Lbacha’s 310g GlassCages SPS build

[dustinc]

Coming together nicely!

 

[jdpeters]

Good lord what a clean set up! I’m currently building a 40 breeder and I’ve landed on bare bottom. It fits my lifestyle better but I understand that they can be more finicky to start. I found your build because I’m researching frosted backgrounds. It appears you have one. Do you like it or recommend it? Does it illuminate algae or is it more difficult to maintain?

 

[lbacha]

Good lord what a clean set up! I’m currently building a 40 breeder and I’ve landed on bare bottom. It fits my lifestyle better but I understand that they can be more finicky to start. I found your build because I’m researching frosted backgrounds. It appears you have one. Do you like it or recommend it? Does it illuminate algae or is it more difficult to maintain?

I like the frosted background, you do need to clean it like you would your front glass to really get the benefits of it. I let the algae grow for a bit on it and it wasn't bad but it looks better if you scrape it on a regular basis. Honestly a black background is the same as it doesn't look as good once it gets algae growing on it.

 

[Tonycass12]

Yeah I found some micro crabs in a clump of bubble algae I need to try and identify now.

Post a picture if you can get one. I thought I was seeing something similar and it ended up being marine mites. Nothing to worry over luckily I have a friend who happens to be an expert at mites and knew what they were the second she saw them. They looked like little Crabs maybe 1/4-1/2 a millimeter across

 

[jdpeters]

I like the frosted background, you do need to clean it like you would your front glass to really get the benefits of it. I let the algae grow for a bit on it and it wasn't bad but it looks better if you scrape it on a regular basis. Honestly a black background is the same as it doesn't look as good once it gets algae growing on it.

Thank you for the response. I think I will give it a shot and really make sure my aquascape is far enough off the back to easily be able to clean

 

[lbacha]

Post a picture if you can get one. I thought I was seeing something similar and it ended up being marine mites. Nothing to worry over luckily I have a friend who happens to be an expert at mites and knew what they were the second she saw them. They looked like little Crabs maybe 1/4-1/2 a millimeter across

I'm pretty sure they are mites as well. I will try to get some pictures next time I pull the microscope out

 

[lbacha]

Thank you for the response. I think I will give it a shot and really make sure my aquascape is far enough off the back to easily be able to clean

I actually just clean down to the scape as the algae is where alot of pods grow so I don't want to remove it all

 

[Tonycass12]

I'm pretty sure they are mites as well. I will try to get some pictures next time I pull the microscope out

Here are a couple photos I was able to capture of mine. Haven't seen them in over a year now. First photo is on the glass next to a tiny 1mm pod of some type, second photo is after I accidently squished it with the slide cover for my microscope.

 

[biecacka]

Tank is coming along nicely. I used RM for a while myself! Love me some Orpheks as well!


Corey

 

[lbacha]

Tank is coming along nicely. I used RM for a while myself! Love me some Orpheks as well!


Corey

Thank you, I’m very pleased with the results so far

 

[lbacha]

Cut and added some frags to the tank

PC rainbow
Yellow tip austera (not sure the lineage)
TSA Rainbow sherbet
TSA Fruity pebbles
Tierra Del fuego
JF Solar flare (already in the tank but can’t have too much of this one lol)

 

[lbacha]

Got my ICP-MS results last night and everything is looking good. Just some minor corrections and I needed to double my dailies as they were all a touch low. The only item of any concern is a slightly elevated aluminum value. It is probably because I used brightwell ceramic media to start the tank. If the levels stay elevated I will remove the media over time. Acro's are steadily encrusting and I'm hoping to see them start to send branches in the near future. Other SPS are growing like crazy as well, my monti's haven't missed a beat and the Milka Stylo is sending lots of small branches and I'm sure it will fill the space I put it in faster than I would like but it does look so good under white light so that is fine.

 

[lbacha]

I really enjoy seeing the tank with white lights but based on all the glowing nubs of acropora the tank will look really nice under blues as well.

 

[lbacha]

I have to thank @Big E for some great new frags.

 

[lbacha]

I went on vacation for 5 days and let the tank run unsupervised. I came home to happy fish (they appreciated the frozen and nori they got today but no signs of aggression). A quick scrape of the front and back glass and the tank looks amazing. My all was a bit low 7.6 dkh and I shoot for 8 but that is more because I need to raise my dosing to make up for higher consumption. My old tank is on cruise control so I don’t worry about leaving it for a few days but this was the first time for the new tank.

 

[lbacha]

Added a couple wrasses to the tank today. These guys have been living together for a month and a half and as soon as they hit the tank the Orange back decided he doesn’t like the Solon wrasse anymore and is chasing him around. Hopefully they calm down tomorrow.

 

[lbacha]

Some frags made it into the tank today. This round are some old school favorites (Rad planet, foxflame, copps turquoise hoekesami & paletta pink tip) and a couple Montipora palawanensis

 

[lbacha]

The new wrasses have settled in and are getting along. Both the orange back and the Solon wrasse look really cool under white and blue lighting. The Solon wrasse glows pink under all blues which is pretty cool. Going to try and get a picture.

 

[lbacha]

It looks pink like this in person which is pretty cool.