pbjelly's 14g biocube

[metrokat]

My clowns like to eat new spectrum pellets.

[16bio]

WOW nice tank man. They have a pair of those clowns at lfs in there display tank, if I didn't already have a pair in my bc14 I would be all over them. By the way really nice frogspawn you have yourself there and that candy cane...never seen something that nice.

[kgoldy]

WOW nice tank man.

[pbjelly]

WOW nice tank man.

 

I can't figure out how to quote a quote, but yeah... do I need a pair of heels in my avatar too?

 

I won't be home this week while the lights are on, but I'll post an FTS as soon as I am. It's not a sum of it's parts though - the individual corals are pretty, but nothing's in the right place, so it's a bit of a hot mess

[msscha]

What have you - or anyone else who'd like to chime in - been feeding your clowns? How much do they eat? I'm going to try to hit MA this evening after work to pick up some different kinds of food.

I just got gently upbraided by the LFS for overfeeding...I feed frozen Marine Fusion for fish and reef life by H20 aquatics. The version I have comes in little frozen cubes, like an ice cube tray, and my instructions were to feed about 1/4 cube over 3 days a week (meaning a total of 1/4 cube the whole week). Instead, I've been feeding that same amount, but doled out in tiny little bits three or four times a day, 5 days a week. They said to go down to 2 times a day, the same tiny amount (seriously tiny -- I scrape a bit off the cube using the end of a plastic fork then swish it in the water -- that is all!). And consider skipping one day. My phosphates were up a bit, so I think they are right, and I'm now ignoring his ever-so-cute entreaties whenever he sees movement outside the tank. I've read that Clowns are planktivores (some species) so my hope is that mine is grazing about a bit, too.

 

I think clowns are kind of like puppies -- if you feed 'em, they will eat it. I also find mine is a bit on the "duh" side -- if a chunk doesn't hit him on the head, he isn't aware he's been fed. Geesh!

[pbjelly]

I think clowns are kind of like puppies -- if you feed 'em, they will eat it. I also find mine is a bit on the "duh" side -- if a chunk doesn't hit him on the head, he isn't aware he's been fed. Geesh!

 

LOL - so true! Mine have turned out to be total little pigs. So far they eat everything I've tried. I had a moment of worry when the little one scarfed down a huge pellet chunk and then swum around looking like he couldn't get his mouth shut until he barfed the piece back out.

 

 

I'm amazed at how people with mandarins or other fish that need live food do it. I had a tank full of pods until last Sunday, when I got these guys. They've picked off so many of them, I have to hunt to find the remaining ones. I know it's different if you have a fuge, but wow - they can eat a lot.

 

 

One of the downsides to starting with dead rock is that it takes a long time before things start looking even remotely natural. As you can see, the tank still looks pretty empty. There are also a buch of frag plugs that I want to get rid of, but it's hard to do with these soft corals. I hope I can just pull the Candy Canes off of that plug, but if I can't is it ok for me to cut them at the base, or will that kill them?

 

I did finally get over my zoa allergy and just decided to stick the zoas I got from Dubs on the rock. I love the micros, but the big ones freak me out a little. I have no idea what kind they are, so if anyone can ID, I'd appreciate it.

 

 

One exciting change is that I think my mushroom is splitting. I hope to see a new 'shroom in a couple of days when it's done doing whatever it is it's doing. The 'shroom head is still in the same place, but half of the base is pulling down and away.

 

[metrokat]

The candies should come off really easily with pliers or even with just your fingers. Clowns look cute.

 

And those big zoanthids are palys.

[pbjelly]

It's been so long since I updated this tank thread that I couldn't find it this morning. I've been working non-stop since just before Christmas and have barely had time to keep up with the tank, much less keep up with the updates. In the middle of the black-hole of work, work and more work, I decided I deserved a treat - so I did this...

 

 

This was how I thought I was going to start my post, the unboxing, the oohs and aahs, but instead I came home and found this...

 

 

 

That is my male clownfish laying on his side on a pile of chaeto that I have hidden at the back of the tank.

I completely freaked out. I grabbed a bucket and started getting ready for an emergency water change. I figured I was probably already too late, but I had to try something to save him. I tested the water - all parameters are fine. I looked around at the tank - everyone else seems fine. I dropped some food in the tank and he got up and joined the feeding frenzy.

Evening came (or rather the tank lights went out) and he went back to the 'sleeping place' in the corner of the tank with the other clown and chilled for the night.

 

WTH?

 

Next day, same behavior.

 

 

I did just change a lot of things in the tank - moved stuff around, etc (details of the mystery box to come). So I'm wondering - is my clownfish dying, confused, suffering from some sort of aquatic narcolepsia, or is he attempting to host that ball of chaeto and just doesn't know how, so he just falls over on it? Have any of you ever seen or heard of behavior like this?

It's been on and off like this for days.

 

[metrokat]

he looks very comfortable. That's like a sleep number premium chaeto I'm thinking.

So does he rum his sides on it or just keels over drunk? If he rubs he may be itchy, hopefully ich is not hard to see even if his white coloration is a lot. Keep us posted. Missed you.

[pbjelly]

he looks very comfortable. That's like a sleep number premium chaeto I'm thinking.

So does he rum his sides on it or just keels over drunk? If he rubs he may be itchy, hopefully ich is not hard to see even if his white coloration is a lot. Keep us posted. Missed you.

 

 

TempurChaeto LOL

 

No rubbing or itching - just falls over like he's on his eighth shot of tequila.

 

I missed you guys too...Three more days of this ^$#@ and I'm done with this project.

[msscha]

I totally understand being buried in work. It's easier for me b/c the tank is at my office, but checking in more than once a week has been tough! So glad you're back . Hope the clown turns out to be okay.

[pbjelly]

I totally understand being buried in work. It's easier for me b/c the tank is at my office, but checking in more than once a week has been tough! So glad you're back . Hope the clown turns out to be okay.

 

Thanks msscha. I'm glad to be back too.

 

I showed my LFS guys the video of the fish falling over and the consensus is that he is not dying - he's just a goof and that's his way of 'hosting' the ball of chaeto. Either that or he's napping.

 

I hate that term by the way - it drives me crazy. The fish isn't 'hosting' - the object is hosting the fish. If you invite me over for the SuperBowl, and I come eat chicken wings and sit on your couch, I am not 'hosting' you - you are hosting me.

 

On a different note, a friend brought this up and I thought it was an interesting point.

 

I have a dog. He's a mutt. One of the reasons I chose a mutt was because of all of the sad stories of pure-bred dogs developing physical ailments because of how closely in-bred they've become. So here's the question - we know there are issues with some 'designer dogs' - are there genetic issues with 'designer fish'?

[pbjelly]

Finally - the update post I've been meaning to make.

 

What's in the box you ask?

 

 

Woo Hoo! - My brand new Ecoxotic Panorama Pro LEDs!

 

 

I got two Ecoxotic Panorama Pro 19W 12,000K/445nm Blue strips, one 12.5 Inch Stunner 6W Magenta/453nm Blue LED Strip, one three way splitter, one in-line dimmer and a transformer to power them all up.

 

Before the transformation

 

 

Suicidal Snails

 

 

I decided to take this opportunity to replace the crappy BC14 fans as well since I was opening up the hood. So I ripped everything out except the moon lights and started over. I ran a variable speed power supply to the new fans that I installed. They're 50mm Sunons, which I think are basically the same as the Oceanic stock fans - it's not really an upgrade other than fixing the horrible grinding noise, but I stuck a three pin adapter on the variable speed power supply, so at least now the fans are pretty standard if they need to be replaced again in the future.

I ran the Ecoxotic three-way splitter through the other power supply hole and re-used the gaskets to try to make it as water tight as possible.

 

 

Here you can see the power supply for the fans and the moon lights on the left, and the PanoramaPros on the right.

 

 

I used the included stand-offs to mount the Panorama Pros to the reflector and I stuck the stunner on using the included sticky-back tape. I had to move the moon lights, but they are pretty much useless in this position, so if I was going to do this again, I'd maybe leave them in their original spot and try to widen the space between the two Panorama Pro strips so they could shine though. Right now, they just shine straight down the back wall of the tank which is pretty ugly.

 

 

Splash guard back on. All neat and tidy.

 

 

Finally - FTS with new lights. Corals are still pissed from the water change in this picture, and my P&S pictures looks even crappier under the LEDs, but the difference is easy to see.

I started with them dimmed to about 30%, a week later, I have them up to about 50%. I'm not sure how high I should be aiming. The ricordias are already unhappy about the new levels of light - one of them split off and is trying to hide in a crevice in the rock, but everything else seems pretty pleased about it.

 

I've started relocating some of my frags with the new light levels in mind. This re-shuffling could be what prompted the clown to start acting so strange, but whatever the reason, now that it seems like he's not sick, it's really funny to watch him flop over. I'll have to see if he keeps doing it post water change. I always turn the chaeto to make sure it's getting even light and flow. Who knows, maybe now that it's a different shape he'll decide he doesn't like it anymore.

 

[msscha]

I'm jealous -- I don't have the courage for the big time mod. Maybe next year . Looks great! I can just see that big ole rock filled with corals.

 

Interesting point about the fish breeding -- I wonder if anyone has run tests to see how long it is before they become inbred? I listened to a report about 6 months ago that said that in the wild, in some species of smallish fish (lame, I know, but I do not recall the species), brother/sister fish actually go for each other rather than mate outside the family. The scientists provided some reason for it, but again, i don't recall what it was. It could be that fish genes are more conservative. I'll see if I can find the publication.

[metrokat]

That's awesome.

[pbjelly]

Interesting point about the fish breeding -- I wonder if anyone has run tests to see how long it is before they become inbred? I listened to a report about 6 months ago that said that in the wild, in some species of smallish fish (lame, I know, but I do not recall the species), brother/sister fish actually go for each other rather than mate outside the family. The scientists provided some reason for it, but again, i don't recall what it was. It could be that fish genes are more conservative. I'll see if I can find the publication.

 

msscha - if you can track that down, I'd be really interested. I know very little about it, but I'm fascinated by how species evolve, both naturally and with 'help'.

I've never been particularly trendy, and I had a brief moment of shame when I realized that I had succumbed to the 'designer fish' fad.

 

That's awesome.

 

Thanks Kat - I had your Panorama Pro install as an example.

[gena]

You did the LEDs!!!! Great job on the install!!!!! Your tank looks so clean and pretty

[pbjelly]

You did the LEDs!!!! Great job on the install!!!!! Your tank looks so clean and pretty

 

Thanks gena. I've been longing to do the upgrade, but I needed a clear weekend to fit it in.

I can't wait until my tank starts looking more lived in. One of the real downsides to starting with dry rock and not having another tank to seed from is that everything stays looking sort of sterile. It also could be that I haven't added anything new in forever.

I need to go coral shopping!!!!

 

I feel like there's been a lot of growth, but my two mushrooms becoming five and my two candy canes becoming three - while satisfying, doesn't make a giant difference in how the whole tank looks.

 

I figure it will be at least another week or two before I get the new LEDs up to full intensity. I have one ricordia that's done more moving since the install than I ever thought possible. It split off from it's parent, hid itself in a hole, climbed back out of the hole, and is now wandering around looking for a good spot.

[gena]

Mushrooms

 

Sometimes I love to hate them. They are worth the hassle though

 

Sounds like you are having a lot more success with them than me. They just don't want to grow for me. I can keep them alive, but they aren't multiplying like I had hoped.

[pbjelly]

A perfect example of how starting with 'dead' rock does not guarantee a pest-free tank.

 

 

Looks like a nudibranch to me. I don't know which ones are good and which ones are bad, but I do know that this one had to come in on the zoa colony that I just got, because that's the only new thing to enter the tank in months.

 

I dipped the frag in Coral RX, but I guess maybe not long enough. The question is, how bad are these things, and how many are there in my tank now? Is there any possibility that it's benign, and I'm overreacting?

 

I hope everything chills out in the tank for a while. I had forgotten how quickly circumstances can change when you add things, change things, and stick your hands in the tank. That's one upside to working all the time that I didn't think of - when I'm busy, I don't mess with the tank and it's happier.

[pbjelly]

NY Fashion week in the biocube.

 

I ordered a bunch of extra shells for my nasty, nasty hermits. One of them is so dominant that he's outgrown his compatriots by about 200%. Why I'm rewarding this behavior, I don't know, other than I feel guilty. The guy is obviously a hard-core alpha hermit, and in the wild, he wouldn't be at a loss for a new home.

So anyway, I placed an order with John at Reef Cleaners for some Nassarius Vibex and some Dwarf Planaxis snails for the nano and the pico. To top it off, I added on an order for 10 small hermit shells and 10 large hermit shells. Needless to say, it's Reef Cleaners, so I got a ziplock bag full of hundreds of random shells. Arts and Crafts anyone?

I also added a couple of shells that I've collected over the years. They seemed to be the right size, and after a thorough cleaning, I thought what could be a better use for these, they've been sitting in a bowl on my mantle doing nothing, so I tossed them in too.

 

 

Mr. Monster hermit changed immediately. And when I saw what he changed into - I flipped. The guy is wearing a freaking Ranch House on his head! My fault. If I didn't want him to wear such a big shell, I shouldn't have put it in, but come on, that thing is like 4 times the size of his old shell, and he's knocking sh!& over everywhere he goes!

I thought long and hard about it and decided he had to go live at the LFS. Sorry buddy, this is a nano.

 

This guy chose a snazzy striped shell - it's the latest thing for spring 2012.

 

 

Morning came, and I went to find the evil monster hermit and I discovered he had changed yet again.

 

 

This guy has just got an innate sense of self-preservation. His new outfit is a shell that I found on a beach in Patagonia and carried back with me a few years ago. It fits him better, and as an added incentive (for him) I can't get rid of him while he's wearing that shell.

Lucky f&%^#$.

[msscha]

I have nothing to say, but what a great read!! Such nice pics, too. I have, maybe, one little tiny hh hermit crab, but I haven't seen it in weeks and weeks.

[pbjelly]

I have nothing to say, but what a great read!! Such nice pics, too. I have, maybe, one little tiny hh hermit crab, but I haven't seen it in weeks and weeks.

 

Thanks msscha - I'd say you're lucky with your hermit, but mine have been so entertaining this week that for the moment they are forgiven.

 

NY Fashion Week - Part Deux

 

New stripes

 

 

Different stripes

 

 

Stripes are out! Dots are in!

 

 

Dots are out! Zebra stripe is in!

 

 

On a different note, I've dipped and re-dipped the new zoas, and hopefully have nipped the nudibranch infestation in the bud.

Those things are scary.

Their color-changing sacs remind me of a cannibal's necklace of shrunken heads - proof positive that they've killed and eaten something (someone) you liked.

[metrokat]

Very very entertaining. I loved fashion week. Now if only he would walk around with the mushroom shell, we could totally have that on the runway.

[pbjelly]

Very very entertaining. I loved fashion week. Now if only he would walk around with the mushroom shell, we could totally have that on the runway.

 

I think if it wasn't glued down, Mr. Monster crab would have already tried it!