Snow's 10G Critters of Chaos (TOTM)

[Snow_Phoenix]

Took some pics of various SPS in the tank to compare growth. 👍

 

Red pavona:

 

 

Monti-mix:

 

 

Jack-O-Lantern leptoseris:

 

 

Radioactive seriatopora:

 

 

Forest fire digi:

 

 

Bird of Paradise seriatopora:

 

 

Fastest growers: Seriatoporas, red cap monti & pavona. 

 

Slowest-growers: Both tenuises. 

 

Everything else is pretty much in the middle, growing neither too fast nor too slow. 🤔

 

Red monti cap will be fragged before the end of this month. Will probably add the frag to my 60G as a tester frag to see if I can grow montis in that tank (I could before). 👍

[Snow_Phoenix]

I had Qin give me the side eye several times as I followed him around the tank and dropped some food in front of him: 😅

 

 

 

 

 

 

He's a very smart fish. I noticed he actually eyes what I'm doing - or rather the spoon/baster of food I'm holding, then hovers at one spot over the rocks and patiently waits until I drop the food before eating it and moving on. He seems to have a small stomach though. His belly gets full very fast, so several small meals are needed as opposed to one large helping of food at a time. 

 

Still working with/on him. No moving back to the 60G until I'm completely satisfied with his progress. 👍

[Snow_Phoenix]

Some snapshots of the Zoa Garden:

 

 

 

Cloves & red mini bali nem: 🥰

 

 

Thinking of moving that detached green implosion polyp to the 60G. 🤔

[sr2z]

6 hours ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

I'm also switching over salt brands from Fritz RPM to Aquaforest Reef Salt this week. Quite nervous - hopefully the whole tank will adjust to the slight shift in parameters and the corals will keep growing. 

I have recently switched to AF Reef salt, and I´ll never regret it! My zoas + shrooms have adjusted perfectly, it even boosted the growth!

[Snow_Phoenix]

A small progress update on my purple encrusting monti:-

 

17/11/20:

 

 

06/01/21:

 

 

 

Improvement in color & growth around the edges noted. 

 

I'll try to do a progress update for my tenuis later. 👍

 

Also, here's my mini macro forest:

 

 

 

It's densely packed with (mostly) fern caulerpa. 

[Snow_Phoenix]

The forest also had a very eager visitor today:

 

 

 

 

But once he figured out I was documenting him, he swam off. 😅

 

I noticed Qin's dorsal fins are regrowing quite well:

 

 

 

 

Although he'll probably need a full month to recover. I'm not sure if he can regrow the little spike on the dorsal fin that male mandarins typically have, because he was already lacking it at the store. Only time will tell. 🤷‍♀️

[Snow_Phoenix]

Took some coral progress pics of my tenuis & pavona, & compiled them together. 🤗

 

From 09/20 until 06/01/21: 

 

 

Changes from blue base with brown polyps to metallic green base with purplish/blue tips and bright yellow accents at the very edges (not visible in pics - my phone's camera can't capture it somehow 😕). Last two pics shot manually in Pro-mode with white balance, autofocus & ISO adjusted - so the colors are more intense & accurate. 

 

Red pavona from 03/05/20 (May) until 06/01/21:

 

 

Started as a very pale, washed out pink frag which was quite unhealthy. Now has many ripples and is quite red. 🥰

 

Easily one of my favorite pieces in the tank that made quite the comeback. 

 

Also, Qin has a full belly after dinner:

 

 

I think he might actually regrow the spike again - I can see the tip of it coming in. 🤗

[Snow_Phoenix]

The reef is finally settling in for the night. 😊

 

Qin fading out for sleep:

 

 

Kraken:

 

 

Zen riding a turban snail: 😅

 

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Qin today afternoon:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

😊

[Snow_Phoenix]

Metallic GSP:

 

 

 

Looking better from the pox. Loss of color on certain polyps, but the color should return in a few weeks:

 

 

Brains! 🥰 :

 

 

 

I noticed my Incinerator & some purple hornet polyps were partially open. Their colors have been completely washed out, but they're still alive, so I think they can regrow & color back up. 

 

No sign of the pox on any other zoas and palys. My secondary LFS just fragged some zoas so I *might drop by the store to have a look and see if I can book/pick anything up in the future. 👍

[debbeach13]

And when QIN comes out to greet us everyone will jump for joy!

 

Well I almost got it right but miss quoted.

Quinn the Eskimo by Manford Mann

But when Quinn the Eskimo gets here, Everybody's gonna jump for joy.

[Gore15]

How are you taking these photos? DSLR or phone and lens kit?

[Snow_Phoenix]

12 minutes ago, Gore15 said:

How are you taking these photos? DSLR or phone and lens kit?

Phone (Samsung S9) & a clip-on yellow lens filter by DD. 👍

[Snow_Phoenix]

This acan regrew from a small unhealthy head and has now finally developed some colors:

 

 

Looks like the montihat insists on being pied-colored in this tank. Not sure why: 🤷‍♀️

 

 

Tenuis still growing bluer by the day:

 

 

Shrooms! 😊 :

 

 

 

 

Please excuse the dirty glass. Thinking of WCing the tank either today or tomorrow. The floss is filthy. 😕

[Snow_Phoenix]

The corals are still opening up for the day and Qin is already exploring the tank:

 

 

And arguing with his reflection as usual: 😅

 

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Harold found a comfy spot in the red pavona today: 

 

😅

[Snow_Phoenix]

Spotted two interesting sticks at the store today:

 

 

They both came from another reefer's tank and the store's just helping him sell it off. Each stick was very pricey. But I really, really fell in love with the Valida, so I brought that one home with me.

 

The base is indeed an intense purple, and the polyps are bright green:

 

It's still acclimating to my light, but I'm a sucker for purple and blue things - including corals, and there just simply aren't enough of them in the hobby that I have access to. 

 

This is actually the most expensive frag I've purchased. I hope it can color up a bit more - not sure if there's a special name for it, but I'm just referring it as the Purple Stick for now. 😛 

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Also, my GSP has grown even more! I can actually see it branch out across the wall now:

 

Hoping the wall will be fully carpeted by the end of this year. 🙂 

 

[cockatoo fish man thing]

On 11/17/2020 at 6:54 PM, Snow_Phoenix said:

I peered into the refugium of my 60G today morning and actually found my red devil & one of my leopard discosoma shroom frags! 

 

 

 

It was a bit difficult to fish them out, but eventually I managed to remove them and re-add them to the nano: 😄

 

 

Hoping they'll reproduce again and pop out more new heads. 👍

 

Clove polyps seem to be taking off: 

 

 

I kept them isolate on their own piece of rock rubble because I didn't want them to take over my rockwork. 

 

Prowler was out and about again:

 

 

And I used the Chihiros LED light strip to solve the shadowing issue on the left corner of the tank:

 

 

I originally tried to use my Aquazonic LED, but the metal brackets were stuck in an elongated position and couldn't be moved, so when I tried to put the light on the lids, it was too *long and one end of the bracket kept sliding off the edge of the tank. I was worried it'll fall off and take the lids with it, so I used the Chihiros strip, but dimmed down the colors a bit. 

 

I'll try to apply some WD-40 on the brackets of the Aquazonic and see if it can be adjusted again into a more compact length. Otherwise, I suppose I can align it in a straight line on the right side of the tank - although with the extended brackets, it might be too long by an inch or two again. 🤔

 

The zoas certainly seem happier with the extra light. My LA Lakers were closed up - hoping they'll open up again, now that there is more light.

 

Also, I *might transfer my purple gorg. from the refugium of my 60G to this nano in the future. Still thinking about it. 🤔

Amazing tank! what is your fav least expensive coral? i'm talking under $75. I'm looking for some coral and i need ideas!

[Gore15]

On 11/18/2020 at 3:54 AM, Snow_Phoenix said:

I peered into the refugium of my 60G today morning and actually found my red devil & one of my leopard discosoma shroom frags! 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a bit difficult to fish them out, but eventually I managed to remove them and re-add them to the nano: 😄

 

 

 

What is that worm in the photo?

[Murphs_Reef]

18 minutes ago, Gore15 said:

What is that worm in the photo?

Bristle worm ... Oh no it's not .... That's cool looking

[Snow_Phoenix]

34 minutes ago, Gore15 said:

What is that worm in the photo?

 

17 minutes ago, Grimes said:

Bristle worm ... Oh no it's not .... That's cool looking

It's the leg of my bubbletip brittlestarfish, Kraken. 😅

[Snow_Phoenix]

3 hours ago, cockatoo fish man thing said:

Amazing tank! what is your fav least expensive coral? i'm talking under $75. I'm looking for some coral and i need 

My tubbs blue zoas. They were actually pricey at RM 50 per frag, but I'm glad I bought it. I love purple & blue-colored corals. Finding them here is a pain though. 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Topview of the new stick:

 

 

Qin eating pellets (taken without clip on yellow lens filter) :

 

 

 

Benny's late night antics: 😛

 

 

 

[A.m.P]

Looks like a Garf bonsai and a milli.