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

[Mirya]

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?

[FlowerMama]

Mirya, those zoas are stunning. Love 'em. I don't know what the 2nd ones are though. How's your spiral coral wire? My experience has been so-so far. For me it seems to like it most in the more muted lighting of my mantis tank.

[Steensj2004]

Saw you asked about upgrades for a Nuvo 24. IMHO I would consider running dual return pumps, like Sicce .5 or 1.0's....adjustable flow rates so you would be able to adjust your return to get the flow you want, as well as redundancy should a pump quit. Was going to do the same but will likely be upgrading to a Cadlights system after my business trip this summer, so not gonna do it at this point.

[natalia_la_loca]

biutiful zoas I looove radioactive dragon eyes!

[Steensj2004]

Hey Mirya, my rock flower is acting strange. It has shrunk and seems to be only partly attached. It had been open

And happy but now seems upset or dying. It has never wanted to take much food either? Suggestions? Could my sexies be upsetting it?

[FlowerMama]

Iit's normal for it to shrink, even look like it's dying, if it doesn't like something it's like it's making a scrunchy face. it could be wanting to move so it may be trying to pick its foot up. You say it doesn't want to take food, when you feed it make sure to put the food on the tentacles. It won't usually eat if you put it at it's mouth. They can close up like a flower every night too, then open when the lights come. All that is normal. It can also scrunch up something crazy when it's going to go #2.

[Mirya]

Hey Mirya, my rock flower is acting strange. It has shrunk and seems to be only partly attached. It had been open And happy but now seems upset or dying. It has never wanted to take much food either? Suggestions? Could my sexies be upsetting it?

 

Hmmm your RFA does sound upset. I don't know if I would go so far as to say it is dying though unless the changes persist for a few days. But maybe he is just prepping himself to move to a new spot.

 

My "nursing an under the weather nem" techniques include dropping the flow (i.e. turn off power heads) and feeding daily with some rotifers. And Annette has a good point, spritz the food on the tentacles rather than into the mouth. If the nem isn't attached at all I've put them in a cup/dish with rubble to further protect from flow. I wouldn't try to detach a nem that is in any way attached though to put it in a cup.

 

I do think that my Sexies annoy some of my nems, particularly if they aren't feeling well in the first place. Lately mine have been harassing Gimp, stealing food directly from his mouth. Gimp has been gaping his mouth the past few days now. So, I've been target feeding him rotifers. I'm also contemplating thinning my Sexy shrimp herd. I am starting to think that 4 is just too much for my size tank with how heavily I feed (which is not heavily). I'm going to see if I can unload 2 or 3 in my local reef club.

[Steensj2004]

Hmmm your RFA does sound upset. I don't know if I would go so far as to say it is dying though unless the changes persist for a few days. My "nursing an under the weather nem" techniques include dropping the flow (i.e. turn off power heads) and feeding daily with some rotifers. If the nem isn't attached at all I've put them in a cup/dish with rubble to further protect from flow. I wouldn't try to detach a nem that is in any way attached though to put it in a cup.

 

I do think that my Sexies annoy some of my nems, particularly if they aren't feeling well in the first place. Lately mine have been harassing Gimp, stealing food directly from his mouth. Gimp has been gaping his mouth the past few days now. So, I've been target feeding him rotifers. I'm also contemplating thinning my Sexy shrimp herd. I am starting to think that 4 is just too much for my size tank with how heavily I feed (which is not heavily). I'm going to see if I can unload 2 or 3 in my local reef club.

 

Gotcha.....

No mouth gaping and it seems to be reattached. Kinda laying over and folded in half. Not Turing inside out but it has decreased a little in size. Just seems pissed........ It was moving around, I wonder if it is unhappy where it is? Also can't seem to get him to take food, maybe I'll try something new. My LFS is going to start selling live foods soon.... Hope he is ok though....

[Steensj2004]

The largest shrimp runs straight to it when the lights come on.... He seems to be digging at the nem?! Little sonofabeech!

[hypostatic]

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?

 

Yeah, those are the "names". Eagle eyes could also be called watermelons, it's all so subjective.

 

I think the second pic is called just "dragon eye"

[Mirya]

Thanks Hypo for the confirmation on the names!

 

So tonight I come home to find some musical anemone chairs. My little baby orange face who has sat in the same place for >3 mo is crawling down one of the Pistol Shrimp's burrows! I think that would piss off the shrimp, but I haven't heard any angry snaps.

 

Meanwhile, most of my other anemones are crawling UP the rock:

 

Gimp was looking better yesterday, but is gaping more tonight:

 

Other than Gimp, all the other anemones look good, just are on the move. I've been wracking my brains, trying to think of what has changed with the tank to account for the behavior of the nems. I did bump up my light settings about a week and a half ago. I can't make sense if it is the light why some would go closer to it and some would go further away though. The only other changes in the tank have been the addition of the frag rack and adding in the skimmer. I actually had forgotten that the skimmer was a new addition until just now. Hmmm. I think I will test parameters, since I slacked off on that last week and maybe do a mini water change tonight.

 

[FlowerMama]

I would assume the orange one would start crawling back out soon, because they'd be irritated too much and keep retracting and relaxi, retracting again. I can tell they've gotten bigger. I have some that like more light than others too.

[Mirya]

Yeah, that little orange one has done a lot of growing! As he has gotten bigger his tentacles have been getting greener too. I'm sure by tomorrow night he will be out of the Pistol shrimp burrow and somewhere else.

 

I checked my params. Everything is pretty stable with where it has been except for phosphate, which is up. Phosphate has never been low in this tank. They had been sitting around 0.06 ppm, but now they are 0.14 ppm. I think I'd be seeing more of an algal bloom if that was causing a problem though. I do run Chemipure and Purigen in the media rack -- had even changed them out close to a month ago. I did a 1g water change (15%) tonight after I checked params. I need to go change my filter floss, I am not as good about remembering to change that out and that probably doesn't help the phosphates.

[Mirya]

The good FedEx man brought me something today!

 

 

Hmmm... what could be inside?

 

Warm little bundles of joy!

 

[natalia_la_loca]

Nice choices can't wait to see them in your tank!

[FlowerMama]

ooh la la!!! almost 3 hrs later, how are they doing?

[Mirya]

The Petroglyphs, Starry Nights, and I think it is Strawberry Daiquiri all started to open. The Red Hornet and I think it is Blue Ghost were still closed. My Florida ceriths then decided they needed to investigate, so have been crawling all over the frag rack. I keep picking them off, but they are determined! The lights are off for the night now too so the rest of my zoas are going to bed anyways. Hopefully when I get home from work tomorrow I can see everyone open and get some pictures!

 

My local reef club is having a frag swap on Saturday. I've already reserved some Mindblowing palys and Rastas. Frag rack will be full! I'm also totally lusting after this St. Thomas mushroom from Salt Critters, and trying to tell myself I can make space...

[gena]

Oh gosh...you NEED that StT shroom!!!!

[FlowerMama]

Yeah, I saw that too- it struck me too- they had like 5 others but only this one had the speckled balloons, the others just looked frilly. I'm holding off though- maybe once I move some of these nems off the rock on the front right I can get one later.

 

Crazy, that almost looks like a BTA!

[Mirya]

Nice choices can't wait to see them in your tank!

 

ooh la la!!! almost 3 hrs later, how are they doing?

 

Home from work now. The new zoas have been in the tank for 24 hours. None of them have fully opened yet, so no pictures. At least every polyp has opened a hair. This morning some of them were still so scrunched up you couldn't even see a divot in their center.

[natalia_la_loca]

Good that they're starting to open, I'm sure they'll be fine. I've heaped abuse on several of mine and they're like, whatevs

 

I also find my snail pays new frags a lot of attention, which delays their opening a little but does no damage.

[FlowerMama]

I have middle of the road success with zoas.

[Maniu]

The Petroglyphs, Starry Nights, and I think it is Strawberry Daiquiri all started to open. The Red Hornet and I think it is Blue Ghost were still closed. My Florida ceriths then decided they needed to investigate, so have been crawling all over the frag rack. I keep picking them off, but they are determined! The lights are off for the night now too so the rest of my zoas are going to bed anyways. Hopefully when I get home from work tomorrow I can see everyone open and get some pictures!

 

My local reef club is having a frag swap on Saturday. I've already reserved some Mindblowing palys and Rastas. Frag rack will be full! I'm also totally lusting after this St. Thomas mushroom from Salt Critters, and trying to tell myself I can make space...

 

Better make some room ....... looks awesome. Wish I could spot one (or more) locally

[Mirya]

I have all kinds of fun news!

 

First, my Legendary zoas are still pouting over shipping. (I did 2 day instead of overnight. I should just bite the bullet next time, shouldn't I?) Most of the polyps are still sitting half open. I want them to open all the way so I can take some pretty pictures to share!

 

Second, my local reef group had a mini swap today. I managed to unload my Sansibia and one of my sexy shrimp. I like the Sansibia, but I've seen too many horror stories of it taking over tanks, so I decided that I wanted to get rid of it. The Sexy Shrimp, which I still love, are just being kind of obnoxious about food even with me target feeding them pellets. They keep harassing the anemones and nibbling on zoathid skirts and gorgonian polyps. I was only able to catch one this morning, otherwise I'm sure I could have sold the rest at the swap too.

 

I had already reserved two small frags -- some Mindblowing palys and some Rastas. I told myself I really, really shouldn't get anything else. Even though there were these amazing pink gold zoas, all types of hornet zoas, some of the nicest GB Packers I've seen, and some CAR... I was good! Until I saw the neon green Japanese dwarf toadstool. It is a green body and green polyped toadstool that is slow growing and stays small. The member who has the momma says he doesn't frag it very often since it is so slow growing. So I figured I should grab one while he had one available since it is a perfect toadstool for a nano. And my husband likes toadstools. So there ya go, total justification!

 

Left side view of the tank with the new toadstool in the center. I had just rearranged the tank so he wasn't fully polyped out. I was pretty pleased that he popped out all his polyps within a few minutes of me putting him in the tank today.

 

Third, like I already mentioned I did some rearranging in the tank today. Trying to make everything fit for now. The frag rack helps... and I rearranged stuff enough that I do think I have space for the St. Thomas Mushroom from Salt Critters on my frag rack now! Here are some other shots of the tank from tonight:

 

 

Fourth and most excitingly... I know things in the tank look super crowded and why on earth would I think of getting that St. T mushie when things are this crowded, but it is official... I'm starting up that second tank! Things are going really well with contract negotiations in terms of my job, so I decided to go ahead with purchasing the second tank supplies. So far I've gotten a stand, some inTank media baskets off eBay, a heater, and ATO.

 

I decided I'm going with the Innovative Marine Nuvo 24 for the tank. Innovative Marine has discontinued that tank in favor of the Mini 30L, so it was pretty challenging finding a place who had the Nuvo 24 in black. (Lots of places still have stock in white.) If it wasn't for the fact that I hate black siliconed corners, I would have gone with the 30L since it is low iron glass and a little bit deeper than the 24. But, I'm pretty excited for the 24, and it is supposed to arrive on Tuesday.

 

Since I will need to light this new tank, I decided to take the NanoBox plunge! the 24 will be getting a 24" Duo, and I'm upgrading the 8's light to a NanoBox Mini. Since the tanks are going to be side-by-side, I'll be controlling both lights with a Bluefish. I'm having Dave add in moonlights and use the new lime arrays.

 

I really hope there are some Memorial Day sales coming up for me to take advantage of purchasing the rest of the items I need! Now, which forum should I start my next build thread in, Member's, AIO or Biotopes?

[FlowerMama]

Hooray!! I'm really excited for you for that St. Thomas- so glad I can see it on your thread! I'm so glad that an NR member got it because it looks too pretty to pass up and hopefully it's just as beautiful as it looks.

 

And the news about the 2nd tank!! And the news about the stability of your job most and foremost. You certainly couldn't expect anything better than that. Now your nerves can probably get back to normal! Lots of fun in store for you. Love the way you're filling in this tank, your coral choices. We don't have frag swaps in the Asheville area- they tried a local club but it didn't work out for whatever reason.