ValerieR Posted September 10, 2019 Author Share Posted September 10, 2019 New thread for the 66 I'm setting up as Slimy's upgraded tank. I'll continue this one as it transitions into a clownfish tank for my daughter, but the reef and predator tank is getting an upgrade. 1 Quote Link to comment
ValerieR Posted September 30, 2019 Author Share Posted September 30, 2019 The 13.5 is doing ok, plugging along. I've got a bit of a red slime algae outbreak right now. One of my massive turbo snails died in a back corner, and it took me several days to notice. I also noticed the filter flow was low; the chaeto was blocking up the pump again and needed to be disassembled. I did both, and a water change. My Smart ATO Micro pump seems to have died. I've got a weekend camping trip this weekend, so I'm hustling to get a replacement on Amazon. I'll start a conversation with CoralVue to get another one under warranty, as it's only... 5 months old or so? Where did the time go? I've started moving non-slimy corals into the 66 to protect them. My plate coral is already much happier with some room to itself. I'll post an updated picture later today. 2 Quote Link to comment
ValerieR Posted October 2, 2019 Author Share Posted October 2, 2019 Sorry for no pictures. Trying to fix this pump/run around for a spare has taken a lot of time. Looks like I'll have to rely on my sister coming by to refill it while I'm away as I'm not comfortable setting up a direct siphon system or drip line. Red slime algae is already reducing, after fixing the flow issue. Working on keeping the salinity in check. I have the backup pump plugged in, but I'll need to manually turn on and off to use. Frustrating, with the pump only 5 months old. It'll prompt me to make sure I have a spare main pump though, which is probably a good thing. I'll work on getting photos before I leave, in case all goes wrong. Crossing my fingers that it won't. 1 Quote Link to comment
ValerieR Posted October 16, 2019 Author Share Posted October 16, 2019 Pump is still down, but I have a temporary one set up in my ATO. So glad I have a switched power strip (one switch for each plug), as I need to manually turn the pump on and off to add RO water. Beats buckets though. I did a big (25%) water change, and I've been watching salinity carefully. It helped a bit with the slime algae issue I'm having. I moved some unaffected mushrooms to the 66, and did what I could for the rest. I caught 1 of 2 damsels, so I tossed it into the 66 sump until I catch the other one. Shelby is looking forward to me emptying this tank out to make room for what she wants. 1 Quote Link to comment
ValerieR Posted March 25, 2020 Author Share Posted March 25, 2020 Time to wake this up again. I went by my LFS to support them during the current Coronavirus "shelter in place" and they had a mantis. My daughter is fine rishing her clownfish to get him. I had to catch and move the Timor Wrasses into the 66, but that's where I was planning to put them anyway. So the 13.5 is a mantis tank once more. It's a basher. I'm thinking it may be a small Peacock Mantis, which will mean she'll outgrow the tank, but I'm not sure yet. For now though, she's small. Excuse the cloudy water, I stirred up the bottom doing some quick maintenance before she went in. Color is a very dark green. There are red stripes between each segment of her tail. Red and blue are on the front legs and her bashers, along with some large false eye spots. She is about 3" long right now. She's already at work bashing a hole in my live rock for herself, so hopefully she'll settle in. 2 Quote Link to comment
cosmicbread Posted March 25, 2020 Share Posted March 25, 2020 She is beautiful!! Any names picked out? I have a little wennerae in my 25g whom I’ve decided to let be, for now. They are truly engaging little souls. 1 Quote Link to comment
ValerieR Posted March 25, 2020 Author Share Posted March 25, 2020 No names yet. Just watching her right now. I got a nice threat display while I was watching. After digging a quick tunnel, she's now thoroughly exploring. It'll be a while until the sand settles from her digging, but I'm still getting some good pictures. 1 Quote Link to comment
ValerieR Posted March 26, 2020 Author Share Posted March 26, 2020 Just found it. It looks like it's a Smith's Mantis, Gonodactylus Smithii. Max size 3.5" and minimum tank size of 10 gallons. And she's moved into the PVC tubes, which makes me happy, since she can't bash through the glass that way. 1 Quote Link to comment
ValerieR Posted March 28, 2020 Author Share Posted March 28, 2020 My daughter has named her Phoenix. She has decided to settle in and do some spring cleaning, and is getting all the old sand and rock/shell bits and pieces out. She did take a piece of freeze dried krill from the tongs, which was encouraging. It didn't get thrown back out with the spring cleaning, so maybe that helped her decide that this wasn't a half bad spot to settle in. I have videos, but can't seem to find them when I try to load things. Must not be a supported file type? She did drag a colt coral in to dam up her hole, which it isn't happy about, but there are 3 more in there, so we'll see how it goes. 3 Quote Link to comment
ValerieR Posted May 20, 2020 Author Share Posted May 20, 2020 Phoenix the mantis is still happy in the Evo. I have 2 tiny percula clowns in there, and she hasn't bugged them yet, even though she does watch them. She dams up the PVC tunnels every night, and has created some "walking paths" through the tank for herself under plenty of cover. I have been swamped at work, so just make sure there are plenty of hermits in there for her. If she can't find one, I've made little finger puppet movements along the front sand line, and she'll get curious enough to come find what I'm moving next to. I'll work on getting her onto frozen and freeze dried food once work settles down. I can barely find the energy to scrape the glass and top off the tank when I get home as it is now. I'm still mulling over my acrylic sump options for the 66, and then I'll move her into that once I set one up. Who dat? Found one! Out for a walk... 1 Quote Link to comment
ValerieR Posted July 15, 2020 Author Share Posted July 15, 2020 Phoenix the Mantis is doing well. She locked herself up for a week or so for what I'm assuming was another molt. She's back out and hungry. I had about 10 hermit crabs in the tank and they're gone now. I've also introduced her to freeze dried shrimp from tongs, and she takes that pretty happily so far. 1 Quote Link to comment
Christopher Marks Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 What a beautiful mantis shrimp @ValerieR! Those false eye markings are really something. They kinda look like googly eyes from some perspectives! Googly Eyes of Doom! 😄 Quote Link to comment
ValerieR Posted July 24, 2020 Author Share Posted July 24, 2020 Hey @Christopher Marks, haven't seen you in a while. Yeah, she's beautiful and I love the eye spots. They're especially cool seeing them coming from the darkness of the tubes. And seeing as I'm still feeding a lot of hermit crabs, who quickly become nocturnal, eyes of doom is appropriate. I'm tempted to hand feed her krill, but haven't gotten the gall yet. She doesn't strike the tongs though, so maybe I can get away with it. She watches everything and gives the impression of high intelligence, so we'll see. I also might just fill empty crab shells with krill or shrimp and let her bash away. I wish sexing them was easier, as I know some of the varieties can be paired. But we had "picked" male for Mr Pickles, so we picked female for Phoenix. 1 Quote Link to comment
Christopher Marks Posted July 24, 2020 Share Posted July 24, 2020 Trying my best to catch on everyone's reef journals 🙂, I'm always so happy to find another mantis tank! I would be so nervous hand feeding a mantis too! I've definitely seen some hobbyists do it though 😮. They seem to quickly recognize us as the source of their food, a lot like fish. Don't smash the hand that feeds you? haha I like the idea of krill in old crab shells, a little 'hunting' experience for the mantis, vs getting spoon fed 😄. My neighbor gives my dog a treat almost every day, but he breaks it into small pieces and tosses it into the yard, so my dog has to use his nose and have fun hunting for the pieces. Quote Link to comment
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