msparklym13 Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 Tank is stunning!!! Love Falcor and your amazing setup!!! 3 Quote Link to comment
Astinus Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 Tank is stunning!!! Love Falcor and your amazing setup!!! As do I 3 Quote Link to comment
Felicia Posted September 29, 2016 Author Share Posted September 29, 2016 I hope he is close! The true terminal phase males look so pretty . I'm not one for ordering fish online either. Happy to order corals but like you, I much prefer to see the fish in person before I buy. Yeah I don't really know how long it takes for wrasses to transition. Hopefully he's close! At least with melanurus wrasses, they're pretty at all stages. Some of the wrasses are way prettier at one of the stages compared to the others. I was curious about leathers and urchins. Didn't know if they'd try to eat anything. Eventually my 2 urchins in the 10g will go to the 40. I just am floored by how well they stick to glass, I think it's just so cool. I am certainly impressed w/ some of the most basic things like how they can defy gravity and stick on the side. Don't you also just get tickled with some things? I think there are some urchin species that aren't reef safe, and then there are some that are reef safe. You just have to make sure you stick to the reef safe ones. They won't eat any corals, they just might pick up corals and wear them as a hat from time to time And I agree! I am constantly fascinated with all the cool organisms we keep in our tanks Tank is stunning!!! Love Falcor and your amazing setup!!! Thank you! Falkor is becoming quite the celebrity As do I Thank you! 4 Quote Link to comment
gena Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 I think there are some urchin species that aren't reef safe, and then there are some that are reef safe. You just have to make sure you stick to the reef safe ones. They won't eat any corals, they just might pick up corals and wear them as a hat from time to time And I agree! I am constantly fascinated with all the cool organisms we keep in our tanks I had a HH pencil urchin that munched on my green cloves! I think KPA sells that urchin too. It came in on the rock I got from them. The pincushion I've never had an issue with. 1 Quote Link to comment
Felicia Posted September 29, 2016 Author Share Posted September 29, 2016 I had a HH pencil urchin that munched on my green cloves! I think KPA sells that urchin too. It came in on the rock I got from them. The pincushion I've never had an issue with. Yeah, I believe pencil urchins are the ones that aren't considered reef safe, while all the pincushions are reef safe with caution. I think there can be the occasional issue with pincushions since they're omnivores and not herbivores. My new urchin is a pincushion urchin, so I'll be keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn't misbehave. At least its very easy to catch a misbehaving urchin compared to fish The other urchin I have is a tuxedo urchin and those are 100% reef safe since they're pure herbivores. To summarize, here's what Live Aquaria says about reef safeness of the different urchins: Pencil urchin - not reef safe (omnivore) Pincushion urchin - reef safe with caution (omnivore) Tuxedo urchin - reef safe (herbivore) Also, I ended up taking some tank photos last night because the tank is so clean and happy after my crazy maintenance this past weekend. I didn't want to stay up late going through the photos and posting them, so I'm saving that for this evening. In the meantime though, I got an amazing shot of the tomini finally and couldn't resist sharing. This one of the wrasse would have been perfect if it was in focus. It still shows off his beautiful colors nicely though 11 Quote Link to comment
FlowerMama Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 I remember when I got my KPA rock over 3 yrs ago I had so many pencil urchins. I gave them to my friend and they keep their rocks clean in their predator only FOWLR- they've gotten the size of tennis balls and it's amazing how they squeeze in & out of the rocks. Here's the smaller pin cushion though, pink one. The white one is the bigger one and it's not in a great spot for me to take a pic. They were as small as marbles when I got them. Now they've each an inch and more. 1 Quote Link to comment
Astinus Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 With the recent topic turning to Urchins, I Googled the Tuxedo Urchin to research it some. It sounds like and from reading, it would make a good addition to our Tank to help me try and maintain some hold on the algae we have. I Like what I have read about it. Here is 1 Link that helped convince me. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/an-ode-to-the-tuxedo-urchin 1 Quote Link to comment
Felicia Posted September 29, 2016 Author Share Posted September 29, 2016 I remember when I got my KPA rock over 3 yrs ago I had so many pencil urchins. I gave them to my friend and they keep their rocks clean in their predator only FOWLR- they've gotten the size of tennis balls and it's amazing how they squeeze in & out of the rocks. Here's the smaller pin cushion though, pink one. The white one is the bigger one and it's not in a great spot for me to take a pic. They were as small as marbles when I got them. Now they've each an inch and more. Very pretty, Annette. Have you had any issues with the pincushion urchins bothering any corals? With the recent topic turning to Urchins, I Googled the Tuxedo Urchin to research it some. It sounds like and from reading, it would make a good addition to our Tank to help me try and maintain some hold on the algae we have. I Like what I have read about it. Here is 1 Link that helped convince me. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/an-ode-to-the-tuxedo-urchin Tuxedo urchins are great algae eaters, which is why I have one. The only issue with them is that since they're herbivores, once they run out of algae in the tank, they can starve. You can try to feed them algae sheets, but I've never had any luck with that since they prefer to rasp algae off the rocks and glass, and they don't really go for algae sheets. You really need a decent-sized tank and mature rock with plenty of algae for them to have enough to eat long term. Otherwise, you can always get one to eat your algae and then trade it back into the store when the algae is gone. I've done that before, but now in the 40, I seem to have enough mature rock so that mine always has algae to eat and has been doing well long term. 2 Quote Link to comment
Ibuyen Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 I have a pincushion about size of a small softball. Loves to eat caulerpa. I do notice a lot of loose needles on my sand bed, but seems like they are regrowing on him. Has anyone ever been stung by a pin cushion ? I bumped into mine before but never really got hurt from one. Would it be possible to hold one? 1 Quote Link to comment
Astinus Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 (edited) Very pretty, Annette. Have you had any issues with the pincushion urchins bothering any corals? Tuxedo urchins are great algae eaters, which is why I have one. The only issue with them is that since they're herbivores, once they run out of algae in the tank, they can starve. You can try to feed them algae sheets, but I've never had any luck with that since they prefer to rasp algae off the rocks and glass, and they don't really go for algae sheets. You really need a decent-sized tank and mature rock with plenty of algae for them to have enough to eat long term. Otherwise, you can always get one to eat your algae and then trade it back into the store when the algae is gone. I've done that before, but now in the 40, I seem to have enough mature rock so that mine always has algae to eat and has been doing well long term. TY DR.Felicia for that information. I know from the pics of my tank, U don't notice A LOT of algae, but, it's in there! Even the Snails are sporting it. There are just some areas I can't get at aside from tearing the rock out and doing some serious cleaning as recommended in other threads regarding Algae. Thankfully, our tank is not as bad as some. Edited to fix Last Sentence. "Thankfully, our tank is not as bad as some." Edited September 29, 2016 by Astinus 1 Quote Link to comment
Felicia Posted September 29, 2016 Author Share Posted September 29, 2016 I have a pincushion about size of a small softball. Loves to eat caulerpa. I do notice a lot of loose needles on my sand bed, but seems like they are regrowing on him. Has anyone ever been stung by a pin cushion ? I bumped into mine before but never really got hurt from one. Would it be possible to hold one? That's interesting that its losing spines. That's usually a sign of a health issue like not enough food or water quality issues with urchins. Glad to hear they seem to be regrowing though. How long have you had it?The issue with sea urchin stings is that the spines cause a deep puncture wound and the spines often snap off in the wound and can cause pain and infection. You'd have to bump or put pressure on the spines hard enough for them to puncture your skin. If you're gentle, you can hold an urchin barehanded. You just don't want to push the spines into your skin. Keep in mind that different types of urchins may have sharper spines than others. TY DR.Felicia for that information. I know from the pics of my tank, U don't notice A LOT of algae, but, it's in there! Even the Snails are sporting it. There are just some areas I can't get at aside from tearing the rock out and doing some serious cleaning as recommended in other threads regarding Algae. Thankfully, our tanks is as bad as some. I have the same minor algae issues, so I understand. Urchins are great for that! The problem is that urchins can wipe out even a decent amount of algae in a small tank much more quickly than you'd think. Just keep in mind that the urchin may end up eating the algae faster than it can regrow and then it will start to starve. It all just depends on the system though, so you'll want to keep an eye out to see if there's enough algae left. 1 Quote Link to comment
msparklym13 Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 Yeah, I believe pencil urchins are the ones that aren't considered reef safe, while all the pincushions are reef safe with caution. I think there can be the occasional issue with pincushions since they're omnivores and not herbivores. My new urchin is a pincushion urchin, so I'll be keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn't misbehave. At least its very easy to catch a misbehaving urchin compared to fish The other urchin I have is a tuxedo urchin and those are 100% reef safe since they're pure herbivores. To summarize, here's what Live Aquaria says about reef safeness of the different urchins: Pencil urchin - not reef safe (omnivore) Pincushion urchin - reef safe with caution (omnivore) Tuxedo urchin - reef safe (herbivore) Also, I ended up taking some tank photos last night because the tank is so clean and happy after my crazy maintenance this past weekend. I didn't want to stay up late going through the photos and posting them, so I'm saving that for this evening. In the meantime though, I got an amazing shot of the tomini finally and couldn't resist sharing. This one of the wrasse would have been perfect if it was in focus. It still shows off his beautiful colors nicely though Wow what a unique Wrasse!! Stunning! Also Falcor hamming it up for the camera definitely helps his celebrity status.... I will have to send over a pic of my Infinity Falcor tank top! 3 Quote Link to comment
FlowerMama Posted September 30, 2016 Share Posted September 30, 2016 I've had no issues with the pin cushions eating anything at all. And yes to poor quality water on losing spines. When I had that awful electrocution, the spines had fallen off. 1 Quote Link to comment
RollaJase Posted September 30, 2016 Share Posted September 30, 2016 Beautiful shots of the fish, both of them are gorgeous. 1 Quote Link to comment
Felicia Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share Posted October 2, 2016 Wow what a unique Wrasse!! Stunning! Also Falcor hamming it up for the camera definitely helps his celebrity status.... I will have to send over a pic of my Infinity Falcor tank top! Thank you! Its a melanurus wrasse, so actually a very common wrasse species, but its a terminal phase male, which you don't see very often. Falkor is definitely a ham! That sounds like a fun tank top! I've had no issues with the pin cushions eating anything at all. And yes to poor quality water on losing spines. When I had that awful electrocution, the spines had fallen off. Good to hear, Annette! Yeah I believe they lose spines due to bad water quality, stress, starvation, etc. Beautiful shots of the fish, both of them are gorgeous. Thank you! I'm glad they're both doing very well for me. They add a lot of color and movement to the tank. I also love that they're big enough that when I get around to upgrading, they won't get lost in a big tank. 1 Quote Link to comment
Felicia Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share Posted October 2, 2016 I took some photos earlier this week that I haven't had time to post, so I figured I'd share those now. Photo Time! New pincushion urchin. IMG_6802 by Felicia Svedlund, on Flickr One of my leathers that I normally don't show in photos since its hidden in the back corner of the tank. IMG_6810 by Felicia Svedlund, on Flickr Yellow sea feather gorgonian. IMG_6811 by Felicia Svedlund, on Flickr IMG_6813 by Felicia Svedlund, on Flickr IMG_6885 by Felicia Svedlund, on Flickr The antennata came out to pose for some photos. IMG_6841 by Felicia Svedlund, on Flickr IMG_6860 by Felicia Svedlund, on Flickr Mushu was also out and about during the photos. IMG_6976 by Felicia Svedlund, on Flickr IMG_7002 by Felicia Svedlund, on Flickr IMG_6921 by Felicia Svedlund, on Flickr Falkor was also being a ham, as usual. IMG_6957 by Felicia Svedlund, on Flickr IMG_6953 by Felicia Svedlund, on Flickr The tomini tang. IMG_6902 by Felicia Svedlund, on Flickr IMG_6906 by Felicia Svedlund, on Flickr IMG_6892 by Felicia Svedlund, on Flickr The melanurus wrasse. IMG_6928 by Felicia Svedlund, on Flickr IMG_6983 by Felicia Svedlund, on Flickr IMG_6967 by Felicia Svedlund, on Flickr IMG_6990 by Felicia Svedlund, on Flickr The antennata, the wrasse, and the tang just hanging out IMG_6950 by Felicia Svedlund, on Flickr Also, I wanted to move over the new video for anyone who didn't see it on the last page. I stayed up way later than I should have, but the video is ready! Well worth it So for the grand finale, a new video of the tank! I know its long, but its worth it because it includes feeding time from tonight. And make sure you select HD for the quality! 9 Quote Link to comment
ajmckay Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 Awesome picture update! Particularly like the first pic of the fumanchu. They're all nice though - the urchin photo is interesting. Love all the corals in your tank. 1 Quote Link to comment
ninjamyst Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 love the new photos and video! i saw a couple of tomini tang today at the LFS and none of them compare to yours in terms of that neon orange color. and the eel feeding is VERY cool and a little scary =P. 1 Quote Link to comment
Astinus Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 So Stunning and Beautiful! I am all Jealous! 1 Quote Link to comment
Felicia Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share Posted October 2, 2016 Awesome picture update! Particularly like the first pic of the fumanchu. They're all nice though - the urchin photo is interesting. Love all the corals in your tank. Thank you! All my fish are so photogenic that its always hard to pick favorite photos I'm glad you like the photo of the fu manchu. He's a beautiful fish. love the new photos and video! i saw a couple of tomini tang today at the LFS and none of them compare to yours in terms of that neon orange color. and the eel feeding is VERY cool and a little scary =P. Thank you! Yeah I really lucked out with the tomini. She's a really nice looking fish and she was just very healthy when I saw her at the LFS. One of the store employees had had his eye on her since she was a really nice specimen, but he let me have her when I wanted to buy her. I have never been that into tangs, but the tomini has really won me over. I love the bright white of her tail and then the neon orange on her fins. The fact that she's awesome at eating algae is also a plus! Yeah, Falkor can get a bit aggressive during feeding time. Luckily I'm 100% safe in my thick gloves and the other fish are used to dealing with him. So Stunning and Beautiful! I am all Jealous! Thank you!!! Quote Link to comment
gena Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 That blue wrasse . I'm not a big wrasse lover but that blue is incredible . 1 Quote Link to comment
Felicia Posted October 3, 2016 Author Share Posted October 3, 2016 That blue wrasse . I'm not a big wrasse lover but that blue is incredible . Yep, he's a handsome guy. I love the pretty deep blue color on him. He definitely adds a nice pop of color. I'm realizing some of the photos I posted are flipping sideways. Not sure why that is because they're oriented correctly when I look at them on Flickr. Annoying. 1 Quote Link to comment
teenyreef Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 Wow, fantastic pictures! I thought your tank had hit a peak when it was TOTM, but it just keeps getting better. And yeah, the wrasse is pretty special. I love that color, and the difference in shape and swimming pattern makes a great contrast with the other fish. 1 Quote Link to comment
Felicia Posted October 3, 2016 Author Share Posted October 3, 2016 Wow, fantastic pictures! I thought your tank had hit a peak when it was TOTM, but it just keeps getting better. And yeah, the wrasse is pretty special. I love that color, and the difference in shape and swimming pattern makes a great contrast with the other fish. Thanks so much, Teeny! The tank was only 9 months old when it was TOTM, so it still had plenty of maturing to do. Its now 1 year and 7.5 months old. I'm glad its still doing well for me. It gets neglected quite a bit with me being so busy at work, so I'm glad its a low maintenance tank. Its fun to show off some of the other fish besides just Falkor I'm glad everyone likes the wrasse because I think he was a great addition. The balance of different fish behaviors seems to work well in this tank even though I have large fish in a relatively small tank. I was worried the wrasse might be aggressive since big male wrasses can get really mean, but he is super chill. I have a fun surprise video coming up for you guys! Its exporting now which takes ages and then I have to upload it to Youtube, but its on its way. Its another narrated one since the first one is such a hit! I hope everyone enjoys it! I'll share it as soon as its ready 1 Quote Link to comment
Felicia Posted October 3, 2016 Author Share Posted October 3, 2016 Video Time!!! I was fragging the nepthea and blue sponge tonight, so I put together a narrated video of the fragging process. I hope you all enjoy! 4 Quote Link to comment
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