msscha's 24 gallon office cube

[msscha]

Very nice to see the new pics! Can't stop staring at the Blastos.

Thank you! I feel that way, too, though my biggest distraction is the duncan, all wavy and hypnotic !

[eitallent]

Wonderful pictures. I think the growth in your tank is fantastic.

 

That molt looks like a ghost in the aquarium. I guess it is sort of a ghost of what left it behind.

I hope you are able to glimpse it in the dark.

[Mstansbery]

Very nice setup msscha!!

[msscha]

Very nice setup msscha!!

Thank you, Mstanbery!

 

Am quite irritated today -- two of the blue LEDs in the tank are out and the fans are so loud I have to cut them off in order to work .

[msscha]

FTS -- taken last day of May, with my (new) phone. Okay picture, not terrific, but see the nifty aiptasia hanging all pleased with its own bad self right in the middle of that rock ledge? Well, this morning, just a few days later, that aiptasia is a mostly chewed up piece of struggling sea life! Could it be that the nudibranches are getting big enough to really have some impact??? In fact, NONE of the three big guys that I normally see up on top of the rock are there. Weirdly enough, several of the little babies are still around, so not sure what to make of all of this.

 

Also, I made the sweet decision: I am upgrading to a 29 gallon BC. I bought the tank used from my lfs, will be transferring the LED into the new tank (I think), then selling mine. This won't happen for a month or so -- I first have to decide if I am moving my office or not. But still, woo hoo!!

 

[gena]

Congrats!!!!!

[eitallent]

This is great news! How exciting.

[msscha]

I was away for 4 days, so chose to do a lights-out long weekend to clear up some persistent algae. Tanks looks much cleaner this morning, though I don't see that the nudibranches have gotten much done! Trying to decide if I will order a few more, bigger this time, or wait until I get the new tank set up before dealing with the anemones. For the bigger tank, I want to take my current rock at set it up on one side to see if I can keep the rics/shrooms from taking over the whole tank. Then, I'll use other real estate for a coral garden. Then, I think I will try my hand at more fragging and begin selling some of the babies. Below is the picture from the first day I got my neon green trumpet coral to its current state. The second is of an unexpected sighting: the red and white striped bristle star out exploring the finger leather!

 

 

 

 

[eitallent]

Those Candy Canes are magnificent. I have no luck with those. I have tried twice. Perhaps it is because the CCs I have tried were not healthy to begin with. I thought I could nurse them to health. But nope!

 

Can't wait for the big day! Upgrade getting nearer.

[msscha]

I ordered fragging supplies yesterday -- from Dr. Fosters/Smith (aka, liveaquaria.com) -- a kit of instruments for fragging, a bag of fragging plugs, and a 5 spot fragging rock -- all new supplies for the new tank. Some office furniture has been moved, a small bookshelf is in my car awaiting delivery, creating more room on my desk! The biggest decision yet to be made is about the lights. I don't want to go back to stock CFLs, but I'm not sure if I should move my current lighting into the new tank and sell the 14 BC "as is" or spring for a new retrofit for the 29 BC and sell the 14 for more $$. The lfs has a new partnership set up with a local guy breeding clowns, so maybe he'd be interested in a 14 BC? Hmm. I like having these kinds of decisions to make!

[eitallent]

Yeah. It is difficult to choose between awesome and terrific.

 

Would your current LED set up provide full coverage on the bigger tank? If so and your corals like that light spectrum then you may want to keep them.

[msscha]

That's what I am not sure about. The lfs actually made the suggestion. I'm going to check what RapidLED or SteveTs has and decide. Might be that I'll keep the current lights for the new tank then add a stunner strip (or some such fancy-schmancy get up!).

 

Got a kick out of this -- I joined the Gainesville Reef Club forum today b/c it's a good place to meet local reefers and trade/sell. I posted with this opening "then and now" fts. Look at how teensy weensy that duncan was on its first day home! I do miss the pink/purple coralline, though -- the mushrooms pretty much scoured that from the rock .

 

[markalot]

I'll miss this tank but looking forward to the next one already. I have some light purple (very light) trumpets that have been reproducing rapidly, but my green and turquoise do not like something because they've been frozen in time since I got them.

[gena]

I adore those green trumpets!!!! Gonna get some for myself even I want a collection of different colored trumpets. Congrats again on the upgrade!!!!

[msscha]

I'll miss this tank but looking forward to the next one already. I have some light purple (very light) trumpets that have been reproducing rapidly, but my green and turquoise do not like something because they've been frozen in time since I got them.

You have PURPLE trumpets?? OMG -- must get some of those. I had no idea they came in so many different colors -- kind of like IPAs...they now encompass a rainbow of happy beer drinking: red, brown, black, white, and regular . Ooh, this is so exciting!

 

I adore those green trumpets!!!! Gonna get some for myself even I want a collection of different colored trumpets. Congrats again on the upgrade!!!!

Wow -- like I said to Markalot, I didn't know trumpet came in different colors!! This is what happens when one's tank get full -- no reason to branch out (pun intended?). I will start exploring this possibility. I also really, really want to add the caribbean photosynthetic gorgs to the new tank. I have some on order, but they still haven't arrived, which is okay because I don't have the space. Now, I will!!

[markalot]

You have PURPLE trumpets?? OMG -- must get some of those. I had no idea they came in so many different colors -- kind of like IPAs...they now encompass a rainbow of happy beer drinking: red, brown, black, white, and regular . Ooh, this is so exciting!

 

They aren't a very bright purple, more like white with a purplish tint. You can see them in the last couple of tank shots in my thread. The turquoise trumpets are more colorful, but refuse to grow. I was wrong about my greens, by the way, just noticed that have new mouths.

 

So the trumpet and candy cane corals are all in the Caulastrea family, and without a large colony it's sometimes hard to determine exactly what species is what. I got my turquoise from a nearby LFS and I believe they were wild caught, so it may be one of those species that just doesn't grow well in tanks. They are healthy, and feed heavily, but the tentacles and behavior is different from the purple and green.

[msscha]

They aren't a very bright purple, more like white with a purplish tint. You can see them in the last couple of tank shots in my thread. The turquoise trumpets are more colorful, but refuse to grow. I was wrong about my greens, by the way, just noticed that have new mouths.

 

So the trumpet and candy cane corals are all in the Caulastrea family, and without a large colony it's sometimes hard to determine exactly what species is what. I got my turquoise from a nearby LFS and I believe they were wild caught, so it may be one of those species that just doesn't grow well in tanks. They are healthy, and feed heavily, but the tentacles and behavior is different from the purple and green.

I will take a look at your tank soon, Markalot. I've finally finished handling the memorial services for my mom, and am beginning to crawl back out of my hole toward the light...find that I've missed so much over the last several months! (Hmm, that sounded a bit overly dramatic, sorry!). My trumpets took forever to get started in my tank, and didn't do much growing until the LEDs went in. I also include various phytoplankton foods as the numerous and successful filter feeders attest! I have an appt with the lfs to get the LEDs repaired (2 blue burnt out -- apparently the fans aren't working properly and the heat sink over-heated. I've been running the lights for fewer hours with the hood flap open to dissipate heat and the temp has stayed more stable than ever in my tank. I kind of wonder about the utility of fans if the heat they produce also has to be vented!)

[metrokat]

I'm sorry to hear about your mom. Hugs.

[markalot]

I will take a look at your tank soon, Markalot. I've finally finished handling the memorial services for my mom, and am beginning to crawl back out of my hole toward the light...find that I've missed so much over the last several months! (Hmm, that sounded a bit overly dramatic, sorry!). My trumpets took forever to get started in my tank, and didn't do much growing until the LEDs went in. I also include various phytoplankton foods as the numerous and successful filter feeders attest! I have an appt with the lfs to get the LEDs repaired (2 blue burnt out -- apparently the fans aren't working properly and the heat sink over-heated. I've been running the lights for fewer hours with the hood flap open to dissipate heat and the temp has stayed more stable than ever in my tank. I kind of wonder about the utility of fans if the heat they produce also has to be vented!)

 

Not overly dramatic at all. I'm glad things are starting to get back to whatever the new normal might be.

[eitallent]

My sympathies to you and your family.

I wish I could send you some of these from my garden to help lighten up your days.

 

[msscha]

I'm sorry to hear about your mom. Hugs.

Thank you, Metrokat.

 

My sympathies to you and your family.

I wish I could send you some of these from my garden to help lighten up your days.

 

How very beautiful, Eitallent! Thank you.

 

Not overly dramatic at all. I'm glad things are starting to get back to whatever the new normal might be.

Thank you, Markalot. I wish I'd spent more time considering what this new normal might be. Sounds silly, but since my mom was so young, I never really considered that I could/would live decades without her. Weird ! Fortunately, I am an optimistic person and she was an extraordinarily strong woman with little patience for regret, guilt, or wallowing of any kind. Or, at least that is what she taught!!

[eitallent]

Thank you, Markalot. I wish I'd spent more time considering what this new normal might be. Sounds silly, but since my mom was so young, I never really considered that I could/would live decades without her. Weird ! Fortunately, I am an optimistic person and she was an extraordinarily strong woman with little patience for regret, guilt, or wallowing of any kind. Or, at least that is what she taught!!

 

Sounds just like my Mom and Grandmom.

[msscha]

Am getting my LEDs repaired this afternoon and picking up -- or at least paying for -- the new tank, and perhaps some barnacle blennies, too! I noticed this morning that virtually all of my classic, glass aiptasia is gone. Nudribranches are doing their thing! However, the other anemone, probably an aiptasia species, but different from the well-known pest, has not abated at all. In fact, there appear to be two types: one of which is really quite beautiful, with a round face/mouth area of a fetching blue-green (pic below not great, taken with flash). Also, lfs is making a purchasing run this weekend, so I should have my gorgs and even clam by next week in time to set up the new tank -- woo hoo .

 

 

Update: blech -- cannot get LEDs dealt with today.

[msscha]

I've been trying a new light diet for the tank -- since the fans aren't work anyway, during the weekends, I am unplugging the lights altogether. This seems to be helping with the persistent brown algae. Otherwise, the tank just looks good. Not sure how to explain it -- a couple of weeks ago, it didn't. Now, it does. Hmm.

 

Found a new baby today! A tiny limpet has made its way onto the scene. I used to have a couple of limpets. I think they were killed by predatory whelks, which have since been eliminated. The yellow limpet has been around for a long while (most awesome hitchhiker!), and last week, I thought I saw a second baby one -- not yellow, though. Today, it is on the back wall and pretty distinctive. Woo hoo! The most fun part of this whole tank thing has been discovering what I really enjoy having compared to what I thought I would like. Who knew I'd be a sucker for inverts ?

 

[eitallent]

What a lovely surprise.

 

I love seeing cute new things in the tank that were not put in there intentionally.