TorontoReefer
Community Member
Getting some really good polyp extension on my sps corals. Granted I’m not trying to keep acros in this tank but the birdsnests, montipora and anacropora are all doing well!
Reef Casa Studio 12 Acropora Rescape
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TorontoReefer
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No real changes to the tank this week, just moving a few things around here and there so I thought I would do a reflection post instead. I think a good title for it would be "The Beauty of Simplicity"
First off, a disclaimer, everyone's choices for how they set up their tank is a very personal and individual choice, and there is no right or wrong way to do it. My thoughts are just that, my thoughts, not a criticism of anyone who chooses a different route to reefing success.
I have run a number of tanks in the time I have been in the hobby and have had success and setbacks with all of them. RIght now, in addition to the Studio 12, I am running a Red Sea Reefer 200xl with an Apex, Radions, AI Nero wavemakers, dosers, basically the whole nine yards. Messing around with the gear is something that I enjoy and it's part of the fun but in that tank I have also had both success and failure. While it's looking pretty good right now in the last year I have lost: a) more acros than I care to count b) a torch coral c) zoas and d) a Hollywood Stunner Chalice. My conclusion here is that high end gear can be lots of fun and help make the hobby easier but is no guarantee of success. I lose corals in this tank not because my equipment is sub par, but because I'm still learning.
Similarly, I have had both success and failure in the Reef Casa tank. I have a beatiful torch garden, thriving Rockflower anemones and easy SPS corals that are doing very well. However, I have lost blastos and zoas in this tank too. I check alkalinity manually once a week and add a bit of All For Reef when it's low. I've never once checked any other parameters other than salinity. I am running the Halo light, which is a great light but not in the same league as a Radion. I don't have any wavemakers and am using the stock return pump. Basically I am keeping it simple!
I think my conclusion here is that gear is part of the fun of the reefing hobby but there is a law of diminishing returns at play. I lose corals not because of my gear, but because of my skills and I have success when I pick the right corals for the right tank, not because of my equipment. The Reef Casa Studio 12 is the perfect example of "simple is beautiful."
First off, a disclaimer, everyone's choices for how they set up their tank is a very personal and individual choice, and there is no right or wrong way to do it. My thoughts are just that, my thoughts, not a criticism of anyone who chooses a different route to reefing success.
I have run a number of tanks in the time I have been in the hobby and have had success and setbacks with all of them. RIght now, in addition to the Studio 12, I am running a Red Sea Reefer 200xl with an Apex, Radions, AI Nero wavemakers, dosers, basically the whole nine yards. Messing around with the gear is something that I enjoy and it's part of the fun but in that tank I have also had both success and failure. While it's looking pretty good right now in the last year I have lost: a) more acros than I care to count b) a torch coral c) zoas and d) a Hollywood Stunner Chalice. My conclusion here is that high end gear can be lots of fun and help make the hobby easier but is no guarantee of success. I lose corals in this tank not because my equipment is sub par, but because I'm still learning.
Similarly, I have had both success and failure in the Reef Casa tank. I have a beatiful torch garden, thriving Rockflower anemones and easy SPS corals that are doing very well. However, I have lost blastos and zoas in this tank too. I check alkalinity manually once a week and add a bit of All For Reef when it's low. I've never once checked any other parameters other than salinity. I am running the Halo light, which is a great light but not in the same league as a Radion. I don't have any wavemakers and am using the stock return pump. Basically I am keeping it simple!
I think my conclusion here is that gear is part of the fun of the reefing hobby but there is a law of diminishing returns at play. I lose corals not because of my gear, but because of my skills and I have success when I pick the right corals for the right tank, not because of my equipment. The Reef Casa Studio 12 is the perfect example of "simple is beautiful."
TorontoReefer
Community Member
I added an Ink Bird temperature controller this week. I have one on my larger tank and I figured it would be a good backup in case my heater thermostat ever malfunctions (which from what I understand is a “when” not an “if”). The wiring in my cabinet is also starting to look a bit messy but the thought of taking it all apart and redoing it is a bit overwhelming!
I added a honeycomb lepastrea to the top ledge. I am going to see how it responds (there may be too much light) and if it does well I may get a couple more colour morphs and have them cover the entire ledge and take out the two small sps corals that are up there. In hindsight I think that ledge is too big because it creates a pretty big unusable space under it because of shadows. Does anyone know of any corals that will do well in almost total shadow ?
I have figured out the manual dosing requirements for the tank and a considering getting a dosing pump or perhaps replacing my single head pump with a dual head pump and doing both tanks with one.
Apart from that no real changes. Everything is still doing really well and the diatoms on the rock-work are finally burning off. Still thinking about adding one more fish but don’t want to mess with the nice little balance that seems to have established. Loving this little Reef Casa tank ! They have a stand available now that I’m thinking about but I’m concerned about moving the tank even if I take out the water, move it and quickly replace the water.
I added a honeycomb lepastrea to the top ledge. I am going to see how it responds (there may be too much light) and if it does well I may get a couple more colour morphs and have them cover the entire ledge and take out the two small sps corals that are up there. In hindsight I think that ledge is too big because it creates a pretty big unusable space under it because of shadows. Does anyone know of any corals that will do well in almost total shadow ?
I have figured out the manual dosing requirements for the tank and a considering getting a dosing pump or perhaps replacing my single head pump with a dual head pump and doing both tanks with one.
Apart from that no real changes. Everything is still doing really well and the diatoms on the rock-work are finally burning off. Still thinking about adding one more fish but don’t want to mess with the nice little balance that seems to have established. Loving this little Reef Casa tank ! They have a stand available now that I’m thinking about but I’m concerned about moving the tank even if I take out the water, move it and quickly replace the water.
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TorontoReefer
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This week was a week of a bit of re-organization. When I set this tank up I promised myself I wouldn't make the mistake of putting small corals too close together to make the tank look "full" right away. I was going to give them space to grow, knowing that over time the tank would fill in. And, of course, I put some of the corals too close together initially and now have to move them around, In particular the hammer corals were crowding each other and needed to be spaced out. I also have a feeling that my 2 torches are going to need moved around in the not too distant future as well to prevent them from shading each other too much. The corals on the sandbed are getting larger too and a few may need to be rehomed back to my larger tank.
I have been dosing AB+ in both my tanks to try and encourage my hard corals to grow and colour up a bit better and have gotten a bit of an algae problem in both tanks. I've never dosed or fed before because I've always run into this issue and even though I'm using about 1/4 of the recommended amount it didn't take long for some algae to pop up. I removed most of it manually and added an emerald crab to both tanks and hopefully that will get it under control. I plan to increase my water change volume slightly and stop feeding for the time being.
I think I am going to go forward with my plan to place a couple more encrusting corals on the top ledge to add a bit more colour and texture. I still think I need another fish in the tank but I'm not sure what. It has to be small and peaceful and easy to feed! any ideas?
I have been dosing AB+ in both my tanks to try and encourage my hard corals to grow and colour up a bit better and have gotten a bit of an algae problem in both tanks. I've never dosed or fed before because I've always run into this issue and even though I'm using about 1/4 of the recommended amount it didn't take long for some algae to pop up. I removed most of it manually and added an emerald crab to both tanks and hopefully that will get it under control. I plan to increase my water change volume slightly and stop feeding for the time being.
I think I am going to go forward with my plan to place a couple more encrusting corals on the top ledge to add a bit more colour and texture. I still think I need another fish in the tank but I'm not sure what. It has to be small and peaceful and easy to feed! any ideas?
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TorontoReefer
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Well that was quite the week! The torch coral spawning event was pretty cool.. something that I never thought I'd see in a home reef tank. I doubt any will survive but it was still very neat to see.
The great redesign continues. I think I've finally found a home for my blue alveopora.. I hope it's far enough away from the torch that it won't get stung. My second rockflower anemone is on the move again, I hope it decides to settle somewhere that I can actually see it this time! I moved some acans up onto the ledge where the RFA used to be.. the favia on the sandbed was starting to send out pretty long sweepers at night so it needs a bit more space.
I'm going to start lightly feeding AB+ once a week and see if that helps with growth, especially of my encusting corals and SPS. I added an emerald crab to try and deal with some of the hair algae.. it's a bit early to pass judgement on whether or not he is doing his job but if I see him anywhere near my torches I'll take him out. Not everything is wonderful though, my sexy shrimp has been AWOL for over a week so I'm pretty sure it is dead... it's a small tank so I can't imagine he was able to stay hidden that long!
Over the next few weeks I want to add some more encrusting corals to the top ledge and move a few things out of the shadows of my torch corals. I'm debating getting a pump to dose my All for Reef instead of always having to do it by hand but the cabinet under the tank is getting a bit crowded. A summer project may be to get a larger/nicer cabinet since it is holding electrics for 2 tanks as well as my 5 gallon auto top off bucket.
The great redesign continues. I think I've finally found a home for my blue alveopora.. I hope it's far enough away from the torch that it won't get stung. My second rockflower anemone is on the move again, I hope it decides to settle somewhere that I can actually see it this time! I moved some acans up onto the ledge where the RFA used to be.. the favia on the sandbed was starting to send out pretty long sweepers at night so it needs a bit more space.
I'm going to start lightly feeding AB+ once a week and see if that helps with growth, especially of my encusting corals and SPS. I added an emerald crab to try and deal with some of the hair algae.. it's a bit early to pass judgement on whether or not he is doing his job but if I see him anywhere near my torches I'll take him out. Not everything is wonderful though, my sexy shrimp has been AWOL for over a week so I'm pretty sure it is dead... it's a small tank so I can't imagine he was able to stay hidden that long!
Over the next few weeks I want to add some more encrusting corals to the top ledge and move a few things out of the shadows of my torch corals. I'm debating getting a pump to dose my All for Reef instead of always having to do it by hand but the cabinet under the tank is getting a bit crowded. A summer project may be to get a larger/nicer cabinet since it is holding electrics for 2 tanks as well as my 5 gallon auto top off bucket.
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TorontoReefer
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Not much has really changed this week with the Studio 12. My second rockflower anemone is on the move again and I'm moderately happy with where he has decided to settle for now. I'm starting to get a little bit of hair algae here and there so I added an emerald crab, so hopefully that will help.
I think I have a pretty good idea of what the tank will look like when it fills in and there are only a handful of corals that I have left to add before sitting back and letting everything fill in. For the first time ever I'm thinking I might actually "finish" a tank. Up until now I had always upgraded before my tanks filled in but this tank stands a pretty good chance of being finished. My one concern is what I will do when my torches outgrow the tank, since I don't have the skill or tools to frag them. It's not the worst problem to have but I'm starting to think that the torches will outgrow the tank long before the SPS ledge fills in, so maybe "finished" will be more elusive!
I think I have a pretty good idea of what the tank will look like when it fills in and there are only a handful of corals that I have left to add before sitting back and letting everything fill in. For the first time ever I'm thinking I might actually "finish" a tank. Up until now I had always upgraded before my tanks filled in but this tank stands a pretty good chance of being finished. My one concern is what I will do when my torches outgrow the tank, since I don't have the skill or tools to frag them. It's not the worst problem to have but I'm starting to think that the torches will outgrow the tank long before the SPS ledge fills in, so maybe "finished" will be more elusive!
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TorontoReefer
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Some good news this week.. My algae issue seems to have self resolved... I think the tank just needed to finish going through its diatom bloom followed by a hair algae cycle. I did slow down a bit on feeding and I'm sure the emerald crab has helped as well.
I added an encrusting electric daisy stylo on the top ledge.. hopefully the light isn't too intense up there and it encrusts nicely.. I'm trying to create a mix of different coloured encrusting corals up there.
My second RFA has found a new home.. (again) and hopefully it stays there! I find that I am spending a fair amount of time regluing other frags when the RFA decides to move and gets too close to them.
Still absolutely no complaints about the tank or the Halo light... the corals are happy and healthy and maintenance has been a breeze. I am definitely thinking that I may upgrade to the Sicce pump once I get a bit more growth to make sure that there is enough waterflow.
I added a small red digitata frag to the lower level.. I think the light will be too low there.. it's pretty shaded but it was a piece I accidently broke off a colony in my other tank so I figured I would give it a try. I want to add a Polkaroo leptastrea to the top ledge at some point soon too since the Honeycomb is doing really well.
I'm still thinking about adding a second fish of some sort.. just waiting for the right one to come along.. I figure I will know it when I see it!
I added an encrusting electric daisy stylo on the top ledge.. hopefully the light isn't too intense up there and it encrusts nicely.. I'm trying to create a mix of different coloured encrusting corals up there.
My second RFA has found a new home.. (again) and hopefully it stays there! I find that I am spending a fair amount of time regluing other frags when the RFA decides to move and gets too close to them.
Still absolutely no complaints about the tank or the Halo light... the corals are happy and healthy and maintenance has been a breeze. I am definitely thinking that I may upgrade to the Sicce pump once I get a bit more growth to make sure that there is enough waterflow.
I added a small red digitata frag to the lower level.. I think the light will be too low there.. it's pretty shaded but it was a piece I accidently broke off a colony in my other tank so I figured I would give it a try. I want to add a Polkaroo leptastrea to the top ledge at some point soon too since the Honeycomb is doing really well.
I'm still thinking about adding a second fish of some sort.. just waiting for the right one to come along.. I figure I will know it when I see it!
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TorontoReefer
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Since the tank isn't changing much week to week I thought I would post about what my weekly maintenance schedule looks like. My goal for this tank was for it to be as low maintenance as possible and for the most part I think I have been successful
1) Every 2 or 3 days I clean the glass with a Tunze nano scraper. This is my scraper of choice because it's the only one that I've ever used that doesn't scratch the glass. This takes maybe 1 minute 3 times a day. Total= 3 mins
2) Once a day I use a coral feeder to stir the sandbed. I seem to be getting some green algae growing on the sand and this helps to keep it nice and clean. Most of the detritus ends up in the water column. Total time per week= 5 minutes.
3) Twice a week I check the alkalinity level and add some All for Reef if it's below about 8.5 dKH. I generally add 0.6 ml of All for Reef twice a week and that keeps the alkalinity between 9.2-9.3. I'd like to automate this and it's probably the most time consuming part of my routine. Total time per week= 10 minutes
4) Once a week I change about 20% of the water. I use a fluid transfer pump to speed up the process and not have to prime a siphon with my mouth. I have a large container of salt water that I mix up once a week that I use for both my tanks. I also wipe down the salt creep etc. This takes about 20 minutes once a week.
Once I add about 10 minutes per week for random unexpected things my weekly maintenance time is about 45 minutes per week, which seems very reasonable. I'd like to ultimately get this down to about 30 minutes and I think adding a dosing pump would go a long way to help with that.
About how much time do others take on weekly maintenance?
1) Every 2 or 3 days I clean the glass with a Tunze nano scraper. This is my scraper of choice because it's the only one that I've ever used that doesn't scratch the glass. This takes maybe 1 minute 3 times a day. Total= 3 mins
2) Once a day I use a coral feeder to stir the sandbed. I seem to be getting some green algae growing on the sand and this helps to keep it nice and clean. Most of the detritus ends up in the water column. Total time per week= 5 minutes.
3) Twice a week I check the alkalinity level and add some All for Reef if it's below about 8.5 dKH. I generally add 0.6 ml of All for Reef twice a week and that keeps the alkalinity between 9.2-9.3. I'd like to automate this and it's probably the most time consuming part of my routine. Total time per week= 10 minutes
4) Once a week I change about 20% of the water. I use a fluid transfer pump to speed up the process and not have to prime a siphon with my mouth. I have a large container of salt water that I mix up once a week that I use for both my tanks. I also wipe down the salt creep etc. This takes about 20 minutes once a week.
Once I add about 10 minutes per week for random unexpected things my weekly maintenance time is about 45 minutes per week, which seems very reasonable. I'd like to ultimately get this down to about 30 minutes and I think adding a dosing pump would go a long way to help with that.
About how much time do others take on weekly maintenance?
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TorontoReefer
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The Studio 12 is still growing in nicely. It's starting to consume more alkalinity so I may look at getting a dosing pump rather than adding it by hand throughout the week. All of the corals are still looking good and growing well. Although I like the Electric Daisy stylo on the top ledge may be getting too much light. I really want it up there so I am going to leave it and hope it adjusts. I also accidentally broke off a piece of the green goddess birdsnest so I glued it on the top ledge with the other little SPS pieces.
My rockflowers are on the move again and have decided to hang out in the back corner. I've decided not to bother trying to move them, they will go where they are going to go!
The next plan is to add a few mushrooms or something similar to the vertical ledges so they don't look so pronounced. I'm reluctant to do anything encrusting since I don't want them taking over the tank. Suggestions would be welcome!
My rockflowers are on the move again and have decided to hang out in the back corner. I've decided not to bother trying to move them, they will go where they are going to go!
The next plan is to add a few mushrooms or something similar to the vertical ledges so they don't look so pronounced. I'm reluctant to do anything encrusting since I don't want them taking over the tank. Suggestions would be welcome!
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Love the tank, looks like your rockflower moved around? How much has it moved and how frequently?
TorontoReefer
Community Member
They move more often than I thought they would. I’d say about once a week or so. I used to try and move them back but now I just let them do their thing. It’s a fun surprise some mornings to see where they end up !
TorontoReefer
Community Member
and.... the RFAs are on the move again! It used to annoy me but now I just find it hilarious when I wake up in the morning to find them somewhere totally unpredictable. I am going to stop trying to move them back and just let them do their thing.
Right now I have 2 main focuses on this tank.. the first is to continue to cover up some of the vertical ledges so that they are less visible. I moved one of my acan frags off of the sandbed and attached it to the rockwork. I will let it grow for a couple of months and see how it does. If that doesn't work I will try the frogspawn that was suggested or maybe another avelopora. I added a zoa rock that wasn't doing great in my other tank to see if it's happier in this one. It still looks like it's "reaching" for more light but I'm hesitant to turn my lights up any higher. I will see how it goes.
My other main goal is to try and get the dosing down to more of a science rather than "I feel like I should add some All For Reef". I know how to calculate consumption rates for alkalinity but for some reason I have been reluctant to bother for this tank but I think it might be time. I may also get a single head dosing pump so automate the process.
In terms of issues I am finding that my sandbed is becoming dirty on an almost daily basis. I have a few nassarius snails but I am considering adding either a starfish or conch. I'm not sure if the tank is big enough for a sand sifting starfish and I'm worried that a conch will be a bulldozer and knock over my smaller frags. The one I have in my other tank doesn't stay on the sandbed and I am constantly re gluing corals that he knocks over.
Still very happy with the tank and no major issues this far... this little Studio 12 continues to impress.
Right now I have 2 main focuses on this tank.. the first is to continue to cover up some of the vertical ledges so that they are less visible. I moved one of my acan frags off of the sandbed and attached it to the rockwork. I will let it grow for a couple of months and see how it does. If that doesn't work I will try the frogspawn that was suggested or maybe another avelopora. I added a zoa rock that wasn't doing great in my other tank to see if it's happier in this one. It still looks like it's "reaching" for more light but I'm hesitant to turn my lights up any higher. I will see how it goes.
My other main goal is to try and get the dosing down to more of a science rather than "I feel like I should add some All For Reef". I know how to calculate consumption rates for alkalinity but for some reason I have been reluctant to bother for this tank but I think it might be time. I may also get a single head dosing pump so automate the process.
In terms of issues I am finding that my sandbed is becoming dirty on an almost daily basis. I have a few nassarius snails but I am considering adding either a starfish or conch. I'm not sure if the tank is big enough for a sand sifting starfish and I'm worried that a conch will be a bulldozer and knock over my smaller frags. The one I have in my other tank doesn't stay on the sandbed and I am constantly re gluing corals that he knocks over.
Still very happy with the tank and no major issues this far... this little Studio 12 continues to impress.
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RFAs moving repeatedly is not something I’ve experienced. It’s usually stay put when added or move once. They will sometimes move if something changes (like a pump gets moved or lights get adjusted) but being true wanders is unusual.
TorontoReefer
Community Member
That’s what I assumed would be the case !
TorontoReefer
Community Member
Not much has changed in terms of the corals this week (this is becoming a recurring theme)
So this week I thought I'd share how I am trying to make my Neptune Apex do double duty and control two tanks.
After a scare with a heater in my larger system I decided to add both an inkbird controller to both tanks as well as an Apex. When I first started in the hobby I thought that an Apex was an unnecessary expense but as I've invested more and more time and resources into the tanks I changed my tune. Almost losing my larger system due to user error (yup. my fault) I decided that I had played with fire for long enough.
The system monitors the PH and temperature of my big tank but I have set it up to also control all the key parts of the Reef Casa studio tank as well. My Inkbird controller is Wifi and will send me a message if the temperature in the Studio 12 gets too high and I can turn off the heater remotely using the Apex (I know.. double redundancy) I have also set up a feed mode for the Studio 12 that will turn off the return pump (and have set it up to turn off the skimmer too once I get around to adding it)
I know I am just scratching the surface of what the Apex can do but it was a fun project to try and figure out some workarounds to allow me to make it do double duty on both tanks. I know I say now that I would neve bother to set it up to do an automatic water change.... but that would be very convenient! Who knows... maybe one day!
So this week I thought I'd share how I am trying to make my Neptune Apex do double duty and control two tanks.
After a scare with a heater in my larger system I decided to add both an inkbird controller to both tanks as well as an Apex. When I first started in the hobby I thought that an Apex was an unnecessary expense but as I've invested more and more time and resources into the tanks I changed my tune. Almost losing my larger system due to user error (yup. my fault) I decided that I had played with fire for long enough.
The system monitors the PH and temperature of my big tank but I have set it up to also control all the key parts of the Reef Casa studio tank as well. My Inkbird controller is Wifi and will send me a message if the temperature in the Studio 12 gets too high and I can turn off the heater remotely using the Apex (I know.. double redundancy) I have also set up a feed mode for the Studio 12 that will turn off the return pump (and have set it up to turn off the skimmer too once I get around to adding it)
I know I am just scratching the surface of what the Apex can do but it was a fun project to try and figure out some workarounds to allow me to make it do double duty on both tanks. I know I say now that I would neve bother to set it up to do an automatic water change.... but that would be very convenient! Who knows... maybe one day!
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TorontoReefer
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I added a few new corals this week that weren't doing well in my other system. For some reason the Studio 12 seems to be a great hospital tank for corals that are unhappy in my larger system.
I had a large clove polyp and a red gonipora that were not happy so I have moved them over in hopes that they will do better in this tank. I have had success with moving acans into this tank in the past (and torches only seem to grow in this tank) so hopefully they will bounce back. I'm not sure why this is the case... it might be that the light is less intense or the water is a bit dirtier since I don't run a protein skimmer in this tank. In any case, it seems like a solid case for "simple is better" and hopefully they do well.
I lost one of my RFAs.. I'm not sure what happened to it but I came back from a weekend away and it was starting to decompose. The other one is doing fine so it's a bit of a mystery. In hindsight I don't think I would add RFAs in the future.. they move around too much and were far more high needs that I was looking for! I do, however, really like maxi-mini carpet anemones so I may add one of those in the near future.
The tank is still kicking along quite nicely, usually as the weather warms up my tanks go into "maintenance mode" and I add less in the summer when I am busier with other things but I'm sure there will be changes here and there over the summer months.
I had a large clove polyp and a red gonipora that were not happy so I have moved them over in hopes that they will do better in this tank. I have had success with moving acans into this tank in the past (and torches only seem to grow in this tank) so hopefully they will bounce back. I'm not sure why this is the case... it might be that the light is less intense or the water is a bit dirtier since I don't run a protein skimmer in this tank. In any case, it seems like a solid case for "simple is better" and hopefully they do well.
I lost one of my RFAs.. I'm not sure what happened to it but I came back from a weekend away and it was starting to decompose. The other one is doing fine so it's a bit of a mystery. In hindsight I don't think I would add RFAs in the future.. they move around too much and were far more high needs that I was looking for! I do, however, really like maxi-mini carpet anemones so I may add one of those in the near future.
The tank is still kicking along quite nicely, usually as the weather warms up my tanks go into "maintenance mode" and I add less in the summer when I am busier with other things but I'm sure there will be changes here and there over the summer months.
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TorontoReefer
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So the godzilla clove polyp that I added from my other tank is recovering well but the gonipora still looks pretty unhappy... I guess this tank isn't completely magic! I've never had any luck keeping gonipora in any of my previous tanks either... I guess they just aren't for me!
The NY Knicks torch hasn't been as extended as much as in the past.. I don't think anything is wrong with it but it doesn't seem as plump as before. I am starting to think that as the tank grows in I may want to consider upgrading the stock pump to a small Sicce pump. I don't want to add a wavemaker if I can avoid it but I think an upgrade to the return pump may help create a bit more water movement.
I am torn on whether or not I should be feeding this tank. Certainly the corals look happier when I feed but it does seem to lead to more algae issues. I think I will reduce feeding to once every week the day before a water change as opposed to twice a week like I do in my larger system.
Other than that all the corals are looking great and growing well. I'm super impressed with how well the SPS corals are doing and I'm considering adding a miyagi tort or similar to see if the Halo light can grow more light demanding SPS corals... I am pretty sure it will be able to.
I seem to be short a few members of my cleanup crew so it may be time for a trip to the LFS to pick up a few more snails to deal with the film alage that is forming on the back wall of the tank where I can't use the magnetic scraper.
All in all things are still going well!
The NY Knicks torch hasn't been as extended as much as in the past.. I don't think anything is wrong with it but it doesn't seem as plump as before. I am starting to think that as the tank grows in I may want to consider upgrading the stock pump to a small Sicce pump. I don't want to add a wavemaker if I can avoid it but I think an upgrade to the return pump may help create a bit more water movement.
I am torn on whether or not I should be feeding this tank. Certainly the corals look happier when I feed but it does seem to lead to more algae issues. I think I will reduce feeding to once every week the day before a water change as opposed to twice a week like I do in my larger system.
Other than that all the corals are looking great and growing well. I'm super impressed with how well the SPS corals are doing and I'm considering adding a miyagi tort or similar to see if the Halo light can grow more light demanding SPS corals... I am pretty sure it will be able to.
I seem to be short a few members of my cleanup crew so it may be time for a trip to the LFS to pick up a few more snails to deal with the film alage that is forming on the back wall of the tank where I can't use the magnetic scraper.
All in all things are still going well!
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TorontoReefer
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Well the gonipora didn't make it.. I guess this tank isn't magic after all. I put it back in my big tank but it's not looking good... I have tried it in higher flow, lower flow, higher light, lower light, shadow and nothing seems to work.. I think this is going to go in the "Fail" pile.
I think my Cardinalfish definitely needs some company.. I know I have been thinking about this for a while and always talk myself out of another fish so I don't mess up the balance but I think I need to go for it. The corals look great but the tank needs a bit more life.
I think I've changed my mind about upgrading the pump.. as long as everything is looking good I don't want to make changes if there isn't a problem. If I start to notice that the corals are suffering from lack of flow then I will upgrade.
In terms of what to add I think I am going to snip a piece of either my birds of paradise or goldenrod anacropora to put on the top ledge. After that I am going to wait for the perfect small scoly or plate coral for the front right side and then may be about it. I've never actually "finished" a tank before so I'm not sure what to do when it's full. I know the answer is "just enjoy it" but I'm not sure that fits with my personality!
I think my Cardinalfish definitely needs some company.. I know I have been thinking about this for a while and always talk myself out of another fish so I don't mess up the balance but I think I need to go for it. The corals look great but the tank needs a bit more life.
I think I've changed my mind about upgrading the pump.. as long as everything is looking good I don't want to make changes if there isn't a problem. If I start to notice that the corals are suffering from lack of flow then I will upgrade.
In terms of what to add I think I am going to snip a piece of either my birds of paradise or goldenrod anacropora to put on the top ledge. After that I am going to wait for the perfect small scoly or plate coral for the front right side and then may be about it. I've never actually "finished" a tank before so I'm not sure what to do when it's full. I know the answer is "just enjoy it" but I'm not sure that fits with my personality!
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TorontoReefer
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I think I've decided what I'm going to do! I am going to run the tank for about another year and enjoy it being "full" and then I'm going to repurpose it as a frag tank for some of the overgrowth in my larger system. The Halo light has been able to grow everything that I've tried so I'm sure it will make a great light for a small frag system.
To that end, I am planning a bit of a redesign over the next few weeks. I added a goldenrod anacropora from my other system this week. But that's not the exciting part. I have been trying to stock this tank with frags from my other thank to try and keep costs down but my local fish store (shout out to Fragbox) just got an amazing shipment in and there was a frogspawn that I couldn't resist... I think we all know that "I have to have that coral" feeling. I'm still arranging pickup but once I do there will be a little bit of re-organization to make room. I think I will move the flowerpot down to the sandbed and the acan over to make room below the two hammers but it's something I will probably have to decide in the moment once I have the coral.
Apart from that everything is looking good. I think I may be overdoing it with the feeding, I have a fair amount of film algae on the glass, rockwork and sandbed. I can blow it off with a turkey baster but I think I will reduce or eliminate feeding for the time being until it's under control.
Looking forward to adding the new coral and hoping to have an update to share next week!
To that end, I am planning a bit of a redesign over the next few weeks. I added a goldenrod anacropora from my other system this week. But that's not the exciting part. I have been trying to stock this tank with frags from my other thank to try and keep costs down but my local fish store (shout out to Fragbox) just got an amazing shipment in and there was a frogspawn that I couldn't resist... I think we all know that "I have to have that coral" feeling. I'm still arranging pickup but once I do there will be a little bit of re-organization to make room. I think I will move the flowerpot down to the sandbed and the acan over to make room below the two hammers but it's something I will probably have to decide in the moment once I have the coral.
Apart from that everything is looking good. I think I may be overdoing it with the feeding, I have a fair amount of film algae on the glass, rockwork and sandbed. I can blow it off with a turkey baster but I think I will reduce or eliminate feeding for the time being until it's under control.
Looking forward to adding the new coral and hoping to have an update to share next week!
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TorontoReefer
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Lots of cool changes this week. I was finally able to get up to Fragbox to pick up another coral... it's a super cool frogspawn. The camera doesn't pick it up all that well but there is a hint of blue to go along with the yellow. It looks great with my hammer corals. I had to move the alveopora to the sandbed to make room and shifted the acan over a little bit.
My sand sifting conch was on a rampage in my other tank and managed to break large pieces off of both the green goblin anacropora and my forest fire digitata... but luckily they fit perfectly in the Studio 12! I think I want to frag a small piece of my birds of paradise and replace the zoas that aren't really growing with a red favia of some sort and then I will officially be done (until I think of something else I want to add)
My rock flower anemone has totally disappeared... it is on the back of the rock and doesn't seem interested in moving. If I had it to do all over again I don't think I would have bought them, but live and learn!
Everything else is going great, although I feel like I am tempting the fates by saying that!
My sand sifting conch was on a rampage in my other tank and managed to break large pieces off of both the green goblin anacropora and my forest fire digitata... but luckily they fit perfectly in the Studio 12! I think I want to frag a small piece of my birds of paradise and replace the zoas that aren't really growing with a red favia of some sort and then I will officially be done (until I think of something else I want to add)
My rock flower anemone has totally disappeared... it is on the back of the rock and doesn't seem interested in moving. If I had it to do all over again I don't think I would have bought them, but live and learn!
Everything else is going great, although I feel like I am tempting the fates by saying that!
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