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| Mother and babies (another Super Glue placement) |
Moon-Glo Lighting
For some time, I have been drooling over the idea of having moon-glo lighting. It provides a cool lunar look and extends the viewing hours. Since I am happy with my low-end lighting system and don't want to invest a lot of time and money in a new system, I decided to try a do-it-yourself hack. My local automotive store had a blue LED strip for about $14. It has 8 LEDs and runs off of 12 volts DC. I mounted the lights on a narrow strip of plexiglass that fits under my light hood. I connected the lights to a power brick that I made from spare parts and a Radio Shack project box. When I powered them on, they produced a lot of light. It makes the tank look great when I run them with my daylight bulbs, and even creates a small shimmer. I have the lights on timers so that I get an hour of "moonlight" after the daylight bulbs turn off. It adds a really nice effect...
Day 47, July 13 - Six new additions....
Four days ago I added 6 soft coral frags that I bought from Penny at AquaCorals. They made a successful transition and have opened beautifully.
Here is what I got:
Red Mushroom
Blue Mushroom
Silver Pom Xenia
Stiped Pulsing Xenia
Mint Green Star Polyps
Gold Capnella
This is how it looks....
Here is what I got:
Red Mushroom
Blue Mushroom
Silver Pom Xenia
Stiped Pulsing Xenia
Mint Green Star Polyps
Gold Capnella
This is how it looks....
The gereral layout....
Left half of tank.
Right side of tank
Silver Pom Xenia
Mint Green Star Polyp
Gold Capnella
Pulsing Xenia Video. It is Hypnotic.
-JFW
Daily Care
Even though people think that keeping a reef tank is a difficult challenge, the big secret is that it is actually very easy. The most important way to care for a reef tank is to observe it every day. If you pay attention to your tank and understand its needs, you will notice potential problems as they start to develop. Addressing these issues as soon as you see them will prevent big headaches down the line. Understanding how the variables such as waterflow, light, position, salinity and temperature effect the reef inhabitants is crucial. A slight correction can make a sad looking coral thrive.
The only additive I put in the tank is Kalkwasser (Calcium Hydroxide). I mix a bit with fresh R/O water and use it to replace the water that evaporates from the tank. This helps maintain high calcium and alkalinity. Since it has a very high pH, I fabricated a "high tech" system to slowly drip the solution into my tank every morning.
A good cleanup crew is essential for eating algae and detritus and keeping the sand bed groomed. I have Astrea, Certh and Nerite snails and 2 small blue legged hermit crabs. I have only scraped the front glass once and I added a few more snails when they were needed.
I am most excited about Super Glue Gel. It does a great job under water and has quickly secured several small frags exactly where I want them. I also use underwater epoxy to secure larger pieces.
To get rid of Aiptasia anemones people highly recommend Aiptasia-X. Before I purchased an entire bottle for one Aiptasia, I tried a trick I found online. I got an insulin syringe and filled it with a mixture of Kalkwasser and water. After a quick injection I have not seen another Aiptasia in the tank.
I did my first 1 gallon water change after 29 days and I plan to do one every week or so. I do not sift the sand when I do a water change, but when I add the new water to the tank, I try to blow accumulated detritus off the rocks. The corals love the micro-nutrients after a water change and are always fully open and spectacular then next day.
-JFW
The only additive I put in the tank is Kalkwasser (Calcium Hydroxide). I mix a bit with fresh R/O water and use it to replace the water that evaporates from the tank. This helps maintain high calcium and alkalinity. Since it has a very high pH, I fabricated a "high tech" system to slowly drip the solution into my tank every morning.
A good cleanup crew is essential for eating algae and detritus and keeping the sand bed groomed. I have Astrea, Certh and Nerite snails and 2 small blue legged hermit crabs. I have only scraped the front glass once and I added a few more snails when they were needed.
 |
| This Certh snail likes to hang out under the sand. |
I am most excited about Super Glue Gel. It does a great job under water and has quickly secured several small frags exactly where I want them. I also use underwater epoxy to secure larger pieces.
 |
| These particular polyps were opening after my first experience with Super Glue Gel. Unfortunately, the rock got overturned when I was on vacation and the polyps did not make it. |
I did my first 1 gallon water change after 29 days and I plan to do one every week or so. I do not sift the sand when I do a water change, but when I add the new water to the tank, I try to blow accumulated detritus off the rocks. The corals love the micro-nutrients after a water change and are always fully open and spectacular then next day.
-JFW
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