Llj's 4G Now 5.5G... A Little Patch Of Sun!

[lljdma06]

I'm so sorry been very busy with work, so you'll have to settle for an iPhone update. I switched out the gsp for mushies and removed all traces of rhodactis. I actually caught a rhodactis trying to eat a porcelain crab, so no more rhodactis. The rhodactis is now keeping Purty flower (giant pumpkin yuma in check in the 8g)

Video of my Porcelain anemone crab. He sooooo cute. I love these guys, one of the best purchases I've made for my reefs. All my tanks have a type of porcelain crab.



Crappy, crappy, crappy fts

Sorry, I'll do better for next time. Ooooooh wait, upgraded the refugium light to the same lighting as the display. Now fuge is bursting with chaeto. Must thin it out Saturday. Hate throwing it away. Hehe, I may buy an Aquaclear 70 for the 8g and move the Aquaclear 50 to this time and simply replace that impeller with the one from the 30g. I know, I just upgraded my fuge for this tan, but the chaeto growth is amazing and I know I'm doing excellent things for nutrient export by having these refugiums. For picos, it's the way to go, guys.

L

 

[GrayScale]

Tank looks fantastic, especially those sun corals and that gorg. Have you considered covering the back of the tank? Something dark, like black or dark blue could potentially bring the colors out more.

I might have to bug ya for some chaeto at some point.

 

[lljdma06]

Tank looks fantastic, especially those sun corals and that gorg. Have you considered covering the back of the tank? Something dark, like black or dark blue could potentially bring the colors out more.

I've considered this for this tank. Not for my 8g, because that tank is starting to get some nice coraline growth in the back glass. But this tank, maybe I'll try black.

I might have to bug ya for some chaeto at some point.

If you need it, let me know. Right now, I'll be upgrading my refugiums, yet again. Once the upgraded ones are overgrown, I'll start sending chaeto to people on a regular basis. I hate throwing things away, especially livestock. Chaeto is excellent for pod growth and nutrient export. I don't even bother with LR rubble or sand beds in my refugium. The chaeto is enough.

This is how my fuge started when I upgraded the lighting...

This is how full my fuge is now.

I also got this bottle of live copepods. Will be adding them to my refugiums. Actually met the real Dr. G too. Nice guy.

FINALLY got my red sun coral. He's sulking right now, but look how fat!

I also got a new gorgonian (another $10 experiment). I think the gorg is an echinogorgia species, but I'm not quite sure. It's opening and feeding on similar food to the D. nodulifera that I currently have. it's a pale yellow with kinda cool purple polyps. Neato!

Just put into the tank.

The next day.

All the nps posing together in one happy little group.

The only sad news. Bandolero, the cleaner shrimp, will be moved to the 8g. He's stealing food from the nps corals and they need food. And this is with me feeding him too. He should be ok there.

L

 

[SaltNoob]

I LOVE the gorgonian! That is a very pretty coral!

 

[lljdma06]

I LOVE the gorgonian! That is a very pretty coral!

Yeah, I like it too, I hope it does well. Now, I begin the "must feed everyday" phase again. Here's a picture of the new sun... Or rather, the old sun that I could finally take home.

Video...



And video of the gorgonian.



L

 

[lljdma06]

Upgraded the refugium to the old 8g's Aquaclear 50. Did a water change. Things are ok. Added 1/2 bottle of Dr. G's pods to my refugium too.

Some problems... well not really problems yet, more like, I don't want a problem.

1. Must come up with a better feeding regimen. With all the gorgonians and suns now, feedings are going to really take a toll on water quality. I may do smaller water changes more often and feed more often but with less in each feeding.

2. Cleaner shrimp needs to be moved. He's stealing food from the nps corals. I'll be replacing him with something else. Maybe a squat lobster or sexy shrimp. He'll be great in the 8g.

3. I can't find my panda goby. I can spot him everyday and I couldn't yesterday. It's entirely possible he may be dead. I've seen him eat only on occasion. They are very small fish & fragile. If he's dead. I'll be gutted. My first major livestock loss. Checked params, they are great. I dunno...

EDIT: I found him.

L

 

[SaltNoob]

Is he ok? Nice vid. I like.

-Tyler

 

[lljdma06]

Is he ok? Nice vid. I like.

-Tyler

He's ok. Just gave me a scare. My porcelain anemone crab gave me an even bigger scare later. While shedding, he got stuck in the uptake tube of my Aquaclear. He managed to free himself, but he lost the following...

1 large claw
3 legs
1 filter claw
2 small claws

I thought goner, but he's alive and eating. I've named him T-100 after the Terminator. Haha, keeps going even after being in pieces. The intact porcelain is call the T-1000

I've started to do, more frequent, but smaller water changes. I'll see where that takes me. The Echinogorgia is responding well and opening more, but my Diodogorgia hasn't opened for a while. Tissue looks fine, it's just not opening. Params are good, so I'm going to try and figure out why he's not opening.

The cleaner still needs to be removed. Will be doing that probably today.

L

 

[MBOU]

Was reading about those gorgs last night as i found some for sale... nearly ran a mile.. very few people seem to have any luck and if they do... it doesnt last long!

they look nice though!

 

[lljdma06]

Was reading about those gorgs last night as i found some for sale... nearly ran a mile.. very few people seem to have any luck and if they do... it doesnt last long!

they look nice though!

It may well be that I try the diodogorgia in the Caribbean tank. That tank is more full of micro organisms yet it's cleaner because of the macro algae. It did better before the fuge upgrades, I think it may well be a flow issue. There can be such a thing as too much.

Like I'm saying, it's alive, just not opening like it used to and when params aren't an issue, it's something else. Just gotta keep plugging away until you find a solution. The Echinogorgia is actually doing better since the fuge upgrades. See, he likey flow. Sun corals are doing ok, I don't think they like the extra flow either. May be that I replace the impeller of the Aquaclear 50 with that of the Aquaclear 30. Then you get the fuge capacity of the 50, but the flow of the 30.

A bunch of stuff to try. The point is to not freak out.

L

 

[lljdma06]

Relocated my scarlet cleaner to my 8g. Had to rearrange all the rock work practically to catch him.

Diodogorgia still won't open, but the echino is opening great. Go figure. I'll be looking into getting some different food for the diodogorgia. Haven't given up on him yet.

Will be getting some sexy shrimp for this tank. Might as well since everybody needs to be fed in this tank. Also got rotifers to add to this tank. Was briefly tempted by a harlequin shrimp at the lfs, but I have no star fish except for one asterina that is just splitting, I may make him a refugium beast and see if I can grow more.

L

 

[lljdma06]

Panda goby has gone missing again...

Remind me not to get one again.

L

 

[lljdma06]

Panda goby has been found. In my 4g's refugium. Eating pods. How he got into the refugium is just wow! He had to either have gotten sucked in, which makes him one tough panda goby, or he hobbled against the outflow & crawled through gap. Still one tough panda goby.

Must give a tough guy name.

 

[simonas]

Ive never read this journal before Lissette its fabulous I really love this tank and now I want pom pom crabs and gorgonians!!

Ive had a sun coral as nice as it was it was a pain in the backside to feed and my cleaner shrimps used to nick all the food, I prefer cleaner shrimps

 

[lljdma06]

Ive never read this journal before Lissette its fabulous I really love this tank and now I want pom pom crabs and gorgonians!!

Ive had a sun coral as nice as it was it was a pain in the backside to feed and my cleaner shrimps used to nick all the food, I prefer cleaner shrimps

Pompom crabs aren't that hard. I love mind. Gorgonians are a challenge. You just have to be so up on the maintenance. It's insane. Same with the sun corals. My black sun is doing awesome, my orange suns are much more temperamental. They want perfectly clean water, but they want a ton of food.

Lemmiwinks will be the panda goby's name. I know, not a tough name, but it just fit. Both like to take long trips.

L