QT day 13. Four fish remain. So stoked!
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- Thread starter Michael Hoaster
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Thanks Kevin!
I appreciate your encouragement on QT. I really had a bad run there, so I had to make some serious changes. Beating Uronema is very encouraging.
The Damsels are beautiful. I'm kind of returning to my roots of very colorful, graphic fish, like I had in my first marine tank. It's fun!
Two weeks into QT!
I appreciate your encouragement on QT. I really had a bad run there, so I had to make some serious changes. Beating Uronema is very encouraging.
The Damsels are beautiful. I'm kind of returning to my roots of very colorful, graphic fish, like I had in my first marine tank. It's fun!
Two weeks into QT!
Thanks Dawn!
Yes the tank is maturing. I look forward to the greens getting more coverage - a lot more. I may need to prune back some of the reds. My Manatee Grass looks like it's been scarred by a boat propeller. Ulva has stepped in to fill the scar for a while, while it heals. I kind of like it. Its like lemonade from lemons! Also letting the brown grasilaria grow as a ground cover between the seagrasses is doing well too. The fern caulerpa is also crisscrossing the sand bed, and climbing the fake walls.
Stark splashes of color describes the fish well. I can't wait to have the four new blue guys in there! Once they're in I'll watch them for a while then decide what's next. I'm guessing I could keep as many as ten, but I want to keep them low stress, so we'll see how six do, and then decide.
It has been enjoyable! Assisting Nature in building an ecosystem in a box is an enlightening journey. I'm also surprised how much enjoyment I got out of quarantine success. Keep learning!
Yes the tank is maturing. I look forward to the greens getting more coverage - a lot more. I may need to prune back some of the reds. My Manatee Grass looks like it's been scarred by a boat propeller. Ulva has stepped in to fill the scar for a while, while it heals. I kind of like it. Its like lemonade from lemons! Also letting the brown grasilaria grow as a ground cover between the seagrasses is doing well too. The fern caulerpa is also crisscrossing the sand bed, and climbing the fake walls.
Stark splashes of color describes the fish well. I can't wait to have the four new blue guys in there! Once they're in I'll watch them for a while then decide what's next. I'm guessing I could keep as many as ten, but I want to keep them low stress, so we'll see how six do, and then decide.
It has been enjoyable! Assisting Nature in building an ecosystem in a box is an enlightening journey. I'm also surprised how much enjoyment I got out of quarantine success. Keep learning!
QT day 18. Four fish still remain.
Everything looks good, after two days away camping.
The second mangrove pod has sprouted two leaves, so they're both growing. I don't know if starting them out fully submerged will work out, but I'm hopeful. I've seen photos of them in Nature growing like that. From what I read, getting the roots in the dirt is the best start for them. I've also read that having the growth tip above water gives them more oxygen access. So this is an experiment. Can they get enough from their roots to extend their leaves to the surface?
The important thing for me was to give them a shot at growth, in a way that I could live with for the next several years. It's got to look right, or I don't want them. There's no way I was going to float them in styrofoam, or some other hideous arrangement. I am done with ugly 'solutions'.
I was looking at some earlier pics of them. I had thought they had shown zero growth, before the tips developed leaves. But there was some change. The 'trunks' of the pods moved to orient them better towards the light, long before the growth tips showed change. I imagine the roots are doing very well in my yard dirt!
Everything looks good, after two days away camping.
The second mangrove pod has sprouted two leaves, so they're both growing. I don't know if starting them out fully submerged will work out, but I'm hopeful. I've seen photos of them in Nature growing like that. From what I read, getting the roots in the dirt is the best start for them. I've also read that having the growth tip above water gives them more oxygen access. So this is an experiment. Can they get enough from their roots to extend their leaves to the surface?
The important thing for me was to give them a shot at growth, in a way that I could live with for the next several years. It's got to look right, or I don't want them. There's no way I was going to float them in styrofoam, or some other hideous arrangement. I am done with ugly 'solutions'.
I was looking at some earlier pics of them. I had thought they had shown zero growth, before the tips developed leaves. But there was some change. The 'trunks' of the pods moved to orient them better towards the light, long before the growth tips showed change. I imagine the roots are doing very well in my yard dirt!
QT day 19, all good.
It won't be long before introduction! The new guys are noticeably smaller, so they'll probably get chased a bit. Shouldn't be too bad. I bet they'll be happy for the company. They seem a little more social than the tuxedo damsels. I may use the intro-box again.
While watching the tank, I try to imagine the four new neon damsels in there too. How will their presence affect the community? I think it will add energy and color. I hope to see more natural behavior. I've read that the males will intensify their colors to compete for mates. I wouldn't mind that! Hopefully no one feels crowded. I will be watching to see how they all get along. After some time, I'll decide whether to add more of either damsel, or consider the next additions.
The manatee grass plants I transplanted are ok, I think. Just moving a few plants really helped. It looks better. Also I'm still enjoying the ulva filling the big gap. It's cool watching it grow naturally, filling a temporary niche, as it does in Nature. I haven't touched it in weeks. It looks like green flames. Pretty!
It won't be long before introduction! The new guys are noticeably smaller, so they'll probably get chased a bit. Shouldn't be too bad. I bet they'll be happy for the company. They seem a little more social than the tuxedo damsels. I may use the intro-box again.
While watching the tank, I try to imagine the four new neon damsels in there too. How will their presence affect the community? I think it will add energy and color. I hope to see more natural behavior. I've read that the males will intensify their colors to compete for mates. I wouldn't mind that! Hopefully no one feels crowded. I will be watching to see how they all get along. After some time, I'll decide whether to add more of either damsel, or consider the next additions.
The manatee grass plants I transplanted are ok, I think. Just moving a few plants really helped. It looks better. Also I'm still enjoying the ulva filling the big gap. It's cool watching it grow naturally, filling a temporary niche, as it does in Nature. I haven't touched it in weeks. It looks like green flames. Pretty!
The brown grasilaria is a macro algae I tried to extinguish, but couldn't. I pruned it regularly and it came back bigger. Finally, I've let it go and grow, especially on the sand bed. Strangely, in just the last couple days I've noticed it is reducing on the sand bed and the back wall. It seems to be dying back. Very interesting!
Why and why now? The snails may be eating it. They may have reached population numbers forcing them to expand their menus to include it. Maybe by letting it grow uncontrolled, it exhausted a critical nutrient, in effect starving itself out. But all the other plants are doing well. I have also let the ulva grow larger and the fern caulerpa is rapidly expanding as well. Maybe one or both are outcompeting for nutrients or maybe its allelopathy-plants' chemical warfare.
Whatever it is, I'll be watching closely. Will it continue on the path to destruction? Will it bottom out and rebound? We shall see!
Why and why now? The snails may be eating it. They may have reached population numbers forcing them to expand their menus to include it. Maybe by letting it grow uncontrolled, it exhausted a critical nutrient, in effect starving itself out. But all the other plants are doing well. I have also let the ulva grow larger and the fern caulerpa is rapidly expanding as well. Maybe one or both are outcompeting for nutrients or maybe its allelopathy-plants' chemical warfare.
Whatever it is, I'll be watching closely. Will it continue on the path to destruction? Will it bottom out and rebound? We shall see!
Chasmodes
Well-known member
Your thoughts on the Gracilaria dying back are fascinating. Thanks for the updates on your tank. I may not always comment on each one, but, I can assure you that I'm following every update. Life gets in the way of my internet activity LOL.
Very cool about the mangroves. Since they seem to be showing growth in the direction of the light, will that change your light scheme on the dark end? Was the idea of the dark end to mimic the faux mangrove root and create shade? Maybe if you light that area, the mangrove would grow up instead? Or, does that kind of thing matter to you? Anyway, it's really cool that they're growing so well. Your tank is, as I've said before, paving the way for others.
Very cool about the mangroves. Since they seem to be showing growth in the direction of the light, will that change your light scheme on the dark end? Was the idea of the dark end to mimic the faux mangrove root and create shade? Maybe if you light that area, the mangrove would grow up instead? Or, does that kind of thing matter to you? Anyway, it's really cool that they're growing so well. Your tank is, as I've said before, paving the way for others.
Thanks Kevin!
I post a lot! No need to comment on everything. I appreciate what you post, a lot! My life is pretty simple these days, so I have more time than ever to putter around with my aquarium and talk endlessly about it. I think it's therapeutic!
Having a plant that I've been fighting off for months, then giving up and letting it grow, only to have it die back on its own is pretty bizarre! I looked this morning and it's still declining. I'd be OK if it disappeared!
I don't plan to change the lighting for the mangroves. My hope is that they will be happy growing towards the metal halide light. Then they will need to grow into the space in the hood. It's not an ideal situation for them, but I think it can work. Plants are adaptable. There's a good bit of space for them in there. And I can prune where needed. As long as they get what they need to prosper, I'm guessing they'll do OK.
It's kind of strange, growing trees in my aquarium. I don't fully know what to expect, this being my first attempt with them. I don't even know if they will survive, growing fully submerged. For me the important thing is that I'm growing mangroves on my own terms, in a way that I can live with. My hope is that they can conform to what I have already, not requiring me to change my setup for them.
Increasing the light on the right end of the tank would bring its own complications. The red macros would not be happy for sure. Plus I love the asymmetrical gradation of light I get across the tank. So the mangroves, like the other residents, are less important than the overall system. Hopefully they can fit in.
QT at 3 weeks!
I post a lot! No need to comment on everything. I appreciate what you post, a lot! My life is pretty simple these days, so I have more time than ever to putter around with my aquarium and talk endlessly about it. I think it's therapeutic!
Having a plant that I've been fighting off for months, then giving up and letting it grow, only to have it die back on its own is pretty bizarre! I looked this morning and it's still declining. I'd be OK if it disappeared!
I don't plan to change the lighting for the mangroves. My hope is that they will be happy growing towards the metal halide light. Then they will need to grow into the space in the hood. It's not an ideal situation for them, but I think it can work. Plants are adaptable. There's a good bit of space for them in there. And I can prune where needed. As long as they get what they need to prosper, I'm guessing they'll do OK.
It's kind of strange, growing trees in my aquarium. I don't fully know what to expect, this being my first attempt with them. I don't even know if they will survive, growing fully submerged. For me the important thing is that I'm growing mangroves on my own terms, in a way that I can live with. My hope is that they can conform to what I have already, not requiring me to change my setup for them.
Increasing the light on the right end of the tank would bring its own complications. The red macros would not be happy for sure. Plus I love the asymmetrical gradation of light I get across the tank. So the mangroves, like the other residents, are less important than the overall system. Hopefully they can fit in.
QT at 3 weeks!
I removed some brown grasilaria from the back wall, as it was already sloughing off. It continues to die back.
I finally figured out a good planting technique for seagrass on long rhizomes with multiple shoots. I'd never been able to get the whole rhizome buried, leaving roots exposed. So, you place the rhizome on the sand where you want it, then position three or four finger tips along its length. Then slowly move it back and forth lengthwise, while gently pressing it down into the sand. Remove your fingers and push a little sand over it and you're done.
This new planting skill should come in handy when I get some new manatee grass. SaltySully is getting me some new grass to replace the ones that died and fill in the large gap they left. Thanks Stephen!
I'll try to take better care of them this time. It's embarrassing to kill off most of your pivotal species. Ugh! At least I figured out my mistake and corrected it. The remaining manatee grass plants are doing well. Another learning experience!
By the way, my mistake was to let salinity drift too low. It looks like 25ppt is the lower range for them. I now have it at 30ppt-much closer to full strength seawater. My original research told me 25 was optimal. After more research, it looks more like 30. I think it survives in 25ppt water, where it doesn't have to compete with turtle grass, but 30ish is more optimal.
I'm very excited and privileged to get more of these plants!
I finally figured out a good planting technique for seagrass on long rhizomes with multiple shoots. I'd never been able to get the whole rhizome buried, leaving roots exposed. So, you place the rhizome on the sand where you want it, then position three or four finger tips along its length. Then slowly move it back and forth lengthwise, while gently pressing it down into the sand. Remove your fingers and push a little sand over it and you're done.
This new planting skill should come in handy when I get some new manatee grass. SaltySully is getting me some new grass to replace the ones that died and fill in the large gap they left. Thanks Stephen!
I'll try to take better care of them this time. It's embarrassing to kill off most of your pivotal species. Ugh! At least I figured out my mistake and corrected it. The remaining manatee grass plants are doing well. Another learning experience!
By the way, my mistake was to let salinity drift too low. It looks like 25ppt is the lower range for them. I now have it at 30ppt-much closer to full strength seawater. My original research told me 25 was optimal. After more research, it looks more like 30. I think it survives in 25ppt water, where it doesn't have to compete with turtle grass, but 30ish is more optimal.
I'm very excited and privileged to get more of these plants!
Thanks Kevin!
I consider myself very lucky. Without SaltySully, I'd be looking at a very long wait to get more manatee grass.
Learning from my mistakes takes some of the sting out of making them. Seems like I'm getting lots of practice lately. I do believe I can get the manatee grass back to better than it was. It will be challenging to get it back to the density I had, but I'm pretty sure I can get them to grow taller.
In v1, I had some blades in the three to four foot range. This is taller than they normally grow in Nature. How can this be? It's about the light. Manatee grass grows taller to compensate for lower light levels. Though my 400 watt metal halide (with spiderlight reflector) is good, it's not as bright as sunlight. So, I expect to get taller growth again.
QT 22 days.
I consider myself very lucky. Without SaltySully, I'd be looking at a very long wait to get more manatee grass.
Learning from my mistakes takes some of the sting out of making them. Seems like I'm getting lots of practice lately. I do believe I can get the manatee grass back to better than it was. It will be challenging to get it back to the density I had, but I'm pretty sure I can get them to grow taller.
In v1, I had some blades in the three to four foot range. This is taller than they normally grow in Nature. How can this be? It's about the light. Manatee grass grows taller to compensate for lower light levels. Though my 400 watt metal halide (with spiderlight reflector) is good, it's not as bright as sunlight. So, I expect to get taller growth again.
QT 22 days.
FTS. Seagrass with ulva filling the gap. Splash of red patch reef is getting crowded.
Lots of botryocladia with a flash of blue. The allen's damsels seem to get prettier as they grow.
Closer view of the ulva. See also the fern caulerpa behind and up the back wall. Just above the allen's damsel is the turtle weed at the base of the wall.
A few days ago this area was three inches deep with brown grasilaria. Now its all but gone. Kinda hard to tell but the shoal grass is in front, manatee grass in back. Though I won't miss the grasilaria, I do like having a ground cover between the grasses.
It's still got a ways to go, but the plants are growing in well. The mangroves have about a foot to go to the surface.
Pretty fish.
End view.
Dusk lighting.
Chasmodes
Well-known member
It's really coming together! I didn't notice the yellow highlighting on the tuxedo damsel's tail, nice! And the allen's damsels are pretty stunning. I see that the manatee grass is getting tall again, sweet! And the red macros are filling in nicely. How much longer will your new fish be in QT?
Thanks Kevin!
The tanks is doing well. QT is at 25 days so they're just about done. One of the Allen's damsels looks a little skinny, so I may hold him longer, but the rest look great.
I think I've got some manatee grass on the way, so I will probably try to get that planted before I introduce the new guys. I'm not sure yet.
The tanks is doing well. QT is at 25 days so they're just about done. One of the Allen's damsels looks a little skinny, so I may hold him longer, but the rest look great.
I think I've got some manatee grass on the way, so I will probably try to get that planted before I introduce the new guys. I'm not sure yet.
What is killing my brown grasilaria? Allelopathy, me thinks.
Suspects include the fern caulerpa and ulva, both of whom have grown a lot lately. Also, the turtle weed is a known allele-combatant.
It's kind of weird for me, because I want it gone, but now that it's going, I wonder about the cause, and could it kill the plants I want to keep? Mind you I'm not trying to save it either. But now, I'd like to replace it with some other ground cover between the grasses. I want to provide cover for the little guys, like pods and micro stars.
Another new plant popped up recently that I need to decide on keeping or not. I need to decide soon because it can be invasive. Its Dictoya, which I'd automatically get rid of, but it looks to be the kind with some blue iridescence. So it could be pretty. Hence my quandary.
I've finally succeeded in getting some of the petticoat algae growing on the back wall. They're tiny but it's a start. This could look very cool up there. Another candidate for the wall.
With the weather cooling down up here at 7500 ft, I think I'm starting to keep the tank water temp below 80º. Maybe the codium, which has died back over the summer, can come back. I'll keep an eye on it. I think there are two whole plants left. I do hope it rallies. It looks great among the grasses.
Oh, and I think I will have some new manatee grass plants soon. I'm really looking forward to filling in my little meadow. The ones I have left are doing well, including the ones I transplanted. But there is a big empty space I'd like to get filled.
Coming up on ten months. Still aways off from the vision for this aquarium. I'm moving in the right direction!
Suspects include the fern caulerpa and ulva, both of whom have grown a lot lately. Also, the turtle weed is a known allele-combatant.
It's kind of weird for me, because I want it gone, but now that it's going, I wonder about the cause, and could it kill the plants I want to keep? Mind you I'm not trying to save it either. But now, I'd like to replace it with some other ground cover between the grasses. I want to provide cover for the little guys, like pods and micro stars.
Another new plant popped up recently that I need to decide on keeping or not. I need to decide soon because it can be invasive. Its Dictoya, which I'd automatically get rid of, but it looks to be the kind with some blue iridescence. So it could be pretty. Hence my quandary.
I've finally succeeded in getting some of the petticoat algae growing on the back wall. They're tiny but it's a start. This could look very cool up there. Another candidate for the wall.
With the weather cooling down up here at 7500 ft, I think I'm starting to keep the tank water temp below 80º. Maybe the codium, which has died back over the summer, can come back. I'll keep an eye on it. I think there are two whole plants left. I do hope it rallies. It looks great among the grasses.
Oh, and I think I will have some new manatee grass plants soon. I'm really looking forward to filling in my little meadow. The ones I have left are doing well, including the ones I transplanted. But there is a big empty space I'd like to get filled.
Coming up on ten months. Still aways off from the vision for this aquarium. I'm moving in the right direction!
Another view from the end. The reds have really filled out. The mangroves continue to grow taller. Further back you can see the fern caulerpa climbing the back wall, and the ulva on the sand bed is growing exponentially. So yep, plants are growing. The tank is maturing and the ecosystem is still evolving.
It's getting close to time to introduce some damsels! Can't wait.
Qt 28 days.
Today I was observing QT, mostly looking for clues to why one of the damsels is skinny. It shares the tank with another, so I watched for aggression. There was some. So I decided to move the aggressor to the adjacent QT, with one damsel in it. So the skinny one gets relief and the other, a new tank mate.
What happened after I put the two fish together looked like love at first sight. First they got close and still, appearing to size each other up. They seemed to realize very quickly that they were opposite sexed. At that point passion took over completely. If that wasn't spawning, it was very good practice. I think these two are going to get along…
One interesting thing I noticed with the Allen's Damsels in the display, is that the two fishes' coloring were slightly different. I wondered if it was a gender difference. Seeing the new pair in QT, I'm seeing a similar difference in coloring. Could it be possible to sex these fish by color?
4-6-2019
Today I was observing QT, mostly looking for clues to why one of the damsels is skinny. It shares the tank with another, so I watched for aggression. There was some. So I decided to move the aggressor to the adjacent QT, with one damsel in it. So the skinny one gets relief and the other, a new tank mate.
What happened after I put the two fish together looked like love at first sight. First they got close and still, appearing to size each other up. They seemed to realize very quickly that they were opposite sexed. At that point passion took over completely. If that wasn't spawning, it was very good practice. I think these two are going to get along…
One interesting thing I noticed with the Allen's Damsels in the display, is that the two fishes' coloring were slightly different. I wondered if it was a gender difference. Seeing the new pair in QT, I'm seeing a similar difference in coloring. Could it be possible to sex these fish by color?
4-6-2019
I got three of the allen's damsels introduced into my display today. So exciting! I'm fascinated with fish introductions. Watching their initial reactions, their gradual adjustment, and lots of other social interactions is riveting.
At first, all three hid out. Then one brave sole popped up and started the process. A while later another came out. Eventually all three came out and interacted with the two establish damsels. They hung pretty tight for a while and kind of schooled. It will be interesting to see how they do in the morning.
A few pics:
At first, all three hid out. Then one brave sole popped up and started the process. A while later another came out. Eventually all three came out and interacted with the two establish damsels. They hung pretty tight for a while and kind of schooled. It will be interesting to see how they do in the morning.
A few pics:
