apex003's 18g Via Aqua (Dial-up beware...)

[Anonymous]

Funny joke about the last name..I'll have to tell everyone that one

I have NEVER had problems introducing two cleaners (you added the same species, L. amboinensis, right?) together...that's so odd that it killed the other one. If you try again, maybe try with two small ones at the same time. They're hermaphroditic, so there shouldn't be any 'male vs. male' type aggression. Any cleaner can mate with any other cleaner, basically, and usually they're happy to do so.

 

[Anonymous]

I can't really say for sure. Are there's red, yellow and white striped shrimp that are different species? I can't be 100% sure it was the shrimp b/c he was dead when I came home from work, but it seems highly likely. The big guy kept pursuing the other shrimp, and I thought they were courting, but I guess not...

Where'd you buy your litermeter? I think I might go that direction b/c I just don't trust a floatswitch/powerhead system not to flood the apartment.

HCl, I saw that EcoAqualizer thing. What the hell is it? I'm going to start bottling diH20 and market it as "Aquapure, essential aquarium supplement with beneficial oxygen dihydride", $20 for 10oz.

 

[Anonymous]

The EA is basically a PVC pipe with magnets wrapped around it. Total scam. MattM from the RDOTF did a little experiment with it on his tanks that pretty much showed that it did nothing.

I think I got my litermeter from www.premiumaquatics.com IIRC. Great site for drygoods.

There are two species of "skunk cleaner" that look nearly identical, L. amboinensis and L. grabhami. The former is from the Pacific and the latter from the Atlantic. I suppose it's possible you got two different species but I doubt it. Next time try to just get a pair at the LFS that look compatible. These guys will start breeding in a couple weeks if you feed them well.

 

[Anonymous]

Got my robsreef.com order yesterday. I am very happy... All frags were alive and open when I got home from work. They look just like the pictures, and the free blues were awesome. Probably 10 polyps mixed in with a couple super dark chocolates. I did have to do a FW dip b/c I saw some nudis, but I guess that's pretty par for the course; and I hope I got them all. I'll post pics tomorrow...

 

[HClH2OFish]

Apex,
As Matt stated, the EcoAqualizer is aquarium snake oil.
Do a search for it and check out some of the threads...they can be quite entertaining..

 

[Anonymous]

Here's a picture of my wrasse sleeping. He rests inside this hole, head first, with his tail hanging out. Must be mimicking an eel or something to stay safe at nights.

 

[Anonymous]

Here's some updated pics:

 

[Anonymous]

some more

 

[Anonymous]

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[Anonymous]

Swweeet. Nice looking Tubastraea. You feeding it every day?

It's all coming along quite nicely G.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Matt. I'm feeding every other day right now. From the threads I've read, that seems to be adequate. I think it will be okay because I target feed with a container over the coral, so the polyps get LOTs of food per feeding. Do tubastrea share nutrients between polyps through their colenchyma (sp)?

 

[Anonymous]

Great question, and NO they do not. Each polyp needs to be fed.

Nice little trick with the container. So is there like a little hole on the top you inject food into? Great idea. I would have just pulled it out of the tank and fed it in a bowl, but that's probably a bit stressful for it.

You know these guys will send out asexual buds right? You might find some polyps on the glass or a pump eventually if they're doing really good. I remember the day I found some Pocillopora (SPS) buds in my tank. Sucess! The nerdery has worked!

Man those purple center zoanthids are sweet too.

 

[Anonymous]

I drilled holes all over in the top, so I could inject food with my turkey baster. They great part is you can just squirt around inside to resuspend the food, so it is also much more efficient than regular target feeding. I hope it makes babies, like you said...

What do you think the unknown green LPS is? I just saw it in the LFS tank about a month ago and really liked the color. I went this weekend and it was still alive so I figured it's pretty hardy. The guy said it was a candy cane that broke off, but I'm not so sure about that in looking at the polyps and the color seems atypical for a candy cane. The polyps are very close set, not branched looking. I dunno. Maybe I'll call it an acan and sell it on ebay for 1 million dollars...

P.S. You were right. I finally got a pair of cleaners, and I just noticed one had eggs yesterday. 8)

 

[Anonymous]

The LPS? Hmm, hard to say. I suck at IDing the big polyp ones like that. It does look a little bit like an Acanthastraea tho, good call.

 

[Anonymous]

some new pics

 

[Anonymous]

more

 

[Anonymous]

and more

 

[fishfanatic2]

Wow I love that aquascape. Aweshome. It'll be even more amazing when all those corals grow in.

Dam I wish my tank looked like that!

 

[Anonymous]

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[Anonymous]

apex to all:

Now the circle is complete. When I left you I was but the learner. Now I am the master.

:lol:

Looking awesome man. The chalk bass is a very very cool fish.