Chris' CAD Lights 45g Shallow : Another Re-Scape (Video)

[cnseekatz]

Shhhh....

 

[ReefWeeds]

Shhhh....

 

 

aww. That's so cute! Nice photos BTW!!!! As always

[cnseekatz]

These guys are kicking ass against aiptasia. The last few I've put in were pretty useless. I guess if you have a problem, you just need to keep trying.

 

[Benny314]

Peps are always hit an miss. Watch them for turning on your coral when they run out of aiptasia.

[cnseekatz]

Peps are always hit an miss. Watch them for turning on your coral when they run out of aiptasia.

 

I've never had a problem with peppermints going rogue, and didn't even realize that was a possibility. I'll definitely keep an eye out though. They do seem to be getting bolder now that all the aiptasia are gone.

 

I think I might try and catch one or two and transfer them down into my fuge. There's a ton of aiptasia in there. I've never added any kind of critter to my fuge before. I've always wanted to keep it a pure "refuge" but I wouldn't think that peppermint shrimp would damage the ecosystem down there too much. Do you think they'd eat pods or other little micro-critters?

 

Edit: On further investigation, common wisdom seems to suggest that as an opportunistic predator, any type of shrimp is a bad idea for a refugium. They apparently will eat pods, bristle worms, fan worms, or anything else they can catch. So mine will just have to stay in the display!

[Benny314]

 

I've never had a problem with peppermints going rogue, and didn't even realize that was a possibility. I'll definitely keep an eye out though. They do seem to be getting bolder now that all the aiptasia are gone.

 

I think I might try and catch one or two and transfer them down into my fuge. There's a ton of aiptasia in there. I've never added any kind of critter to my fuge before. I've always wanted to keep it a pure "refuge" but I wouldn't think that peppermint shrimp would damage the ecosystem down there too much. Do you think they'd eat pods or other little micro-critters?

 

Edit: On further investigation, common wisdom seems to suggest that as an opportunistic predator, any type of shrimp is a bad idea for a refugium. They apparently will eat pods, bristle worms, fan worms, or anything else they can catch. So mine will just have to stay in the display!

 

I once watched a large amipod square up to a cleaner shrimp. It was quite funny, the shrimp seemed a little baffled as to what was going on jabbing at the pod with it's small pincers and the pod kept lunging forward at the shrimp...... right up until the cleaner grabbed it with it's large pincers and shoved the pod in it's mouth. Shrimp 1 pod 0 lol.

 

Peps are regularly miss sold, your told your buying peps but it's actually a similar species that don't eat aiptasia, that seems to be where a lot of the horror stories come from. But all clean up crew are opportunistic scavengers so if they run out of one thing they'll move on to something else.

 

Just poke the aiptasia in the sump to make them release spores or move rock rubble that has aiptasia on it up in to the DT every so often so the peps have a supply of aiptasia to go after.

If you start ensuring they're getting food when you feed your fish you'll risk them going off aiptasia in favor of the taster fish foods.

[markalot]

Mine ran out of food, started wandering, and became lunch (Black Cap Basslet). Aptasia starting to spread again in my 40 gallon so I will try another batch. It was amazing how fast they took care of the last infestation.

[cnseekatz]

 

Just poke the aiptasia in the sump to make them release spores or move rock rubble that has aiptasia on it up in to the DT every so often so the peps have a supply of aiptasia to go after.

If you start ensuring they're getting food when you feed your fish you'll risk them going off aiptasia in favor of the taster fish foods.

 

This is a good idea!

[cnseekatz]

I found out where my little snapping shrimp lives, and have gotten him to take food out of my hand. He's molted already, and looks ridiculous. Super bright colors, almost identical to the Azure Damsel. He's still really shy though, which is a bummer. I had read that as a pistol shrimp that DOESN'T bond with gobies, they are more outgoing on their own. No such luck... at least not yet.

[ReefWeeds]

I found out where my little snapping shrimp lives, and have gotten him to take food out of my hand. He's molted already, and looks ridiculous. Super bright colors, almost identical to the Azure Damsel. He's still really shy though, which is a bummer. I had read that as a pistol shrimp that DOESN'T bond with gobies, they are more outgoing on their own. No such luck... at least not yet.

 

That's cool! I hope he comes out soon and that's really cool he took food out of your fingers!!! Like the photo too

[vlangel]

That is a cool fact about pistol shrimp that I did not know. Someday I would like to have a pistol shrimp again but not while I have ponies.

[cnseekatz]

 

That's cool! I hope he comes out soon and that's really cool he took food out of your fingers!!! Like the photo too

 

He sticks his little head out when there's food in the water... other than that, I never see him.

[cnseekatz]

Took a few photos last night. Tank is doing pretty well right now. Most of the algae issues have dissipated since I got the return flow situation fixed, and the colors I lost are starting to come back. There are still a few pieces of SPS (or sections of certain frags) that are brown, but I assume that since they're alive, they'll eventually get their color back.

 

 

This piece was yellow in the store, with blue tips. Apparently I'm not giving it enough light. Might be time to move it up.

 

 

PC Rainbow is a cool coral. It has mostly looked brown since I got it, but the base is turning green, and the red is starting to look... red.

 

 

Growout operation of Hallucinations is in full swing. I've got about a half dozen single polyps doing well, and sprouting babies. Might be time to start selling/trading these bad-boys.

 

 

I like this top down shot. You can see the new ORA Red Planet frag I picked up this week, tucked in under the pink birdsnest. One of my favorites! Also showing a very classy blue-star photo bomb!

 

 

I don't remember what this piece is, but I think it's a microlados. Starting to exhibit some nice new color.

 

 

JF Yellow Jacket Acro hasn't done much but encrust, but colors are looking very nice.

 

[cnseekatz]

Peps are always hit an miss. Watch them for turning on your coral when they run out of aiptasia.

 

 

Mine ran out of food, started wandering, and became lunch (Black Cap Basslet). Aptasia starting to spread again in my 40 gallon so I will try another batch. It was amazing how fast they took care of the last infestation.

 

As soon as we finish talking about this, I notice that my orange fungia has been eaten. I guess it's time to remove my peppermints. I pulled a few rocks up from the fuge that were covered in aiptasia and they attacked like starving wolves... almost scary. I was hoping they'd go after the xenia, but they don't seem interested in that. So I fed each of them a freeze-dried shrimp, which they happily took. It's kinda gross feeding shrimp to shrimp, but hopefully it'll keep them away from my corals until I can figure out what to do with them.

[Benny314]

Gurrr, you'll have fun trying to catch them too.

 

I have one who seems a touch lazy, I still have aiptasia and more springing up here and there, although they all tend to have no tentacles. But the pep is only ever out at night, some times visible when I feed the tank trying his luck to catch the odd bit of fish food blowing past. I did a rescape (total tank tare down the other week and caught him easy with no rock in there, I'd have no hope if he had something to hid in in the tank. I also realized after putting everything back that I hadn't had to catch him out of the holding tank and had a moment of where the **** did he go, but he soon appeared in amongst the new scape, he must have been in one of the rocks I'd left in the holding tank to keep the fish feeling secure.

[cnseekatz]

Gurrr, you'll have fun trying to catch them too.

 

I have one who seems a touch lazy, I still have aiptasia and more springing up here and there, although they all tend to have no tentacles. But the pep is only ever out at night, some times visible when I feed the tank trying his luck to catch the odd bit of fish food blowing past. I did a rescape (total tank tare down the other week and caught him easy with no rock in there, I'd have no hope if he had something to hid in in the tank. I also realized after putting everything back that I hadn't had to catch him out of the holding tank and had a moment of where the **** did he go, but he soon appeared in amongst the new scape, he must have been in one of the rocks I'd left in the holding tank to keep the fish feeling secure.

 

I don't think I'll have a problem catching them. They're all very bold, and all took their treats directly from the tweezers tonight. Do you think I should keep one just to keep aiptasia down? Or do they all need to go?

[Benny314]

Once they have a taste they'll pick on what they prefer. Best get them gone and maybe role the dice on a fresh batch.

 

Over here in the UK there was a mail order seller who advertised on ebay stating their peps where kept in tanks that only had aiptasia in them to guarantee they'll eat aiptasia and not your prized coral. But even this isn't fool proof as once out of aiptasia they'll find something else to eat.

 

How many do you have at the minute? Now you've got your aiptasia issue under control, you could just get 1 or 2 in a few weeks who will then hopefully take care of any spores that come up from the sump or new aips that come in on frags etc.

[cnseekatz]

Once they have a taste they'll pick on what they prefer. Best get them gone and maybe role the dice on a fresh batch.

 

Over here in the UK there was a mail order seller who advertised on ebay stating their peps where kept in tanks that only had aiptasia in them to guarantee they'll eat aiptasia and not your prized coral. But even this isn't fool proof as once out of aiptasia they'll find something else to eat.

 

How many do you have at the minute? Now you've got your aiptasia issue under control, you could just get 1 or 2 in a few weeks who will then hopefully take care of any spores that come up from the sump or new aips that come in on frags etc.

 

I had four in there, which was probably part of the problem. Not enough food for all those mouths. I was easily able to catch 3, and moved them down in my fuge, where there's a billion aiptasias and a forest of xenia to keep them busy. I left one pepp in the DT. He's the shyest of the group so hopefully it'll be the least like to venture out and eat my corals.

 

I don't intend to keep the pepps in the fuge for long, but I'd rather they make mischief down there then up top.

[Benny314]

Good plan, also if they clear out most of the aiptasia down there before you move them on your less likely to get another uncontrollable outbreak.

[cnseekatz]

Good plan, also if they clear out most of the aiptasia down there before you move them on your less likely to get another uncontrollable outbreak.

 

It'll be interesting to see what happens down there. Some of the aiptasia down there are gigantic! Maybe they'll eat the shrimp!

[cnseekatz]

 

Panorama fail? Or have I successfully bred a leopard wrasse and a moray eel?

 

 

 

Non-Reef related, but I just put the first coat of stain on a new patio table I built. It's amazing how differently the base picked up the stain, compared to the top. Raw 4x4s vs. kiln dried poplar.... go figure.

 

 

[Polarcollision]

Minwax/Sherwin Williams has a gel product that prevents stains from absorbing too much into the more absorbant wood. Keeps the finish more even. BUT. I really like the darker base and lighter top. Makes the focal point the surface of the table. Nice work!

 

I love your tank. Beautiful corals. Jealous of the yellow JF acro

[picoreef78]

Like your table!

[ReefWeeds]

Nice photos Chris and everything looks great! I like your leopard moray hybrid as well! Nice on the zoa grow out project too!! That's exciting

[cnseekatz]

Minwax/Sherwin Williams has a gel product that prevents stains from absorbing too much into the more absorbant wood. Keeps the finish more even. BUT. I really like the darker base and lighter top. Makes the focal point the surface of the table. Nice work!

 

I love your tank. Beautiful corals. Jealous of the yellow JF acro

 

 

Like your table!

 

Thanks guys. Polar, I went the other way, and used a pre-stain treatment on the top to try and help it absorb more, versus trying to treat the base to absorb less. The photo above is after just one coat. I added another coat yesterday, and it's quite a bit darker now. We'll see how it turns out after a poly coat.

 

Nice photos Chris and everything looks great! I like your leopard moray hybrid as well! Nice on the zoa grow out project too!! That's exciting

 

Thanks Darlin!