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The Leviathan Project [120g reef]


NewZealandReefie

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NewZealandReefie

Heh, he is indeed HP :happy:

 

He's doing a really awesome job of sifting the sand bed and is looking so much fatter and healthier, even after just 4 days. The other fish pretty much ignore him and for the most part he seems to like them, although when Asgard (tang) swims too close he acts a bit freaked out.

 

Thanks heaps Alkamist, we really value the tank being clean, there's a sense of achievement in spotless sand and crystal clear water. I just won't post any photos after the meaty feed and calk dosing days lol.

 

We're expecting a new shipment in at our LFS either today or tomorrow with a gold maxima clam and some exciting SPS. Yes, yes I did say exciting, I am excited for colourful sticks :lol:

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NewZealandReefie

Before:

IMG_0100.jpg

 

 

After:

IMG_0148.jpg

 

Maui:

IMG_0151.jpg

 

Random SPS we found sitting in some cold salty water, turned out to be something quite special, Green, purple, blue, and white.

IMG_0130.jpg

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First time seeing this thread, read it all, and im JEALOUS! I love Tomini Tangs and Anthias. Also good names especially Spock, i have a Ocellaris clown pair named Biggy Smallz lol. Very nice lighting. I suggest a few more anthias and maybe a UV sterolizer. Anthias look amazing in groups and in general, square anthias r cool. THEN AGAIN... my LFS has a good motto, "if your aquarium is thriving, for whatever reason, even if u dont understand, go with the flow and let it be." But a UV couldn't hurt especially with tangs

 

http://s1116.photobucket.com/albums/k563/SpenceDaFence/

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NewZealandReefie

Cheers Spencer. Thanks for the constructive comments :happy:

 

We are looking at getting a couple of female anthias at some stage. The problem we have is seeing the fish before we buy it so we can be 100% sure it IS female and hasn't stated to morph to male, don't really want them murdering each other.

 

We do own a tiny UV sterilizer but haven't had any kind of issues that make us think it's worth running for this tank. It's not a piece of equipment we consider vital to a reef tank, in face quite the opposite, they kill beneficial bacteria. We have used it when quarantining fish before, it was originally purchased for our fresh water tank (that didn't last long lol).

 

We're picking up a new Orchid Dottyback tonight. We plan to call it Sly. Originally we were going to have two, Slinky and Sly but Slinky is one of the fish we lost to Brooklynella earlier this year :(

 

EDIT: WTF is with the spamming of your photobucket dude? Make a tank thread then people can see your photos... if they want to.

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NewZealandReefie

My partner Ciedre is responsible for most of the photos.

 

I tried to get some top down shots of the clam and some of the SPS last night with the water level a bit lower during the water change but I wasn't happy with how they came out so I'll not be showin' them around lol.

 

Yeah, I was pretty gutted to loose Slinky, she was a fantastic fish.

 

Sly went into the tank well enough last night. He shot straight into the front corner and was assaulted by Jaffa, Asgard & Maui straight away... he looked terrified and disappeared into the rocks (which we expected from the outset). We think we may have seen a couple of purple flashes in the rock work ... but it's hard to tell heh, he's pretty tiny.

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NewZealandReefie

As I already know, orchid dottybacks are VERY hard to photograph. This has once again proved to be true, not helped by how itty bitty and FAST Sly is.

 

Orchids appear almost iridescent, especially under metal halides. Their scales have a sort of 'shimmery' look caused by the light hitting the scale pattern. For anyone that doesn't know, orchid scales have black borders and pink/purple centers. As the fish swims and the light reflects off the black and pink they sort of appear to shimmer.

 

All that stuff ads up to it being incredibly difficult, for me, to focus on the dottyback for a photo. Here are two fail attempts, it's entirely possible I will never get a better photo of Sly. I'll leave that challenge up to ciedre.

 

IMG_0555.jpg

 

IMG_0550.jpg

 

I'm backing down on saying I'd never show those top down photos of the clam, they're as good as its got and I don't want to wait days and days just to get the 'perfect' pic. At least it'll give anyone who cares an idea of the colours and pattern of the mantle. That said, the blue balance is out, the clam is copper, buff and cream coloured.

 

IMG_0000.jpg

 

Ciedre and I have both taken a week off work (yay 9 days of no work, I can't remember the last time I took so much time off)! We're thinking of taking a trip up to a fish store in Napier which is about 4 hours drive from home. They usually have some pretty neat stuff in stock.

 

One of the importers in NZ is moving to a new quarantine facility and in the process has collected up all the odds and ends that he's ended up with in his tanks over the years. We've been told to expect a shipment of totally random frags at our LFS in time for Saturday... I know where I'll be Saturday morning.

 

/massive update...

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NewZealandReefie

A few new additions over the week this week.

 

Ciedre and I have both had 9 days off work and during that time we've had many spare hours to watch the tank and frag/ship/buy/receive corals.

 

We sold the brown with blue tip staghorn and a massive piece of the chalice to a guy in Christchurch. Purchased 4 sps frags off another guy in Auckland and a couple of other things from an LFS.

 

Some photos of the SPS will come when there's time.

 

Orange fungia:

 

IMG_1066.jpg

 

Red & teal lobo:

 

IMG_1107.jpg

 

Twice in the last week, Asgard the tomini tang has swum out of a hole in the rock all in a hurry for something and gone face first into an urchin spine. When he gets stung a section of his skin around the puncture turns bright white and swells up. Both stings have gone down now and his skin is back to being grey but he's still got two little stab holes in his face.

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NewZealandReefie

ATO arrived yesterday :happy: got a Tunze 5017.

 

Having glanced at the set up instructions, I think I'll leave that till the weekend!

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  • 2 weeks later...
NewZealandReefie

Ciedre has set the ATO up and all has been running smoothly over the weekend :D

 

Our clam has been looking a bit upset for a few days now, our first thought was that it didn't like where it was. We thought the clam was supporting this theory when it pulled up its foot and moved a bit...but nope, it turns out there are pyramid snails all over it.

 

Ciedre removed it to a tub of aquarium water and has scrubbed off what snails and eggs he could, for now we'll keep an eye on it. We are pleased to note that it's opening up again today. We're going to keep trying to battle the population manually for now but if need be we will get a wrasse. Although we'd far prefer not to.

 

Any other suggestions of methods of murder on pyramid snails would be appreciated :happy:

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NewZealandReefie

Cheers HP.

 

Ciedre re-scaped the left hand side a bit the other day so it looks a little different now. When I can drag myself away from Gears 3 I'll get a new photo :P

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NewZealandReefie

Thanks dan :D

 

Can't wait for all my acros to grow out! They're all so puny at the moment but I know I've just got to be patient, don't want to overstock with coral and end up with it looking a mess.

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NewZealandReefie

FTS taken tonight by Ciedre

 

IMG_1384.jpg

 

Spock! He's looking so great now he's fat and healthy again. His colours have changed so much as he's gained condition. From a bland pale grey to a deep charcoal colour with blue and brown patterns and yellow tinted fins. We think he's pretty neat.

 

IMG_1390.jpg

 

And just for a bit of fun, these three photos of our birds nest were each taken 24 days apart.

 

birdgrowth.jpg

 

The clam is looking much better, it's still refusing to put its foot down but it is extending its mantle again properly and regaining some of its lost colour... ####ing pyramid snails, nasty little bastards.

 

Oh and the back wall? The one that was covered in algae? Yeah we haven't touched that... how sparkling clean it is, is all due to the fish and urchin :happy:

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NewZealandReefie

Latest shots by Ciedre - Top down.

 

SPS garden

IMG_1413.jpg

 

Hydnophora & some zoas

IMG_1421.jpg

 

Frogspawn

IMG_1411.jpg

 

More of the SPS

IMG_1428.jpg

 

Tell me what ya think!

 

NZR

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