Getting ready to move and this tank is ready for a good home. New hood, AquaEuroUSA Nano Protein Skimmer 2 w/ Needle Wheel Pump, 20+ LB Live Rock, Brand new stock media basket (w/ media).
Tank has recently been cleaned, has stock pumps. $200 firm, not in a huge rush to sell. Available weekends only in Santa Monica. PM if interested
It’s been another busy month here at Coraltopia, we sold off some Meteor Shower Cyphaestra frags and setup some more zoa/paly frags for the next round! I thought it would be a good chance to give you guys a preview of the last month worth of growth if you haven’t caught it yet!
In other news, our we been posting pictures several times a week at our facebook page and the following is growing (find us at facebook.com/coraltopia/). You can also continue to get daily updates and shared industry knowledge by following us over at Twitter (@coraltopia)
Growth Shots – September 26, 2011
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Growth Shots – September 11, 2011
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Growth Shots – August 14, 2011
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It’s been awhile (2 months to be precises) since I’ve added an update. However, the lack of entries is not unwarranted as I did a COMPLETELY new aquascape and added 60lbs of Fiji Pink sand! There are new images in the photos sections, a new video, and now that the cycle is finally over, a few frags have been “permanently” placed; life is starting to look good again!
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After minor changes over the past 4 years I decided it was time to overhaul the aquascape! I took everything out, spent a week putting together the new scape, and put it back in earlier this week. Here are some pics, there are more in the gallery. What do you think of the new look?!
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Looks like the cyano disaster is finally subsiding. After pushing a couple good doses of Boyd Chemiclean, and using the turkey baster liberally, the cyano is subsiding. I also made a minor adjustment to one of my Koralia 1 pumps to push more flow to the area.
I noticed during this debacle that my diamond goby is nowhere to be found …. coincidence? I think not. I’m guessing the death caused the spike and the cyano went on a rampage. At any rate, things are back in check now and I’m in the process of finding another goby. I’ve burned through 2 or 3 of the diamond backs. They last a year and change and then die off. Guess they just can’t handle the small tank sans refugium (which I’m planning to add as time and $$ allow in the near future). For the next sand sifter goby, I’m thinking about going with a 2 spot – thrive in smaller tanks and still churn up the sand pretty good. Check out the Two Spot Goby when you get a chance and let me know what you think, as I’ll most likely have to have on shipped.
I’m also upgrading to a dual DJ4 power center that I’m setting up inside my stand. The current DJ8 has been great, but it’s just laying behind my stand kicking off ambient light to the room. Time to upgrade and get things in house. If you or someone you know has a need for a used DJ8, I’m willing to trade for colorful frags in the West Los Angeles area.
I’ve been fighting this area of my tank for quite some time. It’s in the front corner, on the sand bed, and for some reason red cyano algae seems to crop up there on a regular basis.
I’ve tried pointing my Koralia pumps at it, turning it over regularly with a turkey baster, even dosing some Boyd Chemiclean … no luck. My diamond goby used to turn the sand over BIG time in the area, no he won’t go anywhere near it. Any ideas what might be going on here – I’m at my wits end!
Those of us in the nano-tank world know that you should routinely change out your bulbs. Experts say you should “burn in” the bulb for awhile before going full intensity (chances are good your old bulb wasn’t kicking out anywhere near the PAR of the new one).
I’ve been running on a 14k bulb for quite some time now, but opted to upgrade to a new 20k Ushio bulb about a week ago. I “burned in” the bulb over a couple of days by adjusting my aqua program to periodically turn the bulb off for a bit (theoretically allowing all those critters in your tank to recover from the new blast of light). After a couple weeks of this, I’m now noticing that coral colors have definitely faded, some have even bleached a bit, due to the new light. Of course, the chances are good that the color will return within a few weeks/months but it left me wondering … should you upgrade your lighting spectrum when you replace your bulbs?
I’d love to hear your thoughts/experiences and share any links you might have to offer. Feel free to comment below!
Today I’ll be looking at a couple All In One (AIO) skimmers for nano tanks. Specifically, I’ll be looking at solutions for my tank – the JBJ 28g HQI tank. Nano tank purists (like myself) have the mindset that part of the challenge of a keeping a nano tank is keeping your equipment self contained – or All In One. Others will argue that just because you have a small tank, does not mean you have to keep all the equipment in house (some will even go as far as to add sumps onto their tanks – essentially turning their nano tank into a larger tank with a smaller display). The argument rages on, but today I’ll be looking at a couple of skimmers you can buy and use within the rear compartments of your nano tank and still stay true to your AIO roots.
Next week we’ll be looking at a few more protein skimmer options, this time Hang Off the Back (HOB) which opens nano tanks up to a lot more options and power when it comes to picking a scum kickin skimmer.
I’ve been playing with the idea of starting up a full blown page to post weekly growth shots to, and tonight I finally decided to sit down and make it happen!
The wife is out of the house on Monday nights, so I get some bonus fish tank time. I usually do a thorough glass cleaning, check my levels, do the dosing, take care of any other maintenance issues that need addressed. However, now that I have this fancy new iPhone it’s easier than ever to take weekly growth shots! You’ll see the link to the page up there in the navigation – other than that, not much to report for this week. Added some extra rubble to the tank to try and close up some of the dead space under the over hang. Still pondering tearing that all out and do a complete rebuild (always the case right?!) but for now I am going to let it sit and grow. I’ll be sure to post another update next, till then – happy reefing!
Sapphire Aquatics NC28 Skimmer
I’m turning over a new leaf this week and starting into a series of reviews on my current equipment. I’ve been toying around with the idea of adding several pieces of gadgetry lately, and the first one is a new skimmer.
I upgraded to Sapphire Aquatics NC28 from the stock skimmer on my JBJ 28g HQI shortly after I bought it. The Sapphire skimmer is a pretty solid skimmer, primarily because of the high end laser cut construction. It is specifically engineered to fit into the center rear chamber of the JBJ 28g HQI tank, keeping the aquarium true to its AIO (All In One) roots. The provided pump is a small sicce pump with a custom mesh modified impeller wheel.
There are several above average elements of this skimmer, and there are also some areas it leaves lacking. First off, let’s start with the good stuff (that’s why you’re reading this right?).
The cons are a short list, but significant none the less.
Overall, I’m giving this skimmer a 7/10 rating. For the price, it’s pretty good. No modifications, easy to install, and quiet. But, if you’re in the market for a higher quality skim – you should look to a higher end device.
Next episode I’ll be looking at some possible replacement units, including my personal vote – the Deltec MCE300 HOB (Hang On Back). Until then, here is decent video of how the NC28 fits and works in the back of your nano – enjoy!
