Blndbunny's 40g shallow reef

[Blndbunny]

First fish went in today! I've had my eye on a little tail spot blenny at my lfs for about two months. they were kind enough to quarantine him for me in their high end cube that's a seperate system. He's eating like a champ, or rather a garbage disposal, he's not picky about food at all. Anyways I have him all acclimated and in the tank, he hid for about an hour and is now picking at algea on the rocks.

Also so far the peppermint is still alive, and so is the scarlet crab, also I've found no more smashed shells. I have also not seen any signs of the mantis since I did the fresh water dips. I've used the mantis trap for the past three nights and nothing, except a few snails that didn't trigger it to close.

Moved a few more corals over, and my monticap that had a nem on it. Everyone is doing good so far. I will keep moving corals over one or two every few days. In a week or two I will move the clowns over if everything is staying good and stable.

The zeovit cycle really is disconcerting, I'm amazed that I have animals in the tank in two weeks. It's so diffrent from a standard cycle. I'm used to my tank looking like crap at two weeks in, but instead I'm actually showing it off and posting pics on FB and inviting my friends into the office to see the tank.

 

[Oxylebius]

Enjoy your tail spot. Mine is always amusing. Goes about its own business and isn't phased by any of the other fish in the tank. I suggest picking up a large shell, lg barnacle, or lg urchin test for it and it will make its home in it.

 

[Blndbunny]

Awe he is so cute! Right now he has picked the cave next to wear my peppermints been camping out . I like this as an excuse for a barnacle! He seems like he's gonna to be clown, at least he was at the store, and super social. He was also well behaved with Sps, clowns and nems

 

[Blndbunny]

Well I've moved more into the tank, most of my corals are now chilling on the sand bed. I will be remounting them from frag plugs to rubble rock and then onto the rock work. They are already starting to color up being in the zeo system. Picked up a frag of ORA mean green birdsnest and ORA birds of paradise from a new (to me) reef store. I've never had luck with birds nests in my previous system, but they were cheap and nice sized, so I figured I'd try. My zoas hare so fluffy and full. My one bubble tip is opening up huge and eating like normal, hasn't even moved since I placed it. It's been attached to the underside of a monticap since I purchased it last April.

My two spot blenny is doing great. He's found a favorite perch nestled among the colonial tunicates, treating them as pillows. My peppermint is actually coming out of his cave and be social.

Today I found a nice sized orange/red porcaline crab waiving in the rock work

I have not seen any signs of that mantis since the FW dip, my snail count has stayed consistant and I have not found any Brocken shells and mangled crab bodies im not holding my breath but I'm happy I haven't seen him

I have one sps colony, that I will have to cut away from its live rock or move he whole rock, my clowns, another anemone and then the goby pistol pair left to move over

 

[Blndbunny]

Moved the clowns in today and my second nem. Stupid thing is currently upside down in the rock work in the darkest part of the tank. I'm hoping he moves, however these two nems stayed put in the other tank never moving from where I first put them.

I'm planning to move any of my frags that are still on plugs to rubble rock later, then hopefully this weekend get them all mounted into the rock work. Going to clean up any damaged frags that have skeleton showing before remounting them.

The large colonial tunicates is slowly shrinking, some of the smaller ones that are out of direct light still seem happy. The large one looks happy but I can tell its shrinking. However the large sea quits seem to be doing really well.

This weekend I will be attempting to trap my goby and pistol pair to move them over then break down the tank. If it doesn't happen this weekend it will have to wait till I get back in town

 

[Blndbunny]

Updated full tank shot

[/url] image by jessica_haering, on Flickr[/IMG]

And close ups of the clown before I moved them over. Please ignore the bubble algea I had to tear the tank apart to catch them. They will eat from my hand and swim into a cup during water changes, but the net, that's pure evil

[/url] image by jessica_haering, on Flickr[/IMG]

[/url] image by jessica_haering, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[sirrealism]

Great pics. Tank is looking good. I tell ya I am start5ing to think the zeo thing might be more then hype. I wanted to do glennfs system but getting the products is going to be very hard so my other option is Zeo.

 

[Blndbunny]

Thank you!

I've got to say so far I'm very happy with zeo, I've never had a tank start up easier. The dosing regiment can be rough, timing worked out so that I haven't been traveling while the tank cycled. I'm headed out of town next week so I need to figure out and get my dining pump set up. Hubby's works schedule has been crazy and don't want to add anything else.

Take a look on the zeovit forum, there are lots of people willing to help and answer questions. My corals are loving it, my acan has two new heads visible, and the PE on my stonies is fantastic. My monti cap and encrusting monti are showing growth rings. My colors are coming back extremely quick. I can't believe I have anemones in a three week old tank. They are always open! The sponges, tunicates and bivalves are all doing great that came in on the live rock. The tank is currently having a bit of the uglies, the sand bed has some algea, but my blenny is eating it and within 24 hours it's starting to die back.

Now the supplements are expensive, but I'm not finding it too bad for a tank this size. You also need to be dedicated to your tank, but I think it's worth it. Right now I'm dosing three supplement and then "shaking" the zeo rocks daily. It only takes a couple of mins each day and I do it when I get into my work room before I start work

Defiantly worth it to think about and talk to others about

 

[sirrealism]

Thanks for the info. I will do some more reaserch about it

 

[Blndbunny]

Was out of town for most of last week, and came how to and ugly out break of green hair algea it has mostly browned out already and it's mostly in the sand. Still frustrating. However my corals have never looked better, they have the best polyp extension I have ever seen, and they are gaining noticeable color every few days.

While I was gone my hubby managed to catch my goby and pistol pair and moved them over. Hew was shocked at the size of the pistol, apparently he is nearly 2.5"! I see what appears to be his burrow but have not seen him yet. The goby has been out and about.

Also I had a red footed sea cucumber that I received with my live rock. I've been quite worried about him since his bag leaked in transport. He moved to a place in the rock work and has been holding on, but I've never seen him move or him filter feeding. I got in this morning and he has his filter feeders out.

Last week my large long spined urchin was moved to the softy tank for munching on sps corals. The first time I assumed he went after the once piece because there was some algea on the skeleton. Well he then ate three more frags one of which was perfectly healthy. after he was moved all the frags were moved onto rubble rock and mounted. This week I'm hoping to get them mounted into the live rock

 

[Wrangy]

Good to hear everything is going swimmingly for you!! And that you're transferring everything across without much trouble and that zeo is doing it's thing as it should! The tank is looking awesome and is only going to get better with a full zeo regimen and some TLC As you know my tank is looking sad at the moment but at least everyone is okay in the tub

 

[Blndbunny]

)As you know my tank is looking sad at the moment but at least everyone is okay in the tub

.

But that too will change soon and it will be even better!

 

[Blndbunny]

Well my tank just keeps chugging along I moved all my frags up into the rock work, and low and behold it's starting to look like a real reef! Right now hey are just placed, but I will glue them in a few weeks once I know they are happy with that location.

So far everyone is doing great in the tank, and despite the clicking I've heard everyone is still alive. Still no more mantis sightings, no new dead crab carcasses or smashed shells, but he could still be hiding.

One of my rainbow bubble tips decided to split last night. I thought these guys never spilt. At least I've read that they don't or hardly ever. But that puts me up to three now. They have all gone to live in the same little area, and they are being kind enough to not take prime coral real estate.

I'm still fighting a brown slime algea. I suspect that the BRS natural rubble frag mounts have been leaching phosphates into my system. Phos is at 0.07 on my Hanna checker. Pros on the zeo forums suggested I dose coral snow daily got the week, and lowered how much zeo start and zeo bac. I also stirred up the sand bed (it's only about 1/3-1/2" deep) to help release any nutrients its holding, since that's where the algea is growing

Pictures
Full tank shot

[/url] image by jessica_haering, on Flickr[/IMG]

[/url] image by jessica_haering, on Flickr[/IMG]
Anemone corner

[/url] image by jessica_haering, on Flickr[/IMG]

[/url] image by jessica_haering, on Flickr[/IMG]
Remember that sad yellow Carolina? Well it's clearly loving the Zeo system

[/url] image by jessica_haering, on Flickr[/IMG]
Cucumber busy eating

[/url] image by jessica_haering, on Flickr[/IMG]
My little tangora goby, he's so brave in his new house he even bosses my tailspot around

 

[Blndbunny]

More pictures

[/url] image by jessica_haering, on Flickr[/IMG]

[/url] image by jessica_haering, on Flickr[/IMG]
Birds of paradise

[/url] image by jessica_haering, on Flickr[/IMG]

[/url] image by jessica_haering, on Flickr[/IMG]
ORA neon green birdsnest

[/url] image by jessica_haering, on Flickr[/IMG]
Joe the coral. Still dark but now the polyps are nice and bright green and it's showing nice dark blue tips

[/url] image by jessica_haering, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[StirCrayzy]

Everything looks good !

Let me know if you want to get rid of a nem, PM me ($) I'll swing by and pick it up

I haven't been able to find a smallish rainbow bubble tip around town.

 

[Blndbunny]

I will see if the split will move onto a smaller rock, then shoot you a message. He little, just about 2" when he's fully opened. If it takes after the orginal it will be a very well behaved nem, it's other half lived attached to a monticap and never moved till she split

 

[StirCrayzy]

Little =less havok.
Every rainbow I've seen around town is 4"+ and they don't come around often.

 

[Blndbunny]

So true! Luckily these two/ now three, have been very good tank inhabitants

 

[jaws789832]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wrangy]

Looking spot on! Good to hear everyone is enjoying the new system and the zeo experts have chimed into help with some good advice Your tank will look amazing once everything settles in and starts growing! (Not that it doesn't already )