Snow's 2.6G Little Monsters Picoreef - Retired!

[Snow_Phoenix]

Update #2:

 

My metallic green paly opened up fully today! Here it is, with a regular bam bam zoa to compare to for size:

 

 

The shimmery green zoas are still shimmery! And the black ball sponge is growing, but bending out of shape a little: 🙄

 

 

The purple zoas are changing. I noticed some of them have began to develop a pale red ring next to the skirts, between the purple and brown colors: 🤷‍♀️

 

 

Sunflower zoas haven't popped out any new babies this week. Not sure why - because they were growing quickly before this: 🤷‍♀️

 

 

The pink zoas (suspected AOGs) up close:

 

 

And lastly, both my GSPs are in vain contest of how far each could grow over the other: 🙄

 

 

 

I found another tiny aiptasia (my 5th!) on the xenia rock today. So annoyed because for such a tiny tank, these buggers seem to be cropping up everywhere like a bunch of radioactive weeds. ☹

 

Will smother it with coral glue tomorrow morning. 👍

[debbeach13]

When you cover the aiptasia with glue cover the glue with zoanthids. Just a thought!

[Snow_Phoenix]

15 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

When you cover the aiptasia with glue cover the glue with zoanthids. Just a thought!

That's actually a very good idea! I don't have any loose zoanthids atm - not unless you count the five on the frag plugs on the sandbed, but those frags are too big to be glued over the xenia's rock. 

 

But...there were some red-skirted beige zoas that I *was eyeing on at the LFS last week.

 

It's been there forever, so I'll try to haggle for it, and see if I can get it somehow. Now *those zoas, I can gladly glue over this pesky aiptasia. 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Found a stomatella in my nano today - it most likely hitchiked with my macro in that tank, so I pulled it out and put it in a cup to have a closer look:

 

 

It's actually kinda cute. So I transferred it to the pico, because these guys love munching on film algae and stay pico-sized: 🤗

 

 

 

It definitely set to work on cleaning the glass the moment I put it in. Named the lil' booger Jim. 😊 :

 

 

I noticed I have several hydroid jellies in this little reef. One of them looks pretty neat:

 

 

While the others are more common-looking:

 

 

Also, does anyone know if foramnifera bothers corals? They look beautiful, but I noticed my lobo's flesh isn't growing over/next to the area they occupy: 🤔

 

 

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Fed the little reef some frozen mix today morning:

 

 

Pod storm! 🤗 :

 

 

(Scroll on in Insta for vid) :

 

 

Feeding response was very good in some of the corals. My duncan was very happy: 😊

 

 

 

 

So was the red lobo and duster worm: 👍

 

 

 

These guys were out to scavenge anything they could find: 🤗

 

 

 

[debbeach13]

Wow that looked like a lot! Every thing should be puffy today.

[Snow_Phoenix]

My red digi nub is missing. ☹

 

I think one of my snails bowled it over last night - but I can't find it and I looked using a flashlight. 😭

 

Might have to lift up Coralline Ledge to take a better look. Will probably do that during my next WC. ☹

[Snow_Phoenix]

Update #1:

 

Harvey finally molted today! And he also regrew the missing leg he originally came with: 😊

 

 

 

 

The montihat has become greener. I *think its polyps might actually be white, but until I see full PE, I can't really tell. However, it actually has began to plate out - which is rather quick in my book: 

 

 

 

Xenia doesn't look too fantastic, but at least it's not being a nuisance (yet) :

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Update #2:

 

Shimmering green zoas lookin' good today:

 

 

These purple death palys have popped out 5 to 6 new heads and keep growing, which is crazy:

 

 

Mint green zoas actually look better after my grape and cup caulerpas were gone, and there are no macro strands running through it:

 

 

One of my single blasto heads on the pillar rock/zoa tower:

 

 

The cyphastrea has darkened a little more today. It now has this odd grayish-teal tinge to it. When this coral first arrived at my LFS, it was jet black with red polyps. Then it colored up in their farm to bright blue with red polyps...and paled out when it was moved back to the store. Not sure what's the deal with all the color fluctuations, but I hope it can return to the original 'meteor shower' colors:

 

 

That's it for now. Still actively looking, and patiently waiting for a nanofish. My LFS had small YWGs in, but I think they grow too big for a tank this size, so I passed. 

 

YCG would be much, much better. Cuter too. 😊

[Snow_Phoenix]

Benny: 

 

 

🥰

[debbeach13]

Glad to see every thing is doing well.

[Snow_Phoenix]

9 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

Glad to see every thing is doing well.

Me too.

 

I'm itching to get a small fish in there. I feel like that's the only thing this little pico is missing atm. 

 

(And also more zoas.  )

[Snow_Phoenix]

Few updates with the little pico today:

 

This is the latest Tubbs blue polyp that grew - it's almost as large as the older polyps next to it: 🤗

 

 

New peacock blue polyp spotted! 😊 :

 

 

The main frag: 

 

 

Also - my urchin knocked my cherry garcia chalice into my long-polyped green toadstool leather in the 60G. ☹

 

Both corals have been in contact overnight, and although the chalice was okay, the toadstool wasn't. 

 

I shifted it to the pico and temporarily glued it to the red digi nub's previous spot. It's in rough shape: ☹

 

 

I really hope it heals and makes a comeback in this reef. It was actually doing very well in the 60G. At full health, it was bright green with flowery pink tips. Now the polyps look half-melted and distorted. Hope it doesn't shrivel away. 😭

[cheesesteak]

I'm debating setting up a pico, and reading through this thread is inspiring me! I love what you've been able to do in such a small space. It definitely looks bigger than 2.9gal. 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Woke up to some hungry corals today morning: 🤗

 

 

 

The montihat is still growing:

 

 

^All pics taken without a yellow clip-on lens filter, hence the excessive blueness. 😅

 

Am planning on doing a full 100% WC today. Will try to slowly look for the red digi nub as well. Hope I can find it somehow - I really liked it! 😭

[Snow_Phoenix]

Amphipods! 😮 :

 

 

 

 

Lurking in the shadows:

 

 

Multimix zoa: 🥰

 

 

New polyps coming in, but they're squished against the glass: ☹

 

 

Will have to rotate the frag to let them grow properly. 

 

I'm also pushing back the weekly WC to tomorrow - am feeling unusually exhausted/fatigued today, which is strange, given that I was only out of the house for ~1 hour or so. 😔

[Snow_Phoenix]

Forgot to mention earlier - the zoa frag I was eyeing on was sold. ☹

 

But they had a bigger frag, and the price was too steep for me:

 

 

I asked if there are any small frags or polyps (loose ones) left over somehow. The store guy checked in the back and found 3 loose polyps! 🤗

 

I'll be picking those up next week. 👍

 

They're also planning on fragging the mohawks (on the left of the pic above) in the future, so I requested a frag when they do so. 

 

Store guy offered me some red zoas, but I forgot to request for a price, because I was more keen on the other zoa: 😅

 

 

They had some very beautiful blue agaves...at RM 100 (or was it RM 150? 🤔 ) per polyp. Way out of my budget, and classified as premium for richer reefers:

 

 

Have to say though, they were stunning. 🤐

[Snow_Phoenix]

Screw it. I'm WCing the pico today. Fatigue be damned. 

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Mission accomplished. 👍

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Benny on the run: 😅

 

 

He likes lounging on the zoas when the lights are off. 😊

[Snow_Phoenix]

Montihat getting greener:

 

 

I think the polyps *are indeed white. 🤔

[SaltyGallon]

5 hours ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

Montihat getting greener:

 

 

I think the polyps *are indeed white. 🤔

Montihat - an uncommon species 😂

[Snow_Phoenix]

Well, I think I re-glued this the wrong way. 😅 :

 

 

 

The cyphastrea has darkened again. But I think it completely missed the mark on the 'vibrant blue' bit. It's now...uhm, grayish-blue?  :

 

 

Also, I made a small mistake. I've been excitedly documenting growth of various corals in the tank, that I completely forgot that *some corals sting others as they grow out. One such case is my orange leptastrea, which accidently melted a green acan head: 

 

 

Oops. 😔

 

I moved the acan frag further back, and the culprit is doing well:

 

 

I might have to frag it as it continues to grow out.

 

Ooh, and these beige-green zoas popped out a new head today! 😊 :

 

 

^You can see the tiny new head at the bottom left corner of the frag. Still hasn't developed any beige markings yet. 😅

 

I also rotated this zoa frag a little so that the new polyps will have more space to grow:

 

 

These purple zoas popped out a new head too: 😊

 

 

Nice to watch them grow bit by bit. I'm planning on picking up new red zoas next week. Can't wait! 😄

 

(Also, my fifth aiptasia is on the run. I swore the lil' bugger saw me waving around the glue stick today and promptly shrunk/bailed from the xenia frag. I'll find it again. 🧐 ) 

[Snow_Phoenix]

The montihat has full PE today and my suspicions have been confirmed - the polyps are *indeed white, not green, although the base color is slowly turning green:

 

The new toadstool leather finally had full PE today, but I think I really need to re-adjust its position: 

 

New baby metallic green paly spotted today! 😄 :

 

 

The red pavona is actually growing pretty well - the edges are curving down, while some parts at the top are forming 'ripples':

 

The Jack-O-Lantern leptoseris has returned to its full original orange/yellow colors: 

 

The three new polyps of my Purple Death Palys from above - got another two, smaller, unopened polyps (can't be seen in the pic) cloaked between the larger ones:

 

The green leptastrea has still retained its bright green coloring and grown larger:

 

^I'm actually starting to think the red/green frag on the upper right corner is either some sort of gonio or leptastrea, as opposed to cyphastrea. Thoughts on this, anyone? 🤔

 

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Harvey today: 

 

Turban snail hard at work: