Muddy Macros - 12g Long

[cosmicbread]

Little update. Life has been kind of cray, but things are percolating along in this tank. 
Everything will be moved to an IM Lagoon 25 — no set dates for that yet. The tank has arrived but was cracked 😞 so awaiting a new one, and we are building a stand for it. Also waiting on word from TBS on sand and a few additional rocks.

 

Been having some nuisance algae in the MM tank but only on the glass. I am still figuring out a nutrient balance. Most happily, I seem to have more barnacles actively feeding than I’ve ever seen before, and my sponges and tunicates are all doing well, including the supposed juvenile spiny oyster and the other bivalves I’ve found. 

 

Most of the surface of every rock is covered in waving barnacle fans, new feather dusters (pink, and white banded), multiplying mini brittle legs hanging outta holes, other varieties of tube worms, bivalves, and all sorts of other neat inverts that I notice with nearly every devoted viewing.

 

Macros are doing good. There has been a proliferation of new shaving brush sprouts in particular. I recently cut down some of the oldest specimens as they appeared to be disintegrating, maybe directing their resources toward the new growth.

 

Still have a few gorilla crabs to trap. The “good” crabs are all doing well.

 

Also have some new corals, but proper pics will have to wait as my phone camera is being weird today. Three are from the LFS (I let my mom pick em), and four came in today from AquaSD. These represent a bit of change in plans in stocking, but I’m excited to get everything in a spacier tank.

 

Also, a new gorgonian! I’ve had this one for a few weeks now and it is consistently fluffy. Purple angular sea whip 🙂

pics in order:

1. Close up of gorg

 2. Mithrax noms

3. Crap FTS with my ever-escaping tiny Superman mushroom confined in a jar in a breeder box

4. Elegant pink hitchhiker algae

5.Green flat bladed hitchhiker algae that took hold in a chunk of purple branching coralline

6. Wild tube coral being lovely

 

[growsomething]

Very nice macro scape.  I think I'd like this for my im 10 floor, and coral on the back wall.

[cosmicbread]

6 minutes ago, growsomething said:

Very nice macro scape.  I think I'd like this for my im 10 floor, and coral on the back wall.

I will always be an enabler for macros in a reef tank. I think they can add some interesting and beautiful dimension and movement, with the bonus of sucking up nitrates and phosphates...with caution! 🙂 I've been researching, as well as learning as I go, about how to dose what the macros need but not overdo or under-do for the softies and LPS that share the space...

 

[cosmicbread]

New build thread soon. This tank was destined for an extra short life, however. I have been getting closer to moving stuff over, but the universe gave me a kick in the rear this morning and a heavy object was dropped on the 12g, creating quite the crack through a corner. A hasty emergency move ensued — thank the salty gods the water temp in the lagoon was already matched.

 

Today also heralded the arrival of some beautiful codium, sargassum, more ceriths, and three new corals. I’ll have a more thorough run-down soon 🙂 Gonna toss some algae wagers in for the poor snails...

 

Aquariums. 90% peaceful and lovely,  10% inducing gut wrenching terror 

 

 

 

[billygoat]

2 hours ago, cosmicbread said:

New build thread soon. This tank was destined for an extra short life, however. I have been getting closer to moving stuff over, but the universe gave me a kick in the rear this morning and a heavy object was dropped on the 12g, creating quite the crack through a corner. A hasty emergency move ensued — thank the salty gods the water temp in the lagoon was already matched.

Goodness gracious! That's an unexpectedly exciting way to initiate your tank move. 😅 I'm glad everything ended up working out though. Those new macros look stunning - I especially love that Sargassum. It's a very beautiful specimen.

 

What's going to end up happening to all that sweet, sweet mud from the muddy macro tank? Is it reusable and transferable into your new tank, or does it have to be discarded?

[cosmicbread]

11 minutes ago, billygoat said:

Goodness gracious! That's an unexpectedly exciting way to initiate your tank move. 😅 I'm glad everything ended up working out though. Those new macros look stunning - I especially love that Sargassum. It's a very beautiful specimen.

 

What's going to end up happening to all that sweet, sweet mud from the muddy macro tank? Is it reusable and transferable into your new tank, or does it have to be discarded?

I tossed the mud because it smelled...terrible. Like, walk on a beach after a storm with rotting kelp and fish levels of terrible. I think I'm also going to stick with sand in this lagoon. However, the pest pico may end up with some mud as I have lots sitting around in jars. I also moved the mangroves over there. The crabs will be thrilled.

 

The sargassum is lovely and such a delicate golden color. I hope it does well for me 🥺 I've been playing with the AI Prime and have turned up the red and white and turned down the blue, so now the tank is in a daylight/plant-comfy color spectrum. The corals don't seem cranky, actually. I'll have to watch everyone...but do you think, at a high enough level, that non-finicky coral would still do well for me despite the "daylight"/low-blue settings?

[Lypto]

Oh yeah most softies would do great! 

[cosmicbread]

39 minutes ago, Lypto said:

Oh yeah most softies would do great! 

Thanks! But not LPS?

[Lypto]

Probably everything up to some sps species. Macros and corals are hard to get in proportion sometimes so it's all a matter of choice.