40 Gallons with a few Soft Corals

[EricR]

Replaced my barnacle cluster that had been dissolving/collapsing.
*hoping it somehow helps my rising alkalinity issue but not likely (((different story going on there)))

Before/after pictures -- tailspot blenny took to new barnacles pretty quickly:

It was a bit of a chore to find a cluster with barnacles as "deep" as my original and, when I finally did, had to tear new one apart for fear of unsafe adhesive but I had a different thread on that adventure here:

Removing Adhesive from Barnacle Cluster

 

[EricR]

My newest discovery is a hydroid in test tank that I've been using to test different items from main tank to search for cause of rising alkalinity.

Hadn't seen any in my DT but went searching before lights came on and did find one on one ricordea that I blew off.

Time to start researching what people do about these (if anything) and also wondering if they've maybe been causing some issues even though I hadn't seen any before,,, just since most of my corals haven't seemed overly happy lately.

 

[EricR]

My first LPS -- single head Duncan,,, bought about 2 months ago:

*it's gotten much fatter and a bit taller,,, but the tentacles are kind of stubbier than when I got it -- won't worry since it's growing and seems happy enough

 

[vlangel]

My newest discovery is a hydroid in test tank that I've been using to test different items from main tank to search for cause of rising alkalinity.

Hadn't seen any in my DT but went searching before lights came on and did find one on one ricordea that I blew off.

Time to start researching what people do about these (if anything) and also wondering if they've maybe been causing some issues even though I hadn't seen any before,,, just since most of my corals haven't seemed overly happy lately.

My tank has very very old rock (as in decades) and so I have had hydroids and probably still have hydroids. I do not do anything with them and like other populations of life in the tank, they seem to go through times of thriving and waning. They have never really hurt anything in my tank even though they can sting. The only tanks that I know that they are a danger to is dwarf seahorses.

PS. I like your tank by the way!

 

[EricR]

Nassarius snail eggs (general consensus) -- I see these periodically and never any baby snails since, I assume, Nassarius aren't likely to reproduce well in our tanks:
*posted this elsewhere about 5 days ago but figured I'd capture here in my personal tank thread

...there were a bunch in 3 different spots in the tank that morning that I noticed

 

[EricR]

Just noticed that my single head duncan that I've had for a couple of months has about 4 or 5 new heads starting to form around it's perimeter.
*at least I hope/assume that's what's going on

Here's a couple on one side:

 

[EricR]

Long story but here's recap:
1. 1/2024 urchin chewed through AI Nero 5 cord so it died -- had smaller Aqamai KPs ready (planned as 2nd wavemaker but not in tank yet).
2. Ran single KPs only for a couple of months and not even on full power.
3. Sinularia was getting tall but folded over and started smothering tiny toadstool (assumably from the lower flow).
*I know I need to move the toadstool but,,, uhh,,, haven't gotten to it yet

*added 2nd KPs (wavemaker) recently so maybe that'll help

 

[EricR]

I did also pick up a 2nd cheapish (single head) duncan recently since my first one seems to be doing well and growing:

 

[EricR]

Saw "Friday FTS" thread so snapped a couple of pictures (below).

Current status:
-- Most of my zoas (long story) that did great for first year are officially horrid after about a year long regression
-- Sinularia folded after a couple of months of poor flow (since AI Nero cord got devoured by urchin) ... seems awkward but OK-ish
-- Tiny toadstool smothered (for a couple of months) by Sinularia finally moved (to rack) so we'll see

 

[EricR]

Not the best picture but the 5 new heads budding around the perimeter of my first duncan (from posts# 63, 66) are getting bigger -- cool:

 

[EricR]

Shot from today,,, clown was getting territorial with my blenny in back corner so moved part of the blenny's barnacle cluster to the front:

 

[EricR]

My skunk cleaner shrimp that I had for 2 years is officially gone (I think).
Failed molt recently seemed to be a problem.
I posted some babble in this existing thread:

Skunk Cleaner Shrimp Molt Fail

 

[EricR]

Already posted this in another sinularia thread today but figured I might as well put here also:

Attempt to show about 1 year of sinularia growth:

 

[EricR]

Random rant -- my sinularia is to a point where I think I need to do something:
-- back section is firmly attached to rock
-- separate thick/heavy branch is starting to hang forward
*I like to let stuff do its own thing but probably have to deal with this at some point

*my tailspot blenny was attacking the parts that are too close to his barnacle cluster but it didn't seem to affect the coral,,, so the blenny's new residence now seems to be a GSP patch

 

[EricR]

Random iPhone try at what my common flow looks like on a sinularia and finger leather:
*may or may not have been imbibing after rough day at work so just chillin' and thought it'd be fun



P.S. I know YouTube is common but the video compression vs original always seems pretty sucky to me,,, oh well

 

[EricR]

Haven't taken any pictures for a while so here goes...

Current FTS:
-- hair algae outbreak on my right rock structure (which started as dry rock 2.5+ years ago) -- I guess I should stop DIY iron dosing ... some portions of the pile are currently in invert QT for biofilter and food (algae)
-- one sinularia branch has gotten massive and just hanging forward over/into some ricordea -- gotta do something at some point

Sharing is caring -- algae wafer (I think):

 

[MDAquatics]

everything is looking great!

 

[EricR]

everything is looking great!

Thanks -- I'm sticking to simple/easy and pretty satisfied but do have some things that frustrate me a bit, but I digress.

 

[EricR]

Single head duncan from post #63 is doing well.
New heads started forming in post #66.
They've all gotten pretty large now.
Had this one for about 9 months, total.

*another single head duncan I bought from same LFS a little after this one did great for a few months but then went downhill,,, not sure why

 

[Ocellaris123]

Good looking tank but im wondering if your green sinularia is actually green capnella ( green kenya tree)? My old green capnella for comparison with green nepthea behind it