Ricks' Oceanic 14G Biocube - my first salt water tank

[leahski]

hey you. where are all of the pictures of new zoas and rics? common!
btw, which zoas did you end up getting. i really wanted to order some from him, but i had just gotten a couple of new frags.

[djbacon]

Shipment is due in tonight - includes the following

10 Eagle Eyes - (green and orange)
5 Orange Bam bams- (who comes up with these names...seriously)
10 Neon Green -
A few bonus Cotton Candy (pink and white) - thanks Walt
Orange Ricordia mushroom

I am chompin at the bit to get home and get these guys out of the shipping box. They should arive about a half hour before I do all the way from Florida.
This is my first time ordering anything live online so I am excited to see how it all pans out. I'm half expecting to battle for the lives of this stuff just because it has been in a box for 24 hours but also believe the shipper to be a pro so I have hope all will arrive in good health

In other news, I removed what I believe to be an aipstsia anenome last night. Cruddy timing. Discovery of this led me to opening up my rear chamber and inspecting all my live rock back there too. Only one little guy found and dispatched. Everything else is running like clockwork. Shrimp molted a second time in 2 weeks - all CUC, the brain and hammer are doing well. Water parameters are VERY steady Feeding the brain is VERY trippy.

Pics tomorrow

[leahski]

hahaha awesome.
take pics along the way of your new stuff, i'd like to see some of the intricacies of shipped livestock. it makes me a little nervous, i admit, although i know that it has been done sucessfully for quite awhile. something about putting a living thing in the mail is a little wacky...
maybe you're exerience will give me more courage to order livestock online!

[djbacon]

Awesome shipment Walter !! Everything arrived safe and sound. For now they are all on the sand bed until they open and I can get an eye for where they should live.

This photos is right after I put them in the tank. Taking a time lapse series and will post a few more later as they open up over the next day or two.

[prow]

colors so many collloorrs

[leahski]

ooo...those bam bam's are so pretty already...and the ric looks great!

[djbacon]

yeah they were pricey but worth it....new ft shot tomorrow when they all have a chance to settle in and open up.

Next up..yellow fiji leather and more ricordia..maybe some radioactive zoas.

[djbacon]

So much for time lapse ... I had to move the Zoas out of the freeway of snail traffic on the sand bed. Im going to move the various zoas to different heights relative to light and monitor how quickly the grow...

I placed the orange ones at the top of the tank, hoping the additional light will help them multiply quickly...

The eagle eyes are down towards the left front...

The green neons, are mid level on the right,

The cotton candy are mid level, semi shaded,

The ricordea is at the very front right of the tank. I notice the flow there might be too heavy for it as it seems to be migrating off it's rock..toward the rear. Everything I have read says decent flow for the Ric, but it looks like it may just get peeled off it's rock.

Exciting night last night...I also caught my brain trying to eat one of my nassairus snails that made the mistake of cruising across its mouth !! It appears to be ok after I pulled it out.

Ill take a new FULL TANK shot tonight once everything is happy in its new location. Gladly listening for any tips on growing these guys quickly as there is ALOT of available real estate in this tank at the moment.

[tbittner]

Be careful of what you wish for.

Those corals are all pretty fast growers. Your tank looks so sparkling clean! VERY nice setup!

[djbacon]

Thanks,

I would love nothing more than every square inch of this tank be covered in neon green orange red and blue/purple morphs of zoas and mushrooms of all shapes and sizes.

Let em Grow !!! LET EM GROW !!!!!

[tbittner]

Keep on top of your water quality, which it looks like you are doing, and I think you'll be shocked at how fast these corals will grow.

My Ric's doubled in size in two weeks. Don't get me wrong, some coral species HATE my tank for some reason. Others grow like weeds.

[Los]

Hey Rick! Your tank is looking great. I little bit of coral reef right there in your house. Nicely done.
Have you tried any xenia? I'm not sure if it's suited for nano tanks, but it probably is. Maybe others can comment. My favorite is pulsing xenia, which will give you a bit of movement and it grows like a weed so long as your water conditions are right.

Cheers,

Los

[leahski]

yay zoas!!!
btw, i really like your aquascaping. i hadn't really noticed it before.

[djbacon]

Originally Posted by Los

My favorite is pulsing xenia, which will give you a bit of movement and it grows like a weed so long as your water conditions are right.

Yeah, I think Xenia might grow TOO fast for my nano, but I have considered it. How's the 300 gallon monster coming along?

[djbacon]

New tank mate aquired last night - picked up a small clown for the tank. He just wanted to come home with me.... what can I say...The reef seems much happier and like a reef with an inhabitant. New FTS to follow. For now, here is one of the new kid.



Latest parameters - very steady, alkalinity dropped a little since the last test but still in a good range - will be monitoring closely since the addition of the little ammonia factory

salinity 1.024
temp 80
ph 8
nitrate <.10
ammonia 0
calcium 480
phosphate 0
dkh 8