My two 24g 150 MH Aquapods Diary

[greenreefer]

Here are my first pics. I'm not the normal photographer in our family and so as I tried to figure out our camera I forgot to clean the aquarium glass first, but anyways here they are.
full view

neon green bta

hammer

frogspawn

porites with christmas tree worms

purple montipora digitata

orange montipora digitata and acropora secale

blood shrimp

montipora ? I asked for an encrusting montipora, but it looks like this might be capricornis. I'm pretty new to SPS so any identification help would be great.

 

[clay12340]

Looking good so far. I like the set up and the coral choices. Although the LPS might be a little close together. They have deceptively long stinger tentacles and they'll probably get a fair bit larger once they get happier. It may or may not end up being a problem, but it is something to watch for.

 

[greenreefer]

Thanks, I'll keep an eye on it. Any ideas on what my last montipora pic is?

 

[greenreefer]

The montipora is montipora foliosa.
The second tank is finally ready to stock. We added a serpent star, 5 hermits, a domino damsel, a neon goby, a dragonet, and 200 live copepods.
We also added two false percs to the first tank. I hope to post pics of everything tomorrow. One of the percs started hosting within 15 minutes, the other hasn't started yet.
Save the dragonet comments I read all of the posts. We were at ***** and saw it there and I figured I would have a much better chance of keeping it alive than they would, since they didn't even know what it was.

 

[reef diver]

Well, you are off to an amazing head start there!!!!! If your keeping SPS, you may want to consider linking the two systems via an overflow etc. The increased water volume will keep all your parameters much more stable. However I must ask, are the two tanks close together???

 

[greenreefer]

Thanks. The two tanks are not close together so there will be no linking. So far everything seems to be stable. I just try to make sure I change 2 gallons from each every Sunday and I foloow the GARf routine for supplements twice a week.
On another topic, I watched the dragonet eat brine shrimp and I'm pretty sure it also ate flake. I'm a little concerned about over feeding though, not specifically the dragonet, but the tank in general. The dragonet seems to be very frightened of anything I stick in the tank, so I'm not able to just lay food in front of it. If i put more brine shrimp in than the domino damsel and the neon goby will eat it will make it to the bottom, but it is a hard balance to maintain. Anyone have any suggestions.
I'm also curious how often others here feed. I've read in the pocket expert books that they recommend feed multiple times a day for many fish and I've heard others online and in the LFS say they only feed a couple times a week. If you keep a small tank (2 - 5 fish), would you mind indicating how many and what kind of fish you have, type/brand of food you use, best description of quantity, and how often? thanks

 

[reef diver]

Try a glass jar, capers olives etc, washed and cleaned (no soap) fill that w/ brine every day and set it on the bottom eventually your mandarin will learn.

 

[myreef05]

Brine offers NO value at all so you need to get the mandarin on pods, mysis etc. BUT NOT BRINE!
Very nice set up you have btw. Just watch the water parameters as stated.

 

[greenreefer]

Everything seems to be doing well. I stopped by my LFS today and picked up a nice dark purple feather duster, a galaxea frag, and a tiny green star polyps frag (3 polyps). The frags are small, but you can't beat $16 for the three items. This week I'm ordering 8 more SPS frags. It is buy 5 for $100 get 3 free special at GARF. I don't think you can find prices like that for SPS anywhere else.
I've decided to make the first tank an SPS tank. I moved the hammer to the second tank and added all three new things to that tank as well. I'll move the frogspawn as soon as the new SPS comes in. I didn't realize that LPS could grow so fast. The frogspawn came in as two branches, but the heads on each branch are splitting already. It rally extends when the lights are on, maybe four times as big as the first week.
So far I think my favorite thing is my christmas tree worm rock. I picked it up probably too soon, but it was only $20 and it was a 6 inch peice of rock cover in a SPS coral and christmas tree worms. It was pretty brown when I bought it, but now you can tell that the backgraound color is a neon green and the polyps are purple and it has started to encrust the rock next to it.
My wife's been out of town with the camera, but hopefully I'll have new pics this week.

 

[greenreefer]

Well finally some new pics. I was rushed so I didn't have time to clean the glass first, so forgive for some blurriness.

 

[greenreefer]

And here are the first pics of the second aquapod
full view

skunk cleaner

green star polyps

galaxea

dragonet and hammer

same dragonet

 

[clay12340]

I feed my nano 3 times a day. There are a few decorative shrimp, a hi-fin red-banded goby, and a flaming prawn goby in it. I still feed too much at each meal, but the tank is capable of handling the added nutrients without causing algae problems. My clean up crew doesn't seem to be complaining either.
Scooter blennies seem to be easier to feed than most of the mandarins, so you might get away with it. If you feed brine feed newly hatched and keep them in something like Selcon or some other HUFA solution to give them some nutritional content. Also add in some thawed frozen mysis to the mix and see if you can slowly go more and more towards the mysis and still get it to eat. The jar idea is a good one, though you'll probably find a shot glass more suitable in size for these small tanks. If you use a feeding tube you might be able to direct the other fish to one side of the tank while you feed the scooter. My fish and shrimp see the tube and chase it around the tank.
The tanks are looking nice. You might want to consider a quarantine tank. You are adding a lot of things pretty rapidly and it would be a good idea to verify that they are healthy before they get in with your other stuff. You also want to make sure you leave things room to grow. The LPS will get much larger and they can grow surprisingly quickly.
I really like that feather duster by the way. I can't ever find good looking ones around here. It seems like white is about the only option available locally for me.

 

[greenreefer]

Thanks
I took a couple of new pics, but I cleaned the glass first this time. I also captured two of my inhabitants that have been camera shy for awhile.
full view tank 1

tank 1 hector's goby

full view tank 2

tank 2 startfish

 

[greenreefer]

I think my bta is splitting. I'm not possitive, but when I fed it today it looked like it was seperating into two. it is possible that it was just folded funny. It is in the space in between three rocks so I can't see the base at all and most of the time the tentacles completely hide the rest of it. it is very large, maybe 8 inches across and it always seems to be happy (nice color and bulbs at the end of every tentacle). Today is the day that I normally change the water and add supplements, but I held off so that I didn't interupt the split if that is what is happening. I've searched around a decent amount for pics and descriptions of the split, but most people seem to be caught off guard by the split so there isn't a lot of info about how long the whole thing takes. Anybody know? Anything special that I should do if they do split? If they split and one starts to move should I try to move it to my other tank where there isn't an anemone? Obviously if it moves and reattaches itself I'm out of luck on moving it and I don't know if two will be okay in a tank this small.

 

[clay12340]

The anemones won't hurt each other. They can hurt other things or overrun the tank altogether if you let them run wild. However, they can pack in with each other pretty densely and not hurt each other.
A lady on a different forum has a ~130 gallon with nothing but 40 some E. Quads and a pair of clowns. It is a neat tank, but apparently when one anemone goes sexual it causes a chain reaction and requires some pretty aggressive water changes.
I've heard that aiming a powerhead at an anemone's foot will usually get it to let go of the rock it is on. So if you have a split off that manages to hang on elsewhere that might be an option for removing one. Where you put the extra is up to you. You might even be able to trade or sell it to someone else if you don't want both.

 

[greenreefer]

Originally Posted by Clay12340
Looking good so far. I like the set up and the coral choices. Although the LPS might be a little close together. They have deceptively long stinger tentacles and they'll probably get a fair bit larger once they get happier. It may or may not end up being a problem, but it is something to watch for.
I was just looking at QN5's 20 long tank and there are frogspawn and hammer immediately next to each other (maybe touching). I asked if the stung each other and he indicated that frogspawn and hammer don't sting each other. I'm confused. i thought you were saying that they would. Got any decent links to what can and can not be placed next to each other?

 

[greenreefer]

Well the bta did split and then both of them started to wander. They kept attaching themselves in bad places like next to power heads or in between my sps. I'd point the power head at them and they'd move, but end up somewhere that was a pain. They were making it difficult to sleep since I didn't want them to harm anything. I called the LFS yesterday and asked if I could trade them in. They said yes, so I took them in. As long as they reinflate they are going to give me $40 credit for each. I'm crossing my fingers that they acclimate well and then I get to go shopping this afternoon.
I loved the way the original bta looked, but I think that I'm going to avoid them from here on out. It was cool to watch them split, but not worth all the effort.
One of the clowns is already hosting in the hammer coral. I'm attempting to catch the domino damsel from the other tank and take him back as well. I won't get anything for him, but he is too much of a bully.

 

[clay12340]

Corals from similar families usually don't have problems together, but it can happen. If you want them close together they'll likely be fine, but keep an eye open for any aggression between the two. I always try to keep a good bit of distance between my corals just to be safe. I've only had one coral die from a sting, but it was enough for me.
This link is an interesting article by Ron Shimek, though not a specific "this can go next to this" type of list. Placement link
It sounds like you got to experience the reason a lot of people don't like anemones first hand. A moving bundle of stingers can cause all sorts of problems. It is cool that you got to see them split though. It is also cool that your fish shop is offering so much credit for them. Which shop was it out of curiosity?

 

[greenreefer]

Clay,
Do you know the LFSs here? I called the LFS and they said the bta looks great, so I get to go shopping tomorrow

Thanks for the link.

 

[clay12340]

I was thinking you were in Indianapolis, Indiana for some reason. It looks like your profile says SC though, so I must be confused. I don't know the LFSs in SC, so I guess my question is moot.
Glad to hear that the anemones are doing well and you get your full credit