OP
OP
Cincyreefer513
Active Member
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2020
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It's been a minute since I last posted on here. So far so good for the most part. 5 1/2 weeks running now.
I will have a separate post about the corals with TONS of photos I've been taking, but here is a quick update on them.
Every coral in the tank has shown growth now. Softies are doing very well. Toadstool has continued to grow, the ricordia has really taken off and all paly/zoa's have added 2-6 new polyps. Shortly after turning the light intensity down, the green paly began only half opening and finally closed up completely for several days. I took it out, dipped in revive and placed on sandbed. It hasn't opened 100%, but it's just about there.
The candy cane has added a couple new heads already. The hammer isn't getting any worse, but not really any better either. I still think it has a shot if it can come back from the intense lighting it went through. The other day I noticed a new branch on it's side so that's pretty cool.
Lastly the lepto is also showing growth and eats like a pig when I spot feed.
Now onto what I've been wanting to share for a while. The random other life in my tank both good and bad. Getting an already established tank helped me jump right in, however, it's also allowed for some not so pleasant creatures. Here are a few of the bad ones:
Asterina starfish. I found 2 early on climbing on the arch and took both out.
Apstasia. These things... One good sized one came with the tank. It sat on the old sand. I had no idea what it was so I put it back after replacing the sand. Yeah... I showed someone a photo and they told me to take it out which I did. I've found a couple on frag plugs from one store which I took off before they entered the aquarium, but I must have missed one because one appeared on the plug a few days later. Well, now I'm up to at least 6 that I know of. I'm trying to figure out the best way to get them before they really become a problem. Most are in pretty easy locations, but one pretty large one is ender the arch in a deep hole. I have no idea how that'll come out without taking the rock work apart.
Hydroid jellyfish. These just showed up this past week and are either on the glass or swimming around.
Bristle worms. Good or bad, a few tiny worms came with the tank. I've seen them swimming after lights out too.
The good ones:
Pods of all shapes and sizes. They have really taken off. The small white ones on the glass have exploded to easily over a thousand. They can really coat the glass.
The 2 larger types (tigger and amphipod ) are like cockroaches in the night. A few are large enough to carry a small child away. Seriously they are huge! I'd say there are several hundred of these.
Micro brittle starfish. It came on a plug. Haven't seen since dropping it in.
Sponges and other random filter feeders.
Spaghetti worm. After the very first night, red hair appeared in my new sand. I showed someone a photo and they said it's bad and get it out. So I reach in, grab it, and throw it in a bucket. It moved! I'm like, what is this? I thought the guy said it was cyno or something, but algae shouldn't move. I threw it in the garbage and continued to work on the tank. My wife was researching it and found out it's a good spaghetti worm and told me to find it. I dug through the trash and found it in a tiny puddle on some cardboard. It had been out for about 45 minutes. It looked like a nightcrawler with hair. I threw it in the tank and it eventually buried itself. It still lives in the corner keeping the sand clean. Occasionally I see it's hairs moving food like a conveyor belt. Odd, but cool creature.
A pair of tiny yellow and orange sea slugs. I believe they are Vayssierea felis. Rarely seen.
I've found a few other creatures, but no id yet. Saltwater tanks are definitely full of life!
Feather duster?
Hydroid
Spaghetti worm
Sponges
The first apstasia...
I have 4 of these on the glass. Supposedly some sort of filter feeder? They do change position.
I will have a separate post about the corals with TONS of photos I've been taking, but here is a quick update on them.
Every coral in the tank has shown growth now. Softies are doing very well. Toadstool has continued to grow, the ricordia has really taken off and all paly/zoa's have added 2-6 new polyps. Shortly after turning the light intensity down, the green paly began only half opening and finally closed up completely for several days. I took it out, dipped in revive and placed on sandbed. It hasn't opened 100%, but it's just about there.
The candy cane has added a couple new heads already. The hammer isn't getting any worse, but not really any better either. I still think it has a shot if it can come back from the intense lighting it went through. The other day I noticed a new branch on it's side so that's pretty cool.
Lastly the lepto is also showing growth and eats like a pig when I spot feed.
Now onto what I've been wanting to share for a while. The random other life in my tank both good and bad. Getting an already established tank helped me jump right in, however, it's also allowed for some not so pleasant creatures. Here are a few of the bad ones:
Asterina starfish. I found 2 early on climbing on the arch and took both out.
Apstasia. These things... One good sized one came with the tank. It sat on the old sand. I had no idea what it was so I put it back after replacing the sand. Yeah... I showed someone a photo and they told me to take it out which I did. I've found a couple on frag plugs from one store which I took off before they entered the aquarium, but I must have missed one because one appeared on the plug a few days later. Well, now I'm up to at least 6 that I know of. I'm trying to figure out the best way to get them before they really become a problem. Most are in pretty easy locations, but one pretty large one is ender the arch in a deep hole. I have no idea how that'll come out without taking the rock work apart.
Hydroid jellyfish. These just showed up this past week and are either on the glass or swimming around.
Bristle worms. Good or bad, a few tiny worms came with the tank. I've seen them swimming after lights out too.
The good ones:
Pods of all shapes and sizes. They have really taken off. The small white ones on the glass have exploded to easily over a thousand. They can really coat the glass.
The 2 larger types (tigger and amphipod ) are like cockroaches in the night. A few are large enough to carry a small child away. Seriously they are huge! I'd say there are several hundred of these.
Micro brittle starfish. It came on a plug. Haven't seen since dropping it in.
Sponges and other random filter feeders.
Spaghetti worm. After the very first night, red hair appeared in my new sand. I showed someone a photo and they said it's bad and get it out. So I reach in, grab it, and throw it in a bucket. It moved! I'm like, what is this? I thought the guy said it was cyno or something, but algae shouldn't move. I threw it in the garbage and continued to work on the tank. My wife was researching it and found out it's a good spaghetti worm and told me to find it. I dug through the trash and found it in a tiny puddle on some cardboard. It had been out for about 45 minutes. It looked like a nightcrawler with hair. I threw it in the tank and it eventually buried itself. It still lives in the corner keeping the sand clean. Occasionally I see it's hairs moving food like a conveyor belt. Odd, but cool creature.
A pair of tiny yellow and orange sea slugs. I believe they are Vayssierea felis. Rarely seen.
I've found a few other creatures, but no id yet. Saltwater tanks are definitely full of life!
Feather duster?
Hydroid
Spaghetti worm
Sponges
The first apstasia...
I have 4 of these on the glass. Supposedly some sort of filter feeder? They do change position.
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