Jump to content
Pod Your Reef

Banasophia’s Biocube 16 & IM Nuvo 10 ☀️


banasophia

Recommended Posts

Congrats again on your feature article in Reef Hobbyist magazine! I didn't realize you'd made it on the front page! Wow! Definitely well deserved. 😁👌🙏

 

Absolutely gorgeous photos as usual. It blows me away to see how much food is in the tank at feeding time... but I guess that's the key to keeping all those crazy LPS and NPS corals so beautiful and healthy. We have a "Deep Reef" exhibit at the aquarium where I work that features a large variety of NPS corals (Dendros, Tubastrea, black corals, NPS gorgs, and weird ones like Rhizotrochus spp.) and every time I see it I am reminded of your beautiful BioCube. 😊

  • Like 2
Link to comment
36 minutes ago, billygoat said:

Congrats again on your feature article in Reef Hobbyist magazine! I didn't realize you'd made it on the front page! Wow! Definitely well deserved. 😁👌🙏

 

Absolutely gorgeous photos as usual. It blows me away to see how much food is in the tank at feeding time... but I guess that's the key to keeping all those crazy LPS and NPS corals so beautiful and healthy. We have a "Deep Reef" exhibit at the aquarium where I work that features a large variety of NPS corals (Dendros, Tubastrea, black corals, NPS gorgs, and weird ones like Rhizotrochus spp.) and every time I see it I am reminded of your beautiful BioCube. 😊

Ah, thanks so much!  Maybe I should fix that pic... it’s actually a photo collage I did with an Instagram app and it can be misleading if you don’t look closely... the article’s really on page 26... so it’s the centerfold story rather than the cover story. 😬😊

 

Yes, my tank gets fed very heavily each night... I think the key is that I have to turn the powerhead on to swirl the food around For a while so it all gets eaten rather than just going into the filter floss and breaking down. 

 

Would love to see a pic of that Deep Reef exhibit if you’re able to get a pic and post. 🤗

  • Like 1
Link to comment
9 hours ago, banasophia said:

Ah, thanks so much!  Maybe I should fix that pic... it’s actually a photo collage I did with an Instagram app and it can be misleading if you don’t look closely... the article’s really on page 26... so it’s the centerfold story rather than the cover story. 😬😊

 

Yes, my tank gets fed very heavily each night... I think the key is that I have to turn the powerhead on to swirl the food around For a while so it all gets eaten rather than just going into the filter floss and breaking down. 

 

Would love to see a pic of that Deep Reef exhibit if you’re able to get a pic and post. 🤗

Oh, so it's a photo collage! You sure had me fooled! But congrats just the same. Still an amazing achievement. 😉

 

I took some photos of the Deep Reef exhibit today to share with you, but I am going to post them over on the chat thread so I don't clutter up your journal here. This morning I also took a page out of your book and tried feeding my gorgonians in a similar manner to what you described, with the return off but the powerhead on to swirl the food around in the display. They seemed to love it! So thanks for the tip there. I'll probably be doing a lot more of that. ☺️

  • Like 2
Link to comment
  • 3 weeks later...

@billygoat, how’s it goin with the food swirling? Still trying that method?

 

 

 

I just posted a couple shots in the rock flower thread, so I figured it would be nice to post them here too. The yellow and red rock flower has now joined the other one on top of the clove polyps:

 

CC37C755-A7F0-4F66-94E8-DCE7E6367C94.thumb.jpeg.868222f12589bd701a01847e97137d70.jpeg

 

635A7272-0C8E-447D-8B4F-D74451FB68B7.thumb.jpeg.f9cd7e70f989f9356aadfda44d0a1421.jpeg

 

 

  • Like 6
Link to comment
8 hours ago, banasophia said:

@billygoat, how’s it goin with the food swirling? Still trying that method?

The feeding technique is working out really well! Thanks for asking. 😊 All the gorgonians I keep are photosynthetic, but when coral food is in the water it's abundantly obvious that they are also very active planktivores. Regular feeding is definitely accelerating their growth. I bet these gorgs are eating plankton all day long out in nature.

 

Absolutely gorgeous photos of your RFAs btw! Did that yellow and red one move up to the top there just under its own free will? Those poor clove polyps have another tenant on their hill. 😂

  • Like 1
Link to comment
On 11/1/2019 at 12:50 PM, banasophia said:

@billygoat, how’s it goin with the food swirling? Still trying that method?

 

 

 

I just posted a couple shots in the rock flower thread, so I figured it would be nice to post them here too. The yellow and red rock flower has now joined the other one on top of the clove polyps:

 

CC37C755-A7F0-4F66-94E8-DCE7E6367C94.thumb.jpeg.868222f12589bd701a01847e97137d70.jpeg

 

635A7272-0C8E-447D-8B4F-D74451FB68B7.thumb.jpeg.f9cd7e70f989f9356aadfda44d0a1421.jpeg

 

 

Does it upset the clove polyps having your nem on top?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
On 11/1/2019 at 6:40 PM, billygoat said:

The feeding technique is working out really well! Thanks for asking. 😊 All the gorgonians I keep are photosynthetic, but when coral food is in the water it's abundantly obvious that they are also very active planktivores. Regular feeding is definitely accelerating their growth. I bet these gorgs are eating plankton all day long out in nature.

 

Absolutely gorgeous photos of your RFAs btw! Did that yellow and red one move up to the top there just under its own free will? Those poor clove polyps have another tenant on their hill. 😂

Oh cool, glad to hear the feeding method is working out! 
 

And thanks re the RFAs! Yes, for me, the yellow and red ones seem to move around the most... I have three but I haven’t seen one of them in a while, curious whether it will pop back out from behind or in the cave some time in the future. The one on top wanders around and usually returns to the same spot on top by the pink zoas... this is a recent development that they’ve decided they like it on top of (rather than right next to) the cloves. I’m wondering if it’s because there are a lot of bristleworms right now, and maybe they were bugging the nems too much in the rocks... only a theory I just now came up with though.

 

44 minutes ago, Hannahhhh said:

Does it upset the clove polyps having your nem on top?

So far they just seem a little trampled, but otherwise don’t seem too bothered. And I’m glad you asked cuz I just snapped some pics for you and ended up getting some nice shots. Gotta start working shortly so I’ll have to look through them more closely  later, but here are a few:

 

712627E9-4E83-45E5-B3D5-761D856B3F8D.thumb.jpeg.6768ce82d6a2fa235957e69059f2b9ea.jpeg
 

6B6EE02C-AB5F-4006-A8BE-DE3925383459.thumb.jpeg.7886ea3e0a5ef7b43bb233b9ab83bef3.jpeg
 

745CE801-FD4C-4146-B3BE-3408073C0214.thumb.jpeg.a01e3cf1ed5842d95e4b378621751d07.jpeg

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Grats on the feature! I ended up getting a reef hobbeist mag at rap and was flipping though it yesterday... recognized your unique tank immediately 🙂

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
43 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

Grats on the feature! I ended up getting a reef hobbeist mag at rap and was flipping though it yesterday... recognized your unique tank immediately 🙂

Thank you so much! I felt so honored they chose my tank among all the many amazing tanks out there!! ☺️🤗

  • Like 5
Link to comment
10 hours ago, Poison Dart Frog said:

Looks great

Thanks so much!  Sorry I couldn’t get back to you earlier about the sponges, busy day. Not sure if you already have one or you’re thinking of getting one? I’ve found red tree sponges to be very hardy, and recommend KP Aquatics as a great source. Just be sure you don’t dip them... KP wasn’t sure when I asked when I got my first one, so I tried it and it disintegrated. 😞

 

Heres a link to KP... looks like they are on vacation until 11/21 and currently out of stock on red tree sponges, but may be worth the wait. I’d also consider a plating sponge, those look so beautiful!! Not sure the best source on those... wish I had room for one! 
 

https://www.kpaquatics.com/product/red-tree-sponge/

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Poison Dart Frog
17 hours ago, banasophia said:

Thanks so much!  Sorry I couldn’t get back to you earlier about the sponges, busy day. Not sure if you already have one or you’re thinking of getting one? I’ve found red tree sponges to be very hardy, and recommend KP Aquatics as a great source. Just be sure you don’t dip them... KP wasn’t sure when I asked when I got my first one, so I tried it and it disintegrated. 😞

 

Heres a link to KP... looks like they are on vacation until 11/21 and currently out of stock on red tree sponges, but may be worth the wait. I’d also consider a plating sponge, those look so beautiful!! Not sure the best source on those... wish I had room for one! 
 

https://www.kpaquatics.com/product/red-tree-sponge/

After I asked  you about sponges, I realized I'd ordered a different type than the one you have so I thought maybe my question wouldn't be relevant. I have  an orange "ear sponge" ordered from Gulf Coast Aquatics. It was $4 so I thought what the heck, I'll add it to my order. I have phytoplankton but from what I've read that may too big for the sponge to ingest and they actually take even smaller food? I also saw there was a type of algae you could dose (Algae Barn has it) for sponges. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
4 hours ago, Poison Dart Frog said:

After I asked  you about sponges, I realized I'd ordered a different type than the one you have so I thought maybe my question wouldn't be relevant. I have  an orange "ear sponge" ordered from Gulf Coast Aquatics. It was $4 so I thought what the heck, I'll add it to my order. I have phytoplankton but from what I've read that may too big for the sponge to ingest and they actually take even smaller food? I also saw there was a type of algae you could dose (Algae Barn has it) for sponges. 

Ah, nice! Can’t wait to see pics!! 🙂

  • Like 3
Link to comment
  • 4 weeks later...

Well... the Nuvo 10 has been broken down and I’ve started a second Biocube. Please check out my new build thread for my Biocube 32, if you haven’t already. 🐉 🐉 🐉 

 

I gave most of my corals from the Nuvo 10 to my friend that helped me with reinforcements for my new stand, and I donated my clownfish, remaining corals, and tank/equipment to my LFS so they can sell them. I decided not to keep that clownfish because it loves its nem so much and I don’t want to keep a nem in the new tank. The LFS set up my little fish in a tank with a BTA and one of my gorgs and they are going to sell the fish along with a BTA.

 

0E531FBC-7808-43E1-811F-398679204160.thumb.jpeg.031b55e0cf9e98565228587d2db997b4.jpeg

 

B5A8559F-A8D0-4936-88C1-772504C8ED53.thumb.jpeg.bad1939c6be2332d66e266bbac485a93.jpeg



Meanwhile, the Biocube 16 is still going strong. Here’s a new pic of Finnick, my captive bred Biota mandarin. He’s usually pretty camera shy, but he cooperated for a pic last night:

 2B701D07-98CC-48E8-9AFA-DA6D70B6CC40.thumb.jpeg.11f6e2afed43f1b3c5a8e82cf0c0b6da.jpeg

 

  • Like 7
Link to comment

Also, I hope you had a very Happy Thanksgiving, if you celebrate!  🍁🍁🍁  I took my first ever top down shot of the Biocube 16 on Thanksgiving last year, so here’s a comparison with this year:


Thanksgiving 2019:

D5194682-7415-4D0C-90E3-ACB056754F9D.thumb.jpeg.4ec597fe881cbf41966e9dfdcf03a2a1.jpeg

 

Thanksgiving 2018:

4CACDD9B-10BD-4054-B2A2-81184FCF074F.thumb.jpeg.54a42579a4d00a7e0eb5a1dc2715b3bf.jpeg

 

It has been so interesting to see how everything has grown and interacted. As you can see, my beloved knopia seems to have vanished, and it seemed as if it was overgrown by the fireworks cloves, though it also was sensitive to water source and opened up more when I used premixed LFS water rather than water I mixed at home (same salt - Reef Crystals). The blue sympodium I had last year was also a favorite, but it literally disintegrated into tiny bits with my first water change using my homemade RODI. The orange and yellow rock flower anemone from last year’s pic is still there, but it moves around a lot and you can’t see it in the new top down because it’s hidden by the sinularia and cloves. 😊

 

  • Like 5
  • Wow 1
Link to comment

Oh and I got the best thing ever for Black Friday yesterday - a sea hare that actually eats macro algae!! Not many do... I have tried with numerous other sea hares without success, so I’ve always had to rehome them within a week once they ate up my GHA... but this little guy was sitting in its tank at the LFS, munching away at the red macro from my Nuvo 10 that I donated last week! So I bought the sea hare, and bought back my macro haha... maybe they didn’t charge me for the macro, I should’ve checked!


967CDC5E-9C6A-4925-A8B9-7C73DE469D44.thumb.jpeg.5aedda315dd057040b37faff860a24f3.jpeg

  • Like 5
Link to comment
2 hours ago, teenyreef said:

That too down comparison is awesome! And congrats on the upgrade 🙂

 

Yeah, thanks, it was fun to see how much things have grown!! And thanks so much... excited to have a new tank with twice the space!

  • Like 1
Link to comment

My silly yellow clown goby Hank 💛💛💛... he likes to have a little tantrum and sticks himself to the glass if I don’t feed him when he wants me to, or even if I don’t feed him seconds quickly enough!!! Don’t worry, he’s fine... the second pic is about 30 seconds later when he realized he was about to get his way. Their pelvic fins are fused to form a sort of suction cup. 🐠🐠🐠

AC73E8CD-4B0F-47D7-8420-4EF5C0AE3EA5.thumb.jpeg.aac7e135f9e07203c439e02592745ccd.jpeg

 

6B31646F-FF2F-449A-AF9F-907EA2F2E834.thumb.jpeg.3f971da20eb5100c4552983262cf5a1c.jpeg

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Fennick is so cute! Is that a mint-green pipe organ by him? I used to have one and really liked it. It didn't tolerate its last tank transfer, sadly.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment

Thank you, @Lula_Mae. It is a pipe organ, though it’s more of a white color. Pipe organs seem so underrated to me; I really love them. Bummer yours didn’t make it through the tank transfer. Mine doesn’t really grow much, except to grow back new polyps when the hungry emerald crabs pick them out and eat them. 
 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recommended Discussions

×
×
  • Create New...