My 29G pre-Reef FOW(a bit of)LR Tank

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

So, I've been planning a reef tank for a year (estimated cost $3000 including apex), and I won't have that kind of money free for at least six months.  

 

So I decided to go cheap with a small FO-tank, W maybe a bit of LR.   

 

I used a 29G from Petco and one of their Imagitarium (store brand) stands (cost $110 out the door, total).  Since I want to have jawfish, I ordered about 40lbs Caribsea Seafor Super Reef, to get about a 2-2.5" sandbed for them (they can dig to their heart's content to if they want the substrate to be deeper).   

 

The water is from Walmart's filtered water dispenser; I'm not happy that the TDS is 20, but I figure for these purposes it's OK.   Salt is Red Sea (regular, not coral pro).   I added seachem to remove chloramines, and the chloramine readings are zero.   

 

However, after nthis auspicious (?) beginning, I had a misadventure: I decided to add salt in the tank; but not only did I add too much salt (no patience), I also added it AFTER the gravel. So, the salt was mixing with the gravel floating about.   This caused about a week's of trouble, but the tank is clear now and the salnity is around 35ppm.   

 

So, yesterday (8/24) I added a whole (small, 55ml) bottle of Dr. Tim's bacteria mix and his proscribed amount of ammonia (120 drops).  

 

It's about 24 hours later now, I've done an initial set of tests, parameters are as follows:

 

Salinity: 35ppt

Salifert NH3/NH4: 0.5-0.6ish

Salifert NitrateL 10+

 

 

Salinity was measured by a Red Sea refractometer.   I'm not too fond of this device; it needs to be constantly recalibrated with the calibration fluid.  The measurements are hard to read too.  But it's better than the BRS one I also tried (returned because that particular sample was uncalibratable).  

 

Pictures to follow.........

 

ETA: Another thing with this tank: I'm using a (trusted) WAMAS member's former, wet, bacteria-laden MarinePure block.  I hope this will help with the cycling/bacteria seeding process.   

Edited August 26, 2017 by KingOfAll_Tyrants

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

Today's numbers:

 

Salinity is still around 37.   Once the tank finishes cycling I'm going to remove about 2 gallons and replace it with freshwater.

Ammonia was notably darker - I'd say more towards the 1.0 color on the salifert (WAG: 0.8)

Nitrate was also darker - more towards salifert's 0.25 (WAG: 0.20)

 

I am tempted to buy Hanna checkers now.  :D :D

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

Today's measurements: Ammonia 0.5, Nitrate 10.  

 

I'm a bit surprised Nitrate has gone down, which I attribute to two potential factors: 1) operator error reading these silly color charts 2) the fact that I used a well seeded marinepure (in admitedly a quite large tank for such a block) might mean that nitrate-processing bacteria inside took care of it.  

 

ETA: per Dr. Tim's instructions (day 3, if ammonia is below 2.0 then) added about 30 drops of ammonia.

Edited August 28, 2017 by KingOfAll_Tyrants

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

Today Ammonia was a bit darker than 0.5. Nitrates were almost 25. Based on the Salifert kits.  

Seems to me that that ammonia is processed relatively quickly into Nitrate?

 

As a side note, sorry for posting this every day.   I'm doing it diligently for my first tank, though I certainly won't do this after I think it's cycled.  

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

8/29 measurements: Ammonia 0.25, Nitrate a bit darker than 25.    

[tygger]

Good job keeping a log. I'm sure that block is processing your ammonia, so my first thought/question is how much of the beneficial bacteria from the block will spread and grow in the tank (outside of the block)? That block is oversized for your tank, so new bacteria may not be growing. When you remove the block, you may experience another cycle. This is different than adding seed sand where you keep it in the tank and allow bacteria to grow. Just my thoughts. Maybe someone with more experience can chime in here.

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

Thanks Tygger.  Honestly, I know it's way oversized for the tank.  But I thought that if I added Dr. Tim's bacteria and ammonia dosed as he said I would be OK.  I didn't think that this might harm the growth of bacteria outside the block.  (I suppose I could do an experiment...... :D )

 

Update:

 

I have been doing daily measurements, but haven't posted it daily (much, I'm sure, to everyone's disappointment :D ) because I've had other things to do. 

 

Ammonia went back down to near zero on 8/30.  However, there was an ammonia spike in a bucket where I was keeping some extra ceramic "dry rock" from Caribsea, starfish, and a hermit crab (the bucket originally contained the marinepure, and these were hitchhikers).  Since Dr. Tim's recommended adding fish at that time (which I haven't done), I decided that the tank looks roughly cycled, and the tank would be better for these folks than the bucket.  [some Caribsea "rock" was put straight into the tank about a week ago, another half stayed in the bucket this week]

 

So, I added the bucket's ceramic Caribsea rock, the starfishes, the hermit (1), and some other coral rock I got from a beach a long time ago (an eroded dead coral of somesort, and part of a branch of a Pocillopora), which was curing in the bucket.  

 

Ammonia has stayed near zero (to include after one marine algae tablet which disappeared pretty quickly).  However, Nitrates are up at a little bit more than 25; my guess is 30-35.  

 

 

 

The Caribsea "rocks" that spent the extra week in the bucket have a yellow encrusting type growth; my guess is Diatoms but I don't know.  It's hard to get a good shot with the iphone, but I tried to get focus and (especially) white balance correct, and it's mostly there.  I am going to add a few trochus type snails, though.   

 

[see the attachment]

 

I originally intended, if ammonia continues to be around 0, to reduce some of the nitrates via a water change, and then add some fish (yellow headed jawfish from KPaquatics) this week or next.  But maybe I'll hold off.  I dunno.  I am honestly worried about going too fast.  But at the same time, it looks like I've been through a cycle, and with the critters in there I don't want to keep adding ammonia.   (which I could conceivably do - add a whole lot to test the filter - if I really wanted to see if the tank is cycled.  And if I wanted to do a 100% water change to get rid of all the nitrates!)

Edited September 3, 2017 by KingOfAll_Tyrants

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

I did get 4 nassarius snails and add them (my first purchased livestock).  They have been eating the hypothesized "diatoms", but only one of them is coming out at all, and usually at night (s/he doesn't like the day or when the kessil is on).    

 

Livestock now includes one very small hermit crab (picked up off the floor at fragfest  while I was cleaning the floor, who has been unlocated for like 3 days), lots of small starfish (came with the Marinepure) and a few very small larval size snails (possibly came with the marine pure, possibly came with the beach rocks since i didn't notice them before I started trying to cure the beach rocks).  

 

Nitrates were around 20 and I did a ~50% water change, so things will be a bit more hospitable for the snails.   Will take pH, ammonia, nitrate measurements tomorrow, but I am a bit worried about an ammonia spike if the snails died (since I can't see them ), but as of tonight ammonia still is 0.  

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

Received two (mated pair) pearly jawfish today from KPaquatics*.   Acclimated them (temperature equalization, and then added ~20ml of tank water about every 3 min for 30 min, per the sticky on RC that says miminze acclimation time, and even if there's a big differential do not acclimate any longer than 30 min unless it's a very fragile fish), and added them**.  So far they are doing excellently.   They stick together and have started building a burrow (behind the Marinepure).  That being said, I kept the Kessil 360WE  on all afternoon, and feel they might have been more comfortable if it was off.

 

They have even started eating a little bit - fed them a cube of Omega One "Predator food" - Mysis, Brine shrimp, bloodworm combo- from Petco because I forgot to order Mysis before they arrived!   I put the cube in tank water, then sucked it into a turkey baster and expelled it into the stream of the powerhead.  This kept all kinds of wormy things floating around the tank which definitely got the Jawfish's attention, though I'm not sure they ate much of it. 

 

A whole cube was also bit too much, I think, but the snails came out in force.   Two of them were out during feeding time, and I saw what I take to be another's antenna.  Later, after lights out, I saw three out and the antenna of the fourth.  I added four, but have only seen one out at night at any given time, and was worried some of them may have died.  But, I've had no ammonia spikes........

 

Salinity was 34, pH 8.6 (with a pH pen).  I've been keeping up my ammonia and 'trate measurements until today, and did not see any changes yesterday.  ('trates are down to ~10 after the ~50% water change.  Of course) I'll check things out tomorrow to see if the fish/feeding has led to elevated ammonia levels. 

 

And as an aside, I may add a small amount of display macroalgae (small calcerous piece and a carefully chosen caluerpa species, not a prolific go sexual type), but after that this tank is done with additional livestock for at least a month.  I'm already worried I added too much (4 snails, two mature jawfish) too fast (over 1 week, maybe two weeks into the tanks life)

 

 

* FL Keys based collector.   Customer service was unresponsive to queries for the past week, but I was asking somewhat annoying questions maybe; they also just got back from their vacation, and were rushing their last shipments out while preparing for an imminent Cat 5 hurricane Irma that may ruin their business, so I cut them slack here.  They took the money easy enough.  Packing was excellent.   They apparently dumped Fedex for UPS recently, and UPS was a load of drama - missed the first overnight delivery date, was able to deliver the "overnight" pack but missed their 10:30 guarantee; I had to go out and find the driver at around 12PM so I could go to work; fortunately I found him a few blocks away and he let me take the package after showing his license.  I wish KP aquatics the best during this time, and hope they can get back on their feet soon!

 

However, the bag showed a pH of 7.5 (measured immediately upon opening) and salinity of 25 (! - I thought it may have been a fluke, but I checked the tank immediately before and after and it gave a consistent 34.  Obviously, I measured salinity only once before starting acclimation, and afterward measurements are useless)

 

** I thought that since these were my first fish, I didn't "need" to quarantine them.  However, looking at it a second time, I may have to deal with the possibility of them developing Ich or somesuch in a month, which would be easier if I used a q-tank.   Well, worst come to worse I can remove the snails, the gravel and the marinepure and have a 30g quarantine tank if there's an ich outbreak.  or maybe just tear the tank down and rebuild it - not like there's much there yet.

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

So, the jawfish have been in for a week.  Initially, they moved under the Marinepure, but for better or worse I didn’t like that (or where the Marinepure was) and so I moved the Marinepure to the other side the the tank and buried it deeper.  

 

I was also worried about the jawfish; I only saw one out “guarding the den.

 

Well I didn’t have to worry; on moving the Marinepure last Sunday the other jawfish came out; both were reasonably active and eating for Sunday and Monday.  After moving the Marinepure they started remaking their den.  They put a lot of work into it - they have an apparent tunnel and they’ve moved every single one of the fairly abundant shell and ceramic rocks into a part of their den.  It takes up about half the (30X12) tank (2.5” overall sandbed) and has many apparent shell or small rock covered entrances.   

 

Still, they hide.  I only see the small one when it deigns to pop its eyes out of the den (and remove its shell door).  They won’t eat, at least not with me around*.

 

Neverthless, even though this is my first update in a week, I have been doing measurements each day.  Salinity has been stable at 33ppt, ph has swung from 8.4-8.7 up and down.  Today, after feeding maybe too much Mysis, ammonia MAY have swung up.  Nitrate went up from 5 to 11-12 within a day or two of me starting to feed; from 11-12 yesterday now it’s gone down a bit to 8-9.  (i.e. it was darker than 10 two days ago, now a bit lighter than 10 on the Salifert color scale.  Quite imprecise.    )

 

All other inhabitants of the tank (4 nassarius snails, 1 very small hermit) accounted for (though the snails also like digging and it’s sometimes a bit of guesswork; but I saw all four full body a week ago and sometimes I count 4 antennae sticking out of the sand). Brown algae (presumably diatoms) are growing now on the glass, and are on many parts of the Marine pure.  However, they have disappeared off of many of the Caribsea artificial rocks they were on at first, presumably eaten by the snails.   

 

I will probably add some more artificial “Reef safe” small rocks (by Caribsea) and a scoop or two more of Caribsea shell substrate.   

 

FTS forthcoming.......

 

 

*feeding procedure: give them about half a cube of Omega One predator food (Brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, blood worms, skeeter larvae) or 5ml or rehyraded, formerly freeze-dried Mysis, per day.  Spit directly on top of their den with a needle-less syringe.  After descending for a bit I turn the pump back on, to keep the food particles flowing in the tank and encourage them to eat like the planktonovores they are.  

Edited September 15, 2017 by KingOfAll_Tyrants

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

Finally had time to post an update.   I have been keeping measurements and observing the tank, but I haven’t had time to type out my thoughts.  I apologize that this is disjointed; I’ve written it over several days and it integrates several posts, which probably leads to some syntax errors.   

 

Video link is below as well……

 

(just to remind people: inhabitants were previously a large marinepure subbing for live rock, about 2-3” of sandbed, a mated  pair of pearly jawfish from KP aquatics and some nassarius snails, and a hermit crab)

 

 

 

Anyway, several things have happened since my last post in this build thread:

 

Algae cycle: I only heard about the nitrogen cycle when I first planned the tank; I thought that once ammonia was reliably turned to nitrates I was done cycling and I could add fish.  That happened at about the one week mark with Dr. Tim’s bacteria in a bottle, ammonia drop additions and a “live” marinepure.

 

However, I did not know that people recommended several months wait AFTER the nitrogen cycle was stable, to allow the algae cycle to go through: briefly said first diatoms, then cyanobacteria, then green algae.   I *think* that’s gone through now, because as of my last water change I had a good amount of green algae in the tank.   With that said….

 

Pest algae: was growing a bit before my last water change - not out of control, but noticeable.  During my water change I wiped a lot of that out.   I also have added a few more snails.   Finally, I’ve also added some macrolgae which I hope will absorb the nitrate and the PO4

 

Lighting: after having gotten a Kessil 360 tuna, I decided I needed something in the greener spectrum to grow the macroalgae and replaced it with a $40 supposed growth LED.   

 

Macroalgae: I added some macroalgae from live-plants.com: Caulerpa sertulariodes (a somewhat less prolific, fern shaped species of this genus) - with C. prolifera and cupressoides mixed in - and Rhipocephalus phoenix (calcerous “pinecone” algae).   I chose the Rhipocephalus because I wanted one of the odd-shaped calcerous macroalgae.  I chose C. sertulariodes because I wanted a fast growing, nitrate absorbing and easy to care for macro; this one looked less dangerous of overgrowth and sexual sporing than others of its genus, its fern shape is quite pretty, and I found that it’s edible for humans.   (though in the end I also got prolifera and cupressoides in the bag as well; the former being particularly fast to grow, and neither of which are palatble to humans) 

 

The growth of the various Caulerpa has been good with the new light, but not spectacular.  I’m not seeing any growth in the (much slower growing) Rhipocephalus. Part of me wants to get a proper grow light, and perhaps dose a small amount of iron.  

 

Given that i don’t have any algae eaters right now in the tank, I intend to prune it occasionally.  I will first let the fronds grow big (maybe 6-7”) and then start pruning it.   

 

Cats:  my cat discovered the tank and would regularly harass the male jawfish (discussed more below) by jumping up to him and chasing him corner to corner (I've put newspaper all over the front of the tank as a temporary measure) - since then, both the male and female jawfish been very skittish. I am going to get a paper, magnet attachment to make a “front cover” on the tank to be placed when I’m not at home.

 

Bristleworms: they’re apparently quite common in the sandbed now. I saw about a 3” one a few days ago (my first notice they were there) and now looking there are little ones under most of the small rock rubble pieces, and I’m sure I’d see more if I dug through the sandbed.  I presume they came with the algae, and that I did not rinse/quarantine.  However, reading about this on the web, I’ve come to conclusion that they are generally beneficial, pending anything actually eating my (presently nonexistent) corals.

 

Snails: I added about 25 small snails.  I intended only for 10; reefcleaners sent me double my requested amount.     I’ve given about half of them away; I regret it a bit now because there is still lots for them to eat, but we’ll keep cool about this.   I *think* one of my nassarius snails died, but my accounting of them is nowhere near reliable.   

 

Bispira worms: there were 1-2 of these on the Marinepure block at first.  I now dub the population officially out of control. There are like 50 of them on the Marinepure.   

 

Obviously, this means that there’s too much detritus in the tank….

 

 

Detritus: when I stir up the sand a bit, a cloud of small stuff comes out.  It isn’t big and doesn’t go far, but still…….  Two water changes ago, I was feeding the jawfish everyday, about 2-5mL of rehydrated (with tank water) mysis a day.  Since they stopped eating, I’ve cut that down, and I’m really struggling with their feeding schedule right now.   

 

Measurements: two water changes ago, Nitrates got to be about 30 and pH went down to 7.5-7.  After that water change, it went down to like 8, and now that the macroalgae are growing it’s went down to around 5 (going back up to 11 after a week), now down to around 2 after the last water change . I got a phospate kit (Salifert and Hanna), and the measurements went from 0.3 or so before the last water change down to 0.1 right after, now back up to about 0.18.   

 

This again suggests I’m letting stuff build up and I need to cut feeding.  

 

Alkalinity absorbtion has been pretty heavy; since my last water change (with Red Sea Coral Pro salt), the alkalinity went from 177 to 160 over the course of four days. I attribute this to the Bispira, and possibly to things living in the sandbed.  

 

Anyway, my raw measurements as 10/29, about four days after the last water change, are: Ammonia 0, Nitrate 2.5 (up from 1 in the past week), pH 8.0ish on salifert (7.7 on the pH pen), Alk 164 (down from 177 4 days ago after the water change), Phosphate 0.10-0.13 (from the Hanna.  Salifert suggests darker than 0.1 but much less than 0.25), salinity 34

 

(side complaing: my copy of the Hanna PO4 checker is not an instrument for measuring PO4 down to two significant digits ppm; variations between measurements can easily be up to 0.07ppm between readings.  Unfortunately, I'm also having a hard time discerning the differences the Salifert PO4 kit; next time I'll double the dose per the instructions. 

 

Jawfish: I got Mr. and Mrs. Jawfish about a month ago, shipped from the Keys right before Irma hit (due to the cluster that inevitably was UPS in that area at that time, the next day air shipment took two days.  I drip accumulated over, I think, 30 mins.  There are no other inhabitants of the DT besides some snails.  And yes, I intend to quarantine future purchases, or purchase quarantined fish from a trusted vendor and WAMAS supporter/member).  Mr. Jawfish (the problem one) has not been active in that time, and has not been visibly eating*.  (feeding regime: freeze dryed mysis kept in 5ml tank water for a few minutes, with garlic powder and selcon added) Usually, he just stayed in the den while Mrs. generally poked her head out and used to eat in my presence (and come out when I stood next to the tank).  From the point they arrived, one or both of them have been very active building and rebuilding their den.

 

Come about two weeks ago, when algae growth picked up in the tank and water parameters suffered, they both started hiding themselves.  Mrs. would never appear.  Mr. would hang out outside their den, in the corner.  Den modifications appeared to stop for 2-3 weeks (that being said, I've not done rockwork before and after pictures; they may have done comparatively subtle modifications).

 

During this whole time, I've not fed them; I tried feeding once or twice in the hopes they'd get food but I've seen no evidence they emerged and ate it, so I stopped feeding them absent Mrs. Jawfish coming out of the den. However, after a Wednesday water change which made the Mrs. emerge, on Thursday PM I put in around 100 live mysid shrimp.  She promptly emerged and ate a few. By Friday AM I could only see a few mysids and by Sunday I saw none (other potential consumers: I have a plague of tiny, 5mm tube diameter fully extended Bispira-type feather dusters).  Since the Wednesday water change she also seems to open the den in the late morning; when I turn on the lights and leave for work it's closed but by the time I get home it's open, she looks out some, but closes it within 15-20 minutes of my return.   

 

I got Mr. a piece of PVC pipe to hang out in a week ago, he lived in it for a bit, then under it, then next to it.  Then, a few days ago, he put a whole bunch of sand and live rock rubble in its entrance, which I took as a good sign (I want eventually to get another piece of largish-rock to bury in the sand, to form their second den/the second bedroom of their den).  

 

Friday, he was under the PVC pipe, with his tail flat on the gravel behind him.  I thought he was dead and dying, especially since he had not (appeared) to move much in the preceding week. I poked him with a net very gently, and he moved under the pipe quickly (dispelling my dying theory, fortunately). By Sunday I believed he was under the pipe, but nthen I looked and he's no longer there; he either died and was eaten by my snails (far less likely) or he went back into their den (far more likely).

 

Anyway, I have not observed him eating in the past month, and for the past several weeks he's been generally hanging out  in the corner of the tank and listless.  Thus, I've been worried he might have a disease, Brooklynella as a WAG from reading various fish books.  The trip certainly stressed him out, as well as the cat.  However, I cannot see any signs of anything odd on his fins or body.  And for each time I'm about to judge him "definitely sick", he does something oddly normal like go back into the den or start covering his pipe with sand and rock rubble. 

 

As of today (Monday), the jawfish do appear to open the “door” to their den in the late morning and close it when the see I’ve gotten home from work, seeing me over the newpaper I’m using to keep the cat from bothering them.  However, today, it seems they did a lot of burrowing work - two water changes ago I redid the sandscape and made them a “hill” about 6” high of sand and rubble.  I’ve seen evidnece they’ve been playing with it; to include changing the location of their “door”, possibly building secondary and tertiary “doors.  And today the “hill” has to be at least 8” high.

 

 

 

If read the above, thank you.   but of course I understand if folks don’t want to go through it all.

 

In summary, it seems to me that I need to seriously get the nitrates and phosphates under control.  It may not yet be disastrous scale yet, but if I ignore it it might.  It’s made harder by the deep sandbed.  Given that the jawfish are not regularly out and are skittish when I feed them, and possibly, sick, I’m in a bit of a bind, especially now that I need to take off for two weeks.  

 

I kind of wish now I didn't use the marinepure block, and that maybe I got different fish instead.  But what's done is done; I wanted jawfish (and they are fun when they come out!) and the already live marinepure helped the tank get up to speed fairly quick.  I am thinking of changing things around, though.

 

What next:

 

- I need a skimmer.   I’ve identified one.  Even though I’m in a big financial rut right now (only necesities in the tank, for now), I think this counts as a necesity.

 

- I would like to add some live rock; premium aquacultured rock from Florida.  1-2 large boulders, maybe 10-15lbs.

 

- I have received a zoa in trade; it’s in quarantine

 

-I’d like to get a Kessil H80, or other good looking grow light for them.

 

- I’d like an MP10; but unfortunately my financial situation has put me off a good deal for one, and I don’t see getting one of these for another few more months.  (current pumps are two cheap marinelands; maybe a total of 10X flow.  

 

- future livestock would be maybe at most 3-4 individuals of some the following: Royal Gramma, filefish, PJ cardinal, maybe a small flasher wrasse.  I do hope to upgrade this to a bigger tank, but this is looking more like next summer vice this winter as I originally hoped.  :(  I also, after I’ve got a lock on the parameters, want to add at most 1-2 of some of the following: Porites lobata, a Montipora,or a nonphotosynthetic gorgonian.   

 

- part of me is even thinking about getting and oveflow and sump, especially if the larger, apex controlled tank is more and more of a pipe dream.  But, again, I have very limited resources now and other priorities.  

 

 

 

Video of the tank:

https://youtu.be/hHXpIlJPh1Y

Edited November 1, 2017 by KingOfAll_Tyrants

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

I’ve seen the jawfish more. I may be because they are out more, but I think its’ because I’ve figured out (and am home more) when they come out (10AM-6PM or so).   

 

Anyway, I saw the Mrs. out, and fed her amply (and she ate amply), in the morning on Thursday and then again in the evening.  Most of the time when i see them, they are still in den with the door closed, but on Friday and Sunday I’ve seen them out and fed them. I also think that Mr. and Mrs. swap out when they eat - first one grabs food, then the other - while there’s always one in the den at any given time.   

 

I have an extra largish piece of rock which I’ll put in the next few days near their den, which they can use to expand their den (i’ve noticed their den is always near a largish piece of rock they’ve now buried under ~7”of sand).  

 

I also received two zoas in a swap (since I got too many snails from reefcleaners.  Or so I thought - maybe I’m wrong).  I’ve kept them in quarantine for a week (after a FW dip) and have seen nothing untoward, so I’ve added them.  They are open under my kessil 360 and apparently quite happy.

 

So, overall, I'm pleased with things well.  I wish I had some more things (a skimmer, RODI unit, and an MP10 - none of which I can afford at the moment) - but I'm still content with the tank as it is.    

 

However, this feeding has caused, I think, Nitrates and Phosphates to go through the roof.   Nitrates today  are 10 and Phosphates are ~0.2 according to the Hanna LR checker, I think about 0.1 according to Salifert.   (I don’t like this disparity, and am in fact unhappy with the Hanna because it’s not a precison instrument; I think it’s not accurate past tenths PPM phosphate.  The results I got were 0.28, 0.18, 0.25, 0.20, and 0.21)  I need to learn how to better manage their feeding.    

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

Got home after three weeks abroad, leaving (basic) instructions with my neighbor (which he followed).  No water change since early Nov, since 10/25; I intended to do it before I took off but was unable to.  (I need to do it ASAP)

 

Tank’s in OK shape.  Lots of macro growth (in the form of lots of smaller fronds, not really any super big fronds).  Some pretty long gha.  Most of the fronds will be removed, and the GHA will be removed during the water change.

 

Bispira worm population is stable.   CUC seems OK.  Jawfish have made an additional entrance to their den through a rock I placed (with this very intention) and ate only a week ago.  (I think the cat is still a problem).

 

Salinty is 35-6; Nitrates are about 25.  PH is around 8.1-2, with alkalinty at 244ppm (4.8 meq, 13.6 DKH; I asked him to add half a teaspoon of baking soda 3x a week, and that was clearly too much.  I will watch consumption, and use that as a dosing basis.  And modify my dosing regime - a topic of current high interest research for me).   Hanna LR phospate readings were 0.80, 0.33, 0.44, 0.42, 0.38.  I am very unhappy about the odd reading (reagents are new and I “zeroed” it a month ago), as well as the fact that this thing’s acuracy is +/- 0.1ppm.   

 

A protein skimmer (and a calcium test kit) is on its way, arriving Friday, as well as 3 lbs of gulf live sand which I will add.  

 

 

Sorry no pics this time.  I want to sleep now after a 22 hour flight + arrive at home errands.  :D

[YHSublime]

Why on earth are you dosing? 

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

I'm not dosing, per se, just looking to understand it.  

 

If you consider adding a bit of baking soda dosing, then yes I started experimenting with it the week I left due to losing like 10 ppm alk every day.   (when I left, I had to decide to just let it go for three weeks or to get my friend to occasionally add some baking soda.  I chose the latter, and the tank is generally OK save for the way to high alk, which will be down to like 200 or so after the water change).  

 

All this actually exposes the weaknesses of my go on the cheap (use petco grade tanks, using a marine pure someone else kept in their sump, but putting it in the display instead of live rock) and jawfish decisions.  

 

- If I had a sump, and had more funding to devote to this, I think I would probably try limewater in the ATO to keep up alk/calcium.  (and yes measure both of them).  

 

-And I'd keep the marine pure in the sump, where hopefully it would not have accumulated all the feather duster and algae that it has accumulated, and be a proper nitrifying and denitrifying thing; it's doing the former but clearly not the latter.   It's rather ugly as it is, and it crowds out other life rock for decorative purposes.

 

- I'd aesthetically prefer an MP10 or some such compared to bargain bin powerheads, but that's not in the cards for the immediate future.  

 

- more active fish would have been nice -going with standbys like clowns and blennies would have been easier.   Right now, I'd like to eventually add a royal gramma but it would need much more rock work to be comfortable.   (the Mrs. did not like either PJ or Bangai cards, but loves the RG).  

 

However, I have to work with what i have.  

Edited November 28, 2017 by KingOfAll_Tyrants

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

Boring minor update, just mainly for journalistic reasons: 50% water change done, stirred up and cleared out a lot of detritus, nuisance algae, and did a lot of caulerpa pruning (frags available in B&S forum).  Tank had a strong algae smell (brings back my freshwater fishkeeping youth), and has been cloudy, but at least now the smell is gone.   

 

I didn't add enough salt (red sea reef) I suppose, so salinity is now 33ppt (would have preferred 34 but still roughly my target; I'm not going to mess with it more)   pH is also up 0.3 points (!!!), and alkalinity is down to 216 (after going down to 231 before the water change; i.e. 14ppm alkalintiy drop in about 24 hours).     Anyway, definitlely no more baking soda for at least the next few days, until my calcium test kit comes in and I really understand my tanks Ca/Alk relationship.   

 

With the new RODI (thanks molcott) I will probably try to do smaller, ~18% (5gal) weekly water changes vice 15 g every two weeks.  

Edited November 29, 2017 by KingOfAll_Tyrants

[YHSublime]

I'm not dosing, per se, just looking to understand it.  

 

If you consider adding a bit of baking soda dosing, then yes

 

Yes. I do consider that dosing, and I still don't understand why!

 

I started experimenting with it the week I left due to losing like 10 ppm alk every day.   (when I left, I had to decide to just let it go for three weeks or to get my friend to occasionally add some baking soda.  I chose the latter, and the tank is generally OK save for the way to high alk, which will be down to like 200 or so after the water change). 

 

I'm not sure if I trust your alk was going down 10ppm daily. You don't have any corals, you're running a FOWLER, If you need to monitor something, check your salinity and temperature!

 

 

All this actually exposes the weaknesses of my go on the cheap (use petco grade tanks, using a marine pure someone else kept in their sump, but putting it in the display instead of live rock) and jawfish decisions.  

 

- If I had a sump, and had more funding to devote to this, I think I would probably try limewater in the ATO to keep up alk/calcium.  (and yes measure both of them).  

 

-And I'd keep the marine pure in the sump, where hopefully it would not have accumulated all the feather duster and algae that it has accumulated, and be a proper nitrifying and denitrifying thing; it's doing the former but clearly not the latter.   It's rather ugly as it is, and it crowds out other life rock for decorative purposes.

 

- I'd aesthetically prefer an MP10 or some such compared to bargain bin powerheads, but that's not in the cards for the immediate future.  

 

- more active fish would have been nice -going with standbys like clowns and blennies would have been easier.   Right now, I'd like to eventually add a royal gramma but it would need much more rock work to be comfortable.   (the Mrs. did not like either PJ or Bangai cards, but loves the RG).  

 

However, I have to work with what i have.  

 

Better equipment does not mean a better tank. You have a tank that holds water, that's the important part. It being petco grade is negligible.

 

The idea of using something live, in your instance, the marinepure, to seed your tank is a super popular method. It could have been a cup of sand. It could have been a piece of live rock, the idea is to get your cycle going.

 

Here's my quick assessment. You literally only added sand and the block, and then started adding ammonia to kick your cycle. I don't think your tank has actually even seen a cycle to be completely honest. There's no other live rock to even be seeded in your tank. You added a cuc within 10 days of setup, and then @ 14 days you added 2 moderate care level fish. Adding Dr. Tims and ammonia seems like adding poison and the antidote at the same time.

 

You're recreating life inside of a glass box, there's got to be some time for things to balance out, and you simply haven't given your tank the chance to even find some sort of consistency.

 

You don't have a sump. Simply put, you don't need one. You don't need to be dosing anything, make sure you're mixing your water up right, if you want to check something, check your salinity and temperature.

 

You could have put the marine pure block in the hypothetical sump, but then you would need some live rock in the display.

 

I think you could have chosen much easier fish to start with, but it is what it is.

 

 

Look: If your computer wasn't turning on, you wouldn't take the thing apart to figure out what's wrong with it. You'd check to see if it was unplugged. Or maybe if the monitor was on.

Don't lament on the equipment you don't have. Stop chasing numbers. Stop dosing (or don't, but you're really just making problems that don't need to exist.) Do water changes. If you want to add anything to your tank, consider adding some live rock, or start seeding some dead rock in a bin with a powerhead.

 

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

Yes. I do consider that dosing, and I still don't understand why!

 

 

as mentioned before, I was losing alkalinity, and decided to try it.  Just because I was curious to see the effects, not that I wanted to keep doing it.  I tried it twice, IIRC, before I left.   Adding some baking soda experimentally != a dosing regime.  And I did tell the housesitter to dose, but only because I thought it would be better than having alk keep getting used up.  Obviously, I either told him to does too much or he added more than I asked.  

 

Again, dosing baking soda is on hold right now, pending more thought on whether or not I should do this, and pending a firm idea on how I should do this and what effects/value it will really have.  

 

That being said, it seems you have an opinion, and it's definitely noted.    

 

 

I'm not sure if I trust your alk was going down 10ppm daily. You don't have any corals, you're running a FOWLER, If you need to monitor something, check your salinity and temperature!

 

See pic from today.  this is one data point, not enough to say a trend.  

 

What's eating my alk?  I did try to grow some calcerous macroalgae (Rhipocephalus phoenix),  but they're not growing well.  Alkalintity might be taken by some new tank bloom bacteria growing somehwere.  It also might be taken up by the ~70 mini feather dusters (probably Bisma sp.) that grew on the marinepure, from the 1-2 that were originally on the block when I got it (did not know what they were at the time.  reading online, I'm told mini-worm blooms are common and they will die down after a few months.  Which seems to be the case; as of now maybe 10% seem to be empty, down from 100% a few weeks ago).  

 

 

Temperature is monitored every day (by analog temperature probe and optical connection to a biologic reef controller   )-, and salinity about every week (or if I think the water level is going down).  I don't write about it though; talking about nitrate and alk is boring enough.  

 

Again, my hope is that alk stays fairly constant (say, 200ppm, though I'm not sure that's the best level to keep it at).  if I lose alk between more frequent water changes, I might dose something, but I need to understand the whole process much better before I'm going to regularly do so.   

 

 

Here's my quick assessment.

 

Thanks.

 

You literally only added sand and the block, and then started adding ammonia to kick your cycle.

 

No.  I added sand, the block, and Dr. Tim's on the first day.  (technically, I also unwittingly added the feather dusters and whatever other hitchikers were in the marinepure) I then added the amount of ammonia that he recommended, and followed his instructions.  (IIRC let the ammonia turn to nitrate, change water, add a lesser amount ammonia, and repeat this cycle until it's rapidly turned to nitrate.  At the end, the ammonia became nitrate in less than a day).  One error I made was not measuring nitrite, since I am told that a nitrate test can also measure nitrite; it would be premature to call it done until nitrite is also zero.   

 

I don't think your tank has actually even seen a cycle to be completely honest. There's no other live rock to even be seeded in your tank. You added a cuc within 10 days of setup, and then @ 14 days you added 2 moderate care level fish. Adding Dr. Tims and ammonia seems like adding poison and the antidote at the same time.

 

Dr. Tim's instructions (similar to many online posts and books about the nitrogen cycle) state that after you go through the ammonia-nitrate cylce 2-3 l times, it's now OK to add fish.  Many, including him say you can do it much quicker using bacteria in a bottle+ ammonia (and he claims his bacteria formula is the best of course.  ).  Zygote2k turned me on the the idea that you might want to wait longer (as in six months longer) than just letting the nitrogen cycle go a few times and that got me reading more - in particular the idea of a months-long diatom-cyano-gha cycle - unfortunately I saw that post on another thread after I addd the jawfish.  

 

4 snails were added about 2-3 days after diatoms started blooming (note that this was a few days after it was allegedly safe to add fish, and the jawfish a few days after.  Honestly, if the hurricane didn't come (KP aquatics ends their jawfish season, last I checked, after a fall hurricanes) I probably would have waited longer.   

 

You're recreating life inside of a glass box, there's got to be some time for things to balance out, and you simply haven't given your tank the chance to even find some sort of consistency.

 

Agreed that the tank is not at an equilibrium yet.

 

You don't have a sump. Simply put, you don't need one. You don't need to be dosing anything, make sure you're mixing your water up right, if you want to check something, check your salinity and temperature.

 

You could have put the marine pure block in the hypothetical sump, but then you would need some live rock in the display.

 

Yes, but it it were in the sump I think it would not be overgrown with nuisance algae or dozens of Bisma mini-featther duster worms the way it is now.  I would also have more space for live rock; I think the tank is a bit crowded right now.   

 

 

I think you could have chosen much easier fish to start with, but it is what it is.

 

As I mentioned, I am bummed that the jawfish sit in their hole all day.  They do come out, but after the macroalgae was added, not  when I'm around.  I blame the cat, who took a curiousity to the tank after the macro algae were added (I think she was drawn to it waving all the time.  though what she always claws at are the fish).  Pearly jawfish, as I understand it, have a reputation for being very hardy.  

 

 

Look: If your computer wasn't turning on, you wouldn't take the thing apart to figure out what's wrong with it. You'd check to see if it was unplugged. Or maybe if the monitor was on.

Don't lament on the equipment you don't have. Stop chasing numbers. Stop dosing (or don't, but you're really just making problems that don't need to exist.) Do water changes. If you want to add anything to your tank, consider adding some live rock, or start seeding some dead rock in a bin with a powerhead.

 

Well, I am going to add a skimmer.   But yes, beyond that, I'm at basically steady state for this tank - don't intend to add anything more (after the fish and shrimp I'm QTing are done QTing).  Probably will stay this way until the summer when I hope my financial situation is better, and before several $100s in credit I have with a tank maker expires.   

 

And, in other news, I found a large ghost type shrimp, which I never added.  As in, about 2 inches long; peppermint/banded coral/skunk cleaner shrimp this size are sellable.   I added some live mysis shrimp before a previous business trip to feed the jawfish (they consumed them greedily); it's possible a small ghost shrimp, possibly Palaemonetes vulgaris, was in there.  But I don't know if they can grow from 0.5 inch-2 inches in two months!

 

Off to clear out some white slime I noticed growing on the sandbed.  

Edited November 30, 2017 by KingOfAll_Tyrants

[Origami]

Just a side note: As long as you don't have a nitrate problem (that is, if it's not stable, but climbing), if alkalinity is being consumed, then chances are that you're consuming calcium as well (and a bit of magnesium, too). The two are consumed together in a nearly fixed ratio when corals, clams and other calcifying organisms form their calcium carbonate skeletons. 

 

However, be careful when dosing in response to a "loss" of 10 ppm of alkalinity. That's only .56 dKH and could very easily be within the margin of error for the test kit that you're using. 

 

A target alkalinity of 145 to 160 ppm would be reasonable. This corresponds to about 8-9 dKH. (dKH is probably the more commonly understood measure of alkalinity amongst reefers. 50 ppm CaCO3 equivalents = 1 meq/liter alkalinity = 2.8 dKH.

 

You can get through the first (early phases) of nitrogen cycling in under a week with the proper additives. However, that last stage of nitrate to nitrogen gas can take longer to develop. Dr. Tim's won't help much with that because it (and most other bacteria products) consist of aerobic bacteria and that last step is the domain of anaerobic bacteria. Starting with established live rock can help move this along. If you're tank is still very new and you've not completed the full nitrogen cycle, then it's very possible that alkalinity could be dropping without calcium consumption. In tanks with increasing levels of nitrate, there's a loss of alkalinity (more correctly, there's the lack of a return of a unit of alkalinity from the nitrate-to-nitrogen step). So, to be more accurate, Isaac is correct when he says that it's possible that you've not completed the nitrogen cycle. You've jump started the first (aerobic) steps, but the final step is probably still developing.

 

Here's the half of the nitrogen cycle that we're typically concerned with: Ammonia (NH3) ==>> Nitrite (NO2) ==>> Nitrate (NO3) ==>> Nitrogen gas (N2)

The first two steps are accomplished by aerobic bacteria that thrive in oxygenated (aerobic) environments. The final step is performed by anaerobic bacteria that live in reduced oxygen (anaerobic) environments. The first step consumes a unit of alkalinity. The third, and final step returns it back to the water. That's the reason why, if your cycle is not complete, you could see declining alk without a decline in calcium. But, again, be wary of making conclusions from test results that fall below test kit resolution.

 

Enjoy the hobby. There's a lot that you can learn along the way. I'd venture a guess that in six months or even a year's time, you'll look back to now realizing that there was a lot you didn't know at the outset. (Even ten years from now, you'll be learning. We all take our bumps and bruises, hopefully learning from them.)

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

Just a side note: As long as you don't have a nitrate problem (that is, if it's not stable, but climbing), if alkalinity is being consumed, then chances are that you're consuming calcium as well (and a bit of magnesium, too). The two are consumed together in a nearly fixed ratio when corals, clams and other calcifying organisms form their calcium carbonate skeletons. 

 

However, be careful when dosing in response to a "loss" of 10 ppm of alkalinity. That's only .56 dKH and could very easily be within the margin of error for the test kit that you're using. 

 

Yes, the Hanna has about a 10PPM margin of error I've found.   However, previous records have shown alkalinity drops, from 200ish to 170ish down to 120ish prior to a water change, after which it jumps off and starts crawling down again.  I assume it is doing so now, though I've been otherwise occupied (writing forum posts!     ) to measure it this evening.   

 

A target alkalinity of 145 to 160 ppm would be reasonable. This corresponds to about 8-9 dKH. (dKH is probably the more commonly understood measure of alkalinity amongst reefers. 50 ppm CaCO3 equivalents = 1 meq/liter alkalinity = 2.8 dKH.

 

Yes, but my Hanna Checker measures in PPM, so I work in PPM.  That target alkalinity is fine; however I use RSCP salt, and it claims that when mixed its alk is 11-12 dkh, or about 200-215ish PPM.   BUT, their recommendation for their non coral pro salt is 125-143.  :D 

 

Anyway, I have to think on this.   If I were to chase a number, 200ish might be best until I finish my bucket of RSCP, at which point I could consider regular RS salt (which I believe is hard to find locally) and set a lower alk.   But, I will research this and think about it very carefully before deciding whether/how I should try to keep alk constant.      

 

If you're tank is still very new and you've not completed the full nitrogen cycle, then it's very possible that alkalinity could be dropping without calcium consumption. In tanks with increasing levels of nitrate, there's a loss of alkalinity (more correctly, there's the lack of a return of a unit of alkalinity from the nitrate-to-nitrogen step). So, to be more accurate, Isaac is correct when he says that it's possible that you've not completed the nitrogen cycle. You've jump started the first (aerobic) steps, but the final step is probably still developing.

 

Yes, my nitrate situation does have me concerned.   I am thinking about it, but am unconvinced that I need to do anything, especially since the marinepure should already have denitrifying bacteria inside it.  Maybe it gets too much flow? (it's under a 171 GPH powerhead, in a 29g tank)

 

Here's the half of the nitrogen cycle that we're typically concerned with: Ammonia (NH3) ==>> Nitrite (NO2) ==>> Nitrate (NO3) ==>> Nitrogen gas (N2)

The first two steps are accomplished by aerobic bacteria that thrive in oxygenated (aerobic) environments. The final step is performed by anaerobic bacteria that live in reduced oxygen (anaerobic) environments. The first step consumes a unit of alkalinity. The third, and final step returns it back to the water. That's the reason why, if your cycle is not complete, you could see declining alk without a decline in calcium. But, again, be wary of making conclusions from test results that fall below test kit resolution.

 

Ah, my books missed the bolded (or I just missed it :D ).   That makes a lot of sense and could explain a lot.  

 

Enjoy the hobby. There's a lot that you can learn along the way. I'd venture a guess that in six months or even a year's time, you'll look back to now realizing that there was a lot you didn't know at the outset. (Even ten years from now, you'll be learning. We all take our bumps and bruises, hopefully learning from them.)

 

This is a lie.  Even now, I realize there's a lot I didn't know at the outset.     Which was sort of the motivation for this tank - while the big reef was on hold, I could do a small FOWLR to learn stuff like that prior to starting the bigger more complicated reef, hopefully this summer.   

 

But, as has been noted, maybe it would have been better to go with something conventional like live rocks and clownfish, or any number of other fish, rather than a marine pure and the somewhat perstinicky, deep sandbed dwelling, pearly jawfish.   

 

 

 

Finally I actually found two (vice one) 2" ghost shrimp which I never added.  This is in addition to bristleworms, feather dusters which hitchhiked in.  Very strange.

 

 

Edited December 2, 2017 by KingOfAll_Tyrants

[Origami]

200 alk is pretty high. It corresponds to 11.2 dKH or 4 meq/liter. I have a Hanna meter as well. To convert to dKH, take the ppm reading and divide by 50 then multiply by 2.8. (There are 50 ppm for each milliequivalent per liter (meq/l) and 2.8 dKH for each meq/l.)

 

Or, do yourself a favor and print out the alk table (which I did back in 2012) at this link and tape it into the lid of your Hanna Checker box.

[Origami]

By the way, if there's a lot of flow going through the marinepure, it will be unlikely to be a good source of the last stage of the nitrate cycle (denitrification). That's because the water that's constantly moving through it is likely to be highly oxygenated. If the marine pure is just sitting there and there's a decent chance that water is not being forced through it, then it may provide surfaces to be colonized by dentrifying bacteria. Of course, we did this in the past with live rock and somewhat deep sandbeds.

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

Thanks!  I've been using hazma's converter, this is a bit more convenient.  

 

And yes, flow is probably too high. A 170gph powerhead is right above it - I'm in the process of thinking whether/how to change flow in this tank right now.  

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

Been a while.  Haven't had time to add pics.  :(  Hopefully over Christmas.  

 

Big news is that I swaped two Petsmart 170 gph powerheads for one Jebao PP4.  I was hoping that it could simulate wave action in the tank; it doesn't really because it's wave setting's slowest speed is only about 1s between pulses.   I guess if I want more I'll have to program an aquarium controller.......

 

Did a 30% water change last week, but only measured the water again today.  Unfortunately, I haven't set up the skimmer, that's next on my to do list.   

 

Pre-water change numbers were 25 nitrate (salifert), 8.2 pH (salifert), ~9.7dkh alk, 420 calcium, 0.28 phosphate.  Not where I'd liked to have been, but OK.

 

Today's measurements were much different; well over 25 nitrate (estimate ~30-35), 7.8 pH (salifert), 8.0dkh alkalinity, 410 calcium, 0.58 phosphate (both salifert and Hanna).   

 

A bit shocked, because otherwise it seems to have been doing OK.   I thought feeding was under control, and that microalgae was down (however, I did feed about 1/4 a baitfish for the CUC yesterday, which I think as too much.  A little was still left over in the AM, which was eaten fairly quickly)

 

- Microalgae growth is way down (i've cut the macroalgae photoperiod to like 6 hours in the AM with a cheap 20w ~6500k LED, though I turn on  the kessil 360 from like 5-10pm, at generally the lowest blue setting) .  I've also been fairly aggressive in removing most major algae groupings the CUC don't get).  

 

- The two likely palyzoas are growing well and are often expanding (and eat happily - I spot feed them during my normal fish feeding process about once per two days and they retain the food).  

 

- Everything else is alive and accounted for.  

 

- The jawfish are eating well and agressively during the morning - I think I've figured them out (they like routine, and they like eating in the AM).  I vary diet between (rehydrated and selconed) freeze dried mysid, Omega one frozen predator cubes (2x a week until I'm done with them, I'm still evaluating whether I'll use it in the future), and LRS reef frenzy.  Fed once a day, poured into the aquarium flow (PP4 is set to constant mode), in the hopes that the food circulating will mimic zooplankton going by.  It does.  Part of me fears that stuff gets caught in the sand, but the cleanup crew's fairly good on this - the shrimp will also try to get food from the water column during feeding time.

 

- The ghost shrimp, in particular, appear to be growing even larger.  

 

The only thing off is that many Caulerpa sertularoides are disintegrating long before they are fully grown, and that a peppermint shrimp is a bit clear in the center.

 

Anyway, population is now:

 

2 yellow headed jawfish

1 large turbo snail.  This thing goes through microalgae like undead dragons through ancient walls.  

1 large olive snail (Olivia sayana), ostensibly a part time voracious predator but I've not noticed livestock losses

1 nerite snail

3 nassarius snails (4th might still be around; it's very hard to get an accurate count unless I'm lucky to have all four out at the same time)

2 ghost shrimp (appeared out of nowhere one day; hitchiker)

1 cleaner shrimp

1 peppermint shrimp

a decent number - maybe see 5 at any given time - of small cerinth snails

a small number of asterina starfish (much reduced from like 20 at any time a few months ago, hitchhikers)

around tiny 50 bispira feather duster tube worms (most tubes still have a worm in it, hitchhikers)

 

My thoughts: I'm oversnailed and overshrimped.  I should not have gotten such a large cleanup crew.

 

Anyway, pictures will come once I have more time.

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

Sort of ignored this tank build thread.  Anyway, thought I'd update it.  Gone through a lot of changes, basically learning as I go.  I've decided to move all my biomedia (Seachem Matrix), as well as nutrient control stuff (GFO, purigen) to a simple canister filter.    I survived two tank crashes - one from improper tank sitting, and another from a tube I forgot to connect which left 3/4 of my water on the floor and killed half my acros.  :(  (but fortunately nothing else)

 

Anyway, it's been a great learning experience.  

 

For those who are starting out and wondering where to start, a Petco tank is a great starter I think, though I'd recommend a cannster filter to hold biomedia and stuff outside of the tank.  And a HOB skimmer.   I also think T5s offer the beginner the best bang for the buck - but others will have different opinions, of course.   

 

Current video: (I've actually removed the acclimation box I was using to store a monti now, so I'll update soon)

 

Anyway, I'll babble a bit more about this tank more regularly now.   

 

Edited January 23, 2020 by KingOfAll_Tyrants