OK! Enough chat...Starting a 1000g+ Reef
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jnarowe
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Crazy isn't it?
So I did some after dark reef studying tonight and have some observations.
1. The "color" cucumber is totally cool. I can watch it for hours poking its "arms" into its mouth...It is a strange sort of ballet. And it has not moved from that original perch I photo'd the day I brought it in.
2. I found some of the Project DIBS Turbo sp. and they have grown quite a bit. They came in as mere specs and are now easily larger than a dime. They also have a strange (to me) coloring with some pastel greens.
3. The wormlike things I reported about a month ago are alive and well. They only come out at night and extend 5 - 6 inches from the rock and pull stuff back to them. They are much thicker than the spaghetti worms I have seen before though.
I had been wondering for a couple of weeks why one edge of a small GSP mat doesnt attach and tonight I found out why. One of these worms reaches out and tugs on the GSP mat and folds it over. I watched it do this repeatedly but I am not sure if it is after the polyps, or the very minute alga I see between the polyps.
The reactor is doing fine. I still need to dial down the pH a bit as it only got to 6.58 today after startup and right now it is hovering at 6.67. It's tough getting that right.
So I did some after dark reef studying tonight and have some observations.
1. The "color" cucumber is totally cool. I can watch it for hours poking its "arms" into its mouth...It is a strange sort of ballet. And it has not moved from that original perch I photo'd the day I brought it in.
2. I found some of the Project DIBS Turbo sp. and they have grown quite a bit. They came in as mere specs and are now easily larger than a dime. They also have a strange (to me) coloring with some pastel greens.
3. The wormlike things I reported about a month ago are alive and well. They only come out at night and extend 5 - 6 inches from the rock and pull stuff back to them. They are much thicker than the spaghetti worms I have seen before though.
I had been wondering for a couple of weeks why one edge of a small GSP mat doesnt attach and tonight I found out why. One of these worms reaches out and tugs on the GSP mat and folds it over. I watched it do this repeatedly but I am not sure if it is after the polyps, or the very minute alga I see between the polyps.
The reactor is doing fine. I still need to dial down the pH a bit as it only got to 6.58 today after startup and right now it is hovering at 6.67. It's tough getting that right.
rdmpe
New member
The cukes are great critters huh? People who aren't familiar with them usually have a pretty interesting reaction to them! I have three good sized ones in my 180 display and another one in the fuge (both dsb). Here's a picture of "Mr. Hankey" reaching out for sand which is being transported back behind some rocks!
Here's my attempt to shoot saltwater out the familyroom window
:eek1:
BrianPlankis
Premium Member
Thats great they are growing so well, dime size is when they start reproducing in my tank
You should start to see egg masses or a multitude of babies very soon.Those wormlike things might be peanut worms. Do they stay in one spot? Does it look like they are folding in on themselves when they retract?
Brian
jnarowe
New member
rdmpe: Nice pics! my cukes are colored. One is redish pink and white combo and the other is yellow. They don't seem to be interested in the sand. Both are perched in high flow areas and are filtering water.
Brian: They do stay in one spot but do not appear to fold. They just retract. ANd they do not appear to be all sticky like spaghetti worms but actually grab with the tip.
Brian: They do stay in one spot but do not appear to fold. They just retract. ANd they do not appear to be all sticky like spaghetti worms but actually grab with the tip.
jnarowe
New member
And BTW rdmpe, that little splash on the wall doesn't count. I mean it didn't even make it to the floor. If I had a tank room cam you would all be shooting milk out your noses on my last one.
Picture me standing in front of the reactor trying to close a misaligned union while water sprays me in the face, chest, and pants. It was really srapying hard. :lol:
Picture me standing in front of the reactor trying to close a misaligned union while water sprays me in the face, chest, and pants. It was really srapying hard. :lol:
jnarowe
New member
Believe me, I cannot believe it myself. I think my wife may be getting stressed about it but she hasn't said a word so far.
Now my display pH is down to 7.98 which is below what I think it shoudl be...more dialing in on the reactor. In fact I have been thinking about only running the CO2 during the last half of the light period. Anyone ahve any experience with this to share?
Now my display pH is down to 7.98 which is below what I think it shoudl be...more dialing in on the reactor. In fact I have been thinking about only running the CO2 during the last half of the light period. Anyone ahve any experience with this to share?
jnarowe
New member
Very nice Brad. That top one looks really good. Yours look even better than mine. Any indication of the true color?
They really didn't look good when we got them but I am definitely hopeful now. I only pulled off one small frag and it is doing well too. I have been debating about pulling off more frags, but it just may not be neccessary.
They really didn't look good when we got them but I am definitely hopeful now. I only pulled off one small frag and it is doing well too. I have been debating about pulling off more frags, but it just may not be neccessary.
jnarowe
New member
So I have been feeding the elegance by hand and witnessed it consume some fresh shrimp today. I am seeing better PE and it does look healthier already. I'll keep it up and see how it goes. Last night I tried to feed it after lights out but I am not sure it actually ate because it had withdrawn quite a bit into the skeleton. Good advice Brian!
BrianPlankis
Premium Member
Just trying to help
Keep after feeding it, make it a pig! Try to get some vitamins in it as well. The lady on MD had less than 1/4 of her coral left to try to help it recover, maybe since you have more of the original coral left you'll have a better shot of saving it.Brian
jnarowe
New member
I hope so. It seems to withdraw at night and I am not sure if this is normal behavior. I'll have to look it up, but I am unable to feed it after lights out. It exposes much of its skeleton at night.
Side note: my reactor is doing quite well. I am now able to maintain pH at 6.2, but I have to turn it off at night. I will check into the Neptune forum to see if I can't get a good code to automatically limit the CO2 to the "daylight" period.
I will test the effluent and tank today and see where I am at.
Side note: my reactor is doing quite well. I am now able to maintain pH at 6.2, but I have to turn it off at night. I will check into the Neptune forum to see if I can't get a good code to automatically limit the CO2 to the "daylight" period.
I will test the effluent and tank today and see where I am at.
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