Nebthet's 56g Reef

[Nebthet]

Ever wonder why people would want an urchin?

Here is the answer;


And after he was done that spot. All nice and clean:


Once the other powerhead is done, it is on to this one next. Oh and you can just make out my BTA in the back right corner there. Happily sitting in his favourite spot away from the T5 lighting.


Feather Caulerpa growing nicely in the sectioned off back left area of the tank.


Couple close ups of one of my SPS I am thinking may be a tortusa.






Acro SP.


This Acro is starting to encrust back over itsself.




Zoa Garden again


Octo Frogspawn doing very well now. It likes the spot it is in.





Pods have significantly increased and there is no where I look where there aren't any. If things continue that way, I may consider a red mandarin goby.

The damsel is still being submissive to the other fish and has began to pick at the algae growing rather than eating the fish flakes. He remains to be fat and happy. He has a new territory around the skimmer intake and outtake (which the later I need to develop some s piping to reduce microbubble issues).

The baby Onyx are doing very well. It is a pain in the derier though to keep cleaning the breeding net. I am going to get one of those plastic critter keepers and drill small holes in it. I think with a little cleaning magnet it will help and the clowns will be big enough then not to slip through.

Of new hitchhikers I have with this tank there are 8 brittle stars, spaghetti worms. I have also been following along with the baby tubo snails I have had. There are still 2 of them in there and they have continued to grow steadily.

The sun coral has a bunch of new mouths growing on it. One of them is orange which was an awsome suprise. I would like to get a black sun coral eventually.

My Metallic Green BTA is happy in his spot on the top right corner. It doesn't seem to mind the water changes, when the water level goes down and then back up. So as long as it is happy, so am I.

Future plans for the tank:
- Red Mushrooms - only 1-2 to start they can do their thing on their own.
- Torch Coral frag
- Hammer coral frag
- SPS frags, for which I will hold out for an Oregon Tort.
- Black sun coral
- Firefish Goby
- Mandarin Goby (big maybe)

[Myka]

Looking good! Gorgeous Percula! Have you been monitoring ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate during the move?

[Nebthet]

Yes I have definately been monitoring all of that since the move, especially since I expected a soft cycle with the new live sand.

As of June 2nd, my perameters were the following:

Salinity: 1.025
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
Calcium: 380 (touch low for acropora, but didn't want to start adding extras in yet.)
Alkalinity: 4.5 meq/l
PH: 8.3

I am checking my perameters about once per week the day before doing a water change.

When I first did the change over there was a small cycle where the nitrates got between 5-10 but that was expected.

[Nebthet]

Here are some more pic updates from today.

The red mushies are nice and happy now. They finally attached themselves to a rock.


The acro is doing great.


This big hermit likes bugging my candycanes.


Blasto is finally developing babies.


My MGBTA has finally (i hope) selected a permanent home.


Here is a sequence of pix showing me feeding my MGBTA silversides.NOM NOM NOM NOM....





And finally I got the set of blue LEDs in the mail today that I won on ebay. They make perfect moonlights and only cost me $35 Canadian, shipping included. They are made up of 4 connections of 3-led beam bulbs each and are waterproof.

The Metallic Green BTA


Frogspawn and Duncans


The front tank shot. In person the leds do not look that bright, but the camera setting I use lets more light in. I had a closer up shot of the red mushies under the Leds, but it was too blurry, but the red really pops out under these too!!

[Nebthet]

Got some new inhabitants today.

First thing is the juvi picasso. They are grade B (right now), but have yet to develop their tail bar. My guy is just beginning his.
I can't believe the difference in colour between the picasso and my Onyx. My Onyx are much more red by far.
As for the baby Onyx. There is also a pic here of the larger one showing the mid-stripe from the bottom.


Branching hammer frags behind the frogspawn.


Octocoral frogspawn colony. This guy is really nice looking with the green tips.


Dendro frag. The size of this guys heads put those of my sun coral to shame, but super awsome colour.


The red mushies are getting larger and larger by day. I put the 3rd one over with the other two when I made room for the new LPS.


Coco worm. He is in there, but just not used to having fish swimming around him as of yet. I hope he will come out and stay out after a couple of days.

[Nebthet]

I have some new pics now to add.


This acro is continuing to encrust over the dead portions. I don't know what type it is, but when the actinics or moonlights are on the polyps glow green.


This acro, which I am thinking is a tri-color valida or Cali Tort (other side has green flourescents). It is slowly deepening its' purple colouring.


Right tank shot from today. My BTA is happy, Octo frog extended out again and on the mend. The hammer and branching frogspawn are happy, and the red mushies are doing well. I also moved a set of candy canes over to this side of the tank as there is a little less flow there.


Here is my larger baby clownfish Omen. As you can see his mid-bar is coming in nicely and is surrounded by black. It appears even on both sides and I am hoping it doesn't misbar. Also, the black around the head-bar is thicker.


My smaller baby clown, Runt is slowly developing his mid-bar. As you can see now, it is larger than a pin head and developing on both sides.


Here are all 4 of my clowns so you can see the size difference. Omen is now at the size where I could release him into the main tank if I wanted to, but I'm not..... yet. I am arranging to set up a 25g reef flats tank and will be putting the Picasso and Runt in there.


Finally, my FTS for today.

[Nebthet]

Well now that I have a new computer I am slowly getting things reconfigured but at least I can start to add pics again. Here are a couple and in a few days after I do a water change and clean out the baby onyx's pen I will add more pics.

Happy hungry BTA


Frogspawn with flash under blue leds


Blue/Purple mushroom with 2 babies


Here are some comparison shots.


Duncans way back when I first got them in January 2009 with only 4 heads.



Duncans now with 24heads


Back in May



Purple acropora: Now extremely purple