New reef in the works, 225g

[Farrmanchu]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Looks good so far. Should look really nice once the coraline starts to take hold on the rocks.

Why put the calcium reactor on a controller though? I'd just have the thing run all the time. Otherwise you'd also have to have a CO2 controller on the reactor (I'm guessing you probably already have this) but what's going to happen is that it will just be constantly cycling on and off whereas usually it's pretty easy to dial it into a steady-state operation. I don't mean to dissuade you out of buying toys if you really want to buy them but I'm just thinking that this is one you don't really *really* need if you know what I mean?



Truth be told, you won't find clams in the sand out on the real reef, at least not maximas or croceas. People like to put them on the sand for a variety of reasons, some of it is aesthetic, some of it is that they can't "fall off" the sand, etc. But in the real reef, these guys live on (or more accurately, "in") the rock of the reef. They actually can burrow into the rock and all you see of them is their mantle (looks a little like a nudibranch until they see a shadow and zip in).

They'll attach to the bottom, I wonder if they can bore into starboard at all. Even ones that sit in the sand usually are holding on to some kind of rock or shell, to protect the opening.

[littlesilvermax]

Mine did not really bore into the starboard, but they definitely attahced quite strongly to it.

[golfbomber]

how do you keep the panels on the stand with rare earth magnets? could you explain more, thx

[Dave C]

I used a Forstner bit to countersink a hole in the MDF board. Then I put a bit of wood glue in the hole and dropped a magnet in the hole. The stand structure is steel so the boards stick to the steel very easily. The Forstner bit & magnets are available at Lee Valley.

[Delphinus]

I don't know why this would be but it seems to me that they don't bore into rock in our tanks, just attach. But in the wild they are most definitely enveloped in the rock. I should try to dig up some pictures I have of them on the GBR when I was there a few years back. It's pretty bizarre looking just seeing the mantles out on the reef, no clam shells visible at all.

Originally Posted by Farrmanchu

They'll attach to the bottom, I wonder if they can bore into starboard at all. Even ones that sit in the sand usually are holding on to some kind of rock or shell, to protect the opening.

[untamed]

I think that the rocks actually "grow" around them.

Here's a shot taken in Bora Bora two years ago.

[Delphinus]

Cool shot. Wow Bora-Bora, I'd love to get there some day. Been a dream destination for most of my adult life.