king aiptasia Posted January 28, 2021 Share Posted January 28, 2021 It is simple and has a certain aesthetic. No pumps, no heaters, no protein skimmers, just a walmart purchased white led indoor lighting 75 watt equivalent and a 10 gallon aquarium. I got some live rock and a few snails hitchhiked along with sponges, some Eurythoe worms, amphipods, Spirorbis, Aiptasia (of course) and a standard black molly. The valonia isnt taking strong hold so I assume it needs more heat, the coralline algae only grows in the less brightly lit portions. There is no sediment on the bottom (yet) but an interesting purple reddish chunky biofilm has formed over the year I've had this tank. As for feeding its a waste basket, I throw fish flakes, seafood scraps from meals in there, dead insects, I had a frog that died and he too went in there (and disappeared within a day). Ignore the hazy reflection the steel table gave the glass, the water is actually crystal clear. The fish mostly bides his time eating algae on the wall, I've been meaning to get him a partner but the stores have never stocked black mollies since. Why did I do it? It was cheap to set up and at the time I worked long hours. Even though I've had more elaborate setups, I really do appreciate the simple things in life. There's some degree of unchanging calmness and character this tank has, also having the ugliest tank on this site is an honor I probably take :) but the little inhabitants sure are happy to be with me 5 3 Quote Link to comment
TatorTaco Posted January 28, 2021 Share Posted January 28, 2021 OMG, this made me shudder, and I even tried to create a pest tank. Have you checked out "curly cue anemones"? Might be a nice addition. Well done dude. 1 Quote Link to comment
king aiptasia Posted January 29, 2021 Author Share Posted January 29, 2021 3 hours ago, TatorTaco said: OMG, this made me shudder, and I even tried to create a pest tank. Have you checked out "curly cue anemones"? Might be a nice addition. Well done dude. I guess if I find them I'll consider them as an addition. I notice a lot of hitchhikers and pests are very hard to find. it took quite a while to find the good aiptasia rock there's also sea cucumbers in here but i see them very very rarely Quote Link to comment
TatorTaco Posted January 29, 2021 Share Posted January 29, 2021 Here's where I bought mine: https://www.kpaquatics.com/product/curlique-anemone/ Great vendor. 1 Quote Link to comment
Dr. Dendrostein Posted January 29, 2021 Share Posted January 29, 2021 Looks like an STD out of control. Get it checked out. I love bushy, but that's way to bushy.....😂 1 2 Quote Link to comment
Dr. Dendrostein Posted January 29, 2021 Share Posted January 29, 2021 Can't get my eye off it. It's like love at first sight 😍 1 1 Quote Link to comment
growsomething Posted January 29, 2021 Share Posted January 29, 2021 Those things are unbelievably hardy! If they were hard to grow we would probably pay big money for them. Objectively it looks great 1 Quote Link to comment
KnH Posted January 29, 2021 Share Posted January 29, 2021 Breeding berghia nudibranch side hustle for extra $$ 1 Quote Link to comment
king aiptasia Posted January 29, 2021 Author Share Posted January 29, 2021 15 hours ago, TatorTaco said: Here's where I bought mine: https://www.kpaquatics.com/product/curlique-anemone/ Great vendor. i laughed at the warning of them eating sea horses. i remember a forum post years ago where someones clownfish got eaten by it Quote Link to comment
king aiptasia Posted January 29, 2021 Author Share Posted January 29, 2021 2 hours ago, growsomething said: Those things are unbelievably hardy! If they were hard to grow we would probably pay big money for them. Objectively it looks great I've always told people if dandelions were hard to grow people would pay 15 dollars a plant without a second thought. for any real broke newbies i wonder why we don't recommend aiptasia as starter anemones lol Quote Link to comment
growsomething Posted January 29, 2021 Share Posted January 29, 2021 I was a guest in Singapore of a botonist who started Gardens by the Bay. He pulled gnarly little white-flowered weeds from his front lawn here in FL and planted them in that billion dollar garden. Let me see if I can get a pic in my yard... 2 Quote Link to comment
king aiptasia Posted January 29, 2021 Author Share Posted January 29, 2021 1 minute ago, growsomething said: I was a guest in Singapore of a botonist who started Gardens by the Bay. He pulled gnarly little white-flowered weeds from his front lawn here in FL and planted them in that billion dollar garden. Let me see if I can get a pic in my yard... lol my kind of guy, simple pleasures, a happy litter asterid of some sort in assumably sandy soil (they probably grow fairly well in singapore) I've always wanted to live in florida lol 1 Quote Link to comment
growsomething Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 Come on down (or over). Where are you now btw, and where are you from originally? It feels like all of America North of the mason-dixon line are moving here bcs of Covid and needing to stay indoors due to cold weather. I've never seen real-estate like this in 48 ys! 1 Quote Link to comment
king aiptasia Posted January 30, 2021 Author Share Posted January 30, 2021 15 hours ago, growsomething said: Come on down (or over). Where are you now btw, and where are you from originally? It feels like all of America North of the mason-dixon line are moving here bcs of Covid and needing to stay indoors due to cold weather. I've never seen real-estate like this in 48 ys! Jersey, used to be in ohio once upon a time. my true dream is to have some property all to myself with no neighbors to complain about my projects. doesn't even need a house on it, just an affordable stretch of a few acres. the main reason I talk about florida is cause the weather is pretty nice, but honestly i doubt id enjoy it there because of the density of people and the absurd prices for property. 1 Quote Link to comment
Tamberav Posted February 1, 2021 Share Posted February 1, 2021 It needs some asterina stars and majanos! 1 Quote Link to comment
king aiptasia Posted February 1, 2021 Author Share Posted February 1, 2021 14 hours ago, Tamberav said: It needs some asterina stars and majanos! i'll take donations ❤️ Quote Link to comment
Tamberav Posted February 1, 2021 Share Posted February 1, 2021 1 minute ago, king aiptasia said: i'll take donations ❤️ Where you located? Perhaps in spring if the post don’t too clogged. 1 Quote Link to comment
king aiptasia Posted February 1, 2021 Author Share Posted February 1, 2021 10 minutes ago, Tamberav said: Where you located? Perhaps in spring if the post don’t too clogged. Central jersey Quote Link to comment
TatorTaco Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 I've got some planaria flatworms I can ship you if interested. 1 Quote Link to comment
king aiptasia Posted February 4, 2021 Author Share Posted February 4, 2021 5 hours ago, TatorTaco said: I've got some planaria flatworms I can ship you if interested. I'm always interested, freshwater or saltwater? Quote Link to comment
TatorTaco Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 20 hours ago, king aiptasia said: I'm always interested, freshwater or saltwater? Saltwater. I might have a few pictures of them in my signature somewhere. If you're serious, shoot me a PM and I'll get you some. 1 Quote Link to comment
geekreef_05 Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 Unreal. lol. Was this a premediated choice? One thing's for sure - you are the King of Aiptasia. All hail the king! lol 1 Quote Link to comment
king aiptasia Posted February 5, 2021 Author Share Posted February 5, 2021 5 hours ago, geekreef_05 said: Unreal. lol. Was this a premediated choice? One thing's for sure - you are the King of Aiptasia. All hail the king! lol Very much premeditated. I like how the Aiptasia look (especially when the blue starts to show on big specimens), they don't die, and they are well within my current budget. The tank is mostly for the Eurythoe worms, they are the centerpiece of the tank even though they are kinda shy and hidden most the time. People talk about controlling Aiptasia and how they grow super fast, and though it is true they grow fast, this has taken a full year to grow these specimens to show worthy sizes, with deliberate spot feeding. Granted there is no pumps to fan a constant stream of food to them, but the ones I dont feed directly grow at a rate of probably a mm per month. Quote Link to comment
king aiptasia Posted February 5, 2021 Author Share Posted February 5, 2021 I'm curious what the actual maximum size these animals can attain. kinda random, but I once put a dead frog in the tank (a pet of mine that died) around 2 inches long, and the worms dragged it under the rock and made it disappear completely by morning. and any guppies or other fish that die in freshwater tank, or insects from terrariums I find dead, get thrown in there also, its like my little graveyard tank. Sometimes I take seafood scraps like crab shell and other shells crush them and put them in there for decoration and substrate. Quote Link to comment
geekreef_05 Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 11 hours ago, king aiptasia said: I'm curious what the actual maximum size these animals can attain. I bet the answer is very large. Whats the size of your largest Aiptasia head ? Quote Link to comment
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