Nano Sapiens 12g - Ye Olde Mixed Reef

[Nano sapiens]

21 minutes ago, Rain24 said:

I love that this tank is still around! It was one of my tank inspirations back when I had a BC14. I'm going to find the time to read the whole thread again and just learn from your notes. Your latest tank shots are gorgeous! I miss the acans though.

Glad to hear that.  That's a lot of pages to go through! 

Yes, I miss the Acans, too, but that area is now covered by a Sunset Montipora.  I have one lower light spot open, so I may just look for another small Blasto to tuck into that space.

[Nano sapiens]

Self Motile Coral Planulae Captured

 

Decided to rig up a simple holder for the little fluorescent disks that I've been seeing for quite some time now.  My suspicion is that they are coral planulae of some type, but since they were prone to disappearing in the main tank after a day or so, I found it hard to observe them properly.

 

An old net, a binder clip and a little plastic salsa/ketchup container with a few holes and sand...and it's all done:

 

 

A vid showing (3) planulae, two motile and one seems to have possibly settled (this is in totally still water with the pumps having been turned off for 10 minutes):

 

http://vid230.photobucket.com/albums/ee141/Back2dubs/IMG_0735_zpsidzj3nvs.mp4

 

There are two orange ones and a smaller yellow one which is slightly higher in frame that is also twirling, but in the opposite direction.  Cool beans   The plan is to keep adding the planulae as I find them until the 'nursery' is full and see what develops  While I'm not sure exactly which corals they come from ('coral', an assumption that I hope is correct), the coloration and shape leads me to believe that the Ricordia are the best candiates.  Interestingly, a Web search for Ricordia planulae brings up lots of adult Ricordia images, but not much in the way of larvae.

 

So far, I've seen two different body types of these planulae, one is this disk shape that stays on the sand surface and the other is much more amorpheous and can burrow into the sand rather quickly for such a small blob.  All are very fluorescent under actinic which makes it easy to spot them during ramp-up and ramp-down.

 

In other news, the Pavona maldivensis has started to produce it's reproductive cone structures again.

[teenyreef]

Wow, it's amazing how there's always something new as a tank gets more and more mature!

[Nano sapiens]

14 hours ago, teenyreef said:

Wow, it's amazing how there's always something new as a tank gets more and more mature!

 True, hopefully 'new and good'

[Nano sapiens]

Recording the Passing of 'Ol Blue Leg'...

 

This little Blue Legged Hermit has been in this tank for many, many years and it has been slowing down to a crawl over the last few months.  It looks like he finally has gone to that 'big whelk shell in the sky':

 

 

This one was one of the smaller BL populations at less than 1" and was very well mannered (for a hermit).  Since I have two rambunctious Dwarf Zebra Hermits, it won't be replaced.

[Weetabix7]

23 hours ago, Nano sapiens said:

Self Motile Coral Planulae Captured

 

Decided to rig up a simple holder for the little fluorescent disks that I've been seeing for quite some time now.  My suspicion is that they are coral planulae of some type, but since they were prone to disappearing in the main tank after a day or so, I found it hard to observe them properly.

 

An old net, a binder clip and a little plastic salsa/ketchup container with a few holes and sand...and it's all done:

 

 

A vid showing (3) planulae, two motile and one seems to have possibly settled (this is in totally still water with the pumps having been turned off for 10 minutes):

 

http://vid230.photobucket.com/albums/ee141/Back2dubs/IMG_0735_zpsidzj3nvs.mp4

 

There are two orange ones and a smaller yellow one which is slightly higher in frame that is also twirling, but in the opposite direction.  Cool beans   The plan is to keep adding the planulae as I find them until the 'nursery' is full and see what develops  While I'm not sure exactly which corals they come from ('coral', an assumption that I hope is correct), the coloration and shape leads me to believe that the Ricordia are the best candiates.  Interestingly, a Web search for Ricordia planulae brings up lots of adult Ricordia images, but not much in the way of larvae.

 

So far, I've seen two different body types of these planulae, one is this disk shape that stays on the sand surface and the other is much more amorpheous and can burrow into the sand rather quickly for such a small blob.  All are very flourescent under actinic which makes it easy to spot them during ramp-up and ramp-down.

 

In other news, the Pavona maldivensis has started to produce it's reproductive cone structures again.

 

 

This is very, VERY cool!!!!

[teenyreef]

Sorry about the hermit. In a tank this small every little inhabitant counts

[Nano sapiens]

13 hours ago, teenyreef said:

Sorry about the hermit. In a tank this small every little inhabitant counts

 

Thanks.  Yeah, that is so true.  In a large tank he'd have been just one of dozens.

[vlangel]

Nano, sorry about the crab.  I feel really bad when one of my long lived creatures finally passes even though that is the circle of life.  At least he/she enjoyed a long unharrassed life in a beautiful enviroment.

[Nano sapiens]

45 minutes ago, vlangel said:

Nano, sorry about the crab.  I feel really bad when one of my long lived creatures finally passes even though that is the circle of life.  At least he/she enjoyed a long unharrassed life in a beautiful enviroment.

 

Thanks.  True, when one is used to seeing/caring for a lving creature for years, it really doesn't matter if it is a $1 hermit crab or a $50 fish.  Replacing one or the other, well, that's a different story in regards to the pocketbook

[Nano sapiens]

Micro Critters Update:

 

Little hitchhiker mushroom is slowly growing and is now 3/8" across.  Now that it's big enough to show some detail...I still can't pin an ID on it:

 

 

 

...and I've added a few more flourescent disks (planulae?) to the 'nursery' (total of eight so far).  It's only been two weeks, but their shape seems to be getting a bit more complex (can't say exactly what that indicates, but may possibly be a preluded to a metamophosis):

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grumbles...unable to delete the duplicate photo below

[Weetabix7]

Have you noticed any changes in the planulae?

 

That little mushroom is cool!

[natalia_la_loca]

Those planulae are so neat looking. Really curious about what they'll grow into.

[Nano sapiens]

4 hours ago, Weetabix7 said:

Have you noticed any changes in the planulae?

 

That little mushroom is cool!

The 'planulae' seem to be more contorted and some have gotten a bit larger.  I have a feeling this will take a few months, at least, until I see something that looks more like a coral (if that's what they are).

 

I can finally see that the previously miniscule bumps on the oral disk of the little mushie are starting to elongate and look a bit more like tentacles.  The mouth is still just a round pin-prick and it doesn't seem to ingest food particles directly, so not sure what to make of that.   Odd little thing...

[Nano sapiens]

12 minutes ago, natalia_la_loca said:

Those planulae are so neat looking. Really curious about what they'll grow into.

Me too!  What I'd really like to catch a pic of one of these 'planulae' at the moment it is being released from the parent. That would indicate that these are indeed brooded planulae and not just chopped of tentacle bits.  It would also be a first as the process has been described by den Hartog during a study in Curacao 1980 (Sprung/Delbeek 'Reef Aquarium Vol 2, pg 328), but to the best of my knowledge it has yet to be photographed.

 

What I have noticed in my largest R. florida on occasion are roundish blobs inbedded in the verrucae (aka 'bumps').  I also have noticed that the mouths can get very swollen and enlarge 3x or more, but I have yet to see anything being ejected

[debbeach13]

So much going on what a joy to see a mature tank like this I only hope to some day get back there. Sorry about the hermit but congratulations on every thing else. Almost time for a new FTS I believe it has been a few months.

[Nano sapiens]

3 hours ago, debbeach13 said:

So much going on what a joy to see a mature tank like this I only hope to some day get back there. Sorry about the hermit but congratulations on every thing else. Almost time for a new FTS I believe it has been a few months.

 

Thank you.  How old is your system now?

 

A mature tank like this allows for protracted behavioral observations as well as finding odd little stuff every now and then, which keeps it interesting 

 

Since the tank is rather mature and relatively unchanging, I've bumped FTSs to just twice a year.  Around July I'll post a new one as well as some interesting observations on using natural coral behavior to reduce or eliminate aggressive capabilities (definitely of relevance in a small reef tank like this).

 

[debbeach13]

After 3 years of health issues. I restarted my 20l last August with new black sand and Walt dry rock, In December I decided I didn't like the sand or rock. After the holidays. I got a new 20 long / Petco $1 sale, new white sand and reused the LR with a couple blue mushrooms that survived the scrubbing and peroxide dip. So that rock and a pair of clowns that had been moved to a 10 gallon for the cycle are going on 7 years old / in June. Part of me thinks of the tank as 3 months old.

[Nano sapiens]

3 hours ago, debbeach13 said:

After 3 years of health issues. I restarted my 20l last August with new black sand and Walt dry rock, In December I decided I didn't like the sand or rock. After the holidays. I got a new 20 long / Petco $1 sale, new white sand and reused the LR with a couple blue mushrooms that survived the scrubbing and peroxide dip. So that rock and a pair of clowns that had been moved to a 10 gallon for the cycle are going on 7 years old / in June. Part of me thinks of the tank as 3 months old.

 

I understand the health issues, which certainly must come before things like a reef tank.  Nice that you have something to carry over from the previous system to your new 20 long.  

 

I always thought that the black sand was interesting, but just not something I'd do in my reef tank unless I was trying to accurately depict a specific biotope that had this type of substrate.  I've read some posts of Walt's rocks 'flaking' color chips...not so good.

[debbeach13]

Years ago when I had one of those 3 gallon JBJ pico's fashioned after the famous El Fab's tank the black sand looked great. I still use that 3 gallon for a QT. Any way white in a large tank is just so much brighter to me. Reflects the light better. Yes the walt rock made the sand even worse. I know it isn't but to me that rock looked like painted cement to me. I love the idea of not taking LR from the reefs but there are other brands that seem to be much better from what other members post.

[markalot]

Awesome to see all the updates.

 

Those little dudes with the green mouth, I'm really thinking Ricordia  ... maybe another form of reproduction?

[Nano sapiens]

37 minutes ago, markalot said:

Awesome to see all the updates.

 

Those little dudes with the green mouth, I'm really thinking Ricordia  ... maybe another form of reproduction?

 

I'm leaning towards Ricordia asexual brooded planulae, but I need to see the actual expulsion in progress to be sure.  When I find these, it's almost always in the morning just as the lights start to ramp up (found two plump ones again this morning).  Assuming that they are planulae, it's quite plausible that they would be released in the dark when predators wouldn't see them. 

 

Looks like I'll  have to do an 'all nighter' with a flashlight to try and observe this process firsthand.

[natalia_la_loca]

19 hours ago, Nano sapiens said:

 

Around July I'll post [...] some interesting observations on using natural coral behavior to reduce or eliminate aggressive capabilities (definitely of relevance in a small reef tank like this).

 

 

Hugely relevant!  I can't wait to read about it.

[Nano sapiens]

'Planulae' Settlement...hmmmm...

 

Ok, so here I am at 3 weeks with the little 'planulae-in-a-salsa-container' and after cleaning today I see that not one has collected any sand grains.  From the accounts I've read, planulae will actively search for a preferable spot to attach (many are attracted to coralline algae).  Working on that premise, I've added a tiny piece of coralline covered rock and a tiny shell, which I turned opening side up, and deposited two inside:

 

 

 The plan is not to touch or move them for two weeks straight and then see what happens

 

And a top-down of the little nursery (starting to fill up):

 

 

I found another two disks this morning, so they are averaging at least one a day

[Nano sapiens]

Original Sunset Monti Oddness:

 

One of the first coral frags that went into this tank was a Sunset Montipora and for a number of years it looked just fine. around 3-4 years ago, I noticed some localized tissue 'bubbling' and thought it was odd, but stranger things have happen in a reef tank.  The progression of this condition has been very slow:

 

 

A 'daughter' colony in a different location was started from a few polyps a few years back and it is perfectly normal (no signs of any malformations).  In any case, this mother colony is in the process of being overtaken from behind by a Mint-Green Pavona, so it'll be interesting to see if the Pavona shows any strange growth forms in the future. 

 

Looks like my Rics aren't the only ones that are growing too large:

 

 

As a reference, the Pederson's Shrimp in the upper left corner is over 1" in length making this 'shroom ~5".  On a side note, the Zoas are showing the signs of too much shrimp, hermit crab and Two-spot Blenny attention

 

...and I finally figured out the correct lighting settings to take true-to-life color iPhone5 pics, as these are

 

 

 

Note to self...don't add more than one pic of the same thing when in 'Edit' mode (can't be deleted in this new system)...