Mirya's Mini Garden (Nuvo 8) - Yasha Love Shack

[Maniu]

[frankdr]

Happy B-Day. The next best thing to starting a new tank is watching somebody you know start theirs..

[Polarcollision]

Tank update!

 

 

Ignore the diatom bloom. It of course came at the end of my cycle. Fortunately, my local reef group was doing a group buy through Reef Cleaners, so I got some very industrious dwarf ceriths who have really cleared those diatoms since I took that picture a few days ago. I'm still futzing with the settings on my Razor, trying to balance what makes the nem flouresce nice without making the tank too blue.

 

My husband and I did a mini-road trip over the weekend visiting a bunch of LFS. Some were an hour away, so maybe not quite so local. I picked up 2 colorful rock flower anemones and a Yasha goby/pistol shrimp pair. One flower new has nice orange flourescing tentacles and a blueish face. The other has blue tentacles and an orange flourescing face. Unfortunately, the later of the 2 nems has set up home on the back of my rockwork. I'm hope he realizes he is in the shade back there and crawls around to the light in the front. The pistol shrimp is shy, but super industrious. (I'm glad I epoxied all my rockwork together and have it seated on the bottom of the tank!) The goby was shy for the first 2 days, but once she realized I was the provider of brine shrimp, she has been very outgoing.

 

 

 

Awww. So cute! I've heard that this shrimp is a little more civilized than other shrimp gobies. I'd love to get one paired with a yellow watchman, but a little worried about adding a shrimp. I vowed never to own any kind of shrimp after bad experience with them. The relationship is just awesome enough to really consider it. How's yours behaving?

 

And here they are! Not all the polyps are open yet, but I figure they are still settling. I wanted more of the Eagle Eye polyps, but I couldn't pass up on these gorgeous Radioactive Dragon Eyes. (For you Z&P lovers, think I'm guessing the names right?)

 

Here is another rock of Vietnamese Zoas I got from the same store about a month ago. Any ideas what these might be called?

 

Dragon eyes, at least that's what they were sold to me as

[Mirya]

Well then, Happy Birthday this weekend.

 

Happy future birthday

 

Happy Birthday weekend

 

Happy Birthday to you!!! Best Wishes and hope coral shopping goes your way!!!!

 

 

Happy B-Day.

 

Thanks guys and gals! I had a really nice birthday (weekend). Beautiful weather. Nice trail run. Delicious wings followed by a glorious food coma... Then I watched the Jason Fox live sale. Didn't manage to buy anything though, things were selling within seconds of being posted. Even discounted, a lot of his stuff is a bit too pricey for me. Plus, I don't feel comfortable making the leap to stony corals yet. But, his stuff sure is purdy! Saturday night one of my co-workers who moonlights as the lead singer in a cover band, was playing at a bar near my apartment so I dropped by. Yesterday the weather continued to be beautiful. A friend invited me over to her place for lunch on her patio. A meal of grilled veggies with grilled peaches for dessert was a nice counter-balance for my wings gluttony the day before. She also gave me some tomato plants and pepper plants. We'll see if I don't kill them. (I have a blue thumb only, no green thumb!) Today I'm going to hit up one of the local running stores for their Memorial Day sale, spray paint the screen frame I made for the 24, then settle in for the Saltcritters.com live sale.

 

It's going to suck going back to work tomorrow.

 

Awww. So cute! I've heard that this shrimp is a little more civilized than other shrimp gobies. I'd love to get one paired with a yellow watchman, but a little worried about adding a shrimp. I vowed never to own any kind of shrimp after bad experience with them. The relationship is just awesome enough to really consider it. How's yours behaving?

 

My Pistol Shrimp is really well mannered. (Which is more than I can say for the Sexy shrimp...) He hasn't killed any of the Sexy shrimp, the Pom Pom crab or the snails (that I know of, but who can keep track of all their snails?) Though honestly, if anyone was dumb enough to go into the entrance of his burrow and he did take them out, it was just Darwinian. He has grown a lot since I got him, but is still only about an inch long which I believe is about where the Red banded pistols max out. Much smaller than some of the other pistol shrimp out there which probably helps. The only "drawback" to the pistol is what I was mentioning recently to Natalia -- he will rearrange the sand and frags within 4" of his burrow as he sees fit. Nightly. I'm ok with this because I love watching him work and this is a natural activity for him. If you don't mind that aspect, I say get a Red banded pistol for your YWG. It really is a fun relationship to watch!

[Polarcollision]

My Pistol Shrimp is really well mannered. (Which is more than I can say for the Sexy shrimp...) He hasn't killed any of the Sexy shrimp, the Pom Pom crab or the snails (that I know of, but who can keep track of all their snails?) Though honestly, if anyone was dumb enough to go into the entrance of his burrow and he did take them out, it was just Darwinian. He has grown a lot since I got him, but is still only about an inch long which I believe is about where the Red banded pistols max out. Much smaller than some of the other pistol shrimp out there which probably helps. The only "drawback" to the pistol is what I was mentioning recently to Natalia -- he will rearrange the sand and frags within 4" of his burrow as he sees fit. Nightly. I'm ok with this because I love watching him work and this is a natural activity for him. If you don't mind that aspect, I say get a Red banded pistol for your YWG. It really is a fun relationship to watch!

 

This is exactly what I hoped to hear! Especially the part about not killing the pom pom crab. I'm pretty fond of it even if I only see it patrolling in the middle of the night. So I guess they pick their location and stay there? The only two downsides I see right now is that it could pick a burrow behind the long scape where I wouldn't ever see it. The WP25 is strongest there, so hopefully that's a discouragement to a future YWG. The other concern is that it picks a burrow near where the wrasse sleeps in the rock. Would hate to loose favorite fish.. Maybe some brilliant reefer out there has tips for encouraging them to pick a spot!

[Mirya]

I will have some shinies coming in a few days! Here are a few samples of zoas I got from the Saltcritters Live Sale that will be remaining in this tank after I set-up the 24:

 

 

So I guess they pick their location and stay there? The only two downsides I see right now is that it could pick a burrow behind the long scape where I wouldn't ever see it. The WP25 is strongest there, so hopefully that's a discouragement to a future YWG. The other concern is that it picks a burrow near where the wrasse sleeps in the rock. Would hate to loose favorite fish.. Maybe some brilliant reefer out there has tips for encouraging them to pick a spot!

 

My pistol shrimp has picked one rock that he lives under, but will build different exits out from under it. Sometimes there are two exits at once even. Fortunately most of the exits are in readily viewable areas. Since I target feed in front of the burrow, I guess the shrimp has realized it is in his best interests to keep the exits in a spot accessible to me. As for encouraging them to pick a spot, alas I don't have any tricks.

 

 

[Polarcollision]

I will have some shinies coming in a few days! Here are a few samples of zoas I got from the Saltcritters Live Sale that will be remaining in this tank after I set-up the 24:

 

 

My pistol shrimp has picked one rock that he lives under, but will build different exits out from under it. Sometimes there are two exits at once even. Fortunately most of the exits are in readily viewable areas. Since I target feed in front of the burrow, I guess the shrimp has realized it is in his best interests to keep the exits in a spot accessible to me. As for encouraging them to pick a spot, alas I don't have any tricks.

 

Brilliant idea! I think I'm going shrimp shopping tomorrow. :-) Gorgeous zoas you picked up today! We are going to have to make some exchanges in the future. I kinda need the yellow/pink/purple ones. I'm sure I've got something you can't live without, too.

[hypostatic]

those are some highly supersaturated photos lol

[Mirya]

those are some highly supersaturated photos lol

 

Heh, they post photos under 10k lights on their site as well. They of course look completely different, but not bad under 10k. I know in my tank they will look like something else completely different from either of those pictures though! And then when I get my NanoBox... it will be even better!

 

On average I paid about $7 per frag plug of Zoas and $5 per polyp of Ricordea. I also scored free shipping. So I figured at those prices, even if I get some pieces I don't like in person, it was all a good deal.

[FlowerMama]

Great prices, they still have varieties that I don't see elsewhere sometimes- I like all your colors.

[Mirya]

 

I bought just a few things...

 

 

Not everything ended up in my tank though! I delivered some rics and zoas to fellow Nano-Reefer, Gnatster. He is recovering from a heart attack and triple bypass, so I've been helping him out with maintenance on his 5 gallon pico. I figured it will be awhile before he can visit any LFS, so I'd deliver some goodies to him.

 

 

This was for me, a $5 RFA! He'll eventually go into the 24 once it is set up. He looks like a lemon meringue pie. I wonder what his colors will do over time. Is he bleached now or is this his actual coloring? I'm betting he is going to darken up a bit and get greener. Right now his tentacles fluoresce highlighter yellow.

 

 

Frag rack is pretty full. The zoas are cranky since I was moving the rack around a bit. But everyone who arrived today was open before I started mucking around in the tank. The zoas I got from Legendary the other week have been slowly perking up. I definitely learned my lesson, I'm overnighting next time I order from Darwin!

 

In addition to the RFA and zoas, there is a frag of Lepastrea I picked up, 2 St. Thomas mushrooms which weren't fully fluffed out yet so I didn't photograph them, and a whole Ricordea garden.

[FlowerMama]

Who doesn't like a nice big package! I think your nem will be pretty. She has colors. This is what mine was at the start from them- bleached and small.

 

Then- just a little thing 1.25".

 

now...over 3 inches.

 

[Mirya]

 

Who doesn't like a nice big package! I think your nem will be pretty. She has colors. This is what mine was at the start from them- bleached and small.

 

That's what she said.

 

(Sorry, my inner 10 year old boy couldn't resist!)

 

Anyway, I love how the zebra stripes really popped out on yours as she settled/matured.

 

I woke up this morning to find that Meringue is HUGE. (Yes, that's what she said.)

 

 

Holy %^&* I bought a nem on roids!

[FlowerMama]

She's awfully pretty I think in lavender w/ green & white tentacles. How many inches is she?

[ninjamyst]

My nem from Saltcritters was really bleached too when I got it. It colored back up quickly after I fed it almost daily. Here are some comparison shots:

 

Before

https://flic.kr/p/iEhTZR'>

 

After

https://flic.kr/p/jzVsnz'>

 

I think yours will turn out lime green? A huge, pretty nem for $5. Only at Mr. Salty will you find those deals!

[metrokat]

I'm late to the party. A very happy birthday. nems can really stretch out, mine looks like a sunflower all the time.

[Mirya]

So, my husband was asking me why I was taking pics of the tank this morning. I told him to come over and look at how huge Meringue had gotten. His comment, "Looks like a Georgia O'Keefe painting." Well now I can't get that image out of my head.

 

She's awfully pretty I think in lavender w/ green & white tentacles. How many inches is she?

 

Guessing in the 4-5" range. I think the lavender is the lights. She is practically translucent in her center.

 

My nem from Saltcritters was really bleached too when I got it. It colored back up quickly after I fed it almost daily. Here are some comparison shots:

 

I think yours will turn out lime green? A huge, pretty nem for $5. Only at Mr. Salty will you find those deals!

 

Oh, I liked how yours colored up! I've never seen bleached out RFAs before, so I didn't know it was something that could happen to them. It'll be neat taking sequential pictures of this one as she colors up.

 

I'm late to the party. A very happy birthday. nems can really stretch out, mine looks like a sunflower all the time.

 

Thanks Kat, welcome to the party!

[gena]

I bought just a few things...

 

Holy moley!!!!!

 

 

I've never seen a box so packed with frags .

[FlowerMama]

OMG, that's huge!!! best $5 ever!

[Mirya]

Everyone decided to snuggle tonight:

[FlowerMama]

Love it, the rock is almost fully covered but once they all grow more it'll be blanketed!! wouldn't be surprised if you spawned in here. You & Gena both. Some babies are due!

[hypostatic]

man look at that party

[frankdr]

.. wouldn't be surprised if you spawned in here. You & Gena both. Some babies are due!

Here... Let me help edit that for you..

 

wouldn't be surprised if you spawned in here.

to

wouldn't be surprised if your nems spawned in here.

 

well.. maybe I liked the original better

[gena]

Everyone decided to snuggle tonight:

That's a cute picture .

[Mirya]

I was out of town for most of this week at a business meeting. My husband, despite his fears, took good care of the tank while I was gone. Honestly, all I had him do was feed on one day, otherwise everything else just took care of itself. The tank itself probably appreciated not having any hands in it for a few days!

 

I took a bunch of pictures of the tank tonight, both to update this thread and to get some shots for my local reef club's picture of the month contest. This month the theme is "anemone." Ha! First I got a picture that actually captures all 10 of my anemones:

 

But then I took a pic of one of my favorite nems, and I think this is the picture I will submit for the contest. I love his yellow mouth and the purple highlights on the tips of his tentacles. He is a VIP anemone:

 

Here is an update on how Meringue is looking. Not a huge difference yet, though I think there are starting to be some green highlights around her mouth. They don't come out in the picture well though.

 

And for you toadstool fans out there, is a slightly closer picture of my Japanese dwarf toadstool:

 

The Palythoa grandis I got from Tidal Gardens a few months back. I'm really pleased with them. I hope once I get my NanoBox that they start to get some green in them! And in the background you can see that the trumpets are pretty happy even though they had all that tissue recession.

 

I have this fun little tiny LPS hitchhiker on the plug my spiral wire coral is on. It almost always has some feeding tentacles out. Any ideas on what it may be? Some brain or something? You can tell by the size of the Nerite snail in the background that it isn't very big. Less than a centimeter in diameter.

 

Here are half the Ricordea I got from Saltcritters live sale. All fluffy and happy.

 

And last... one of my St. Thomas mushrooms from Saltcritters. This one is quite happy and fluffy. The other one, IDK if it will make it. It looks half melted and upset. (It is on the other side of the plug that this one is on.) I moved the plug to a different area of the tank with less flow (though they were already in a low flow area) to see if that helps it bounce back.