6 Months In Update.

[mutantbigman2000]

really? Is it harmful then?

It doesn't seem to be causing the button polyps any distress.

 

[SkiFletch]

It's not so much of the aggression as it is often the exponential multiplication of pest anemones. Sure now they look cute when there's one or two, but then you have 4, 16, 256, 65536, etc. Ok maybe that's excessive, but these things can multiply fast. Then they just look ugly...

 

[mutantbigman2000]

still deciding on the fate of the nem.

In the meantime i have added 3 small yellow tailed blue damsels.

Wanted a bit of blue colour and decided that a few of these would be the last of my stocking list.

Will update photos when i get the hang of my new mobile phone.

 

[mutantbigman2000]

Got a new camera phone so here are the first shots of the tank from the new beastie.

strawberry spotted mushroom

Other mushroom (confirmation of variety would be gratefuly received)

Out of focus yellow tailed blue damsel

Latest FTS

Panoramic shot across the centre of the tank

I have used aiptasia x recently and as far as i am concerned gave the oral disc a good covering. 2 of the bigger aiptasia withered for a bout a week and have now returned to their former glory. Any ideas?

 

[SkiFletch]

Nice pics. Now having some experience with Aiptasia X I can say it isn't 100% effective at killing them. Then again, neither are most methods... best bet is as soon as you see them back, hit em again. Most die after 2 or 3 treatments. Its important though to hit them the next time you see them. Don't wait for them to get strong again, get em while they're weak

 

[mutantbigman2000]

oh and i forgot to mention that i have just won a set of marine blue aquarays on ebay 3 months old and £65.

Will be a bit of a squeeze under the hood but should be worth it.

 

[seffieuk]

Bloody aiptasia, i've taken to boiling salt water up and injecting the things - has killed the small ones but as you say the bigguns come back but I'm going to do as Ski says and get the suckers when they are weak it's war from now on

Seffie x

 

[BigC]

You need to suss out one of these Sef, then pass it on.
Nudibranch Berghia verrucicornis
BigC

 

[seffieuk]

You need to suss out one of these Sef, then pass it on.
Nudibranch Berghia verrucicornis
BigC

Bought one BigC, cheers you are a gent

Seffie x

 

[ben1987]

tanks lookin pretty good bigman.

 

[mutantbigman2000]

thanks very much. Loving the fish in your sig.

 

[mutantbigman2000]

Blue aquarays now fitted. Some of the colours it brings out in the corals are extraordinary.

Had a major re-jig of the rocks today too. all to accomodate a small ish rock of green carpet xenia.

I have built up the height a bit more and there is more open space at the front of the tank now. more sand bed on display too.

Will post pics once the dust has settled.

 

[seffieuk]

Looking forward to the pictures

Seffie x

 

[mutantbigman2000]

Okay. I've not updated for a long time so here are fresh photos of my tank approx 6 months in now.

Before i show them i will explain a few changes that have been made since last time.

I bought a tuxedo urchin. Navy body with the usual orange,red and white spines. He is covered in debris from the tank which i am told is a sign of health in them. The other morning he had a fresh moult of one of my blue legged hermits on his back. Made me laugh as all day this empty hermit was waving in the flow, lol

This brings the livestock count to

2 tank bred common clowns
1 six line wrasse
1 coral beauty
3 yellow tail blue damsels
9 blue hermits
3 red hermits
1 emerald crab
1 skunk cleaner shrimp
1 peppermint shrimp
1 tuxedo urchin
6 Nitro turbo snails
3 nassarius snails.
1 sand sifting starfish

I have swapped one of the actinic t8's for a marine white and also added a reflector to it. This was because with 36 watt of actinic plus the blue aquarays the colour balance was a little blue heavy.

So the lighting now stands as this

18 watt actinic - T8
18 watt Marine white - T8
36 watt white/blue - T5 powercompact
2 x TMC Aquaray Marine white LED
1 x TMC Aquaray Marine blue LED

As for flow i have

Koralia Nano
Koralia 1
Fluval 305 (returns at surface to agitate and aid gas exchange)
Juwel original powerhead.

I was using a Red sea prizm skimmer but for what it did i have stopped using it. May be replaced with a deltec mce300 in a few months.

Here goes with the photos.

Green carpetting xenia which is growing at a stunning rate. Only had it for about a month and i have already fragged a small piece for a friend and its also growing on the adjoining rock too.

My New and improved Mushroom section. Red mushrooms at the back were new yesterday and have settled in very quickly.

Mushrooms again. this time with my new tuxedo urchin. Covered in tank litter.

Zoas and Nem with my trumpet frag in the background. This frag is growing new heads now.

Daisy Clove and Pulsing Xenia now. I have fragged a 2 inch section of the daisy cloves for Fozones tank they also seem to get everywhere in the tank. The xenia was a small and weedy frag with 3 small stems on when it first arrived. Now it has 4 very healthy looking seperate stems which have all subdivided too.

Mid tank shot now. Toad stool has doubled in size and has long polyps. Still struggling to keep the aiptasia in control even though i use aiptasia x once a week and have a peppermint shrimp too.

And finally the Full Tank Shot. I have built up the height from the last rescape as people suggested. Room now for the hammer and bubble frags which will be arriving soon.

You can see in the last pic that the urchin is making short work of the coraline on the right side of the tank.

 

[sangah10]

wow, the new tank is amazing. great job buddy.

i liked what u do with the middle filter and the sides of the tank.

good thinking! ;D