CCOMBS FIRST REEF!

[ccombs]

Looking good, sorry you’re still hurting. Hopefully the healing will continue (at an accelerated pace). I kind of know the feeling, I’ve been struggling with pain for last couple years for various reasons. Physical therapy and strength training has done wonders for my recovery, though it was a horrible experience for a very long time. You’ll get there, just keep doing what you are supposed to be doing. Somewhere along the process you’ll realize that your strength is an inspiration to someone who likely needs it more than you.

Thank you for always having such kind words! I hope you and your tank are doing well!

 

[Victoria M]

WARNING: Shameless Self Promotion Ahead!

This rebuild has made me look back at all of the mistakes I have made. If you have been following along, you know I have made plenty. One thing that has been important to me is to be open about my mistakes so other hobbyists can avoid what I went through. I am still very new, but have learned a lot in a short amount of time, and I really wanted to summarize my learnings to hopefully help others. On this forum, sometimes it might be easy to hide mistakes to save face. This forum has been judgement free and everyone is here to help. I encourage others to be open about what they have done wrong for the advancement of the hobby.

@Seawitch was kind enough to let a newbie like me write an article. She helped me edit it and made me seem much more intelligent as a writer than I actually am. If you are a new reefer reading this, or an old reefer wanting a summary to pass along to someone in the hobby, check out the link to the article below to see what I have learned in the past 9 months or so.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/a-letter-to-my-younger-self.584168/

Ah, so this is where I know you from. It has been killing me as I read your build thread.I keep thinking man, I know this guy.
The newb chronicles...painful to read because you see the heartbreak coming. I have loved reading your thread and I am about halfway through now. So many things I would say But you have already figured it out. The stand is just beautiful. Lovely work. I will continue reading tomorrow.

 

[samnaz]

Looking good

 

[ccombs]

I need some advice here. The anemone has been looking great since I put it in, until this afternoon. All the sudden it practically looks dead.

Thoughts?

Update- Just a couple of hours later it seems to be peaking back out. Maybe my golden head goby dumped some sand in its mouth?

 

[Rick.45cal]

I need some advice here. The anemone has been looking great since I put it in, until this afternoon. All the sudden it practically looks dead.

Thoughts?

Update- Just a couple of hours later it seems to be peaking back out. Maybe my golden head goby dumped some sand in its mouth?

It’s been a long time since I’ve kept an anemone but they do some very strange things sometimes. Hopefully an anemone expert will chime in.

 

[Victoria M]

Pretty normal behavior. One of the fascinating things about them. Hopefully no one is missing that can happen too.

 

[ccombs]

So the anemone has good days and bad days. It had a really great spot but the dang goby kept dumping sand in it, so now it is literally under a rock with my shrimp :/ will it be able to survive there?

Also! I am super excited. Today I put a peach hammer on hold at my LFS and cannot wait to get it in my tank! I am going to group it with the frogspawn and have a wavy garden of color!

 

[ccombs]

Just got peach hammer glued down, now I just wait for it to open up!

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Just got peach hammer glued down, now I just wait for it to open up!

Gorgeous, comrade.
Did u buy online or LRS?

 

[ccombs]

Gorgeous, comrade.
Did u buy online or LRS?

LFS

Oceanside Aquariums in Nashville. They are smaller than the well known one in the city, but they are my favorite for sure!

 

[samnaz]

Looks close to full extension in the pic you shared already. Tis a beautiful specimen. Can’t wait to see it fully acclimated to its new home!

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Looking good so far!

 

[ccombs]

Here are some pics from today. Hammer really opened up to be what I saw in the store. I need to take a photography lesson, I wish I could get pics that look as good as this tank does in real life, or at least get the blue to white ratio right.

 

[samnaz]

Here’s my “photography” lesson for tank photos... turn up the whites on your lights when photographing. Works like a charm. Then ya don’t have to bother as much or at all with editing.

 

[ccombs]

My anemone moved where I can't get a picture of course. I am getting worried about it, it is not fully closed up, but very retracted. It is stressful to one day see it looking amazing, and the next day looking closed up. Hopefully I can get a picture soon.

EDIT- Hours after posting this the anemone opened back up. When closed, it still had good color. I guess I need to stop worrying so much about it. Everything in tank is looking good, here are some top down shots.



It is kind of tucked away in an odd spot. But it is open and looking good.

FTS with more whites added in. I am most pleased with how rock is maturing.

Frogspawn and Hammer are bunched together. I know they can sting, but I have read many success stories.

These zoas have really grown alot lately in size.

This encrusting Monti is really showing signs of growth.

These zoas that were dying off because of original Ricordia placement are bouncing back.

 

[ccombs]

Is this a pod? I have seen the little white ones, but today while changing my filter floss I found a bunch of these guys. They jumped off the pad and on to my arm and hand, and I thought the alien invasion had begun....

Also! I am trying out reef roids. Today I fed the Acan and its little feeding tentacles came out. So cool!

 

[dantimdad]

Tank is looking good!

 

[ccombs]

Tank is looking good!

Thank you so much! I am very pleased with progress since rebuild. I wish my pictures translated how good it was looking in person. The frogspawn with the peach hammer is really a sight. They both have stunning color and movement.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Looks like an Amphipod. Big, meaty snack for a lucky fish.

 

[Victoria M]

Super exciting stuff!