked loose by my pain-in-the-butt large hermit crab onto a monti frag. It caused a large portion to bleach out where the corals touched. It may be a coincidence, but I doubt it.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
I had a large spot of cyphestra that was creeping onto my poccilipora. I removed the rocks and swapped them out with my other tank.
what rock I swapped out is pretty substantial.
current FT:
Other random shots:
montipora encrusters on 1.5" squares of travertine tile.
left side of the tank
left side under full on lights @ midday.
right side
zooa on a 1.5" travertine tile
Old coral skeleton with zoas. It has red bubble algae. I have had it like that for a year+ and never had the algae move off anywhere else. What eats this stuff? how do I get rid of it before it does something.
Yuma and at least 4 "babies" + a few zoas on the right side of the tank.
Heres the rock I removed: Its been relocated to my other tank. The lights suck on this one, so everything looks too cold.
Its about a foot long and large. I had to replace it with 3-4 smaller rocks that I swapped into my other tank.
another piece that is about 4" long
full travertine tile
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
I had time off the other day. 10 gallon water change. I removed almost all of the CC on the left side, but left a nice bed for the fish on the right. next year some time ill get the rest of it vac'd out. The fish refused to sleep in a big container of sand, but will sleep in 2 inches of crushed coral.
I made frag plugs with the sand I bought for the fish and left over crushed coral from the tank over the summer. They were cured months ago, and have been in the sump for over 2 months.
Also fiddled with some montipora fragging. I need to change my cutting situation a bit.
I have a bit of coral growing on travertine tile. I wanted to "shave" a bit of the encrusted parts off. Goodness is the tile tough.
Its diamond carbide, but boy does that sucker spin fast. Id like to get a tripod with a chain lock and put a water dripper in position. I wussed out after a few cuts of either killing the coral or cutting my finger off. Until I get a face shield this is not gonna happen again. I probably will need to ditch this for something with less hp.....possibly even a handheld drill.
It cuts like butter though. I think that is what scared me.
Over the summer I made these & cured these for months in a 5 gallon bucket. I would change the water out every weeks with water change. They have been in my sump for 2 months unused.
2 parts argonite sand, 1 part portland, 1 part crushed coral. egg carton mold. I lightly glued them to a travertine tile.
The success is with the survivors. The "donors" are doing well. I am betting 60% success rate on transfer.
I broke the "mother" from a tile which was pre-cut into 4x 1" squares. The mother came off, and left 4 moon shaped circles. I trimmed the edges back to make the "frags".
Mother:
Survivors:
Potential casualties:
months ago I had a single sliver of a montipora get loose, and I glued it to a random plug. I swore the thing was dead for months. one day it perked up. Im shocked, but its the bright pink
spot in the middle of the black plug
Anything is possible, and I have the time to watch it unfold. It looks more terrible than the pictures show.
Was educational. I also made some frag "plugs" that I used an ocean themed candy mold to make shapes like seashells and starfish. Ill be using them in the future.
Heres some other random photos:
My acan. Never seems to get bigger. I feed it twice a week, and it does eat.
Random spot of cyano that showed up on a frag plug. Its going away. These yuma things seem to be prolific.
my random frogspawn thing. I didn't buy it, and its doing well. It eats twice a week chunks of seafood.
Happy holidays!
I made frag plugs with the sand I bought for the fish and left over crushed coral from the tank over the summer. They were cured months ago, and have been in the sump for over 2 months.
Also fiddled with some montipora fragging. I need to change my cutting situation a bit.
I have a bit of coral growing on travertine tile. I wanted to "shave" a bit of the encrusted parts off. Goodness is the tile tough.
Its diamond carbide, but boy does that sucker spin fast. Id like to get a tripod with a chain lock and put a water dripper in position. I wussed out after a few cuts of either killing the coral or cutting my finger off. Until I get a face shield this is not gonna happen again. I probably will need to ditch this for something with less hp.....possibly even a handheld drill.
It cuts like butter though. I think that is what scared me.
Over the summer I made these & cured these for months in a 5 gallon bucket. I would change the water out every weeks with water change. They have been in my sump for 2 months unused.
2 parts argonite sand, 1 part portland, 1 part crushed coral. egg carton mold. I lightly glued them to a travertine tile.
The success is with the survivors. The "donors" are doing well. I am betting 60% success rate on transfer.
I broke the "mother" from a tile which was pre-cut into 4x 1" squares. The mother came off, and left 4 moon shaped circles. I trimmed the edges back to make the "frags".
Mother:
Survivors:
Potential casualties:
months ago I had a single sliver of a montipora get loose, and I glued it to a random plug. I swore the thing was dead for months. one day it perked up. Im shocked, but its the bright pink
spot in the middle of the black plug
Anything is possible, and I have the time to watch it unfold. It looks more terrible than the pictures show.
Was educational. I also made some frag "plugs" that I used an ocean themed candy mold to make shapes like seashells and starfish. Ill be using them in the future.
Heres some other random photos:
My acan. Never seems to get bigger. I feed it twice a week, and it does eat.
Random spot of cyano that showed up on a frag plug. Its going away. These yuma things seem to be prolific.
my random frogspawn thing. I didn't buy it, and its doing well. It eats twice a week chunks of seafood.
Happy holidays!
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
I had another tank project in the works that finally completed.
I started to "move out". It took a few days to plan it exactly. It did go as planned from 11 am till about 3pm.
I got all the rocks I "wanted" from this tank, and up-traded for my other tank.
In the meantime, I am keeping this mess somewhat running. I have enough bulbs to run it for the next 2-3 years....Ill use it for grow-out and frags. The colors are very nice. It would be total nonsense to break down a successful tank when there is no reason to. I have no reason to at the moment, so I can now fixate on another tank while this one grows out some frags.
I got my brother into keeping a small reef tank. Basically what that means is that I will be totally maintaining a small tank that is built into a wall at the end of a bar. It is going to get most of my remaining corals. The rocks leftover...Possibly another mantis tank.
Here is the last big drop of photos for this thread. Looks like a disaster.
I will be moving this acan over in a bit. It is well fed, and never seems to get bigger.
I previously featured this hack job of "fragging". If I have 60% transmission, I will be happy. I will stick to contact to contact to move encrusting corals around in the future.
boring frogspawn. Heavy eater. skeleton is starting to look as though it is becoming 2 heads. I did not move this piece at all during the coral moving. it seems too happy where it is.
All of my mushroom colors in once place. I have not decided if I am moving these over. They are happy. They also eat like crazy.
some pieces of poccilipora that broke off during the transfers. They are affixed to diy agrocrete starfish.
Paly of some sort (green mouth) and what I think is a proto-paly (totally green). Both of these are covering this rock. They both eat small pieces of meat. They small green ones are growing like crazy. I could certainly make a business selling 10+ frags a month of it at this point.
more of the greens.
All of my corals moved over to this thread....a progression of the build.
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/...llon-3-foot-pile-of-rocks.97121/#post-1328035
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Moved some agrocrete rocks over to my larger tank. Moved some smaller rocks back. Tank is doing well growing monti and cyphestra. The "plan" at this time is to move everything into one system, and turn unusable rocks into.
