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

[Critteraholic]

What is wrong with Leopold????

[Snow_Phoenix]

3 hours ago, Critteraholic said:

What is wrong with Leopold????

Nothing. Sub-terminal in terms of coloration - he's transitioning to a fully male wrasse slowly. Sorry if I wasn't clear earlier - he's very healthy & active. 😅

[Critteraholic]

14 hours ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

Nothing. Sub-terminal in terms of coloration - he's transitioning to a fully male wrasse slowly. Sorry if I wasn't clear earlier - he's very healthy & active. 😅

Good lord, I've been reading too many "my fish is sick" threads.  I saw "terminal" and carefully examined each picture trying to figure out what the heck was wrong with that fish. 🙄 I'm very glad he is ok and healthy.  (And I think I should probably not be reading threads at 4 in the morning.🤪)  😁

[Snow_Phoenix]

Poseidon on the hunt for pods:

 

 

 

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Snail buddies:

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Good morning, NR. Here's Poseidon on the hunt for pods. Illaron is out hunting at the back of the tank. With fewer dragonets in the system, territories no longer clash, food is in abundance and both fish appear healthy & thick enough. No plans on adding more dragonets for now - might or might not cave in and do a ruby in the far future, but I'll cap it at 3 max. 

 

 

 

I don't plan on pairing up Illaron again. Although watching a pair of mated dragonets spawn in the tank almost everyday gave me great joy, it was the consistent overspawning that eventually killed my female, Bella. 😔

 

Since Illaron is a very pushy fish, I'm pretty sure he'll drive any future females to an early grave too. So it's best to avoid the whole situation altogether. 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Goblin:

 

[seabass]

5 minutes ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

Goblin

Nice

[Snow_Phoenix]

Reggie out in the open: 😱

 

 

[debbeach13]

No thanks I am good 

[Xj reefing]

That is one big worm

[Snow_Phoenix]

4 hours ago, Xj reefing said:

That is one big worm

Yep, it is. 

[Snow_Phoenix]

I forgot to add - a few days back, one of the fish ate all of the large aiptasia in the tank. I believe this is the handiwork of Rocket, the Singapore/Vermiculate angelfish. But it *could be my foxface, Foxy, as well - do foxfaces even eat aiptasia? I'm not sure and I don't believe so. 🤔

 

Either way, the very large problematic aiptasia are all gone. Even the smaller ones on the giant tunicate are missing - and the tunicate is actually the main feeding ground of my angelfish. 

 

And through some blind luck, my LFS actually just acquired some peppermint shrimp - I quickly contacted them and they have a tiny one left, but it's too expensive. Right now, I don't see the point of getting any aiptasia-eating fish or inverts though, since they're currently being eaten in the tank.

 

I still have a major issue with bristleworms though. It's really overpopulated, especially at night.

 

Regardless, I'm mostly keeping an eye out for a starry blenny - no stock at the LFS yet. 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Did some digging online. There have been other reported cases in the past (from other reefers) who have had angels (mostly large, not dwarf) eat aiptasia. So yep, looks like Rocket falls into this mix and has developed a taste for it. So happy he does it because this actually solves a huge problem for me. 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Yellow sponge. Started out as a tiny hitchiker. 

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Illaron foraging the rocks for pods today morning: 

 

 

 

 

[Xj reefing]

Such a pretty fish

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Eh, who dis? 🤔

 

 

 

 

 

The new guy up close:

 

 

These other two wondering who the heck is that: 

 

Went to LFS to get plants for my FW tank. Saw a chunky ruby in their main frag tank. 😮 🐲🐉

 

He's apparently been at the store for quite a while & randomly popped up today. (Store manager was quite surprised by his existence too). At the store:

 

 

He was already eating. So I folded and got him. Only issue is that he ninja flipped out of the holding bucket at the store and hit the ground with a loud splat! noise. He appeared okay, but was breathing hard. 

 

Currently resting in the 60G. No name yet.

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Forgot to add earlier - I also picked up a large bag of macro for the fuge:

 

 

Needed to replenish the microfauna & increase the diversity of the existing microfauna in my sump. 👍

[Snow_Phoenix]

Confused dragonet is confused. He hasn't quite figured out that he is no longer in a frag tank. 😅

 

 

The refugium atm:

 

 

Some of the microfauna that I currently have snacking on the algae film coating the glass:

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

A closer look at the different types of macro that I have in the fuge:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BME, macroalgae & microfauna diversity is key to maintaining an ongoing, healthy refugium needed to support staunch pod eaters like dragonets. Another option is always manual addition of pods (seeding), but this can get expensive quick unless you culture them at home. 

 

I'm thinking of adding more live rock to the second compartment of the sump & slowly convert that into a fuge area as well (my current fuge is in the third compartment, and only half the size of the second compartment). Problem is getting ahold of more LR - most of the LFSes either don't have any, or only have leftover dry rock pieces which will need to be cycled in a separate bin before adding them to my sump. I'll keep an eye out for any LR on sale. Bound to be some in the store - eventually. 🤔

[Snow_Phoenix]

Rocket's open sore has progressively worsened over the weeks. I think I might have to euthanize him in the future - he's slowing down & suffering: 😭

 

 

 

 

Already developing a second lump on the other side:

 

 

Both dad & I suspect it could be cancer, but there is no way of truly knowing. He has already stopped eating since yesterday, and appears to be losing weight. 😔

[debbeach13]

33 minutes ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

might have to euthanize him in the future - he's slowing down & suffering:

It is hard to do but it may be what’s best

[Snow_Phoenix]

49 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

It is hard to do but it may be what’s best

I know. I had to euthanize some of my juvi FW eels before. It was horrible, actually, but the fish was suffering too much. Rocket the angelfish can still swim, but at a slant. Problem is he can still move reasonably fast, so it'll be a challenge to net him (also need to mind the foxface so that I don't accidently get stung). Once he slows down significantly, I'll do what needs to be done. The open sore is quite deep. 😞 

[Critteraholic]

Ugh, you poor thing.  I hate having to euthanize any of my pets. At least you'll be giving him a much kinder death than if he lived in the ocean.  My sympathies.