Give'er - Kavorka's Waterbox AIO 35.2 Build

[Cthulukelele]

Thinking of the following fish for this tank (written in the order I want to add them)

1) Yellow Watchman Goby (with Pistol shrimp)
2) Royal Grama
3) Longnose Hawkfish (may remove as i hear they can hunt shrimp and that would suck for the YWG)
4) Lawnmower Blenny
5) Pair of Clownfish

?(6)? (Maybe add a Sixline wrasse last. However not sure if this is to much for the tank. Also heard they are sometimes D#@ks lol.

Royal grammas really enjoy having a hidey hole if you can make that happen, but honestly it'll probably make residence in 1 of the holes of your rock if it's small. If you are looking into perching fish, a geometric pygmy perchlet has similar behavior to a hawkfish but its small size and being an anthia vs a true hawk makes it safer with shrimp--especially if you go with a larger tiger pistol vs a randalls (though they move a lot of sand for a tank your size). Lawnmower blennies also can sometimes struggle without a lot of grazing room in small tanks, but it's a dice roll and you may get one of the ones that gorges themselves on frozen meaty food.

Don't get a sixline especially in such a small tank. Theyre demons even with lots of room. If you're looking for a fish that will be up in the water column maybe consider a dartfish or firefish of some kind.

 

[John Bolden]

Looks great the old one looked blocky IMO

 

[Gumbies R Us]

New look, looks very natural I like it!!

 

[Kavorka]

OK over last fews I have set up my lights, and wavrmaker (MP10) schedules.

MP10 - I looked around a bit an seems most people like Reef crest mode. So to make it simple I just set it on Reefcrest for the whole day and only changed the intensity for each poeriods. Dont know if this is good or not but figured it would be the most powerful at daytime and then ramp down to lowest at night then ramp back up. Just guessed on the % to set this on as well What do you think :

For the lights, again I have no experience and thus no clue. Probably doing only softies and LPS in this tank. I ended up downloadign a "Saxby" profile from the AI Signature series. I did make two small amendments. First I added 2 hrs of moonlight setting at start of day (when i will feed). I then left the main part of the day unaltered. Finally, I changed the last few hours by brining blues down and brining white up(all at 50%). This will be my main viewing hours and I dont really love the super super blue look: What do you think:

 

[Kavorka]

Today I bought a Tunze 9004 Protein Skimmer (lol still not a single fish yet...so maybe overkill)

I have never used a skimmer and am a bit fuzy on how it works. However, I heard they were great additions and helped if you have a heavy bioload or overfeed (which i am sure i will do by accident).

It just fits in the second AIO chamber in the back of the tank. Was also very hard to determine how low it should go because of the tight fit. I originally set the air intake know at 40% but it produced a ton of bubbles and the cup was filled of clear water in 10 mins. I now have it reduced to about 25% and it looks like this:

Is this correct? I ready some people talk about "wet" vs "dry" bubbles but i dont really get what that means

Is this enough or to much foam? I can still reduce it down about 5-10% on the controller. Also I assume that thsi will turn brownish once i get some actual fish in the tank. Not sure how dark it should be.

 

[Kavorka]

Finally, I added some stick on hooks to "try and organize the cabinte a bit more...still not great but more useable:

Overall the equipment is now all in the back of the tank I think it is still is pretty minimal/streamlined:

 

[Kavorka]

So back from visiting family for Christmas. Tank is as in good shape. Added 2ppm ammonia and it zeroed after just 12 hrs.

so after a 80% water change and off to the LFS to get fish. Was planning on a Royal Gramma and a YWG &Pistol. But unfortunately they were out so ended up with a Midas Blenny and a pair of clowns.

 

[Kavorka]

Drip acclimated each separately (first time doing this):

The Midas looked like an old banana when we got him home. In a day and he was a back to bright gold.

clowns hung out in back of tank for about 6 hrs and now are happily exploring the tank in pairs

two days after adding the fish the ammonia and nitrite still zero. Fish look good. Clowns are all over tank but Midas likes his little hole perched at top middle of tank. He comes out and swims a bit then back to his little hole. Kinda funny. Still not use to me yet.

 

[Kavorka]

I am still getting use to taking pics of the tank. I’ll get better but probably never great. Lol.

This weekend I will go get that Royal Gramma and a Banggai cardinalfish. That will make 5 fish. Do you think I can have more in this tank or is that the max ?

also May pick up some CuC. So far no visible algae but it will happen.

finally, want to add some corals but not sure how long I need to wait. First will be a Duncan. I hear they are easier to care for and clowns often host them.

 

[Kavorka]

OK so over the last week I have got a few corals (people were not kidding when they said this is addictive). I also got another fish, a skunk cleaner shrimp, 5 Astrea snails and 6 hermits (3 scarlet and 3 blue leg.

Starting to feel like a new real tank lol.

First I will start with the fish/shrmip:

Above pic is form second day. After first night i found his empty shell (guess he molted but i was worried lol):

 

[Kavorka]

Currently I have 2 small Clowns and a Midas Blenny.

Fish livestock is sparse around here so I couldn't find a Royal Gramma or a Benggai Cardinal so ended up picking up a fire Goby.

I got two back to back of him. His eyes change colour (hard to see in pic) butu iit gives appearance of him blinking.

 

[Kavorka]

Now for the corals.

First i set up my ZOA Garden on a softball size rock island.

It includes:
-Scrambled Egg
-Radioactive green Dragon Eyes
-??Unknown neon orange
-Pinwheel

If any of you know what the orange ones are please let me know.

 

[Kavorka]

Then I saw some amazing Palys and i just had to get them as well. I put them on what i am calling my "Paly Pillar" which is the leftmost vertical rockscape in my tank.

I got three types"

-Uttter Chaso Palys (so cool looking):

And some Red People Eaters (not best pic):

And a third type but don't know what they are (yellow with green fringe):

 

[Kavorka]

I got a Devils finger Coral and a Duncan next. (hoping to get some possible corals for the clowns to hosts)

Duncan hast started growing a 3rd head since i got him.

 

[Kavorka]

Finally I added some mushrooms.

Got a couple Yuma mushrooms. The bright orange broke off their rubble so i placed in two seperate places. Hopefully they attach and grow in:

 

[Kavorka]

The last is a mushrooms that was not identified at the store. Pictures do not do it justice but it is green in the center with what looks like blue a with pink spots in the body and a orange frilll/skirt:

From looking at pictures, I think it is a type of Rhodactis.

Pictures do not do the colour justice but i hope it lives because it is becoming my favourites' lol.

If anyone knows what it is please let me know. Also, not sure on its specs (max size, light, water flow requirements)

 

[Kavorka]

FTS from 7 Jan 23 )after second coral purchase):

 

[Kavorka]

Two days ago i saw some balck spots on my clown fish.

They are still eating well with no laboured breath or scratching against rocks/substrate.

I posted on the fish disease forum and people seem to think it my be form the Duncan and that this is normal with clownfish when they try to use a new coral as a host.

I hope they are right because then it will go away/heal on its own.

Pics when i first got them:

Pics of the black spots (more on the smaller guy)

Other fish seem to be fine with no markings:

 

[Kavorka]

OK

5 days agao i saw the first signs of a diatom bloom. I have since performed a two smaller water changes just to some of it off the substrate.

I know this is expected and normal but for some weird reason i was hoping i would get luck and not have it lol.

Well it made me think i need to update my CuC as I only had 5 Astrea snails and 3 tiny blue leg hermits and 3 tiny red leg hermits. So time to beef up the cleaners.

Went to the store today to "just" get a few scarlet cleaners and maybe some Nassarius snails. I came home with this goodie bag:

 

[Kavorka]

I did get my Nassarius snails. Wanted about 5 but the LFS could only find 2. As soon as i put them in they imediately dove underground so not much of a good pic for ya:

Also got my Scarlets. managed to get 3 med sized ones. One of them I saw immediately went to work on the diatoms so thats a relief:

I saw a Halloween hermit. He was a bit expensive (12 buck compared to the 4 bucks for the scarlets), but he looked so interesting that i had to have him. LFS said they are "always" in the Conch shells. They didnt have any extras that were bigger size but he said that due to his size he should be good in his current shell for about 6 months and that he would get a few empty conch for me in the meantime.

Have any of you ever seen a Halloween hermit not in a conch shell?

Rounded out my purchase with two turbo snails (Mexican Turbo I think). They are quite large but LFS guy sasy i can trade em back in for smaller ones if they get to big: