Josh's 20L mostly SPS mixed reef

[SPS20]

The ever-cluttered "fish wall", or most of it, anyway.

 

 

So, after adding the automation, the next thing is beautification. This summer I am going to redo the plumbing in PVC painted black, find a little cabinet to hide all the wiring and circuitry, move the refugium onto the shelf to the left of the tank and plumb it externally, and paint the back glass black. I am not going to go nuts about it, but I would like the tank to look more like a nice piece of furniture, a living sculpture, and less like a science project. I still want that science project feel, but more organized and clean.

[dtfleming]

Looking at your pic on the litermeter, just using 1/4" od tubing? no separate pump needed to operate it?

[SPS20]

Looking at your pic on the litermeter, just using 1/4" od tubing? no separate pump needed to operate it?

 

It's the same type of tubing that is used on ice machines, or RO units. It's about the same diameter as airline tubing but much stiffer and stronger.

 

The LMIII has one pump built into the control unit, and I have a second pump plugged into the control unit which you can't see because it is sitting directly behind the control unit. The LMIII isn't a system that controls other pumps, it is the pump.

[SeeDemTails]

Cool, glad you like it. I may pull the trigger some time soon!

[SPS20]

Cool, glad you like it. I may pull the trigger some time soon!

 

Dooo Eeeet. It's a great investment, IMO, though it is a little expensive.

 

So three minor developments:

 

1. I figured out what species the tiny goby-like fish I got a couple of weeks ago is. He is a Masked Goby, Coryphopterus personatus. This is apparently a schooling fish, so I think I am going to try to find him a few friends. I think it would be really neat to have a small school of 5 or so of these little guys. I know that sounds like a lot of fish to add to a 20L, but they are very very small, and my filtration system is overkill for this size tank anyway, so i'm sure it won't negatively impact the tank. I found that you can purchase them very inexpensively here, and so I think i'm going to order a small school of them next week.

 

2. The other day I was watching my tank, my bicolor blenny attacked my 6-line wrasse, and then when I separated the two fish with a pair of tongs, the bicolor sat on my montipora and took a nip at it. Neither the fish nor the coral were seriously hurt, but I was needless to say a bit annoyed with this feisty little fish, and threatened to yank him out by his head with tweezers if he didn't settle down. My GF walked over to the tank, and said "OMG don't kill Kenny!". So, the fish has a name now, Kenny. Kenny has settled down a bit lately. He and the 6-line occasionally do little territorial displays at each other, but they don't fight anymore. He does like to nip at corals and clams, but he doesn't seem to do any lasting damage. I think it is kind of accidental, as in he just nips at every available surface in a search for algae, and if a coral is in front of him, that works for him too.

 

3. Lately I have noticed small sections (1 mm diameter) of denuded coral skeleton near the bases of some of my acros. At first, I suspected the worst, (Nudibranchs) but the pattern of one bite here, one on a coral across the tank just doesn't fit with the way nudis eat. They tend to decimate one coral, IME, then move on, not take samples from all of them. So, I started watching the bicolor blenny closely, as he nips at corals a bit, but I noticed that after he bites a coral the coral isn't missing any tissue, just annoyed into retracting for a few minutes. So, he was eliminated as a potential culprit. Well, yesterday I was watching my little emerald crab doing his thing, and was horrified to watch him walk up to an acro and happily begin tearing the polyps from the skeleton and use his claws to scrape bits of flesh off between the polyps. I immediately reached into the tank, grabbed the coral he was eating, and yanked it out of the tank with crab still attached. I picked the crab off, plopped him in the refugium, and returned the coral. None of the corals seem to have sustained any damage that won't heal in a few days, but I have definitely learned my lesson as regards crabs in the genus Mithrax. THEY ARE BAD! Anybody who tells you that emerald crabs are safe with SPS hasn't seen what I saw. They are definitely firmly on my list of no-no species for reefs from now on.

 

So, I am going out of town for the weekend, and will be back sunday. Hopefully all the automation I recently invested in will be up to the task of maintaining the tank in my absence, as that is ultimately why I got it. My dad's wife will be stopping by and checking on the tank anyway (I am paranoid when it comes to my tank), but she won't have to do anything apart from giving the fish a few pellets.

 

- Josh

Edited May 16, 2008 by SPS20

[SeeDemTails]

Yeah, the only invert I trust in my reef is a Stomatella snail, they are so cute and dont knock over corals, and they reproduce!

 

I have no hermits, mithrax, or any other type of crabs in my tank. I might make and exception should I come across a pom pom.

 

Basically you could say I dont have a CUC, just 3 lima bean sized stomatellas in my 37 gal. Dont need one, my tank is getting old enough that I have no algae or other stuff for cucs to eat, so then corals become the food source IME.

[dtfleming]

interesting about the emerald crab, I havent seen my mess with any of my acros yet. but Ill def keep an eye out now.

[c est ma]

3 interesting observations, Josh.

 

Congrats on the goby ID and the plans to add more. I just love to see schools of fish in reef tanks.

 

--Diane

[TJ_Burton]

Nice setup Josh,

P.s. I am an anti-crab guy myself. I know what they can do!!! Only small filter feeding crabs are allowed in a reef IMO.

[SPS20]

Yeah, the only invert I trust in my reef is a Stomatella snail, they are so cute and dont knock over corals, and they reproduce!

 

I have no hermits, mithrax, or any other type of crabs in my tank. I might make and exception should I come across a pom pom.

 

Basically you could say I dont have a CUC, just 3 lima bean sized stomatellas in my 37 gal. Dont need one, my tank is getting old enough that I have no algae or other stuff for cucs to eat, so then corals become the food source IME.

 

I'm beginning to feel that nothing apart from snails can be trusted, for reasons I will outline below. I too have a ton of Stomatellas, though my 6-line will occasionally make a snack of one. The fish hasn't really made much of a dent in the population, regardless, as I keep her very well fed. I have noticed that 6-line wrasses will eat themselves into delirium, unlike some other fish. She doesn't seem to have an "off" switch so to speak, and looks equally excited about the 20th food pellet as she does about the first.

 

interesting about the emerald crab, I havent seen my mess with any of my acros yet. but Ill def keep an eye out now.

 

Please do. Mine lives in my refugium now, and seems content to munch on chaeto there. I still think he is a neat little critter, but I just don't trust him anymore.

 

3 interesting observations, Josh.

 

Congrats on the goby ID and the plans to add more. I just love to see schools of fish in reef tanks.

 

--Diane

 

I am looking forward to getting him some friends, sometime in the next couple of weeks.

 

Nice setup Josh,

P.s. I am an anti-crab guy myself. I know what they can do!!! Only small filter feeding crabs are allowed in a reef IMO.

 

I am rapidly becoming anti-crab myself, despite a lack of negative experiences in the past. I'm not even sure about the filter-feeding varieties, to be honest. I'll explain why.

 

So, it appears that the emerald crab was not the only critter munching on my SPS, as he was banished to the refugium last week, and there is some new damage to my SPS which took place while I was out of town this weekend. Something is still eating them. The pattern of damage is the same as before: Certain colonies of Acropora (and only acros) have the flesh stripped off of them, only at the base of the coral. I still do not believe it is a flatworm or nudibranch. I have dealt with them before, and I know what they look like, what their eggs look like, and what the damage they do to the corals looks like. This looks like something different to me. Not only that, but every coral that enters my tank gets dipped in lugol's, and then placed in the sand against the front glass for a week or two for observation with a loupe before it is placed on the rock. If there were any little baddies, I probably would have seen them by now.

 

So, here is a list of suspects, followed by how suspicious I am of them. Critters that have been in my tank for many months are not listed here, as this has only started recently, so it makes sense that it is probably something added recently.

- Petrolisthes galathinus, aka shame-faced crab or purple porcelain crab. This little guy is a filter-feeder, much like a porcelain crab, but he is a new addition, and so I am suspicious that he may be nibbling when I am not looking. It says here that they are "not to be trusted with invertebrates" (DOH! I should have done more research before getting him!). I was under the impression that filter-feeding crabs are ok, as TJ mentioned, but I am afraid I may have been mistaken. He is at the top of my list of suspects atm. He is VERY fast, active, and paranoid, so he will be a major pain to catch if I have to remove him. I really hope it isn't him.

- Ecsenius bicolor, or bicolor blenny. I have seen him nip at corals before, but I have not seen any damage to areas I saw him bite. However, I think it is possible that he might bite them more aggresively when I am not looking. I am mildly suspicious of him. I like him alot, my GF loves him, and he has a name already, so I would be sad if he had to go. Regardless, he is a suspect.

- 2 Dolabrifera dolabrifera, a species of dwarf sea hare. They are new additions, but I highly doubt they are the culprits, as they are alleged to be obligate herbivores. I have no reason to suspect them other than the fact that they are new additions.

- My tank is, and always has been, host to a large number of Asterina starfish. I have heard that they can eat corals, and so they are included here as suspects, but I really do doubt it is them, since they have been in this tank since the beginning, and I have had no problems with SPS predation until very recently. Regardless, they are on the list.

- I have one gigantic Lysmata wurdemanni, or peppermint shrimp, that has been in my tank over a year. This guy really is a beast as far as peppermints go, but has been well behaved (or so I think) so far. It is my impression that peppermints tend to go for fleshier corals when they do turn bad, rather than SPS, but he is on the list, since he *can* eat corals, at least theoretically. I highly doubt he is the problem, but he is on the list regardless.

 

Here are some additional observations which may help narrow it down:

- The corals on my frag rack have been untouched. Whatever is eating them either hasn't found the frag racks or is something that doesn't like wide-open areas. This would tend to acquit the bicolor blenny, IMO, as he likes to bask on the frag racks. If he was the culprit, I imagine he would have taken a chomp by now.

- Not all the acros are effected. Only a few colonies.

- I think I have narrowly missed observing the nibbler in action. There have been a couple of times when I have looked at the tank to see one of my acros fully retracted, and freshly denuded skeleton at the base. The polyps come back out to full extension within a few minutes, so I feel like I just missed catching the predator in the act. It should further be noted that whatever is doing this seems to be doing it during the day, not at night.

- The water quality is fine, and all the corals (even the ones which have been nibbled on) are showing good polyp extension and growth. This isn't STN or any other disease, IMO. I originally suspected some variety of tissue necrosis, but I have discounted this possibility, as there is evidence of regrowth in some of the effected areas. This doesn't happen with STN.

- The corals nibbled are all, without exception, nibbled in areas near cracks and crevices in the rock. Corals mounted on the apexes of the rocks, in open areas, haven't been touched.

- My green slimer hasn't been touched, even though there are multiple colonies in the tank. I wonder if that stuff just tastes bad, or has a strong sting? I would almost prefer if they ate the green slimer, as I can't seem to prune the stuff fast enough anyway. Why must it go after the slow growers?!?!?

- The corals eaten seem oddly unaffected in the areas that aren't damaged. Full polyp extension, continued growth, good color, etc etc. They seem to be able to handle the stress just fine, thank goodness, but who knows how long they can continue to take the beating.

 

So, I am thinking the most likely culprit is the filter-feeding crab, most likely because of the note on the website linked above. Does anyone have any bad experiences with the species mentioned above? How in the hell can I catch that crab if it is him? He is so fast and suspicous of anything that comes near him. I am going to spend some time observing the tank closely tonight. I hope I can catch the predator in action.

 

- Josh

Edited May 19, 2008 by SPS20

[Monkfish]

The ever-cluttered "fish wall", or most of it, anyway.

 

 

So, after adding the automation, the next thing is beautification. This summer I am going to redo the plumbing in PVC painted black, find a little cabinet to hide all the wiring and circuitry, move the refugium onto the shelf to the left of the tank and plumb it externally, and paint the back glass black. I am not going to go nuts about it, but I would like the tank to look more like a nice piece of furniture, a living sculpture, and less like a science project. I still want that science project feel, but more organized and clean.

Its great your wife lets you get away with the clutter I have to do water changes and such when mines not home as she has an OCD cleaning spasm.Then after she cleans it becuase I didnt do a good enough job the rest of the nite is miserable lol.

[SPS20]

Its great your wife lets you get away with the clutter I have to do water changes and such when mines not home as she has an OCD cleaning spasm.Then after she cleans it becuase I didnt do a good enough job the rest of the nite is miserable lol.

 

She's not my wife yet, but hopefully in a couple of years she will be . She just moved in a month or so ago, and she is definitely a large part of the reason I want to make the whole setup look less cluttered. Luckily for me, she loves the tank too, so I get some leeway there. I think part of the reason she is so tolerant is because she has her own clutter-inducing hobby, so I think it is sort of like a tradeoff. You see, she breeds fancy mice, and has 10 or so mice in little cages in the bedroom. I think the mice are adorable, so it is a case of mutual acceptance. We are both total animal nerds, so this is a match made in heaven, lol.

 

I personally never really thought mice had much personality, but when they are handled daily, as these are, they become extremely tame, and very friendly. Also, these guys are much cooler looking than lab mice. Some of them have long fluffy hair, or interesting color patterns such as siamese or tricolor. I have a couple of favorites, maybe i'll post some pics of the mice here too. Mice are interesting little critters, much more so than I ever knew before meeting Kristin. (my GF)

 

- Josh

[SeeDemTails]

Being animal nerds is a good thing!

 

My husand and I are planning on setting up a dart frog tank really soon!

[SPS20]

So a week or so ago I bought a coral that my LFS has had for months and I have been eyeing. I don't know what it is exactly, it looks kind of like Porites and was labeled as such in the LFS, but with zero polyp extension, day or night. It is orangish/reddish, which is not common for Porites, at least that I have seen, and the polyps are larger than I have seen in Porites. So, I am thinking it very well may not be Porites, but I just don't know.

 

So, what is it?

 

 

Close up of polyps:

 

 

Is it Porites or something else?

 

- Josh

Edited May 22, 2008 by SPS20

[reefone]

pavona maybe?

 

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_di...amp;pcatid=2544

Edited May 22, 2008 by reefone

[BKtomodachi]

I vote pavona.

[SPS20]

I think you guys are right. Looks alot like the Pavona maldivensis linked above.

 

Thanks for that!

[spanko]

Hey Josh, I would go with Pavona too although if it came from the Atlantic could be Merulina. Pacific probably Pavona or Leptoseris. I posted a pic of of a mystery coral here:

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...l=mystery+coral

 

I think I am going for now with an ID of Pavona varians on mine as I know that the LFS gets their stuff from Bali and Vietnam usually. Nice pc. you have there. On mine I have seen small (1/4" max) sweepers come out at feeding. Have to watch this as I see they are very potent.

[c est ma]

- Petrolisthes galathinus, aka shame-faced crab or purple porcelain crab. This little guy is a filter-feeder, much like a porcelain crab, but he is a new addition, and so I am suspicious that he may be nibbling when I am not looking. It says here that they are "not to be trusted with invertebrates" (DOH! I should have done more research before getting him!). I was under the impression that filter-feeding crabs are ok, as TJ mentioned, but I am afraid I may have been mistaken. He is at the top of my list of suspects atm. He is VERY fast, active, and paranoid, so he will be a major pain to catch if I have to remove him. I really hope it isn't him.

- Josh

 

Josh, I've never heard of Petrolisthes called shame-faced crabs; only crabs in genus Calappa, and those are never called reef-safe--Shimek says they're snail predators...

 

I've also never heard a bad thing about true porcelains/Petrolisthes...but I know they will respond to prepared foods as well as filter plankton, so they are obviously generalists like most crabs...Ever try watching his behavior after lights out, or is he fully active in the daytime?

 

I love the looks of that new Pavona (or whatever) just as it is, and can't wait to see how it develops for you!

 

 

She's not my wife yet, but hopefully in a couple of years she will be . She just moved in a month or so ago, and she is definitely a large part of the reason I want to make the whole setup look less cluttered. Luckily for me, she loves the tank too, so I get some leeway there. I think part of the reason she is so tolerant is because she has her own clutter-inducing hobby, so I think it is sort of like a tradeoff. You see, she breeds fancy mice, and has 10 or so mice in little cages in the bedroom. I think the mice are adorable, so it is a case of mutual acceptance. We are both total animal nerds, so this is a match made in heaven, lol.

 

I personally never really thought mice had much personality, but when they are handled daily, as these are, they become extremely tame, and very friendly. Also, these guys are much cooler looking than lab mice. Some of them have long fluffy hair, or interesting color patterns such as siamese or tricolor. I have a couple of favorites, maybe i'll post some pics of the mice here too. Mice are interesting little critters, much more so than I ever knew before meeting Kristin. (my GF)

 

- Josh

 

So wonderful when two animal nerds find each other! Better watch it, though, or you'll end up with a menagerie like ours...

 

Would love to see pics of the mousies.

 

 

Being animal nerds is a good thing!

 

My husand and I are planning on setting up a dart frog tank really soon!

 

Sweet! I've only got one D. pumilio left, but am currently babysitting 4 leucs, 2 Phyllobates, and another pumilio. I predict you'll be hooked! (You probably already are. ) Sorry for the hijack, Josh...

 

My pom pom has been absolutely no problem for over two years now...of course, the only sps I have is my hitcher Porites...

 

--Diane

[brshriver]

Sunburst pavona from my tank for comaprison - sold as Pavona maldivensis from Live Aquaria as linked above - that is where I bought it from.

Edited May 23, 2008 by brshriver

[SPS20]

2 new T. maximas. More later, i'm going out for the night soon.

 

This guy is teeny, maybe 1.5"

 

And this one is about 6"

 

More later,

Josh

Edited May 24, 2008 by SPS20

[SeeDemTails]

Nice clams!

[SPS20]

Hey Josh, I would go with Pavona too although if it came from the Atlantic could be Merulina. Pacific probably Pavona or Leptoseris. I posted a pic of of a mystery coral here:

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...l=mystery+coral

 

I think I am going for now with an ID of Pavona varians on mine as I know that the LFS gets their stuff from Bali and Vietnam usually. Nice pc. you have there. On mine I have seen small (1/4" max) sweepers come out at feeding. Have to watch this as I see they are very potent.

 

Mine hasn't shown that it can really put out any sort of tentacles yet. I can see that it has them, but they are extremely tiny, day, night, and even at feeding time.

 

Josh, I've never heard of Petrolisthes called shame-faced crabs; only crabs in genus Calappa, and those are never called reef-safe--Shimek says they're snail predators...

 

I've also never heard a bad thing about true porcelains/Petrolisthes...but I know they will respond to prepared foods as well as filter plankton, so they are obviously generalists like most crabs...Ever try watching his behavior after lights out, or is he fully active in the daytime?

 

I love the looks of that new Pavona (or whatever) just as it is, and can't wait to see how it develops for you!

 

 

 

 

So wonderful when two animal nerds find each other! Better watch it, though, or you'll end up with a menagerie like ours...

 

Would love to see pics of the mousies.

 

 

 

 

Sweet! I've only got one D. pumilio left, but am currently babysitting 4 leucs, 2 Phyllobates, and another pumilio. I predict you'll be hooked! (You probably already are. ) Sorry for the hijack, Josh...

 

My pom pom has been absolutely no problem for over two years now...of course, the only sps I have is my hitcher Porites...

 

--Diane

 

I think the crab is a Petrolisthes, i'm not sure where I got the shame-faced name from. I think one of the websites I used was assigning incorrect common names to pictures. He spends most of his time furiously filter-feeding, and I am increasingly of the impression that he is harmless. I am beginning to think that the coral nipper is the bicolor blenny, and am making preparations to find him a new home.

 

I will get some good pics of the mice sooner or later.

 

Sunburst pavona from my tank for comaprison - sold as Pavona maldivensis from Live Aquaria as linked above - that is where I bought it from.

 

Nice piece! Mine certainly looks to me to be the same or a similar species.

 

Nice clams!

 

Thanks!

 

I had 2 different recent reef adventures, threads here:

The reason I now want to get rid of my 6-line wrasse

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...p;#entry1650020

Nerdy gadgety adventures in digital temperature control

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=158389

 

And I leave you with an overhead shot of one of my Coryphopterus personatus at feeding time. Unlike most gobies, these guys spend alot of time hovering in open water and seem to have well-developed swim-bladders. (they can hover in one spot for hours, most gobies would never do that IME) I feed them at night (they seem to be braver at night) so this is taken without metal halides and with flash. These guys are really quite cute and animated, and the reason I need to find new homes for my 6-line as well as the blenny. I think I am transitioning this tank to very tiny fish only, no more aggressive species. This is a bonsai reef, so to speak, and thus I am increasingly of the feeling that the non-coral inhabitants should be scaled to match the tank. The 6-line turned out to be very aggressive, and the blenny turned out to be a coral-nipper. I have bad luck with fish.

 

 

Here's another shot of him through the front glass, somewhat out of focus. (I am no photographer, lol)

 

More later,

Josh

Edited May 25, 2008 by SPS20

[c est ma]

Ah, what sweet little fish! Do you already have more than one?

 

(EDIT--nevermind--just read your fish thread!)

 

Tiny fish were exactly what I was planning on having for my new tank...of course, it's only going to be a 15g tank! In fact I was already planning on a little school of these tiny gobies, or another sp that an lfs had a few years back...

 

Actually, I just googled the one I had in mind and it's the same species! Good, I can go by your experience when I get to that stage.

 

--Diane

Edited May 25, 2008 by c est ma

[TJ_Burton]

Nice clams mate!

 

I am such a huge fan of clams, and T.Maxima are probably my favorites, along with Squamosa and Derasa.