Yuma
Fish Fanatic
Donya, looks like things are coming along nicely. I'm watching, with interest, on the progression with the "phyto dosing". Love the anthelia as well...hoping to get some of those for myself in the not too distant future.
Donya's 55-Gallon
- Thread starter Donya
- Start date
OP
OP
The phyto has had one interesting effect so far: my toadstool now fluoresces green under the blue, LED moonlights. It's a very faint glow, but it certainly wasn't like that prior to phyto. Maybe the phyto is being trapped in the mucous?
Unfortunately I'm also going to have to put phyto dosing on hold for a bit even though I only just started. I was sloppy and somehow let the sg in the phyto tub creep up to 1.030, which has clearly made for a less-than-happy culture. There's a lot of evaopration in that tub due to its large surface area, and it's not the first time the sg has wandered in a bad direction when I've been a bit too casual about top-offs...now that I have a refractometer I don't really have an excuse to muck up the sg, so I'll have to be more on the ball with that in the future. At any rate, late yesterday and earlier this morning I noticed a decrease in opacity in the tub, so a small dieoff happened in the last two days. I'm confident it will bounce back aggressively as it always does, but I want to make sure it shows visible growth before I start harvesting it again.
Although Anthelia had been sort of off my radar until I ran accrossit in a LFS, I figure if even a relative coral noob like me can make it happy enough to produce new polyps so quickly it must be good
. Of course, the LFS warned me that it can sometimes be a bit of a weed in tanks with a lot of nutrients, but I will be over the moon if it grows enough to warrant fragging.
Unfortunately I'm also going to have to put phyto dosing on hold for a bit even though I only just started. I was sloppy and somehow let the sg in the phyto tub creep up to 1.030, which has clearly made for a less-than-happy culture. There's a lot of evaopration in that tub due to its large surface area, and it's not the first time the sg has wandered in a bad direction when I've been a bit too casual about top-offs...now that I have a refractometer I don't really have an excuse to muck up the sg, so I'll have to be more on the ball with that in the future. At any rate, late yesterday and earlier this morning I noticed a decrease in opacity in the tub, so a small dieoff happened in the last two days. I'm confident it will bounce back aggressively as it always does, but I want to make sure it shows visible growth before I start harvesting it again.
Although Anthelia had been sort of off my radar until I ran accrossit in a LFS, I figure if even a relative coral noob like me can make it happy enough to produce new polyps so quickly it must be good
. Of course, the LFS warned me that it can sometimes be a bit of a weed in tanks with a lot of nutrients, but I will be over the moon if it grows enough to warrant fragging.Donya you will indeed find that you mushrooms now glowing because you where feeding it.
Under higher lighting or in a fed tank where it won't need as much zooxanthellae to get the energy needed to survive they will go away from brown coloration to greens (or others)
Oh and prepare to be over the moon as anthelia will spread and will require fragging but looks great so who cares
Under higher lighting or in a fed tank where it won't need as much zooxanthellae to get the energy needed to survive they will go away from brown coloration to greens (or others)
Oh and prepare to be over the moon as anthelia will spread and will require fragging but looks great so who cares
OP
OP
Woke up super early since I had to carpool absurdly early this morning and found that my Halimeda had gone white everywhere. However, in the 15-20min that I had the lights on before running out the door, it started to green up again from the base, leaving only white bands. I am totally confused. 
I know macro doesn't respond well to physical abuse, and Mr. Hairylegs was over being a bit rough with that rock recently (no harm to the NPS polyps though - he's only brutal to macro). I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but not feeling too optimistic at the moment since this tank and the mantis tank are the first time I've had any of that macro so I don't know the ins and outs of the species.
Ah - cool!
Having tanks that produce things is one of my little obsessions in aquarium-keeping. I love things where I can look in every day or two and see just a bit more growth of something. Can't wait to add various polyps to the list of things that my tanks are actively making.
I know macro doesn't respond well to physical abuse, and Mr. Hairylegs was over being a bit rough with that rock recently (no harm to the NPS polyps though - he's only brutal to macro). I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but not feeling too optimistic at the moment since this tank and the mantis tank are the first time I've had any of that macro so I don't know the ins and outs of the species.Ah - cool!
Having tanks that produce things is one of my little obsessions in aquarium-keeping. I love things where I can look in every day or two and see just a bit more growth of something. Can't wait to add various polyps to the list of things that my tanks are actively making.
rdp50734
hates poor electrics :-(
Instead of QT for corals have you tried coral RX? Its sort of a bath for the corals which remove a lot of pests that are attached to the coral. I'll find a link!
http/www.coralrx.com/
http
/www.coralrx.com/ah the love for growing things explains the monster of an aiptasia you have in your mantis tank
My halimeda used to do the same kind of thing at night, almost used to go totally white but then coloured up again, dont know why lol
My halimeda used to do the same kind of thing at night, almost used to go totally white but then coloured up again, dont know why lol
OP
OP
Another phyto update: the tub culture is finally rebounding. For a couple of days it looked like it might crash completely, which was a surprise. It got so sparse the water only looked a little dirty rather than distinctly green. I think what happened is that I took the salinity back down a bit too fast even though the high sg was making it unhappy in the first place. Lesson learned: don't take hardiness for granted. With the current growth rate, I'm guessing it will be back to full strength and therefore ready for dosing again within the week.
Have looked at that in the past, but what bugs me it this part:
Most of the frags I got this time around were on frag plugs (which were also easy enough to visually inspect and pick clean - although I guess that means easily dunked as well), but the rock that was the main issue for nudis also had some other criters I didn't want to nuke.
Exactly
And darned if mine didn't look normal again by the end of that day. I guess it knows the normal photoperiod, so I have to either b up absurdly late or get up absurdly early to catch it looking strange.
Instead of QT for corals have you tried coral RX? Its sort of a bath for the corals which remove a lot of pests that are attached to the coral. I'll find a link!
http
Have looked at that in the past, but what bugs me it this part:
Most of the frags I got this time around were on frag plugs (which were also easy enough to visually inspect and pick clean - although I guess that means easily dunked as well), but the rock that was the main issue for nudis also had some other criters I didn't want to nuke.
sorgan said:
Exactly
And darned if mine didn't look normal again by the end of that day. I guess it knows the normal photoperiod, so I have to either b up absurdly late or get up absurdly early to catch it looking strange.
OP
OP
Mr. Hairylegs has molted - and he is indeed a male! Sexing Dardanus megistos isn't as easy as on Clibanarius species and some others, since the males and females can both have pleopods. In the case of Mr. Hairylegs I really had no idea of his gender until this event. As far as I've seen with the species, it really is down to gonopores unless there is dimorphism in the pleopods that I haven't seen yet due to lack of a male and female side-by-side for comparison. Fortunately, the shed skin this time around was big enough I could actually get photos to show (or try to show at least) the gonopores I've talked about in other hermit-related posts.
Now, you're probably wondering what on earth there is to see in that photo other than somethin ugly-looking. If I zoom in a bit...
Notice the first segments on the third and fifth sets of legs (first set is the big claws, third set is the rear set of walking legs, fifth set are those almost detatched squiggly things at the top)
Here I've outlined where the gonopores are or would be. There are clear openings on the FIFTH set where the male gonopores are located (blue circles). There are no openings where the female gonopores would be (pink dashed circles).
Intersex animals will exhibit some degree of opening in both areas.
At one point last year I did promise non-photo schematics...I do have them in pencil, but they need inking. Partly I was waiting for a male molt from one of my hermits to make sure I had everything in the right place, so this has given me what I need in that regard.
Now, you're probably wondering what on earth there is to see in that photo other than somethin ugly-looking. If I zoom in a bit...
Notice the first segments on the third and fifth sets of legs (first set is the big claws, third set is the rear set of walking legs, fifth set are those almost detatched squiggly things at the top)
Here I've outlined where the gonopores are or would be. There are clear openings on the FIFTH set where the male gonopores are located (blue circles). There are no openings where the female gonopores would be (pink dashed circles).
Intersex animals will exhibit some degree of opening in both areas.
At one point last year I did promise non-photo schematics...I do have them in pencil, but they need inking. Partly I was waiting for a male molt from one of my hermits to make sure I had everything in the right place, so this has given me what I need in that regard.
seffieuk
I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure!
Wow wee......... amazing, keep it coming Donya, I love it. A huge thank you for going to so much trouble to explain
Seffie x
Seffie x
OP
OP
Fewer phoblywangles this time and more critters!
Newest addition: a Lytechinus variegatus urchin. He's gone straight to work on a small coralline explosion that has hit the rocks in the tank.
Baby crab, some Mithraculus or close relative that came in on the mantis rock and was saved to the hang-on refugium in the 55gal. After a couple molts in there, he decided he was a big boy and crawled out into the main tank, where he now follows the big hermit around for reasons unknown.
Anthelia that I'm guessing has increased in large polyp count by probably about 25% or more since last photographed. Those rock featuring the unknown brown things has been totally rolled over by new polyps. I've also caught one of the clowns getting chummy with it from time to time, although so far it will only do it when it thinks I'm not watching.
No full tank shots for a while as not much overall has changed except for there being a small sea of mottled green and brown over on the far left that built up while Mr. Hairylegs was going through his pre-molting fast. He has munched into it somewhat since molting ended, but hasn't conquered the whole thing. I guess that's what happens when CUC is insufficient...but I'm still trying to leave room for additional large hermits to pick up the slack, so as far as I can see there's not much to do about it until then.
Newest addition: a Lytechinus variegatus urchin. He's gone straight to work on a small coralline explosion that has hit the rocks in the tank.
Baby crab, some Mithraculus or close relative that came in on the mantis rock and was saved to the hang-on refugium in the 55gal. After a couple molts in there, he decided he was a big boy and crawled out into the main tank, where he now follows the big hermit around for reasons unknown.
Anthelia that I'm guessing has increased in large polyp count by probably about 25% or more since last photographed. Those rock featuring the unknown brown things has been totally rolled over by new polyps. I've also caught one of the clowns getting chummy with it from time to time, although so far it will only do it when it thinks I'm not watching.
No full tank shots for a while as not much overall has changed except for there being a small sea of mottled green and brown over on the far left that built up while Mr. Hairylegs was going through his pre-molting fast. He has munched into it somewhat since molting ended, but hasn't conquered the whole thing. I guess that's what happens when CUC is insufficient...but I'm still trying to leave room for additional large hermits to pick up the slack, so as far as I can see there's not much to do about it until then.
OP
OP
Well that was the worst stocking decision I've made in...possibley ever! Urchin + Dardanus megistos = total and complete crustacean RAGE (at least for this type of urchin).
The urchin was in the tank for about half a day with no issues...and then it apparently stung the hermit. I didn't note it when I posted the pic of the urchin but it's in Toxopneustidae*, which, as the first part of the name may imply, is a family of venomous urchins. Some species within the family are even dangerous to humans (the so-called "flower urchins"), but not L. variegatus. Unlike other poisinous urchins that have venomous spines, these have venomous feet. The white bobbly things on the urchin pictured above are basically little grabby fists with irritants that can be injected into whatever they grab.
The stinging reaction is only triggered if something bops that part of the urchin, and the potential sting isn't even enough to stop humans from handling them bare-handed (I haven't, but I don't really want to get a rash on my hand if I have an allergic reaction). Apparently it's enough to totally set off a large Dardanus megistos though. The urchin got in its face, wouldn't move, and bam: hermit vs. urchin round 1. No harm came to the urchin as far as I can see. It may have had the tip of one spine knocked off but not all of the spines were in perfect condition when I put it in. However, the hermit crab absolutely would not cut it out no matter how much I intervened. It wouldn't go back in its shell either until totally out of the water, which is totally out of character for this individual. Even offering nice yummy food simply provoked a "get that out of my face - I have an urchin to battle!" response. It also became extremely defensive of its old, empty shell and kept moving it so the urchin couldn't touch it. Needless to say, the urchin is drip acclimating to my 20gal right now. Even then it took the hermit a good 15-20min to stop throwing rocks around in the tank after I took the urchin out. I'm not sure whether the hermit crab was trying to kill the urchin or just drive it out of its territory (which is more or less the whole tank), but it was clearly a very upsetting encounter for the hermit.
So...yeah. Don't do what I just did today.
--
*EDIT: fixed "Toxopneustiday" to "Toxopneustidae". I don't know how that "y" snuck in there and gobbled what should have been an "e".
The urchin was in the tank for about half a day with no issues...and then it apparently stung the hermit. I didn't note it when I posted the pic of the urchin but it's in Toxopneustidae*, which, as the first part of the name may imply, is a family of venomous urchins. Some species within the family are even dangerous to humans (the so-called "flower urchins"), but not L. variegatus. Unlike other poisinous urchins that have venomous spines, these have venomous feet. The white bobbly things on the urchin pictured above are basically little grabby fists with irritants that can be injected into whatever they grab.
The stinging reaction is only triggered if something bops that part of the urchin, and the potential sting isn't even enough to stop humans from handling them bare-handed (I haven't, but I don't really want to get a rash on my hand if I have an allergic reaction). Apparently it's enough to totally set off a large Dardanus megistos though. The urchin got in its face, wouldn't move, and bam: hermit vs. urchin round 1. No harm came to the urchin as far as I can see. It may have had the tip of one spine knocked off but not all of the spines were in perfect condition when I put it in. However, the hermit crab absolutely would not cut it out no matter how much I intervened. It wouldn't go back in its shell either until totally out of the water, which is totally out of character for this individual. Even offering nice yummy food simply provoked a "get that out of my face - I have an urchin to battle!" response. It also became extremely defensive of its old, empty shell and kept moving it so the urchin couldn't touch it. Needless to say, the urchin is drip acclimating to my 20gal right now. Even then it took the hermit a good 15-20min to stop throwing rocks around in the tank after I took the urchin out. I'm not sure whether the hermit crab was trying to kill the urchin or just drive it out of its territory (which is more or less the whole tank), but it was clearly a very upsetting encounter for the hermit.
So...yeah. Don't do what I just did today.
--
*EDIT: fixed "Toxopneustiday" to "Toxopneustidae". I don't know how that "y" snuck in there and gobbled what should have been an "e".
seffieuk
I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure!
And i was just about to say, I havent seen one of those urchins before, looks nice. How long do urchins in general live?
Seffie x
Seffie x
OP
OP
I have no idea unfortunately. I've read all kinds of quotes ranging from 3 to 50 years (and sometimes substantially longer), which has suggested to me that one or more of the following may apply:
- Methods used to estimate age (such as growth rate) might not be very accurate for urchins.
- Somebody out there may have good answers but they're burried too far in obscure literature for hobbiests to have seen yet.
- Urchins may be one of the sorts of animals that has a life span mainly determined by non-old-age factors. For example, with a lot of crustaceans, "life span" in the aquarium is more practically the average time to a bad molt rather than average time to actual old age. Urchins don't molt of course, but I don't know much about what sorts of maladies can affect urchins as they grow.
Time to sexual maturity is often addressed for uchin species, that being on the order of a couple years, but usually longevity after that isn't addressed. All I can really say concretely is that my Eucidaris metularia, a close relative of more common slate pencil urchin, is still ticking after around 5 years in my tanks. I would presume that the Lytechinus urchin has the potential to be similarly long-lived as long as the mishap last night didn't stress it out too much and assuming I'm able to meet its dietary needs as well as I have for the Eucidaris urchin.
- Methods used to estimate age (such as growth rate) might not be very accurate for urchins.
- Somebody out there may have good answers but they're burried too far in obscure literature for hobbiests to have seen yet.
- Urchins may be one of the sorts of animals that has a life span mainly determined by non-old-age factors. For example, with a lot of crustaceans, "life span" in the aquarium is more practically the average time to a bad molt rather than average time to actual old age. Urchins don't molt of course, but I don't know much about what sorts of maladies can affect urchins as they grow.
Time to sexual maturity is often addressed for uchin species, that being on the order of a couple years, but usually longevity after that isn't addressed. All I can really say concretely is that my Eucidaris metularia, a close relative of more common slate pencil urchin, is still ticking after around 5 years in my tanks. I would presume that the Lytechinus urchin has the potential to be similarly long-lived as long as the mishap last night didn't stress it out too much and assuming I'm able to meet its dietary needs as well as I have for the Eucidaris urchin.
seffieuk
I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure!
Thanks Donya, i was curious because as you say you rarely read anything about it
Seffie x
Seffie x
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