NPS/Macro tank pictures
- Thread starter redmangrove
- Start date
Kolognekoral
New member
Nice shots! That fine sea fan in the 5th shot, behind the D. nodulifera, how is it doing for you? I have what looks to be the same species and almost lost it to cyanobacteria, but it has recovered in a strong current away from light. It is now about 4 months old. Can you relate anything about yours?
redmangrove
New member
Thanks for the comments. The red sea fan you are refering to is doing great. That is my favorite gorg in the tank and yes it requires lots of flow to keep it clear of cyano, hair algae, etc. I also take a sponge and wipe it down once a month. How often have you see it shed it's skin?
Most of the tissue on the tips that was missing from collection and transport has grown back. I love the tiny blue polyps that open when it is feeding. I spot feed mine with rotifers, dts, various plankton and cyclops. You can see the polpys in the picture I posted.
Glad to hear that you have one as well. I have never seen one in any anyone elses tank.
Most of the tissue on the tips that was missing from collection and transport has grown back. I love the tiny blue polyps that open when it is feeding. I spot feed mine with rotifers, dts, various plankton and cyclops. You can see the polpys in the picture I posted.
Glad to hear that you have one as well. I have never seen one in any anyone elses tank.
Kolognekoral
New member
Mine is fed phyto and frozen plankton, along with Ultra Clam, Ultra Sea Fan and Timo 3 (mainly phyto). Mine has more or less white polyps (I think), as they are very pale. Maybe a different species of the same genus or simply a different colour morph. The general structure is the same, however. When I fist placed it I had it in less current and more light, which almost did it in! Every day I had to clean it from cyano. Quite a bit of the tip tissue was killed off in but a couple of days. After placing it in shadow with a stronger current it started to really open up and feed, thus did a bit of a recoverey. As it is still alive and appears to be growing I am calling it a personal success. As of yet, I've not noticed a real skin shedding.
I have a refugium feeding into the reef, I suspect it gets other fine foods from there as well.
I have a refugium feeding into the reef, I suspect it gets other fine foods from there as well.
Whalehead9
New member
I see the clam in there what kind is it? What kind of lighting are you using?
redmangrove
New member
6" Crocea, 2" maxima
4 X 54 watt t5
Front
catalina 420nm actinic
18k Power Glo
6700k Life Glo
18k Power Glo
redmangrove
New member
Yes those are a secondary organism. These type of encrusting polyps are common on sponges. The following sponge is not mine but a good example.
redmangrove
New member
I think our sea fans are the same genus and species. Mine has a very faint blue color to the polyps but that could be due to lighting or my perception.
Flow seems to be key to this species. I have my sea fan attached to a large piece of live rock so even very heavy flow will not move it. I recently positioned the sea fan 8" from a koralia 4 with a flow concentrator on it and about 6" from my 1200gph return pump. Both pumps are flowing at 90 degree angles to each other.
I was worried at first that the amount of flow would strip the skeleton of tissue but since I changed the flow the sea fan has polyps been open 99% of the time day and night.
Because of the very rigid nature of the skeleton, I believe this species may live in areas of the reef with natural features to enhance flow such as canyon walls, tidal outlets, etc.
Flow seems to be key to this species. I have my sea fan attached to a large piece of live rock so even very heavy flow will not move it. I recently positioned the sea fan 8" from a koralia 4 with a flow concentrator on it and about 6" from my 1200gph return pump. Both pumps are flowing at 90 degree angles to each other.
I was worried at first that the amount of flow would strip the skeleton of tissue but since I changed the flow the sea fan has polyps been open 99% of the time day and night.
Because of the very rigid nature of the skeleton, I believe this species may live in areas of the reef with natural features to enhance flow such as canyon walls, tidal outlets, etc.
WoRM_Jerry
New member
awesom pics
sammy33
Member
redmangrove - many thank for sharing your aquarium. That is a great looking reef. :thumbsup:
I saw you have Pipefish and Seahorses. These animals are usually associated with lower flow aquariums. Most flow suggestions for NPS tanks target flow levels equal and preferably above what most high energy (SPS) aquariums are using.
What level of flow are you using? How do the Pipefish and Seahorses fair against the presumably higher flow?
I saw you have Pipefish and Seahorses. These animals are usually associated with lower flow aquariums. Most flow suggestions for NPS tanks target flow levels equal and preferably above what most high energy (SPS) aquariums are using.
What level of flow are you using? How do the Pipefish and Seahorses fair against the presumably higher flow?
redmangrove
New member
Good question. I try to concentrate the high flow to one side of the tank. Most of the NPS corals are on the side of the tank with the flow now. On one side I have one Koralia 4, an 800gph powerhead and a 1200gph sump return pump nozzle. The NPS coral that I have that requires the most flow in my opinion is my 10-12" red sea fan. I have the sea fan attached to live rock about 6-8" from the Koralia and sump return nozzle.
The suprising thing with the sea horses was that after adding the Koralia 4 they tend to hang out around it and even hitch to the front of it. Keep in mind I have only tank raised h. erectus seahorses which are extremely hardy, some being a couple years old. I would not recommend this type of tank with all seahorse species. The abundance of PS gorgonians and macros tend to help to keep the flow down on the other side of the tank by absorbing energy.
Flow issues and maintaing a balance between the macros, gorgonians and nps are probably the most challenging aspects of the tank.
The suprising thing with the sea horses was that after adding the Koralia 4 they tend to hang out around it and even hitch to the front of it. Keep in mind I have only tank raised h. erectus seahorses which are extremely hardy, some being a couple years old. I would not recommend this type of tank with all seahorse species. The abundance of PS gorgonians and macros tend to help to keep the flow down on the other side of the tank by absorbing energy.
Flow issues and maintaing a balance between the macros, gorgonians and nps are probably the most challenging aspects of the tank.
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