Nano Sapiens 12g - Ye Olde Mixed Reef

[Nano sapiens]

8 years young

 

 

Have you thought about a small open water swimming, like one of the small Chrysiptera damsels? (springer's, talbot's, yellowtail)

 

 

After years of dealing with the 'Attack of the Clowns', I'm really enjoying the peace of just a few small bottom fish and crustaceans.

 

Maybe a bit later for a small mid-water fish or schoal...

[nickkohrn]

 

 

After years of dealing with the 'Attack of the Clowns', I'm really enjoying the peace of just a few small bottom fish and crustaceans.

 

Maybe a bit later for a small mid-water fish or schoal...

Do your gobies bother your SPS corals?

[Nano sapiens]

Do your gobies bother your SPS corals?

 

No, these have been model reef citizens. The gobies to be more concerned about are the Clown Gobies since they associate and nest in SPS. In a large tank with large SPS colonies, they generally aren't much of a problem, but in a nano/pico with small SPS they can cause visible damage, or worse.

[Felicia]

Happy 8th Birthday to your tank! Seriously, this is such an amazing accomplishment! I never cease to be amazed by your tank. So many older tanks start to look dirty/neglected as they age, but your tank is so pristine and beautiful. You've done such a wonderful job maintaining it! I just love how mature and filled in all the corals are in this little tank. Its like you just took a little area out of a mature reef and plopped it in your tank! Congratulations on this accomplishment and keep up the good work! I want to see this tank for 8 more years!

[Nano sapiens]

Happy 8th Birthday to your tank! Seriously, this is such an amazing accomplishment! I never cease to be amazed by your tank. So many older tanks start to look dirty/neglected as they age, but your tank is so pristine and beautiful. You've done such a wonderful job maintaining it! I just love how mature and filled in all the corals are in this little tank. Its like you just took a little area out of a mature reef and plopped it in your tank! Congratulations on this accomplishment and keep up the good work! I want to see this tank for 8 more years!

 

Thanks, Felicia, for the nice comments! Not quite filled in completely, but slowly getting there

 

Hmmm, I'm trying to imagine what this little puddle-o-water would look like after another 8 years...

[Felicia]

 

Thanks, Felicia, for the nice comments! Not quite filled in completely, but slowly getting there

 

Hmmm, I'm trying to imagine what this little puddle-o-water would look like after another 8 years...

Pretty impressive that you can still find space in there after 8 years. You've clearly got an eye for coral pruning and scaping

[Nano sapiens]

Pretty impressive that you can still find space in there after 8 years. You've clearly got an eye for coral pruning and scaping

 

 

I wish I could take credit, but I just placed these corals in hopeful places and they did the rest

 

In a small, mature tank like this the trick I use is to give the corals just enough nutrition to keep them fully colored up, but not so much that they start a fast growth spurt. Only the Digi and occasionally the Setosa need a pruning every so often since they seem to be more adept at utilizing the somewhat limited nutrients.

[Nano sapiens]

'Photobomb Sunday' (trying out some unorthodox photo techniques):

 

 

Seriatopora hystrix (shot between two M. digitata branches):

 

 

 

'Petroglyph' Zoanthids (mint-green Pavona sp. in the foreground):

 

 

 

'Sunset' Montipora: ('Northern Lights' Acropora granulosa in the foreground):

 

 

 

Seriatopora aculeata (plus 'Ultimate Chaos' and 'Rasta' Zoas)

 

 

 

'Oxide' Zoas (UC 'Fire and Ice' on the left):

 

 

 

Montipora setosa:

 

 

 

'Jack'O'Lantern' Leptoseris:

 

 

 

Same Lack'O'Lantern showing new higher-light placement (interestingly, was loosing tissue under ~ 70-80 PAR, getting ~200-220 now):

 

 

 

'Fallen Horizon' Leptoseris and Pink Stylocoeniella. Leptoseris having a feud with the Granulosa. The Stylocoenilla took a beating from a Rhodactis and has replaced the Jack'O'Lantern Leptoseris at this location:

 

 

 

'Molten Lava' Leptoseris. First decent picture...ever! Surprisingly, doing well at higher PAR:

 

 

 

Pavona maldivensis (closeup):

 

[ninjamyst]

colors so vibrant!!

[Nano sapiens]

colors so vibrant!!

 

Thanks. I shot many of these through a simple 3x magnifyer, partial submerged (same principle as a diving mask). The camera seems to better render colors when I don't shoot through the glass (most of the time). The first pic of the Birdsnest, and the 'Oxides', came out oversaturated from the camera. The rest are pretty much spot-on.

 

Interestingly, no measureable NO3 or PO4. Just having just a little of these two (even if they aren't measureable with our crude test kits) plus some external feeding is enough to keep good pigmentation.

[metrokat]

Happy Birthday to the tank.

[Nano sapiens]

Happy Birthday to the tank.

 

Thank you, Kat

[nickkohrn]

Beautiful shots!

[Nano sapiens]

Beautiful shots!

 

Thank you.

[Deleted User 9]

Peace Nano sapiens,

 

Happy 8th B Day!!!

Those are some gorgeous looking Corals.

Thanks for the great update!!!

Continue in your Success and Happiness!!!

 

Blessings All.

[Nano sapiens]

Peace Nano sapiens,

 

Happy 8th B Day!!!

Those are some gorgeous looking Corals.

Thanks for the great update!!!

Continue in your Success and Happiness!!!

 

Blessings All.

 

 

Thanks for that

[J-Ranko]

 

Thanks. I shot many of these through a simple 3x magnifyer, partial submerged (same principle as a diving mask). The camera seems to better render colors when I don't shoot through the glass (most of the time). The first pic of the Birdsnest, and the 'Oxides', came out oversaturated from the camera, but the coloration is correct. The rest are pretty much 'spot-on'.

 

Interestingly, no measureable NO3 or PO4. Just having just a little of these two (even if they aren't measureable with our crude test kits) plus some external feeding is enough to keep good pigmentation.

 

Beautiful colors in those macro shots. What kind of cover did you use on the lens?

 

Happy 8th-year b-day to this awesome nano tank!

[Nano sapiens]

 

Beautiful colors in those macro shots. What kind of cover did you use on the lens?

 

Happy 8th-year b-day to this awesome nano tank!

 

Thanks! I didn't use a lens cover, just an inexpensive reading magnifier If I hold it at just the right angle to the water's surface, I can get a bubble of air to form underneath which results in a really clear picture with that great top-down coloration. A few of the pics were taken through the front and side glass, too.

 

The camera itself is an old Canon Camedia 'Point'n'shoot' from the '90s.

[Nano sapiens]

Updates:

 

One of the mated ORA Yellow Lined Gobies dissappeared. As far as I can tell, it didn't jump. I suspect it was trapped under a rock that moved when I was cleaning the tank. Really hard to pair the remaining female up with another male, so I'll have to wait for a year or two before adding a replacement pair.

 

The smaller of the two male Yellow Lined Squat Lobsters has also disappeared. I believe that he was finally done in by the larger one.

 

Otherwise, all's well in nano-land

 

Interesting...this is a bleached Ricordia florida that one day appeared out in the open (must have been squatting under some of the others). It's so bright that my camera had trouble focusing on it. Of interest is the green pigment (still seen on the outside rim and around the mouth area) that is starting to transmute to orange under the light. This may be an example of the one way coloration shift that is known to occur in Ricordia florida (per Dana Riddle article):

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/12/aafeature2):

 

P-505 506 / 566 Ricordea florida Double-peaked emission, peak at 506nm, with shoulder @ 566 nm Green - blue to Orange

 

 

 

Also of interest, since the Venus Anemone Shrimp is transparent (for the most part), one can see the orange eggs develop in the ovaries and after a few days migrate down into the abdominal vent for release. Next time I see the cycle I'm going to try and get some macro pics.

 

I saw my old pair of Clownfish the other day in one of Neptune's display tanks. Not using anything as a host, just swimming around together. After spending so many years together in a small tank, the two are 'joined-at-the-hip'

 

Lastly, I had what very likely was a Ricordia florida planulae around the size of a small pea floating around the aquarium. However, before I could get it out, the 'Ironman' LPS snagged it and consumed it (tough crowd...).

[ninjamyst]

I had ricordeas that completely change color on me after stress.

[Nano sapiens]

I had ricordeas that completely change color on me after stress.

 

I've had that too, especially when I changed from T5s to LED. In this case, a few days ago the little bleacher was ~75% green and now the color is ~75% orange.

 

Photopigment color conversion, stokes shift...cool stuff

[ninjamyst]

 

I've had that too, especailly when I changed from T5s to LED. In this case, a few days ago the little bleacher was ~75% green and now the color is ~75% orange.

 

Photopigment color conversion, stokes shift...cool stuff

mine usually go yellow after stress, which is kind of awesome cuz yellow rics are hard to find.

[Nano sapiens]

mine usually go yellow after stress, which is kind of awesome cuz yellow rics are hard to find.

 

. I found the true yellow Rics hard to keep long term, too.

[lilmatty5dimes]

Tank is looking great. How do you like your salifert po4 test kit? I'm thinking about making a switch to it from the Hanna checker.

[Nano sapiens]

Tank is looking great. How do you like your salifert po4 test kit? I'm thinking about making a switch to it from the Hanna checker.

 

Thank you. The Salifert seems consistent, but isn't for the really low range testing that some might want to do. I won't be replacing this PO4 test kit now that it is expiring since this mature tank always has low PO4 (as long as I keep up with my maintenance).