Cindy's Red Sea Max

[hazmat]

I try to keep up on all the RSM threads but there are more and more popping up. Heck, I don't even have one of my own!!!!

 

That is cyano on your sandbed. Trust me...you DO NOT want to even think you have dinoflagellates in your tank. People tear down their tank because of Dinos. I just recently had a scare thinking I had them. But that's another story and this is your thread!!!

 

I did resort to chemi clean to get rid of my cyano. But some people are really against chemicals in their tanks. sometimes time and what you are doing (water changes) are all you need. It's funny you have many of the same corals I have. I have a candy cane, finger leather and frogspawn. I have my frog and a green star polyp rock kind of close and my frog will put out a sweeper tenticle. It almost seems like they know something is close!!

I just started adding some palys and was interested in some other corals like acans but am kind of nervous about adding them. Good to see what others are doing. Tank is looking good!!!

 

Edit: No offense but I'm not in total agreement with your feeding experiment. As you can see, all it did was give you a good case of cyanobacteria because of the excess nutrients. It's really hard to combat excess nutrients even WITH fish in your tank. You will notice that everyone cautions against overfeeding and now you know why. It really plays havoc with your system and encourages all kinds of nuisence algae growth. But that is just my opinion and that's worth about 2 cents!!

 

Reefmack: about the peppermine shrimp to control the aiptasia. I had one. His name was Gary and he rid my tank in 24 hours of all my aiptasia. Then I got Vinny the Mystery Wrasse and he shredded Gary into pieces. So I can't have a shrimp anymore although sometimes I feel like I want to give up Vinny and get another Gary!!! LOL!!

[Reefmack]

Hank B - I know that it's Cindy's tank, and that she's the resident RSM artist, designer, and engineer, and that you're just the "grunt" that handles the maintanance LOL! Cindy's tank is really looking good! Cyano is just one of those things that a tank often goes through as it matures. I never had much of it, but I did get some. As you've already noticed cyano, and diatoms love light, and get worse all day long and can be almost gone by morning. On feeding, in my case I only feed my fish once a day, and only feed the corals infrequently, I try to avoid adding too much bio-load that will end up uneaten and decomposing in the tank or on in the filtration system. I'm certainly no aussie lord acan expert, but the colors on your look a lot like the ones I see dubbed as aussie lords. I've never had any type of plate coral, so I can't offer any advice at all on those. Hank - where are you at in the western burbs? I grew up on the Chicago north side till 9, then moved to Niles, got married & lived in Geneva for a while and lastly in Downers Grove, before leaving about 30 years ago.

 

I just noticed the Easter Island piece in the tank! That is nice!

 

hazmat - I had a frogspawn that grew to at least 10 heads, when I got rid of it, and it was beautiful. It was on a long skeletal base, attached to a hunk of LR, and looked like a tree. But it stung anything it could reach and at times had one or a couple sweepers out that stretched about 3-4 inches. It stung me a few times too, till I realized where the burning welts on the back of my fingers were coming from after tank work. It often stung a big long-stalked toadstool I had that was so top-heavy that it would come unglued and fall on the frogspawn. What really finished of the toadstool was my benign looking purple acan - it fell on that a few times and one day was beyond hope. You may have seen this picture in another forum, but this was my acan stinging my brain coral:

 

 

It did the same thing to my toadstool leather, but on a much larger scale when the toadstool would fall onto the acan. My big frogspawn and the big purple acan colony were given to the coral orphanage! I still have one Euphullia left (a torch type) - on my rock, that I'm always keeping an eye on for growing to close to anything. And I (usually) wear a disposable glove now when I have my hand working on the rocks, and especially near the torch! I haven't seen my one remaining peppermint in a while, but it's always been secretive.

[hazmat]

They are truely amazing animals aren't they!! I know that StevieT lost his toadstool leather because it fell on his GSP and sat there all night (maybe it was a weekend??). I would have never thought a GSP would kill anything.

 

Now correct me but....is the brain on the right?? I almost can't tell whom is stinging whom! My frog has 1 sweeper tenticle that is about 2 inches longer than the rest of them. I had moved my GSP a little closer to it because my sandbed is getting a bit crowded. Dont think it liked that cause right away that sweeper tenticle came out. I really do think they know when something is close.

 

I really got my finger leather and the frogspawn too big. they take up a lot of room in my tank when they are fully open!

 

p.s. your lucky that you at least have a peppermint shrimp. Mine liked to stay behind the rocks during the day but he did a good job of eating my aiptasia at night. I miss that little guy and trust me....shrimp creep me out so for me to say that is something!!

 

Edit: OK I reread and the acan is purple so it's on the left. The clear tenticle thingys...is that from the acan or the brain?? That's what confused me. Is the clear coming from the acan or is it part of the brain that the acan is pulling at??

[Reefmack]

The stringy things were coming from the purple acan on the left. The picture can be confusing as to what's stinging what. I think they may be called mesenterial filaments? I knew they were put out by the acan as when my toadstool leather would fall onto the acan it would be covered in those things from the acan. The last time it happened I came home from work, and found the toadstool laying on the acan, and it looked like a lot of the toadstool was digested by gobs of those filaments. After that last incident I had to dispose of the toadstool - I just didn't feel like trying to save it again or frag it. When the brain grew too close to the acan the event in the picture occurred one night - I caught it in the beginning and separated the two by pulling the brain away. The filaments were then pulled back in by the acan. The brain only had minor damage thank goodness. That's when I realized I had too many corals, too close together, and I got rid of the worst offenders - the big frogspawn and the acan. Each were 4-5 inches across, and there just wasn't room for everything to co-exist peacefully anymore. By the way - the Euphyllia (frogspawn, torch, hammers, etc.) can sting with the regular tip too, not just the long sweepers. My little torch wiped out a few nice Ricordea floridas I had too close. It can be a war in there! If you brush the back of a bare hand against a frogspawn you might later on get the red welts & burning sensations I used to get. A bit like a mild bee sting - not terrible, but annoying. Some people seem to be more sensitive to it than others.

 

I would have never guessed an acan could do what it did! It was pretty much like a lifeless purple rock!

[HankB]

I read your thread

 

I'm pleased with anyone who follows, but in your case it is certainly an honor.

 

I try to keep up on all the RSM threads but there are more and more popping up. Heck, I don't even have one of my own!!!!

 

It used to be easier.

 

That is cyano on your sandbed.

Good to know - thanks!

 

Edit: No offense but I'm not in total agreement with your feeding experiment. As you can see, all it did was give you a good case of cyanobacteria because of the excess nutrients. It's really hard to combat excess nutrients even WITH fish in your tank. You will notice that everyone cautions against overfeeding and now you know why. It really plays havoc with your system and encourages all kinds of nuisence algae growth. But that is just my opinion and that's worth about 2 cents!!

And none taken. When I adopt a protocol that runs contrary to conventional wisdom, I expect and appreciate discussion. Recall that my goal was to prepare the tank for greater bioload and since nitrates dropped (with no detectable ammonia or nitrites) I think I achieved that. In hindsight it is easy to see that that contributed to the cyano, but that was not so obvious to me in foresight. I hardly consider the cyano to be havoc. Unsightly, perhaps, but fish and corals are healthy and thriving. Time will tell WRT eliminating the cyano, but I wasn't discouraged by diatoms and then later, GHA so I'm not going to get worked up about cyano just yet.

 

Thanks,

hank

 

Hank B - I know that it's Cindy's tank, and that she's the resident RSM artist, designer, and engineer, and that you're just the "grunt" that handles the maintanance LOL! Cindy's tank is really looking good!

 

Thanks, she lurks, you'll keep me out of trouble.

 

The seller confirmed that its an Aussie Acan Lord, so you are correct.

 

We're in Winfield, just west of Wheaton (and a bit further west from DG.)

 

thanks,

hank

[Moolsfishh]

HAHA! I only just noticed you have a Easter Island statue in you tank - I was planning on putting one in my RSM but now it'll just look like I'm copying you. Damn!!

 

Seriously though, your tank is awesome!

[klarion]

Now I read the thread too. Cindy's tank is looking great!

I really like the animals Cindy and you have chosen. One day maybe I'll join the torch club. If you'll allow, I'll make some comments that popped into my head as I was reading the thread.........

 

Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab (Paguristes cadenati)

a little profile on my denizen

 

 

I have heard that they eat Aiptasia anemones and sure enough, when I got one in my tank the hermit was milling about...it. I didn't really see the happening, but when Aiptasia was gone, I assumed that it was my friend "chopper" as I call him.

 

I heard a common name such as "Green Trumpet" and to me it looks very much like a "Candy Cane" aka, Caulastrea furcata

Link to Caulastrea furcata

 

I think I need to look at HDR compositing of images. The contrast range is exceeding the range of the camera, particularly with the frogspawn right under the lights.

 

How coincidential! I was just reading about HDR and plan to make those for my first photo exhibit.

 

Also I've heard that GSP can be very aggressive and many people complain about that. I had a piece of GSP that grew some zoas and once they came into contact, the zoas would retract and look misserable.

 

I hope you didn't mind a long post. I think Cindy's tank will be a great one and I wanted to contribute.

[HankB]

HAHA! I only just noticed you have a Easter Island statue in you tank - I was planning on putting one in my RSM but now it'll just look like I'm copying you. Damn!!

 

Seriously though, your tank is awesome!

 

Do it! We're not the first: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=1664858

 

We can start a trend.

 

Thanks for the kind words.

 

-hank

[HankB]

Now I read the thread too. Cindy's tank is looking great! ...

 

I heard a common name such as "Green Trumpet" and to me it looks very much like a "Candy Cane" aka, Caulastrea furcata

Link to Caulastrea furcata

 

...

 

Also I've heard that GSP can be very aggressive and many people complain about that. I had a piece of GSP that grew some zoas and once they came into contact, the zoas would retract and look misserable.

 

Hi klarion,

Thanks for your comments. Yes, the green trumpet is a Caulestrea. I didn't know if the name "candy cane" was specific to a particular color - red and white - or if it covered them all. Our shop called it a green trumpet so that's what I've been calling it. [checking out your link...] Oh, I see there is also a trumpet: http://animal-world.com/encyclo/reef/lg_stony/trumpet.php (Caulastrea echinulata) Hard to tell which one ours looks like more until it grows out more

 

We don't have any GSP yet but it could be on our list.

 

thanks,

hank

[klarion]

Hi klarion,

Thanks for your comments. Yes, the green trumpet is a Caulestrea. I didn't know if the name "candy cane" was specific to a particular color - red and white - or if it covered them all. Our shop called it a green trumpet so that's what I've been calling it. [checking out your link...] Oh, I see there is also a trumpet: http://animal-world.com/encyclo/reef/lg_stony/trumpet.php (Caulastrea echinulata) Hard to tell which one ours looks like more until it grows out more

 

We don't have any GSP yet but it could be on our list.

 

thanks,

hank

 

I hear you there. It's tough figuring out the common names of corals sometimes. I now have heard both names used interchangeably.

 

It was next to impossible for me to get the color of my trumpet/candy-cane to come out in the pictures. In the tank it appears phosphorescent green, but in the pictures, it's more pinkish/white or bluish. Anything, but what it looks like.

 

PS. thanks for checking out my thread.

[Reefmack]

Good information on the distinction between the Trumpet & Candy Cane types of Caulastrea. I always wondered what the differences were. I think I was calling mine trumpets, but based on the information in the link, they are colorful and loosely packed so I should call them Candy Canes. I have the same fluorescent green ones. I guess it really doesn't matter what the heck they are, as long as we like them! Mine are also difficult to photograph to get the true color. They tend to turn out overexposed in an FTS because of their brightness.

 

Hank - did you ever decide if that was a majano that was in Cindy's tank?

[HankB]

Hank - did you ever decide if that was a majano that was in Cindy's tank?

 

No. I'm watching it and it has just gotten a little bit bigger. It is now about the size of a pencil eraser:

 

IMO the tentacles seem to be looking less like the pictures I've seen of a majano.

 

-hank

[Reefmack]

I'll have to agree on the mystery coral - it just doesn't quite look like a majano, and I've seen too many of those things! I guess it's a wait & see as to what it develops into.

[hazmat]

I have always called my coral a candy cane. then I saw it called a "trumpet" and I wasn't sure if they were the same kind of coral or not. So many names....so many corals!!!

 

Hank thanks for not taking offense on my comment as I really meant none. Cyano can become a PITA so just keep an eye on it. I'm just one of those who want's a "pristine" tank and get all worked up when something weird pops up. I don't think there is such a thing as "pristine" in this hobby!!! It's just my OCD kicking in!!

 

Honestly, this hobby has caused me more stress than my marriage!

[klarion]

No. I'm watching it and it has just gotten a little bit bigger. It is now about the size of a pencil eraser:

 

IMO the tentacles seem to be looking less like the pictures I've seen of a majano.

 

-hank

 

Looks like a developing LPS, maybe a hammer or a torch. I can see those charachteristicly colored tips on the tenticles.

[Reefmack]

HankB - I saw your post in StevieT's thread. I have the same issue with the ATO sensors, with a daily change in the water level in back as the pad I'm using fills up with debris. I usually run my ATO manually due to problems occuring when my blue Linkia star crawls over & blocks the gate. So, I just plug in the little connector into the controller of my Tunze ATO and fill up the display tank till it's maybe 1/8 - 1/4" below the top of the grate then unplug it. I run my gate all the way down and still get excellent surface skimming with that type of setting. The water level in front is about 1/4" below the black trim, but I got used to it. I can tell by looking at that level, or the level on the gate if I need to plug in the ATO. That was one nice thing about running a cannister filter - the water level in back was consistent and I could run the ATO without having to adjust the sensor daily. Every advantage comes with a disadvantage! But, I'll live with the disadvantage of having a mechanical filter under the gate - the tank is cleaner and I got rid of the high nitrates I had when running a cannister. I'll admit that I'm again seriously considering putting a sump in the cabinet so that I can again take everything out of the back, and run a filter sock, a skimmer, and my ATO in the sump.

[HankB]

We hit our first low spot this week. Our plate died.

 

I thought it was doing OK, but one morning I noticed a tear in the side that allowed the skeleton to show through. It did not get better and that side of the coral could no longer inflate so I put it in the QT tank. It inflated one more time there and that was about it. I did some more research on it after we got it and determined that it was not a Fungia but rather a Heliofungia which is a lot more picky about conditions. I suppose our conditions were not adequate. I have heard that plates can send babies up from an apparently dead parent so I haven't pitched it yet. However if our conditions were not sufficient to keep the parent alive, I'm not sure what good we can do for any possible babies.

 

In other news, I picked up some chaeto (and grape caulerpa) in order to get the micro-brittle stars that come along with it. Since we're still dealing with cyano, I separated the chaeto from the rest (which is in the QT tank) and put it in a soap dish fuge. If it seems to work well, I may try to find a light that will fit the access port for the chiller holes and see if I can grow chaeto just upstream from the heater partition. Even without the chaeto, the cyano seems to be getting better. (Which it should since I'm doing water changes every other day.)

 

Other than the plate, the corals look great. The yellow Fiji looks good even from the next room. I'm really happy with the visual impact it provides. The turbos knocked the acan frag off the rocks twice so I just set it upright in the sand. It looks happy there and there are two baby polyps that look like they're starting to color up. We need to decide on a final position for it and glue it down, along with some of the palys and a zoa frag. We still have two medium corals coming and I'm not sure what were going to get so it's hard to decide where to leave space.

 

BTW, Reefmack, thanks for the info on the ATO.

 

thanks,

hank

[HankB]

Time for some more pictures.

 

The skirts are getting longer on our palys. I think that's from increased flow.

 

 

Couple of close ups:

 

 

Our latest additions include this plug with zoas and palys:

 

A happier looking Aussie acan lord

 

Crab crawling in the "tree"

 

Our first coral - a hitchhiker - is bigger than ever

 

Soap dish fuge - the Target slim-line model.

 

FTS - look careflly if you want to see coralline growing on the Koralia and rear glass.

 

 

Thanks for looking,

hank

[Gerber77]

Looking good that firefish is cool.

 

What are you doing to get rid of that algae??

[Reefmack]

Hank - I had the same soap dish fuge in my RSM, but I drilled a lot of extra holes in it to get more flow though it. Not to be negative, but it'll eventually get covered in coralline and the chaeto won't get enough light to grow well after that. Turning it over every few days helps the growth. I got rid of mine - it got "ugly" LOL. when it turned pink from coralline. Yours may last longer than mine since you haven't got a lot of coralline yet. Coralline loves plastic!

[.AA.]

Hank,

 

Great tank and great close up pix as well! What camera/lens are you using?

 

Thanks,

 

AA

[HankB]

Looking good that firefish is cool.

 

What are you doing to get rid of that algae??

 

Thanks.

 

We're being more careful about feeding and I was doing extra water changes. The chaeto should help too. I think this is just part of the succession. It is definitely going away. I also discovered our first upside down astrea snail shell. There was a hole in the rock where I had set the zoo frag before we glued it down and the day after gluing, I looked in there and saw an upside down and empty snail shell. It must have fallen in unnoticed since we got our most recent corals a couple weeks ago and expired. I figure thats nutrient at least equal to a couple extra mysis cubes so it might have contributed.

 

IAC, Cindy told me she likes the way a little cyano looks.

 

Hank - I had the same soap dish fuge in my RSM, but I drilled a lot of extra holes in it to get more flow though it. Not to be negative, but it'll eventually get covered in coralline and the chaeto won't get enough light to grow well after that. Turning it over every few days helps the growth. I got rid of mine - it got "ugly" LOL. when it turned pink from coralline. Yours may last longer than mine since you haven't got a lot of coralline yet. Coralline loves plastic!

 

I drilled the holes out too. Even if it gets covered, the top is open and right under the light. If it turns out to be a long term benefit, I will try to get some kind of light set up in the rear chamber next to the skimmer. There's at least as much space there - even with the RS skimmer - as there is in this soap dish. And I do play with it daily to turn it.

 

Great tank and great close up pix as well! What camera/lens are you using?

 

Thanks, I'm using a Nikon D50 DSLR with the older 105 mm Micro-Nikkor for the close ups. For the FTS I use the 18-55 mm kit lens.

 

thanks,

hank

[squirrelieygrrrl]

hey hank and cindy,

 

the tank is lookin great! seems that you have managed to progress much faster in a month and a half than i have in the past 7! lol i love the easter island guy, very clever. im trying to make a point to keep up with peoples tanks that have been making posts in my thread! so many thanks for your input. im still a noob so i dont have a whole lot of knowledge, but ill still be keeping up with your progress. keep up the good work!

 

~squirrel

[HankB]

hey hank and cindy,

 

the tank is lookin great! seems that you have managed to progress much faster in a month and a half than i have in the past 7! lol i love the easter island guy, very clever. im trying to make a point to keep up with peoples tanks that have been making posts in my thread! so many thanks for your input. im still a noob so i dont have a whole lot of knowledge, but ill still be keeping up with your progress. keep up the good work!

 

Thanks, I've been studying hard here! As far as the tank goes, we started with LR, LS and water from our dealer so that got us off to a running start. The package included 6 medium corals and IMO the leathers and frogspawn are pretty big for a medium coral, so we have some pretty big stuff right off the bat.

 

The Tiki statue was in our son's tank and he left it behind when he moved out. I found it and asked Cindy if she wanted it and she said yes. It should be cooler when we have some coralline growing on it. Maybe I can start a patch of GSP or zoas or something that can kind of blend it into the reef. (Our son got a kick out of seeing it in a tank again. )

 

thanks,

hank

[squirrelieygrrrl]

it would be very cool if you could give it some kind of a coral hair dew! like some gsp's or some zoas on top of its head.