Diary of my LiL 16 Gallon Nano(Intense)

[pbukow]

Glad to hear hes ok. Mesh sounds like a pretty good idea to me btw . . . and probably by your clowns as well

[melev]

Mesh or some type of screen that is large enough to allow the fish to swim away and not be drawn in. I'm thinking it should be in the shape of a lightbulb over the intake, so large that it can't restrict flow.

[InsaneClownFish]

I was really concerned about this tonight- especially when I saw how daringly close they were getting to the overflow. I seriously considered cutting up my fish net, but then I remembered my old Maxijets' parts bag. Here's what I came up with- both pieces are held in by suction:


I moved the heater in between the baffles as melev suggested. The return pump would often lean right up against the heater. I had examined it before, and seen no issues, but tonight there was a small sear mark forming so I thought it prudent to move it:

I performed a bit of sump maintenance and sucked as much detritus out as possible.

Take me to your leader:

I apologize for the flash- trying to get some quick pics.

Little Button must have hit his head on the way down. He spent alot of time having conversations with my clam tonight..

Perhaps he was considering hosting in Mr. Clam.

It was also fun to watch him play with the 'antenna' on one of my blue legs.

[erickrm]

Glad you found the oil buggger, you should be fine putting mesh just make sure of stays clean with no obstructions....

[nUgZ]

Great news. I bet he does have some stories to tell.

[blackheart]

WOW that clam is huge!!

Well at least it looks bigger then last time i saw it
the clowns look great!! With the mesh....make sure you change it regularly so coralline doesnt grow on it. but it should be just fine.

More pics and GOOD LUCK!!

[conorwynne]

Love the tank, I worried about adding a clam to my tank as the flow is nuts -- I just keep acros & monti's you see.

Is there such a thing as too much (indirect) flow for clam's?
I have ordered a new 6060 of ebay today as I wan't to add even more flow. I hope my new fish will be able to handle it.

Its a filefish -- firm favorite of mine for eating aiptasia. I shall not feed him until there's none of the little buggers left.

Got an emerald crab too -- sick of sucking up (and bursting) bubble algae - hope it will eat that wierd turf like algae (short hard'ish hairs on the LR) If I had a camera I'd take pics, maybe santa?

I don't know when I'll get the big tank started, might just stick with the 26G nano for a bit. Threads like this make me think nano's are better, certainly cheaper that's for sure!

Hey Melev, that nano of yours is a mad shape.
More pics please, lovin it.

Regards,
Conor.

[melev]

Originally posted by conorwynne
Hey Melev, that nano of yours is a mad shape.
More pics please, lovin it.

Regards,
Conor.

Here's the link to that thread:
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...readid=1166558

[InsaneClownFish]

Guys I will update tomorrow from work and address everyone personally again. However right now I need help!

Alright as many of you know I have 5 new baby onyx clowns with the smallest being jelly bean sized. I was able to fish two out of the overflow and I have devised netting out of one of those lufa(sp) things to keep them out.

The problem is one little guy is still in there! He's been in there for almost two days. I literally spent 4-5 hours trying to get him out tonight. I'm more tired than he is! Please help! If you have any suggestions on how to get a jellybean sized fish out of the overflow it would be greatly appreciated!!!

[Abso]

It may sound wild but u can try the normal fishing method with smallest size hook on it. IT's mouth may be damaged in worst case which will be covered 1-2 days later.

[melev]

Get some tubing and siphon him out into a bucket.

[greenlm]

looks good

[conorwynne]

Oh great, another massive thread to read :-)
Day 2 and still reading it!

Cheers marc.

[blackheart]

Originally posted by melev
Get some tubing and siphon him out into a bucket.

this sounds good to me clown maybe 3/4 in tubing. I assume you have used you hands and a small net?

you should set up a little trap and scare him into it that always works for my fire fish. Good luck and tell us all!!

[reefman13]

Fantastic! Rod's I assume Could we get an updateded FTS with the lights on? What are you feeding? Any plans for an anemone?

Looking good!

[pnguye3]

I like your setup. It makes me want to turn my 16g discus tank into a reef tank again

[pbukow]

I've had that happen to a greenspot mandarin, got stuck in the area before the bulkhead. I got him out with a siphon tube like marc suggested. He didn't fit completely and actually plugged up the hose! But it gave me enough time to drop him back into the display and he was fine. i have also heard people literally fish (with a line and VERY small hook I think it is a 24 size) a goby out of their tank, that method seemed to work ok as long as the hook is small enough not cause any serious damage, like Abso mentioned. Good luck and hope hes ok. Let us know what happens.

[pbukow]

Another note, maybe you could consider cutting back the flow for awhile until the clowns get used to the very high flow you got going in your tank. maybe remove the Koralia and see if any more clowns get lost in your filtration. Just a suggestion, I don't know if clowns need time to "grow" into the flow of a tank, especially since they are so small and are such weak swimmers by their own nature.

[InsaneClownFish]

Thanks for all the responses people! The vinyl tubing is a great idea but unfortunately I didn't have any large enough. After chasing him off and on for literally 5 hours, using every method I could come up with, I finally called it a night. I had gone out earlier that day to buy a very small net at the LFS which worked, after some effort, on the first two. For the last guy I used a combination of nets...hand...plastic mixing spoon..a turkey baster...a modified substrate vacuum with netting to protect from the impeller- the overflow was actually too short to start a suction. He's obviously alot smarter than I.

Little help here Dad:


I gave up last night and secured the netting around the overflow to keep the rest out for the evening. I was hoping I had tired him out enough for him to get sucked into the sump while he slept. Sure enough he was swimming in the sump this morning and the 1st try with the big net and he was back in the tank. Hmmmm 47,000 attempts later...

The reason I was so concerned was because the tiniest lil guy I named "Button" would end up in the sump every time he went in. But the three larger ones, over the course of 2 days, would not. In fact, I had maneuvered the last one actually into the standpipe to try and get him to take a sump dive but he was able to swim out every time.. The second to last in size, he's clearly the most savvy of his lot, and he has more than earned his name- "Mr. Wiggles."

Aimee came over to help me and to try and eyeball him in the overflow while I maneuvered nets and devices of mass destruction in there. It would have been quite comical if I hadn't been swearing so much as the lil bugger played ring a round the rosie with my stand pipes.

I decided to try this for $2. at the grocery store:

Thank god for women and their skin cleansing paraphernalia- works like a charm:


I just have to cut off the ends and put plastic pull ties down to secure it.

Thanks to everyone who responded. I thankfully have all my little clowns in check!

[InsaneClownFish]

erickrm- The mesh is working great, but someone in the fish forum was mentioning that if the fish go over they might be killed by getting caught in the net...any ideas?

Anyone have any thoughts on this? I'm thinking if I pull the net tight enough so there is no overhang across the overflow this shouldn't be an issue?

nUgZ- No kidding! These guys look tiny enough in a nano, seeing them swim around a 40g sump is just plain silly.

Abso- Believe me the thought crossed my mind, however I don't think I could ever bring myself to do that. I'd do everything I could before I ever got that drastic...in fact I'd just wait him out till he went sump diving. I'm pretty positive there's not a small enough hook either.. I have to say that little guy ate like a champ last night. I kept giving him flake food to get him to come up to the surface.

melev- I asked in the fish forums and my Reef club forum and the tubing was the predominant answer. I didn't have any vinyl tubing that was large enough, but that was my next stop if I hadn't found him in the sump.

greenlm- tyvm I'm coming along. I'm just trying to get my life and tank schedule more organized so I can really enjoy my nano- not to mention I need to reorganize my closet downstairs to house more fish gear.

conorwynne- Get to work! I hope I've kept it an interesting and informative read.

blackheart- Trust me once you read my last post you'll understand the craziness I went through- I tried it all. I thought about the fish trap but it's just too tight back there. I don't think they make one that small, and anything I could rig up, once I got it in, I wouldn't be able to get it back out.

reefman13- I'll get another FTS soon, and yes they are Rod's! One even has black completely around the outer edge of his rear dorsal already. I've been critical in the past of anemones in nanos. This is something I've been doing a great deal of reading about, because I may have been a bit too generalized in my critiques. My setup is absolutely not typical. I'd like suggestions from everyone on a suitable anemone. It's not anything I would add for at least another couple of months. I think these guys really deserve one, and it will help having somewhere for them to sleep with the overflow and flow issues. I'm leaning towards a tiny RBTA at this point.

pnguye3- Do it! Nanos are awesome.

pbukow- That is funny about your Mandarin! I'm glad he was ok after that.

I know what you mean about their swimming abilities compared with other marine fish, but honestly I've been surprised at how strong they can swim. The little guy I had problems with in the overflow was into the standpipe and swam out several times- while his path was blocked. The baby one- Button hangs out swimming by the intake of the Korallia, but he doesn't seem stressed by this. He just likes that spot.

I've considered dialing back the flow, but I'm riding on my instincts here. They're growing into the flow in my opinion. If I had initially shut down the Korallia they may have become complacent and a bit shocked by the flow once I did finally turn it on. In this way they entered the stormy seas right off the bat. I was too afraid if they didn't 'feel' the Koralia right away they might get sucked against it- or even worse decide to sleep or hide in the outlet.

The other thing I should mention is that I can hand feed them now- particularly the two large ones. They've started to "follow" me thinking they are getting fed all the time. When I was working on the netting they kept coming right up to me. It's so cool...they have such awesome personalities- God my old clowns were such nasty psychos!

They're even able to "cut" through all the flow to come to the surface to say hello. Once in awhile one of the smaller ones will get too close to the flow and rocket across the tank..

[InsaneClownFish]

Now for some quick updates:

I picked up a couple frags at the club meeting- a Super Hairy Green Milli and a small piece of orange cap.

They've been in quarantine for the last few days. Both received the same Lugols/Revive/Interceptor acclimation treatment, and both are doing well.
I'm not being afraid of taking in frags from reefers that I know have some pests because I am doing the same procedure for every SPS frag that I take in.
The interceptor seems to take out the most "stuff" when compared with the Lugols and Revive.

The tank looks really good. The clam is doing fantastic. The Fromosa and Mille frags look great with full polyp extension. The tiny tort frag is a bit more purple/brown than blue, but all its tiny polyps are out. The one with the purpley polyps puts about half of them out and has browned slightly. The Chip's Acros has RTN'd about 65%. This is completely due to my mishandling...
Also, it is very close to the Korallia- this didn't help. The RTN has slowed and the few tiny branches on the bottom actually look like they are trying to color up- the polyps are out too. Time will tell on this one.

All of the inverts are great. I'm waiting for another week or so to add more inverts so as not to overdo the bioload. I also want to make sure they have plenty to eat. All of the micro- infauna is proliferating, and I can see growth in some of the baby feather dusters.

A small patch of diatoms tried to form one night- less than a centimeter across. They were gone in the morning. I'm guessing everything is in good balance.

Salinity has been a touch high still. It's actually been about 1.0275 I'll have this corrected by this afternoon. I may need to start running the tank at 1.025 to keep it at 1.026 with evap.

I've been keeping up with my dosings. I try to add smaller amounts every couple of days rather than all at once. With the evaporation, it's essential to not just dose with wc like I used to. I'll start dosing magnesium tomorrow. Also, I'm adding phyto every 2-3 days.

Detritus is a daily chore, but it literally takes 15 seconds to take care of.

Mike Paletta gave a two hour talk on SPS coloration at our CTARS meeting. I really enjoyed it, and boy did I learn alot!

[blackheart]

any links to the coloration speech or article?

Thanks
for the up dates!

[melev]

Your tank is pretty small for any anemone, unfortunately. BTAs don't stay small and cute, as you've seen in my Nano. And due to the flow in your tank, I don't know what anemone would be happy and not wander everywhere (including your overflow).

Clowns really don't care and will host in anything (including a clam or inside a M. capricornis which I've seen at my LFS' showtank).

The mesh may be a problem. Eheim Sponge would be better in the long run, and if you get a couple of pieces you can just swap them out weekly to avoid trapped detritus and nitrate issues. Just insert it inside the overflow behind the teeth to keep the clowns in the display section.

Whatever you do, be aware that if your 'solution' restricts the drains, your tank will overflow.

[FUA]

I had an overflow where fish where hopping the border. I took the plastic piece that comes with all standard glass versa-top glass aquarium covers. I slid it over the edge of the overflow worked great for me. I don't know how thick your overflow glass is but it does work. You just slide the plastic piece so it is above the overflowing water and voila you have border control.

[InsaneClownFish]

blackheart- Alot of the talk was derived from Mike's book, "Ultimate Marine Aquariums." PM me and I'll ask the club to see if we have any specific links.

Your tank is pretty small for any anemone, unfortunately. BTAs don't stay small and cute, as you've seen in my Nano. And due to the flow in your tank, I don't know what anemone would be happy and not wander everywhere (including your overflow).

melev- Truer words have never been spoken. It is wishful thinking on my part. I'd love to see them host in a cap. Funny you mention that, because I just added a piece of small orange cap I got at the meeting.

I'm hoping I've solved the mesh issue. I stopped at Lowes after work and found some small black zip ties. I used these to make the mesh as taught as possible and to keep it secure around the teeth. I had two clowns in the sump again... I've also trimmed off all the excess and tied the one side around the Korallia's power cord.

You're a braver man than I, there's no way I'm shoving sponge back there..

FUA- Can you post some pictures of what you came up with- I'm having a hard time picturing it.

I did alot of work tonight. I started organizing my downstairs closet so I have more room for tank paraphernalia. There's a whole section of my "quick grab items."

The salinity is now closer to 1.025. Diatoms are spreading so I wiped off the inside panels with my hands again. I decided to do a water change(3.5 gallons) so that I can keep up with my weekly schedule- this will be my second. Also, I had the two frags in quarantine since Sunday, so I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone and acclimate them then. I saw no reason to keep these frags in quarantine longer than 3 days. I also grabbed a couple of Tongan Nassarious and Trochus Snails from my quarantine and acclimated them. I plopped the Trochus down right on the brown algae coating the Korallia and they immediately went to town.

While the water was draining I used the vinyl tubing to siphon out detritus from underneath the rocks, and I vacuumed the quarantine tank. I added more water as I had not been too mindful about replacing it from acclimating frags.

The two new frags look great, a nice healthy piece of super hairy green mille and an orange cap. The tips on the Mille subtley fluoresce under the light.

Someone was asking for a new FTS, so instead I shot a few quick videos tonight which I will post soon. Let me know what you think!