Bongo Shrimp's 29g Lagoon

Per request from multiple people, here is the second of my two tanks' threads.

Some things have changed since I went out of town in December so the pics are showing what the tank looked like before I went away. The yellow seahorse is however, no longer with us.

This is my 29g Biocube Lagoon:


29g Oceanic BioCube (About 1 months old as a saltwater tank)
Oceanic BioCube Protein Skimmer
Stock lighting (Power Compact)
150wtt Visi-Therm Heater
Modded filtration with liverock instead of bioballs
A filter sponge covers the outflow to significantly reduce flow
Approx. 3-5 lbs of livesand
Approx. >10 lbs of liverock

Coming Soon: (arrives on Jan 14th)
Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper Elite!

Fish:
x1 ORA Orange Reidi Seahorse (Male)
x2 Banded Pipefish (Pair)
x1 Yashia Goby
x1 Rainsfords Goby

Inverts:
Orange Finger Sponge
Orange Fan Sponge
Blue Sponge (Haliclona spp.)
Unknown Blue Sponge (possibly a type of macro algae)
Unknown Purple Monti Like Sponge
x4 Bongo Shrimp (Phyllognathia ceratophthalma) My pride and joy. (along with my feather star)
x1 Randall's Pistol Shrimp
x4 Peppermint Shrimp (MIA)
Lots of Macro

Coral:
NONE


http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...0/_DSC0099.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...0/_DSC0102.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...0/_DSC0104.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...0/_DSC0108.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...0/_DSC0093.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...0/_DSC0087.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...0/_DSC0084.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...0/_DSC0109.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...0/_DSC0116.jpg

For those of you who are going to ask where a Bongo Shrimp is, three are hiding but one is here:
http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...SC0099copy.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...DSC_0118-1.jpg

Bongo Shrimp: (no longer in a separate container)
http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...SANY0085-1.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u.../DSC_03272.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...0/SANY0091.jpg

What do you think?

Really really nice, very unique!

Well I did a water change yesterday and I think I added a little too much pH buffer because the rainsfords goby and smaller pipefish kicked the bucket. :(

Here are some updated shots of the tank. No FTS since the sponges died while I was on break and I had to trim them WAY back. Till it looks better I'm too ashamed to post a FTS.

Bongo Shrimp: (2 of 4)
http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...0/SANY0153.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...0/SANY0155.jpg

Tunicates:
http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...0/SANY0150.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...0/SANY0154.jpg

Finally got some nice shots of one of the bongo shrimp!

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...0/_DSC0244.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...0/_DSC0243.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...0/_DSC0240.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...0/_DSC0236.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...0/_DSC0232.jpg


And the pistol made an appearance!
http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...0/_DSC0247.jpg

Just curious why you had to use the pH buffer? I don't know squat about sponges. LOL I thought they were all non-photosynthetic??

The pH buffer wasn't just for the sponges, some of which are actually photosynthetic. It was for the fish and shrimp too. The pH used to be about 7.6. Now it's up to about 8.0.

Wow that is really low pH:embarrased: how long has it been that low?

It had been like that in both my tanks (reef and lagoon) for about 4 or 5 months. No big effects in either tank but I just got tired of it one day and decided to fight it head on. It worked.

Good thing you did! Were you getting very good growth out of the calcium based corals? Usually low pH means low Alk and slow-low calcification for the corals.
Have you tried opening a window in the room where the tank is for a few hours?

Not trying to give you a hard time by the way, just been battling some low pH myself. Maybe i am more worried about it than I should be?