Weeds

[Michael Hoaster]

I got up early this morning to see how the new fish were doing in the display. None of them were visible, which wasn't too much of a surprise, given they were added when the lights were out. With the lights at full strength, they were shy about emerging. So I got cozy on the couch and settled in, to see if any of them would venture out.

It wasn't long before a couple of grammas came out and began interacting. I also noticed one in a barnacle shell that was poking her nose out a little. Then Scarlett, the Tomini Tang came out as well. She was very tentative at first, but grew bolder over time.

AS of 11:00 this morning, 3 grammas are out, plus Scarlett.

For the first time I'm grateful that the damsels are diggers. They have made a lot of space under the rocks. I'm also glad I rebuilt the reef. Scarlett has already claimed a spot that was previously occupied by a damsel. When it tries to evict her she chases it away. So I guess she's getting over her shyness. I've already seen her more this morning than in the two plus months I had her in QT.

Hopefully the last two grammas will emerge at some point today, but I'm gonna try not to worry about it.

 

[vlangel]

I got up early this morning to see how the new fish were doing in the display. None of them were visible, which wasn't too much of a surprise, given they were added when the lights were out. With the lights at full strength, they were shy about emerging. So I got cozy on the couch and settled in, to see if any of them would venture out.

It wasn't long before a couple of grammas came out and began interacting. I also noticed one in a barnacle shell that was poking her nose out a little. Then Scarlett, the Tomini Tang came out as well. She was very tentative at first, but grew bolder over time.

AS of 11:00 this morning, 3 grammas are out, plus Scarlett.

For the first time I'm grateful that the damsels are diggers. They have made a lot of space under the rocks. I'm also glad I rebuilt the reef. Scarlett has already claimed a spot that was previously occupied by a damsel. When it tries to evict her she chases it away. So I guess she's getting over her shyness. I've already seen her more this morning than in the two plus months I had her in QT.

Hopefully the last two grammas will emerge at some point today, but I'm gonna try not to worry about it.

That is exciting news on the introduction of Scarlett and the grammas. It sounds very encouraging on your new fish adjusting well to your tank. I am happy for you.

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks Dawn. I am having a similar fear to yours with the grammas. Only 3 are out and about. At one point yesterday I saw 4. The damsels have been kind of aggressive, but not too bad - at least what I have seen. The largest gramma, which is hiding today, has a battered tail, which worries me. My hope is that the grammas will survive this rough phase, until the damsels settle down and leave them alone. Scarlett is getting more and more bold, but she's still pretty twitchy. At least she doesn't take any crap from the damsels. She chases them back and looks ready to use her scalpel if needed.

So it's an exciting time, tempered with worry…

Hopefully, I'll get the tank cleaned up this weekend and get some pics. The Sargassum has two stems reaching for the surface. They're not far off. One of the mangrove trunks broke off last weekend, while I was putzing around in there, so I decided to see if the other one would as well. It took some effort, but it broke free too. The rest of the plants are pretty shaggy and could use a bit of gardening.

 

[vlangel]

Uhggg, the nerve wracking anxiety of adding new fish. Like you said, hopefully the grammas will hold their own until the damsels decide to leave them alone. Lucky they are a harem, that at least spreads the bullying out amongst them.

Great news on the Sargassum! Mine looks ok, not spectacular. This week I moved the light fixture up just enough to get it out of salt spray but took off the acrylic top. That should allow more light which I hope benefits the Shoal grass as well as the Sargassum. I also noticed that my salinity has drifted to .022 so I am adjusting that higher for everything too.

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Yep, it's nerve wracking. At least Scarlett, the Tomini Tang is gorgeous!

I got my hands in the tank today, mainly to pull out cyanobacteria. The grasses have gotten quite thick, slowing my already lazy current even more, which cyano likes. I'd just about gotten rid of it a month ago, but several consecutive weekends of no tank work have allowed it back in.

I may not get the tank cleaned up enough to take pics, I'm afraid. We'll see.

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Okay, so this is a tease. With the tank not quite photo-presentable, I thought I'd snap a dusk shot. Not enough light to see the gory details.

Today I pinched seagrasses. It was very shaggy. A lot of them were coated in calcium or coralline. It turned out to be quite the haircut. So they look a bit short now. One exception is the blade at top right, just over the Sargassum. It could be four feet long!

Speaking of Sargassum, can you see the two tall, golden Christmas trees? They're gonna hit the surface too! Woohoo! The red Gracilaria is getting big too, but not compared to the Sargassum.

There are two grammas visible top right, and below them is Scarlett. She's turned at an odd angle, so not a great shot of her, but it's the first. Just left of her is an Orange Tree Sponge. Scarlett has been cleaning it of detritus for me so now I don't have to do it anymore.

Anyways, I thought it was a fun shot. The plants and the light form a wedge shape. I hope to have real pics soon.

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Well we got another 15 inches of snow last night. April has been pretty snowy. This time of year it can swing back and forth, with skiing weather one day, and biking weather the next.

I'm still only seeing three grammas, which is not much of a harem. The Tomini Tang is doing well, though I've rarely seen her eat fish food. She does cruise around and feed from the substrate, so I guess she's okay.

The Caulerpa has repopulated the sand bed. I would actually need to pull them everyday to keep them at bay. Not likely! Now that I've thinned down the grasses I'll go after them. I remember when I started this thread, I said I was going to be very particular about what plants I kept, and called out caulerpa as a non starter. I had the chance to nip it in the bud, but it was at a tenuous time, when I was trying to get ANYTHING growing. I'll remember this next time. Stay the course. No Caulerpa.

Most of the other plants are doing well, except the Dragon's Breath. The one I moved to dimmer light looks a little better, but I don't have high hopes. Also the Galaxaura has grown, but looks bleached out in the brighter light. I adjusted the light, to give them a touch less.

 

[vlangel]

I love the pic Michael. I think it is my favorite of all you have taken. The seagrass looks so lush, I can't imagine what it was like before you pinched the tops off.
Your Sargassum looks amazing. The jury is still out on mine.
CO must be even more volatile than PA. We had 70s a week ago and tomorrow may snow. It won't lay but I am moving all my potted starter seeds into the garage tonight and covering the raspberries and some other plants.

I am sorry that you are not seeing all the grammas but maybe they're hiding. I am glad Scarlett is out and about but that is strange that she is such a picky eater. Tommy eats everything! Hopefully she will come around too

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks Dawn! I guess it is a good FTS. Before I thinned it out, the seagrass was almost too thick for the fish to swim through. The Sargassum is leggy but I'm gonna see how it grows before I do anything. It's a thrill to have it growing so tall.

I'm still hoping the remaining two grammas are okay and will come out at some point, but of course I worry. Scarlett is bolder in her new environment but she hides when I feed the tank, missing out on the food. I think she'll figure it out at some point.

 

[vlangel]

Wow, I have trouble imagining the seagrass growing that thick. It must be cool to see like that although I guess the fish probably do not like it very much. Maybe that is why the grass flats in the ocean have seahorses as they do not swim a lot. It probably does not bother them much.

 

[Michael Hoaster]

It's funny, in v1, I waited and waited for a lush seagrass meadow. Now that I finally have it, it's too much. I should have taken a 'before' shot, so you could see what a tangle it was.

 

[vlangel]

Yes, next time when it gets that thick and lush, I would very much like to see it! Hopefully a pic can capture what it truly looks like.

It is funny how we want something to happen in our reefs so badly and then when it does we suddenly want something else badly. I guess it is basically our nature as humans to be in a constant tension between contentment and restlessness!

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Lush is probably not a good description of it. Ratty, tangled mess is better. Like Kudzu.

So true about getting what you want, only to want something else. I think aquarists are idealists and perfection is fleeting. And then there's entropy…

 

[vlangel]

Ha ha, well one man's lush is another man's ratty tangled mess! Perhaps it's like hair...this week my hair is exactly the length and look I want and suddenly next week it is an out of control bushy mess and I can't schedule a haircut fast enough.

Well spoken Michael about the nature of us aquarists. Like Sheryl Crow says in one of her songs, ' it's not getting what you want but wanting what you've got!'.

 

[Michael Hoaster]

It is kinda like hair. Tangled, Witchy-poo hair.

And yes, the nature of aquarists…aren't we an odd bunch? I should really only speak for myself. I just assume that everyone else in this hobby is like me, but that's not accurate. We all have a lot in common, but we run the gamut. We all attempt to build successful mini ecosystems, in boxes, sensibly-sized for our homes. But we all do it differently. I think that's awesome!

As to my own weirdness, I'm kind of particular how things look in my ecosystem in a box. That's not unusual, right? Everyone wants their tank to look cool. I want mine to look natural, but also idyllic. So I'm chasing idyllic. It's a challenge that motivates me and keeps me thinking. But can I ever get there?

Pretty much nailed it with the Sheryl Crow quote!

 

[vlangel]

Yes I too can be particular about the look I want in my little aquatic ecosystem, hence why I can get restless about being content with how things are. Perhaps most of us are a bit idyllic and it can be really good if it doesn't drive us to never be happy with what we have. I think its good to be challenged to try and learn new things or else we could get stagnant and who wants that?

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Makes sense. So, we are all chasing an idyllic scene. I agree its also good to enjoy what you have. Spending almost no money on my tank in 2020 gave me the chance to really experience that. It was challenging, but maybe easier with plants growing like weeds.

So I guess it's the challenge of pursuing an ideal, while enjoying the now and the journey. THAT'S what we're doing!

 

[vlangel]

"Pursuing an ideal, while enjoying the now and the journey!" I like that!!!!

 

[Michael Hoaster]

I got two thirds of the caulerpa pulled from the sand bed. Hopefully I can sneak in another session to finish it off.

I got on the couch and watched the fish for a while Sunday. Most interesting was Scarlett's movement. She is swimming the full length of the tank now, and tasting here and there for food that she likes. She has also established different 'tracks' that she swims repeatedly. I think this will help here settle in, and get over some of her twitchiness.

The three Grammas act like hormone-addled teenagers on a Darwinian playground. Maybe I don't need a large harem. Three could be enough, unless bullying becomes a factor.

 

[Michael Hoaster]

I stopped by my LFS today on the way home from grocery shopping, you know, just to check. They had several fish I wanted, which is very unusual. Long story short, I bought a Blue Tang and two small Royal Grammas. The tang was very reasonably priced. Cheaper than online prices even, not to mention no shipping to pay, so I was psyched. I've always loved Blue Tangs, and I've recently been thinking of getting one.

So now I'm acclimating them to the hypo salinity level of the quarantine tank. They'll share the tank, which I'm hoping will keep them more sociable, unlike Scarlett. Speaking of Scarlett, she's finally realized that I feed the tank, so she's not diving for cover anymore, and is feeding with the rest of them.

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