My Atlantis - Wild & Woolly May 2015 Pictures!

[eitallent]

An on the new acquisition: there are a lot of Gobies with blue stripe or blue something in their name, which one exactly are you getting ? Gobiosoma oceanops? Or is it a different one ?

 

Yes, Gobiosoma oceanops - It is an ORA aquacultured fish. I ordered it online from saltwaterfish.com as all of the LFSs here have not had them for weeks and do not know when they can get more. I placed a large enough order that the shippng was nominal. I liked what I read about this little fish in that it will stay small, eats copepods as well as frozen fare, cleans other fish, and is peaceful.

 

Here is the link to the site and picture of the Blue Neon Goby from saltwaterfish.com .

[albertthiel]

Yes, Gobiosoma oceanops - It is an ORA aquacultured fish. I ordered it online from saltwaterfish.com as all of the LFSs here have not had them for weeks and do not know when they can get more. I placed a large enough order that the shippng was nominal. I liked what I read about this little fish in that it will stay small, eats copepods as well as frozen fare, cleans other fish, and is peaceful.

 

Here is the link to the site and picture of the Blue Neon Goby from saltwaterfish.com .

 

NIce ... !

[eitallent]

I have bubble algae growing on the newest coral rock. It is the one with the white/green mushrooms and porite coral. I removed the bubble algae by hand this past week but I spied Ozzie today eating it off of that rock. What a good little Mithrax crab.

Here is brief video of Ozzie from a few months ago doing what he does best.

[albertthiel]

I have bubble algae growing on the newest coral rock. It is the one with the white/green mushrooms and porite coral. I removed the bubble algae by hand this past week but I spied Ozzie today eating it off of that rock. What a good little Mithrax crab.

Here is brief video of Ozzie from a few months ago doing what he does best.

 

Yes the eat Valonia spp. bubble algae indeed ..

[eitallent]

Got in some new, exciting (to me) livestock.

 

Two teeny, tiny Blue Neon Gobies (Gobiosoma oceanops). I had no idea they would be so young. I am worried that the stinging corals might kill and eat them! Should I keep them in the refugium? Are they OK int the 12 G display?

 

 

Lively little fellows, click to watch 15 sec. video:

[jedimasterben]

They're fine. Corals will catch them if they're sick or dying.

 

Plus they don't get very large, just 1.5-2" at the most.

[eitallent]

They're fine. Corals will catch them if they're sick or dying.

 

Plus they don't get very large, just 1.5-2" at the most.

 

Thanks, that gives me a bit more courage.

 

Also got this:

[albertthiel]

Got in some new, exciting (to me) livestock.

 

Two teeny, tiny Blue Neon Gobies (Gobiosoma oceanops). I had no idea they would be so young. I am worried that the stinging corals might kill and eat them! Should I keep them in the refugium? Are they OK int the 12 G display?

 

 

Lively little fellows, click to watch 15 sec. video:

 

You could keep them in one of those hang-on breeder boxes/nets for a while if you are concerned about their well being but if they are in good health they should not get caught IMO by any of your corals as they should stay away from them. Yes they are small but they do not get very large even when fully grown (2 inches or less). Nice acquisition. Note that sometimes they will try to "clean" other fish.

[jedimasterben]

Thanks, that gives me a bit more courage.

 

Also got this:

What is it?

[uglybuckling]

What is it?

 

A large ball of cheese.

[eitallent]

What is it?

It is an orange ball sponge, Porifera sp. (See, Albert, I am learning! ). It was on sale and I could not resist it. I was always coveting msscha's cute yellow ball sponge.

 

It reminds me of the planet from The Little Prince.Or a giant cheese puff.

 

I was careful to keep it submerged while putting it into the tank. Here it is in the tank with a happy new tank mate for Skipper.

[Spirofucci]

Those little guys are cute, I'll have to put them on my list. And oh yea, just what is that big ball of cheese!

[eitallent]

A large ball of cheese.

 

Exactly. Just in time for the holidays too, when cheese balls are served at every gathering! This one may be a little crunchier than most but taste will probably be the same!

 

The BNGs have already settle down into their favorite places.

[eitallent]

Those little guys are cute, I'll have to put them on my list. And oh yea, just what is that big ball of cheese!

 

I researched for a long time before deciding on Blue Neon Gobies. I did not want to ruin Skipper's life with some obnoxious fish. These little guys ate cyclopeeze right in the acclimation container! They were hungry after their long, dark, and probably bouncy journey. The lady at the FedEx counter handed me the box upside down this morning.

 

The cheese ball is an orange sponge. I love the color and texture it gives the tank. The literature says to keep them shady so that green algae does not cover them over.

[albertthiel]

It is an orange ball sponge, Porifera sp. (See, Albert, I am learning! ). It was on sale and I could not resist it. I was always coveting msscha's cute yellow ball sponge.

 

Interesting ... appears to be Cinachyrella alloclada based on Porifera DB.

[eitallent]

Interesting ... appears to be Cinachyrella alloclada based on Porifera DB.

Ha! Thank you for looking that up for me. I will add it to my aquarium book. Would you share that Porifera DB link please?

 

The Cinachyrella alloclada arrived fully open and seems very healthy. The color is gorgeous.

 

Found aSponge database

 

http://www.marinespecies.org/porifera/pori...s&id=171291

[jedimasterben]

You know that sponge is non-photosynthetic, right?

[eitallent]

You know that sponge is non-photosynthetic, right?

Yes. I am placing it in the shade of the arch under the live rock. That way algae won't grow on it and it will keep its beautiful color. Hopefully! ::

[jedimasterben]

Yes. I am placing it in the shade of the arch under the live rock. That way algae won't grow on it and it will keep its beautiful color. Hopefully! ::

What do you have set up to feed it? It will need several feedings per day.

[eitallent]

What do you have set up to feed it? It will need several feedings per day.

 

I placed the sponge under the flow from the gravity fed refugium and under the direct flow of the pump. I feel it will get enough flow. I feed all the filter feeders with Cyclopeeze daily and everything is thriving and growing so far. I will be getting some reef Snow. Anyone use Snow?

[pschom]

Tank is looking real great! I'm interested to see how that sponge does. Or how long it lasts... Can we get an FTS?

[jedimasterben]

I placed the sponge under the flow from the gravity fed refugium and under the direct flow of the pump. I feel it will get enough flow. I feed all the filter feeders with Cyclopeeze daily and everything is thriving and growing so far. I will be getting some reef Snow. Anyone use Snow?

They do not eat copepods. Reef snow is not actually a food - it is aragonite powder. Corals ingest it, eat what little particulates are on it, and hopefully pass the sand back out. Cyclopeeze doesn't feed filter feeders, it's far too large. You need something in the 3-15 micron range. I would drip live phytoplankton as well as foods meant for filter feeders - Reef Cleaners food, 5 micron Golden Pearls, Coral Frenzy, etc.

[eitallent]

They do not eat copepods. Reef snow is not actually a food - it is aragonite powder. Corals ingest it, eat what little particulates are on it, and hopefully pass the sand back out. Cyclopeeze doesn't feed filter feeders, it's far too large. You need something in the 3-15 micron range. I would drip live phytoplankton as well as foods meant for filter feeders - Reef Cleaners food, 5 micron Golden Pearls, Coral Frenzy, etc.

 

Thanks for your suggestions. I will get the Golden Pearls for the filter feeders. I really want to try to keep it alive. I have read that the blood that oozes from the frozen organisms in cyclopeeze, brine shrimp and the bacteria from the sand bed as well as the refugium help feed filter feeders. I did not mean to suggest that sponges would eat copepods, that would be nice since I have them crawling everywhere! I am looking up the articles that mention these facts to feed Goniopora in his coral propagation business and will post these when I find them. These articles also mention that tanks that run without skimmers ("dirty tanks") do better with organisms that get nutrients directly from the water.

 

 

I have been reading a lot about sponges and it turns out that sponges have many varied needs, some are photosynthetic and some are not.

 

From Advanced Aquarist By James W. Fatherree

In general, only aquariums that are set up with a deep sand bed full of life and/or a refugium, etc. can consistently keep many sponges alive. These methods of reef-keeping produce a constant supply of natural foods of varying size, some of which are small enough for sponges. Thus, it seems that at least for now, finding a way to let your own aquarium make natural food for sponges is the best way to go.

 

This article is really good by Robert Toonen, Ph. D.

 

That is not to say that all sponges require the same types of tiny particles, bacteria or dissolved organic matter to thrive. Some sponges are almost entirely dependent on photosynthetic symbionts to produce their nutritional requirements. For example, Wilkinson (1983) showed that six of the ten most common sponges species on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) are primary producers rather than consumers.

[eitallent]

Tank is looking real great! I'm interested to see how that sponge does. Or how long it lasts... Can we get an FTS?

Here is the FTS. I am not finished arranging the tank. I will post another when I get everything where I want it. I will be getting a 125 for Christmas but it will take a little while before I move corals from this tank to the bigger. The sponge was supposed to be smaller than what I got. Usually getting a bigger specimen is a happy surprise but I kind of wished that this time it would have been as small as advertized.

[pschom]

What were they feeding it where u got it? I'm curious because it does look cool.