Added a few more lps corals to the tank: hammer, frogspawn, acan & candy cane
I really need to buy a filter to take better pics
You are off to a great start!
Funny you mention that....
So conventional wisdom dictates that you aren't supposed to try a nem until your tank matures a bit...like 6+ months.
However one of the local reefers had a Rainbow BTA that had a split and was selling it for $15. It was a little bigger than a quarter.
I couldn't pass up the deal but now really need to watch the tank parameters. Its been 2 days so far and the nem looks good - hasn't moved and still has the bubbles.
Sometimes I think the tank is going too well...I'm just waiting for something to happen
I've ordered some things to build a DIY chaeto reactor...sounds groovy but its just basically a container to grow seaweed which helps export nutrients.
The only thing that translates from the koi world to reefing is the built-up immunity to sticker shock
I just spent $100 for a DIY chaeto reactor:
$41: Phosban Reactor 150
$42: Sterile chaeto & red obo macro algae
$12: RGB Submersible LED grow light
I wasn't planning on spending $ on the macroalgae bc people give this away for free but I watched a video that said you shouldn't use other people's algae bc it brings all their critters with it. Unfortunately for me, that made a ton of sense. So I had to spend $40 on stupid sterile macro algae.
Hopefully it works...as I sit in my office most of the day, I tend to think that my tank is much older than it really is.
In fact, its only been running less than 2 weeks...which yikes. I sort of have a full bio load in there right now. I've seeded it with bacteria and its got plenty of dry rock with 2 pieces of live rock.
The dry rock has brown algae on it ( I think diatoms) and is slowly starting to turn green.
I keep a close eye on my corals & fish
My current stocking:
Fish & inverts:
2 Davinci clowns (1-2")
1 coral beauty (2-3")
1 purple firefish
1 red firefish
1 small cleaner shrimp
1 trochus snails
Corals:
Hammer (2 heads)
Frogspawn (2 heads)
GSP
Candy Cane (8+ heads)
Unknown Acan (5 polyps)
Dragon Soul Favia (2 polyps)
Duncan
Rainbow BTA (small)
Well not even...the tank is 20 days old. Feels much older as I spend the vast majority of my waking hours in my office next to it.
Rolling total on the Valhalla Reef Tank is $1,757.
Nothing has died yet. Actually everything appears to be thriving. So fingers crossed.
I don't think my tank has cycled yet....last I checked was .25 Am; 0 Ni, 0 Na
I finally pulled the trigger on a coral lens for my phone so you can say bye bye to these blue photos and videos.
I have 1 more fish (diamond goby) on my list and that'll do it for fish.
As far as corals - the sky is the limit.
The weird one among us want to see the FF or aka foam reactor.
Rain.... do you dip (Bayer) the coral before putting them in your tank ?
Yes. Although I was fragging some zoas yesterday and found a little red worm so I'm not sure if it works too well. Some people dip 2 or 3 times.
I've found several astrina starfish on frag plugs and other bugs. I don't know what bugs do what so I just take everything that moves off