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Snow_Phoenix
10 hours ago, debbeach13 said:

Wow that was a successful trip! I hope all the new corals and the fish do great.

Thanks, Deb! It was wonderful indeed. The best part was meeting my friends again. Picking up the fish and corals were simply an extra bonus. 😊

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Snow_Phoenix

Breaking up the next update to two posts. 👀

 

The shrooms have opened up a bit more overnight. I really need to scrape the algae on this section of the glass. 🤔

 

20211005_093551.thumb.jpg.c3087fb2dfa14a34e223f5b6b2dcb820.jpg

 

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I'll reduce the blues the next time I take some pics - the shots came out too dark, and in some instances, my violet rhodactis looked dark blue instead of purple, which is the original color. 😕

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Snow_Phoenix

Update #2:

 

A closer look at the shrooms:

 

20211005_094652.thumb.jpg.6265b13876e8fc6a7c8d214347c2d796.jpg

 

20211005_094715.thumb.jpg.ad068dfff5337c56185b8c6233315899.jpg

 

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I think I'll move the microgoni further up to help it heal quicker, and reserve this section of the tank for rhodactis & discosoma shrooms only. 🤔

 

I have another issue though. Both my clowns are tentatively okay, although the new clown, Sunny, has been attempting to host my duncan several times this morning and appears to have some sting marks - patches, on one side of his body. 😕

 

The more pressing issue is that Pico the blenny is MIA today morning. Day before yesterday, he was acting a bit oddly and lethargic, but did make an attempt to eat pellets. Yesterday, he was improving, although his belly is still a bit sunken. Today, I can't find him in his usual burrow in the LR.

 

I hope he's okay, and simply found another hole to relax in. I'm mostly worried about his appetite. I'll try dropping in a *bit of mysis in the tank later - hopefully he'll pop up & eat. And yes, I am a bit worried. 😕

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Your tank and pictures always make me happy.  I wish I had half of the variety of corals to choose from.  Almost everything in my tank is a shade of green.  I am getting ready to start the smaller tank over for the current competition and hope to add different colors to it.  Maybe it will grow up and look half as pretty as your tanks.

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Snow_Phoenix
2 hours ago, kimdawg said:

Your tank and pictures always make happy.  I wish I had half of the variety of corals to choose from.  Almost everything in my tanks is a shade of green.  I am getting ready to start the smaller tank over for the current competition and hope to add different colors to it.  Maybe it will grow up and like half as pretty as your tanks.

Most of the corals here come in various shades of green too. I realized that the easiest corals to acquire - ones that come in different colors and doesn't make my wallet weep too much - are the Zoas & Palys. My primary LFS has a huge frag tank dedicated mostly to various Zoa/Paly morphs at reasonable/cheap prices. I admit I do get a good discount on most items in the store because I do have a close rapport with the store, take pics/vids to promote the store a bit here & there online, and am one of their oldest customers. 👍

 

I was quite saddened when one of their branches near my home closed due to the pandemic. But luckily their main store is still open - it's just difficult to access to (fairly long distance + one of the most dangerous highways in the state needed to get there). 

 

We support each other, I guess. Sometimes I do get sample product packs from the store (coral/fish food mostly), then I review/give them direct feedback to help retain or improve the product. 😊

 

All of them know I'm a budget reefer & disabled, but they treat me well and always make me feel welcomed. I'm still recovering from my foot injury so I was limping about in the shop yesterday - both of my worker friends immediately pulled out two chairs - one on either side of the zoa/shroom frag tank, so that I could sit down and pick my frags comfortably/without pain. That was very nice of them. 😊👍

 

You can actually source out a lot of tiny colorful frags online in the US, if I'm not mistaken. There are actually a lot of non-green, non-premium corals out there - mostly ones without fancy names or are too common that most reefers overlook them. For Zoas, even the simple Eagle Eyes and Watermelons look quite lovely, if you ask me. 😊

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Snow_Phoenix

I spotted two red flatworms on the blue discosoma this morning, which escaped the too-quick dipping process yesterday.

 

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So I immediately got to work in setting up a dipping station on my carpet. 👀

 

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I used ProReef coral dip (local brand by my LFS, which is surprisingly good) in the red cup, some iodine & Vit.C mixed into SW in the pink mug, and set up a blue bucket filled partially with SW taken from my nano. 

 

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ProReef is stronger than CoralRx, so you can't leave the coral in the dip too long. I did try to swish the frag around with chopsticks & a pair of forceps, but that only dislodged one flatworm. I finally decided to just dip my fingers in and manually swish the frag around as much as possible in the water - after 2 mins., both flatworms were off the shroom:

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUo2Rm4LZUT/?utm_medium=copy_link

 

Then I quickly plopped the frag into the iodine bath for ~5 mins:

 

20211005_150802.thumb.jpg.67729b85e41723be804c08a7e7d931e3.jpg

 

And rinsed it off in regular SW:

 

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Before re-adding to my tank.

 

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The red flatworms don't really harm the coral, but they can multiply and become rather unsightly over time, so it would be best to remove them as soon as possible. 

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Snow_Phoenix

I found Pico! So glad that he's safe. 🥰

 

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Tiny 6th duncan head has gained more definition and appears to be growing in quickly. 😊👍

 

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Still splitting - almost there! :scarry:

 

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LA Laker finally opened up! 🥰

 

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The other two:

 

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Zoa Ledge today:

 

20211005_152354.thumb.jpg.7cbcf4071225ee23808f3e28bf8b502d.jpg

 

I just discovered that the 4th zoa I picked up yesterday was a Blue Hornet. It opened up today, but I accidently glued it too close to my Rastas (speaking of the Rastas, they popped out a 3rd polyp today, and are finally regaining their lost colors!) so it was being shadowed and can't be seen clearly from above. 

 

I decided to reglue it next to my Purple Hornets, but it closed up again. I noticed the main Blue Hornet polyp had a suspicious white bump - possibly the start of Zoa Pox, but I'm uncertain. 🤔

 

I'll have to look at all the Zoa polyps at night when they are closed up, to double check. If it is indeed the Pox, I'll restart the treatment using Furan 2 dips for 2 weeks. I might have to reread this thread to see how I did it last time, because I vaguely recall the steps. 🤔

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I'm happy you have a great group of reefer friends.  I too am disabled and my tanks bring me a lot of joy.  I have to use a Lympha press 3 hours each day which ties me to a machine with a 3 foot cord.  I spend most of this time watching my tank and thinking about how to change them.  In my new contest tank  I want to have zoas, RFA and riccordia.  I always buy tiny frags if I can find them, but I want to try to find more colorful ones this time.  I have been saving my reefing budget all year except for monthly supplies that we always need for our tanks.

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Snow_Phoenix
3 hours ago, kimdawg said:

I'm happy you have a great group of reefer friends.  I too am disabled and my tanks bring me a lot of joy.  I have to use a Lympha press 3 hours each day which ties me to a machine with a 3 foot cord.  I spend most of this time watching my tank and thinking about how to change them.  In my new contest tank  I want to have zoas, RFA and riccordia.  I always buy tiny frags if I can find them, but I want to try to find more colorful ones this time.  I have been saving my reefing budget all year except for monthly supplies that we always need for our tanks.

Florida rics are gorgeous! We mostly get yumas here. Still bubbly, but not as bubbly as their cousins on the other side of the world. 😅

 

My tanks (and animals in general) bring me great joy as well. 🥰

 

I too am currently saving up for the yearly supplies - well, salt, mostly. I usually pick up a 25kg box or bucket at the end of every year. 👍

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Snow_Phoenix

I have some good news and bad news. I'll start of with the good news first. 

 

The yuma finally split and now has a second shroom:

 

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The new shrooms are doing okay:

 

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And I spotted the hitchiker stomatella cleaning the glass:

 

20211006_111605.thumb.jpg.01f1823c44e8def1a8e0ca26320a1973.jpg

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Snow_Phoenix

On to the bad news. Pico the TSB was lying on his side next to the shrooms yesterday. He died overnight. 😭

 

 

20211006_111045.thumb.jpg.b57d34dbd320b63c68259b59e16cbf4f.jpg

 

When I fished out his body and got a chance to study it closely, I realized how thin he truly was. His belly was completely sunken and his lateral lines were visible. 😔

 

He never truly ate in this tank - sometimes he would snick up a pellet, but most of the times he'd spit it right back out. I suspect he might have had internal issues, but ultimately I'm not sure. 

 

I've been wanting a TSB for a long time and this one was a costly loss. Disheartening too. 

 

I checked up on the clowns and they seem to be fine for now. Corals for the most part are also okay, but some (like the microgoni) still need to heal up & regrow. 

 

I'm not sure if I'll ever get a chance to own a TSB in this tank again, but I truly hope I do. Both of mine brought me much joy with their antics. 

 

Swim free, Pico. 😔

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Snow_Phoenix

Sand has another layer of cyano on it again today. I believe I'm up for another weekly WC soon, but I'm not feeling too well, so I'm holding back and sticking to regular maintenance atm. 

 

Yuma:

 

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Blue hairy shroom:

 

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Ironman shrooms:

 

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Blue hornet polyps are *fully open today. 👍

 

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LA Lakers is fully open, but I think the Gorilla Nipples (next to the Rastas) are too shrunken and might eventually melt away. Thankfully there were several frags of this morph at the store, so if anything does happen to this bunch, I can try picking up a new frag and see if I can grow them again. 🤔

 

20211006_160544.thumb.jpg.e56042b1763ec62d6e07a20a47c0b2fc.jpg

 

This is my only main qualm with Zoas & Palys - that certain polyps have a tendency to close up, shrink & melt. That, and the assortment of pests that tag along. 

 

I've encountered nudis, zoa spiders, even a polyclad flatworm (!!!) once that hitchiked its way into this reef. But the worst and most devastating one is the Pox. So many losses, and recovery is usually slim. 😕

 

Very pretty and colorful, but finnicky coral, if you ask me. 

 

Zoa Ledge under milder blue lighting with yellow lens filter and higher ISO:

 

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Something seems to be troubling some of the Purple Monsters. Need to take a closer look at the polyps at night using a flashlight. 

 

Otherwise, a 10-min dip in Iodine + SW should help a bit, I think. 🤔

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Snow_Phoenix

Tiny stubby polyps around a tiny stubby head: 

 

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New polyps popping up on the broken off section of the forest fire digi frag plug. 😮

 

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Forest fire shroom. 🥰

 

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Rhodactises:

 

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Shroom line up:

 

20211007_174344.thumb.jpg.45c8b61ba7ebdda1f1957b824c49d29b.jpg

 

Will relocate the microgoni & purple encrusting monti. 👍

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Snow_Phoenix

Relocated the microgoni to the top, between the digi frags. The white bits around the edge was the result of being trimmed by a frag cutter:

 

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20211007_192234.thumb.jpg.722170e25fe50662efafbe82b510a777.jpg

 

Also trimmed down the purple encrusting monti to salvage it, and managed to save a super small patch. Relocated it up, close to the acan-leather combo:

 

20211007_192302.thumb.jpg.744ee428344aefb42953710593292f18.jpg

 

I miss Pico though. Tank is full, yet incomplete without him. 😔

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Snow_Phoenix

A few quick pics under very heavy blues:- 

 

Cloves:

 

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Acans:

 

20211008_181906.thumb.jpg.ec5ea62bb3f37930b210dad4fc4cd2b0.jpg

 

Sunny Ds:

 

20211008_182503.thumb.jpg.09a2542d7b168de55b934c716935bfd8.jpg

 

^The Purple Deaths seem to be antagonizing my green leptastrea, so I'll shift the leptastrea further away. 👍

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Snow_Phoenix

20211008_182154.thumb.jpg.57d2240d35ce1f35cf0123176205346a.jpg

 

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Have you noticed any changes in the lineup? 👀

 

Also, the lobo is healing. The white part is regaining color, but very slowly. Once I trim down the frag plugs of the shrooms, and pick 2 to be glued to the rocks, next to the superman discosoma, this should clear up some space on the sandbed to accomodate more shroom morphs in the future. 👍

 

Still holding off a WC today because I just returned from a hospital visit, and am in pain. Good news is there are no torn tendons or fractures in the foot. Bad news is my bursa is badly inflammed and only time (months) + physiotherapy will heal it. If the pain doesn't lessen, then it'll need an injection. If the injection doesn't work, then surgery. Really hoping it wouldn't come to that. :scarry:

 

I was instructed to rest the foot as much as possible, but that'll be a bit of an issue because I do have a lot of tanks & cages to clean & maintain at home. :unsure:

 

So I guess I'll have to take it slow...? And hope the systems - especially the nano, can take care of itself for the next few days. Eek. :unsure:

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I know it must be hard with so many animals counting on you but you have to do what the doctor said and rest that foot. Feed every one then rest for a few hours. Then maybe get a small task done. Break it up. Get every thing ready for a water change, rest for an hour, do the water change, rest for an hour or two, then clean up after the water change, or clean up the next day. Some thing like that and only do what has to be done. Fragging and rearranging can wait. I hope you rest as much as possible.

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1 hour ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

20211008_182154.thumb.jpg.57d2240d35ce1f35cf0123176205346a.jpg

 

20211008_182131.thumb.jpg.95e8f7499b98d2adb23d6f542899f305.jpg

 

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20211008_182024.thumb.jpg.50b82cce3f2fb1f45072d0724ae07a96.jpg

 

 

Have you noticed any changes in the lineup? 👀

 

Also, the lobo is healing. The white part is regaining color, but very slowly. Once I trim down the frag plugs of the shrooms, and pick 2 to be glued to the rocks, next to the superman discosoma, this should clear up some space on the sandbed to accomodate more shroom morphs in the future. 👍

 

Still holding off a WC today because I just returned from a hospital visit, and am in pain. Good news is there are no torn tendons or fractures in the foot. Bad news is my bursa is badly inflammed and only time (months) + physiotherapy will heal it. If the pain doesn't lessen, then it'll need an injection. If the injection doesn't work, then surgery. Really hoping it wouldn't come to that. :scarry:

 

I was instructed to rest the foot as much as possible, but that'll be a bit of an issue because I do have a lot of tanks & cages to clean & maintain at home. :unsure:

 

So I guess I'll have to take it slow...? And hope the systems - especially the nano, can take care of itself for the next few days. Eek. :unsure:

You have moved the Forest Fire Shroom and I guess the Monti/Microgoni was removed from the rock? I do love your shroom collection.

 

Rest that foot, you dont want to make it worse. Just do what you absolutely have to as @debbeach13 said above 

 

 

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Snow_Phoenix
2 hours ago, debbeach13 said:

I know it must be hard with so many animals counting on you but you have to do what the doctor said and rest that foot. Feed every one then rest for a few hours. Then maybe get a small task done. Break it up. Get every thing ready for a water change, rest for an hour, do the water change, rest for an hour or two, then clean up after the water change, or clean up the next day. Some thing like that and only do what has to be done. Fragging and rearranging can wait. I hope you rest as much as possible.

 

2 hours ago, Ratvan said:

You have moved the Forest Fire Shroom and I guess the Monti/Microgoni was removed from the rock? I do love your shroom collection.

 

Rest that foot, you dont want to make it worse. Just do what you absolutely have to as @debbeach13 said above 

 

 

Yes, I'll be taking breaks in between and resting a lot. I can't stand in a fixed position for more than 2 mins - it's really painful and stressed the joint even more, which will just delay healing. As for the animals, I've spoken to my parents and we're reducing the amount of tanks that I currently have, and rehoming some animals as well because I was struggling too much to keep up with the maintenance when I am sick. So I shut down the betta tank already, and I've already managed to find a good adopter for my hedgehog through one of the local rescue groups in my country. Once my hedgie has been rehomed, I think I'll sell off the paludarium or strip it down and put that tank in storage. 

My dad wanted me to rehome one of the hamsters as well, but I told him I'll hold on to them both. Hamsters are solitary and are okay if left to their own devices, actually. Just need to make sure they get fresh food & water daily. And since I use super thick bedding in their bincages and they only pee in their sandbath, there's no smell, and I only have to clean out the cages once a month (or even six weeks). 

My FW tanks run fine on their own - they'll just need to have the glass scraped, but film algae on glass isn't exactly harmful. Even my 60G FOWLR has dirty glass, but tentatively nothing too big is amiss (did lose my tangaroa yesterday to old age). Only the nanoreef will need a bit more care because of the amount of corals in it. 

I'll definitely space out the maintenance. Maybe even do as little as 1G WCs at a time so that there is minimal strain on me, and clean up will be very quick afterwards. 

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Snow_Phoenix

Hmm. Ended up doing an emergency WC today evening.

 

I accidently squished a metallic green paly polyp while scraping it off the Zoa Ledge some time yesterday. I noticed my corals were a bit unhappy afterwards, but I assumed the carbon would take care of it. This morning, I noticed almost all of my zoas and palys were either closed or shrunken, including the brand new Gold Mauls that I purchased recently. Other corals also had retraced PE, so it looks like the palytoxin was stronger than I thought.

 

I took it slow, got some rest in between, but still managed to pull off a 8G WC. I also managed to glue over the second aiptasia under my pavona, reattach one of my forest fire frags back to the LR and quickly attach 2 discosomas on the rocks next to the superman shroom. 

 

Didn't strain the foot, but did strain the back - a little. 

 

At least the tank should be good to go for another week without WCs. It's now late night and all the corals look better already. Rainbow brain just pooped a lot though! 

 

I'm ordering some mysis, copepods & phyto microfood online in a bit. My previous batch of food had expired in the fridge. 

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My green leptastrea is badly retracted. BME, this piece is rather finnicky when stung, but can bounce back if the parameters are stable and several iodine dips are given. It has survived BJD before, but luckily there is *no brown slime right now. I might decide to permanently keep it on the sandbed, just like my orange leptastrea:

 

20211010_111432.thumb.jpg.6fccf7ee81e235d8222639d2b7462392.jpg

 

20211010_111203.thumb.jpg.0706b2a6d22b8b7a74313aaddbde832b.jpg

 

The Jack-O-Lantern lepto was one of the pieces that showed some damage after the paly-squishing incident. Should be able to bounce back in time:

 

20211010_111259.thumb.jpg.d1d693d692a3b854edb0c16dd5cfb65e.jpg

 

Its Pavona buddy is fine though:

 

20211010_111235.thumb.jpg.e989b6901d02934fc26292c8dca4c7c1.jpg

 

Forest fire shroom is also okay, which is good. This shroom was quite pricey, actually, but I received a very good discount at the store, so I managed to acquire it:

 

20211010_111410.thumb.jpg.4ffa334f3ea98294812981e45832ad00.jpg

 

And these are the two shrooms that I glued to the LR yesterday. It appears that the orange rhodactis seems to be developing a third (?) color in my tank - beige. As for the yellow spotted green discosoma, I'm unsure if there is a name for it, but I have a feeling there is. I'll try to look it up online later:

 

20211010_110948.thumb.jpg.713100bd07f8699037aff7882bc84dba.jpg

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  • Snow_Phoenix changed the title to Snow's 10G Critters of Chaos (TOTM)

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