Urchinhead's 56 gallon Starfire tank

[Urchinhead]

Promised photos:

 

Before move:

 

After move:

 

Before move:

 

After move:

 

Before move:

 

After move:

 

Before move:

 

After move:

 

Before move:

 

After move;

 

Before move:

 

After move:

 

 

After move:

 

Before move:

 

After move:

[Weetabix7]

So everything went okay?

[Urchinhead]

Sigh. No. Not really. I lost all but one blasto colony, My Hawkins, two acan colonies, and my fire engine red digi. That is what has me really puzzled. The things that died shouldn't have and the things that are doing well and growing shouldn't be.

 

Plus a *BOATLOAD* of house crap including facing a major addition and interior renovation that is going to suck eggs and the like.

[Weetabix7]

I'm sorry.

I'm getting some Acan colonies in to propagate today, so maybe I can help you in that area.

[Urchinhead]

Cheers love. Thank you.

[Urchinhead]

Wow! Right as I was about to add this I hear a flapping noise behind me! My Anthias had jumped out of the tank! Good thing I was in here and caught it! He was still wet but gasping and is gasping and hiding in the tank but looks like I got him back in in time. Hopefully he will be ok...

 

Anyway I wanted to add an odd one (I will get photos and post by Monday)... My Pepto Bismo pink Montipora had bleached out due to stress and light issues from the move on certain branches. I had been casually monitoring it to make sure I didn't get an algae outbreak on it if the branches were dead. Today I noticed that it has made a remarkable recovery and now 1/2 of it is neon green and the other 1/2 is pepto pink! Pretty slick actually!

[Urchinhead]

Photo update time:

 

Blue Milipora and blue Acropora.

 

I don't remember what this is called but its a deep water arc that had browned out and if you look at the base you can see its resident Acropora Crab

 

ORA Perlberry colony

 

Purple Death Paly's, Magician Paly's, and Candy Apple Zoa's

 

My ORA Red Planet looks like a Red Planet again!

 

Tubs Blues Zoa's and Joker Paly's. You can see the new heads on the Jokers. For what these seem to sell for I am going to have to get around to fragging them soon. Seems I can pay for my son's college for the price people ask!

 

Orange Yuma and some Superman Mushrooms that have left the rock they were on and migrated to here

 

My RBTA

 

And lastly the Anthias and Tang watching me and wondering when I am going to stop Arsing around and feed them for crying out loud!

[spanko]

Ah there he is. Thought maybe your part of the world fell into the ocean! Everything looks like it is doing well. Nice to see you around my friend.

[Weetabix7]

Very, very nice my Friend.

[OClownsandNanos]

Very nice tank and corals! Sorry to hear about some of your losses in the move. How do you like your solar fairy wrasse so far?

[Urchinhead]

Ah there he is. Thought maybe your part of the world fell into the ocean! Everything looks like it is doing well. Nice to see you around my friend.

 

Cheers mate. I am arse deep in a new addition/remodel design working on the final drawings for submission for plan check. I am doing a very detailed plan (unusual for residential) because I don't want to deal with *ANY* "misunderstandings" or change orders. If its on the plans and in the contract you signed then it goes in and better be in the place the plans say it should be using the fixtures and materials specified. Otherwise you are in breach. If its not on the plans then I don't want it so get that change order out of my face.

 

Thank you Weetie.

 

OClownsandNanos-

 

Thank you. I don't a solar fairy wrasse. I have a yellow tang, two clowns, and a red stripe anthias. Sorry for the confusion.

[Urchinhead]

Please excuse my absolute crap photo taking skills. I had to play with the hue and brightness to get these photos to come at least close to the actual colors on the corals.

 

New Acan colony. Its called a snowberry… Hey! If a poo brown with snot yellow/orange colored zoo is called reverse gorilla nipple then an ice blue with red rim and red center can is a snowberry! The other reason I snagged it was because of the orange rainbow heads on it. Guess which heads are going to be fed *ALLOT*…

 

Its already settled in an eating well. Its right in line with where the pellets I feed fall because of water movement. This also explains the massive Joker, Magician, and Purple Death Paly growth I have had of late. I noticed last night that the pellets tend to hit those areas disproportionately to others.

 

 

 

One of my 'bugs' going after the pellets that fell in this zoa colony. Its a peppermint shrimp. I wish it would focus more on any aptasia instead of the damn pellets!

 

 

And a 'gold' (looks brown to me but then see above on my thoughts about reverse gorilla nipples) teardrop maxima. Its about 5" in size. I got it because I have trace nitrates in the system and I like to use clams as an additional biological filter.

 

[Urchinhead]

My fracking anemone is a pig! She just gobbled three whole siversides at the same time!

 

I am trying to train her to move away from the magicians, PD's, and candy apple zoa rock she keeps trying to float next to so I am feeding her allot of fish from the other side. She just finished stuffing them all into her mouth.

 

She is also now officially 1 foot in diameter!!! And a nice rose with hints of neon green in color. You may see me posting soon in livestock classifieds if she doesn't split soon. And to think when I got her she was a bleached 3" diameter nem. Ah how the wee barins grow!

 

Unfortunately wife broke my camera lens on the DLSR and I am hunting for my point and shoot's charger so I can't post photos. Sorry. Hopefully in a day or so.

[spanko]

Well grab something, crayons chalk P&S camera.......................................we need pictures!!!

[Degener8]

Well grab something, crayons chalk P&S camera.......................................we need pictures!!!

HAHA that made me laugh..

 

Nice tank, I love the Colony of acans you dont see alof of acans like that around.. mostly smaller frags.

[Urchinhead]

Cheers gent's. I just bought a P/S that works under water in salt water over the weekend. So I will charge it up today and see about some photos from inside the tank.

[adam87]

any updates?

[Urchinhead]

Yes. But most of them for the worse... Pump burned out Sunday night and I will be replacing it today. Lost a Tri-Color due to heat. But the beat goes on. And I have been slacking on photos due to prep for construction on my house where I fully expect to suffer a tank crash and loose everything forcing me to start all over again.

[Urchinhead]

Tank came down for good today. All livestock of note either transfered to a 15 gallon AIO holding tank pending finding a babysitter or gone to a new home including the RBTA whom I nursed back to health and has since grown into a monster 12" across.

 

And on that note...

 

June 20th, 2010 So Long...

[Weetabix7]

Looking forward to seeing you back in action on the Reefing front.

GL on the house remodel.

[Urchinhead]

Cheers love.

 

For now I am just going back to my nano roots. Started back in the hobby with a BC14 and am now back to an AIO 16 gallon...

 

A bit off topic but something moving none the less.

 

A letter from Major Sullivan Ballou of 2nd Regiment First Rhode Island Volunteers written to his wife Sarah. Major Sullivan fell at the battle of 1st Manassas before he was able to send this letter.

 

My very dear Sarah:

 

The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days - perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write again, I feel impelled to write a few lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more.

 

Our movements may be of a few days duration and full of pleasure - and it may be one of some conflict and death to me. "Not my will, but thine, O God be done." If it is necessary that I should fall on the battle field for my Country, I am ready.

 

I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know how strongly American Civilization now leans on the triumph of the Government, and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and sufferings of the Revolution. And I am willing - perfectly willing - to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this Government, and to pay that debt.

 

But my dear wife, when I know that with my own joys, I lay down nearly all of yours, and replace them in this life with cares and sorrows, when after having eaten for long years the bitter fruits of orphanage myself, I must offer it as the only sustenance to my dear little children, is it weak or dishonorable, that while the banner of my forefathers floats calmly and fondly in the breeze, underneath my unbounded love for you, my darling wife and children should struggle in fierce, though useless contests with my love of Country.

 

I cannot describe to you my feelings on this calm Summer Sabbath night, when two-thousand men are sleeping around me, many of them enjoying perhaps the last sleep before that of death, while I am suspicious that death is creeping around me with his fatal dart, as I sit communing with God, my Country and thee. I have sought most closely and diligently and often in my heart for a wrong motive in thus hazarding the happiness of those I love, and I could find none. A pure love of my Country and of the principles I have so often advocated before the people - another name of Honor that I love more than I fear death, has called upon me and I have obeyed.

 

Sarah my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and burns me unresistably on with all these chains to the battle field.

 

The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when, God willing, we might still have lived and loved together, and seen our sons grown up to honorable manhood, around us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me - perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar, that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battle field, it will whisper your name. Forgive my many faults, and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have often times been! How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness, and struggle with all the misfortunes of this world to shield you, and your children from harm. But I cannot. I must watch you from the Spirit-land and hover near you, while you buffet the storm, with your precious little freight, and wait with sad patience, till we meet to part no more.

 

But, O Sarah! if the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the gladest days and in the darkest nights, advised to your happiest scenes and gloomiest hours, always, always, and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath, as the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by. Sarah do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again.

 

As for my little boys - they will grow up as I have done, and never know a father's love and care. Little Willie is too young to remember me long - and my blue eyed Edgar will keep my frolicks with him among the dim memories of childhood. Sarah I have unlimited confidence in your maternal care and your development of their characters, and feel that God will bless you in your holy work.

 

Tell my two Mothers I call God's blessing upon them. O! Sarah I wait for you there; come to me and lead thither my children.

 

Sullivan