Chucktown BC 29 Mixed Reef

[nUgZ]

We'll figure something out. The zoanthids are looking good.

[divecj5]

We'll figure something out. The zoanthids are looking good.

 

Sounds good. Thanks for the compliment...just wish I could boost the growth a little more.

 

Here are some more pictures from yesterday to finish off the set:

 

My rics have been looking exceptionally good lately and really bubbled out. They have all split at least one time now and I hope they continue to do so:

 

 

 

The little octospawn frag that could....getting bigger and bigger:

 

For Diane:

 

Looks like they are finally on their way out though. I have read in numerous places that they are something that just doesn't survive in our tanks for very long. They are also known to be incredible calcium hogs since they are just calcareous in nature. They do add a nice pop of green in the tank and I've grown to like them a lot.

 

Orange monti polyped out with the advent of the additional clean powerheads Does anyone know what the orange thing is on the left of it. It is hard yet flexible. It started out pretty small and has gotten a lot bigger over the last couple of months.

 

 

I am heading to the LFS today to pic up some additional snails since a couple of mine have kicked the bucket. I think I am down to about 4-5 now and need to stop up on a couple of more. That and I might check out their emerald crab as well. Need some help in thinning out some bubble algea in the tank.

 

Happy Valentine's Day as well....

[Nick's Reef]

Lookin' good.

[divecj5]

Thanks for taking a look at the thread.

 

I ended up stopping by the LFS and I ended up getting two nassarius, three ceriths, and a nice big green emerald crab I think I am going to name him "Frank the Tank." Well unless he does nothing to the algae or bubble algae and then I might have to do some rethinking of his/her name

[divecj5]

All of the new inhabitants did great in the tank yesterday. It was pretty hilarious watching the emerald do his thing trying to fend off some territory in the tank. He/she would raise up his claws really high in the water when the clowns and firefish would come too close.

 

All of the snails and crab must have been famished....since they all went right to work. The crab went and started picking on some algae, the nassarius did the usual submarine dive into the sand, and the ceriths went directly to the rock.

 

I will try and snag some pics of the crab this afternoon.

[Cali-girl]

the tank is looking really great! very much an inspiration!

 

your puppy is the sweetest looking thing i've ever seen! i'm super jealous

[divecj5]

the tank is looking really great! very much an inspiration!

 

your puppy is the sweetest looking thing i've ever seen! i'm super jealous

 

Thanks Cali-girl....your tank is not so bad itself

 

We absolutely love our puppy more and more every day. She is one of the smartest dogs I know. Although she is a handful energy-wise, she is awesome.

[klarion]

Thanks for taking a look at the thread.

 

I ended up stopping by the LFS and I ended up getting two nassarius, three ceriths, and a nice big green emerald crab I think I am going to name him "Frank the Tank." Well unless he does nothing to the algae or bubble algae and then I might have to do some rethinking of his/her name

 

I think adding the emerald will be a good step towards controlling algae growths in your tank. I've been tracking my crab's eating habbits and it looks like he definitely eats various green hair algae and especially the one that looks like a writing feather. He also gets down on bubble algae and young caulerpa too. Keep us posted on what yours eats.

 

thanks

[Dooderino]

Sweetness! It's come a long way since the last time I saw it. Too cool.

[c est ma]

Adam,

 

Boy, I miss a few days and get SO far behind! Just caught up on your thread and have way too much to say.

 

...After doing some thinking, I ended up deciding against getting an anemone in general. Although I think that they are incredible specimens and I know that my tank is mature enough now for one, I just don't think it is the right fit for the tank. I think that I am going to take the tank in a more focused direction once I get some funds together...

 

That sounds so familiar. There have been many times I've gotten my heart set on a particular addition, researched it, shopped around all over to compare, etc.; but eventually decided that it wasn't right for me...Sure different from the beginning days when I tended to buy just to be buying...Anyway, I really identified with your ruminations...

 

And here is the direction that I would like to go with the tank. Although I really ended up liking how SPS looked in the tank, I just don't really think that they are my cup of tea per say. I am definitely going to keep the ones that I have and possibly get an orange monti cap, I just don't see myself getting any more in the future. Although they are really cool how they develop overtime, there just isn't really enough "action" in the tank.

 

I can identify with that, too. Maybe some day when I have the time and energy for a bunch of different tanks...(a day which will probably never come!) Till then, the classic sps tank is just too sterile for me, tho I love to look at others' sps tanks.

 

That said, from here on out I am going to focus on getting nothing but ricordea of different colors (majority probably Florida rics), more Euphyllia species (hammer, frogspawn, torch), and some more zoas of course as I just love the color variety.

 

I plan on pretty much trying to convert the tank into a semi-softie tank and just cover large portions of the rock with varies soft corals. The tank just overall has a sort of barren look to it for me and doesn't have the life that my 55 gallon had with the small soccer ball sized frogspawn that I had.

 

What a brilliant idea.

 

 

 

Another thing that I've learned over the past year and a half of having tanks is that there really isn't a way to keep things pristine in the tank....and I have become of the mind that it really kind of looks better with a little sprig of green here and there. I have spent way too much time trying to eradicate every little bit of algae that props up so for the last month I've just tried to enjoy the tank, observe the small things, and just not worry so much about everything that sprouts up.

 

What do you think? Any suggestions on where I might be able to find some cheap rics, etc.? I saw that Reef Scavengers had some nice ones that I could start off with so I might put in an order for those, some more snails, an emerald crab, and maybe some brittle stars if they have them.

 

I just love all of the inverts that c est ma has in her tank and some others I've seen.

 

Did one of us used to be the other one in a previous life? This is getting spooky. As someone who learned to overlook the unwanted algae long ago, I couldn't agree more. Well, of course you don't want to get as lazy as I am, but watching the tank is sure more fun than grooming it. And the inverts are just so much fun. Wish I was closer--I've definitely got more brittle stars than I really need!

 

 

I can't seem to find the site that I found before but it was a site that I guy runs in Florida and he sells rics and other items that he collects legally from the Florida Keys area and aquacultures them. Wish I could find it since I remember them being pretty cheap and he had some really nice corals.

 

Was it one of these by any chance?

 

http://www.reeftopia.com/index.html

 

http://sealifeinc.net/catalog/index.php

 

 

Also, I was staring at my massive amount of chaeto and it is completely stocked with all sorts of microfauna. I immediately thought of c est ma and wished I had a nice macro lens.

 

Remember, I just use a point & shoot and some magnifying lenses/loupes. Of course, that only works for things that are already pretty close to start with...which they frequently are in a 5.5

 

 

My rics have been looking exceptionally good lately and really bubbled out. They have all split at least one time now and I hope they continue to do so:

 

 

 

The little octospawn frag that could....getting bigger and bigger:

 

^^^ I can't get enough of that little guy! You sure get great pics of that!

 

For Diane:

 

Looks like they are finally on their way out though. I have read in numerous places that they are something that just doesn't survive in our tanks for very long. They are also known to be incredible calcium hogs since they are just calcareous in nature. They do add a nice pop of green in the tank and I've grown to like them a lot.

 

Ah, that is a gorgeous pic of a gorgeous clump. How can you tell they're "on their way out?" Is the stand diminishing? What a shame. I have also heard about the calcium-hog-thing...I wonder if that's always true or only for extreme sps tanks?

 

Orange monti polyped out with the advent of the additional clean powerheads Does anyone know what the orange thing is on the left of it. It is hard yet flexible. It started out pretty small and has gotten a lot bigger over the last couple of months.

 

 

Oooh, beautiful!

 

Could the UOO (unidentified orange object) be some kind of plating coralline? (Just a very wild guess--cool-looking, whatever it is!).

 

All of the new inhabitants did great in the tank yesterday. It was pretty hilarious watching the emerald do his thing trying to fend off some territory in the tank. He/she would raise up his claws really high in the water when the clowns and firefish would come too close.

 

All of the snails and crab must have been famished....since they all went right to work. The crab went and started picking on some algae, the nassarius did the usual submarine dive into the sand, and the ceriths went directly to the rock.

 

I will try and snag some pics of the crab this afternoon.

 

 

Congrats on the new inverts--what fun! I've loved watching my emeralds...but had to return the first after he killed my baby plate, then just had my second die for no known reason a few weeks ago. Sigh. One of the reasons I'd set up my new fuge was just to have a place to put her when my new plate detached...I already miss having an emerald. (Gee, guess I could get one just for the 'fuge...hmmmm...)

 

IME, almost all lfs snails arrive famished. And as they mostly come from +/- spotless tanks, I'm not surprized. Always makes me feel good to bring them to "the promised land" as it were...

 

OK, maybe I'm sort of caught up with you. Looking forward to the next developments. Feel free to post puppy pics, too.

 

--Diane

[divecj5]

I think adding the emerald will be a good step towards controlling algae growths in your tank. I've been tracking my crab's eating habbits and it looks like he definitely eats various green hair algae and especially the one that looks like a writing feather. He also gets down on bubble algae and young caulerpa too. Keep us posted on what yours eats.

 

thanks

 

I have been doing the same with my emerald crab as well. My wife thinks he/she is one of the coolest things I've added to the tank She thought when I said that I added a crab to the tank that it was just going to be a hermit or another snail....he definitely is a cool character to watch.

 

So far, it does some constant picking of pretty much any algae that it can find in the tank. What was really cool was that the other day I saw one bubble algae "bubble" floating around and I look in there to see him plucking another one away. Hopefully he will do a better job of getting rid of it than I have been able to.

 

 

That sounds so familiar. There have been many times I've gotten my heart set on a particular addition, researched it, shopped around all over to compare, etc.; but eventually decided that it wasn't right for me...Sure different from the beginning days when I tended to buy just to be buying...Anyway, I really identified with your ruminations...

 

It has been interesting that now I haven't even thought about getting the anemone. I do remember when I first got into the hobby and got some things that ended up being a mistake. Mainly some blue anthelia that started off about the size of my pinky finger and by the time I took my 55 down, it was on every rock in there. It got to be so healthy that it would drop buds off into the tank that would land and grow like a week. It was a really cool coral but I learned my lesson to do LOADS of research on things before placing them in my system.

 

Was it one of these by any chance?

 

http://www.reeftopia.com/index.html

 

http://sealifeinc.net/catalog/index.php

 

SealifeInc is exactly the one I was thinking of. Thanks for the link. I have been searching around for a while now and couldn't find it. I think that my next order, probably next month, will be from Reeftopia since they have some really nice deals and free shipping over $99.

 

On the green calcareous algae, it ended up taking a turn for the worse and just continued to dwindle away. Actually some of the piece that were on the bottom of the stand started crumbling and were just pretty unsightly. I ended up plucking out pretty much all of the dead pieces and while doing so, the majority fell off as well. I may have to search around but I am pretty sure that I read that they just end up dying from the base up to the tip by turning from all green to white at the base and green at the tips, to what they were becoming in mine, all white. I will have to find a nice euphyllia to put in it's place since I ended that splash of color while it was there.

 

I think you may be right about the plating coralline. Now that the green algae is out of the way, I will try and get a better picture of it and try and id it.

 

Thanks for following along everyone....glad the thread has been a little more lively lately

[Cali-girl]

dive, has the emerald crab made any attempt to grab or hurt your fish in the tank? i'm thinking of getting one to help with the algae in my tank, but i'm afraid for the fish.

[divecj5]

Hey Cali-girl. Not at all. The only time that it raised its claws up was when I first put it in the tank and everyone and their mother was swarming around checking it out. This is the only time I've ever seen it pay any attention to the fish at all.

 

The only issue that I've heard from people is that they will go after corals if they end up getting really really hungry. Since I have a pretty nice little patch of algae here and there, I don't think that will be the problem. I also feed pellets almost exclusively so I have seen it grab a couple of these as well. Just as long as they are well fed I think they are a great addition.

 

I was just looking in the tank and I've noticed less bubble algae

[divecj5]

Found someone locally that is selling a single head of pink tipped frogspawn for $5. Couldn't pass that one up so I will be picking it up this afternoon.

 

Let the Euphyllia collecting continue

 

Pictures to come once I get it and acclimate it.

[divecj5]

The lady that I was supposed to get the coral from I guess gave me the wrong number. Needless to say it was pretty funny when I asked for the lady and told her I was calling about the coral...the was a long pause before she told me I had the wrong number

 

I was able to grab some shots of what I think it plating coralline so I will post those sometime this afternoon. That and I think I got some good shots of a stoma snail that I have in there.

[divecj5]

Time for some more pictures. Nothing too much new just trying to keep track of things for growth.

 

First up, here is what I think is some sort of orange plating coralline. I piece broke off and it was caught in one of the intakes. I took it out and it wasn't completely hard like an SPS coral. More like a really firm type of seaweed. Any ideas? I will try and get a closer shot if need be.

 

 

My rics for some reason have been really getting big lately. Before they would spread pretty large but these have been looking awesome over the last week. Maybe it's because I've been feeding cyclop-eeze once a week now

 

 

Closeup of some zoas:

 

I love to watch these guys when they get on top of one another...pretty funny to watch the one on the bottom spin the one on the top off.

 

Where's waldo.....

 

Took me a while to figure out what this was. The first time I saw it I was like "what the deuce." It looked like a piece of coralline was moving. I've found out that it is a Stomatella snail and they are good to have in the tank. The first time I saw this guy I thought the worst

 

 

I am supposed to meet the person with the frogspawn frag this afternoon...we shall see.

[nUgZ]

Looking good dive. I love stomatella's...they work hard and move quicker than other snails.

[c est ma]

Love those Stomatella. Esp. when they get covered with coralline!

 

Love nice plump rics, too. Great pics!

 

--Diane

[divecj5]

Looking good dive. I love stomatella's...they work hard and move quicker than other snails.

 

Thanks man....they do move incredibly quick for a snail. I'm not sure how many I have in there but at this point I think it's only one. I have only seen it twice in the last month or so but since it's covered in coralline, it's kind of hard to pick out.

 

Love those Stomatella. Esp. when they get covered with coralline!

 

Love nice plump rics, too. Great pics!

 

--Diane

 

Thanks Diane. They really are some cool critters and something that I haven't seen all that often in people's tanks. I'm guessing it's because a lot of people just don't see them to know that they are in there.

 

I have given up on trying to get in touch with the person with the frogspawn here locally. I tried to call them again and got the same person. This time they thought I was asking about a pool. I always love the southern accents of random people you call sometimes Still cracks me up and I've lived here for over 15 years.

 

Southern hospitality can't be beat though...

[klarion]

Hey Cali-girl. Not at all. The only time that it raised its claws up was when I first put it in the tank and everyone and their mother was swarming around checking it out. This is the only time I've ever seen it pay any attention to the fish at all.

 

The only issue that I've heard from people is that they will go after corals if they end up getting really really hungry. Since I have a pretty nice little patch of algae here and there, I don't think that will be the problem. I also feed pellets almost exclusively so I have seen it grab a couple of these as well. Just as long as they are well fed I think they are a great addition.

 

I was just looking in the tank and I've noticed less bubble algae

 

+1

 

My Emerald did some territorial displays when I added the six line wrasse. Just raised it's claws a bit and that's about it. He just sits in his burrow between two rocks and comes out when hungry. In fact, the area around his hiding place looks pristine, but he doesn't venture too far to the other side of the tank.

 

I'm glad you've got nice hitchers in your tank. I'm afraid I wasn't as fortunate because I didn't get any pods or many live hitchers even though I got uncured rock. What I did get, are many different types of algae, sigh.........

[Deano]

Awesome tank.

 

Snail porn...got to love it.

[c est ma]

Thanks Diane. They really are some cool critters and something that I haven't seen all that often in people's tanks. I'm guessing it's because a lot of people just don't see them to know that they are in there.

 

 

I used to have a wonderful population of Stomatella, but something wiped them all out.

 

 

I have given up on trying to get in touch with the person with the frogspawn here locally. I tried to call them again and got the same person. This time they thought I was asking about a pool. I always love the southern accents of random people you call sometimes Still cracks me up and I've lived here for over 15 years.

 

Somewhere in Charleston someone's wondering what happened to that jerk who wanted to buy the frogspawn...

 

--Diane

[divecj5]

I'm glad you've got nice hitchers in your tank. I'm afraid I wasn't as fortunate because I didn't get any pods or many live hitchers even though I got uncured rock. What I did get, are many different types of algae, sigh.........

 

After following your tank thread, you have one heck of a tank going and have loads of cool stuff in there. Don't worry about the hitchikers, I know that I really didn't have anything cool in there microfauna wise probably for the first 6 months. Now I have all sorts of stuff but it's been close to 9 months. Give it time and things will sprout out everywhere

 

 

Awesome tank.

 

Snail porn...got to love it.

 

More like king of the hill

 

I used to have a wonderful population of Stomatella, but something wiped them all out.

 

 

Somewhere in Charleston someone's wondering what happened to that jerk who wanted to buy the frogspawn...

 

--Diane

 

I hear ya, this person just ended up thinking that it must have been a joke after I called two days in a row asking about coral. I did get ahold of the person yesterday via e-mail and told her I tried to call numerous times. She said that she gave me the right number so she must be a little loopy or something.

[divecj5]

Just saw one of the funniest things....I dropped in some sinking pellets for the shrimp and emerald this morning for a little pre light feast (I love watching all the nassarius and others go nuts). I came back about a minute or two later and saw a really small pod carrying a whole pellet It reminded me of a dung beetle pushing it around.

 

I swear, sometimes it's the little things that make our tanks awesome.

[c est ma]

Cool observation!

 

--Diane