Natalia's Nuvo 8 Zoa Garden...RETIRED!

[amphipod]

I dimmed the lights.I think my power supply had more power than the old one that frizzed out, so my tank might have been too bright (at its former settings). Things closed down and shrank. I noticed that the re-opened zoas appear bleached. SO I am hoping that my diagnosis is correct. I have had some issue with a mystery virus or something, but now it appears to be the zoas are opening again, finally after a few weeks. I hope they recover from their bleaching.

how badly were they bleached?

[Sunstar]

they are quite pale, but still have colour in their faces. However, the colony by this point had spread elsewhere and that colony was somewhat sheltered. So all is not lost actually. even a slightly sheltered bit of that bleached colony was protected. Basically they should be okay, I just hope they can recover. oddly another colony bleached in my 10 gallon, and I moved it to recover in the pico. Again that colony has a couple frags elsewhere doing well. The second question that comes to mind, is the heat having an impact? I have been struggling to keep it cool. My home was 32°c today. I have fans directly on the tank.

[amphipod]

they are quite pale, but still have colour in their faces. However, the colony by this point had spread elsewhere and that colony was somewhat sheltered. So all is not lost actually. even a slightly sheltered bit of that bleached colony was protected. Basically they should be okay, I just hope they can recover. oddly another colony bleached in my 10 gallon, and I moved it to recover in the pico. Again that colony has a couple frags elsewhere doing well. The second question that comes to mind, is the heat having an impact? I have been struggling to keep it cool. My home was 32°c today. I have fans directly on the tank.

that's kinda good news because as long as some are good and there still is color, some of the dinoflagellates on the corals are still alive, and even a fully bleached coral can sometimes get back what was lost when those dinoflagellates in other polyps start to reproduce.

Heat can have an impact, corals can take temperature fluctuations, but sustained high temperatures are not what the animals are adapted for.

[natalia_la_loca]

no major news, the tank still continues to recover little by little.

 

Snitches (left) appear to be fully recovered. Rastas and rings of fire are not all the way back but looking better.

 

The ultra rastas (right) were also closed for weeks but are opening now.

 

And, I've been playing with the DeepDream photo filter, which turns images into bizarre psychedelic dreamscapes of dogs, birds, grotesque faces and ghost buildings. This is a nighttime shot of the kenya trees in my damsel tank.

 

And this is my partner's planted tank. DeepDream turned the tetras into multi-limbed mutant pig-dogs.

[Mirya]

I hit "like" because I love those snitches. Otherwise I'm kinda creeped out! Neat program though.

[natalia_la_loca]

haha, yes it's a little creepy

[amphipod]

good thing the zoas are feeling better.

 

 

 

 

 

now I know what meth looks like

[vlangel]

Oooh, I am not sure I can look at images from the Deep Dream filter without getting nightmares. LOL I am loving the zoas coming back though.

[natalia_la_loca]

It's interesting, the images in DeepDream really have some similarities to things I used to "see" during my...ahem...wilder days.

[amphipod]

It's interesting, the images in DeepDream really have some similarities to things I used to "see" during my...ahem...wilder days.

let's be glad those days are over lol,how old are you anyways?

[natalia_la_loca]

let's be glad those days are over lol,how old are you anyways?

I'm glad they're over, but they sure were fun I'm between 22 and 134.

[vlangel]

I'm glad they're over, but they sure were fun I'm between 22 and 134.

Hey me too, that is between the ages of 22 and 134! LOL

[natalia_la_loca]

[amphipod]

I'm glad they're over, but they sure were fun I'm between 22 and 134.

what could be fun about drugs, its like giving the steering wheel to an angry chimpanzee and expecting to be taken to your destination.

[Nanofreak79]

Drugs.....hmmm, memories, or not? I'm 36 according to my profile, it won't let me change it, get an error message. I've given up : )

[amphipod]

Drugs.....hmmm, memories, or not? I'm 36 according to my profile, it won't let me change it, get an error message. I've given up : )

I am 16, but it won't be in my profile because it wants my birthday, and I don't want my birthday in public.

[natalia_la_loca]

what could be fun about drugs, its like giving the steering wheel to an angry chimpanzee and expecting to be taken to your destination.

 

What drugs? I was talking about transcendental meditation. Controlled substances are bad.

[gena]

It's interesting, the images in DeepDream really have some similarities to things I used to "see" during my...ahem...wilder days.

That's enough to deter me from ever even thinking about getting involved with "transcendental meditation" LOL.

 

Zoas are looking purdiful .

[natalia_la_loca]

Still looking good. The miami vice zoas have a new head, the first since the crash. Petroglyphs are popping out all over the place. I don't think the dragon eyes are going to make it though.

 

 

A trip down memory lane: Here are the petroglyphs when I first got them.

 

The searchlights seem to be happy with their new home. Utter chaos have I think 10-11 heads now.

 

These are the utter chaos shortly after they arrived from Legendary Corals last year:

 

The UC "fire hornets" were looking pissy last week but are happy this week.

[natalia_la_loca]

No news really. Just a new FTS.

 

 

One thing I haven't talked about much lately is the vermetid snail infestation in this tank. (It's pretty obvious if you look at any of the close-up pictures.) I was kind of hoping the Flatworm Exit overdose would kill the vermetids, but nope, it only killed expensive zoas

 

I've pretty much given up on getting rid of the vermetids because there are huge numbers of them, and they don't seem to be killing or seriously irritating the zoas. So here they stay.

[amphipod]

vermetids are pretty nice, they are a little sessile cuc member, about as useful as mini brittle stars ( actually more so).

Their biggest issue is they sometimes bother sps corals.

 

There are predators of the vermetids, I just don't recommend that because it is very risky, all it takes is a little misidentification and that innocent worm actually kills polychaete instead of vermetid.

Also obtaining them can be difficult.

[natalia_la_loca]

yeah, I looked into vermetid predators a few months ago. All I found were shaky anecdotes about hermit crabs. I had a Halloween hermit in there for a while, but he didn't eat vermetids and was irritating the zoas more than the vermetids were. So he's living happily in my damsel tank now.

[teenyreef]

The only way I've been able to control vermetid snails in! 4g is to remove the rocks and crush the snails with a pair of long nose pliers. Repeat every couple months.

 

I don't mind them too much on their own, but they completely took over my tank and I had to do something.

[natalia_la_loca]

The only way I've been able to control vermetid snails in! 4g is to remove the rocks and crush the snails with a pair of long nose pliers. Repeat every couple months.

 

I don't mind them too much on their own, but they completely took over my tank and I had to do something.

I know, i saw that you did that. I guess I'm just too squeamish (and/or lazy) to take down the whole tank every couple months and crunch vermetids. It would be a colossal task at this point, and traumatic to the more fragile zoas. Maybe this will be a vermetid garden in a year, lol.

[vlangel]

I know, i saw that you did that. I guess I'm just too squeamish (and/or lazy) to take down the whole tank every couple months and crunch vermetids. It would be a colossal task at this point, and traumatic to the more fragile zoas. Maybe this will be a vermetid garden in a year, lol.

That's the adaptable spirit!