New .5 Pico Reef adding hydno, acan, tubipora, favites

[brandon4291]

that is amazing! I don't think there are many if any other sealed systems out there, so that you've done it on a ten makes new headway for nano reef keeping for sure. I bet your temps can climb pretty high depending on the lighting you use. Good job
B

 

[^Nano^Reefer^]

Yeah thats what happens when two 22 year olds get drunk and stay after work with a donated clown that was pretty beat up. SO we took the little plastic ends that come with the Hagen glass tops. Cut and seal it all, took water from the sump and some rock from the tank it was living in and it's been pretty good. Yeah my temps reached 86 the first day, but they stay between 78.3 and 82.5 now I just had to cut some vents in my reflector. I didn't really think sealing a tank was a big deal I do it all the time for my FW tanks.

 

[brandon4291]

I don't think the gas exchange issues found in sealing smaller systems would be as pronounced in your 10G provided the bioloading (and subsequent oxygen demand) aren't too high. A rather clean 10g system with some corals and a small fish load can holdover daylight oxygen stores to some degree for the next day, as long as the fish aren't hanging out at the surface every morning (where the highest oxygen gradient exists) gasping for air. I figure if they are still occupying the full breadth of the water column and their opercula/gills aren't working harder than they do in the afternoon (when systemic oxygen is highest due to net photsynthesis gains) one can gauge the oxygen stores fairly well. Heating is the major issue in it, if your lights only take it that high I'd say you have a fine balance working for you!

 

[invert]

finally made some headway with my pico! ill give you another update soon brandon!

 

[brandon4291]

Hello Crew, this is the first time I've had online at my house in over a year now due to computer nonupgrading. As usual I'm addicted to another hobby now, not rc racing anymore but music production now, and I have been putting all my franks into making my living room a live music studio for playing and recording disgusting black heavy metal

Thanks to my buddy Josh Z for a great deal on a new PC, back online now yay. I mostly check in at work but couldn't upload pictures until now.

Here are the updates of this pico reef. It's had it's ups and downs, more ac issues from my house as ususal, but has managed to survive to the ripe ole 1.3 year mark which is decent for a .5 gallon and maybe a little rare these days.

Here are the descriptions of this pico's new additions and growth history:

1. I believe this is my favorite SPS growth I've had in all my picos, I have coaxed my brown/blue tipped acropora to exhibit tabular growth over the course of a year and it has completely modeled the natural growth form for this species but in a two inch long space (front to back of reefscape, see measurement pictures 2nd page). This works by mounting the frags in the direct path of the pump output (but the output isn't too violent over them or it'd peel the flesh off) and giving it very consistent alkalinity and calcium support and good time to develop.

2. I have successfully housed a panda goby in this 1/2 gallon reef for months now, something I said Id not want to do. I became bored with the current biology at the 6 month mark and wanted to challenge the system more. a temporary test of the environ and he's eating cyclopeeze very well for the time in test. he perches on the corals and seems adjusted one day at water change I will catch him and only have my notes from the experiment from there on out.

Here are some updates:

 

[brandon4291]

Here's an interesting shot of turf war, the first use of mesenteries I'd seen in this particular reef considering it's stocking ratios. The candy coral being nettled by the hydnophora in the middle area has recovered, I thought nothing could withstand that kind of assault from a hydno. It was neat to watch a single patch of skin left after the attack regrow into a full caulastrea head. I have some update pics of that growth I need to get transferred over onto my PC for upload.

 

[brandon4291]

here are ordered pics of acro growth, first to last over 1 year:

 

[sadielynn]

8O what else is there to say 8O
but I hope mine gets there and soon drool drool drool

 

[Christyf5]

Absolutely fantastic! 8) Glad to see you back online with updates
_________________
Buddhism Forum

 

[tinyreef]

amazing, just amazing brandon. as usual. :wink:

the tabular growth is suuuweeet! *thumbsup!*

 

[SnowManSnow]

How much water do you actually have in that thing? Maybe .5 ML haha? I know its a .5g , but with all the things in there you end up displacing MOST of the water.

B

 

[Anonymous]

Neat brandon - you are a braver man than I am putting hydnophora (a.k.a. screaming green death coral of doom) that close to other cnidarians.

 

[Anonymous]

brandon429,
:welcome:
Have a look around our nice little site.


That Acro is amazing man. You continue to shock me with your skill and eye for artistry. Bravo sir.

 

[brandon4291]

On one occasion about 5 months ago, I mixed up change water and must have not stirred it correctly or something because when I tested s.g. by dipping from the top it was ok, but not at the bottom of the container somehow, and I actually took my complete water volume from 1.024 to 1.040 instantly for 24 hours without knowing it. Outside of an a/c failure on a summer day, that's the most insulting thing I've ever done to a reef. 100% of all corals shriveled up and I expected total white out, but somehow they all creeped back slowly, no losses.

And on just a few occasions I've been lazy on water changes and have let a few nooks and crannies build up some hair algae. That is a very very bad thing to do in these cramped quarters, in a reef so small it can't house herbivores, but I just pinch the heck out of it with forceps at every water change. I have to do it at every water change, but the two or three patches haven't grown much thankfully or overtaken their respective areas.
Empty, the container I think is calculated at a little under one gallon, maybe 3/4, so that's a good call, it displaces enough to be just under 1/2 gallon completely drained at each water change. The main thing I hate is the algae, people must not get lax on water changes within the first 6 months just because it looks good. They are preventative
There is still a sexy shrimp along with the fish and an imported purple acro crab (still pretty small) to add flair to the acro table, I'll feed the system and get a pic of him soon. Glad to see you guys again

Thank you for my welcome banner I feel welcomed
B