Draco's Nano Reef Journal

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Draco

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Thank you :)

My corals are doing amazing though I am getting a lot of algae. I need to figure out how to kill it.


Here's a photo of my hammer coral- it doubled the size since I got it a month ago!
 
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Draco

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thank you :)

I ordered a new tank, a JBJ 28 gal Nano bio cube. The website I ordered from had an amazing deal I couldn't pass up!

I can't wait to upgrade my 9 gal to the 28. So excited!
 

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Oh that's so cool ! I want a reef tank but is it hard keeping saltwater? 

Also what kind of angelfish is this do you know? Are they easy to care for?

 
 
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denice

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We had a saltwater tank years ago.  Once they are set up they pretty much take care of themselves.  It does take time to get them right though.  I don't know which angelfish that is.  In general angelfish adapt well to a tank that is mature, it has been running for 3 months with water values testing right over that period of time.  Some are more delicate than others and in general you can't put two of the same species in a tank because they will be aggressive with each other.  Some are aggressive in general.
 
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Draco

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Im not sure what kind of angelfish that is either. They require a lot of tank room though.

Saltwater is hard and expensive to set up, but once its up, its easy to maintain, especially if you have all the equipment to help keep it clean (sump, protein skimmer and such)

I've upgraded my 9 gal nano to a 28 gal nanocube 3 weeks agu. All transferred well (though two of my corals has yet opened.. not sure if they survived :(  )  It looks so empty since I don't have a lot of corals, and my two clowns are going nuts with the extra room, lol.
 

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I have never had a salt water. But years a go I had a 55 gallon tank. It was a lot of work. I always went for the natural look and although my plants were not real I had some beautiful rocks and everything would have to be arranged just so. I would take hours just making sure the arrangement looked good. Then I down sized to a 35 gal. tank in my bedroom and a 30 gal tank in my living room. I haven't had a fish tank in years. They are very beautiful though I miss the beauty of a tank in my home and sitting and watching the fish, but I don't miss the work. Your tank is beautiful. I have always hear that salt water is a lot more difficult.
 
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Oh my gosh Draco, your salt water tank is like eye candy for me!  I have *LOVED* salt water tanks since my childhood.  I have done intense research into the subject of keeping a salt water and you deserve some major points for developing, maintaining, and growing a colorful reef system.  So cool!

There was a time when I was *this close* to buying a nano tank.  The more I researched salt water tanks, the more complex it became... It went from wanting a nano tank then learning about how it's actually much easier to maintain larger tanks, to calculating how much live rock would be needed per gallon to wondering how much weight the floor can withstand given how heavy the tanks can get w/ the water and rocks...SO much detail, logistics, calculations, maintenance, water testing...  I don't know how you do it - it would be so difficult for me since I live alone and need to travel often. I ended up taking scuba diving lessons and traveling to the Caribbean as it was actually easier for me to swim and find them in the wild than maintaining a salt water tank!  But boy, seeing your SW tank is so tempting!  Makes me want to get a Nemo tank all over again.

 I didn't read through the entire thread, just some of your first few posts and then to see what it's developed into in your last posts but got so excited when I saw your reef system!  I'll read through it after this post.  :D
 

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Gobies are so adorable! I love how they are so curious, watch you like a HAWK, and zip into the sand if you get too close.  I hear they are extremely protective of their homes too LOL.  Those peacock colored corals (I'm not as familiar w/ corals as w/ fish) are SOOO beautiful!  
 

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Oh that's so cool ! I want a reef tank but is it hard keeping saltwater? 

Also what kind of angelfish is this do you know? Are they easy to care for?

 
That is a juvenile/baby regal angelfish.  Juvenile angelfish tend to have different colors & patterns compared to their adult counterparts (they seem to be a lot more "stripey" - my scientific terminology LOL).  And angelfish can get HUGE from what I've seen on my diving adventures - I think they are also very aggressive to one another.
 
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Draco

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ok, finally! Photos of the upgraded tank!

I went from the 9 gal ehiem (previously posted), to a JBJ 28 gal Nanocube about 4 weeks ago.

Here's the photos! I am practically starting over since a lot of my corals did not make it when I moved to the new place. my clowns did very well!

the placement once set up- water isn't clear yet.


The inside of the tank hood



Top is my leather coral, a Colt. Below that is my green hammer coral


Misc. coral frags. Duncans, Zoas/Palys, Acans, Green Star Polyps and 2 I can't identify. gotta find out.

 

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Looking good so far! I'm sure everything will grow into the new space pretty quickly.
 
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Draco

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Photo updates!

Got myself a sea star to help keep my sandbed clean. Also to the very left, I also got a sea urchin!


My goby and it's pal, the pistol shrimp. I never see my shrimp since it's always hiding. very rare shot! lol


A couple of Zoanthid frags


Coral assortment (Hammer, Zoanathics, Acans)


two colonies of Zoanthids.. Colt to the left



Blastos


Zoanthids with a plate coral in the lower left corner


Part of a Duncan, Zoanthids


Acan


Zoanthid with a crab





My nieces named this cleaner shimp "CandyMint" lol

 

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Beautiful photos, as always, @Draco.  So Relaxing. 


Just some quick questions...Are Sea Stars the same as "star fish"?...and can they "regenerate" their limbs?  (p.s.  'CandyMint' is a good name for that red and white cleaner shrimp


And does the yellow-head goby fish...have a name?
 
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Draco

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Sea star is the same as star fish. At least I think so lol.

The yellow head fish is called a Randall's Goby. The shrimp with it is called Randall's pistol shrimp. They pair up and help each other out- shrimp provides shelter and fish keeps an eye out for danger and provide food!
 
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Draco

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My clowns and six line wrasse are not photo'd. They move too fast but I got them too lol. I call the clowns Fred and Ethel. My six line wrasse I call Six. The goby doesn't have a name as I can't think of one!

I have an emerald crab that I call Emmy. My urchin and star does not have names
 
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Thanks!!
 

Its been a while since I've posted.. since then, I've added a few more Zoa's. My duncans are growing like weeds.

my Colt coral isn't doign so well.. it's just.. there. I need to figure out how to make it better for it.

Here's a few photos.

Randal Goby peeking out of his home, surrounded by Acan and Zoas. I haven't seen my pistol shrimp in a long time, not sure if its still hiding or not.


Blurry photo, but I love the pink in this Zoanthids.


Orange Fuzzy Mushrooms, and that's my Duncan growing on the left side. Orange button Zoas too


Random Zoas and Acan. I forget what the blue coral is called, it's spreading nicely


CandyMint the Cleaner Shrimp and my Brittle Star, all out for feeding!


Some more Zoa's. The green in the back and lower corner are Green Star Polyps. An Acan at the bottom


Overview of the tank.. bad shot, but you can see how my Colt is just.. bleh compared to months ago

 
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