My humble 5.5g

[beeman7467]

Fantastic updates (the only thread I've ever read start to finish multiple times). The tank is fantastic, even more so when you consider the simplicity. Love the goats. My wife and I keep nubians (5) and I can't wait for spring along with milk and cheese it will bring (along with a steady supply of fresh eggs and honey).

[yardboy]

Thanks so much for the info Klarion. Makes more sense to me to now too. I'm going to have to play with those settings on my program (Photoshop Elements) and take your advice and only use jpg for when I download onto the Net.

I shudder now at all the .bmp files my sister in law sent me that I blithely converted to .jpg's before I even started enhancing and using. Darn.

I apologize also for the hijack Diane.

[Roc!]

Wonderful thread......................

[fries852]

hi Diane

 

Love the new pics, especially the snail close ups. Love our new ric. lovely color. Kep those pics coming. You are an inspiration to all of us!!!! I finally got a manifying glass. My most recent pics I took throuh it. They are definitely better, Thanks!

 

Take care

Andrea

[c est ma]

Oooh, I've got a ton of responses to reply to, and actually, something new, for a change to report on. (Known only to Weetie & me! )

 

But I'm not that ambitious tonight and just feel like throwing some pics up. My pom pom was out gallivanting around night before last:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've had her for 2 years now, and she seems to be going strong!

 

And a couple of shots of the view I get when I'm doing crunches:

 

 

 

Those were taken 1/08/08. Things have changed a little bit since then. More to come.

 

--Diane

[c est ma]

RESPONSE post:

 

Rehype, doctorhannibal, Fade2White12, Iroc, fries852--Thank you all so much for the kind comments!

 

 

 

Diane,

 

I noticed you said your plate was taking a long time to detach. i recently came across a rock with two plate generating sites (score ) and the larger of the two that only recently detached (cause I accidently broke it when moving) is about the size of a quarter. The smaller one is still atached and is about the size of a dime. I'm hoping the site I accidently broke with continue to produce plates.

 

I recently upgraded to a 5.5g and I hope it turns out half as well as yours has. Your tank is awesome.

 

Amber, thanks so much, and I'm curious about the 5.5 being an upgrade! Guess I'll have to look for your thread(s)! Anyway, way cool about the plate-generator score!! That has to be one of the coolest phenomena ever. In retrospect, I think my previous baby plate "jumped ship" because of the encroaching Discosoma at the time...I've since weeded them out, so maybe, absent any irritation, the new baby is just going to stay put a while longer. I'm almost tempted to bump it myself, but don't dare. Meanwhile, I'd expect your accidentally detached site will regenerate...mine came back after being buried in shrooms and having its skeleton overgrown with coralline, once I finally cleared it up...

 

 

Great shots Diane. And by the way, viewing pics of your tank IS part of my regular programming!

I've got an old Fungia that is calving. Has been for several years, but I've noticed that as it gets older, the babies grow slower on it. The two left came off a site that had produced three or so before them, but they've been on there for over a year now, with no seeming desire to detach. The only one I've lost was a really small one that probably detached too early, probably because I accidentally dropped it.

You know it's time for you to start a prop tank. Set one up the same size or smaller than your 5.5, get some eggcrate and make a rack. Start some frags of your gorgeous zoanthids, ,maybe split a recordia. Then, when you get the urge to spend money at the lfs, just "windowshop" in your prop tank! For me it seems to help the "wants" when I go to an lfs!

Yep, I'm crazy.

 

Roger, thanks for the further Fungia observations. I can't get enough of this phenomenon and appreciate all the factoids I can find.

 

Thanks for the prop-tank encouragement, but I'm not sure I want to get into the selling/shipping rigamarole...I like to give away things to locals, because anything that I've got too much of is just something I want to find a "good home" for. But I see the wisdom of suppressing "the wants..."

 

 

All hail the Ricordia Queen

 

Uh...I think it's more like 'addict' ...

 

 

Great pics, as always. I love dropping by your thread, and I'm always amazed at how happy everything looks in your tank. It looks like your porites are growing nicely, and I'm anxious to see how the baby plate fares. Hopefully it will detach soon!

 

In regards to your photo "woes" I remember a conversation I had with a friend of mine who is an avid photographer. I know absolutely nothing about digital photography, but iirc, he said he stays away from .jpg format because the quality of the photos will degrade as they are accessed, edited, saved, etc. I could be completely full of crap here, but I thought I would pass along what I'd (thought I'd) heard. Perhaps working with a different filetype would make a difference?

 

Yes! That's one of the things that occurred to me as soon as I noticed that whatever program I'm using to transfer pics to the computer (the one that's "there" ) is automatically putting them in jpeg format and reducing resolution to a constant below the camera's stated res.

 

But, once again, I'm not trying to be Ansel Adams here (old reference shows how up I am on modern photographers!). I'd just like to not lose any more of the "quality" I see in the pics once they ARE uploaded to the computer. But I seem to be making some progress with the help of all my friends here.

 

 

It's true that everytime you access a .jpg file, it degrades. That's because the information contained in the file is compressed and thus altered every time the file is saved. They are popular formats because they make file sizes smaller, but you pay the price with quality.

 

If you wish to retain quality in jpgs, try using your editing software's proprietary file (like .psd for photoshop) to store the images and only compress them as a copy to post on the net , etc.

 

Once again, Boris, I appreciate the input. Someday I'll tackle photoshop! Meanwhile I think I absorb a little more knowledge everytime you and the other photo gurus post here. Thanks!

 

 

Fantastic updates (the only thread I've ever read start to finish multiple times). The tank is fantastic, even more so when you consider the simplicity. Love the goats. My wife and I keep nubians (5) and I can't wait for spring along with milk and cheese it will bring (along with a steady supply of fresh eggs and honey).

 

Wow. Thank you so much, and you definitely need to read more threads here.

 

Ah, how nice that you actually keep Nubians for their wonderful productivity! I've only had one doe freshen, way back in 1989, I think it was. I loved milking her, but am sorry to say I fed my garden with the milk. Had a toddler at the time and didn't seem to have time to worry about dealing with raw milk...kind of regret missing out on all the possibilities, now. How wonderful to produce your own milk, cheese, and honey! I'm way too much the dilettante...

 

As you can tell, we just have pet goats...the wethers would have been someone's Easter dinner if we hadn't come along...I just love having ruminants around. I can't imagine anything more relaxing than spending time with the goats, contentedly chewing their cuds, with a cat or two in my lap...And then the way they (the goats) play!...

 

 

Thanks to everyone and I hope I didn't omit anyone. To all the pic gurus, don't worry a bit about "hijacking." I think I started the whole discussion anyway.

 

--Diane

[klarion]

Ah, how nice that you actually keep Nubians for their wonderful productivity! I've only had one doe freshen, way back in 1989, I think it was. I loved milking her, but am sorry to say I fed my garden with the milk. Had a toddler at the time and didn't seem to have time to worry about dealing with raw milk...kind of regret missing out on all the possibilities, now. How wonderful to produce your own milk, cheese, and honey! I'm way too much the dilettante...

 

As you can tell, we just have pet goats...the wethers would have been someone's Easter dinner if we hadn't come along...I just love having ruminants around. I can't imagine anything more relaxing than spending time with the goats, contentedly chewing their cuds, with a cat or two in my lap...And then the way they (the goats) play!...

 

--Diane

 

I'm not sure if this is entirely relevant, but I grew up drinking goat's milk. We had an old village trapped inside a metropolis where I grew up, so it was easy to get it in the city. Hew York is different though..

[Weetabix7]

Oooh, I've got a ton of responses to reply to, and actually, something new, for a change to report on. (Known only to Weetie & me! )

 

But I'm not that ambitious tonight and just feel like throwing some pics up. My pom pom was out gallivanting around night before last:

 

 

--Diane

 

It's so fun to have the "inside scoop"!

I love your pom-pom, he's so cool.

Maybe I'll get a porcelain crab to add to my 16g, like it needs any more!

Actually, it's corals that it's full of, not critters so maybe I have room for more.

Do you realize you've inspired the majority of the critters I want to add to that tank, i.e. Green Banded Goby pair, funky crab??

[dshnarw]

Love that little pom pom....probably the only crab I'll ever admit to liking But maybe that's just because they share my love of anemones

 

Nice photo skills

[arwndsh]

Amber, thanks so much, and I'm curious about the 5.5 being an upgrade! Guess I'll have to look for your thread(s)! Anyway, way cool about the plate-generator score!! That has to be one of the coolest phenomena ever. In retrospect, I think my previous baby plate "jumped ship" because of the encroaching Discosoma at the time...I've since weeded them out, so maybe, absent any irritation, the new baby is just going to stay put a while longer. I'm almost tempted to bump it myself, but don't dare. Meanwhile, I'd expect your accidentally detached site will regenerate...mine came back after being buried in shrooms and having its skeleton overgrown with coralline, once I finally cleared it up...

 

It was an "upgrade" for me at least. I had a 3g Tom deco before, but I seemed to have been "blessed" with an ability to grow coralline quickly and in abundance. So, much so that I wasn't able to clean the tank without scratching up the acryllic to badly for it to be useable to I "upgraded" to the 5.5, I would have gone bigger but I needed to be able to still move it on my own while I am in college. And its the perfect size for me to be able to observe my pistol shrimp, because of the way I arranged the rocks I can see him almost 24/7 while he is in his home. Which is nice since he and my 2 sexy shrimp are the only inhabitants. That is until I find the one fish I want (darn things are obnoxiously hard to find ).

 

I love the pics of the pom pom crab, I saw one in the pet store the other day and wanted to get him, but since I am far from my tank at the moment visiting Daniel and it didn't have his anemones . Oh well maybe that will be a future tank.

[H20]

Great pics as usual Diane! Your tank always looks good. I always like to check in and see your 'high-def- pictures... I have actually been thinking of adding a pom-pom to my tank.

[Duncan]

Cute little Tachi master you got there! Has she ever lost her pom pom and recovered them back?

[klarion]

Yes, New pics of anything from your tank are always welcome especially medium close ups because I would like to see how your life fits together. Also, would it be too much to ask you to comment on what sp. spread where and how much?

 

Thanks,

b

[Hinecken]

Diane,

 

Why you would hope no one would look is definitely beyond me. Your tank is quite pretty and your photography skills are phenomenal. Looking at this thread made me smile. As it's been stated in this thread numerous times, if you've got breeding fish in a 5.5, you're definitely doing something right. Great job on your nano and please keep posting those wonderful photos. Glad I found this thread.

[dshnarw]

Cute little Tachi master you got there! Has she ever lost her pom pom and recovered them back?

 

I was thinking maybe I could get one without his anemones, and see if he'd pick up mini carpets

[SPS20]

Diane, I am loving the latest set of pics. That little crab is so cool!

[Duncan]

I was thinking maybe I could get one without his anemones, and see if he'd pick up mini carpets

 

Do you think you can frag anemone through pom pom crab? Remove his pom pom and he will go frag somemore. lol

[spanko]

Do you think you can frag anemone through pom pom crab? Remove his pom pom and he will go frag somemore. lol

I have read that if it looses one it will frag the other so that it has two. The thing that amazes me is how do they molt and still have the nems? Do they set them down until the molt is complete and then pick them back up? I can see the nems getting larger on mine. Lots more waving and mopping up with them They are such cool critters.

[The Frog]

You and many others amaze me with how much you can pack into tiny little aquariums, 10 gallons or less. All the inverts, corals, fish, and rock are planned and kept together perfectly. And yet, there's always room for more. It makes the tank ever growing, ever-changing, and a hard-working and truly blessed owner gets to see it all. Your tank is completely awesome! Keep up the good work! (And keep up with the good pictures!)

[dshnarw]

Do you think you can frag anemone through pom pom crab? Remove his pom pom and he will go frag somemore. lol

 

OMG!! That would be perfect!! No more slicing for me - just steal the crab's nems!

[adinsxq]

EARLY CONGRATULATIONS!!!

[klarion]

I have read that if it looses one it will frag the other so that it has two. The thing that amazes me is how do they molt and still have the nems? Do they set them down until the molt is complete and then pick them back up? I can see the nems getting larger on mine. Lots more waving and mopping up with them They are such cool critters.

 

I did read that the Pom-Pom Crab will set both anemones down while molting and then pick them up again after it's finished. To quote Martyn Haywood:

 

"Boxing crabs (Lybia tessellata) are the only examples of invertebrates known to use tools...these small crabs collect a tiny anemone in each claw and actively wave them at encroaching predators as a warning. Furthermore, even though these crabs use their first pair of walking legs to search the substrate detritus for food, they will happily collect food from the anemones. Only when they change their exoskeleton will Lybia deliberately release the anemones and carefully set them aside until the new shell hardens. Then they pick them up and press them into service once more."

[c est ma]

UPDATE--REFUGIUM!

 

(Trying to emulate the threads that are actually a pleasure to read! )

 

OK, I am sorely overdue for a response post, but I also need to get my latest tank innovation posted before too much time passes.

 

A few months ago Weetie contacted me about a fuge she had made and used with a 5.5g tank she used to have--she wanted to bequeath it to me! Of course, I jumped at the chance. It is a 2-gallon hex she cleverly modified, and to save time I'm going to just scavenge from a couple of PM's we exchanged. Lisa, I hope you don't object!

 

Here's Weetie's picture PM to me showing the fuge in question:

 

A top-down pic showing the different compartments:

 

 

A pic giving a better view of the intake side with the grate that holds the filter pad:

 

 

A pic showing the baffles and compartment divisions from the side:

 

 

Here's a pic of it next to my 5.5 to show the same height and give a bigger overall picture. As you can see, I had an interested audience!

 

 

 

L

 

 

OK, now I just realized that adding my PM of the fuge in use would max out the N-R post-photo-limit, so I'll go to a new post for that. Hang in there!

 

--Diane

[c est ma]

FUGE--PART 2

 

Well, Weetie first offered this to me in November, and I rec'd it sometime before Christmas. Of course I had to put off setting it up till all the holiday hoohaw was over. In fact, it wasn't till the 9th of this month that I finally got the thing hooked up. Here's my first message to Weetie:

 

Hi Lisa,

 

Well, finally--I got the fuge hooked up tonite! So far so good, I think. I love the way it looks and operates, and I'm delighted to get rid of the soap dish...

 

Some pics:

 

Overall:

 

 

U-tube; the one you suggested. I'm thrilled that its curve is broad enough so that the fuge can be slightly apart from the main tank, allowing me to still use my handy dandy ghetto light stand. :

 

 

Tank end of the U-tube, with fishnet held on by rubber band. Had to move the HOB, natch, and discovered the Xenia had migrated onto it :

 

 

Fuge outflow to the main tank (and its reflection, to the left). I was able to use a piece of 1/2" tubing from my pump to the opposite side of my tank, still with good flow at the end of the tube. I had some suction cups that fit the tube and allowed me to aim it forward toward the front glass...and was able to get rid of the stupid airstone, too! (As well as the soap dish, that is.):

 

 

Tank, showing fuge inlet on right, outlet on left. Very subtle, I think. :

 

 

Side view of fuge outlet:

 

 

The fuge, showing pump placement. I have it up high like that to cut down on the head height it's pumping, and also because, should the siphon ever fail (can't imagine how), the pump will stop working when it is out of the water (according to the product info) and only some of the fuge water would be pumped into and overflow the main tank...

 

 

What's in the fuge now is the chaeto from the soap dish, and two other balls of chaeto that have just been sitting around in tupperware...their various greenness reflects the various amounts of light they were receiving, I suppose...

 

WELL--do you see anything wrong so far? Personally, I'm delighted!!! It has been running for several hours, now, with no disasters.

 

Thank you SO much!

 

--Diane

 

 

 

Well, now, it's been 10 days, more or less, and I still consider it an experiment in progress. I really do think I see definite improvement in the main tank from the increased water volume. The diatoms seem to be much less in evidence, although the fuge is now sporting a nice population. Better there than in the main tank! Also, I'd forgotten how much I liked the look of the tank without the "soap dish fuge," though I never found that too distracting and it did help a lot with the ever-present nutrient battle.

 

I have since added a couple of Astraea, a tiny hc, and some Asterina to the fuge, and they have all been doing well. But I am having quite a problem with lack of water movement in the top of the fuge, which is leading to a sort of gel-like accumulation...

 

So I consider this an experiment in progress. I sure hope I can make it work, as there are very many things about the set-up that I absolutely love. I am open to any and all suggestions.

 

And I promise to get to the response post next! Meanwhile, many thanks to everyone for all the kind comments!!

 

--Diane

[Ben314z]

YAY!!!! Congrats! It looks like it will be a wonderful addition. I'm excited for you. That would be a really great fuge too. Also looks like there is plenty of room for some LR and chaeto. w00t!!