Neptune Aquatics

20g Nano Mixed Reef

As you might be able to tell from my signature, I am experimenting with photo uploads on this site. The pictures in this post aren't using the experimental methods, but maybe soon (once I get it working) I can upload higher-res pictures :0

I didn't post any full tank shots in the last update so I took some just now

Lengthwise top-down from right and left sides
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Ignore the Nexus Burst in the cup - I don't know where to put it so I poked 2 holes in a frag cup, and hung those holes on the in-tank knobs on the Kessil gooseneck. I did pull it out for the FTS

Long way:
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FTS (same as in my signature, I took it a few days ago)

I'm torn on the GSP. It's ugly right now, looks like radioactive clouds, but maybe it'll look better grown in? Perhaps replace it with zoas? Or should I peel it off entirely and leave the back blank?

I have removed it in spots and glued acros directly to the back glass, where they're currently encrusting. Maybe that could work across more of the back?

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look, BAR sticker!

I also got a budget build tank from @Srt4eric PIF (thank you!) Once I get a heater, pump, and light mount, I can get things set up and running!
 
Looking great.

What size heater watts do u need, I have a few extras from a tank break down I got some equipment from. One of the heaters may Be the right size for you?
 
Turns out if you use ultrawide, the tank looks extra big. Does this look like 20g to you?

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Corals growing

Bill Murray: Dec 19 2024 - May 1 2025 (4.5mo)
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SCOP: Jan 12 - May 1 2025 (3.5mo)
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CC blazing rainbow: Feb 23 - May 1 2025 (2ish mo)
This one’s not so impressive because @RandyC was so generous with frag size at the swap, but there’s already a couple new branches on the right side
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BlueSallymandr said:
Your tank looks amazing! Do your corals sting each other, being so close?
Click to expand...

Thank you! Yes, coral warfare is spooky, so I do think a lot about placement. I'm sure it's not perfect, but placement and flow direction does help. Although, some corals seem to be able to touch without a problem, and sometimes it's not the ones I expect at all.

Corals growing into each other isn't something I can "placement" away though, so eventually I'll have to frag more, or begin pulling some pieces out
 
Lots of new tank updates :)

Rescape:

Left side of the tank got restructured: although I liked the height from the hammers, there was a big dark area underneath them that no coral could live in. So I moved all my hammers lower down on the rock, exposing some new area for SPS. Some of the hammers were borderline overlit anyway so I think this is good.

Also took zoa rock out and swapped for a new rock, which is currently going through its benthic succession and is covered with nuisance algae. I found something that looks like bubble algae if it was made out of Sprung's Burning Bush. I think it's Botryocladia skottsbergii but that's just a shot in the dark, let me know if you know what this is

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Frag Swap:
Came home with:
TCK New Dragon (I gave it way too much flow and blew half the tissue off. Seems to be stable and not dying back but half of it is white - oops :( )
Green Slimer
BC Lasermelon
Indo Gold torch
Hellfire torch
Beach Bum monti
Pink Birdsnest
Fat jawbreaker
Pink monti got back from @derek_SR
Mystery acro from Prof. John Pringle's lab breakdown
Stratospheres

Also 2 little cucumbers from @divewsharks, so cool. Disappeared into the rock by now but I saw them filtering away when added

Light malfunction:

A snail tripped my ATO, spilling some water which fried my light controller. For about a month I've been manually turning the light on/off, so the tank's been somewhat unstable (if I forget or am out of the house then the tank stays in darkness for a few more hours). Somehow the corals do not seem to have suffered for it, and I now have a new light controller (thank you to @psidriven!)

Testing / Nutrients:

I've fallen off the testing train and need to get back to it. Weekly water changes have been keeping things afloat but it's likely not ideal. Last I tested, everything was low: alk at 7dkH, calcium at 440ppm. Nutrients are very low: nitrate around 1-2ppm and phosphate <0.03ppm. Both hardly detectable via salifert test kit

Calcium and alkalinity isn't shocking to me because the amount of stony coral I have has only increased

Nutrients was pretty surprising to me: I have an autofeeder set to go off thrice a day with a hefty amount of food, I feed pellets soaked in selcon daily, I feed pinches of flake and pellets whenever I pass by, and I pour ungodly amounts of selcon-soaked reef roids in multiple times a week. And I'm somehow close to bottoming out :0

Speaking of SELCON: ever since I have begun soaking food in it, all my stony corals (including LPS), especially "smoothskin" naked acropora, have begun extending tentacles all through the day. I don't think this is coincidence as I made only that once change to my routine, and early on I noticed that polyps would come out shortly after feeding with it. Now, my acros have perpetually extended polyps.

For how relatively inexpensive it is, I think more people should try this - I'd love to hear from more people and see if this is consistent across more than 1 tank

Growth updates:
~11mo of T. maxima growth (scaled 1:1 for size comparison). Started out around 1" long, now just over 2". Imo pretty good growth considering the tank was around 9 months old when the clam was introduced

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Bill Murray is redder than before
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FTS:

I'd like to add some more color since the tank has been looking drab without the zoa rock. Might add some zoas back over time, and am in search of highly-pigmented acropora for other parts of the tank.
I'm sure turning up the blues would help too, this photo was taken under relatively white light

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Update:

4.5dkH (80ppm) daily alkalinity uptake without automated testing means a daily coin flip of parameters. My alk was 9.4 yesterday but ask me right now and I would tell you I have no clue what it is currently. Corals seem to be doing fine, but not sure how long I can keep this up.

Trying to swap out all the weedier SPS for more colorful or unique corals, and taking some out entirely for other coral to grow over. No more drab brown stuff, if it's using minerals it better at least look nice.

Maybe I'll give montipora one last go before it becomes absolutely too much? They're a little easier to trim than birdsnest. Or maybe acropora only from now on.


Pictures:

This is about 1/3 of my Sunkist bounce colony. It's doing pretty well. I moved some over to the budget build because they no longer fit in my tank. If we are friends and you want one, let me know

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Finally my Poto Golden Dragon has begun to grow. I think I overlit it for a while, so I moved it recently and it's been liking it
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Hammers doing well. This photo taken right when lights come on so you can see the skeletons. Kind of shocked me how much they grew
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Cloudberries chalice growing but does not look as good as TSA website picture. Any ideas?
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Clownfish are as happy as ever. They've been enjoying the foods I've been feeding, and their duncans and micromussa are getting bigger and more comfortable
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Torches are also doing very well
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Went to Steinhart again with a friend. The kessil in their Butterfly enclosure is the same one as the tshirt from BAR events. Their tanks are amazing to look at, as always. The S. gigantea carpet anemones in the big tank are incredibly healthy.
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I'm super excited to play Silksong with my dad! I took a picture of the Nail ornament in my isopod enclosure to celebrate. Like the sunkists, if you want any isopods just pm me
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Tank looks like this overall now. Forgive the frag rack, I'm preparing to learn how to ship corals.
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I’m thinking maybe less light for the chalice, which looks good to me, but I get you, not how you want it to look. I’ve found there to be a wide range of what chalices like as far as light goes. Some looked best in like 75 par and others looked great over 200. I never figured out how to have a good guess what they would like by looking at them/what types they were. I’m not that smart though.
Tank looks great as usual! Still need to offload the calcium reactor. You could have it free…
 
Coral reefer said:
I’m thinking maybe less light for the chalice, which looks good to me, but I get you, not how you want it to look. I’ve found there to be a wide range of what chalices like as far as light goes. Some looked best in like 75 par and others looked great over 200. I never figured out how to have a good guess what they would like by looking at them/what types they were. I’m not that smart though.
Tank looks great as usual! Still need to offload the calcium reactor. You could have it free…
Click to expand...
I’ve actually just increased the light on that chalice. It was under 50 PPFD for a year, and was always bland like this.

Currently it has been under 300 PPFD for a few months and no change yet
 
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