Snow's 60G Secret Predatory Sanctum 🐲🐉 - Shutting Down

[Snow_Phoenix]

41 minutes ago, jack1978 said:

I used ReefTown ..    lots of great info on their site.  

A little problem though - I live in the opposite side of the world. 😕

 

Thanks for the recommendation though! 

[jack1978]

5 minutes ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

A little problem though - I live in the opposite side of the world. 😕

 

Thanks for the recommendation though! 

Yeah, lol - good info on their website though - where ever you purchase or find them. 

[Murphs_Reef]

Bad news on the Monti name, they changed the signs 

[farkwar]

11 hours ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

I kept reading that red encourages algae growth so I use minimal of it. 🤔

 

Might rev up the blues in the R60 over time though. 

It's good for photos of course

 

But it's why grow lights are red

 

Macro algae and terrestrial plants use the same wavelengths of light

 

 

[A.m.P]

2 hours ago, farkwar said:

It's good for photos of course

 

But it's why grow lights are red

 

Macro algae and terrestrial plants use the same wavelengths of light

 

 

To be fair, some complex macro algae thrive under blues; like gracilaria hayi for instance, the spectrum it prefers depends on the species.

[Snow_Phoenix]

Goblin getting comfy today morning:

 

 

Bullseye rhodactis shroom:

 

 

Really need to upgrade my camera to get a better pic of Leopold:

 

 

The S9 is very good, but for some reason it cannot focus on this fish properly (due to the spots/mottled pattern on its scales), and it can't focus on any of my pink colored fish either, like my Lubbocks fairy wrasse. 😓

 

Would definitely love to get clearer shots of everything someday. 

[Snow_Phoenix]

I caught one of these two sifting sand earlier. Had no idea they were that sort of goby until today. 🤔

 

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

So big now. 😊

 

 

I intend to pick up a large LPS colony for my birthday + Christmas next month - preferably a green frogspawn. I might consider another Elegance (again), but only if I can get a very *healthy specimen from my *primary LFS. 🥰

[Snow_Phoenix]

Tux in camomode: 😅

 

 

 

Yuma looking bubbly:

 

 

 

Cup coral up close:

 

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Just put in an order for a female (hopefully!) ruby dragonet today. 🙂

 

Strangely enough, my secondary LFS manager texted me and asked if I was interested in acquiring a pistol shrimp. An odd coincidence because just today, someone on Insta asked me where was my pistol shrimp for my steinitz goby pair. 😛

 

So I agreed to purchase a shrimp - I have a feeling it might pair up with my tangaroa over my steinitz gobies though!

 

Also, I'm waiting on an order for a Copperband Butterfly to tackle my aiptasia - peppermint shrimp are not available atm, unfortunately. 😞

 

And, I have an algae issue which needs to be addressed - I'll be upfront with all of you, I am genuinely considering picking up a very small foxface to *temporarily have a go at whatever fuzzy algae there is on the rocks, and then rehome the fish as it grows bigger <--- not fond of this concept, because when I purchase an animal, it's usually for life unless some mitigating circumstances occur in between which results in me being forced to rehome the animal for its benefit. 😕

 

I've tried snails, hermits, urchins. Whatever I'm doing is not enough to stop the fuzz. My blenny is grazing the crap outta the rocks, but it's not enough. I'm actually not keen on adding any large fish or rather, more fish, to this tank, but I need to stop both the algae and aiptasia before it gets completely out of control. Staying off tangs - even baby ones, because they're ich magnets, and need more room to swim. 

 

I'm still thinking about this carefully. The foxface idea might not come to pass - but I'm definitely set on the Copperband (a small or medium-sized one). My aiptasia has actually stung and killed my Christmas favia. And one of the buggers is awfully close to my large hammer coral. I swear they're both growing bigger by the day. 😞

 

Both my LFSes don't have Copperbands in stock, but my secondary one has some Foxfaces left. Whatever it is, I'll be dropping by both stores personally to see the fish up front first. Not comfortable picking a fish based on just pics sent over text. 

[debbeach13]

51 minutes ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

but I'm definitely set on the Copperband (a small or medium-sized one

I haven't had a tank large enough but have always wanted one. Long long ago and far far away. A store up North had a couple in a tank that was stunning. Black back and black sand and a couple large pieces of bleached white dead coral skeleton. Visually amazing. This was back when live rock was just starting to become a thing so we didn't know it probably wasn't great for the fish but it was set up for years.

[Snow_Phoenix]

13 hours ago, debbeach13 said:

I haven't had a tank large enough but have always wanted one. Long long ago and far far away. A store up North had a couple in a tank that was stunning. Black back and black sand and a couple large pieces of bleached white dead coral skeleton. Visually amazing. This was back when live rock was just starting to become a thing so we didn't know it probably wasn't great for the fish but it was set up for years.

I'm going to try and zap both of the aiptasia with boiling water + concentrated vinegar after this. If it doesn't work, I'll get the Copperband. I'm not too thrilled over adding more fish actually. 

 

The female ruby to come stays small, so it's not much impact on my bioload, but a Copperband is quite big. And it's a difficult fish to keep too - especially when it comes to weaning it onto prepared. And if I'm not mistaken, they are notorious for having lympho. So many risks adding one to my reef, which is finally recovering & healing after a long time. 

 

😕

[Snow_Phoenix]

Poseidon on the hunt for pods: 

 

 

Two of my currently oldest SW fish - Goblin & Thanos:

 

 

 

^These two have been through a lot together. So thankful to still have them. 

 

Not sure if any of you can see this but here's my hammer enjoying the flow from my wavemaker:

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHHLDMoDxn3/?igshid=1tlksg3xi8m5i

 

I increased the speed of my Jebao. The corals seem much happier. 😊👍

 

Also, Hermes the halloween hermit molted (I hope!) last night on my cup coral. I don't want to move him, but I'll check up on him later. 👍

[debbeach13]

Yes I believe that copper bands are difficult to keep. The hammer looks great.

[Snow_Phoenix]

2 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

Yes I believe that copper bands are difficult to keep. The hammer looks great.

Yeah. I actually had one in a QT this year, but couldn't wean it onto prepared even after a month of training. It only ate live ghost shrimp. I had to eventually return it to the store. Store took very good care of it until it died suddenly one day. My worker friend was quite heartbroken because she grew attached to it. We still don't know the cause of death until today because it was a very healthy fish, finnicky diet aside. 😓

[Murphs_Reef]

My unknown Monti is going very well under the blues 

 

[debbeach13]

Nice!

[Snow_Phoenix]

5 hours ago, Grimes said:

My unknown Monti is going very well under the blues 

 

Looks good! 😊

[Snow_Phoenix]

Just hanging out: 😊

 

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Orion (backview) :

 

 

Little baby yuma now has a mouth! 🥰 :

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

This is his reef. 😎

 

 

Thanos turning white as part of a territorial display. He does this every week. 

[Snow_Phoenix]

So...I did a thing today. Went to my LFS to pick up some critters to help eat my algae. Picked up s halloween urchin:

 

 

And then well. Ah, I stood in the store for an hour, thinking, debating & arguing with myself - and at one point just gave up and let my heart rule over my head. 

 

I need a grazer and was originally revisiting the idea of picking up a tiny foxface (there were none - phew!) and then I saw this tiny adorable 2.5" baby blue eyed bristletooth tang who was getting knocked around a bit by a large yellow puma angel in a DT, so yep, I brought him home. 😅

 

Anyhow, meet Freckles:

 

 

His lip is a bit injured because the bag he was in fell over twice (once in my car, and once in my bedroom) but he's already grazing the rocks (!!!) and he's mostly enlisting the services of my cleaner shrimp to clean him up:

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHM56xsjAXU/?igshid=p6hh4zfx7dxr

 

Right now, he's small enough that he wouldn't be an issue in this tank, but I believe he maxes out at 6", which is quite frankly a bit big for a cube. So somewhere along the way I'll most likely end up rehoming him. (Hate to say it, but I've become *that person)

 

But until then, I'll keep an eye on him. He seems okay so far, just very skittish. Already eating pellets - especially seaweed ones. 👍

[vlangel]

Hi Snow, I have not been on N-R for quite some time but decided to check in and was pleased to see your tank and how well things are going!

[Snow_Phoenix]

Just now, vlangel said:

Hi Snow, I have not been on N-R for quite some time but decided to check in and was pleased to see your tank and how well things are going!

Thanks Dawn! It's still recovering, but I finally have some regrowth & growth in there, so I'll slowly be stocking up on corals again next month. How has everything been on your end? How are the tanks & fish? Are you still keeping ponies? 😊

[vlangel]

8 minutes ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

Thanks Dawn! It's still recovering, but I finally have some regrowth & growth in there, so I'll slowly be stocking up on corals again next month. How has everything been on your end? How are the tanks & fish? Are you still keeping ponies? 😊

Things are well at my end of the world.

 

Sadly Samson passed a few months back and I had decided that I was not going to do ponies anymore at this time.  I wanted the freedom to get a bigger variety of creatures and so my tank ststem is active with lots of smaller fish, shrimp, macro algae and I have added shoal seagrass to the fuge.  It's much more maintenance friendly and I am enjoying the new direction my tank has taken.