You can't have everything. Where would you put it?

[A Young Reefer]

Well they’ve both grown significantly and look fat and healthy mostly. The tank is roughly figure 8 shaped but for some reason the bigger one just swims circles in one end and gets some atrophy therefor. It also has a slightly damaged dorsal fin.

Figure it would fit my tank?

 

[i cant think]

So today I got a free behind the scenes tour of the Georgia Aquarium! It was so much better than I remembered and of course I got to see some of the special sides of it. You do not get a good feeling for the true scale of the whale sharks and manta rays through the acrylic. They are so so much bigger looking from above.

That monti ‘cap’ is gorgeous, wish I could grow a piece to that size

 

[i cant think]

Can you guess who is the cleaner and who is the imposter?

If I remember correctly there are several fish that mimic the Cleaner Wrasses.
The Curious Wormfish is one that mimics cleaners. And Aspidontus species also mimic species of wrasses.
The main differences to show the true Cleaner are;
The tail and the body, if the tail has a continuous caudal that doesn’t dip in where the body is it’s going to be a true Cleaner.
And also if the body isn’t too long it’s likely to be a true cleaner.
The hardest difference to spot is the teeth, fangs are a false cleaner but if you can’t spot them they’re a true cleaner.

But the easiest way to get a true cleaner is;
Wait till Hawaii opens up, those cleaner wrasses don’t have a mimicking species. The dimidatus and biclour however do have mimicking species.
Other species without a mimic are Rubrolabiatus and Pectoralis.

 

[Slocke]

I did tests 3 times over the last week. Note that there was a water change on 5/28
Alk. Phosphate Nitrate
5/27 - 8.0 0.51 9.9
5/31 - 7.6 0.30 12.1
6/01 - 8.2 0.47 15.0

Unsurprisingly now that the cyano is gone my nutrients are going up. What is disappointing is I am using GFO and it seems to not be working. I am upping my refugium light and dosing more AFR. Hopefully that will work.

I am going to San Fran for a week tomorrow though.

 

[Slocke]

Night photos!
I have at least one bristle worm and your favorite was still up @i cant think

 

[i cant think]

Night photos!
I have at least one bristle worm and your favorite was still up @i cant think

Look at him!!
I need more photos of my male, his fins have become green. This photo of my first male shows some green but it’s nothing like a breeding male. Imagine an emerald green on the dorsal anal and caudal fins.

Also, can we talk about that evil little grin from your Blenny?

 

[steveschuerger]

Look at him!!
I need more photos of my male, his fins have become green. This photo of my first male shows some green but it’s nothing like a breeding male. Imagine an emerald green on the dorsal anal and caudal fins.

Also, can we talk about that evil little grin from your Blenny?

Looks more mischievous to me

 

[Slocke]

Look at him!!
I need more photos of my male, his fins have become green. This photo of my first male shows some green but it’s nothing like a breeding male. Imagine an emerald green on the dorsal anal and caudal fins.

Also, can we talk about that evil little grin from your Blenny?

He loves that rock. I had torch on it that was getting too much light. I had to trick the blenny into leaving so I could grab the rock to cut off the torch. Otherwise it would have left the tank with the rock.

 

[Slocke]

TLDR summary:

• I cant sleep
• New mystery fish
• Want
  
  • Wave-makers
  • lens
  • battery
  • dosing pumps
  • maybe uv?

Well I dont want to be awake but insomnia is a PITA.

I'm back from san fran and my schedule is finally starting to clear up. I have one small trip planned in a couple weeks but thats it. Some may have gathered that I'm getting gifted a few fish. All 3 are a risk but I am very excited for both (both since two are the same species). They are very different fish and will be going into different tanks.

My focus now is on equipment (or it should be if I can resist the LFS). One of my Aqumai wave-makers keeps getting stuck and I think I need a better replacement. I've been using powerheads but they cause my corals to just be stuck in one direction so I think I need wave-makers. My Jebaos have been working reliably so probably that. Maybe a more powerful one in the eel and move the current eel one down low to the reef.

Other equipment needs is a macro lens for the camera, better battery back-up, and dosing pump.
Also any thoughts on this?

 

[dodojojo]

I was very disappointed with their lack of wrasse though! I told them that they definitely should add some coris wrasse to the big ocean voyager! Too many ugly fish in the ocean voyager, batfish, trevally, .... big silvery fish thingies.

Be careful what you wish for. There are always secrets in the works for fun surprises later.

 

[Slocke]

Be careful what you wish for. There are always secrets in the works for fun surprises later.

Hey Jo, I’m happy to be a wrasse consultant if they need Though @i cant think here is the real pro.

 

[Slocke]

No suggestions Aaron?
It's 6,300,000 gallon FOWLR with various sharks, rays, groupers, batfish, and a few angels and a couple hogfish.

I'm thinking:
Labroides dimidatus - Like 20 of biotas
Cheilinus undulatus - Of course only if they are prepared to breed them. It would help with the conservation side of things. They badly need help.
Cheilinus trilobatus
Coris aygula
Coris formosa
Those last 3 just to add some badly needed color

 

[i cant think]

No suggestions Aaron?
It's 6,300,000 gallon FOWLR with various sharks, rays, groupers, batfish, and a few angels and a couple hogfish.

I'm thinking:
Labroides dimidatus - Like 20 of biotas
Cheilinus undulatus - Of course only if they are prepared to breed them. It would help with the conservation side of things. They badly need help.
Cheilinus trilobatus
Coris aygula
Coris formosa
Those last 3 just to add some badly needed color

Don’t forget a group of 300 mixed fairy/flasher wrasses (Maybe groups of 20 specimens of 15 species). Plus huge groups of Iridis and Cosmetus!!

You know, maybe there is such thing as too many options…

 

[Slocke]

Don’t forget a group of 300 mixed fairy/flasher wrasses (Maybe groups of 20 specimens of 15 species). Plus huge groups of Iridis and Cosmetus!!

You know, maybe there is such thing as too many options…

You know the only wrasse they have in their massive coral tank is bird wrasse and hortulanus. So many pretty halichoeres and they chose hortulanus!

 

[Slocke]

So theres been a major change with some big winners and losers.
My toadstool has been burned and grown on by my pandoras and to make things worse the pandora has been sending out polyps that have been latching to rocks in other areas of my tank.

You can see some rogue polyps directly below the fire shrimp.

So some surgery and relocation was due.

Toadstool has been cut off at the base and rubber banded to a new rock from my sump.

Then the pandoras got a new tank almost all to themselves.

And my butterfly sure seems happy to see them!

 

[Petcrazyson]

Hey Jo, I’m happy to be a wrasse consultant if they need Though @i cant think here is the real pro.

 

[Slocke]

You weren't around. I'm sure the GA will be equally unswayed by your wrasse list but I would enjoy it haha!

 

[Petcrazyson]

You weren't around. I'm sure the GA will be equally unswayed by your wrasse list but I would enjoy it haha!

Fun fact I was writing the list until I saw Aaron’s…..lol

My list is pretty much like @i cant think ’s but just add 20 wrasse that are actually pretty

 

[Slocke]

Photos!
First a few fish:

 

[Slocke]

Now the exciting part! I've never been good at coral photos but.......