dshnarw March 1, 2008 Author Share March 1, 2008 Thanks gmu - still some learning to do though In a stroke of luck (aka "knocking over a rock onto the brain coral"), I found the money cowry hanging out in the shadows. So, as I haven't seen him since early January, I put him in the sand and used all the space on my empty 1GB card to take photos. He's now clamped to the side of the clam, so I can still see him (SO EXCITING!!!). I have about a 5-10 second time lapse series of shots of him moving in circles until he found the clam So, tonight's shots are nothing but the money cowry...just a few of my favorites. Sorry for the dirty glass, you tend not to take up precious time cleaning the glass and waiting for the detritus to clear when trying to photograph such illusive creatures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw March 1, 2008 Author Share March 1, 2008 I couldn't stop playing with the camera, so more shots...this time of the stuff from Mr. Coral's buy one, get one free sale (tis both a blessing and a curse living so near that store). New zoas/palys, to be unmounted, and glued to the rock in the center with the Weetie pinks and bam bams: Blue polyp M. danae (this is the REAL M. danae...not the same species as the superman/rainbow/etc. "danae"): blue-eyed faviid: I'm hoping that much of this coral overload will be moved into the 12g frag tank soon, if/when my T5 fixture is "released" from it's current duties on Steve(Outlaw)'s tank. Then I can move one of the MH fixtures back onto it. And an old shot... Monti wall top down: cropped version of that shot: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw March 2, 2008 Author Share March 2, 2008 Before: Maxis = 13 After: Maxis = 23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancer99 March 2, 2008 Share March 2, 2008 Daniel, Tank looks great! I'm glad to see that everything is doing so well. Those shots of the cowry are awesome....when fully extended, it really does look like a being from an alien planet As for your zoas not spreading, as you mentioned in a previous post, IM(limited)E, they take a while to adjust in a new tank, but then take off. -R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw March 4, 2008 Author Share March 4, 2008 Daniel, Tank looks great! I'm glad to see that everything is doing so well. Those shots of the cowry are awesome....when fully extended, it really does look like a being from an alien planet As for your zoas not spreading, as you mentioned in a previous post, IM(limited)E, they take a while to adjust in a new tank, but then take off. -R Thanks The cowry has been a favorite of mine for a long time. I just wish I saw him more often (once every 3-6 months isn't much fun :() It's quite the character once ya get him out in the open though. Oddly, my biggest problems with the zoas are the two frags I've had for more than 6 months. All the other old groups (orange and red especially) took off all over the place, but those haven't had a single new polyp in 6 months :( Thats okay, though. I just covered the area around them with more frags Here's the latest round of pics: RING OF FIRE ZOAS!!!!! omgomgomg I lost a colony in the DC move...finally got another one orange zoas, "tonga" shrooms, hairy shroom, TWO clams (yep, I snuck another one in on ya, a few weeks ago ) Mini carpets hanging out in the Caulerpa (there are 10 maxis and a mini in that mess: Glued all those zoa frags to the rock. Less white rock = good Macro shot: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highland Reefer March 4, 2008 Share March 4, 2008 I am quite taken back by what you have accomplished here. I looks wonderful. Congrats. I may be repeating a prior post, but are you using any kind of deeps sand bed or refugium on your system? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw March 4, 2008 Author Share March 4, 2008 I am quite taken back by what you have accomplished here. I looks wonderful. Congrats. I may be repeating a prior post, but are you using any kind of deeps sand bed or refugium on your system? Thanks The sandbed in the tank ranges from about 1.5" in the center to ~4" in the corners (for more water column in the center to encourage the fish to that area, and for deeper sediment on the edges for the seagrasses I have (and will hopefully be getting in the spring). You can see where the gradient begins by looking for the rock outcroppings in the sand on either side of the tank. I'm using them to stabilize the sand slope. So no DSB, unless you count those small regions in the front corners?. I'm relying more on the skimmer to remove as much waste as possible prior to conversion to nitrates, and the macroalgaes and 5g weekly water changes to take care of the rest. I am running a 15g sump/refugium combo which houses the ASM Mini-G, about 25 lbs of live rock, and more Caulerpa and Chaeto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highland Reefer March 4, 2008 Share March 4, 2008 (edited) What kind of lights to you using on your refugium. I have read that Caulerpa should only be used by experts, which I know you are, because of their potential toxicity. Edited March 4, 2008 by Highland Reefer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanman March 4, 2008 Share March 4, 2008 Okay - no fair... where did you find a gold-ring cowrie?? (Cypraea annulus) I'd love to find some of the common cowries I saw every day in the Philippines. Cypraea annulus, moneta, caputserpentis. Johnny had some arabicus the other day - those are (were) probably the most common of all. Certain rocks had thousands of them covering the surfaces. Not that I don't have all of them... but they're DEAD! bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traveller7 March 4, 2008 Share March 4, 2008 .....Not that I don't have all of them... but they're DEAD!Dead ones eat fewer anemones :>) I woke up one night to my 3" cowrie eating a big blue haddoni......that shell is on display around here somewhere..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw March 4, 2008 Author Share March 4, 2008 (edited) What kind of lights to you using on your refugium. I have read that Caulerpa should only be used by experts, which I know you are, because of their potential toxicity. I'm using natural sunlight only. The entire tank, but especially the sump gets 3-5 hrs a day, depending on season. I certainly wouldn't say expert but I haven't had any issues with the Caulerpa thus far. I think the key to preventing it from going sexual is a good skimmer pulling out most of their food source. The stuff in the sump grows quite slowly, whereas the bit in the tank is pretty fast. I trim the pieces in the display twice a week. Okay - no fair... where did you find a gold-ring cowrie?? (Cypraea annulus) I'd love to find some of the common cowries I saw every day in the Philippines. Cypraea annulus, moneta, caputserpentis. Johnny had some arabicus the other day - those are (were) probably the most common of all. Certain rocks had thousands of them covering the surfaces. Not that I don't have all of them... but they're DEAD! bob Took a lot of searching That was yet another of my "6 months of wanting one, but not finding a local source" adventures, like the mini carpets, coldwater stuff (maybe the fireworm now?), and I hate to buy things online. Anyway - I got it from Rick's, just down the street from Mr. Coral. Overpaid for him, but it's okay considering how much I like it. They're supposed to call me if they get more in Thats quite the cowry shell collection you have there! Dead ones eat fewer anemones :>) I woke up one night to my 3" cowrie eating a big blue haddoni......that shell is on display around here somewhere..... *sigh* I hope that never happens with this guy. Wouldn't want to banish him to the pest tank All reports I've seen so far are that he'll chomp on the algae and leave most other stuff alone. He's also taken out a few q-tip sponges from one of the clam shells (or, I have to assume it was him, since he was sitting next to it when I went to bed, and it was gone when I got up). Anyway, my fiancee asked for more pics for the nano-reef thread, so here they are as well: I think my new goal is to convince any dialup users that they should give up and switch to DSL or cable Edited March 4, 2008 by dshnarw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw March 5, 2008 Author Share March 5, 2008 Ok...LPS shots tonight: Always good when the image editing software does NOTHING to fix the pic This is what happens when LPS meets mini carpet: LOVE THIS BLUE COLOR...same shade as the bathroom floor and tiling around the tub in the apt. This guy met the seepers of the one above^^ Had to separate them This one decided to take out some of the big purple rim monti for growth space...now a game of inching them away as they grow: This little one is just so photogenic Thats most of them. Theres another chalice in the shadows that I've never gotten a good pic of - pink color. And some unknown that's orange/pink/reddish, and blue - maybe Oxypora? Pics are impossible with the darned thing so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak March 5, 2008 Share March 5, 2008 Awesome shots! i have to come down and see this tank some time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw March 5, 2008 Author Share March 5, 2008 Awesome shots! i have to come down and see this tank some time Thanks Just name the time... (speaking of seeing the tank...I'm gonna need a caretaker for the tanks and to just check on the apartment for about a month during the wedding/honeymoon). If anyone's gonna be around from May 24 to June 15 or so, and wouldn't mind taking care of the tanks for me, LMK. We can work out some kind of deal with frags or cash...and you can hang out in my bathroom with some majanos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw March 5, 2008 Author Share March 5, 2008 Bored in the office, nothing to do. Can't leave cause a student is making up a lab :( So...a couple of night shot attempts from last night to continue the LPS theme and the puppy at the office. Before the morning coffee: After the morning coffee: Gizmo drinks coffee, I drink tea... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw March 6, 2008 Author Share March 6, 2008 Last time you'll see that ugly rectangle on the confusa: bigger size: http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t109/arwndsh/IMG_0670.jpg Cause now, it looks like this Better: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw March 7, 2008 Author Share March 7, 2008 So I'll assume everyone knew that I couldn't leave the camera alone... And it was a good night. Only putting up 8 shots (out of 175!!!) cause I don't feel like checking them all out, but they're good ones, I think My first okay shots of the wrasse: The male clarkii (female moves too much/quick for a pic I'm gonna glue her to a rock one day): Halomitra: And lastly, Houdini posing above his perch for me: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak March 7, 2008 Share March 7, 2008 What are those orange and purple zoas? I really really like them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw March 7, 2008 Author Share March 7, 2008 What are those orange and purple zoas? I really really like them They were given to me as "bam bams". They really stand out from the rest of the zoas, but I can't get them to grow. No new polyps in 6 months :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw March 8, 2008 Author Share March 8, 2008 More with the wrasse: Female clown: Yellow clown goby: Halomitra: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highland Reefer March 8, 2008 Share March 8, 2008 Beautiful pics. What kind of camera are you using. Your setup is amazing. I live in Highland in Howard County, which is a little bit of a hike to ya. I can help out during your honeymoon, if you would trust your system to a dump entomologist who graduated from Maryland, with only a short time of experience with reef systems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw March 8, 2008 Author Share March 8, 2008 Beautiful pics. What kind of camera are you using. Your setup is amazing. I live in Highland in Howard County, which is a little bit of a hike to ya. I can help out during your honeymoon, if you would trust your system to a dump entomologist who graduated from Maryland, with only a short time of experience with reef systems. Thanks! I just got a Canon G9, prior to that was an old HP Photosmart 945. Still learning the new camera (last two posts were my first attempts at all manual settings). My system's fairly easy to maintain, mostly topping off (which will hopefully be helped with an ATO soon), feeding every 2-3 days. One good waterchange and skimmer waste dumping about midway through would probably suffice, maybe some macroalgae trimming if it gets way out of hand. Easier with the coldwater system - top offs, feed once a week, check the temp. No need for a water change with less feedings and very light stocking load. The bathroom pico is just top-offs. It can handle a month of no water changes, no feedings. And then getting the mail out of the box and the fliers off the door. I'll hopefully have enough water stockpiled in the apt. for the water change and topping off along with anything else needed. So anyway - anyone who graduated from UMd is trustworthy enough for me If you're up for a drive to Bladensburg every few days to check on things, I'll definitely take you up on the offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highland Reefer March 8, 2008 Share March 8, 2008 Sounds good to me. I think I will enjoy seeing your setup, up close and all of the intricacies you have going. I am definitely intrigued and look forward to it. The only question I have is, are you sure you are doing the right thing getting married? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw March 8, 2008 Author Share March 8, 2008 Sounds good to me. I think I will enjoy seeing your setup, up close and all of the intricacies you have going. I am definitely intrigued and look forward to it. The only question I have is, are you sure you are doing the right thing getting married? She's buying me a T5 fixture for this tank...I'd call her a keeper Anyhoo - when it gets closer to time, I'll check back with you and make sure you're still good on it, show ya around the tanks a bit, get ya a set of keys and such. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 March 8, 2008 Share March 8, 2008 I'm curious about your natural lighting. Can you snap a picture of it with the window lighting so we can get a feeling for natural lighting? Also, do you think that the T5s are necessary or could your tank continue to thrive on window light? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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