Xxero to 6 Months!

[Xxero]

Realized this 40 breeder has reached the 6 month mark, and thought that I'd share a few pics: :bounce1:

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/131_zpsipkc57gy.jpg

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/132_zpsukvmvelg.jpg

Maxima
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/133_zpszriwwl4h.jpg

Red Thorny Sea Star
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/134_zpsfgjr5ots.jpg

Couple of Monti Caps
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/136_zps8sf1do8h.jpg

Wanda - My Yellow Anthias :D
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/135_zpsur6fb8uw.jpg

Mount Goby
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/137_zpslzywocls.jpg

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/138_zpspncfbof7.jpg

Baby steps...It's been fun!

[shifty51008]

Looking good i hope you feed the tank 3 to 4 times a day for the anthsis though.

Does the clam open up all they way? And why is it on the pvc pipe?

As you say, take it slow and youll have a very nice reef.

[Xxero]

Thanks Shifty!

Yes. I feed 3 times a day, but just small little snacks. I've had the Anthias for about 7 weeks, and Mysis seem to be her favorite. She will also eat a small amount of flake food, brine shrimp, and I see her picking bugs off of the glass/pumps, etc. too. She's put on quite a bit of weight since I've had her, and she's also the last fish to go in this tank.

The Maxima does open up...this photo was taken earlier this morning when the lights had just come on. The fish were also skittering around it quite a bit thinking it was feeding time. LOL. BUT, it does seem to stay partly open/partly closed most of the time.

Why is it on pvc pipe? It's not. It's a concrete mold that I made for the clam to cradle in. WHY!?! I have no idea to be honest with you. I wanted to display it, kind of like a trophy, and this is what popped into my head. This Maxima still has its foot, and it attached to this base, so I'm assuming it likes its accommodations. I'm definitely keeping an eye on things! :bigeyes:

[Xxero]

Forgot the sump.

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/140_zps0hgg8coj.jpg

And the sump guard dog! :bigeyes:

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/141_zpszhvtkkl1.jpg

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/142_zpsmbj9qrch.jpg

[Bent]

What is a red thorny sea star? I've never seen that species before.

[Bent]

Umm dude...everything I'm reading says that those stars eat clams...

[Dkuhlmann]

Bent, you are correct.

From LA
The Red Thorny Sea Star requires a large aquarium with ample supplies of live rock. A small specimen will eat algae. As it grows older, however, it is not reef compatible, as it will eat soft corals, sponges, tubeworms, clams, starfish, and other invertebrates. It should not be housed with puffers.

I looked at this starfish the other day and it is sooooooooo much like the dreaded chocolate chip.

[Bent]

I have no idea how his tank is so clean after 6 months. Looks great.

[Scorpius]

I have no idea how his tank is so clean after 6 months. Looks great.

After several weeks my tank started accumulating coraline algae like crazy. :lol: My tank is currently four months old and it looks nothing like the OP's.

[stingeragent]

Loving those 2 OLD school powerheads your rocking in the back left and bottom right. Have one of those in a box somewhere. I think me sticking a straw in my tank and blowing through it puts out more flow.

[shifty51008]

Maxijets imo are still one of the best powerheads out there, the originals were unbrakeable. The only bad part was the narrow flow unless you did the mod.

[Xxero]

What is a red thorny sea star? I've never seen that species before.

Umm dude...everything I'm reading says that those stars eat clams...

EXCELLENT, Bent! These are the comments/questions I've been waiting for all day!

Red Thorny Sea Star, and like Dkuhlmann mentioned, here is what LA has to say about them:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+528+1748&pcatid=1748

First of all, I would like to say that nothing in this aquarium has been an impulse buy; meaning that after extended research, I made a conscious, educated purchase. However, does an educated/researched purchase guarantee that said purchase was a smart decision? I dunno, and only time will tell.

Like many things in this hobby, The Red Thorny Sea Star is up for debate in regards to reef compatibility. Where the Chocolate Chip Starfish is a definite 'NO!', the Red Thorny is a 'Maybe/Maybe Not?'. Everything that I read prior to the purchase went both ways. Most literature advised against them, but most first-hand testimonies leaned more towards the reef compatible side. There are quite a few Youtube videos out there from people who have owned them with no problems. I'm hoping to be one of those. :bigeyes:

[Xxero]

Bent, you are correct.

From LA
The Red Thorny Sea Star requires a large aquarium with ample supplies of live rock. A small specimen will eat algae. As it grows older, however, it is not reef compatible, as it will eat soft corals, sponges, tubeworms, clams, starfish, and other invertebrates. It should not be housed with puffers.

I looked at this starfish the other day and it is sooooooooo much like the dreaded chocolate chip.

I immediately thought so also, Dkuhlmann, but my LFS (who carries both Chocolate Chips and Red Thornys) claims that they can be okay if you keep them well fed after maturity. She keeps them in most of her client's tanks that she maintains, and claims to have never had any issues. I went ahead and purchased one that was past the juvenile stage, so that I didn't have to discover its carnivorous transformation the hard way.

I have had this Red Thorny for a little over a month with no problems thus far. I feed it raw squid and raw shrimp chunks twice a week or whenever it makes its way to the top and starts begging:

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/117_zpsmpeydewc.jpg

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/118_zps9ljhrjc4.jpg

So far so good with this one. It's fascinating to watch, so I'm keeping an optimistic eye on it.

[Xxero]

I have no idea how his tank is so clean after 6 months. Looks great.

When you say "Clean", what do you mean exactly? The glass? I clean it every few days, no biggie?

As for the rest: overflow box, PH's, sand bed, and rocks - My cleanup crew handles all of that. But I've read lately that my CUC isn't reef correct either, so I don't know. They seem to do a great job to me. :bigeyes:

[Bent]

I thought maybe you had a plan. So keep me updated, I like stars and if it works out, I may Copy you.

Lol by clean I mean...spotless. No algae on the power heads, nothing on the sand bed, I don't see a speck of algae of detritus.

It looks great

[Xxero]

Loving those 2 OLD school powerheads your rocking in the back left and bottom right. Have one of those in a box somewhere. I think me sticking a straw in my tank and blowing through it puts out more flow.

*Sigh* Yes, yes, yes I know. The one on the left/back is a MaxiJet 400 simply used for surface agitation. The other (right/back) is a Petco brand I believe, used to get behind the rocks. Most of my flow comes from my returns - I'm running a Mag 9.5 on a 40b man! :lol: but I use the others to supplement for now. My next upgrade will be a pair of Jebao Rw-4's. And YES I'm getting the Rw-4's and not the Rw-8's! Anyone wanna start up that debate again? :bigeyes:

[Xxero]

I thought maybe you had a plan. So keep me updated, I like stars and if it works out, I may Copy you.

Lol by clean I mean...spotless. No algae on the power heads, nothing on the sand bed, I don't see a speck of algae of detritus.

It looks great

Yeah, but you know what they say about plans! :lol: We'll see how this one behaves. Fortunately my LFS is great about store credit/swaps, so if he turns Hannible Lecter then it's right back he goes!

[shifty51008]

The starfish does look cool, hopefully it does work out for you. I do like the idea of the clam on a pedistal, it makes it look like a trophy.

[Xxero]

I can't sleep. :mad2: So0, not to be a thread pig, but I thought that I'd write about this particular tank for a while. I never started an official build thread, but I have taken many photos along the way.

At the 6 month mark, there's not much here to talk about really. Slow and steady has been the way, for both economic and good husbandry purposes. This is my first Reef aquarium after about a ten year hiatus. My last Reef Aquarium experience was a 150 gallon display with a total water volume of around 200 gallons. I ran metal halides, VHO's, and LEDs for lighting on that one, complete with an intricate closed loop circulation system and top of the line everything else. A life situation forced me to sell the tank off, and it was a pretty heart-wrenching experience to tell the truth. I was very passionate about that set-up, and the evolution of home Reef aquarium technology kept me fascinated. That was right when compact T5's were all the rage! :lolspin:

So after a 10 year break, I started this 40b without even knowing that they were so popular right now. I saw the aquarium at a PetSmart (one day while getting dog food), and I just loved the tank's dimensions. The old Reef itch grabbed hold of me again, and the rest is 6 month's worth of history:

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/7_zpstbju2wzz.jpg

2 Weeks Old
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/13_zpssftybdtd.jpg

Sump Build - 20 gallon long.
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/23_zpscbdlnhpi.jpg

About the 1 Month Mark (still no fish!)
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/31_zpsmuzpfapr.jpg

Around 90 Days.
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/93_zpsbd1lnc1t.jpg

[Xxero]

"Regrets, I've Had A Few." - To quote Sinatra.

Namely: I purchased a 6 inch Carpet Anemone in the beginning. I don't know if one of my Peppermint Shrimp was messing around with it, or whether the Carpet deliberately went after the Shrimp, but the end result was death for the Peppermint. Gobbled him right up, except for the antennae! Needless to say, I traded the carpet in for a Long Tentacle Anemone hoping that it would host my Ocellaris pair. Nope! Never even went near the thing. So the LTA was brought back to the LFS as well, and a Maxima Clam soon took that place in the tank.

My current livestock includes:
* 2 ORA Ocellaris Clownfish
* 3 Pajama Cardinalfish
* 1 Diamond Watchman Goby
* 1 Yellow Anthias
* 1 Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
* 1 Peppermint Shrimp
* 1 Red Thorny Sea Star
* 1 Maxima Clam

My Clean-Up-Crew consists of:
* 3 Astraea Snails
* 3 Margarita Snails
* 25 - 30 Nassarius Snails
* 2 Super Tongan Nassarius Snails
* 5 Micro Blue Legged Hermit Crabs
* 1 Serpent Sea Star (Red)
* 1 Emerald Crab (in the Fuge part of the sump)

Astraea Snail Earning Its Keep!
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/110_zpspevwtlqi.jpg

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/111_zpsgqssu1hk.jpg

Serpent Sea Star
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/88_zpswmi1tm07.jpg

[Xxero]

The starfish does look cool, hopefully it does work out for you. I do like the idea of the clam on a pedistal, it makes it look like a trophy.

Here's the link for the concrete clam cradle:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2524021

Like I said, I have no clue! :lmao: I do have future plans to make a couple of more pedestals at shorter heights. I think a descension in Clam displays would look kinda cool!

And fingers crossed for the Starfish! I really like the thing.

Chillin'
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/167_zpsrk10r7io.jpg

[Xxero]

Just wanted to post a few updated pics:

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/148_zps8zrbb3mf.jpg

Flowerpot Coral
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/149_zpscyrxb2jc.jpg

Thorny still doing well.
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/150_zpsnecnqmrn.jpg

Eating a piece of shrimp.
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/143_zps0zeykh6a.jpg

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/154_zpsz1u30nzo.jpg

Montis are growing out. :thumbsup:
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/152_zps08xojr0s.jpg

[Bent]

Nice! I want a flower pot coral, but just haven't been brave enough to try one.

[Xxero]

Thought I'd give one a try...I find them mesmerizing! This one has lots of new little sprouts popping up, so I'm hoping I can keep it happy.

***ALSO, it's skeleton is only about the size of a golf ball, and it amazes me that all of that plumage can withdraw into such a small space!

[Xxero]

Blue Tuxedo Urchin
(I said that I'd never put one in my tank...I need to stop saying that.)

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/164_zpsaakwtm3u.jpg

At the bottom-right, you can see a blurry Pom-Pom Crab.

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/165_zpscuy5n2rk.jpg

A retreating, blurry Pom-Pom Crab. :lmao:

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/166_zpsw4kmkbvw.jpg

Red Head Solon Fairy Wrasse.

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/156_zpsz0ksn28v.jpg

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/157_zpsjonnfgrz.jpg

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/155_zpso6oog9md.jpg

Okay, that's it. :bigeyes:

[sde1500]

What kind of sand is that? Looks cool, and you don't see black very often.

[Xxero]

What kind of sand is that? Looks cool, and you don't see black very often.

It's the Caribsea Hawaiian Black. I have heard that some black sands can contain magnetic properties, but I have never experienced it with this particular brand of sand. No problems. :bigeyes:

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/008479007971C_zpscmfrqwoq.jpg

[Xxero]

So I did a lot of clean-up, re-arranging, and such over the weekend. I even performed Clam surgery! :eek1::eek1::eek1:

Here is an older photo of my Maxima Clam and that corner of the aquarium. I've had the Clam mounted on a concrete pedestal for months now, and it started to grow this turf-like algae on one side of its shell. It's a low-flow area plus I don't think anything could scale the stand to get to it. Anyway, it was time for a change:

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/158_zpskmahjuhr.jpg

The Maxima was very attached. Not only was its "foot" attached, but it had quite a few Byssal threads attached to the stand as well. This meant surgery, and it was a very stressful event! It let go of its grip with its foot fairly easily - after some gentle back and forth rocking - but then I had to cut about six connected Byssal threads with a very sharp razor without touching that foot! It went well, but I was a nervous wreck:

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/171_zpscdkciyzr.jpg

The Maxima is doing great! and a Mexican Turbo Snail has already made short work of its delicious algae issue. :D

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/173_zpsgci8ryyf.jpg

I replaced the concrete pedestal with a HUGE new piece of Live Rock...a 10 pounder!...and my Peppermint Shrimp has already called dibs on the little cave:

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/172_zpsllfictjt.jpg

I moved the Goniopora over a little, and I'm just leaving the Maxima be for now. I really like the new arrangement:

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j383/bobbybean7/174_zps8pubatfn.jpg

Phew! Busy little weekend. :bigeyes:

[sde1500]

Cool thanks for the reply. Like the rearrangement too