Saltyflip's very slow 20L tank thread

Saltyflip's 20g-long tank thread

Current Tank Picture

​

Specs:
-20 gallon Long
-Dimensions: 30x12x12
-30 lbs of mixed fiji pink/samoan pink sand
-15-20 lbs. of live rock
-Koralia Nano
-Cheap air powered filter

Pending Endeavor:
-10-20 gallon sump with MaxiJet return pump
-PVC overflow

Livestock:
Corals - GSP, Pompom Xenia, Red Cap Monitpora, Kenya Tree, assorted Zoas, assorted Paly, assorted Acan, assorted Gorgonian, assorted Mushrooms.
Inverts - Scarlet Red Hermits, Cerith Snail, Cleaner Shrimp, Astrea Snail, GBTA
Fish -

I just placed 10lbs of CaribSea Fiji Pink and Nature's Choice Samoa Pink #1 a few days ago, along with about 10 lbs of rock.
This really will be a slow tank, even though I have 0 on ammonia/nitrites/nitrates, I refuse to move/add corals or fish for fear of having a mini cycle again (maybe I'll add my yellow-tail during the weekend). I'll slowly move more things in 2 weeks after I'm sure it's all well.

I've had a setback. Bought something at a LFS and since I don't have a QT, placed it on my cube (which had all my livestock and corals in it; it is now empty). This gave ich to 3 of my clownfish; I separated all of my fish and did hyposalinity on them. One by one, they stopped eating got fungus and died. I don't get how they got sick since I used clean fresh water and checked parameters morning and night but that was it, lost all of my fish.

I know I told myself to move my remaining livestock slow but I couldn't handle it. After having 0 on Ammonia/Nitrite and ~0-5 Nitrate for almost 3 weeks, I decided to move them. It's been a few days already and Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate are stable.

Soon, I'll be trying to design an overflow and start looking for a sump tank. As for any new fish, I won't be adding anything for the next month, of this I am certain. Perhaps a couple of snails and crabs this coming week or next.

That sux. Sorry to hear about your loss. Its always hard losing fish. What did you add that killed all your fish? The 20 is looking great btw!

Thanks fishman,
I got a firefish, which also died. I even lost my almost year old perc named Bob whom I cared for so much. Def not buying livestock from that lfs anymore.

what type of lighting are you using?

and the funny thing is i just switched from ny 12g ncdx into a 20g long 30x12x12 about a week ago

Nice layout

Triple R said:

what type of lighting are you using?

Click to expand...

LED Panorama modules, I'm waiting patiently for my other module to arrive, hoping to have three in a delta formation.

Triple R said:

and the funny thing is i just switched from ny 12g ncdx into a 20g long 30x12x12 about a week ago

Click to expand...

Haha yea I'm liking the long tanks a lot. A friend of mine came in and he mentioned that at least I have a widescreen now :tongue1:.

naples said:

Nice layout

Click to expand...

Thanks, it'll hopefully look better once all the GHA is gone.

How bout an update

NO UPDATES FOR YOU MAN ! Lol... Just joking.
+1 on the update. Can't you see we need them SaltyFlip. Lmao.

I'll write one up soon, the tank is on it's rebound from a terrible low; I'll spill everything.

Also, no pictures because I don't have my camera anymore. Ordering a new one soon.

Here's a little update:

After enjoying the scenic views of snow filled mountains and having a great time early feb. I came home to a tank with war campaign on its belt. The pumps stopped working, the algae was literally 2-3 inches thick (couldn't even see the rock/sand surfaces) and to top it off, it turned out my light timer stopped working.

I cleaned out the tank to discover all my corals choked. The xenias were receding, half the red monti was bleaching, Kenya tree was camouflaged in the bush, and my gorgonians were unmentionables. I was ready to give up. I proceeded to clean all the algae up and hoped the corals would recoup. After a couple of days I bought a fish and as my bad luck would have it, it had Ich. It died within 3 days.

I had to really stop and look at my tank, decide what was best. I went on a 5-month hiatus without buying a single livestock. It was the hardest 5 months I've ever experienced in this hobby. All I did was change water every week for 5 months.

Fast forward to now, my tank is stabilized. Algae is at its lowest and some of the corals have jumped back up. The kenya is up and multiplying (?), one of my gorgonians have branched out, and the mushrooms are plumped. Unfortunately, the monti is ridden with algae and it's a slow battle to make sure the polyps aren't covered. Xenia's are almost gone except for 10 polyps or so and the other gorgonian, which had 6 branches, is all skeletal.

So right now, that's my update. I purchased 3 Ocellaris, 1 Lawnmower Blenny and 2 Mexican Turbos within the last 2 weeks. So far, all new specimens are healthy and Ich is nowhere to be seen. I'm going on vacation soon for a whole week again and I'm taking every precaution I can; Top-offs, temperature, food, and water change will be done right before I leave. Next update I'll have is when I get back.

Some of the survivors and additions.
http://youtu.be/iGbXJ19Fy7s

There is nobody you know that can help watch over the tank while your gone? I'm sure someone in here must be close enough to help you out. I would rely on anything if your going to be gone for a week.

Yup, this time my cousin is in town so I have blessed/burdened her with that responsibility! I relied too much on just equipment last time. That's what relatives are for right? lol, j/k.

Haha that's why I still live home with my parents... they are like my monitoring system, top-off, and automatic feeders all in one

SaltyFlip said:

Yup, this time my cousin is in town so I have blessed/burdened her with that responsibility! I relied too much on just equipment last time. That's what relatives are for right? lol, j/k.

Click to expand...

Always good to have someone look after the tank, at least you can be altered if something stops working or anything else that might need your attention.
I can leave my tank alone for a week or two and only have to worry about feeding it. Once I get an autofeeder that will be taken care of as well, just leaving water changes to worry about.

Breezp said:

Haha that's why I still live home with my parents... they are like my monitoring system, top-off, and automatic feeders all in one

Click to expand...

You have an automated system without the expensive equipment to do it all. lol

Check-List:
Ok, first update is all the specimens in the tank before I left for vacation are alive and well. Still have my:
? 3 Amphiprion Ocellaris (Athos, Porthos, & Aramis)
? My Lawnmower Blenny named Mr. O who is credited with letting me come home to an almost algae free tank.
? Cleaner shrimp named Louis.
? Scarlet Hermit Crab named Dr. Neville. He's been with me for almost 2 years.
? 2 Nassarius named Tom & Jerry since they're always together.
? 2 Turbos named Mario & Luigi.

? GSP
? Hairy Gorgonian
? Assorted Mushrooms
? Kenya Tree
? LPS, a type of Acan I believe (?)

Lost-Hope Corals:
? The xenia's have receded to the back of the tank, probably dead. They were dying before I left already since I was trying to rid the tank of most of the algae.
? Purple Gorgonian I had was lost before I took the vacation. I don't quite exactly know why but perhaps, like the Monti, it didn't take well to the transfer.
? The Red Cap Montipora is mostly dead and covered with algae (that was a given too), and they didn't take to transfer too well. There are still a few polyps on the center and a polyp or two when it was encroaching the rocks.

Blabber:
My human top-off system did a great job maintaining the tank for me. Even came and checked during the 3-day heat wave while I was away.

As for Fish, I am resisting on buying another specimen. The 4 fish doesn't do much on filling the tank with action and activity but I know that if I add one more fish, I'll start flushing them one by one in the Porcelain Express.

As for inverts, I may purchase either a clam, scallop, or anemone. This will be a while since I really must try to control myself and weigh pros and cons. My idea is I'll pick one, and then wait a month or two and see if it's still the one I want to get; I hope this one works.

As for corals, my list consists of a hairy mushroom (the hairiest I can), an orange or purple gorgonian, one more type of sps and a frogspawn or hammer.

Here are some pictures I took today.

-SaltyFlip

p.s. I'm glad summer's about to be over.
p.p.s. I also recently acquired a generous size of Green Birdsnest courtesy of a fellow MR.