Evo 13.5 QT & Coblalt 40b DT

[VanIsleReefTherapy]

So, I've been lurking, researching and reading for a couple of months now and I went from feeling intimidated by anything bigger than a 20g nano to feeling like my new 40b AIO is too small - it's not even wet yet, but I have so much interesting rock! I feel a bit crazy, not gonna lie.

So the Evo I considered as a DT is now my QT. I got it used from my lfs, just the stock pump, a heater, and the stock lights on it. The owner of the store had me rip out the sponge inside to prevent mystery problems later unless I intend to clean it weekly. So, a couple small pieces of dry rock, cured with Microbacter for two weeks, plus a few days longer at this point, no lights on.

Only some little porous ceramic (?) cylinders plus the rock itself for filtration. I'll probably get some mechanical filtration media eventually, but there was no basket with it and lfs said I didn't need one yet. ‍

 

[blaxsun]

It's another Evo!

 

[VanIsleReefTherapy]

Here are my initial efforts at aquascape for the 40b. I plan to rework it because there isn't enough highly porous lightweight rock and I want it to be more natural looking.

 

[pecan2phat]

Those InTank media baskets are over rated and over priced if your just using the EVO as a QT tank. I would see if someone on the 3D forum who might have an EVO, can print a hang on media holder for mechanical filtration pad s or foam.

 

[VanIsleReefTherapy]

Stocking list for 40b, in order of intended introduction:

YWG/candy pistol pair
Bangaai Cardinal pair
Starry and/or Molly Miller Blenny
Mocha clown pair
Springeri Damsel

Went to the lfs yesterday hoping to get a CB YWG and candy pistol shrimp pair, but they only had a Randall's.

I came home with a pipe organ GSP rock from someone's ancient dismantled tank and a medium hermit of unknown species, maybe clibinarius. GSP rock came with a brittle star, several minute feather dusters and a fat little bristleworm. After debating the 4" brittle star I pulled out (post freshwater rinse), I put it back on the rock (nope, it wanted the bare-bottom floor) and the hermit crab ate part of it.

Here's the observation tank with its new temporary inhabitants.

 

[VanIsleReefTherapy]

Those InTank media baskets are over rated and over priced if your just using the EVO as a QT tank. I would see if someone on the 3D forum who might have an EVO, can print a hang on media holder for mechanical filtration pad s or foam.

I saw something somewhere about making them out of egg crate. Seems simple enough.

I had been considering putting egg crate just under my rock to protect the glass from shifting rockwork. I'm currently leaning toward not doing this but I do have a full sheet of egg crate lying around.

 

[VanIsleReefTherapy]

It's another Evo!

Seems they are really popular around here. Lfs said they've sold quite a few lately. I didn't want it for a DT because I wanted a clown pair and didn't want problems with aggression. It's a bit on the small side. Makes a great QT, though!

 

[VanIsleReefTherapy]

New aquascape - any thoughts?

I wanted a more natural look and lots of places for coral. Planning to put xenia on one of the highest rocks. I saw a tank that really inspired me to place it on a bridge because the owner said it doesn't tend to spread downward as much as it does sideways and up. We will see.

 

[VanIsleReefTherapy]

Some small drama with the Evo.

GSP is finally open and new polyps are showing up already, including on a couple of tiny pieces of the mat that have fallen off. The hermit crab was not so happy, though. They started hiding, completely retracted and not moving from their spot. Can't tell if they're dying, moulting, or suffocating, as the case may be.

I couldn't get to the lfs because my car is out of commission and I don't have my own test kits, so last Saturday I decided to just do my first water change of 20-30%. The crab was happier for a bit, then started sulking again.

Tested water at lfs on Thursday: phosphates are through the roof at 1.0 and salinity was 1.029! The poor crab can't breathe!

I'm using the hood and had been assuming that there was little evaporation happening because the water level was steady. Lfs pointed out that I need to look at the water in the sump because the water in the tank is constant. *face palm*

They told me to correct slowly, taking a cup out each day and replacing with RODI. However, this didn't properly cross paths with the part of my brain that was processing that I needed to top off while looking at the sump. So, I topped off looking at the sump... at least a liter and a half, maybe more. Refractometer then said it was at 1.025. I did exactly what I was told NOT to do, then felt terribly guilty for several hours. Nothing died overnight, though, so redemption seems possible.

However, by this morning (Sat) my salinity was 1.028 again. The water level in the sump is full. I swapped out a cup of water today and will do a 10-20% change tomorrow. I don't understand how my salinity could be so high again already after pouring that much RODI water into the tank two days ago!

The hermit crab has been a tiny bit more active yesterday and today, at least their front legs were out most of the day, but still not moving more than a few inches.

Now the issue is algae. Normal ugly phase, I'm assuming. Hopefully treating the high phosphates will help move it through. I know these are dry rock issues. Once I get my salinity stable, I'll get some snails.

I also added a Sicce voyager nano power head for better flow, and a piece of a poly filter pad for mechanical filtration.

I'm feeling very clumsy and uncoordinated. All my research doesn't help my embodied self carry out tasks in an efficient, logical, or even successful way. It's humbling. Fortunately, parameters in tide pools are all over the place, so the crab is kinda built for it, and it's very hard to kill gsp, otherwise, I'd be back to zero.

I have moments when I feel like I shouldn't even be trusted with the hardy creatures I have. Im songlad i didnt try to have a 5g QT! The 40g is getting water on Wednesday and I have hope that it will be a slightly more forgiving system!

 

[VanIsleReefTherapy]

Snails arrived with the water delivery for the 40g last week. Four trochus snails. They had the tank sparkling in 24-48 hours. I'm very impressed and the family is surprised by how fascinating the snails are. Unexpected delights all around.

My salinity is back on target and the hermit is active again... maybe a little too active! Definitely hunting my snails a couple of days ago. I thought it ate one, but it was just very retracted and eventually came out again.

Needless to say, the crab had a time out in a jar, and then in the back sump and I just put them back today. So far so good. I'm trying to remember that hermits come with a certain amount of snail attrition.

The 40g is wet now and I'm dosing Microbacter. Getting to the lfs is a bit of a pain right now because of transportation complications. I need to get my own testing kits instead of having water tested at the lfs.

Phosphates are better but still high, so I think I'm going to start a bit of cheato in the middle compartment of the sump. I'm due for another water change, too.

 

[VanIsleReefTherapy]

A lot has happened in a month! Green coralline and some purple flecks in the Evo, and three inhabitants come and gone. The hermit I started with had a failed molt, a Hector's Goby I got was perhaps not great for a first choice. I didn't realize they do best in mature tanks because it's not part of the care info I found. It got very skinny, I did research here, and it went back to the lfs for store credit - it seems to be doing okay there. I got a neon goby instead, which died on day three after no eating and some possible signs of predation, tho nothing in the tank but a tiny scarlet hermit, a baby cleaner shrimp and the turbo snails. I did see some pretty big bristleworms, but they aren't supposed to bother living things. Maybe it was sleeping on a rock, I dunno.

I was pretty discouraged for a while and afraid to add any more fish. I've been enjoying my inverts molting and watching corlline grow.

I heard clicking and my kiddo swears she saw a tiny brown shrimp cleaning a snail, then disappearing fast when she moved. It was probably a pod or something. But maybe... I only had the one rock with lots of hitchhikers, but it's been in there for 2.5 months at this point.

 

[VanIsleReefTherapy]

The 40g is cycled, nitrates and no ammonia for a couple weeks now. It's a blank slate. Some hitchhikers came on the cheato I bought - hydroids, a tiny snail, big brown pods that look like fleas, etc. The hydroxide were cool. I wiped some off the glass, but I can't easily reach another patch. Sticky post in hitchikers ID says they go away by themselves, so I'm not stressed.

I turned on my lights about a week ago and swiftly ended up with dinos. Everything under the center of the light in high flow is rust coloured. My nutrients have been pretty low. Maybe it was a bit early for the chaeto, but phosphates went crazy in the Evo and the lfs folks said it was probably because of the dry rock, so I thought maybe a fuge would help instead of dosing something like I did in the QT.

The glare from the AI Prime was giving me migraines, then I cut the whites, raised blues and purples, and really lowered the red and green - no more disco ball effect and no more migraines. Still going to look into a diffuser. I know I'll eventually need two Ai Primes, but one is good for now. Pictures suck, of course. Tried to clean one up though, yay for photo editing!

 

[VanIsleReefTherapy]

Someone in the next big city over is closing down his tanks and auctioning everything off. I hate auctions. However, I've bid on many things and came home with a hammer, some stalky zoas, and a green BTA. The fish will come later in a week or two after he sells rock and corals.

I know I'm kinda living out on the edge of common wisdom with a nem in a new tank. Local folks who keep a lot of nems have said that BTAs are pretty hardy. I guess we'll see.

If I get everything I've bid on, I'll basically be transfering part of his tank to start mine. I was worried about this being too much bioload at once, but the people I trust about cycling stuff think it should go okay. I'll monitor ammonia and nutrients carefully, though.

I've got to get a filter for my phone! Photo editing doesnt work as well as I'd like it too.

 

[pecan2phat]

Looking good!

 

[VanIsleReefTherapy]

I bought some CUC for the 40g on Sunday: 3 nassarius snails, 2 scarlet hermits, three trochus snails and a strawberry conch.

My zombie snails are wierdos: they keep climbing the glass. The conch (Snuffles) has stayed in the same six inch area scouring everything in sight. The tanks looks so much better!

Nem has been doing a lot of reaching up. I feed brine daily, it's been bubbling some, but I increased lights to peak at 80 for all the blue/purple/UV, while still having reds, greens, and whites around 10-20.

I've actually been thinking that I wouldn't be terribly upset if I had mostly nems in this tank. I really love this little green bta that I didn't really want in the first place!