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Cultivated Reef

Pearls of the Antilles...


lljdma06

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Everything looks good. I think you and the seagrasses will appreciate the halide, for sure. Until I see better daylight/warmer spectrum LEDs on the market, metal halides will continue to be my preference for these sorts of tanks.

 

Don't feel left out on species. I think your tank really reflects the habitat nicely and it is something that isn't seen as often as it used to be. For a while there "biotope" and habitat-specific tanks were all the rage, whereas previous dutch-like displays of corals and algae from various habitats were popular prior to that. I'm seeing the latter really come back into popularity again, which is interesting. I think it is great that this is a focused display. Heck, if I didn't have my clownfish for so long, I would've done a Caribbean display to begin with, focusing solely on species found in seagrass beds there. I just don't have the heart to get rid of my puppies--er... at least they sorta act like 'em.

 

Well, I got the halide & the ballast is broken. The seller is giving my money back tomorrow. He's as surprised as I am. He won the light at a raffle & just never opened it. He's got a 350g. So I'm back to square 1 with this tank. I'll keep looking for a halide, as it's the best choice, but my 4g nps pico sprung a leak & I had to buy a small tank to transfer all the inhabitants.

 

That's exactly what I like about this tank. Of course I've got my "collection" tanks too, but it took more effort to set this tank up than the others.

 

:)

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Nothing much going on here, just really need to prune... AGAIN. :rolleyes: It's a wild macro fest in there and even the sea grasses are starting to perk up.

 

The first MH was a bust, the ballast didn't work, but the seller is super nice and is refunding my money. Afterwards, I see another hobbyist about yet another MH, so I haven't given up my MH dreams for this tank.

 

Jawfish hides more, since he lost his mate, I really make sure I drop food into his cave, as the chalk bass are extremely fast and extremely greedy. Any fish I pick next has to be on the aggressive end, that's for sure. It's a pack of four chalk bass who all happen to get along, when they're together, I don't think much can stand in their way.

 

The only addition has been a small Caribbean brittle star that John Maloney at Reefcleaners found on a diving trip and thought I'd like. :D I'll try to get a picture, but it's very reclusive.

 

L

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Tank is looking great. You don't need the crazy amount of corals to look good. Sometimes less is more. :)

Have you wanted to try any FL sponges? For example a barrel sponge

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Tank is looking great. You don't need the crazy amount of corals to look good. Sometimes less is more. :)

Have you wanted to try any FL sponges? For example a barrel sponge

 

No, you don't. Those are my other tanks. :lol: I have wanted to try the FL sponges, I think I can pretty soon. The caulerpa is doing a wonderful job with nutrient export.

 

 

Can't wait for the updated pics with the new MH.

 

Will you take a video?

 

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Looks amazing, alot more color pop.

 

I agree. It's a bit hot though. I have to raise it a bit. I'll check today.

 

Damn, how many rics are in there? 25?

 

Tank looks great, those bass are nice looking fish.

 

I dunno how many rics there are. I shall count them today & get back to you. I like rics in this tank. Lots of low maintenance color.

 

I love my bass too, what a fish!

 

L

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No, you don't. Those are my other tanks. :lol: I have wanted to try the FL sponges, I think I can pretty soon. The caulerpa is doing a wonderful job with nutrient export.

 

Ya I have been experimenting with sponges and tunicates from Florida love rock. Especially when they are in a dark/blacked out refugium. But in the display would be awesome.

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Ya I have been experimenting with sponges and tunicates from Florida love rock. Especially when they are in a dark/blacked out refugium. But in the display would be awesome.

 

I can maybe send John Maloney to go dive and fetch me something nice. :D I've seen some of the tunicates, they are stunning.

 

L

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  • 2 weeks later...

I got a few things...

 

3 more rock anemones

3 more small ricordea florida

1 frag of Caribbean paly

 

Forgot to take a picture of the paly, silly me, but I have pictures of the other items.

 

Also, got stupid first rock nem out of the corner. He's now all comfy and happy in a crevice where I can see him! :D

 

Peeechur time...

 

Rics

 

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Neony green nem and red tentacled nem

 

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Stunning neon orange nem

 

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Thanks for looking, I'll be HD'ing this tank this weekend. It's due for one, especially since I got the MH.

 

Question, anybody know of a Caribbean wrasse that would be sort of reef safe?

 

L

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I love the rock anemones! That last one looks like one ReefGardener had up last week. Is it the same? I bought one of them as well I was torn between the one I got and the one above. Mine is a purple striped one with a green mouth.

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I love the rock anemones! That last one looks like one ReefGardener had up last week. Is it the same? I bought one of them as well I was torn between the one I got and the one above. Mine is a purple striped one with a green mouth.

 

Nope mine has an orange body, not orange tentacles. My other one has red tentacles. Hahaha. I got four, I love them. All the good parts about anemones with none of the bad. Yay!

 

PS: OMG, love your jawfish! I had a mated pair, but I think one is no longer with me. One is still growing strong, though. Awesome fish.

 

L

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I got a St. Thomas Mushroom and a Calgranian mushroom, I think that's what it's called. I'll be picking up more rics tomorrow. Huge sale at my LFS, I can get them for like $6 each if I buy in bulk. Awsome colors too, they're just small. But they'll grow out in my tank.

 

I'm also getting a very rare morph of a Calgranian mushroom. The owner of the same LFS was really impressed with my biotope and wants me to take care of the coral. He just doesn't want to sell it to just anybody, so I think he's giving it to me.

 

L

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I got a St. Thomas Mushroom and a Calgranian mushroom, I think that's what it's called. I'll be picking up more rics tomorrow. Huge sale at my LFS, I can get them for like $6 each if I buy in bulk. Awsome colors too, they're just small. But they'll grow out in my tank.

 

I'm also getting a very rare morph of a Calgranian mushroom. The owner of the same LFS was really impressed with my biotope and wants me to take care of the coral. He just doesn't want to sell it to just anybody, so I think he's giving it to me.

 

L

 

Ohhh, looky what I have. This is the holding tank that I did. It's soooooo ghetto, but it'll house the new ricordeas until I feel like attaching them. I had a migraine last night and the medication made me sleepy so no complicated tank stuff yesterday.

 

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Yes, if the tank looks familiar it's my old 4g. Turns out it wasn't leaking. Oh well, I like my 5.5g now anyway, more space for corals. This 4g just has the cheapo LED lights and a Koralia 240 powerhead, plenty for mushrooms. I like that it makes a nice holding tank and I can attach and heal mushroom frags. I may upgrade this to a spare 8g, but I'd have to get another glass lid. Not expensive or hard to find.

 

Here are some new corals...

 

St. Thomas mushroom

 

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Palythoa from the caribbean

 

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Calgranian mushroom, I think, I dunno what the name is.

 

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OK, I couldn't manage to id this either. It was sold to me as a calgranian mushroom as well. Genus Actinodiscus, I think, but I'm not sure on the species name. This is the rare orange morph that was given to me, by a lfs owner who wanted it in my biotope. He didn't want it in just any tank.

 

Here's mine, it's really small.

 

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This is the lfs owners, bigger. Hopefully mind will grow.

 

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Thanks for looking.

 

L

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Heard from my lfs. They have a mated pair of neon gobies. Breeding stock. Maybe be older fish, but may be bigger fish and with an established relationship.

 

I've always been interested in the the dynamics of an ecosystem. Neon gobies serve a vital function in the reef. They clean fish of parasites. It is hoped that the pair will establish a station and invite the bass and jawfish for cleanings. Or... they will be a nice expensive snack for said fishes.

 

It's an experiment that I'm willing to try. So let's see.

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Too cool. Last summer I caught a pair of neons on a Montastrea off Tavernier Key. I've had them in a frag tank waiting to go into my new tank, a 200g cube inwall. It's cycling as I type, but the neons couldn't wait. I saw this two days ago, on a powerhead in the frag tank!

Itotally love neon gobies. Not only because they're beautiful, but because they're local too!

 

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Just a few more weeks of cycling and their new home will be ready!

 

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That's a nice new home. I think, barring my chalk bass fancying them as a snack, that they'll do well in my tank too. I've love for them to breed.

 

L

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State of the tank...

 

1. Uh, gobies may have to wait a bit unless the LFS agrees with my hypothesis. I discovered last night that one of the chalk bass has popeye. So I off and check my water. Everything's fine. So I off and look up popeye. Seems, they can get it when there's a trauma to the eye. Seeing as nobody else in that tank is sick, I'm guessing he got into an accident and hurt his eye. He's eating and otherwise fine. A bit more aggressive when fish approach from the left, which is the eye that's effected. Hopefully the eye will heal and at the worst, he'll be blind in one eye. I've got quarantine... but have you ever tried to net a chalk bass? Better to put the neons in quarantine and wait it out on the status of the chalk bass.

 

2. Grasses are growing! Woooo, I'm starting to get some fill in with the shoal grass and new shoots. Go Metal Halides and lots of feedings.

 

3. Pesties - Got me some aiptasia. I need to get rid of them. Fortunately most of them are on plants, so simply it's a matter of pruning that part of the plant. But I will purchase some aiptasia x as well.

 

4. Pesties (part II) - Some macro algae, dictoya specifically, is getting a bit out of hand. I may introduce an emerald crab to the group. I just don't want the algae smothering my rock. I may consider one for the biocube too. I like emeralds, they have appeal. :)

 

5. Corals - will be making ricordea florida rocks and splitting ricordeas today. Will post pictures of my handy work. Caribbean paly is growing new polyps and my Caribbean zoa is doing well too.

 

6. Will do scheduled water change.

 

Thanks for reading, time for me to get to work! After I update the rest of the journals. :lol:

 

L

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This is Mr. Popeye. He ate like a beast yesterday and was more active. Eye has not changed. I'm watching him closely.

 

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I'll be doing a small water change today and removing some of the aiptasia that's attached to plants. I added an emerald crab to help me maintain some of the dictoya that's gotten out of hand. He'll do well. A small one, so he won't bother my porcelains which are much larger.

 

full tank shot. We're getting a bit overgrown here.

 

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Rock anemones, because they're just awesome.

 

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Ok, moment of truth...

 

I got my neon gobies. They are right now in quarantine. Yep, I setup quarantine. Granted as far as quarantine is concerned, this is like the Hilton. I don't believe fish adjust well when they are quarantined in a bare bones environment. If I must treat for disease, all the items are easily removable, but if I don't, they are so much more comfortable. Mushroom rocks to frolic in, stretches of caulerpa to hide in. I think a great place for a couple to settle down before they're moved to the main display tank.

 

Quarantine during the day...

 

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Quarantine at night...

 

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I also use this tank to hold mushrooms and ricordea that need attaching.

 

Male neon goby. He actually jumped off the display tank and we struggled to get him off the floor. He looks ok though. I'll get a store credit if he doesn't pull through.

 

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Female neon goby. She's fat, holding eggs already.

 

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It is my hope that they'll breed and setup a cleaning station in the display tank. That would be too cool.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

L

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That's awesome. Good catch scooping him off the floor. It could have easily happened when no one was looking. I'll keep my fingers crossed for him!

So are you going the "greenwater/rotifer" route and try to grow out the babies? Breeding fish and inverts is a whole new ball game in reefkeeping. Very rewarding though, just like corals and seagrass!

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That's awesome. Good catch scooping him off the floor. It could have easily happened when no one was looking. I'll keep my fingers crossed for him!

So are you going the "greenwater/rotifer" route and try to grow out the babies? Breeding fish and inverts is a whole new ball game in reefkeeping. Very rewarding though, just like corals and seagrass!

 

I dunno, I haven thought that far, tbh. I do know that my LFS does supply live rotifers. I'm still tring to get the adults eating. What did you feed yours? Their mouths are adapted for cleaning so I'm not sure what this translates to in captivity. The female is on the glass, rather like an oto. She was interested in the frozen bbs I fed yesterday & think she ate. The male has selected a mushroom rock to hide under. Honestly, I will not move them out of quarantine until they are eating & if I feel that they won't do well in the hustle & bustle of the biotope, the nps tank is an excellent option. I seriously doubt the neons will harm the panda goby & vis versa. And there is always food in that tank.

 

This is the advantage of having multiple systems. I can really fine tune things for my fish.

 

L

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So you are an early-bird too?

Actually my neons were eating flake within a day of capture from the wild. I'm not sure that cleaning is a major part of their diet. I've observed colonies of them on corals and when a fish came forward to be cleaned only a few from the colony would clean them. There might be some "pecking order" but I didn't see it in my relatively short observations.

Keep presenting different things if you have it, I'm sure they'll figure it out soon.

I hope you have a pleasant week!

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