Project 58!! (Image intense)

[NaH2O]

That musta been Nikki's search engine doing the smoke up....

Actually, I think it was the snails that were doing the smoking....

How are the fish doing, Nick?

 

[Maxx]

Doing good. Everybody is eating and the Chalk Bass are beginning to associate me turning off the water current, (OM and the Iwaki 55), with food are beginning to eat more aggressively. The Bellus angel is anything but shy when it comes to eating. She often comes flying in from wherever to snarf down food. This bothered me a little since the Chalk Bass seemed to eyeball stuff forever and didnt decide it was food until the Angel had eaten most of it. Oddly enough, when food was dispersed into the current from the chiller returns, they immediately dove on food that appeared to be moving more rapidly. I guess the food being slower moving and sorta hanging there from lack of current was something they werent used to.
Right now I'm just feeding thawed mysis shrimp. brine shrimp, and brine shrimp plus.
I thaw everything out in RO water, pour the water and the food through a brine shrimp net, and then put it an container of fresh RO water. Then I feed with a turkey baster. This is to lessen the amount of phosphates entering my tank. Even though I have the Phosban reactor running, I just want to keep from introducing anything more than necessary. I can tell the phosphate levels are lowering since the algae isnt doing as well as it used to. Even the Chaeto I got from a friend is turning yellow on the outside of the ball. I'm going to be shredding that up here soon to force as many of the critters hiding in it, into my rockwork. I dont like how the chaeto is acting like a net for any detritus that floats past it...
I pulled out a bunch of algae yesterday since we jhad a friend over for dinner last night...had to make the tank as pretty as possible. He thought it looked good...but I'm still a little embaressed. Its like having a dirty house and inviting friends over....
Still, Since the idea behind this thread is to show everything about the set up of this tank, (The good, the bad, and the ugly), I think a few shots might be in order. I'll take some after the lights turn on.

Nick

 

[Maxx]

I shredded some of the Chaeto in order to reduce the overall amount of it in my tank. Not too much...just a couple of small handfulls. The idea is to slowly reduce the amount of Chaeto in order to give the critters hiding inside it a chance to flee into the liverock, so I did this just before my lights kicked on.
I also took some pics as promised. Not really pretty as I didnt clean the glass of water spots and doggie nose prints/smears...
Ewww............dog boogers............

Anyway...on with the show.

Note the slightly fuzzy apearance of my live rock...thats the algae. Its not nearly as bad as it was a few weeks ago. I dont know exactly if the cycle of nutrients conducive to algae growth is dying down, (I hope so), or if this is just one round of the cycle of ecological succession....meaning more is on the way.

First off is the full tank shot.

Left side

Right side

I dont have three Bellus angels, I just have one really active camera hog.

I'm going to try and borrow my buddy's digital Rebel inb order to get a couple of good shots of things.

Nick

 

[NaH2O]

Hey Nick - that doesn't look bad at all! Remember what my tank looked like?? Can't wait to see more. What's next on the stock list?

 

[Maxx]

Well fish wise, I'm looking for a small Black Cap basslet, (Gramma melacara) and a small Royal Gramma, (Gramma loreto). I need to find the two simultaneously in order to be able to keep them together. I'm also still looking for another Tomini tang...need to do some looking around for a good source. I might send Vivid an email and ask if they can get me one....I'm seriously thinking of ordering the Black Cap and the Royal Gramma from them. My LFS hasnt gotten any Black Caps in for a while now, naturally, when my tank wasnt set up they were getting them in weekly.
I need to find a nice healthy Magnificent Anemone also...Unless Katrina can tell you if her RBTA's can handle high current.....

Nick

 

[plack]

Nice Aqua Scaping I Wish I Did That (aquscape) Before I Got Things It Just Not The Same I Guess Someday Ill Re-arrange It Love The Chateo In The Cave Look I Have Some In Mine Just Not As Nicely Arranged Looks Good

 

[Maxx]

Thanks Plack!!
The Chaeto is really just temporary as it takes up a great spot for an LPS/ clam since thats a lower flow area, and it traps alot of stuff that I'd rather have out of the tank.
To be honest, the aquascaping was the most frustrating thing about this whole set up.....Basically, I'm really picky about what I want with this tank.

Nick

 

[Maxx]

2-10-05

Things in the tank are doing fine. The fish are all eating very well, and parameters are stable. The algae growth has slowed, but is still noticable. Instead of the dark green hair algae, I have a brownish/tan algae that almost appears like stubble when I go a couple of days without shaving. You can kinda see it in the previous pics above. The snails still eat it, and my LawnMower still chows down and always has a pot belly going, so things are okay, maybe not aesthetically attractive, but okay at this point in my tanks development. Now on to the good stuff.
I bought some clams!!!!!!
I've bought clams from Barry at Clams Direct before, (www.clamsdirect.com) and was very impressed with his service, his clams, (no way to say that w/o it sounding strange...sorry man, you've got nice clams...okay, I feel creepy now...)
and more importantly, how he's responded to various threads here in the Tridacnid forum. Barry's just an out and out class act all the way.
So anyway, I received an email that Barry had gotten some new clams in....so I took a look see and was stunned.
I dont normally like Crocea's as much as Maxima clams. The Crocea's always seem to be more green than anything. Don't get me wrong...green is nice, but after awhile, it seems like all Crocea's look pretty similar. And Crocea's were the bulk of what Barry got in.
I was stunned at what I saw...Barry got some great Crocea's.
I could ramble ad nauseum about how awesome these clams looked...but why....Barry went to all the trouble to take pictures of his clams so go look.
I copied the pics of the clams I bought, so I'll post them up as well.

I've never seen a Teardrop Crocea before...and I've wanted a Teardrop clam for awhile. But lately all the Teardrop Maxima's I've seen have been brown...they're pretty, but if I'm paying for a Teardrop clam, I want a colorful one!

There were a couple of other clams I saw that I liked, but nothing really grabbed me like the Teardrop. I was looking for another because shipping two clams is the same cost as shipping one. I wanted Rocio to get in on this decision making also since she had just complained that my tank didnt have enough color in it....the first one she chose was this one.

I thought it was okay...but wasnt wildly impressed with it. I called Barry to ask him if he had any tiger striped Derasa clams, and if it would be a problem for me to buy the clmas now and have them shipped on Wednesday for a Thursday arrival.....he said no problem on the shipping, and that he didnt have any tiger striped Derasa clams. We started to talk about the different clams, and I asked Barry why he hadnt been getting many Maxima's in lately.
Barry said that 2 of the larger farms had gone out of business since they lost their grants, and the other farms have been shipping out what they had, which were the sub 3 inch Maxima's which required alot more care. Barry went on to say that he felt the Crocea's were hardier than the Maxima's anyway since he usually only lost 1 Crocea for every 4 Maxima's that he lost. I was surprised to hear this as I had always thought the Crocea's were more delicate than Maxima's. But with the number of clams Barry deals with on a yearly basis and because he is so knowledgable, I'm more than willing to take his word for it.
We talked for a little bit longer, and he asked why I didnt really dig the Crocea's as much. I explained its because they almost always seem to be a shade of green, and very little other color. He said that they appeared green from above, but when viewed from the side they look more blue. I remembered seeing different pics of Crocea that show how it looks really green in one pic and blue in the next. Barry said he was looking at one clam right now that was really blue and gorgeous in person. I asked him if it was one of the ones on the Website. he said it was and gave me the number for it.....It wound up being the same clam Rocio had liked.
So I had to buy it.

They arrived this morning and I started acclimating them at 10:30 am. As soon as they are done acclimating, I will post up pics.

Nick

 

[Maxx]

I tried to take some pics showing the color shift of the clams with the change in perspective that...and my camera wasnt really showing that too well, until I was able to get a pic showing both perspectives simultaneously.

I acclimated the clams for about 6 hours. Yes, six hours. I didnt want anything to go wrong with these guys. They are acting like normal clams, but I feel better when a month has passed. Finding spots for them was a PITA. I didnt want to put them on the bottom of the tank, because they would attach to the cuttingboard, but I didnt have a lot of room to put them on the rockwork since I wanted to leave room for an anemone here in the near future. And since anemones have this annoying tendancy to wander around until they find a spot they like, (never mind how inconvienant it is to you, their caretaker...) I want to leave as much open migration room as possible.

So I compromised...blue one on the rock ledge, Teardrop on the bottom of the tank.

I had to move the Chaeto to a different spot. Its getting shredded very soon here.

Here is a close up of the Blue Crocea, (I've really gotten to like this clam...its every bit as pretty as the Teardrop)

Here is a top down of the blue one...you can kinda see the shift in color, but its not as visible here as it is in real life.

And here is the pic I was talking about earlier...Its the same blue crocea in this pic...just shown from two different angles thanks to the glass of the tank and waters ability to refract images.

And finally here is the fabled Teardrop Crocea...This thing is rockin!!

While these two were acclimating, I went to the LFS, (Clayton Pet Emporium) and had a look at their new shipment of livestock.
I came back with 2 blood shrimp....I thought they were a pair...the immediate fighting and subsequent torn off legs have me convinced otherwise now, but they will be replaced on the next molt, and I think the tank is large enough for both to hang out on different ends of the tank.
And I bought a Maze Brain coral that I've been eyeing for the last two weeks. Its gorgeous in person....I believe its a Platygyra species...but it looks a little different than my last platygyra daedela...so I'll have to do some research.

Finally, Live Aquaria emailed me and said my replacement Tomini tang will arrive tomorrow.

Clams today, Tang tomorrow...The fun never stops!
Nick

 

[Maxx]

02-11-05

Well the new Tomini arrived this morning at 9 am. I have it acclimating right now in my sump. Its at least 3 times bigger than the last one. This fish is easily 3 inches in length excluding the tail fin. It looks healthy and fat...so we will see how it does. There was some confusion at Live Aquaria regarding when I would get the fish etc.....I was told two conflicting stories about whether they had it or not, and then I got the email confirming shipment of the tang. They also called me on my home phone this morning and my cell phone in order to let me know the tang was in St Louis. I have to give Live Aquaria a big thumbs up on their customer service. Everyone I have spoken to has been very helpful and eager to ensure my satisfaction with my purchase. They even allowed me to pick dates that I wanted the fish to ship over a two week period. I know this sounds like a no brainer...but my schedule changes on a weekly basis. So The days I have off this week will not be the days I have off next week. And they were willing to let me to say I want the fish shipped on Thurs Feb 10, Fri Feb 11, Tues Feb 15, Weds Feb 16, or Sat Feb 19. That I'm very impressed with.
I'm sure the tang is somewhat stressed from its ordeal, but it really doesnt look all that fazed by its journey. I have high hopes for this one.

On an annoying note, the damn LawnMower blenny has begun nipping at my clams. I watched it do a little last night, and several times this morning.....guess who's getting a return trip to the LFS?????
I now have to remove one side of the tanks rock work in order to get this little pest. But I'd rather do this while the tang is acclimating, than when I have it the tank, causing it to stroke out.
Sigh.....I knew that fish was gonna be trouble.
Nick

 

[Maxx]

The tang is in the tank, and the blenny is out...sitting in the sump currently. Naturally my Fiance is trying to find a way where we can keep the little monster. I aint going for it. I've told her we could get a new tank and put it in there...she wasnt going for that. So the blenny is getting a return trip to the LFS.

The tang is good sized and is already picking from the rocks. I have a Nori clip in the tank, inorder to get the Tang used to it...hopefully soon it will be picking at that..

This tang is larger than my Bellus angel, which is a good thing...she bosses the Chalk Bass around when they get in her way.

I will take pics when I can.

Nick

 

[Maxx]

I did manage to take some pics of the Tomini...

1st one is of theTomini itself.

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/photos_members/data/500/medium/2nd_Tomini_Tang_02-11-05.JPG

Ther second one is a pic of the Bellus Angel and the Tomini together, for size comparison.

[IMG]http://www.reeffrontiers.com/photos_members/data/500/medium/Tomini_and_Bellus_02-11-05.JPG

No aggression is being shown by anybody....things are looking good so far. The trick now is to get the Tomini eating prepared food.

Nick

 

[Maxx]

I took some more pics.....the tang was still not cooperating so I took something else. One of my Chalk Bass has set up a little home in the rock. This is on the big tower looking rock formation on the right side of my tank. There is an arm that juts forward towards the front of the tank on the on the far right, slightly above and to the right of my Teardrop Crocea. I thought it looked neat so I took a pic.

he just hangs out there until I shut off the closed loop, then its feedin' time!

Does anyone know what type of algae this is growing on my rocks??
Nick

 

[Maxx]

03-02-05

Its been awhile since I posted up anything so I guess its time for some updates...
Nikki (Nah20) had an issue with her clams that I found interesting. She was dealing with what Barry from ClamsDirect calls "Pinched Mantle". Basically the clams mantle begins to curl up and over, and pinch up on itself. Barry has absolutely no idea what causes it, or what it really is, although he has noticed a few things.
It is fatal to the clam if untreated.
It is not something that is communicable to other clams (Other clams cant "catch it" from an affected clam. He has placed affected clams in tanks with healthy clams, and hasnt seen any mantle pinching appear in the healthy clams)
It appears to be most common in Crocea's, although he has seen it in Maxima's as well. He says he has not seen it in Derasa's or Squamosa's at all.
Its relatively easy to treat.
He suspects its a parasite of some sort, but he doesnt know what type. Personally, I disagree with this part. If its not able to be passed to healthy clams, I dont feel its a parasite. But thats just me.

The treatment for this is relatively simple. Remove the clam from the tank, and place it in freshwater for 25 minutes. Return it to the tank.

Nikki went ahead and got a container of new RO/DI water, floated it in her sump to ensure the temp was the same, adjusted the PH to be as close to her tank as possible, and got the clams in there. She had to cut the byssal threads on the clams though and that was a little nerve wracking. But her clams pulled through just fine.

Edit, here are pics of Nikki's clams.
Before:

Pics of Nikki's clams after 25 minute RO Freshwater water dip.

These are the same clams, as before, in the same order as before.

Well, yesterday I noticed both of my clams showing signs of Mantle Pinching. I didnt take any pics, I was too concerned and went into overdrive problem solving mode. (Fortunately, she did. When she gives me permission, I'll post up a pic of it).Edit, Nikki has graciously allowed me to post up her pics.
I went ahead and got the RO/DI water in a container and in my sump to regulate the temp. St Louis water is pretty hard...7.9 Ph right out of the tap (Glad I dont keep Discus), so I didnt worry about adjusting the PH of the water. I got a razor blade, (actually, I got an X-acto knife), and gently started cutting under the clam.
Heres the tricky part. When you're trying to remove the clam and its attached, you NEED to CUT the byssal threads as opposed to pulling them apart. By pulling, you'll tear and damage the Byssus gland and wind up killing the clam. If you cut the threads as far away from the clam, you do no damage. The Teardrop was no real problem. The Blue Crocea...was a nightmare. I had placed it in a depression in the rock, so I had no real easy access to it. Every time I touched a byssal thread with the knife, the clam freaked and pulled down on the thread...so I thought I was cutting the Byssus. After 30 minutes, I figured out that the byssal threads were still connected to the clam (DUH!) and thats why it was moving like it was. So I finished cutting the threads, and placed both clams in the RO water for 25 minutes. I was really worried about the blue Crocea since I could see little bits of what I thought were flesh attached to the rock. But it wound up being the severed byssal threads and their anchors to the rock. Looking closely, I could see the same thing on the cutting board where the Teardrop was.
While the clams were in the RO water, I went downstairs and found two pieces of rock to put the clams on so I wouldnt have to cut them off anything again. One piece wasnt quite right, it wouldnt sit flat in the angle I wanted. So I cut a nice smooh flat base with my Power Compund Mitre Saw. 2 seconds and a nice flat base later, I had a great clam platform.

Here is how the clams were placed before:

Teardrop

Blue Crocea

Now they are placed like this:

Teardrop

Blue Crocea

Nick

 

[Maxx]

Barry said Crocea clams will attach to rockwork pretty quickly. I didnt think they would attach within 12 hours. I did get some pics of them attaching.

Here is a pic of the Blue Crocea with its Byssal gland out and secreting the byssal thread. I used Microsoft Paint to kinda highlight the areas so its easier to see. (This camera doesnt exactly take sharp pictures...I'm in the process of shopping around for a better camera.)

It basically looks like a dab of wet silicone between the rock and the clam.

And here are pics of the byssal threads from the Teardrop.

They look like white thick strings. My Teardrop has three threads in place.

Hopefully, I can post up some better pics of the byssal threads later, when I get a hold of a better camera.

Nick

 

[Maxx]

I also added a bunch of snails from Keys Critters.
I ordered 30 Astrea snails, 90 cerith snails, 3 small emerald crabs, and 8 scarlett hermits. I really only wanted the snails, but Keys has a 100.00 minimum order...so I needed to fill with other critters. I was concerned about having too many snails for my tank. I am very ahppy with how they shipped and what I got. They did ship the snails w/o water, which is the best way to ship them. Overall two thumbs up for Keys critters. I will definately be ordering from them again when I upgrade tanks.

Nick

 

[Maxx]

Finally, I took some pics of the new frags I have.

Three of these frags i got from a fellow reefer. I'm really hoping they color up in the future.

Rocio says this one looks like a chicken leg

This one has some awesome neon green polyps.

Here is a purple-ish stylophora.

And here is my favorite, a gorgeous blue polyped acro. The parent colony of this one is beautiful!

Nick

 

[Maxx]

Ummm.....well, I had some errands to run, which just happened to be in the vicinity of the LFS...........
and........
ummmm.......

I bought 7 small acro colonies. They are acclimating right now, pics will be posted later tonight or tomorrow.
The largest is maybe 1.5 inches in diameter. these are some smokin cool corals....
Dont worry, I'm not adding anything else for awhile!
Nick

 

[Maxx]

The algae is getting under control slowly. The snails have helped out in just the short time I've had them. Please disregard the hideous algae visible in these images...I'm embaressed by it, but working on it.

Anyway as promised, here are some new coral pics.

Purple tipped acro

Nick

 

[Maxx]

Purple acro...currently encrusting....

Peach colored table

blue tipped table

Light green with pink polyps

Finally, a light green table, ( I'm thinking this one might be a millepora)

Nick