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Blenwood's Reef - 1st attempts at focus stacking


Cannedfish

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Welcome to our small-boom-boom-sexy-time-kitchen-invertebrate-party tank! We're new to this and not entirely sure what we are doing, but by sheer luck and generous amounts of Buffalo Trace, Luxardo cherries, bitters, and ice it has somehow been somewhat and miraculously working. Basically, it's both happy and amateur hour over here. 

 

Living in an old house Uptown in the Big Easy, we were limited in both space and structural integrity, so we decided on a small Nuvo 10 that hangs out in the kitchen. Started up in late March 2017, we have been slowly adding both coral and livestock, with an overall aesthetic goal of making the tank look like the ill-advised and pom-pom crab infested underwater love child of Ashley Longshore & Lisa Frank (chew on that image).

 

Lastly, I apologize for the less-than-profession nature of the pictures. Much like my reef keeping skills, my photography is still, very much, a work in progress. All advise and comments are welcomed and appreciated (except those critical of Blenwood, he's a sensitive soul).  

 

December 2020

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November 2020

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October 2020

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September 2020

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August 2020

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July 2020

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June 2020

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May 2020

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April 2020

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January 2019

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December 2018

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November 2018

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October 2018

FTS: October 2018

 

 

September 2018

September 2018 FTS

 

August 2018

August 2018 FTS

 

July 2018

July 2018 FTS

 

June 2018

FTS: 6.14.2018

 

May 2018

FTS 5/10/18

 

April 2018

FTS 4.10.18

 

March 2018

FTS 3.16.18

 

February 2018

FTS 2.22.18

 

January 2018

FTS 1.11.18

 

December 2017

FTS 12.12.17

 

November 2017

FTS 11.14.17

 

October 2017

FTS 10.17.17

 

September 2017

FTS 9.12.17

 

 

Set-up:

• Display: 10g Innovative Marine Fusion 10
• Lighting: AI Prime HD (2x)
• Filtration: Floss

• UV Filter: IM 9W desktop UV
• Heater:  None
• Circulation: IM MightyJet, IM Spin Stream, Jeboa Wavemaker
• Skimmer: IM BioSkim

• Dosing Pump: Jabao DP-4

• Salt: Aquaforest Reef Salt

 

Dosing:

    • KZ Acroglow 

    • KZ Coral Vitalizer

    • KZ Sponge Power

    • KZ LPS Amino Acids

    • KZ Pohl's Extra

    • Tropic Marin All-for-reef

    • Aquaforest NP Pro

 

Fish:

    • Tail-spot Blenny (Blenwood aka "B-Wood Cash Money Dollar Dollar!")

    • Tanaka Possum Wrasse (Lorp)

    • Red rooster pygmy waspfish

 

Inverts:

    • Pom-Pom Crab  

    • Porcelain Crab (Whiskers III) 

    • Scarlet-leg Hermit Crabs

    • Blue-leg Hermit Crabs

    • Cerith Snails

    • Nassarius Snails 

    • Turbo Snails

    • Fire Shrimp

    • Gulf Oyster

 

SPS:

Acropora:

  

    • Highlighter (UC maybe? Idk)

    • Bonsai 

    • Blue echinata 

    • Yellow indo Mille

    • ARC fireworks

    • JF fire dragon 

    • Red Mille (CF Booger Sugar)

    • Vivid confetti

    • OG OT

   • RMF Diablo

   • JKR Rainbow

   • SCOP

   • WD

   • Wild Pikachu

   • WWC Afterparty

   • UC peep show

   • ASD Rainbow Mille


Seriatopora:    
    • ORA Green Birdsnest


Montipora:   

    • ASD Grafted Cap

    • Setosa

    • RR CrazyT 

   • Forest Fire Digi

LPS     

    • Various acans (x5)

    • Walking dendro

    • Indo trachy

    • Orange psammy 

    • Orange lepto

    • Acan echinata

    • Ultron favia

    • Various Blastos (x4)

    • Meteor shower cyphastrea 

    • WWC Peppermint cyphastrea 

 

NPS:    
    • Dendrophyllia
    • Balanophyllia
    • Black Sun Coral
    • Pink/Yellow Sun Coral

 

Softies:

    • Orange Mushroom

    • GSP

 

Zoas:    
    • Rastas
    • WWC Twizzlers

    •  Vietnamese Wild
    • SunnyD's

    •  Blondies

    • Utter Chaos

    • Blue Hornets

    • Pink Zippers

    • King Midas

    • Purple Monsters

    • WWC AOI

    • CB White Zombies

    • GB Buttkissers

    • Grim Reapers

 

 

  • Like 16
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31 minutes ago, Rory282 said:

Nice, looks like you are off to a great start. Good thing you doing everything with patience. Following! 

 

Thanks, man! I appreciate the support and feedback. I'm new to all this, however, I have found the three most important keys to success thus far have been: 1. patience, 2. water changes, 3. American Express (not necessarily in that order).

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Welcome!

 

6 minutes ago, Cannedfish said:

3. American Express (not necessarily in that order).

Ain't that the truth.... gotta be ready to make it rain on that tank! 

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5 minutes ago, TheBig053 said:

Welcome!

 

Ain't that the truth.... gotta be ready to make it rain on that tank! 

Oh, it has definitely been raining. Hell, it essentially looks like Magic City on a Monday.

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Presenting the Disco Biscuit!!! In other news, it looks like the tumble ricordea had a bit of a fight with one of the dendros, fingers crossed the dendro makes it. The tumble ricordea is currently in the penalty box, and depending on the outcome may be ejected from the game. 

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Some say birth is the miracle of life, however, Blenwood thinks that birth is the miracle of food.

 

Here is a less than awesome quality video (taken on my burner phone), of a hermit release larvae only to have them immediately eaten by Blenwood the Tail Spot Blenny.

 

 

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22 hours ago, Cannedfish said:

Fish:

• Tail-spot Blenny (Blenwood aka "B-Wood Cash Money Dollar Dollar!")

That's a solid name if I ever saw one.

 

And daily water changes?  Are you trying to one-up everyone here?!?

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11 minutes ago, cju84 said:

And daily water changes?  Are you trying to one-up everyone here?!?

I wish, so many tanks on here are simply incredible.

 

The daily water change idea stemmed from my other tank, a 'high tech' (planted tank term) planted tank. Basically, I'm running a really powerful light on a small tank (3.7 gallon) with a high bio load, lots of fertilizers, and pressurized CO2,  and (no surprise) was having difficulty balancing the tank and thus having algae issues. All of my problems went away after talking with a planted tank guy (@shrimpery on IG - awesome tanks), and following his routine of three 40% water changes a week. This worked so well I decided to try a modified version of this routine on the saltwater tank, and things DRASTICALLY improved within just a few days. The Jedi Mind Trick Monti's colors started to explode, the birdsnest has almost visible daily growth, and I have nearly zero algae of any type and my parameters are right were i need them. Furthermore, I don't have worry about the consequences of slight overfeeding.  As result, I can now feed the dendros twice a day, and  B-Money is living large. 

 

I seems like a lot but, each water change takes about 30 seconds, I just scoop out (with a cut gallon jug) and refill.

 

Here's a crappy pic of my nano (pico?) planted tank.  That red and blue SOB is Murderburger, named because he a dick who loves to show off and eat his expensive shrimp friends (only when people are watching). 

 

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Working on that photography; tips are appreciated. Currently using the ladyfriend's Nikon 1, before moving up to the big boys (kinda intimidated by the Leica and big Nikon).

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Two new weekend pickups from the awesome LFS in Raceland, LA Coral Fever: unknown acro (that was parked next to a $600 frag of Homewrecker and a Balanphyllia (which I had never heard of). 

 

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#2 unnamed acro (aka not the homewrecker).  The owner let it go for a great price because the tank's calcium reactor had recently malfunctioned and many of the SPS corals had lost color,  I guess we'll have to wait and see what it turns into?

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Since the last pic didn't work, it is again. 

 

Here is the Notorious B.I.G. dendro looking fat and flossy. It's amazing how much they have changed since when I bought them at MACNA. Also, it's amazing how much more they'll eat! Leard, I swear, whenever I leave the house I hear a faint "Wendy's #6, with a frostyyyyyyyyy...." and I know it's not B-Money cuz he is currently living on a strict diet of Ace of Spades Champagne and chicken Nuggers. #livingthelife

 

Anyhoo, anyone keeping any Balanophylia?

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Also, here is a rare picture of the baby possum wrasse! Currently, he/she is without a name, however, suggestions are welcome. You can get a sense of his/her size next to the sexy shrimp in the background. 

 

His/her interests include: hiding, eating copapods, '90 rap music, admiring cowboy boots, and of course, cheating at choose your own adventure novels. 

 

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:welcome: to Nano-Reef!  Your commentary is hilarious!  The possum wrasse is adorable, as is the oto in the betta's tank (I had an oto last about four years, miss the little guy).  I went to New Orleans once, about a year after Katrina, had beignets at the Cafe du Monde and checked out what there was of the French Market at that time.  Lovely, eclectic city!

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2 hours ago, Lula_Mae said:

:welcome: to Nano-Reef!  Your commentary is hilarious!  The possum wrasse is adorable, as is the oto in the betta's tank (I had an oto last about four years, miss the little guy).  I went to New Orleans once, about a year after Katrina, had beignets at the Cafe du Monde and checked out what there was of the French Market at that time.  Lovely, eclectic city!


Thank you! The Big Easy always welcomes you back. The city has completely changed since 2006/07. While we're still a 3rd world city, we're now at least a drunk respectable third world city! 

 

I also love my lil' possum wrasse! PW's are super interesting fish. They don't really swim, rather they kinda float round, their eyes swivel like a chameleon, and if they're really upset they play dead (I doubt it works but who am I to judge)! Furthermore, I am convinced that like Yogi, they are smarter than the average fish. Specifically, I think they can distinguish individual faces. For example, when I watch the tank, our PW saunters about, pecks at rocks, and generally shows off (flashing and the like). When my lady-friend watches the tank, the PW sulks in the possum cave. Although, I would like to attribute this behavior to the fact that I am way cooler and better looking than her, I know this is highly unlikely. Because, 1) I have eyes, 2) she's a two-time jeopardy champion, and 3) it's probably just because I feed him/her (Ockham's Razor be damned). Still he/she definitely recognizes me. 

 

So when celebrating the weekend tonight, grab a Sazarac, toast the humble possum wrasse, and laissez les bon temps rouler!  At least drink the Sazarac. 

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Just a montipora eating sexy shrimp surveying his humble domain. He has recently decided to move from the 'Acro-crag', to this 'Unloved Zoa Island'. Upon asking why, the diminutive crustacean responded, "lower taxes, better school district." I nearly reminded him that recently he uncaringly let B-Money devour his entire batch of offspring and that his taxonomy doesn't allow him  the mental capacity to comprehend the notion of taxation, however, I just let it go. 

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Saturday's Lisa Frank boom boom party fun surprise!! The LFS frag tank strikes again. 

 

Brought out the Le Croix, insecticide, Betadine, and easy glide, so you know things are getting weird. 

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17 hours ago, Cannedfish said:

Just a montipora eating sexy shrimp surveying his humble domain. He has recently decided to move from the 'Acro-crag', to this 'Unloved Zoa Island'. Upon asking why, the diminutive crustacean responded, "lower taxes, better school district." I nearly reminded him that recently he uncaringly let B-Money devour his entire batch of offspring and that his taxonomy doesn't allow him  the mental capacity to comprehend the notion of taxation, however, I just let it go. 

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The sexy may have neglected to inform you of his proclivity for zoa munching, as well.  Taxes was just a cover!

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3 hours ago, Lula_Mae said:

Damnit! I should have known not to trust sexy shrimps named 'Diamond Bunny Champagne" and "Slickback Pimps McGee!" I should've known they weren't paying no damn taxes! They were straight running a trick on me!  

 

Looking back, giving them my credit card number was also probably not a great idea...

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29 minutes ago, Cannedfish said:

Damnit! I should have known not to trust sexy shrimps named 'Diamond Bunny Champagne" and "Slickback Pimps McGee!" I should've known they weren't paying no damn taxes! They were straight running a trick on me!  

 

Looking back, giving them my credit card number was also probably not a great idea...

Don't be surprised when mysterious packages from Amazon start appearing on your doorstep! :lol:

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