Jump to content

Bobcat's 75gal First Reef Build


BobcatReefer

Recommended Posts

Gold head sleeper Goby - I've always had Diamond Watchman Gobies to keep my sand turned over and clean, but wanted the GHSG because it's pretty.  Unfortunately, he's not as hard a worker as his DWG cousin.  Pretty, but not real functional. 

Kind of excited about my rainbow shrooms!  After being 1 forever, 2 looks to be turning to 3 pretty quickly.  Hoping they keep going and cover that ledge - I need more! :D

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, BobcatReefer said:

Gold head sleeper Goby - I've always had Diamond Watchman Gobies to keep my sand turned over and clean, but wanted the GHSG because it's pretty.  Unfortunately, he's not as hard a worker as his DWG cousin.  Pretty, but not real functional. 

Kind of excited about my rainbow shrooms!  After being 1 forever, 2 looks to be turning to 3 pretty quickly.  Hoping they keep going and cover that ledge - I need more! :D

 

 

Neat! The blue streak across the face is very striking. I was wondering if it was some sort of goby because it looks similar to the DWG.

I would be too, that is a beautiful specimen! I found that they take can take forever to finally start splitting as well. One of mine finally split after being in my pico for a year. I'm addicted to collecting as many different color varieties as possible. Congrats on it finally splitting!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/20/2018 at 9:41 AM, Timfish said:

This is a major frustration I've run into over the years.    The more I dig into the science the more complicated it gets.  Each coral species and genotype can have subtle differences in their photobiology and nutrition is a factor.   So one question is has something caused a subtle shift in how those two corals photobiology?   I seriously doubt the chemiclean had any direct effect, I can't remember where I heard this first but commonality is not causality, but it does bring up the question of a shift in the microbial processes.  We know from Matz's research at UT the different genotypes of a given species can have widely different immune systems and responses to changes in bacterial populations.   I can't say how probable but a possible explanation to what you're seeing is different responses to a combination of changes weeks ago.   It could easily be two different issues, a small injury to the Undata that caused an infection, the purple digitata growing too fast for the amount of nutrients it could get from the water.  I'm inclined to think the Rainbow Stylo just wasn't getting enough light on the underside, this is a concern as an infection can get started though where the polyps have died so super gluing it is prudent.

Here is my pennys worth. As a naturalist I see a natural progression with most ecosystems. Ponds with grass at the edge.Then small scrub. Next comes trees then the pond is no more as it fills with sediment. The same is true with all ecosystems. Our tanks go thru this change. As much as we do to keep everything the same, the growth of opportunistic bacteria strains out compete the weaker strains. It must have an effect on coral. Bacteria out competing others in a slight way, we don't notice until it effects something larger like a coral. When once it thrived on a certain bacteria. That bacteria is no longer there in the same numbers as before.......... ok I'm done

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, the Setosa frags are toast, and there's some spots on the mother...tiny, so maybe she's strong enough to fight them off?  *fingers crossed*

Looks like the Northern Lights is no bueno as well.  Green Slimer and Garf Bonsai still look good.  Can't tell what's going on w/ the Pocillopora as the bottom of the mother always looks like death, but the top is happy, not to mention, of all my oldest corals, this one has more babies around the tank than even the mushrooms (up until about a month ago when we've reached maximum density and had some floaters...) and they look good.

This Purple Stylo was fat and happy a month ago.  Today, I was only able to get 2 good frags off of it.  Vid shows the difference between where it was healthy and where the evil dun got it.  Sorry the vid is wonky.

Right now my thought is to ride this out, salvage what I can, and not add any corals for a couple of months.  Add a couple of new fish, and focus on them for a while.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, BobcatReefer said:

I found their api and tried automating off my apex... cant remember what caused me to stop using it... but last measurement was 2/19/17.... talk about "exactly a year" timing *lol*  they offer apex integration for $30/yr tho.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Tank update:

Still fighting the red algae issue, and think I'm kind of on top of it, but not to the point of elimination just yet.  Started w/ 3 days w/ no lights then did 2 rounds of ChemiClean and water changes over the course of 10 days or so and have continued w/ filter sock, turkey baster agitation and water changes.  Going to hit it w/ the Fluconazole as soon as it comes in, as I have some patches of super thick/wiry GHA as well.  Costing a small fortune in chemicals and salt to treat this, not to mention the frags that haven't made it through the unstable water conditions.

One of my oldest corals died this week - an acan I got when I first started just started dying from one side and progressed to the other w/i 5 days or so.  Seems to be specific to that particular coral otherwise the acan next door would be affected as well, and that doesn't seem to be the case.  RIP, old schooler...  Need to get in there and pull the skeleton out before it becomes an algae anchor...

 

f963e1f4a17b62984563366782ac9e47.jpg

 

Scape changes:  

Got rid of the GSP tower on the upper left, flipped the large rock on the right side of the left island up to vertical, changed up the left side of the right island by cutting the toadstool leather down and selling the rock/remaining leather it was connected too, and cut off the chunk where all the superman mushrooms were almost dead center of the tank.

Only kept 3 heads of the superman and I've stuck them on the backside of the scape.  By the time they take that over, hopefully I'm ready to break this tank down and start another!

GSP on the right side of the tank is too hard to control, so I'm just going to let it ride for now.  Killed a small acan colony and is running through the zoas on the backside.

Palmer's Blue Mille that has been just thriving like a champ ever since it arrived has been way grumpy lately.  Hardly any polyp extension and intermittent white patches, but doesn't seem to get any worse.  Hopefully it comes back to where it was, because it was going gangbusters.

Traded out the 10-12 head hammer for a 5-7 head and added 8 new frags or so.  As mentioned, that's only about 1/2 of what I've purchased lately...cost of not having a dedicated frag tank.

Removed all my macroalgae from the fuge.  I had chaeto and fern calupera in there together, which I've heard can cause one to go sexual and emit toxins that corals don't dig.  Once I'm sure it's all out and fallow for a while, I'll restock w/ something else - maybe that thick red stuff they have at the dome?

Fish:

Red Head/Solar Fairy Wrasse

Midas Blenny

Kole Tang

Purple Firefish

Orange Diamond Goby - this SOB doesn't sift sand one bit...and it took me 4 **** fish to get this one alive and into the DT!  Literally the ONLY reason he's in the tank!  YOU HAVE ONE JOB!! [emoji35][emoji35][emoji35]

Rainsford Goby

Pinkbar Goby and Tiger shrimp

Coral Banded Shrimp - he's out as soon as I can catch him.  Need to get some Peppermint shrimp in there to fight some aiptasia, and this guy just murders every one I put in there. 

 

03102876d60b793e6f9ff7d4d09501a8.jpg

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks jolt, but I'm more bummed about the frags.  Probably 1/3 of the ones I got from you and Gig Em that week made it.  I should never have bought all those until the algae issue was resolved and parameters were stable.  I need one of those 20 gal frag tanks if I want to do nice stuff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...