10 gal no WC sumpless reef tank

[scubasteve]

Heeeeeeee's baaaaaaaack.......

Shhhh lol

 

[scubasteve]

Here is a post of the popbloom light par reading at surface of water hanging 15" above. Each square roughly 3.5". It's only a shallow 10 gal so par does not drop more then 50-75 at sandbed.

 

[barksy]

Loving the build. How's it going?

 

[scubasteve]

Loving the build. How's it going?

Been busy with work but here is a huge photo bomb! Did that get me on another watch list? I hope it's a Rolex. Lol

 

[scubasteve]

Let's just say I'm pretty much full for one heck of a packed 10 gallon. Definitely going to have a few losses as they grow out, hopefully the expensive ones live. Not bad for a sumpless setup, slight algae issue from me overfeeding fish but that's corrected and cleanup crew is slowly making it disappear. No media reactor or skimmer just helps phosphates jump but now I'm not feeding as much it's much better and added some phosguard to the hob filter chamber with some carbon, other side is bioballs and chaeto with a small led light.

Sps, zoas and acans are all doing great, purple whip gorg is doing well but the non photosynthetic one has a bit of algae but slowly clearing up after moved ight infront of powerhead. Maxima clam, feather duster, onyx picasso, hector goby, mandarin dragonette and sunrise dottyback are all doing well. Don't send the dottyback police he was getting picked on at the store but is friendly in my 10 gallon which is a shock but it does have a labrynth of caves to claim.

No need to dose anything yet except a little eight four to keep carbonate up. Using red sea coral pro salt since small water volume it's not so pricey. Almost 0 sediment mixing too. No r/o just tap treated with prime. Red sea trace colour pro test kit and A, B, C, D addittives on way.

Feeding fish 3 times a week with new life spectrum pellets and once a week mysis and cyclopeez.

Coral get twice a week dose of 1oz nannochloropsis phytoplankton, 1oz isochrysis phytoplankton, 6 drops polyp lab polyp booster, .2g reef roids, 1ml aqua vitro fuel, 2ml of red sea reef energy plus AB+.

Also boosting tank monthly adding tigger pods and tisbe pods, tank originally seeded with tigger, tisbe, rotifiers and cyclopeez.

Now for the pics....

 

[scubasteve]

Maxima clam
pink cadillac
red ferrari
wild aussie
teal fuzzy birdsnest

 

[scubasteve]

Superman monti digi
wild aussie
scorpion
wild aussie
RR goldenrod anacropora
metallic blue and green milli
wild aussie
strawberry shortcake
utter chaos
AOI

 

[scubasteve]

scrambled eggs
Magician
can't f'n remember
mickey d's
vampire in drag

 

[scubasteve]

aussie rainbow acan
red people eater, pinwheel, soprano's
aussie acan
rasta
aussie rainbow acan
aussie rainbow acan

 

[Mechano]

Nice old school rock structure, Looks natural.
Nice looking clam as well

 

[Luke.]

Looks good man

 

[scubasteve]

Nice old school rock structure, Looks natural.
Nice looking clam as well

I only changed it 3 times to make more room for coral. Lol kind of limit with such a small tank.

 

[Mechano]

I only changed it 3 times to make more room for coral. Lol kind of limit with such a small tank.

All in good fun. The set up is one of my favourite things in this hobby lol.

 

[scubasteve]

Been a while since an update. Unfortunately had some losses, started interior renovations and between furnace dying in cold snap and drywall dust I lost a few pieces. Still have most of it and surprisingly most my hard to keep sps lived and most my easy died along with 2 acans and clam but everything has been stable and back to growing for a month now.

 

[scubasteve]

Well time to test the skills. Going to see how long I can run a 10 gal sumpless with zero water changes. This is going to be a tough one but it is very possible judging by my calculations and knowledge from running my larger tanks 0 water change. Havnt done one for almost 3 months now and polyp extension and growth is taking off after I stabilized from a slight crash during Reno's.

On a plus side new drywall is primed and painted, new flooring down, starting to build cabinets now and then I can finish all the trim. Finally going to have some $ for a couple new additions now that I have dumped a few g's into the house and a new washer, dryer and dishwasher‍. I just want to be 16 again and spend all my money on my tanks. Adult life is expensive

 

[scubasteve]

Pic update. Things are looking great! Everything is noticeably growing. Couple sps frags have encrusted onto live rock and really started growing fast now. Gorgonians are loving life but I'm looking for more. Now to replace a few I lost that I really wanted. My scorpion and goldenrod were doing great but hey shit happens.

 

[Luke.]

Looks good man! Do you use the puddy for locking the frags down or?

 

[Luke.]

I didn’t have a lot of success on my last build, I got frustrated and shut it all down, but love the small tanks I’m glad over all you are having good success, although I’m sure you miss your snow flake eel with the shrimp riding its back haha

 

[scubasteve]

Looks good man! Do you use the puddy for locking the frags down or?

Ya I get the purple putty, is noticeable pik at first but after a month or 2 you can't even notice it. It actually shows more in the picture. I use the handle of my tongs to add some divets do it's not so smooth and blends in better. Just twist the frag plug a few turns so you can remove easily later. I have a couple plugs stuck that died and now I can't get out‍.

I didn’t have a lot of success on my last build, I got frustrated and shut it all down, but love the small tanks I’m glad over all you are having good success, although I’m sure you miss your snow flake eel with the shrimp riding its back haha

Can get away with a cheaper build these days. Only reason I went small is ongoing Reno's and lack of funds, new truck has me spent. I do absolutely love these lights tho. Overkill for a 10 but they grow well and look well and not 1 LED burnt out yet. My 2 hygger wave pumps are doing amazing too. Had a bit of a hiccup and lost a couple expensive acros and half my aussie acans but most lived surprisingly, lost my clam too but big als just got more. It can be a frustrating hobby for sure but I really took my time with this one and all sps I sealed around new growth edge with super glue after a dip so any eggs were trapped to die an anoxic death . Thankfully no pests and I finally have corraline algae spreading. Got 3 new frags today too I'm uploading.

 

[scubasteve]

3 new pieces i got today, 1 isnt doing well in store but was aussie and purple with hot pink tips and a little green starting at base and it has already darkened and way better polyp extension so hopefully comes out nice (it was very pale and half dead looking when i took it). Another was light purple almost pink with yellow tips and one that is a nice teal colour. I seem to have really good luck colouring up wild aussies I bring home. My one mini colony I'm willing to frag is really shining all deep pink with green starting on very old growth and golden yellowish polyps basically the same as UCA cherry blossom. I also have a really nice piece from frag garage with purple base, blue tips and red polyps! Let's just say OH MY for blaze of glory! It lives up to its name

Anyone has any blue sps without green in it or yellow (really want scorpion, goldenrod or picachu) let me know, can buy or trade zoas and gorg frags or 1 frag wild aussie similar to blowpop can send pics if interested.

Some eye candy of the new 3 for the feins. Hard to believe the first pic was half pale almost white and this is only 4 hrs later.