Tina's Twin Bommies

[Buddyboy67]

Have found blue legs and scarlets are best not to combined, however if species of different sizes and habit are combined it works better..
I keep scarlets, blue knuckles and halloweens together..
Blue knucks...for heavyweight scavenging and algae control
Scarlets..fine more delicate version of above
Halloweens...to eat any potential cyno and extremely good little scavengers


Bryopsis looks like a fine fern like frond that grows in dense clumps, more of a pain than hair algae as very few critters will look at it unfortunately

 

[seffieuk]

Bryopsis looks like a fine fern like frond that grows in dense clumps, more of a pain than hair algae as very few critters will look at it unfortunately

Ah, that is not what I have got then - this looks just like tufts of grass - have now got some dark red that came in on the newer live rock, looks just the same but red

Seffie x

 

[TigerIssey]

So Buddyboy, you would say that mixing in a few blue knuckle hermits should be fine and help with the Bryopsis too.

I have found the Emerald crab will have a go if its short enough, but he will not eat those fine fronded leaves.

The red legs do seem to do good jobs on fine stuff too, but again will not touch the fronds.

I don't regret getting the sea hare at all, my sand is starting to look great, the silicone seals are fantastically clean and he has been having a go at the back wall this afternoon. I have a feeling he will be a good addition anyway. Should have listened to Big C about those earlier, he reckons every tank should have one. On the plus side over astreas and turbos, the shrimps do not seem remotely interested in the hare whereas they like astreas and turbos as tasty snacks.

Seffie, it is definately a dream tank. Once we can work out the structural bits that are needed, the planning is fun fun fun. My mum is really excited about my tropical tank too.

I have seen a few second hand tanks, but storage would be a problem. Really need the floor down before work on the tank itself can commence.

 

[kj23502]

why not use egg crate instead of cover glass this will stop jumpers and also make sure you get good gas exchange. i wouldnt be too sure about the seahare chomping on the bryopsis have you tried raising your mag up to around 1600 as i believe this will help.

Too many people on here recently have still lost jumping fish despite having the top covered with egg crate. It seems smaller fish can still get through. I am not happy to risk it.

Tina I have a great idea for you Have you read of people using bird netting to cover their tanks? Basically they take a window screen kit and use bird netting instead of the regular metal screen and it does a FAB job. Allows for oxygen exchange AND keeps tiny jumpers in their proper place I know there is a HUGE thread of it on RC. I'll go search it and see what I can find for you. I imagine you'd still be able to get similar products in the UK. I'll go search and then come back and paste it when I find it.

 

[kj23502]

http/reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.p...hreadid=1310096

 

[seffieuk]

hey up - Kj, you forgotten that you can't link to another forum

Seffie x

 

[Buddyboy67]

Like the sound of that as i too am open topped..not only do cover glasses salt up but the glass reflects large amounts of the uv light required by your corals and can effect the intensity in their colours. Theraputic glass can be obtained and is used in conservatories in nursing homes etc, allowing more uv to pass through, although is extremely expensive...
Yeah, add even one of these hermits , they grow big compared to a lot of others, but do hit algae hard!! Take a look on my tank thread to see what they were up against in mine...

 

[TigerIssey]

I saw your thread Buddy, before I typed that last response I think. I will look around for some. Would you suggest a Halloween for any cyano aswell??

I am going to stick with coverglasses, there is a very good reason for this. Due to me having T5 lighting, I have the lights quite cclose to the water level, I do not want splashes on my lighting and the potential to trip the electric. I have power compacts, if you remember they do not meet the new IPC (think thats reet)numbers for use close to water. I wuld rather clean the ver glasses oncea week than risk the electric being tripped. My wrasse (and there will be many more in the 6 ft, jumps alot, it would be splashing all the time.

 

[TigerIssey]

Took a few more photos.

Tried to show the green around the outside of these zoas, photos are still not doing them justice.

Tutankamun, on one of his ventures away from the left Bommie. He has spent some time on the reet tonight.

At the beginning of my Nano journal, I named the Hermits, bit of a mistake really cause I cannot tell which is which now apart from Unas, who it seems is not a normal red leg, seems he is a Polkadot Hermit Crab, Phimochirus operculatus, when he last moulted I noticed his right claw was much bigger than the left. He apparently is a little more aggressive but grows to 0.8-1.2".

I am pinching the other names back to use again.


I have therefore named the Sea Hare Chefren

Peek a boo

Macro shot

Eating Bryopsis

Have moved the seio powerhead over to left hand side today. What really bugs me about aquarium equipment manufacturers is that they always put a sealed plug on, how the hell are you supposed to thread that through the tiny gap in the bracing designed for wires. Had to cut it off and use a normal plug, which has no doubt invalidated the guarantee.

Gave the Mandarin Diner a go tonight, unfortunately Mereneptah did not seem to know what to do with it. I used an old Shwartz herb jar, will try a slightly bigger jar tomorrow. Akhenaton, the Emerald crab tried to grab the feeding syringe off me when feeding the corals tonight. Just managed to get it back off him, had to give him a good squirt of Brine shrimp in order to do so.

 

[Buddyboy67]

Found them great little pickers and known to eat cyno,well documented issey...
one word only for the hare.....CUTE!!!!!!!
Goes without saying too...those zoas are stunning..know what you mean about camera missing their best but!!!

 

[TigerIssey]

Its funny Buddy boy, I thought the pictures I saw of the hares before I bought it showed a weird animal, I also thought they looked really ugly.

Since he has been in my tank, I have really got quite attached to him. Its the eyes I think, and the antics he seems to get up to in his search for algae. He was cleaning some remaining cyano from the return pipe this morning, its right at the top of the tank. He fell off onto his back, took him a few minutes to right himself, but managed eventually, he was still eating algae all the time he was doing this. His appetite is insatiable, hopefully in the few weeks he will have worked through the bryopsis, he rips it off, sort of lets it go and then sucks it into his mouth. He does not half poop though, the size of them is immense, weird the way he poops out of the back hole, but has another hole at the front of stomach. I am presuming this would be where the purple dye would be released if he chose to do so. Seems like it would be very difficult to startle him though, he seems to like you watching him.

I am really pleased I decide to get him.

Have had a look around online. Nowhere has the blue knuckles and Haloween in stock unless you buy 6 (fishmans frags), don't want that many, so am going to wait a while, see how the hare gets on until they a both in stock somewhere.

 

[garry_boyd3]

The hare looks cool. I saw them at the LFS yesterday (yes I did buy something ), my tanks alittle too small for one.

I order some crabs from net, by all accounts red legs but I got red legs, small blue & a blue knuckle, they all get on well, because of that got a halloween cra as wel. I may have got lucky but by what I read on here everyone has a different opinion.

Never thought would read about hares & poo on the forum

Great pictures

right before you ask, I got a lovely Ric frag & another Zoa, which caries on my gardne. Also found at last the pistol shrimp & goby I have been after. Its a sulphur goby & is less than an inch in size. They are caled wallace & gromit. Will update picturs soon.

 

[seffieuk]

I'm getting tempted to get a sea hare are there lots of different sorts?

Seffie x

 

[TigerIssey]

I think there is just one type Seffie.

I ordered him from Reefstock. Have used them a couple of times now, the service is excellent. On the order I write which day I want delivery, they return the email asap, and then send the delivery for when I asked for them. Usually its the same morning they get the order that they dispatch the same day. Never had any DOA, and the snails have always acclimatised really well, which with Ceriths is quite good.

He was definatley worth the money.

 

[TigerIssey]

Well, I have swapped the remaining Maxijet for the Koralia 2 and I have placed it behind the right bommie. What a shower of gunk came sailing up from the LR.

I think now that I have freely directed flow rather than 3 jets of flow, the corals and the tank and probably the fish too will benefit greatly.

My flow is now

Seio Super Flow Pump - 2400
Koralia 2 - 2300
Rio 1100 return Pump less head approx - 700

Giving a total of - 5400

Total litres system approx 200litres


Turnover therefore = 27 Much better.