Sleeping with the Fishes [a pe(s)t project]

[holy carp]

It's not easy to get my phone to focus on this little thing, but I was able to get a slightly better closeup.

 

I had been intending to get a couple hermits since my last one died, but now I'm worried that they'll eat this. Do hermits eat coralline? I know that my emerald crab would grind coralline right off the rocks.

[joey13254]

How is the torch doing?

[Sharbuckle]

Branching coraline? Had no idea that was a thing. Either way I love this friggin reef!

[metrokat]

John at reefcleaners might know if hermits eat this.

[holy carp]

How is the torch doing?

 

Thanks for asking. Take a look for yourself. I shot a little video of the torch, which ended up being a video of almost everything...

(disclaimer: I haven't cleaned the glass in a few days, so consider it honest. Luckily my poor focus helps disguise it.)

 

Branching coraline? Had no idea that was a thing. Either way I love this friggin reef!

Thank you.

 

John at reefcleaners might know if hermits eat this.

Good thinking. I'll post a note in his reef cleaners sponsor forum.

[joey13254]

Its beautiful and so is that elegance <3

[Six]

How do you like the sedosa? I'm wondering if I want to try it; I like the growth formation but it seems challenging to aquascape with that growth.

[holy carp]

I think the setosa is quite amazing. It's definitely one of my favorites. The shape is unusual and always reminds me a little bit of moose antlers. The color is brilliant in any spectrum - it glows under actinics, but also is a beautiful orange under regular white light. Plus, it's been growing quite nicely. I picked up the frag from Jason Fox in November. This gif is from early December when I glued it in place through last Sunday:

 

 

I guess you could call it a Shower AND a Grower!

[ml86743]

What a beautiful tank you have!

[holy carp]

Last night someone (presumably snails) flipped the shell with the branching coralline. I wasn't sure how delicate it is, but when I flipped it around, it seems to be more durable than I expected. And I got a cool new angle to see it. There's an isopod or two running around on it, but I can't get them in focus. This tiny thing is making me want a real camera...

 

 

The snail shell is from a margarita snail and is about 1/2" across.

 

What I can't tell is whether it's the same coralline that is growing across the surface of the shell, or if it's a different type of coralline that is starting to get covered at the base by the 'typical' encrusting type.

[ReefWeeds]

Last night someone (presumably snails) flipped the shell with the branching coralline. I wasn't sure how delicate it is, but when I flipped it around, it seems to be more durable than I expected. And I got a cool new angle to see it. There's an isopod or two running around on it, but I can't get them in focus. This tiny thing is making me want a real camera...

 

 

The snail shell is from a margarita snail and is about 1/2" across.

 

What I can't tell is whether it's the same coralline that is growing across the surface of the shell, or if it's a different type of coralline that is starting to get covered at the base by the 'typical' encrusting type.

 

That is so cool!!! You should glue it up on a rock!

[joey13254]

What is your experience with your elegance coral. Are the hard to care for?

[holy carp]

What is your experience with your elegance coral. Are the hard to care for?

 

So far the elegance has been great. It was the first coral I bought and has been the centerpiece ever since. It doesn't seem to complain about much at all. All I do for it is squirt some mysis at it once every week or two. It's definitely my favorite LPS. It has been growing quickly, though, so I'm not sure how long before it outgrows the tank...

[joey13254]

 

So far the elegance has been great. It was the first coral I bought and has been the centerpiece ever since. It doesn't seem to complain about much at all. All I do for it is squirt some mysis at it once every week or two. It's definitely my favorite LPS. It has been growing quickly, though, so I'm not sure how long before it outgrows the tank...

Ive been looking for a torch the color of yours since I've seen it, it is a pink with white tip isn't it?. Torches are my favorite coral.

[holy carp]

Ive been looking for a torch the color of yours since I've seen it, it is a pink with white tip isn't it?. Torches are my favorite coral.

 

It does have white tips. When I got it, they called it a purple torch, and to be honest, it was a bit darker and bluer than it looks today. Over time as the heads split, it seemed to lighten to more of a pinkish color. Interestingly, under moonlights, the color looks completely different. The base of the tentacles are pretty much a navy blue, which then turns to a gold closer to the tips (which always stay white). I don't think it's just a function of the lighting, but also the fact that the torch retracts somewhat when the lights dim. Unfortunately, I've never had any luck photographing those colors because the lighting is just too blue for my camera to capture it correctly. It's definitely a great piece.

[holy carp]

Got an Apex and a pair of BRS dosers... I guess I succumbed to the lure of automation. Now it's just a matter of getting this shit set up and programmed.

[metrokat]

You shall submit to the lure.

[holy carp]

Icarus!!!

 

Might have to clip some wings soon... The sun doesn't seem to be doing its job.

[holy carp]

Say hello to my (new) little friend...

 

 

Looks like a yuma baby, I'm guessing.

[holy carp]

This morning the red war coral caught an amphipod, and I just happened to see it in the coral's mouth.

 

About 2 minutes later, it was completely hidden.

 

Wish I'd caught the action 2 minutes earlier.

[holy carp]

So I picked up 2 frags on Monday - a small birdsnest and a purple monti with pink polyps. I put the monti (about 3/4 inch square) on the frag rack next to a cyphastrea to give it a chance to acclimate to the tank. Oopsy daisy. 2/3 of that frag was cyphastrea snack. Hopefully the little booger sized remainder will survive.

 

Well, now I know... Cyphastrea > Monti

 

Then I notice a curious spot on the elegance where it reaches the yuma. At first I thought something was in its tentacles, but with a pipette I discovered it was strongly attached...

 

 

Strange things are afoot at the Circle K.

 

Does this mean Yuma > Catalaphyllia? I have a hard time believing that one.

[metrokat]

Your macro discoveries are great, it's amazing that you are able to capture it all.

[holy carp]

Your macro discoveries are great, it's amazing that you are able to capture it all.

 

That's what happens when you have just 12 gallons to explore.

[ReefWeeds]

Got an Apex and a pair of BRS dosers... I guess I succumbed to the lure of automation. Now it's just a matter of getting this shit set up and programmed.

 

I got an Apex recently as well - and it sat in the box for about 3 weeks until I worked up the courage to figure it out (with Braaap's help - which actually consisted of him taking over my desktop/laptop and programming the apex for me )

 

But now that I have it all hooked up, I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

[holy carp]

 

I got an Apex recently as well - and it sat in the box for about 3 weeks until I worked up the courage to figure it out (with Braaap's help - which actually consisted of him taking over my desktop/laptop and programming the apex for me )

 

But now that I have it all hooked up, I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

 

Oh, I'm way ahead of that schedule. I took it out of the box immediately, and now it's been sitting on the living room floor next to the box for a week... taunting me. Mostly I'm thinking where the heck am I gonna fit that stuff in the cabinet - the apex and the dosers are bigger than I envisioned. But also I've been doing some experimenting with Fusion to figure it out before subjecting the tank to my learning curve.