3 & 5 Gallon Reef Tanks

[dgphelps]

When my son found a hitchhiker crab we got a second tank and made the 3 gallon a pest tank and the 5 gallon my tank.

I'm doing 100% water changes every 1-2 weeks and feeding regularly alternating between dosing phyto and Reef Energy A&B every other day. Once a week I am flurry feeding and target feeding various corals and livestock with a DIY food mix.

The tanks have been going strong for the past month (though the 3 gallon and most of the liverock was initially setup 2 months ago).

3 Gallon

5 Gallon

Majano anemone in pest tank

Tunicate

 

[dgphelps]

Couple of updated tank shots and some of the newer additions. Things are going well but we lost the urchin. He was looking and eating great and just dropped all spines overnight. I moved him to a quarantine tank but it didn't help.

I was worried I ended up with too many frags from the swap, but things are really doing great in both tanks besides the urchin. I think it had something to do with the pump flow being reduced, the intake was clogged with detritus and chaeto. Everything else is doing well though so not sure the crab and bobbit worm are happily target feeding regularly and the majano is voracious but won't split.

5 gallon FTS:

3 gallon FTS:

Paly colony frag from the swap:

Sea foam favia frag from yourreef: (this thing has CRAZY long sweeper tentacles at night)

DC Green Slimer frag from swap: (the tip was bare but it has quickly grown in and I am noticing growth on the base - polyp extension is nice)

Goniopora frag from Caesar's:

I'm still looking for micro brittle star, asternia stars, stomatella snails, any majano, or other pod/worm/pest like things if you have some to spare! Please keep me in mind before eliminating them!

 

[CrippledStoner]

I got some asternia stars and some aptisha if u want some prob can round up some bristle worms too. Pm me for contact info

 

[swk]

I've got tons of stomatella and micro brittles. You want some lakers Zoas still? I'll load you up when you pick up

 

[frost0fractal]

What camera/settings do you use? Those are some really clean photos.

 

[dgphelps]

Busy week! Just now circling back here.

I'm going to stay away from aptasia in the pest tank - one pest anemone is probably enough! I did manage to find some green with pink tip majanos to add from someone in SF. I picked them up on the way home from work today and they have already attached to the rock. The reefer I got them from also through in a small frag of pink lemonade acro - given the success so far of the frag of green slime I got at the swap I'm hopeful it grows well too.

Sean, I think I'll take you up on a few LA Lakers, the tanks have proven they can host them well - the pest nudis were all removed, and the other zoanthid frags I do have are all putting out new polyps. I'll PM you.

Ben, I'm using an Olympus Pen micro 3/4 camera with 60mm macro lens. I set the custom white balance to about 6600k, and brought the highlights down due to some blow out areas on the rock. The lens can get 1:1 magnification which is nice.

I will take some pictures of the new anemones and coral this weekend.

 

[dgphelps]

Lots of new tank shots. I picked up several majano anemone from a reefer in SF after work last week. I really like those things.

3 Gallon:

New majano anemone:

Tiny pink lemonade acro frag:

Yellow sponge colony:

Green slimer frag from meet:

Close up of majanos:

 

[woodnaquanut]

Very nice pics. Even 'pests' look great with great macro!

Have you ever tried stacking for increase DOF?

 

[dgphelps]

Yes, it's a pain! I have a lens that can do 2/1 magnification but hardly use it for that reason. If I take photos during the day with ambient light higher (the tanks are under a skylight) and the lights on I can increase the aperture and get better DOF but I took most of these in the evening which sets me down to about 2.8.

I know some people who have more elaborate setups that suit themselves for stacking but they were pretty pricey and outside my budget.

Also, I imagine stacking would be even tougher with subjects under water - they move fluidly. Maybe if I turned off the pumps?

 

[woodnaquanut]

Also, I imagine stacking would be even tougher with subjects under water - they move fluidly. Maybe if I turned off the pumps?

Yep, first rule is turn off pumps. You took those with the pumps on? Amazing!

Of course if your subject closes up with the flow off that could be a problem.

Stacking can be done in SW. I've never done it so 'book learnin' only! One necessary requirement is a good tripod. I'm a looooong way from a good tripod.

Manual focus shift and several pics.

 

[dgphelps]

Bad news in the pest tank tonight. Went to do my lights out check after putting the boys to bed and found the crab belly up on the sand. Everything else looks great and except for the eyes, nothing was eaten. Either the bobbit worm got it, it died of natural causes (how long do hitchhiker crabs live!), or something's up. Just did a water change on Sunday, the temp and salinity are all fine, nothing obvious out of whack...

Have to tell my son tomorrow, after the urchin not sure he's going to take it well. He really liked this crab.

 

[woodnaquanut]

Bummer about the crab. Are you sure it's not a molt?

Years ago I had an octopus. Fed it live rock crabs. It sure made quick work of finding, grabbing, killing and eating fresh crab!

 

[Reef Bass]

molt +1.

In my life I've had 3 octopi. One even laid eggs. They are incredibly awesome, though I don't recommend them for home aquaria.

 

[dgphelps]

I wish - it was later but I am rather certain I wasn't dealing with an empty husk. I saw flesh inside the shell and it was completely limp and unresponsive.

My wife thinks I should try to replace it and I think I saw one similar at petsmart.

I'll ask her to check the tank once more but I'm confident it wasn't just a molt. I know what those are like.

 

[dgphelps]

Ha! +100% for the molt. It was so intact that I was certain but then there she is chilling happily in the tank this evening. I was all set to deliver the bad news but instead I got to teach him about molting. Whew!

 

[Reef Bass]

Yay! Good news.

I admit I get temporarily concerned every time I find a Daum lobster exoskeleton in my tank. But so far every time it has been a molt and the dude is looking great and slightly larger. He is a handsome beast with lots of texture and sweet coloration. There is a large irony in him for me, as I want to take a bajillion macros of his awesomeness but he is heavily nocturnal and makes himself scare when it's not dark.

 

[woodnaquanut]

Good to hear. I, like reefbass, react every time I see a shrimp molt. They go into hiding for a day or so after because the exoskeleton takes some time to harden.

If you can dry each molt and mount them the kids will be able to see the growth rate. Nothing like a little collateral science learning!