34G SPS Solana

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Nah...kidding, I have more. But they really didn't turn out great. Most were way out of focus. Just when I thought I was getting the hang of this camera, I screw up some nice shots!



Anemone Diving!



Wish this one was in proper focus






And a dead Emerald crab This was before lights on. Was checking things out and he was laying on his back, dead. A few hours earlier he was eating hair algae Don't know why a crab would just die like this...

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

So...Tony...I posted these pictures tonight for you and I am assuming you went to sleep already

I do have a question for you though whenever you do check them out.

If you go back to the FTS at the beginning you will notice the anemone is a very bright green but also smaller. In these pictures, it is not nearly as bright but the anemone is also much bigger (expanded) and has its tentacles extended much longer. The pics are a little dull but probably close to the true color.

It makes sense that as the anemone expands and extends out its tentacles, it gets a little less vibrant. But do they tend to get more and more dull as they actually grow? I have seen large green ones that are more of an olive green and not the bright green you see in my first pictures. Have you (being an anemone fanatic) ever seen large gigantea carpets (let's say 10" plus) that are bright green still?

I am just curious about what to expect.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by GreenSpottedPuffer

Well yeah...I can't compare this to the last skimmer I used!

That was a $1000 skimmer and this is a $200 skimmer. Not going to compare but I think this will do for what I need. I only have 4 small fish.

Turns out the shipping on that Sapphire is ridiculous and makes it not really worth the price. I didn't quite go through with the order so I might just be back to the Tunze. LOL. At this point I think I will just stick with what I can get locally! I will see if I can negotiate a better shipping price though since I know it can't cost that much to ship across Canada.

Other than the Euro Reef, I have a feeling they are all going to preform about the same. I can't find the nano Euro Reef in Canada though and I am not interested in shipping from the States.

Thats to bad. I was looking forward to your reviews on the Sapphire. I had the same problem finding a Solana. To much to ship one and they dont ship good. You figure to much shipping costs also, to bring the Euroreef across? {besides it sticking out on you}.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by Doug

Thats to bad. I was looking forward to your reviews on the Sapphire. I had the same problem finding a Solana. To much to ship one and they dont ship good. You figure to much shipping costs also, to bring the Euroreef across? {besides it sticking out on you}.

Yeah kind of too bad about the Sapphire but I am also not sure I wanted to give it a shot anyways. I would prefer to go with something I know is going to work well and I have spoken to enough people now who like the Tunze. Especially if you have an ATO. I think it will work just fine for my lightly stocked tank.

The EuroReef was actually cheaper to ship here from the US than the Sapphire would be across Canada! Todd from Global got a quote at $29. Said it could be a bit more in the end but wouldn't charge more than $32 with insurance.

The shipping for the EuroReef was good but its just the size for me. I am convinced though that its the best nano skimmer out there...but that's just based on reading and reviews

[Delphinus]

Thanks for the pics! They look awesome. Yeah, sorry, I went to bed. I'm an hour ahead and not a morning person at the best of times and I've been staying up too late and dragging my butt into work far too late lately so at the early tender hour of midnight last night I actually hit the hay. My strategy backfired BTW, I still had trouble getting up and I still got into work late. AND I forgot my laptop at home, so yeah, I'm totally on fire today! Whoowee! My horoscope said to expect good things today.

Anyhow, they look good, they look really good. Thanks for the pics.

I think for the most part, colour is dependent on lighting and they do sorta change in intensity over time sometimes but it's a give and take sort of thing. My green guy is probably around 12" in diameter and it's still fairly bright green, he was tiny when I got him maybe 4"-5". So anyhow no real reason to expect that it will dullen up over time.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Thanks for the pics! They look awesome. Yeah, sorry, I went to bed. I'm an hour ahead and not a morning person at the best of times and I've been staying up too late and dragging my butt into work far too late lately so at the early tender hour of midnight last night I actually hit the hay. My strategy backfired BTW, I still had trouble getting up and I still got into work late. AND I forgot my laptop at home, so yeah, I'm totally on fire today! Whoowee! My horoscope said to expect good things today.

Anyhow, they look good, they look really good. Thanks for the pics.

I think for the most part, colour is dependent on lighting and they do sorta change in intensity over time sometimes but it's a give and take sort of thing. My green guy is probably around 12" in diameter and it's still fairly bright green, he was tiny when I got him maybe 4"-5". So anyhow no real reason to expect that it will dullen up over time.

Do you think that the 250 is enough with it being on the bottom? I notice it tends to 'reach' up sometimes, kind of extending towards the light maybe? Starts to look like a toadstool coral when that happens. It really stretches its foot a long way. When it does this, its tentacles are the longest and also most extended they ever get.

Really too bad but I think I am going to have to redo the rockwork to keep the nem happy. And soon. I have noticed its already starting to get shaded a bit by some overhanging rocks and corals

I bet it would be happier if I gave it more room and light.

But I will wait to get a skimmer running on the tank for a few weeks I think before I start to move/remove some LR.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Got the Tunze 9002 a few days ago and after modding it to fit in the back, modding the tank to get it to fit and building a riser stand for it, its in the tank and working...well!

I am pretty impressed with how well this thing is preforming already. Nothing like some of the big skimmers I have used over the years but I didn't have high expectations. It has exceeded my expectations for sure.

Also glad I added it because the amount of crap it pulled out in the first night was kind of scary. Never going skimmerless again!

[Delphinus]

How's the carpet doing now? Still reaching up?

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

How's the carpet doing now? Still reaching up?

Missed this...a few weeks ago now.

The anemone is driving me crazy. I think its just a really bad idea for the size tank. Unless I get rid of everything else and only keep the nem lol.

I removed about half the LR from the tank (only about 10 lbs. now) and also removed many corals but I still don't think there is enough room. I moved the anemone off the glass and put it down on the bottom. It has stayed there overnight but who knows...the thing loves to move.

I am on my blackberry now but when I get home, I will take some pictures of the tank as it is now.

[noirsphynx]

Originally Posted by GreenSpottedPuffer

The anemone is driving me crazy. I think its just a really bad idea for the size tank. Unless I get rid of everything else and only keep the nem lol.

I've actually thought about finding a Solana and having it for just a blue carpet & a pair of black percs. I think it'd be neat.