Definitely worm free (IMLagoon25)

[kevgib67]

Staring to get bigger again, it may look like there's less of them but the conch just went by and buried a few of them, they should build themselves up soon.

But look at what we've lost

I love those feather dusters, I’ve never seen those ones before.

 

[BristleWormHater]

I love those feather dusters, I’ve never seen those ones before.

Absolutely obsessed with them, favorite part of the tank by far. Very happy to see them begin to recover but sad to see the decline.

 

[kevgib67]

Absolutely obsessed with them, favorite part of the tank by far. Very happy to see them begin to recover but sad to see the decline.

Perhaps the coolest hitchhikers I’ve seen!

 

[BristleWormHater]

The gorgonian shed yesterday, I was about to do a peroxide dip since the algae was getting pretty bad but the flow upgrade definitely did the job for me. And good lord the photosyntheic ones are 100000000x easier.

Only the greatest photos on this build thread lol.

 

[twentyleagues]

The gorgonian shed yesterday, I was about to do a peroxide dip since the algae was getting pretty bad but the flow upgrade definitely did the job for me. And good lord the photosyntheic ones are 100000000x easier.

Only the greatest photos on this build thread lol.

Yes unfortunately the non-photosynthetic fans, gorgs and softies are very hard to care for properly. Even in a dedicated tank with common feeds they dont always make it. Once I moved all my non-photosynthetic "lps" to their own tank it got much easier to grow them. Besides lighting causing them to not open, critters in the tank cause issues shrimp, crabs and fish will all steal food and cause them to not open. Certian "soft" non-photo will only accept live foods like rotifers or if polyp size is larger live bbs their polyps simply wont "fire" if its not moving correctly. The "lps" stuff is much easier their polyps will take pretty much anything that "smells" like food and is of appropriate size, usually mysis or brine shrimp sometimes pellets.

 

[BristleWormHater]

Got some macroalgae and big chalice coral frag, ill post pics when the lights are on tomorrow.

 

[BristleWormHater]

I did take this picture earlier, my fish huddled together in the corner when I was adding things, I think they were scared of the macroalgae since it was not secured and just flying around the tank, attached it to a frag plug for now. Not the best picture but I thought it was really cute lol.

 

[BristleWormHater]

Here is the chalice coral, I got this from premier aquatics who usually has really high prices but this was $10! It was on a $10 rack with a few small and dying frags. I asked and apparently it was 10 bucks. I think someone must have left it there on accident because there no way this a $10 frag especially not at preimer, picture doesn't do it justice but this is now the largest coral I own. I also got some gracilaria as well, well see how it does without an urchin to eat it. Hopefully the chalice will be the only coral left on the sandbed after today, im hoping to mount them all, ill update yall once its done.

 

[twentyleagues]

Here is the chalice coral, I got this from premier aquatics who usually has really high prices but this was $10! It was on a $10 rack with a few small and dying frags. I asked and apparently it was 10 bucks. I think someone must have left it there on accident because there no way this a $10 frag especially not at preimer, picture doesn't do it justice but this is now the largest coral I own. I also got some gracilaria as well, well see how it does without an urchin to eat it. Hopefully the chalice will be the only coral left on the sandbed after today, im hoping to mount them all, ill update yall once its done.

Thats a sizable chunk for 10 bucks! Nice pick up.

 

[BristleWormHater]

Favorite coral to do updates on!
August 2024

August 2025, also so glad I changed my lightning I love this more natural look.

 

[BristleWormHater]

Tried to mount all my corals, I got most of them, unfortunately the hammer coral remains in the sandbed because I cannot figure out how to get it off the plug it came on. Its one of those hard plastic plugs so my bone cutters couldn't get it, I tried to use a flathead screwdriver to pry at the glue, didnt work, used a bigger flathead, didn't work. Tried using a small hammer to drive the flathead in there. That was a bad idea because it slipped of driving the flathead into my finger and gave me cut. I guess I have saw the plug off? Or get a literal hammer and chisel for that glue?

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

I couldn't believe how fast my photosynthetic gorgonians went from looking crappy to looking full and healthy as soon as I got them in the proper flow. Good work! And don't worry about those feather dusters, I'm sure you'll have more in no time!

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

Tried to mount all my corals, I got most of them, unfortunately the hammer coral remains in the sandbed because I cannot figure out how to get it off the plug it came on. Its one of those hard plastic plugs so my bone cutters couldn't get it, I tried to use a flathead screwdriver to pry at the glue, didnt work, used a bigger flathead, didn't work. Tried using a small hammer to drive the flathead in there. That was a bad idea because it slipped of driving the flathead into my finger and gave me cut. I guess I have saw the plug off? Or get a literal hammer and chisel for that glue?

I have a couple really annoying frag plugs (acrylic BLOCKS?). My plan is to glue on a few small pebbles in a strategic way to hide them, and then attach THAT to wherever it's going to go.

 

[BristleWormHater]

I have a couple really annoying frag plugs (acrylic BLOCKS?). My plan is to glue on a few small pebbles in a strategic way to hide them, and then attach THAT to wherever it's going to go.

Yeah definitely acrylic, it literally put a notch in my bonecutters, lesson learned the way I guess. I may try a more careful approach at the glue next time but if cant get it off then it may just have to go to someone local because I really cant stand frag plugs that won't get encrusted over on the rocks

 

[BristleWormHater]

I really need to clean the glass but I'll get to that later, but here's a pic so you can see where everything ended up, I set my lights to 50% on a one week acclimation mode since some of these corals got moved into higher light.

 

[BristleWormHater]

Picture time!

More on the way!

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

Picture time!

More on the way!

Your sea whip is massive! Mine didn’t grow a millimeter for the first year I had it, then when I added a powerhead suddenly every polyp popped out and it seems super happy. I’m hopping for growth soon!

 

[BristleWormHater]

Your sea whip is massive! Mine didn’t grow a millimeter for the first year I had it, then when I added a powerhead suddenly every polyp popped out and it seems super happy. I’m hopping for growth soon!

I feel like mines growing pretty fast, I keep looking at it everyday and im like, is that part new?

 

[BristleWormHater]

Finally, that was a lot of maintenance. I redid the plumbing on the new pumps (I cut the tubing too short last time), did a water change and dipped the hammer coral and the nps sea fan. Peroxide and infection elimination for the sea fan and just infection elimination for the hammer. Neither of them were doing too well.
I decide to move the nps fan back to the main tank since it was definitely not getting enough flow in the liverock tank, maybe with the pump upgrade it'll fair differently this time? Im going to put it in the 8 gallon tank once its set up, should be within the next two weeks hopefully.
Anyways here's pictures

Tried doing a full screen landscape shot here

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

Looks sparkling clean! I may have found a source for a starry blenny: does yours eat GHA? I'm still debating between a generic lawnmower blenny or a starry.