JoJo's IM 40L AIO - Please, step into my office

[Blopple]

The bubbletip is looking incredible right there. I mean the whole tank, right, but the BTA and the RFAs stick out in particular.

Also I am envious of your photography/editing skills. The pictures are great, and I can't even imagine how much time it took to make the top-down map with labels. You should print that out and keep it near the tank for guests (what's that one?!).

 

[JoJosReef]

Tested out my Parwise tonight on the Evo, hoping to move some of them to the 40 this week. I only tested PAR for each of the corals at peak intensity. For reference, they are on the following schedule under a Noopsyche K7 Mini:

So peak is 17% white, 50% blue and 50% violet.

Here are my approx. numbers for each coral in the tank:

RBTA: 200
Torch: 165+ (likely a bit more)
Pink Nepthea: 100
Shrooms: 180
RFA green: 200
RFA red: 88
Setosa: 140-180
Candy cane: 180
Alveopora: 100
Pectinia: 180
Duncan: <100
Trachy: 100-180 (hard to measure this one)
Scoly: 100-180 (hard to measure this one)
Acan: estimated to be ~160 in last spot, but was going downhill and moved away about 2 weeks ago to an area that is currently ~100-120 and it is recovering
Blasto: estimated ~160

Notes: everything seems happy, except the shrooms, which don't look happy, and two bit the dust.

Growing well:
Trachy
Setosa
Candy cane

Growing:
RBTA (previously split and back to original glory, very bubbly)
Pink Nepthea
Torch (increased polyps and length, but not heads)
Pectinia
Alveopora (slowly)

Not growing, but polyps out and not declining:
Blasto
Acan (recovering)
Duncan
RFA red
Scoly
Green carpet shroom
Green rhodactis

Declining:
Red rhodactis (slowly)
Florida ricordea (severe, currently moved to low PAR area ~100)

Given these are peak measurements, I expect 10-20% lower at the troughs.

For the tank transfer, I am thinking:
1. Keeping the RBTA in a similar PAR level, maybe a bit higher with a peak hitting 220-250.
2. Moving Nepthea to slightly higher par
3. Keeping Alveopora at lower par, maybe 120 peak? Blastos and acan probably the same.
4. Shrooms? No idea. Maybe aim for 150 at peak insteady of 180?
5. Pectinia a bit higher
6. Trachy and Scoly maybe still at the 150-180 range
7. Duncan maybe move to a 120-150 range at peak
8. RFAs will go where they want--the green one loves par.
9. Torch will likely be at >165 par.

The GSP rock and the Xenia growing on the back glass are not being transferred, so I didn't bother with measuring them. They grow with anything anyways.

I think the combination of the two K7 minis and the AI prime in the middle should make for plenty of par in the tank. I've been purposefully keeping the light a bit on the low side so that I can add everything together in the 40 without shocking them and then slowly bring them up to where I want everything and hopefully promote growth. So far, I think I have everything for this tank and just want it all to fill in. I think there may be some room for a few more encrusting corals, like montis on the right side rocks, but I think the sand bed is going to be too full for more meat corals or an elegance. I think I can forget an LTA and probably more RFAs or maxi minis.

Once I get everything transferred and all three lights going, I'll run the Parwise on the 40L and take a full set of measurements.

 

[trophyhimbo]

Starting from scratch with corals is exciting and fun, and actually not that hard. Tank transfers on the other hand, are a mess! So many corals to organize and place in new locations, new logististics, new flow patterns... During the 10g transfer, I basically dumped the tank in and found temp spots in the sand bed for everything. Now I'm getting space for the Evo to go in, but that requires that I find permanent-ish homes for everything already in the tank!

So, here's my schematic--3 top-down shots of the left, middle and right of the tank--with what's currently in there and what needs to go in still...

Then the rearrangement and placement of Evo corals...

And there's just too much stuff on the sand bed, so some rocks are going to have to be buried or go into the AIO chambers (which I had hoped to keep clear)...

Once this is done, the plan is just to let everything grow... that said, I did just pick up a goldenrod anacropora and a mystique monti cap on Friday...

This and the PAR readings are so organized and helpful, thanks for putting it together!

How did you decide the coral spacing and placement? Just meeting their light requirements and estimating their growth rates and aggression?

 

[JoJosReef]

This and the PAR readings are so organized and helpful, thanks for putting it together!

How did you decide the coral spacing and placement? Just meeting their light requirements and estimating their growth rates and aggression?

It's a process. First goal is to get all of the Evo corals/nems/inverts/fish into the 40. Right now, I'm rearranging the current stock to fit the Evo stock, giving some of them permanent homes, some temp spaces (like the zoas):

Not glued in, just wedged here and there.

Once everything is moved over from the Evo, I will take the Evo light (2nd K7 Mini) and reposition the current lights to be AI prime in the center and K7 minis on either side. Then I can run par measurements properly and make adjustments. Goal is the center rock being primarily SPS hot spots, Euphyllia garden in the center sand bed, left side being zoas and BTAs with higher PAR, and right side being the lower light corals like alveopora, acans, blastos, trachy, scoly, etc. I can make adjustments and even move the lights around and angle them till it seems about right. Decided to keep the AI prime instead of just having the to K7 minis for added flexibility. I'm sure there will be some rearrangements once everything is in place and I see how they are doing.

 

[JoJosReef]

Chillin'

 

[JoJosReef]

Going slow this week. Playing single-dad while the wife is touring France via the Seine. No time for moving corals and rocks around for the Evo transfer. Just popping bubble algae and cutting off ulva from the macros. But, I can do a photo dump (inspiration @steveschuerger )!

SPS Island:

 

[JoJosReef]

Link out to this post:

Check out the bubble where’s yours?

One big one little same tank opposite ends lol

www.reef2reef.com

Can't wait to get the Evo transferred over and get those clowns in the new tank. Hopefully they take residence in one of the BTAs once their precious return nozzle is no more... Problem: there are two return nozzles to choose from in the 40L..

 

[Blopple]

Link out to this post:

Check out the bubble where’s yours?

One big one little same tank opposite ends lol

www.reef2reef.com

Can't wait to get the Evo transferred over and get those clowns in the new tank. Hopefully they take residence in one of the BTAs once their precious return nozzle is no more... Problem: there are two return nozzles to choose from in the 40L..

My clowns have also claimed a return nozzle. I hope that once the GSP/Cloves grow in they will elect to move haha.

Or maybe I -need- a bubble tip. dang, no choice. Gotta provide for the fish! Right? Guys?

 

[JoJosReef]

Got a dusting of diatoms in the sand now, and the small conch is loving it. He's been out and about more than I've ever seen him in the Evo. Keep going, buddy!

 

[JoJosReef]

Stocking crisis panic attack! Only 4 hours left!

I want to make an order on Dr. Reef and get the 15% sale, but I'm having doubts now about my stocking list...
Currently have:
1. Ecsenius stigmatura Tailspot blenny
2. Nemateleotris exquisita Exquisite firefish
3. Amphiprion ocellaris clown female (non-spawning, yet)
4. Amphiprion ocellaris clown male
--------
To order from Dr. Reef:
5. Cirrhilabrus rubeus Ruby Long Fin Fairy Wrasse aka Social Wrasse (already asked Dr. Reef to be on the lookout)
---> alternatives if Mike can't find a C. rubeus this year:
---------> Cirrhilabrus naokoae Naoko's Fairy Wrasse
---------> Cirrhilabrus isosceles Splendid Pintail Fairy Wrasse
---------> Cirrhilabrus marjorie Marjorie's Fairy Wrasse
---------> Cirrhilabrus lubbocki Multicolor Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse
6. Macropharyngodon bipartitus Blue Star Leopard Wrasse
7. Stonogobiops yasha Yasha Shrimp Goby

And one more. Can't decide on what to go with. I'd like a mid-tank/all-over swimmer. Options:
8. Pseudocheilinops ataenia Pink Streaked Wrasse
8. Halichoeres iridis Radiant Wrasse (I feel like this is too big as an 8th fish or even for a well-designed 40L)
8. Wetmorella nigropinnata Yellow Banded Possum Wrasse
8. Gramma loreto Royal Gramma Basslet
8. Chrysiptera starcki Starck's Damselfish (I like the coloration, because I'd love love love a flameback angel, but I have a lot of tasty coral for an angel... I worry about aggression with damsels)
8. Ecsenius midas Midal Blenny (like the radiant wrasse, worried this is too big as an 8th fish)
8. Pterapogon kauderni Banggai Cardinalfish (like the contrast, but may not be active enough)


Tank dynamic should be (likely, hopefully, imagine to be): (1) TSB perching/barnacling, (2) firefish in cave until eating time, (3-4) clowns hanging out by the return or realizing they're clowns and residing in the BTAs, (5) fairy swimming/flashing, (6) leopard in the sand/swimming, (7) yasha with pistol in a cave till eating time, (8) _________ swimming.

Tough decision! I might just have to keep planning and skip the sale...

 

[Blopple]

Stocking crisis panic attack! Only 4 hours left!

I want to make an order on Dr. Reef and get the 15% sale, but I'm having doubts now about my stocking list...
Currently have:
1. Ecsenius stigmatura Tailspot blenny
2. Nemateleotris exquisita Exquisite firefish
3. Amphiprion ocellaris clown female (non-spawning, yet)
4. Amphiprion ocellaris clown male
--------
To order from Dr. Reef:
5. Cirrhilabrus rubeus Ruby Long Fin Fairy Wrasse aka Social Wrasse (already asked Dr. Reef to be on the lookout)
---> alternatives if Mike can't find a C. rubeus this year:
---------> Cirrhilabrus naokoae Naoko's Fairy Wrasse
---------> Cirrhilabrus isosceles Splendid Pintail Fairy Wrasse
---------> Cirrhilabrus marjorie Marjorie's Fairy Wrasse
---------> Cirrhilabrus lubbocki Multicolor Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse
6. Macropharyngodon bipartitus Blue Star Leopard Wrasse
7. Stonogobiops yasha Yasha Shrimp Goby

And one more. Can't decide on what to go with. I'd like a mid-tank/all-over swimmer. Options:
8. Pseudocheilinops ataenia Pink Streaked Wrasse
8. Halichoeres iridis Radiant Wrasse (I feel like this is too big as an 8th fish or even for a well-designed 40L)
8. Wetmorella nigropinnata Yellow Banded Possum Wrasse
8. Gramma loreto Royal Gramma Basslet
8. Chrysiptera starcki Starck's Damselfish (I like the coloration, because I'd love love love a flameback angel, but I have a lot of tasty coral for an angel... I worry about aggression with damsels)
8. Ecsenius midas Midal Blenny (like the radiant wrasse, worried this is too big as an 8th fish)
8. Pterapogon kauderni Banggai Cardinalfish (like the contrast, but may not be active enough)


Tank dynamic should be (likely, hopefully, imagine to be): (1) TSB perching/barnacling, (2) firefish in cave until eating time, (3-4) clowns hanging out by the return or realizing they're clowns and residing in the BTAs, (5) fairy swimming/flashing, (6) leopard in the sand/swimming, (7) yasha with pistol in a cave till eating time, (8) _________ swimming.

Tough decision! I might just have to keep planning and skip the sale...

Stocking is hard! There are so many amazing fish and coral.

5. If you can't find a Ruby Long Fin I would probably go Lubbock's. Maybe pintail, but they're quite a bit pricier from what I've seen. Have you thought about doing a smaller flasher? Some people will say they need more space, others say it's just enough.

6. Leopard wrasses are gorgeous and so cool, love this choice! I'd love to have one too, but IDK what I would do about fuge/pods since I'm against an HOB one.

7. The smaller shrimp gobies are awesome! Dracula Goby would be great, but I haven't seen any yet and apparently $$$.

8. I think all those wrasse will compete with the leopard for pods which could be tough until you have a big stable population of 'em. Royal gramma seem nice to look, but I don't know if they're very exciting to watch. Same with the cardinals like you mentioned. Midas blenny would be super cool since you don't have much yellow in your fish I don't think, and the personality!!! I think he might fight with the tailspot though? You could get a similar color out of a yellow coris wrasse, but then it's back to pods again.

Maybe a damsel is the right call for #8. I know basically nothing about them except people keep telling me they are jerks, so I have kinda glazed over them.

 

[JoJosReef]

Stocking is hard! There are so many amazing fish and coral.

5. If you can't find a Ruby Long Fin I would probably go Lubbock's. Maybe pintail, but they're quite a bit pricier from what I've seen. Have you thought about doing a smaller flasher? Some people will say they need more space, others say it's just enough.

6. Leopard wrasses are gorgeous and so cool, love this choice! I'd love to have one too, but IDK what I would do about fuge/pods since I'm against an HOB one.

7. The smaller shrimp gobies are awesome! Dracula Goby would be great, but I haven't seen any yet and apparently $$$.

8. I think all those wrasse will compete with the leopard for pods which could be tough until you have a big stable population of 'em. Royal gramma seem nice to look, but I don't know if they're very exciting to watch. Same with the cardinals like you mentioned. Midas blenny would be super cool since you don't have much yellow in your fish I don't think, and the personality!!! I think he might fight with the tailspot though? You could get a similar color out of a yellow coris wrasse, but then it's back to pods again.

Maybe a damsel is the right call for #8. I know basically nothing about them except people keep telling me they are jerks, so I have kinda glazed over them.

Great comments. I'm sure the wrasses will decimate the pods, but I'm less worried about that since they aren't obligate pod eaters. The possum and pink streak might have a harder time of it. But I dose Reef Nutrition arcti pods + pac pods + rotifers + mysis + ROE + oyster feast 4 times a day (maybe bump to 5 when the wrasses arrive), so they will have a decent menu, and small TDO pellets are dumped 3x daily.

I think Dr Reef has Draculas. They aren't cheap, though. $140 quarantined. Yasha has caught my eye, though, and they are a bit smaller which goes nice with the Randall's shrimp.

Yeah, I have to give this sale a pass, I'm afraid. #8 is too tough a choice!

 

[trophyhimbo]

Great comments. I'm sure the wrasses will decimate the pods, but I'm less worried about that since they aren't obligate pod eaters. The possum and pink streak might have a harder time of it. But I dose Reef Nutrition arcti pods + pac pods + rotifers + mysis + ROE + oyster feast 4 times a day (maybe bump to 5 when the wrasses arrive), so they will have a decent menu, and small TDO pellets are dumped 3x daily.

I think Dr Reef has Draculas. They aren't cheap, though. $140 quarantined. Yasha has caught my eye, though, and they are a bit smaller which goes nice with the Randall's shrimp.

Yeah, I have to give this sale a pass, I'm afraid. #8 is too tough a choice!

I think if I've learned anything so far is that there is ALWAYS another sale haha Plus you have a big boy job and big boy money to make big boy decisions so you got time!

 

[JoJosReef]

Well, I am clearly losing the battle with Valonia AND Ulva. I was on top of it, making sure there were no visible bubbles, but they were all back and then some after the weekend. So now I can't even keep up with what's there. This is an especially aggressive Valonia! The Valonia in my other tank reproduces at a slow rate.

The most difficult, I think, is not the Valonia covering the rocks--those I can scrape off and suction away--it is the Valonia and Ulva that are attaching to my macroalgae:

This makes it nearly impossible to remove without sacrificing the macro, which I didn't want to do. It is also growing on my branching GSP, which is difficult to remove.

And of course, Ulva attaches to any bare spot on my stony corals like this pavona:

And frag plugs. They appear faster than I can remove them:

It looks like pretty soon everything will look like this (and this is a shady part of the tank):

So, I'm throwing in the towel on this and going for a more direct intervention. Been working with @Eric Cohen on a plan using Flux Rx, and I'll report how it goes here and in a Flucanozole thread to see if this particularly aggressive Valonia outbreak can be quashed.

Here's hoping!


In other news, my current stocking thoughts for Fish #5-8 are:
5. Yasha shrimp goby
6. Blue Star Leopard Wrasse
7. Spendid Pintail Fairy Wrasse (this is still the wildcard and I continue to waffle)
8. Wait it out for a Ruby Longfin Fairy Wrasse, maybe months or longer, but also assess whether the C. rubeus will work with the tank after observing the other two wrasses, gobies, blenny and clowns.

I will wait until the next tank upgrade for H. iridis and the bigger fairies and flashers.

 

[Blopple]

Well, I am clearly losing the battle with Valonia AND Ulva. I was on top of it, making sure there were no visible bubbles, but they were all back and then some after the weekend. So now I can't even keep up with what's there. This is an especially aggressive Valonia! The Valonia in my other tank reproduces at a slow rate.

The most difficult, I think, is not the Valonia covering the rocks--those I can scrape off and suction away--it is the Valonia and Ulva that are attaching to my macroalgae:

This makes it nearly impossible to remove without sacrificing the macro, which I didn't want to do. It is also growing on my branching GSP, which is difficult to remove.

And of course, Ulva attaches to any bare spot on my stony corals like this pavona:

And frag plugs. They appear faster than I can remove them:

It looks like pretty soon everything will look like this (and this is a shady part of the tank):

So, I'm throwing in the towel on this and going for a more direct intervention. Been working with @Eric Cohen on a plan using Flux Rx, and I'll report how it goes here and in a Flucanozole thread to see if this particularly aggressive Valonia outbreak can be quashed.

Here's hoping!


In other news, my current stocking thoughts for Fish #5-8 are:
5. Yasha shrimp goby
6. Blue Star Leopard Wrasse
7. Spendid Pintail Fairy Wrasse (this is still the wildcard and I continue to waffle)
8. Wait it out for a Ruby Longfin Fairy Wrasse, maybe months or longer, but also assess whether the C. rubeus will work with the tank after observing the other two wrasses, gobies, blenny and clowns.

I will wait until the next tank upgrade for H. iridis and the bigger fairies and flashers.

Have you thought about trying emerald crabs for the bubble algae before the meds? I've heard that's their big selling point, but obviously haven't experienced it myself.

Fish list looks awesome. I love me some wrasse. The more the better. #8 is gonna be the one I'm most excited for. So many varied options.

 

[JoJosReef]

Have you thought about trying emerald crabs for the bubble algae before the meds? I've heard that's their big selling point, but obviously haven't experienced it myself.

Fish list looks awesome. I love me some wrasse. The more the better. #8 is gonna be the one I'm most excited for. So many varied options.

I've been working with emeralds and manual removal for over a year when everything was in the 10g. They do great until they decide to quit and the bubbles come back. So it's been a game of restocking emeralds every 3 months or so. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they start eating corals and I have to rehome them. I'm going to see if eradication is a possibility without killing off my corals and nems. The macro may have to go and be replaced later. I've overcome GHA, bryopsis and Dinos, but Valonia has me beat :-(

 

[Blopple]

I've been working with emeralds and manual removal for over a year when everything was in the 10g. They do great until they decide to quit and the bubbles come back. So it's been a game of restocking emeralds every 3 months or so. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they start eating corals and I have to rehome them. I'm going to see if eradication is a possibility without killing off my corals and nems. The macro may have to go and be replaced later. I've overcome GHA, bryopsis and Dinos, but Valonia has me beat :-(

Oh yea, I keep forgetting this is partially a transfer from the 10g, my bad!

I mean at the very least the emerald crabs are cool to watch!

 

[JoJosReef]

Oh yea, I keep forgetting this is partially a transfer from the 10g, my bad!

I mean at the very least the emerald crabs are cool to watch!

Yeah, I do like emeralds, as long as I don't catch them with a torch polyp in their mouth--seriously, had a large emerald that did *amazing* work on bubble algae but also liked to taste test every single coral it passed by. Caught him red-clawed one day with a torch polyp stretched from the torch head directly to his mouth!

Currently have one somewhere in the 40 that's clearly retired. I sometimes give him a TDO pellet, because I know he's not going to eat any of the bubble algae surrounding him.

 

[JoJosReef]

Today's topic: pectinia placement. @Goaway you and some of your thread followers have experience with pectinia, right? What would you do with this little bitty space invader frag after moving it out of its Evo nano home into the 40gal tank? Where would you put it for longer term growth?

Current location in Evo 13.5g:

Hopefully in the near future it will be ready to move to the 40g (along with everything else in the Evo):

I understand that they like to grow out and up, kind of like plating and making spires (??).

 

[Goaway]

That's a tough one, those pectinias can throw out some 6" sweepers.
I like to put my pectinias in corners.