Bleigh's 60 gallon cube

Skynyrd Fish · Jul 12, 2020

My cords look like a plate of spaghetti..

Bleigh · Jul 12, 2020

Skynyrd Fish said:
My cords look like a plate of spaghetti..

hopefully sans sauce?;Happy I’m going to work on mine this week. I hate it.

Blutspitze · Jul 13, 2020

Looking great overall! Sorry to hear about the ich outbreak, but glad you've recovered. I've been debating about a Triton as well, but love the Apex overall. Don't have space to do an AWC, but it's taken SO much of the guesswork out of most aspects of my setup, I'd never want to go back to manual dosing and the like.

Skynyrd Fish · Jul 13, 2020

The word fire hazard maybe appropriate in my case. Lol

Bleigh · Jul 19, 2020

So I’ve had some struggles off and on with different corals and have not been able to figure out what is going on. I got up late one night and looked in my tank. It was covered in asterinia starfish. I see them occasionally and pick them out, but this was so far beyond what I would have guessed I had.

I picked up a harlequin shrimp to help me get them gone and instantly starfish started climbing the walls there’s several dozen. I’m not sure if they just know he’s in the tank and are running or if he’s scaring them out. Several have legs missing - some look freshly removed - so I’m assuming he’s eating on some of them. It’s awesome and also making my skin crawl seeing so many move at the same time. Hopefully this helps reduce the numbers so they’ll stop irritating the corals.

Skynyrd Fish · Jul 19, 2020

Harlequins are awesome. So cool looking.

vetteguy53081 · Jul 19, 2020

Darn asterinas. I hate them things !!

zbryant91 · Jul 19, 2020

I've been fighting the same thing. Many zoas and palys and hammers that look so angry and thats the only thing I've been able to find to place the blame on. I got a harlequin a month ago but I think there's too many for one to handle. But prices are super inflated and I don't really want to buy another. But I may have to soon.

Difrano · Jul 19, 2020

Very nice tank and selection of livestock, also looks like you are winning the battle against most pest!

Bleigh · Jul 27, 2020

About to get this water station up and running. Just trying to determine if I can mount my RODI unit below the container. I want to be able to use gravity to fill up the salt water mixing container. If I want the RODI unit about that I would have to get on a ladder every time I needed to do anything. I suspect that will end up with me being less likely to monitor the filters as well as I should. I can’t find anything that says it’s bad for the unit if the RODI water has to travel against gravity. Hopefully I don’t mess things up from the get go.

Bleigh · Sep 27, 2020

I keep forgetting the names of corals I bought. I got these 5 from the missing macna sale. The picture is from the day I put them in the tank (last week sometime). Trying to place them today.

WWC Aussie Golden Eye Chalice

WWC Mystique Cyphastrea

WWC Mint Massacre Favia

WWC Shawns Purple Berry Acropora

WWC Tiki Torch Montipora

Bleigh · Sep 27, 2020

All placed. And most seem happy. I can’t tell how happy the cyphastrea is, but it’s a good ways away from the glass and I know sometimes they take a little longer to settle in. Fingers crossed.

Magellan · Sep 27, 2020

Bleigh said:
I keep forgetting the names of corals I bought. I got these 5 from the missing macna sale. The picture is from the day I put them in the tank (last week sometime). Trying to place them today.

WWC Aussie Golden Eye Chalice

WWC Mystique Cyphastrea

WWC Mint Massacre Favia

WWC Shawns Purple Berry Acropora

WWC Tiki Torch Montipora

I love that chalice!

mattgsa · Sep 28, 2020

Your tank is really nice. Thanks for sharing.

Bleigh · Oct 10, 2020

Just posted the unboxing of the corals from WWC Fragtoberfest 2020.

I ended up with 12:

Rainbow Monti - the free frag
WWC Mayan Moon Favia - aftersale
ORS Neon Birdsnest
Cherry Aussie Lord
Teal Ring Aussie Lord
WWC Ruby Red Micromussa
PC Rainbow Acropora
WWC Shark Attack Acropora
WWC Emerald City Tenuis
WWC Spearmint Montipora -Aftersale
WWC Peppermint Cyphastrea
Tyree Brick Red Cyphastrea

najer · Oct 10, 2020

Great vid, can't wait to see happy pics of them all.

Bleigh · Oct 10, 2020

najer said:
Great vid, can't wait to see happy pics of them all.

You won't have to wait too long. I made a video of them this morning. They're all looking great. This is seriously my favorite selection I have made.

Bleigh · Oct 14, 2020

Sent water off for ICP testing today. I would have done it last week, but I spelled my e-mail address wrong and had to wait for them to fix it. Can't wait to see what they say!

Maritimer · Oct 14, 2020

That is a seriously beautiful tank!

Asterina missing arms may or may not have anything to do with the harlequin - those little stars drop arms or split in half at the drop of a hat. It's how they make more Asterina.

~B.

Bleigh · Oct 15, 2020

Maritimer said:
That is a seriously beautiful tank!

Asterina missing arms may or may not have anything to do with the harlequin - those little stars drop arms or split in half at the drop of a hat. It's how they make more Asterina.

~B.

Thank you!

I think the harlequin has just about taken care of them. I'm having to supplement him with chocolate stars now. The corals aren't as irritated since I put him in there. Definitely think their population explosion explains some of the corals not opening and receding. I doubt the asternia were eating any corals, I just think they were blanketing them and driving the corals bananas.

This picture is from last night. I need to clean the glass on it and place those frags before the urchin notices them. But my growth has been really good recently. I'm trying to get some bergia nudibranchs in to try and get the aiptasia manageable again.