pbjelly's 14g biocube

[pbjelly]

Wow, that is so pretty!

Thanks, I thought so too.

 

Of course, somewhere in there is the mystery crab. I've only seen one claw, but that was enough for me.

 

I'm hesitant to break this rock. I just mounted some of my ricordea the other day and I did okay with most of them, but one got really really mad. I need a few days to steady my nerves before I make more of my coral pissed off. AND, I still have that one ricordea that will not stay upright and in one place long enough to attach it's foot to anything. The other three are all out of jail, but one keeps rolling around in the box, tumbling around. I'm going to have to suck it up and tie that thing down, but the slimy, squishiness of trying to tie a living creature to a rock still freaks me out a little.

[msscha]

I'm going to have to suck it up and tie that thing down, but the slimy, squishiness of trying to tie a living creature to a rock still freaks me out a little.

Lol! yeah, I still cringe touching the acan especially -- it just oozes immediately, everywhere, all over its plug, no slime-free surface anywhere. I tried picking it up with the tongs, but then I'm afraid of scratching it. I've read about gloves to use, but what gloves? Do they come by the box? Food safe? Latex free? Details, people, the noobs need details!

 

OTOH, I got so ticked at the crab today (it actually had dragged the duncan partially under a rock) that I almost -- allmmoosstt -- tried going after it with my fingers.

[pbjelly]

Why you need to check your digital thermometer's accuracy ASAP!

 

 

I saw a thread recently about how crappy digital thermometers are, so I checked mine.

 

Wow.

 

I don't even want to think about how hot my tank was this September.

 

The Tom Temperature Alert Thermometer is correct when checked against a mercury thermometer, but the Coralife is what I've been using for the last three months - and it quite obviously is NOT correct.

[msscha]

I saw a thread recently about how crappy digital thermometers are, so I checked mine.

 

Wow.

 

I don't even want to think about how hot my tank was this September.

 

The Tom Temperature Alert Thermometer is correct when checked against a mercury thermometer, but the Coralife is what I've been using for the last three months - and it quite obviously is NOT correct.

Hmm -- I've got two different digital read-outs and they are nothing like each other, ever. Currently, one read "78" and the other "76.2". I have no idea what the actual temp is. Maybe I'll have to invest in the Tom Temp Alert, too.

[pbjelly]

Hmm -- I've got two different digital read-outs and they are nothing like each other, ever. Currently, one read "78" and the other "76.2". I have no idea what the actual temp is. Maybe I'll have to invest in the Tom Temp Alert, too.

 

I'd get a cheapo mercury thermometer to check your digital first. I think mine cost $1.49 and once you figure out how far off your other thermometers are, you should be fine. I'm totally paranoid now because looking back, I think my tank was consistently hitting 83 this fall.

 

It just never occurred to me that the Coralife was so far off

[metrokat]

oh crap, I have coralife too

[SBG]

oh crap, I have coralife too

 

Yep me too, and it reads 2 degrees lower that my RKL does.

[GioReef]

You can also calibrate it in ice water. Just place the probe in the cup and it should read ~32F if it's accurate. Adjust as needed.

[rb1685]

 

I would be very cautious about the blue clove polyps. I bought one tiny rock of zoas that had about a dozen blue cloves on it. Now my tank is infested with them. They have choked out several colonies of zoas and killed off three of my ricordias. In some people's tanks they thrive, in some they just stay put. Mine have spawned and invaded the rest of the tank. An absolutely unstoppable nusiance, IMO.

[PinkDamsel]

Following along, finally got to see the pics, great start. Enjoy your descriptions, lol. Glad to know the critters liked the Filter Feeder food.

[Reef Casa]

I would be very cautious about the blue clove polyps. I bought one tiny rock of zoas that had about a dozen blue cloves on it. Now my tank is infested with them. They have choked out several colonies of zoas and killed off three of my ricordias. In some people's tanks they thrive, in some they just stay put. Mine have spawned and invaded the rest of the tank. An absolutely unstoppable nusiance, IMO.

 

They grew fast in my old tank as well but I didn't find it hard to control the growth

I used to brush them with a tooth brush and it used to always hold them back

[metrokat]

I think I'm getting some blue clove polyps at the frag swap. yay.

[pbjelly]

Manhattan Reefs Frag Swap Insanity

 

 

So I haven't updated for a while. I was holding off on adding anything because I had a business trip scheduled and I didn't want to leave my tank/dog sitter with too much drama. (We're not all as lucky as Metrocat - her tank sitter's at least funny...)

 

I came back to two tanks that needed their water changed - but in generally ok condition.

 

Today was the Manhattan Reefs frag swap, and I've definitely caught up with stocking my tank.

 

First, some of the crew got together a Live Aquaria order that I wanted in on (thank you KGoldy) so I had to meet up with them to divvy up that delivery, and then there were all the vendors... So many corals.

 

I ended up with a frogspawn, a yellow fiji leather frag, a green toadstool and a neon green candy cane frag for the nano.

 

The really big news though is FISH - finally! I've been holding off until I got back - and also I was looking for something fun. I've had feelers out for some nice clowns and finally found some. The great thing about the swap was being able to wander from one table to another and check out all of the stock. I was so psyched to see that a bunch of the vendors brought fish, so I could cherry-pick the pair that I wanted.

(Teaser pic still in bag)

 

 

Better shots to come tomorrow after the lights come on.

[msscha]

What cool patterns on that clown! You'll have to name it Picasso:-).

[gena]

I love your clowns!!!!!

 

Can't wait to see all of the new additions in your tank too!!!!

[metrokat]

Dibs on the yellow fiji frag when it is grown enough to frag. I know I know, not that I need one more coral. sheesh.

[pbjelly]

Finally - FISH!!! Black Ice Clowns

 

 

Say hello to the new clowns in town. Pacific East Aquaculture showed up at the Manhattan Reefs Frag Swap with a whole bunch of tank bred, paired, fancy clowns. I've been waiting to find a cool pair and these were so great, I had to take them home.

 

These guys are the reason I couldn't make myself hang around until the end of the swap. I know a couple more hours in the bag wouldn't have hurt them, but once I bought them, I just wanted to rush home and get them in the tank.

 

I did manage to pick up some corals before I hightailed it out.

 

This frogspawn has the most amazing colors - the picture doesn't do it justice. I think kgoldy ended up with the other frag of this.

 

 

Crazy, nuclear green candy-canes. I've been trying to find corals that will both thrive under my stock biocube lighting - and look colorful. This one certainly fits the colorful criteria. (Super ugly plastic frag plug though.)

 

 

Green Toadstool - still a little mad.

 

 

Yellow Fiji Leather - hopefully will do well. I love how they look.

 

 

And in the corner - I finally split the Blue Clove Polyp rock from my pico and moved half into the Biocube. I've also got my little frag box of odds and ends that I can't decide what I'm going to do with. The zoas were a bonus from someone I traded with - I wasn't planning on having them so for now they live in the box, and there's a tiny frag of Kenya Tree that has grown from the smallest speck that broke off the tip of the frag in the pico. Now I understand why people say they spread like a disease - I mean that thing was nothing...

That trouble ric escaped sometime yesterday during all the acclimating/water changing. I can see it stuffed under the big rock in a crevice. Maybe it will decide it's happy down there.

 

 

In the back there you can see some of my hammer which I got a few weeks ago and placed about in the middle of the big rock. When I got back from my trip, it had bleached much lighter than when I got it so I've moved it down to the bottom again to see if it's happier down there. I guess these pc's are stronger than I thought. I never imagined that the hammer wouldn't like the light level higher in the tank.

My water parameters are good - although CA gets a bit low before a water change. I'm guessing that it's a light issue - but maybe it's a chemistry or feeding problem? It's not receding and doesn't seem mad - it didn't start out super dark to begin with and the picture is misleading - in person it looks light purple/brown with light green stalks. I'm hoping it gets back some of it's color now that it's on the sand.

[gena]

I believe that may be the prettiest frogspawn I've ever seen. Great choice!!!!! And those clowns are gorgeous!

[oncorhynchus]

Sweet clowns!

[msscha]

Wow -- I LOVE those clowns. I had seen different colors but had no idea the patterns could vary so much. Sigh. Wish I'd waited. Maybe I'll try adding another one and see what happens. If I do it after the next time I go after the snapping sandpile, the adjustment might not be too bad!

 

I'm curious about the frogspawn -- I think they're beautiful but was told they send out long sweeper tentacles at night, making them a risky choice for a BC14. How do you have them placed?

 

And sooo like those candy cane corals! That may be my next purchase. Beautiful beautiful tank!

[pbjelly]

I believe that may be the prettiest frogspawn I've ever seen. Great choice!!!!! And those clowns are gorgeous!

Sweet clowns!

 

Thanks Guys - It was love at first sight! I'm hoping that the frogspawn retains it's colors. I'm not knowledgeable enough about light and the specific light levels in my tank yet, so there's probably more trial and error with these first corals than there should be.

 

Wow -- I LOVE those clowns. I had seen different colors but had no idea the patterns could vary so much. Sigh. Wish I'd waited. Maybe I'll try adding another one and see what happens. If I do it after the next time I go after the snapping sandpile, the adjustment might not be too bad!

 

I'm curious about the frogspawn -- I think they're beautiful but was told they send out long sweeper tentacles at night, making them a risky choice for a BC14. How do you have them placed?

 

And sooo like those candy cane corals! That may be my next purchase. Beautiful beautiful tank!

 

Thanks - they are really fun to watch, and have very distinctly different personalities. It's like having a whole new tank - although if you ask my friends they'll tell you that they never understood the whole box o' water with no fish to begin with.

 

I've been looking for the frogspawn's sweepers, but haven't seen them yet (It's only been a day . Given my experience with the hammer, I think the frogspawn will live in the sand towards the front of the tank to give it space and hopefully not too much light. The two leathers, I hope to move to the middle level of the tank, and if it can stand it, I was thinking that the candy cane might like it towards the top. That way everything has room to grow and not crowd anything else.

Of course, the corals may not like my plan, in which case I'll just have to wait and see where they want to live.

[metrokat]

My froggie loves the light but closer to the glass means lots of flow which can cause it to tear so watch carefully. The fish look so big in the tank and I know how itty bitty they actually are, especially the little one.

 

Your hammer is adorable (even in a bleached state).

[pbjelly]

My froggie loves the light but closer to the glass means lots of flow which can cause it to tear so watch carefully. The fish look so big in the tank and I know how itty bitty they actually are, especially the little one.

 

Your hammer is adorable (even in a bleached state).

 

Thanks Kat - I'm trying to find happy places for all these guys. I figure in about a week, I can start trying to move some of the leathers up a little to see if they're ok with more light. The hammer bleaching like that has got me a little concerned with placement now.

 

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.

 

Petco at Union Sq. doesn't carry anything interesting do they? Their livestock scares me, but for packaged food they should be fine - if they carry anything useful.

[nickjqz]

When was the last FTS? I think it is time for a new one.

[kgoldy]

When was the last FTS? I think it is time for a new one.

 

^This