Jedi's Science Reef

[ZephNYC]

Thanks

 

 

Pretty much the same as pre-married life...except now we have the above rings and 2000 pictures to sort through

 

I agree.., the only difference married life carried for me was I stopped going to the gym. LOL Then I wound up @ 315 lbs. serioiusly!!! Im FAR better at single life.

[jedimaster1138]

I agree.., the only difference married life carried for me was I stopped going to the gym. LOL Then I wound up @ 315 lbs. serioiusly!!! Im FAR better at single life.

 

LOL Nice. I can't picture you being 315 lbs!

 

OK here are some pictures I took recently of my clowns hosting the palythoas. All raw mode. No correction other than adjusting the WB.

 

 

 

 

I have some more at home to upload that are also hilarious because you can barely see mama clown sticking out of the polyps. Just a little bit of face/fin. heh

[metrokat]

Joe, I'm thinking mama clown is ready for some babies. The top half of her is darker and she looks about 3 inches. Is that accurate?

[jedimaster1138]

Joe, I'm thinking mama clown is ready for some babies. The top half of her is darker and she looks about 3 inches. Is that accurate?

 

It's certainly possible. Is the darker top half a sign of impending spawning? I'd say yeah she's about... 2 1/2 to 3 inches and plump. Eats like a horse.

 

I've had that one about 1 1/2 years. Actually a tad bit less. Originally purchased with another one from LA. Both are tank bred. I lost the other one a week or two after the tank swap this past February. One day it was fine, the next it looked all discolored, the next gone. Then about 2+ months later at the Swap I bought the Snowflake you see in the pictures and they IMMEDIATELY became best friends. I mean withing 10 seconds in the tank they were besties. I figured they would get along as the snowflake is 1/2 the size. Everything I read said that you can usually add a clownfish to an existing, established one as long as the new one is a juvenile ie not a spawn ready female. Appears to be proof in this case at least, so far.

 

Anyway, a few days after introduction, they were best friends, and mama, at least that's what I started calling her then, started hosting the Pink Palythoas. Snowflake quickly joined the polyp wiggling party. Now they full on sleep in the cluster. See the pictures below.

 

Also, a new, odd, development tonight...Mama is trying to host my Sour Apple palythoas which are clear on the other side of the tank, 4 1/2 feet away. She's all wiggling in them and trying to get between them. The Sour Apples though have short stems, so not so much a great thing to host. Of course I have a small-ish hammer coral and a 6" neon frogspawn, but they haven't gone near it.

 

So... very interesting.

 

Also the Domino and b/w in my kitchen nano have been together > 2 years and still haven't spawned. How funny would it be with the oranges in the big tank spawn at half the age and 1/10th the time together? Heh

 

 

 

 

[metrokat]

Cute pictures. What is the size difference between the 2 fish in this tank and in the nano? Like if mama is 3 inches, how big is patchy?

[jedimaster1138]

How low a pH is too low? I know what really matters is alkalinity/dKH aka carbonate content, but my pH is consistently low. It varies about 7.75 to 7.95 I haven't seen 8 much, if ever.

 

dKH is around 8, most of the time. Though I recently read a Randy Holmes Farley article that concludes if your pH is low, you want to keep alkalinity higher so corals can get enough carbonate to build their skeletons. That makes sense to me. I'm thinking I need to run my dKH at more like 9.

 

I've started adding kalkwasser to my ATO to offset the pH deficiency, but now I'm having to adjust my alk AND calcium dosing to compensate...this much at least is a work in progress. I guess that's not a bad thing...kalk powder is cheap and saves me on 2 part, but at the same time it's more difficult to regulate because evaporation isn't 100% consistent especially with this schizophrenic weather we've been having.

 

So...yeah... anyone have a 2 cents? Should I care that my pH is consistently 7.75 to 7.95?

 

FWIW - i conquered that brown algae bloom. 4 weeks of Dr. Tim's Waste Away melted it away. I also wonder if the Dr. Tim's might have something to do with the pH...

 

Cute pictures. What is the size difference between the 2 fish in this tank and in the nano? Like if mama is 3 inches, how big is patchy?

 

Of the 4, mama domino is the biggest, followed by probably mama orange, but then b/w (the male) is right behind her, if not the same. Snowflake is definitely the peanut.

[jedimasterben]

Your pH is fine. Never, ever worry about pH unless it's getting into the 7.5ish range - in which case something is pretty wrong - either alk is super low, dissolved CO₂ is ultra high, or, well, those are pretty much two that would do it most often lol.

[jedimaster1138]

Your pH is fine. Never, ever worry about pH unless it's getting into the 7.5ish range - in which case something is pretty wrong - either alk is super low, dissolved CO₂ is ultra high, or, well, those are pretty much two that would do it most often lol.

 

Right. It's not that I'm chasing it. I just don't get it. 7.75 is fraking low. It's not that I'm running low dKH, salinity, etc. Something doesn't sit well with this. I'm also running my refugium light 18 hours a day and chaeto is growing like a weed.

 

I tried a Randy Holmes Fairley test the other day... tested pH of a cup of water, aerated for an hour, tested again, same reading. Took a different cup, tested, aerated outside for an hour, tested again...no change. That says it's not CO2 in my apartment, at least that's how I interpret the chemistry. Unless it's NYC. Hah

 

I dunno, maybe I'm looking for trouble. I altered my alkalinity dosage to raise dKH higher, more like 9. We'll see if I can actually get there and stable.

 

Things look OK, so I guess I shouldn't complain. Hair on the back of my neck needs to stop wiggling though, then I'd feel better.

[metrokat]

Of the 4, mama domino is the biggest, followed by probably mama orange, but then b/w (the male) is right behind her, if not the same. Snowflake is definitely the peanut.

No I was wondering of the size diff between the pairs in each tank, not between all the fish. If mama is 4, what size is her mate?

Then if mama orange is 3, what size is her mate?

[jedimaster1138]

No I was wondering of the size diff between the pairs in each tank, not between all the fish. If mama is 4, what size is her mate?

Then if mama orange is 3, what size is her mate?

 

Apologies. My brain is the broked.

 

In the 120g, ie the orange clowns... mama is probably... 3" Maybe a little less. Little snow flake male is probably barely 2". He's a peanut.

 

In the nano, mama domino is a big girl. She's definitely 3"++ and plump. Maybe 3 and a half. Her hubby is definitely over 2", probably 2 1/2.

 

Looks like my low pH problem might have been a badly calibrated probe. I did a 20% water change last night and at the same time re-calibrated my Apex pH probe. Upon putting it back in the tank, it immediately showed 8.38, with a proper trend so far the last half day. We'll see what it looks like the rest of the week. I have a small, stand alone, hand held pH probe coming tomorrow, Wednesday, that I'll use to verify things. I suppose the probe could also be going bad...we'll see. It also appears that my Salifert colormetric pH test is bogus...or I don't know how to tell the difference between different shades of green.

 

If this is indeed the case, and pH is fine, I might discontinue kalkwasser as part of my ATO reservoir. It's just easier to calculate everything with 2/3-part. I like the affordability and ease of use of kalk, but it's going to abuse my ATO pump long term, and I'm paranoid about screwing up or having rapid swings in dKH. Plus evaporation is hard to predict in my situation.

[jedimaster1138]

Got this today: http://uniquecorals.com/default/coral/sps/acropora-valida-dr-bali-tricolor-valida-1-wysiwyg-frag-1899.html

 

Not sure where to put it...thinking middle ish...

[jedimaster1138]

New FTS posted on the front page, still working on filling out the list of stock too, but here's the FTS ... taken late in the day, mostly blue light.

 

[jedimaster1138]

Per Kat's request: Strawberry Shortcake from UC. Tyree Ultimate Stag behind it. I have a *really* hard time getting a picture of this guy from the front. It's far back in my tank and I just can't get the focus right. I have try overhead.

 

 

2 of my Ignitus and 1 Dispar Anthias decided to cooperate for the camera tonight. Heh

 

[eitallent]

So nice! Pink fish are so sweet.

[metrokat]

[jedimasterben]

I miss my anthias

[ZephNYC]

Nice Anthias!!! Ill stop by this week for sure.

[ZephNYC]

PS, your'e lucky those anthias have never really required quarantine. Although it would be smart to do if you add more.

[jedimaster1138]

PS, your'e lucky those anthias have never really required quarantine. Although it would be smart to do if you add more.

 

Yeah they seem to be a bit disease repellent, which is nice. I've heard that from a few places. I got the Ignitus off Diver's Den, so I figured they'd be OK. Plus I feel like QT is a rough run on anthias ... they are constantly eating the pods and other buggers that float around my water or collect on the glass from the fugue (I added a bunch of pods recently)....so without an extensive QT set up, which I don't have room for... yeah. Might do more harm than good. But we can all debate the merits of QT all day.

 

QT is a PITA for me these days anyway and I hate to bug you too much to help, though I appreciate it and might ask in the future should I pick up another tang.....though I'm not sure if I ever will. I had planned all along to add a yellow tang, but everything I've read says that there could be mortal combat between the YT and the CBB, and I like my Copperband. Makes sense. Zebrasomas and CBB's have similar body shapes and YT's can be jerks anyway. And everyone has a YT. LOL I think if I add another tang it will be a Ctenochaetus - either another Kole or maybe a Tomini, unless LA ever gets white tails in stock (hah) I could use the algae control anyway. Big Blue isn't much of a grazer but the bristlemouths are awesome. I want to make sure I get a baby one though ... < 2". I don't want Big Blue and the CBB to have take any guff from a similarly sized tang.

 

Next additions will be a yellow coris wrasse for bristle worm control and their awesome yellow color and personality followed by a group of Lyretail Anthias. I haven't decided on Indo/Fiji or Maldives. I'm definitely getting all female though and letting one go male.

 

I've also considered adding more Ignitus (females, I have one male and 2 females).

[ZephNYC]

Yeah they seem to be a bit disease repellent, which is nice. I've heard that from a few places. I got the Ignitus off Diver's Den, so I figured they'd be OK. Plus I feel like QT is a rough run on anthias ... they are constantly eating the pods and other buggers that float around my water or collect on the glass from the fugue (I added a bunch of pods recently)....so without an extensive QT set up, which I don't have room for... yeah. Might do more harm than good. But we can all debate the merits of QT all day.

 

QT is a PITA for me these days anyway and I hate to bug you too much to help, though I appreciate it and might ask in the future should I pick up another tang.....though I'm not sure if I ever will. I had planned all along to add a yellow tang, but everything I've read says that there could be mortal combat between the YT and the CBB, and I like my Copperband. Makes sense. Zebrasomas and CBB's have similar body shapes and YT's can be jerks anyway. And everyone has a YT. LOL I think if I add another tang it will be a Ctenochaetus - either another Kole or maybe a Tomini, unless LA ever gets white tails in stock (hah) I could use the algae control anyway. Big Blue isn't much of a grazer but the bristlemouths are awesome. I want to make sure I get a baby one though ... < 2". I don't want Big Blue and the CBB to have take any guff from a similarly sized tang.

 

Next additions will be a yellow coris wrasse for bristle worm control and their awesome yellow color and personality followed by a group of Lyretail Anthias. I haven't decided on Indo/Fiji or Maldives. I'm definitely getting all female though and letting one go male.

 

I've also considered adding more Ignitus (females, I have one male and 2 females).

 

Hey if you ever want me to QT a fish for you dont be shy!! I love doing stuff like that for my friends. I encourage my friends to take advantage of all the crap I have. It makes me feel more worth while..LOL. I always joke how Kat makes more cash fragging and selling from her one little nano, then I do with rooms full of reefs. But All in good fun.

Youre right in that QT'ing anthias can be detrimental. Mostly because they are schooling fish and like big tanks. Im happy I dont see anthias very often on NR. As you know My QT tank is 125 G and i always have great success quarantining them. Ive added 3 Avansi's and a Whopper find - a male Pictilis that eats everything including flake food. I realllllylucked out they are close to impossible to get one eating within weeks of acclimation. I also just added a small 6line wrasse, which is the cutest little thing and insanely colorfull.

Oh also I had a CBB in my 210 for years with 4 yellow tangs and others and dont recall ever having a problem.

[metrokat]

How is the tort frag?

[jedimaster1138]

How is the tort frag?

 

At the moment, a nice shade of evergreen tree. In a few years I can hang lights on it for Christmas! LOL We'll see how it pans out. Nice PE. I have it at about 1/4 light right now. Also it's late, thus my lights are skewed towards blue and not bright. I'll be able to better comment this weekend when I'm actually home during peak hours. You can see it in the picture below, at the bottom right. If it really is an Oregon Blue Acropora tortuosa, I had a spot at the top of my aquascape all ready for it... I guess we'll see.

 

 

Zephy, center frame is the big ORA Purple Stylophora pistallata colony/frag. It's yours if you want it. I'd say about 3" in diameter, 2 ish tall.

 

For those who are bored...

 

Far left, ORA Ponape Birdsnest. The aforementioned ORA Purple stylo, ORA Blue Voodoo. Below that the also aforementioned "blue tort". And bottom left, an ATL Montipora setosa via Jason Fox. Immediately between the Purple stylo and the setosa is an unknown acropora frag that UC sent me with my last order. I think it's a tenius, but the jury is still out. The setosa, ponape and blue voodoo are glued down and that's where they are going to live. The unknown UC piece, new tort, and purple stylo are just there loose until I figure out what to do with them.

 

For your pleasure, a wide shot of my main purple stylo colony among others...

 

 

Top to bottom....

 

ORA Birds of Paradise

ORA Purple Stylophora pistalatta

Spiderman zoanthids

ORA Green birdsnest

Jason Fox fruit loop zoanthids

I'm not sure what the pink palythoas are that the clowns host...can someone ID them for me? I've heard Pink zippers, pink rhinos, armor of the gods...

Some other zoas I'm too lazy to name now. Just look at the first post in my thread

 

Hey if you ever want me to QT a fish for you dont be shy!! I love doing stuff like that for my friends. I encourage my friends to take advantage of all the crap I have. It makes me feel more worth while..LOL. I always joke how Kat makes more cash fragging and selling from her one little nano, then I do with rooms full of reefs. But All in good fun.

Youre right in that QT'ing anthias can be detrimental. Mostly because they are schooling fish and like big tanks. Im happy I dont see anthias very often on NR. As you know My QT tank is 125 G and i always have great success quarantining them. Ive added 3 Avansi's and a Whopper find - a male Pictilis that eats everything including flake food. I realllllylucked out they are close to impossible to get one eating within weeks of acclimation. I also just added a small 6line wrasse, which is the cutest little thing and insanely colorfull.

Oh also I had a CBB in my 210 for years with 4 yellow tangs and others and dont recall ever having a problem.

 

You're a good man Zeph. A really good man. If anyone says otherwise, you send them to me. I'm a lot tougher than I look

 

You added the Copperband to the reef with the 4 Yellow Tangs already in there for a long time right? And the YT's were large at the time right? How did the CBB compare, size wise to them? This is your 210 right? That's a 6 footer? I wonder if i'd have a different experience in my 120g 5 footer.I also wonder if your other tangs are the boss and have made submissives out of the YT's... hmm. I wonder if my big blue would do the same to a new YT, Maybe in the fall if I can find a 1" YT and if my CBB is a good palm sized by then. He still doesn't do dry food, but hunts all day and eats most types of frozen and of course worms. Speaking of worms, I went to Petland today - they didn't get any worms this week! FOR SHAME

 

Hey whatever happened to the Powder Brown I gave you that terrified my poor blue hippo? I know you got him healthy in QT, did he migrate to another tank and is playing nice?

 

Anthias are gorgeous. Like GORGEOUS. They look fantastic under super bright lights too, which is key. So many other reef fish hide all day during the peak of the lighting cycle...my anthias seem to like being out in them and also photograph well then. heh I love em. I also like that you can keep multiple species and they don't really scrap between species. I'm looking forward to adding more.

 

I need to figure out what the frak to do about my chiller. I need to hide it in something. It's too butt ugly to leave out in the dining room...Wife won't be down with that and frankly neither am I. I'm thinking about a 24x12 aquarium stand and I'll cut out a bunch of vent holes and install some 120mm PC fans to feed it fresh air and suck out the hot air.

[BluCrab]

This tank is TOP NOTCH!

[metrokat]

At the moment, a nice shade of evergreen tree. In a few years I can hang lights on it for Christmas! LOL We'll see how it pans out. Nice PE. I have it at about 1/4 light right now. Also it's late, thus my lights are skewed towards blue and not bright. I'll be able to better comment this weekend when I'm actually home during peak hours. You can see it in the picture below, at the bottom right. If it really is an Oregon Blue Acropora tortuosa, I had a spot at the top of my aquascape all ready for it... I guess we'll see.

 

Oh that is a brilliant green tort. It was teal in Tito's tank under halides. Not an Oregon blue by a long shot, should I complain?

[jedimaster1138]

Oh that is a brilliant green tort. It was teal in Tito's tank under halides. Not an Oregon blue by a long shot, should I complain?

 

It's for sure not an Oregon Blue. Kinda funny actually.

 

It's all good. No need to complain. Atlantis has em...I'll probably pick one up soon. Thanks though. I have a feeling it's going to turn out pretty anyway, that's really all that matters.