Llj's 8G... Yuma/zoanthid Garden

[ALW]

You have too many tanks to keep up with lady. The Zoas should pull through and be ok. Nice looking pictures though

 

[n3ont3tra]

Read the whole thing. Looks good.
Didn't realize the forum had such a mantis obsession, reminds me of SkiFletch.

Did you ever get the aquaclear converted? Can you give more details on the procedure to convert it to a refugium?

Thanks!

 

[didz04]

The tank is looking good and some nice videos. Hopefully I will be setting up a 12g rimless nano so keep a look out

 

[lljdma06]

You have too many tanks to keep up with lady. The Zoas should pull through and be ok. Nice looking pictures though

Sadly, the orange zoanthid did not pull through, neither did that pink and green yuma. Lesson learned. The paly, however, did survive and is doing very well again.

Read the whole thing. Looks good.
Didn't realize the forum had such a mantis obsession, reminds me of SkiFletch.

Yeah, reminds me of him too. I was a huge follower of his journal. Loved his narrative.

Did you ever get the aquaclear converted? Can you give more details on the procedure to convert it to a refugium?

Thanks!

Yes, I did. Hopefully, over the thanksgiving break, I'll do a little write up about it. Took forever to put chaeto in it, though.

The tank is looking good and some nice videos. Hopefully I will be setting up a 12g rimless nano so keep a look out

Glad you like the tank. The tank has undergone some serious changes, all good, so stay tuned for an update. If the last update was gigantonormous, this update will be...

EPIC!!

 

[lljdma06]

There is too much for me to do in one massive post, so I'm going to have to update this journal in stages...

Epic update part I - Refugium and More Yumas (from about early October)

Refugium

I wanted to talk a little about my refugium as I've been a bit vague about it. I used a model from another forum so I can't take credit for this idea, but I can tell you what I did. Supplies you'll need...

1. Aquaclear 50 or Aquaclear 70 (I used the 50)
2. Aquarium sealant
3. Toothpicks
4. Good pair of cutting shears or a knife
5. masking tape

I'm also including the link to the refugium construction guide. It's to another forum, but honestly I can't explain it better and I allow linkage to another forum when it's of educational value and the question cannot be readily answered here. Otherwise, I don't. So the rare instance where I'll link to another forum.

http/www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=180570&st=40&p=2004830&#entry2004830

I didn't do all the modifications he did, nor did I use all his supplies. I do, however, use the extra chamber to store my small heater. The ambient lighting from my MH easily grows the chaeto in the refugium. I have nothing else in it. I also did this modification in my 2.5g with a very tiny Red sea nano filter, so I have a small refugium in that tank as well. Some pictures for you.

Yuma Yumminess!!

So in my last update, when I got the blue and orange yumas from the FMAS member, he mentioned that he also had a cluster of 4 Blue and orange yumas and zoas on one rock, and a large pumpkin yuma on the other. I gave it some thought and a little before my birthday, I purchased the group. For $140, or about 88 pounds, I got 6 Yumas, well actually 7, because one has a double mouth and will soon split.

Blue and orange yumas acclimating.

Pumpkin yuma acclimating, this yuma has two mouths. Am in the process of cramming it full of mysis to encourage a split. I want me two pumpkin yumas.

Situated in the tank. At this point, I'm still running a 10k MH.

Crabby, sad yumas... I RO dip before I put them in my tank, so everybody's always super crabby when they first get in my tank.

But then they realize that they are in a clean, nice environment and I've removed all the icky little beasties from their bodies, so they open up nice for me.

Full tank shot at this point... I also added some more zoanthids and shifted things about, but these guys will get their due laters. The tank is essentially a zoanthid/yuma garden. Guys, don't kill yourselves keeping the hardest things, enjoy the simple things in life.

The pumpkin yuma came with some interesting hitch hikers...

Sponges, I think. I also think they died back. They were briefly exposed to the air when I did the transport. Sorry, was more preoccupied with the safety of the pumpkin yuma rather than sponges.

I still don't know what that round thing is under the pumpkin yuma. You can see it in the "I'm crabby" picture above. I'm assuming another spongy growth. I also found this. This is interesting and not harmful. Hard to tell from this picture, it's hard to photograph. It's a Caribbean corallimorph. Looks like an anemone, but it's a mushroom coral. Very interesting. It's growing and doing well.

Well, this update brings me around October 12th, which was my birthday. Stay tuned for another update. Sorry, but it's just too much for one post. Lots have happened with this 8g tank. I leave you with a fun video that I posted on FB... My emerald crab, Oz, eating from my hand.



Thanks for looking,

L

 

[lljdma06]

Epic update part II - It's all in the color temperature... (from about mid October)

I have a 70w MH fixture that Monochrome5 sent me. It included a 10k bulb. I swapped out the 10k bulb for a 14k bulb.

fts with 10k

fts with 14k

Much more rich and cooler in spectrum... Some photos...

Now it's time for HD images from my camera...

Now it's time for zoanthid fun...

And finally... Let's have some video...





This is the end of this update. I'll be posting an update later on. The layout of the tank has changed significantly. Thanks for looking.

L

 

[lljdma06]

Epic update part III - My personal bond with epoxy... (from about early November)

1. So I have a bunch of corals, right? Well, my hermits keep knocking down my zoanthids, so I thought it was time I put that epoxy I got into good use and afix some of my corals.

2. I decide to go complete nps with my 2.5g tank, leaving me with quite a few zoanthid frags to rehome, so I have to fit them into the 8g somehow...

The layout I decided upon... Before I afix

detail of the fire & ice bridge. I liked this feature a lot.

Part of what I really liked was the view from the top.



After the epoxy.

I stink at epoxy. I did it too thick and it's really noticeable, but that's ok. I'm still learning.

Little fire and ice bridge came out nice, though.

The rock with the pumpkin yuma kept slipping, so I had to epoxy that too.

So now the pumpkin yuma sits a bit lower. Here's the current layout of the tank. I don't think it's too bad.

Now time for some fun video...

Crazy pink zoanthids with my paly. The paly has made a complete recovery since its encounter with the frogspawn and it really enjoys leftover mysis.



My GSP, yes, a weed, but I like them. With my eagle-eye zoas

New top view video... The blue zoanthids are crazy with the pumpkin yuma



Fts video



Final fts

The last update will just be a general update. There have been some livestock additions.

Thanks for looking,

L

 

[GrayScale]

Absolutely stunning llj. All the corals look healthy and happy. Its pretty awesome that you can fit all that in a 8g. What are your other plans, if any, for this tank?

 

[Biulu]

This is awesome! I don't know anything about marine, so have no clue what you are talking about when you say cuc, gsp, frags and the like, but this is really lovely. Much nicer than the average live rock and fish that you see in the marine section of a lfs.

Would love to have something like this, but I travel way too much. I am now in China...

 

[lljdma06]

Absolutely stunning llj. All the corals look healthy and happy. Its pretty awesome that you can fit all that in a 8g. What are your other plans, if any, for this tank?

Thanks, I do my best. I get the occasional zoanthid eating nematode that I have to kill, but otherwise my corals are holding up. Got a wee bit neglectful during a heavy concert prep week, but they held up well. I have no plans coral wise. No more major additions. I just want stuff to grow and fill in. I'm also not interested in anything but softies in this tank. I know, for now a waste of a MH, but I don't see it as a waste. I happen to like zoanthids.

This is awesome! I don't know anything about marine, so have no clue what you are talking about when you say cuc, gsp, frags and the like, but this is really lovely. Much nicer than the average live rock and fish that you see in the marine section of a lfs.

Would love to have something like this, but I travel way too much. I am now in China...

CUC - Clean up crew, comprised of hardy invertebrates
frag - fragments of a coral colony.

Thanks, Biulu. Planted tanks have taken a backseat to this aspect of the hobby right now. Like I was telling Grayscale, I don't pick anything hard.

L

PS: Just added a Yasha haze. I originally had a Yasha/pistol pair, but the yasha jumped ship. This is the replacement Yasha. I'll post pictures later. Got a hood for this tank.

 

[ALW]

Absolutely stunning llj. All the corals look healthy and happy. Its pretty awesome that you can fit all that in a 8g. What are your other plans, if any, for this tank?

Thanks, I do my best. I get the occasional zoanthid eating nematode that I have to kill, but otherwise my corals are holding up. Got a wee bit neglectful during a heavy concert prep week, but they held up well. I have no plans coral wise. No more major additions. I just want stuff to grow and fill in. I'm also not interested in anything but softies in this tank. I know, for now a waste of a MH, but I don't see it as a waste. I happen to like zoanthids.

This is awesome! I don't know anything about marine, so have no clue what you are talking about when you say cuc, gsp, frags and the like, but this is really lovely. Much nicer than the average live rock and fish that you see in the marine section of a lfs.

Would love to have something like this, but I travel way too much. I am now in China...

CUC - Clean up crew, comprised of hardy invertebrates
frag - fragments of a coral colony.

Thanks, Biulu. Planted tanks have taken a backseat to this aspect of the hobby right now. Like I was telling Grayscale, I don't pick anything hard.

L

PS: Just added a Yasha haze. I originally had a Yasha/pistol pair, but the yasha jumped ship. This is the replacement Yasha. I'll post pictures later. Got a hood for this tank.

You missed GSP: Green Star Polyps

 

[Biulu]

CUC - Clean up crew, comprised of hardy invertebrates
frag - fragments of a coral colony.

Thanks for the explanations! By the way, when I typed CUC into Google the first result I got was Cuban convertible Peso!

 

[lljdma06]

CUC - Clean up crew, comprised of hardy invertebrates
frag - fragments of a coral colony.

Thanks for the explanations! By the way, when I typed CUC into Google the first result I got was Cuban convertible Peso!

That's too funny...

I'll do an update tonight. I got another Yasha and I need to show pictures of the pistol shrimp and fish.

L

 

[lljdma06]

Meet Tigger, my Tiger pistol shrimp...

See Tigger doing what Tigger does best...



Tigger originally had a Yasha haze to go with him...

But I made a mistake and forgot that I needed a lid, first yasha jumped. Got a tight lid, got a second Yasha. That one jumped too. Tigger's going to be by himself, which is sad, because he could really use a goby. Was my intention to get one, but they keep jumping, even though I have a lid now.

Well anyway, Unless I think maybe get a bigger goby that can't fit through the one tiny gap I have to fit a power cord through.

Tigger likes to make a big mess and put sand all over my corals so I had to move things around, yet again. I feel bad for him. So I rescaped the tank to make him more comfortable. I never really see him, but I feed him and I hear him click.

New layout, no corals in the sand bed.

Video...



I made a mistake with the yasha/pistol pair and I'm hoping I can fix it. Or at least make him a bit more comfortable.

I also am playing with blue lights... The camera doesn't do it justice. It's really garish!

How do you guys get the colors to show up on your camera? I can't seem to figure it out. I want to. It's so cool!

L

 

[Shovelman]

2.5g mantis tank



Will this be regionally correct or will this be purely for looks ?

Bae

DO IT DO IT DO IT! Mantis shrimps are awesome! ...and hardy!

HOLY @#$% AMAZING! Love the blue lights and the colors that pop out lljd! Allways amazing tanks you keep pumping out!