Hello fellow nano reefers. It's been awhile since I have posted any updates on my BC29. It's now 32 weeks (8+ months) old. A lot has been happening outside my Nano's viewing window. Last time I posted I had a new pico5.5 and some old corals that were thriving.
I closed down my pico. I wasn't entirely happy with the look of the tank. I might get a Deco tank later but for now I just cleaned all the equipment and stored it in the garage. I moved all the pico stuff into my BC29. Most of the rocks were moved into the back chamber to expand on the 'fuge I'm "one day" going to build. For now I still have my chaeto and caulerpa in the main display. But it actually doesn't bother me. Maybe that's why I havn't built the 'fuge light.
I sold my tiny clown and my six-line. The Pico ended up with the bigger B&W Ocellaris(Oreo) a emerald crab(Oz), some hermits, an anemone crab and a pom pom crab. All were moved to the BC29 with no ill effects. Of course I only see the 2 pom pom crabs on rare occasions.
My firefish also died. He just didn't come out from his bed one day. It was a VERY spooked fish. The first firefish I had was very social and was always in sight, but this one would see me coming and flee. He only came back out when he smelled food.
I have also lost a couple of hermits and snails for various reasons but I do still have my original turbo snails and a couple of my original hermits. The red star (USSR) is still doing good. My brittle star is still has all it's legs. My blood shrimp is still doing good too. The mandarin is still eating brine shrimp daily and my clown goby (Gilbert) is still hanging around his Acro branches.
My newest acquisitions include another Onxy Percula and a Copperband Butterfly fish. The new percula and the old one hit it off great. Not one fight. Both perculas HATE Oreo. Oreo is limited to the back of the tank and has actually taken up residency in the grape caulerpa. The percula are now hosting my pink tipped frog spawn, which I have fragged twice now.
The copperband(trumpet) was added to battle the aiptasia and tube worm infestation. He will also eat mysis shrimp too.
I have been religious on my husbandry. Water changes every 1-2 weeks, skimmer for 14 hours a day. I'm still using the B-Ionic, Chromaplex, Reef Trace, Reef Vitamins, Iodine and phytoplankton. Everything seems to be good with the water conditions.
Well here are some pictures. Be warned there are A LOT of them!!!
As you can see the rics have really taken off!
A common sight every time I go near the tank. All they want is food.
The button polyps on the left were my first corals. They were hitch hikers, well one was.
Each of the Zoa groups started life as about 10 heads on a square marble puck.
The Neon striped mushrooms really glow in the actinics. The frag started with one head. Now there are over 10 on the rock and 2 more that fell off and have found new homes amongst the rock work.
Here is some Acro. Slow growers. The Acan has added about 10 heads but they are all still very small. I don't know if the yellow scroll coral has grown at all.
The left side of the tank. You can see this where I keep the caulerpa and where Oreo has made his home.
The pink candycane in the middle started off as 4 heads and now has 12. It was one of my first purchases. The frogspawn started as 6 heads and is now 12. The branch in the front has 6, the top left has 4 and the top right has 2. The far top left is a 2 headed torch.
These palys were closed for nearly a month. They have doubled since and have a wonderful color.
This is why I bought the copperband butterfly fish. Aiptasia, it's showing up in various places and mostly between corals.