Anemone reef. New addition! Big Blue!

[Seancj]

Very excited! New super blue haddoni! Only had it for a week, bleached from cipro, some slight gaping when video was taken, but mouth is tighter this morning and overall it's looking pretty good. It seems to like its location. I hope some of the pink skunks eventually take to it. That would be beautiful!
All the nems are really liking these plasma lights. The smaller Mags are actually starting to grow a bit again. The Mertensi is getting quite large and, knock on wood, no fish losses to it so far.

 

[386reeftrader]

Beautiful tank! I love the blue haddoni, if I ever find a healthy one I might have to snag it. I see the reds and greens often at LFS but never blues.

Is that a gig up in the top right or mertens?

 

[winxp_man]

Wow! Talk about nems for days!

 

[Seancj]

Beautiful tank! I love the blue haddoni, if I ever find a healthy one I might have to snag it. I see the reds and greens often at LFS but never blues.

Is that a gig up in the top right or mertens?

Thank you! I've been looking for a nice big healthy deep blue carpet for a long time. I sure hope it does well.
The big nem in the top right is a Mertensi. A bit drab under the full spectrum, but a really nice purple with yellow tips and really pops under blues.

 

[Seancj]

Wow! Talk about nems for days!

Yep! Nems, especially Magnifica and Gigantea, are my addiction.

 

[Seancj]

Excited to see this! Wild pink skunks are starting to take an interest in the blue carpet!

 

[World Citizen]

Nice find!

 

[Seancj]

Nice find!

Thank you! I am really enjoying it. That bright blue color just draws attention!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Very excited! New super blue haddoni! Only had it for a week, bleached from cipro, some slight gaping when video was taken, but mouth is tighter this morning and overall it's looking pretty good. It seems to like its location. I hope some of the pink skunks eventually take to it. That would be beautiful!
All the nems are really liking these plasma lights. The smaller Mags are actually starting to grow a bit again. The Mertensi is getting quite large and, knock on wood, no fish losses to it so far.

Very nice!

I’m curious about those pink skunk clowns.

How many do you have?

Are they paired up?

It seems like some roved through the anemones like it was all one giant anemone home. Lol

 

[Seancj]

Very nice!

I’m curious about those pink skunk clowns.

How many do you have?

Are they paired up?

It seems like some roved through the anemones like it was all one giant anemone home. Lol

Hello Randy! Thank you for the compliment!
There are currently 12 wild pink skunks in the tank. Since their addition many months ago, they have divided themselves into basically a dominant pair and two separate groups. There is a group of 5 that has established the left side of the tank (the areas dominated by rainbow BTA's, an LTA, and a sebae) and another group of 5 that has established the far right side of the tank who move between the Mags and Mertensi.
I call them 'groups' and not 'harems' as I do not see any pairing up in either group. The right side group consists of mostly smaller juveniles. The left side group does have larger specimens and I think there may be a pair forming in that group, but nothing definite.
The dominant pair has established the center of the tank as their domain and control all of the Mags in the center and top left, however, they will also swim into both ends of the tank to continually establish their overall dominance over the entire tank.
This dominant pair is much more forgiving of the smaller pinks on the right side of the tank and will allow them to come into the center Mags. They do not allow the larger pinks of the left side harem into the center Mags.

 

[Seancj]

Now that I rethink this a bit, perhaps there is indeed two 'harems' in the tank. I think the larger, dominant pair has accepted the smaller pinks on the right side of the tank as a harem. The group on the left side are all of similar young adult size and have not yet established a dominant pair, as I don't see any kind of hierarchy as they all swim peacefully together. However, there may be a pair forming which is why the larger true pair is continually swimming over there to establish their dominance.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Fascinating! It will be very interesting to see how this unfolds going forward. :)

 

[Seancj]

I think the tank is big enough, with enough anemones to choose from, for 2 harems, or possibly one super harem if they wind up merging under the dominant pair. That was the goal from the beginning, a large super harem with a tank stocked full of nems. So far, so good.
The tank was looking particularly nice this afternoon. Every nem and coral was at full extension and the fish colors were just so beautiful?

 

[dvgyfresh]

I think the tank is big enough, with enough anemones to choose from, for 2 harems, or possibly one super harem if they wind up merging under the dominant pair. That was the goal from the beginning, a large super harem with a tank stocked full of nems. So far, so good.
The tank was looking particularly nice this afternoon. Every nem and coral was at full extension and the fish colors were just so beautiful?

How you get anything done is beyond me, I’d be glued to the tank haha

 

[Seancj]

The wife does sometimes refer to the tank as my "mistress"! :)
I do try and enjoy the tank as often as possible each day.