Snow's 10G Critters of Chaos (TOTM)

[Snow_Phoenix]

Just turned the lights on, so most of the polyps are still shrunken and retracted. Tank's off to a slow start this morning, but everything appears to be intact after the WC yesterday. 😊👍

 

Some quick SPS shots:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Rotated the forest fire digi plug again, but kept it away from the cyphastrea. The tiny bald patch is still existing, but shrinking, thankfully. 😊👍

 

 

 

Some of the zoa polyps are still shrunken and closed up. I still haven't removed the tricolor nuclear deaths next to the red hornets - was too tired to do so yesterday: 

 

 

 

 

 

Yumas haven't opened up completely too. Thinking of gifting one tiny baby rainbow yuma to my primary LFS the next time I drop by for a visit: 

 

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

The whiplash merlettis is certainly holding its own against the leptastrea. Need to find a safe way to gently *trim the edges of the leptastrea around the merlettis, without hurting either coral. 🤔

 

 

This blue shroom is one of my favorites! 🥰

 

 

 

 

Retracted Ironman: 

 

 

Tricolor orange rhodactis:

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Things are definitely less cranky in the evening: 😅

 

 

 

 

 

Harvey: 

 

 

 

My dad spotted Harvey when he walked into my room today and was super-excited. He also told me fish = problems! 😅

 

I told him I wanted to do 2 or 3 tiny fish - he kept saying no, and told me to put them in the other big tank across the room, because he believes the nano is good as it is. 😅

 

Starting to think dad might be on to something, but...I would still love to have a tiny blenny in this thing in the future. I guess...we shall see? 🤷‍♀️

[Snow_Phoenix]

Good morning from Harvey! 🥰

 

 

Polyps are still retracted - lights have just been turned on. 😊

[Snow_Phoenix]

Throwback to how the Zoa Ledge looked like exactly a year ago! 😅

 

 

I really miss the Montihat though. 😔

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Decided to take a few close ups of the corals today. Some of the pics are a bit blurry due to the stubborn film algae on the glass - sorry about that! 😅

 

Duncan:

 

 

Garf bonsai acro: 

 

 

Christmas favites:

 

 

Orange cloves:

 

 

Starburst implosion paly:

 

 

Metallic green palys:

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Yumas! 🥰

 

 

 

 

Metallic GSP: 

 

 

Bicolor lobo up close:

 

 

Just realized the peacock blues have developed more pronounced stripes on their skirts! 😅

 

 

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

How the nano looked like, exactly a year ago from today:

 

 

So much has changed! 🤔

[Snow_Phoenix]

Dropping in 5ml of phyto into the reef this evening. 👀

 

 

 

 

I seem to have an algae bloom on the surface of the water. I think I've figured out the cause of it, although I won't be fully certain until the next WC. 

 

I'll share my findings sometime next week - I need a few more days to observe the tank. The surface film does block some of the light from reaching the mid-level and bottom-level corals. Most of the frags are okay, but some of my zoas and palys are stretching a little. 🤔

 

I'll be fragging some of the metallic nuclear green palys from the Zoa Tower in the upcoming weeks. Will also trim the base rock the duncan is attached to a little - basically just reshape it so that it can *fit into the sandbed better. 

 

I *might frag my Gold Mauls and leave half of them on the Zoa Ledge, and relocate the other half of the polyps to Coralline Ledge, next to my cluster of Sunny Ds. Mostly to see if the difference in position will affect the growth and prolification of this particular coral. 🤔

 

As for the Sunny Ds themselves, I have no itention of fragging them for now, and I personally don't mind them taking over half of the live rock it is on. 🥰

 

Also, I need to crush some vermetids - they're everywhere! 

[Snow_Phoenix]

A quick update - a small part of my Pavona appeared to have STNed today (possibly from me accidently overdosing Calcium yesterday) so I quickly broke it off:

 

 

It was only when I removed the piece from the tank I realized it still has a bit of flesh on it, so I decided to try my luck and glue it to a frag plug in hopes that it could recover somehow:

 

 

Not too optimistic though, because I did spot some of the flesh peeling off when I placed the frag back in the tank. I'll observe the pavona for more signs of deterioration in the future. (Hopefully it won't)

 

This forest fire digi frag has developed more branches! 😊

 

 

A different view of the toadstool:

 

 

Carefully growing around the merlettis:

 

 

More yellow splotches on the brain: 👀

 

 

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Mushroom Mountain is doing well. 🥰

 

 

 

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Sunny Ds gaining in number. 👀

 

 

Zoa Ledge: 

 

 

A closer look:

 

 

 

 

 

Need. MOAR. Zoas! 😅

[Snow_Phoenix]

Slacked back on maintenance a lot lately = unhappy corals + algae. Definitely doing a WC either today or tomorrow. 😕

 

Hoping my LFS has some snails left. After the death of my turban snail, I noticed I've been getting a *lot of algae on the glass. 

 

I think I'll pick up a pair or trio for this tank. Am considering a dwarf hermit as well. 🤔

[Snow_Phoenix]

Before WC (with unhappy corals) :

 

 

After WC, which included 'flushing' the system with extra 8G of SW to remove excessive algae & detritus (now moody corals with minimal PE!) :

 

 

Corals should perk up by late evening tomorrow. Usually it takes ~24 hours before they adjust to the WC and start having full PE again. 

 

I fragged another forest fire digi stick. Again. By accident. 🙄

 

 

I stuck it to a small piece of LR - am thinking of donating it to my LFS on Wednesday. There's only so much of a same, repititive forest-fire themed garden that I can make (and take) - I mean, really now. I've literally lost count on the amount of times I've accidently broke this stick. 🤦‍♀️

 

Also, I decided to frag off a tiny portion of my metallic green palys (hence the bald spot on the Zoa Tower), metallic GSP, and isolated a green starburst implosion paly. 

 

 

I'd try to trade them in for something at the store, if possible. Even a 5g glue stick is better than nothing, I guess. 🤷‍♀️

 

Once my garf bonsai grows out a bit more, I'll frag off a tiny piece & also give it to the store - but as a gift. I'm not sure if my primary LFS has it already, but I don't mind helping increasing their collection. 

 

I'm quite nervous, anxious & excited actually for Wednesday. I haven't been to the store for a while, and would love to catch up with all of my friends there. I might pick out a few more shrooms and zoas too, but I'll reserve & pay for them first, and pick them up after the christmas holiday. 

 

I'll also keep an eye out for any future nanofish for this nano (they'll be QTed first) - might discuss my options with the store and see if I can order in any tiny blennies/gobies and a small skunk clown. 

 

The fallow period is officially over today. It's been 2 months, and the tank *should be disease-free by now, so it's ready to accept fish. 👍

 

But given the fish's availability and length of QT (min. 2 weeks of TTM + 1 to 2 weeks of regular QT-observation), the tank will most likely only see a fish after the end of Jan 2022. 

 

First things first though - I have to get some proper CUC to keep the algae under control. The oily film algae on the surface of the water is also an issue because it is blocking the light from reaching the corals below. 

 

Am briefly considering a surface skimmer of some sort, but I'll need to do more research. 🤔

 

The cyano is still here, but other than manual removal, I just leave it be because it isn't bothering anything. 

 

I think the reason I've been having a lot of different algae issues lately could be due to low biodiversity of microfauna in the tank. I noticed the algae reduced substantially once I started dosing live pods, and also supplementing the system with phyto - so I'll try to pick up more live pods, if I can. 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Some corals are still mad at me after yesterday's intense WC. SPS pieces are happy, softies & LPS - not so much. 🤷‍♀️

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Zoas & Palys:

 

 

 

 

 

The ones I rescued under the shade of the duncan are now slowly regaining their colors an re-increasing in size. I *think...they should bounce back fully by the end of next month (or less) :

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Shrooms (some content, some mad) 😅 :

 

 

 

 

 

GSP: 

 

 

Red lobo:

 

 

I think the NO3 & PO4 levels must have plummeted too much last night, hence the general unhappiness over the softies & LPS. 

 

I'll increase frozen feedings this week - that should slowly elevate the levels back to where this tank is comfortable at. 👀

[debbeach13]

I wish my tank/corals looked this unhappy. How is the dog doing?

[Snow_Phoenix]

57 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

I wish my tank/corals looked this unhappy. How is the dog doing?

Dog has suspected heart issues such as heart enlargement. Her lungs were clear, but the vet prescribed antibiotics just in case. If she makes the hacking-wheezing-gasping sound again, even after the meds have been finished, then we have to bring her in for a chest X-Ray. 😔

 

Strange thing is a day before we took her to the vet, my dad examined her with his stethoscope and detected no respiratory issues, but suspected heart trouble as well. I didn't know he had examined her - I only found out while we were driving back from the vet the following day & my mum mentioned it. 😕

 

There is nothing much we can do since she is aging, so I guess less strenuous playtime/exercise would be good. 🤔

[debbeach13]

It is hard we love them so much but there really isn't a cure for getting old. My dog is getting old also but every now and then she has a little spurt of energy like she's a puppy. We are getting old together and she is still such a comfort to me. All we can do is enjoy them while we still have them.

[Snow_Phoenix]

Just now, debbeach13 said:

It is hard we love them so much but there really isn't a cure for getting old. My dog is getting old also but every now and then she has a little spurt of energy like she's a puppy. We are getting old together and she is still such a comfort to me. All we can do is enjoy them while we still have them.

Yes, and give them the best life possible. I truly wish cats and dogs lived much, much longer. 😞

 

But I am treasuring all the tiny moments that I have with her. Duchess is still relatively active for her age, and still very mischievous. 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Frags have been packed! 😊

 

 

Will drop them off at the store later. 👍

[Snow_Phoenix]

Picked out 11 new paly & zoa morphs at the store today. 🥰

 

 

 

Already paid for them, but I'll pick them up after Christmas only. 

 

Spotted this unique pink yuma as well. Think I should have gone for it? 🤔

 

 

 

Harvey says hi! 😊

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Also beefed up my CUC. Meet Todd & Ted, the new turban snails:

 

 

 

And of course, Geralt the red-legged hermit, who has already discovered my pavona makes a suitable vantage point and possible escape route: 

 

 

 

🤦‍♀️

 

There were only 2 hermits at the store, and I chose him because he was actually climbing up the silicone of the holding tank and giving me googly-puppy-dog-hermit-eyes while every other customer was ignoring him. 

 

So yeah, I felt bad for the lil' bugger, and now he won't stop climbing over things. 🙄