Poor Mans 29 gallon Reef

[Aluco]

I don't want to give him back though it sounded like I did in my original post but I really don't. I am slightly less tense about letting him go as when I met the owner the second time he was like:

"Hey are you willing to sell Nacho back? You don't want him right?"

I think he had another bird and kinda similar with me, he had to sell the bird since he was going to leave and he told me that he tried getting into contact with the woman who he sold it to but I think it was that she'd take care of the bird for a period of time but they haven't been successful in contacting her so Nacho is literally all that he has left.

So today (3/18/23) is probably the last day I have with him. Before we go our separate ways though, at least we can enjoy the flea market together and if anything were to happen, he would send him my way again

Even my mom who Nach HATES (it is crazy how fast Nach can run as he tries to bite her) doesn't want him to go.

Anyways,
The dragonet will probably be something I'll have to reconsider. I can start a pod culture but it's kinda more trouble than it's worth but there are reefers in my area that culture pods so I'll get some from them. I am crossing my fingers that it takes the white worms though.

How big is the tank? With the dragonete I wouldn't expect the guy to eat white worms.. you seem to have experience culturing small creatures and that is exactly what I think you will need to do with copepods to keep that fish happy. It's pretty easy to do tho. I have a 100g tank and still culture copepods as I just like having that piece of mind that he will never run out of food. Getting a captive bred one from biota would raise your chances of success with a dragonete though pods will still be his primary source of food.

 

[Jack Ravensbergen]

Great scape !
My better half thinks i have a budget tank as well.....

 

[Rugops]

How big is the tank? With the dragonete I wouldn't expect the guy to eat white worms.. you seem to have experience culturing small creatures and that is exactly what I think you will need to do with copepods to keep that fish happy. It's pretty easy to do tho. I have a 100g tank and still culture copepods as I just like having that piece of mind that he will never run out of food. Getting a captive bred one from biota would raise your chances of success with a dragonete though pods will still be his primary source of food.

That tank itself is 29 gallons. I have noe experience culturing pods but at least I wont be stocking it much. 2 clowns, a stacki damsel and maybe a fork tail blenny or royal gramma and the dragonette.

I know one person who has been successful and I just thought I would take a chance. I am culturing them as we speak.

 

[Rugops]

Great scape !
My better half thinks i have a budget tank as well.....

Thanks man!
I don't even think my tank is a budget tank anymore.

 

[Rugops]

Heyo!
So today I moved my white worm culture into a larger bin (a 2.5 gallon plastic tank I had lying around). I put a little more water than I wanted though but they should be ok. Lota of tiny worms and spring tails. A good sign!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Hey guys,
So far I added the sand for like two days ago (3/9/23) and I have been adding a brine shrimp cube to feed the bacteria I added (microbe-lift special blend water care). The ammonia is like ~0.25 atm (salifert). The pump is to filter the sediment that won't settle and it has done really well. I am running the skimmer too.


View attachment 3059692

Great looking aquascape!!

 

[Rugops]

Hey guys! So after 3 weeks, my parameters have balanced out. Here are the parameters based on the salifert tests.

1.025 salinity (specific gravity)
0.03 ppm PO4
0.0 NH3
10.3 ppm KH/Alk
350 Ca
450 Mg (need increase for a reef tank)
8.2 pH
30 ppm NO3

I will be running a FOWLR tank for the time being. I will be adding pods and chaeto to the tank though.

I will be discussing how I am using my pumps. It is primitive but I had them lying around.

 

[Rugops]

I have just started keeping tabs on my parameters. Its pretty decent. I haven't done any water changes and their ok.


On the other hand, I made a thread (check out "Are these parameters ok for a FOWLR tank" or something like that in my profile) and we figured out that the Mg was super low. It wasn't a user error and rather that the IO bucket which I am using is really old probably. The design is not like the newer one andI will get a quick pic tomorrow.

I have been dosing 150 mL of Mg a day. Some say that is quite high - well it seems my pods (Tigriopus californicus) which I got from Woody's Seahorse and Supply in Portland, OR - have not reacted in any adverse way so I have been able to raise the Mg from 450 to 850 and I have to get another bottle of it *why don't you just get reef crystals dumb dumb*.

Now I have to raise the Ca. Its ok where its at but I would like to just have it higher just because I don't want to have to dose it slowly when my corals come in.


Torch corals:
So, like I just said, I am looking for corals now. I am trying to start up Euphyllia garden but torches are pretty dang expensive. Like there are tiny 1" frag for ludicrious prices.

I have resorted to going to Petco. I saw a pretty big frag of one at one the ones I have and I was thinking about it but I am going to wait. I think I have like 3 petcos, 3 petsmarts and a little mall pet shop that does saltwater fish and live rock but no coral.

I would prefer to get them from hobbyists than stores though. Someone offered to sell my a NY Knicks for $80 and he sells them big too.

I have looked at the Ebay auctions but they aren't any better to be honest.

For anyone near Vancouver, if you are willing to ship to me in WA or OR, let me know.

 

[Rugops]

Oh my goodness.
It has been quite a while since I updated this thread. Here we go:

Look at the progress!

I got rid of the cyano and the hair algae! I think I had my Mg at 1600+. Maybe that helped. I dunno

Before:

Now:

I turned up the whites so you could see if better. You would be surprised that a lot of these corals I got from hobbyists (for free).

I also got new fish and inverts as you can see.

Listed from their current ranking on the totem pole:
- Coral Beauty (the chronic coral and urchin nipper)
- 2 Clowns (thanks to the female)
- Ocellate Damsel (afraid of the coral beauty lol)
- Halloween Urchin
- 3 Trochus Snails
- Fighting Conch (in my sump)
- Striped Blenny (who I am currently healing up after the damsel nipped its tail).

I did have a six line wrasse but the damsel made it jump.

Corals are all happy so far.
I don't know if yall remember that nem I have but it was part of the initial stabilizing period of the tank.

Before: April 20th 2023

Now: Thank the princess for the photobomb

Its not bad. Mouth is closed and extends from time to time but usually small. The only causes could be the problem is flow or white worms that I fed it.


Really, that is it. Other than snails knocking zoas of the rock and my tiny aiptasia(s) problem. It is only growing.

I can't think of anything to add so if you want me to add anything, let me know.

 

[Rugops]

Some people have asked how I set up my single AI Blade.

Glue the cord because it is prone to becoming loose and coming off.

Here is the lighting I am using.

 

[Acros]

We have an Amazon yellow nape. They are very clever birds.

His name is Taco.

and he bites! Yes, he bit that paper.

 

[Rugops]

We have an Amazon yellow nape. They are very clever birds.

His name is Taco.
View attachment 3167525

and he bites! Yes, he bit that paper.
View attachment 3167526

Aww hes cute. I miss mine and the first thing I am going to do after I graduate is look for him, Does he bite everyone?

 

[Acros]

Aww hes cute. I miss mine and the first thing I am going to do after I graduate is look for him, Does he bite everyone?

Everyone, but my partner. It is weird how soft/caring the bird is with her. He has drawn blood from pretty much everyone else in the family. lol

 

[Rugops]

Everyone, but my partner. It is weird how soft/caring the bird is with her. He has drawn blood from pretty much everyone else in the family. lol

It is weird. He left a pretty awful scar on my forearm after he got spooked by a passing car. He's drawn blood from my dad as he was jealous with my mom and whenever she came close, he would bite him.

 

[A Young reefer]

love this thread.