Sunstar's Nemesis III - March 2019 - looking... mature...

[Sunstar]

Nemesis III

October the month of the Psychopath Anemone

And the Year in Review.

 

Beautiful blood red micro carpet nem, seems relatively harmless, but she's got sticky sticky fingers.

Barely a day after my FTS shot for October, I came to realise a clownfish was nowhere to be seen. I looked around. On my desk, under my desk, in my coffee cup... on the wall (they can get sticky) nadda, then I looked at the nem. She looked how a person does when they stuff a whole bit of cake in their mouth. I knew. I knew immediately what happened. The coral reef shop was surprised that an anemone so small could take a fish.

 

I got another clownfish, and placed it in Quarantine. It should have remained there except due to my gumdrop, Fugu, being taken out by the clone of the same damned anemone. I actually bawled my eyes out as I loved that fish. I got the nem to spit it up and I removed them off the rocks and took them out. In order to do that I had to get the clown out and she had to go into the tank with the QT.

 

So the clowns have established a sort of friendship, I think Knockout is remaining Queen of the castle, but its hard to tell. Both are about the same size, although Knockout's got darker - wider black lines and a sharper white middle band.

 

Next problem is I have not been extremely diligent about my water tests. And when I did get about doing them, I found my alkalinity at an embarrassing low. So a mixture of dosing, and tests saw it rise gently up to 7.7 and the next day 7.0 So not an attempt to track its use - since apparently this is what the tank is wanting to use like mad. I may try to calculate its daily use so I can decide if I can get away with a small dosing unit for my reef in the 2017 year. It seems that my corals are using up the alkalinity like water.

 

Over the past year, I have watched the tank flourish and decline, then flourish again. I had an alkalinity spike in early July, at the same time the heat started to cause trouble. I had every intent in getting a fan early summer, and yet with the heat waves starting about mid May, I was forced to purchase a fan. It was interesting as it did work effectively - it was not entirely enough. But without it I am absolutely positive that I would have lost the tank. I did intend to get an air conditioner, however my work was not giving me enough hours to purchase it. Still, with the use of a desk fan, and on the hottest days, the floor fan, I had enough cooling to keep the tank at 85°F or below. I realise that is extremely hot. Still, I did what I could with what I had on hand. I saw significant amount of bleaching as well. My monit-caps went white, they are currently brown-purple. Not the colour they were though when I started. I think my alk may be key in getting that fixed.

 

Fish... I seem to have a fish problem, the last two fish deaths was due to the anemone of hell - as I said before, but the others... The two firefish, one died within five hours of introduction. The other found the smallest gap in my lid and took to exploring my floor. Sadly, it died. As for my Neon Goby, it got obliterated in my power head. My power bar was loose and when I walked past the area, it would jiggle the plug and turn the device off. Sadly, it appears that the Goby found a home and got killed when it was wiggled when my spouse walked by after. I can't really describe it but there are times when I look at my tank and I *know* something is wrong. And the Goby was just one such moment.

 

I think one of my hermit crabs have gone missing, however, hard to tell, they seem to go into hiding and come out some time later. I am quite fond of invertebrates not land ones though. They are quite amusing to watch.

 

I know this is probably a TL:DR at this moment, but I want to say how delighted I am at the growth of my hammer coral and my trumpet. Especially my trumpet. A year ago it had barely two heads and now it has about twenty-five or more. The two current frags of my monitpora are no bigger than the original frags that made the two big monti's when I got them last December.

 

I am still rather nervous of the whole chemistry thing. I want to read up more about it, but when it starts getting into complicated math-chatter my mind shuts down.

 

I Have a number of future plans.

 

Within the next month or so, I wish to upgrade to a desktop ghost skimmer, my previous one basically gave up the ghost

 

So what I want is:

Ghost Skimmer

Dosing Pump (1 3)

Smart ATO (maybe)

 

So Photos :3

Top down with flow on... clowns <3

 

 

Blurry Clowns

 

Palythoa and Zoas

 

Gorgonian

 

Jazz

 

Rescue Yumas

 

[Minidoll]

Happy birthday to a gorgeous tank! I will be following for sure.

[Sunstar]

What confuses me a little is I know when I set my tank up - I am absolutely sure my tank's birthday is November 1 because it was set up on a sunday. but the dates say october 26th... I am a very confused jet... And my ticker is also correct to when I set my tank up.. is an extremely confused jet.

[fishfreak0114]

Happy one year tank birthday!!! It has really come along beautifully

[Sunstar]

Happy one year tank birthday!!! It has really come along beautifully

Thanks very much!

 

Its also my 19th wedding anniversary.

[fishfreak0114]

Congratulations! Must be a very happy day for you

[1reefluvr2]

Finally caught up...your tank has come a long ways . Sadly fish pay the consequences we humans give them.

[Sunstar]

Thanks <3

 

I have noticed my green acro has purple or blue tentacles in the new growths.

 

[teenyreef]

Happy tank birthday and happy anniversary!

 

From the look of the acro, you're doing something right

[Sunstar]

well, I had trouble with them for a while, bone white. But with the lighting increase and the alk dosing, its come a long way in short order. The acro is still pretty pale, however a lot more green than it was this past summer or September even. last night under normal lights the tips were decidedly purple.

[Sunstar]

Tiny Tick rides the back of Scarlet

[fishfreak0114]

That is too cute! Wen I first got my zebra hermit, he had a shell like that one

[Sunstar]

Remember my Murdering Anemone. The one that got eaten by the crab?

 

He left a bit of leftovers. Its now developed back i nto an anemone. I was removing macro this afternoon and was surprised when I found that the bit was still in there - I left it thinking it would "go away" Well now it has tentacles.

 

All in all, rather impressed.

[teenyreef]

Remember my Murdering Anemone. The one that got eaten by the crab?

 

He left a bit of leftovers. Its now developed back i nto an anemone. I was removing macro this afternoon and was surprised when I found that the bit was still in there - I left it thinking it would "go away" Well now it has tentacles.

 

All in all, rather impressed.

The ones you don't want are almost always virtually impossible to kill

[Sunstar]

The ones you don't want are almost always virtually impossible to kill

its not that I don't want her, she was just too dangerous. I moved her.

[Sunstar]

I picked up some new paly's and shrooms.

 

I got a captain America, Captain Jerk and a (possibly) Superman Mushroom (red with blue/purple spots) it came with a monster of a birdsnest.

 

So I am going to be selling my large monticap (that is loose) so I can get equipment. I'll get pictures later.

[Sunstar]

BIG order just been submitted.
Since i am not getting the IM Ghost Skimmer but the Reef Octopus I figured I could get a few other things.

• Reef Octopus Nano Skimmer - NS80
• Not So Secret Santa Gift
• 3ML PIPETTES (3-PACK)
• Coral RX Coral Dip - 8oz
• Boston Aqua Farms Small Stony Coral Cutters
• Sicce Syncra 1.0 adjustable water pump - 251gph

 

I was tempted to get a grounding probe, but I spent enough this time around.

All of that was not far off the value of the ghost skimmer. only about 15 dollars more. I figured I would reign it in.

 

My water is really dirty. I need a skimmer. Skimmer has been got.

[fishfreak0114]

Not so secret Santa? That is a lot of stuff...exciting!

[Sunstar]

Not so secret Santa? That is a lot of stuff...exciting!

One of the members approached me after I expressed my disappointment in the USA only for the SS thread. So we're doing an exchange between us.

 

Basically since I was not getting the IM skimmer, I decided to spoil myself with a few other things as well.

 

I took a photo of Arrogant Bastard. He's not in my display tank. just the tank I kicked the evil anemones to.

 

[Sk8n Reefer]

Catching up- tanks looking great and congrats on the tank b day ?

[Sunstar]

Parcel is in the area. if only I can get my hands on it.

[Sunstar]

the skimmer won't fit due to the hangar takes up Just the space I needed.

 

The New pump is too powerful

 

sucks ot be me. all that money spent and I get zip outta it.

[fishfreak0114]

Bummer can you at least return it?

[Sunstar]

Bummer can you at least return it?

I could but, I probably will use it on my frag tank. Alternatively, I can attempt to make a new hanger.

 

the hangar - parden my emote type arts. instead of being like this [O] with the Hangar nice and flat on the outside edges its (O) and the rounded outside edge is too round by about an 1/8th of an inch. Even if they had a sort of hangar like a heater, that was flexible to grab, would have been preferable and it would have fit fine. without the hangar it fits fine. So I could figure out how to rig it up.

 

it fits in my AC110 okay, so is in there now.

 

noticing a brown film buildup (probably due to feeding, hence my kicked up WC scheduled and desire for skimmer. I also realise, I have not seen my snail in a while... gu ess I get a few more of those.

[Sunstar]

Finally after about 2 months, my Light is up to where I want it - as per TeenyReefs Suggestion.

Since I did increase my lighting, I have seen improvement.

 

Everything looks happier. <3 Thanks a Bunch TR!