Our Tbs

[latemodel99]

Brian
Good eye that is a top fathom skimmer. It works ok just very tempermental. Planning to get a better one when i get a new tank this summer

 

[bobt2]

talking about what eats what, i see my big pistol chasing the small porcleans, i wonder if they eat them?

 

[patsan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7073847#post7073847 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bobt2
talking about what eats what, i see my big pistol chasing the small porcleans, i wonder if they eat them?

I bet it could Bob. I don't think mine does. I have lots of porcelains still.
I have also watched the pistol in his cave and seen the angel fish right in there with him, and he doesn't bother it.
I've seen the pistol nip at Benny, when he gets too close, but I have no way of knowing for sure just what creatures it eats and doesn't.

I haven't seen any gorilla crabs in about 2 months now.

 

[krajacich]

My pistol snaps at my serpent stars all the time...especially if food may be involved

I'm sure my pistol is occasionally dining on porcelain crabs...I will sometimes find the remains of one just outside his "front door".

On a different note, I purchased new lights this week . They're 2 X 250W MH (10K XM bulbs) and 2 VHO (super actinic URI). I bought a build-it-yourself kit from Hellolights and they should arrive tomorrow. My plan is to build a rough canopy/hood for it, maybe this weekend. But I probably won't put them on the tank for a couple of weeks. My DH & I are going to Las Vegas next week and I don't want to leave the tank unattended with new lights.

 

[patsan]

What lighting do you have in there now?

 

[krajacich]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7074128#post7074128 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by patsan
What lighting do you have in there now?

4 X 65W PCs so it's a BIG change in lights

 

[BrianPlankis]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7071556#post7071556 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by latemodel99
Brian
Good eye that is a top fathom skimmer. It works ok just very tempermental. Planning to get a better one when i get a new tank this summer

Galen,

Yeah, that has been my experience as well. One day it skims great, the next day nothing. I've given up on mine and I'm going to install my new ASM skimmer as soon as I get a chance. I've had the thing sitting in my house for 2 weeks but school is so busy I don't have the time to install it Hopefully this Sunday, and my tank needs it, now that I'm feeding the tank every night (because I have leftovers from feeding the brains in the QT), the cyano is spreading.

The good news is the the TBS brain that looked nearly dead to me is doing MUCH better. The flesh is getting thicker and it is repairing itself all over the place and is eating like a PIG! It even looks like it is forming 2 new mouths.

The same friend that traded me that one decided to give me his other one as well that looks like it might be a different species of TBS brain. But it doesn't look too hot either so I'm going to feed it for a while and see if the appearance changes.

Brian

 

[bkelley02]

Danielle,

You may not like the XM 10k's after a while. I had them and after about a month or so, I hated them. Made things look too yellow for me. They throw a LOT of heat too. I love having the 2x 250 watt MH, but just wouldn't go back to the XM 10k. I have a pair of Reeflux 12k that burned a nice white if you're not happy. I used them about 3-4 weeks but went to radiums instead. My daughters and I like the little hint of blue that they provide. If you aren't happy with the 10k, let me know and maybe we could work something out for the Reeflux if you're interested.

Brian

 

[bobt2]

brian, what do you feed your tbs brains? i never spot feed mine and one has doubled in a year, the other stays the same size. i always thought that was lighting

 

[patsan]

Richard sent me these pictures of his day today:

Going to work at 6:30am

Heading out to work:

Still Chilly in the mornings:

Going between the Islands:

more to come (RC won't let me post them all in one post)

 

[patsan]

Out into the open gulf on the rock site ready to dive

It already has warmed up to T-shirt weather

Heading home after diving

Rock harvest 3/30/06 on the way home

Susie, after diving

Almost home on a gorgeous day on the Gulf of Mexico!

Richard

 

[krajacich]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7075595#post7075595 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bkelley02
Danielle,

You may not like the XM 10k's after a while. I had them and after about a month or so, I hated them. Made things look too yellow for me. They throw a LOT of heat too. I love having the 2x 250 watt MH, but just wouldn't go back to the XM 10k. I have a pair of Reeflux 12k that burned a nice white if you're not happy. I used them about 3-4 weeks but went to radiums instead. My daughters and I like the little hint of blue that they provide. If you aren't happy with the 10k, let me know and maybe we could work something out for the Reeflux if you're interested.

Brian

Initially I was going to go with 15K XM but others convinced me to try the 10K because it has much better par. I'll have to see how they work for me but if they don't I'll let you know I'm just hoping my tank temp doesn't rise too much.

 

[drk70]

Looks like nice weather for a change down there.

 

[BrianPlankis]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7075791#post7075791 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bobt2
brian, what do you feed your tbs brains? i never spot feed mine and one has doubled in a year, the other stays the same size. i always thought that was lighting

Bob,

I'm feeding them a mix of frozen baby brine shrimp and cyclopleeze soaked in selecon. They definitely prefer the baby brine shrimp over the cyclopleeze (go figure), but still eat both.

The healthy ones in my main tank LOVE frozen mysis and will eat cyclopleeze as well. I'm going to be getting some newly hatched baby brine shrimp (live) for them to try out next Saturday.

There are actually several species of "brain" corals that could potentially be found on TBS rock. Some of them could be more dependent on light or feeding. I have 5 of them now including the two sick ones and I might actually have 3 species based on visual characteristics. Once they are very healthy and larger I should be able to tell better.

It could be your one that has doubled in size can utilize light more, or it could be it is in a better position in the tank to catch any food in the water. I would guess both would benefit substantially from target feeding. Feed them after lights off and turn off circulation so they can catch the food. To me it is very fascinating to watch them eat. It is AMAZING how much food a quarter sized sick brain can eat, let alone a tennis ball sized healthy one

Brian

 

[liverock]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7076208#post7076208 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by drk70
Looks like nice weather for a change down there.

Yup was a great day!

saw two 300# jewfish on the site today, a refreshing view after a year of red tide and dead fish!

TBS

 

[drk70]

The real question is how is your rock holding up after the bad red tide? Must not have effected it too much if you are still seeing all the life on it.

 

[patsan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7076548#post7076548 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by liverock
Yup was a great day!

saw two 300# jewfish on the site today, a refreshing view after a year of red tide and dead fish!

TBS

I just had to google image a jewfish. Wow, they are huge and ugly. Are they mean and something to be scared of? (you have to remember I am afraid of crabs, so this would have made me dirty the water)

 

[liverock]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7076572#post7076572 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by drk70
The real question is how is your rock holding up after the bad red tide? Must not have effected it too much if you are still seeing all the life on it.

-It survived!

we are happy!

TBS

 

[liverock]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7076578#post7076578 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by patsan
I just had to google image a jewfish. Wow, they are huge and ugly. Are they mean and something to be scared of? (you have to remember I am afraid of crabs, so this would have made me dirty the water)

It was a male and a female....the male "barked" at me, is like hearing a base drum from three inches, you can feel the concussion under water....pretty neat defense......I WAS looking over my shoulder during the dive as fish that big can bite!

He was not happy I was in his space...as his girlfriend was there also...he was longer than me, six foot!

TBS

 

[drk70]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7076582#post7076582 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by liverock
-It survived!

we are happy!

TBS

That is great to hear!