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Granite’s Dropoff Poopico: New Light!


MainelyReefer

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MainelyReefer

Shot from before the WC yesterday DE1F0A30-B72C-42E6-8EE0-66DC7517B7B3.thumb.jpeg.2e121da68ea6c1fed1223714cb59d43a.jpeg

polyp extension in these shots isn’t great but it improves after the WC.... hoping this proves to be viable husbandry for Leptastrea.  I already know some specimens seem to have adapted better/faster but luckily none of them look like death haha

08FAE503-403D-4B7F-8633-4616226F0F83.thumb.jpeg.ff099592b6f9da836e2cddc11a4724d2.jpeg

You can see the red slime algae that encased the CC, this WC I aggressively turkey basted it exposing the UGF’s base.  I shot jets from the turkey baster through the slits in the base to lift the detritus that had accumulated underneath it and then drained, refilled, and drained the tank again to remove all the suspended junk.  I could smell low tide.

afterwards492AAE57-7863-4207-9B18-A2073F0AA6B4.thumb.jpeg.80e90a1ce01de3181cd2a662b62c9b0a.jpeg760DB0A0-F5FF-4089-9E74-D0A8EC5B732E.thumb.jpeg.f2e504cb3e076764d8383c3d3f74b8c6.jpeg80CCF2B9-ECE3-4678-A1F8-CD8C1BDD2DDA.thumb.jpeg.f51e5889a1be45cb6eef06ee12731442.jpeg I also moved the bounce and it’s rubble to the upper deck as I’m checking if it would prefer more light.

in other news I may have to build a hood of sorts to protect my children’s eyes from looking up at the lights while taking a bath.

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Snow_Phoenix
51 minutes ago, GraniteReefer said:

Shot from before the WC yesterday DE1F0A30-B72C-42E6-8EE0-66DC7517B7B3.thumb.jpeg.2e121da68ea6c1fed1223714cb59d43a.jpeg

polyp extension in these shots isn’t great but it improves after the WC.... hoping this proves to be viable husbandry for Leptastrea.  I already know some specimens seem to have adapted better/faster but luckily none of them look like death haha

08FAE503-403D-4B7F-8633-4616226F0F83.thumb.jpeg.ff099592b6f9da836e2cddc11a4724d2.jpeg

You can see the red slime algae that encased the CC, this WC I aggressively turkey basted it exposing the UGF’s base.  I shot jets from the turkey baster through the slits in the base to lift the detritus that had accumulated underneath it and then drained, refilled, and drained the tank again to remove all the suspended junk.  I could smell low tide.

afterwards492AAE57-7863-4207-9B18-A2073F0AA6B4.thumb.jpeg.80e90a1ce01de3181cd2a662b62c9b0a.jpeg760DB0A0-F5FF-4089-9E74-D0A8EC5B732E.thumb.jpeg.f2e504cb3e076764d8383c3d3f74b8c6.jpeg80CCF2B9-ECE3-4678-A1F8-CD8C1BDD2DDA.thumb.jpeg.f51e5889a1be45cb6eef06ee12731442.jpeg I also moved the bounce and it’s rubble to the upper deck as I’m checking if it would prefer more light.

in other news I may have to build a hood of sorts to protect my children’s eyes from looking up at the lights while taking a bath.

How are the little gobies doing? 

 

Nice progress, btw. 🙂 

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MainelyReefer
1 hour ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

How are the little gobies doing

They are great, making it hard to establish a pod population but they get fed flakes/pellets nightly while we brush our teeth before bed.  The biggest one definitely rules the roost and seemingly owns the lower deck, the two smaller ones are usually found on the upper deck but at feeding time encroach on the big guys turf.  Not sure if they will pair off or how this fish makes pairs, is it like clowns and clown gobies where they will actually change to suit each other?

white light only

9B999BD0-7981-40ED-94AF-D257BE13BC7B.thumb.jpeg.a0f17d23423ffda1d8f98300f760adf1.jpeg

10C34556-1600-4A91-B240-E760EA154D2E.thumb.jpeg.024e33fc3596af9d55bb81538344b8a4.jpeg

A little guy looking off the Dropoff other guy to the left on the glass by the snail.  These are the two smaller ones.44EABE2B-1294-4EC2-A806-609834D3AD00.thumb.jpeg.ce44e346c5e218a80488edfe578d8869.jpeg

and two shots of the big guy who rules it allE6F51F5F-DC39-4501-844C-49F7FBF098E7.thumb.jpeg.f9263da4a299a59defa5692a95e4dc61.jpeg0F08DA22-2940-412E-BD41-1E37894FB54B.thumb.jpeg.33e31fbb1a92ce3c8bf989e60288f5b5.jpeg

His front dorsal fin seems to have elongated similar to a male mandarins, if anyone knows if there is clear sexual dimorphism in GBGs let me know!  They haven’t told me so but they seem happy haha

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MainelyReefer

Here is a crappy video of the GBGs eating coralific delight, they must really be getting comfortable as until today they haven’t been brave enough to eat right from the pipette.  Really loving these fish

 

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Snow_Phoenix
5 minutes ago, GraniteReefer said:

Here is a crappy video of the GBGs eating coralific delight, they must really be getting comfortable as until today they haven’t been brave enough to eat right from the pipette.  Really loving these fish

 

Do you think there is a possibility they might actually breed in your tank in the future? It's quite fascinating to watch all three of them together, btw. The larger one really appears to be more dominant than the others. 

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MainelyReefer
5 hours ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

Do you think there is a possibility they might actually breed in your tank in the future?

ORA has tank raised GBGs so I’m sure they may reproduce, successfully rearing the young would be a whole other adventure though!  I really hope that they breed though as only happy animals do that.

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MainelyReefer

Lowered the intensity of the lights again as I am seeing good response from the last adjustment.  The reason I am going lower is the green specimen on the Dropoff wall, the upper polyps are showing less extension as shown in the photoF0BF103A-875B-4431-9C08-476122706BA4.thumb.jpeg.f66b2f29c1a9f22d35ad3b5505ca466b.jpeg

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I lowered the marine blend to 30% and the blues to 40% for a total of 9.9w of light now.  I will slowly ramp up from this point I reckon unless Leptastrea proves to prefer low light.  The variance in depth of the Dropoff is difficult to nail the right intensity I’m finding.  Maybe if things don’t improve I can talk my wife into letting me get an ai Prime or Kessil.... dreaming.

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MainelyReefer
13 minutes ago, Wingy said:

Would adding something to shade the shallow portion even for part of the day help?  

I considered a diffuser of sorts on the glass over that half of the tank, the problem is some of the Leptastrea seem to like the higher light up there.  It’s definitely a finicky species, maybe more clarity will come to the situation once the tank is more mature, let’s hope I can keep them all alive until I figure it out.

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I forget if you have a lid but if you do you could try adding some squares of waxed paper to shade just those that prefer less light.  

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MainelyReefer

Another thing to consider is most scientific descriptions of the species Leptastrea Purpurea mention their polyps stay retracted in the daytime in the wild.  By morning PE is much more normal and shortly after lights on some are retracted again.  Perhaps the variance I am seeing has to do with some not being Purpurea but one of the other species that does have PE during the day.  Coloration seems good on most specimens and they are supposed to be occasionally found in tidal areas so I figured this tank would be suitable.  Going to revert back to reef slow reef grow even though I haven’t adhered to that up to this point haha.

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On 5/2/2019 at 7:30 AM, GraniteReefer said:

They are great, making it hard to establish a pod population but they get fed flakes/pellets nightly while we brush our teeth before bed.  The biggest one definitely rules the roost and seemingly owns the lower deck, the two smaller ones are usually found on the upper deck but at feeding time encroach on the big guys turf.  Not sure if they will pair off or how this fish makes pairs, is it like clowns and clown gobies where they will actually change to suit each other?

white light only

9B999BD0-7981-40ED-94AF-D257BE13BC7B.thumb.jpeg.a0f17d23423ffda1d8f98300f760adf1.jpeg

10C34556-1600-4A91-B240-E760EA154D2E.thumb.jpeg.024e33fc3596af9d55bb81538344b8a4.jpeg

A little guy looking off the Dropoff other guy to the left on the glass by the snail.  These are the two smaller ones.44EABE2B-1294-4EC2-A806-609834D3AD00.thumb.jpeg.ce44e346c5e218a80488edfe578d8869.jpeg

and two shots of the big guy who rules it allE6F51F5F-DC39-4501-844C-49F7FBF098E7.thumb.jpeg.f9263da4a299a59defa5692a95e4dc61.jpeg0F08DA22-2940-412E-BD41-1E37894FB54B.thumb.jpeg.33e31fbb1a92ce3c8bf989e60288f5b5.jpeg

His front dorsal fin seems to have elongated similar to a male mandarins, if anyone knows if there is clear sexual dimorphism in GBGs let me know!  They haven’t told me so but they seem happy haha

The long dorsal fin is a male or on it's way to becoming male...I had a large group and the most dominant one also ended up with more intense colors and stronger black behind his head.

 

They can change sex but not sure if it's both ways or not. I know some gobies can go back and forth unlike clowns. Not sure on these guys.

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MainelyReefer
14 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

The long dorsal fin is a male or on it's way to becoming male...I had a large group and the most dominant one also ended up with more intense colors and stronger black behind his head.

 

They can change sex but not sure if it's both ways or not. I know some gobies can go back and forth unlike clowns. Not sure on these guys.

I would be stoked if they morphed to create a pair/threesome haha

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Would be totally cool if you fish paired or formed a trio...lol

 

And how many different leptastrea do you have again? I had one once years ago, got it as a freebie I think. I don’t think it was super happy tho, and the flesh began receding so I think I chucked it 😞

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MainelyReefer
5 hours ago, MetaTank said:

Would be totally cool if you fish paired or formed a trio...lol

 

And how many different leptastrea do you have again? I had one once years ago, got it as a freebie I think. I don’t think it was super happy tho, and the flesh began receding so I think I chucked it 😞

I went a little excessive right off the bat and got 18 different leptastrea haha.  It’s a really great and under appreciated coral as it has so many color morphs. Can’t wait until the tank has proven itself and I can score the last few I have my eye on

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13 minutes ago, GraniteReefer said:

I went a little excessive right off the bat and got 18 different leptastrea haha.  It’s a really great and under appreciated coral as it has so many color morphs. Can’t wait until the tank has proven itself and I can score the last few I have my eye on

I also just love the idea of a species only coral tank, totally cool!

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  • 3 weeks later...
MainelyReefer

Been since my last update that I did a WC.  Lots of purple coralline starting on the rocks as seen in this shot under mostly white spectrum.E36638D6-E0A2-4DAC-AA8A-D051E1A38AA0.thumb.jpeg.2a9395e2d0859b685531b04f22659f55.jpeg

lots of nasty algae’s and bubbly messes but that’s to be expected when using this much dry rock and bottled bacteria.  67A504F0-2211-4B4A-9730-E8E7E8A28AAE.thumb.jpeg.d09e0cd9876ce0d9b64fb24b682a6b8c.jpegI end up turkey basting every few days to clear phlegm like material off the corals, thinking more flow would help but once its matured I’m hoping the air stone flow will be sufficient. 209C6D26-8C64-4847-811F-7CBF099A1BF8.thumb.jpeg.ff34c9b2443a8362173987ef03663ed2.jpeg

Still haven’t lost any of my 18 Leptastrea so I’m pretty stoked on that.  Most of them even have great PE and color and only a few are being finicky now.  Here’s a very blue topdown with no filter all photos taken before today’s WC.

048D2C98-318E-4702-A042-D3E5D67AE4B1.thumb.jpeg.d11ce9ef7f29b1e948e50c50a510fca5.jpeg58039F41-4EFA-40F2-B932-B3C07B848C78.thumb.jpeg.5f1d5e05f144399e87412822aa06c79a.jpeg

No growth yet but that’s to be expected with a new tank.

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MainelyReefer

Went to a LFS on Friday, had to buy something so I bought a Leptastrea that is almost an exact match to my blue centered one.  Woke up this morning and my JF spitfire has been bulldozed off presumably by a hermit, so I grabbed the tweezers and glue and put it back on the Dropoff wall and placed the new specimen just below on a small bump out. Given the spectrum of my bathroom lights this picture is essentially useless... enjoy 03259AD7-F09F-4BE0-AB0D-F56B5BCD002C.thumb.jpeg.60b973c674b58a13a3209f429b1935f7.jpeg

The next shot will show what I think is the beginning of coralline algae on my rocks and also maybe some encrusting growth from the green Leptastrea 2nd coral down growth looks like two brownish half circles fanning out from the main colony.88235CAA-421B-47EE-8BBF-D0ADD25595FD.thumb.jpeg.784f64800f58acf556b897a11f9ecb47.jpeg

the start of lots of coralline?

7F33AEEA-8660-4634-9C30-29096057F838.thumb.jpeg.9c8b7e30730d38d4351c10d9f4072e54.jpeg

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  • 2 weeks later...
MainelyReefer

Some pics, nothing really to update just some encrusting finally starting on a few more specimens.  Tank empty of water

73F2B64A-89CE-42B2-979C-AA0E7F04B555.thumb.jpeg.9dc0933611c1de8c6e3eeacc916066ec.jpeg

Dominant GBG chilling after the WC

3856AD27-006C-49C6-B99D-4DB534A67DE6.thumb.jpeg.6dc3b5fc376019fc19ff215a5638cb49.jpeg

this morning before lights on

EAEF671E-70A8-400B-B8FA-864C12EF430E.thumb.jpeg.5513b42ad3bfdcc03b9ac07815b20787.jpeg

In this one you can just see coralline starting to grow on the top left corner of the lift pipeD83A84E0-3B90-4533-8169-76322CEA13BF.thumb.jpeg.a3a048a782bbb31334a430154ab9b795.jpeg

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MainelyReefer

Can’t find my camera filter so the shot is blue but figured I should show all three fish are together and healthy.  If you can find them this is the best I could do with all three in one frame.

B1D56252-0C78-47A4-8B68-515EBBF7044C.thumb.jpeg.c2e55692f277fb899809e4a60f1aed63.jpeg

And before I posted this it was toothbrushing time and the spectrum was back to white, somehow I made the white channels the sunrise/sunset and moonlight channel haha to lazy to switch it.  Here’s some better photos of the fish none with all three in one frame though.1E0A9FE0-8ABA-4286-8EF0-E8D167F082DE.thumb.jpeg.b030c1fa1b81f2bd436e93fcda6b2626.jpeg

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@GraniteReefer I found your build while searching for 1/4” RFG nozzles. Did you decide to trash the idea? Care to share your thoughts on it for use in a pico?

 

I’m trying to plan a pico without using a powerhead and this seems like a good option. I wasn’t aware they were orange though!

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This guy is extra salty

Finally caught up!

awesome to hear you didn’t lose any leptos! Sadly I just have mushrooms on walkabouts 😂 

 

how are the temperaments of the GBGs?

i have been debating on getting a fish for my pistol shrimp..

 

im seriously jelly of the coralline. I need some to attack the back panel. But can only hope.. and BTW my rocks have hit the fuzzy turd 💩 stage too

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MainelyReefer
11 hours ago, TatorTaco said:

@GraniteReefer I found your build while searching for 1/4” RFG nozzles. Did you decide to trash the idea? Care to share your thoughts on it for use in a pico?

 

I’m trying to plan a pico without using a powerhead and this seems like a good option. I wasn’t aware they were orange though!

For this build I just stuck with what I know and opted to use only an air pump so the RFG didn’t fit my plan.  In my preliminary testing I coupled the RFG with a sicce .5 and it seemed perfect when I wet tested it in the 2.5g.  The RFG is black too the locline I attached it to is orange.  If I was running a pump I would run the RFG.

8 hours ago, This guy is extra salty said:

how are the temperaments of the GBGs?

i have been debating on getting a fish for my pistol shrimp..

These guys aren’t shrimp gobies so I don’t think your pistol would care much for them, the GBGs are fun to watch and not shy though and a great choice for a small tank,  they attack my snails sometimes so maybe slightly more aggressive than you would expect a 1” fish to be.

8 hours ago, This guy is extra salty said:

BTW my rocks have hit the fuzzy turd 💩 stage too

Adding fluconazole/vibrant to this weeks WC to stomp out the algae before it takes hold.  Luckily most of the rocks looks great just a few ugly places, and two frags have bubble algae on them too so some tweezers and H2O2 will be needed for them.

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