30g Nano Cube

michika · #1 08-03-2007, 06:56 PM

Well its been over a month since I updated. I avoided doing so mostly because all the hair algae has become embarassing, and depressing.

Obviously my hair algae problem isn't resolving itself. Shortly after my last post I got a new RO/DI system and installed it. I've been only using RO/DI water since then. I've also switched my lights, I got another actinic bulb, so my PCs are both actinic. I also upgraded my MH bulb from a 10K, to a 15K XM bulb with phenomenal results.

I've also been so lucky as to take advantage of the opening of Wickedfrags.com. These lovelies came to me,

and this came as a freebie:

I was also lucky enough to make a trip to Calgary and pick up frags from Snappy (Greg), and Nate. They all made a successful trip home and look great.

These are a few of the frags a month or so after they arrived in my tank, I'm really pleased with how they are coloring up, and many of them have begun to encrust or push out new branches.

I've been adding a few nano fish, a green clown goby, and 4 absolutely tiny chromis. The goal was to add the 4 tiny chromis to my existing shoal in the 90g once they got used to the flow, but then we had that unfortunate tragedy where almost all the fish died from the 90 and we shut down the tank.

Green clown goby:

Here are the before and the after shots with the new MH lighting.
Before:

After:

I've recently started selling off a bunch of my extra frags. They are just causing too much clutter, and its always a good plan to have frags of your favorite peices somewhere other then your own tank.

I recently traded off some of my frags for a paly frag from Edmonton Eskimo. It looks awesome under actinics.

I finally added my Calcium reactor. It was DIYed from a phosban reactor and a Mag 4 pump. So far I'm pleased with it, it fits in my sump, and so far its been working wonderfully.

First version:

Final version:

My recent additions have been more LPS from the 90g when it got shut down. I am temporarily housing my yellow damsel, and an ocelaris clown. I plan to keep the neon green candycane, hammer coral, ricordia, one neon green mushroom, and the red zoos.

The tank right now is too full. I'm trying to sell or trade off a bunch of my SPS frags to create space, and I'm also looking at temporarily housing my ocellaris, yellow damsel, and tang in another location until probably December when I am again able to start up a much larger and more appropriate system.

Since I've been having so many problems trying to resolve my green hair algae problem I have finally resorted to adding an urchin in an attempt to get the agae cleaned off. I plan to either move it to my larger system, or sell it off once its done its job.

I'm happy to see that my has come together, I still have some minor adjustments to make, mostly in regard to livestock. I'm still frustrated with the hair algae, but sometimes I'm still able to look past it an enjoy the system without focusing on its flaws.

Mik_101 · #2 08-03-2007, 07:31 PM

Man those are some intense frags you have. I love them all. Paly frag dose look grate under actinics.

Der_Iron_Chef · #3 08-03-2007, 07:45 PM

The DIY Calcium Reactor is interesting. Where'd you find how to do that, or did you just come up with it on your own? Mind explaining it for a Calcium Reactor virgin like myself?

michika · #4 08-03-2007, 07:55 PM

The DIY Calcium idea first came from the fact that I couldn't use my dual chamber reactor from my 230g (well I could but I think it would a bit of overkill. The rest of it came from the fact that my kalk. reactor was successful.

Originally the plan was to just make a whole new appropriately sized calcium reactor, but then while out shopping I saw a phosban reactor for the first time in person. From there it was some bantering with Krazykuch and then we had a rough idea. In short it was trying to find the most useful and cheap materials with which to make a calcium reactor.

There was really no where to find out how to make it, we just tried it out, and we lucky enough that it worked. If it didn't work I was just going to use the phosban reactor to actually run phosban or something.

Thanks Mik for the compliments. I have a whole tank full of frags to photograph now, so maybe I'll put a few more shots up once my MH comes on for the day.

kadaytar · #5 08-03-2007, 08:46 PM

Those are some lovely frags, awsome colors. Did you take the sand from your old tank and put in new cube without giving it a good freshwater wash? Did you notice any ammonia spike at the begining? If this is the case it may be the reason of algea problem.

michika · #6 08-03-2007, 09:02 PM

It was brand new sand, which I rinsed extremely well. Sorry, I doubt my new sand is the source of my GHA issues. Any other thoughts?

michika · #7 08-03-2007, 09:40 PM

I forgot to include today's parameters:
Temp: 80.3
pH: 8.2
SG: 1.025
dKH: 11 (Oie! I've turned down my Calcium reactor)
Ca: 480
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm
Ammonia: 0ppm
Magnesium: ~1200ppm

I also forgot to mention that I clean out about 1-3 cups of hair algae every few days.

Here are a few more photos from today, I'm trying to refamiliarize myself with our old camera.

Redrover · #8 08-03-2007, 11:36 PM

When I transfered most of my stuff from my 150 to the 120...noticed hair forming on a couple rocks...foxface to the rescue.
Catherine, he cleaned up everything in two days and it's never returned.
I have since passed him on to help others...He saved me hours and hours of work.

RJ

michika · #9 08-03-2007, 11:45 PM

Maybe my foxface was the reason for which I never had GHA in my other larger tanks. I miss having a large tank for the sole reason of having big fish, and more room for clams!

I wish I could accomidate a foxface. Maybe I could aquire a really tiny one for a few weeks, and then pass it on to a new and much more appropriate home.