I received a box of rocks today.

[NY_Caveman]

SPS Review

Overall our SPS are doing very well. These are my first SPS ever that I recall, so my observations should be weighed against that. There is a lot of polyp extension, about half are encrusting well and half have noticeable growth (with some overlap in those groups). A couple fragments are a bit brownish, but many have great colors.

Battlejuice
One of the frags knocked over by snails and reglued. Looking pretty good considering it fell out of the light between two rocks. It is far from its expected coloring, but early.

Green Goblin Anacropora
Growing green and healthy.

Twisted Sister
Another snail victim. This one had to be reglued twice. Showing decent PE regardless.

Bug Out Stylophora
Overall one of the best performing on all counts.

Bonsai Valida
PE is great and it is encrusting. Its colors are a challenge for my phone. The blue legged hermit has moved into a hole in SPS Island and the snails continue to make me nervous.

Candy Flame
Encrusting and tiny bit of growth. Colors are starting to show up.

Miyagi Tortuosa
This is the clear winner in color and PE with some encrusting over the glue.

Space Invader Millepora
Growing and encrusting well. The color is off, but you can kind of see the top side has much better color. From top down it looks great. Another big winner. This one is getting the most light of all of the SPS.

Fire Weed
Looks great, encrusting, PE and the colors are coming.

Shimmer and Shine
This is the worst of the bunch (and the hardest to get a picture of, but I include this crappy one to be complete). The skin actually seems to have receded a small amount. It was originally the tiniest of all the frags received.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Great Photo of the Kids, and Nice looking Tank !!

Thanks @fabutahoun !

 

[NY_Caveman]

A couple more tank pictures.

BTA

Acanthastrea

Duncans and Caulastrea looking good and both spouting several new heads (with Skyler sneaking in between).

 

[NY_Caveman]

I do not mean to end on a downer, but that is the case. Last bit of news is that our Darwin ocellaris passed away. Seems we cannot keep shrimp or ocellaris. Ruby, the Pink Streaked Wrasse, and Skyler, the African Midas Blenny, both seem well.

The Darwin had seemed sluggish recently. Sunday night when I left for work I noticed he had some white, stringy poo. I had to leave and when I returned in the morning he was gone, sitting almost in the same spot I found the last ocellaris.

Morbid picture alert!
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There are some fin nips it looks like. But I think this was related to the apparent intestinal issue. Perhaps Skyler went at him in his weakened state. I will monitor the other fish for a while probably before considering any new additions. It is a bummer and back full circle it is poor timing since I am trying to get nutrients up.

I also noticed a small, black critter sticking out of a rock yesterday. I could not get a picture but the head almost looked like a bobbit worm. It was black though and not fleshy colored. Perhaps it was only the top of the head which is usually darker colored. It was quick and I do have several large bristle worms in there, so hopefully I was just seeing things. As crappy as that would be, it might explain some of our livestock losses. Keeping an eye out.

 

[fabutahoun]

I do not mean to end on a downer, but that is the case. Last bit of news is that our Darwin ocellaris passed away. Seems we cannot keep shrimp or ocellaris. Ruby, the Pink Streaked Wrasse, and Skyler, the African Midas Blenny, both seem well.

The Darwin had seemed sluggish recently. Sunday night when I left for work I noticed he had some white, stringy poo. I had to leave and when I returned in the morning he was gone, sitting almost in the same spot I found the last ocellaris.

Morbid picture alert!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

There are some fin nips it looks like. But I think this was related to the apparent intestinal issue. Perhaps Skyler went at him in his weakened state. I will monitor the other fish for a while probably before considering any new additions. It is a bummer and back full circle it is poor timing since I am trying to get nutrients up.

I also noticed a small, black critter sticking out of a rock yesterday. I could not get a picture but the head almost looked like a bobbit worm. It was black though and not fleshy colored. Perhaps it was only the top of the head which is usually darker colored. It was quick and I do have several large bristle worms in there, so hopefully I was just seeing things. As crappy as that would be, it might explain some of our livestock losses. Keeping an eye out.

Oh sorry to hear that

 

[Brew12]

I do not mean to end on a downer, but that is the case. Last bit of news is that our Darwin ocellaris passed away. Seems we cannot keep shrimp or ocellaris. Ruby, the Pink Streaked Wrasse, and Skyler, the African Midas Blenny, both seem well.

The Darwin had seemed sluggish recently. Sunday night when I left for work I noticed he had some white, stringy poo. I had to leave and when I returned in the morning he was gone, sitting almost in the same spot I found the last ocellaris.

Morbid picture alert!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

There are some fin nips it looks like. But I think this was related to the apparent intestinal issue. Perhaps Skyler went at him in his weakened state. I will monitor the other fish for a while probably before considering any new additions. It is a bummer and back full circle it is poor timing since I am trying to get nutrients up.

I also noticed a small, black critter sticking out of a rock yesterday. I could not get a picture but the head almost looked like a bobbit worm. It was black though and not fleshy colored. Perhaps it was only the top of the head which is usually darker colored. It was quick and I do have several large bristle worms in there, so hopefully I was just seeing things. As crappy as that would be, it might explain some of our livestock losses. Keeping an eye out.

I'm bummed for you. Surprising that Ruby and Skyler are doing so well but the fish that should be the easiest aren't.

 

[WallyB]

I do not mean to end on a downer, but that is the case. Last bit of news is that our Darwin ocellaris passed away. Seems we cannot keep shrimp or ocellaris. Ruby, the Pink Streaked Wrasse, and Skyler, the African Midas Blenny, both seem well.

The Darwin had seemed sluggish recently. Sunday night when I left for work I noticed he had some white, stringy poo. I had to leave and when I returned in the morning he was gone, sitting almost in the same spot I found the last ocellaris.

Morbid picture alert!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

There are some fin nips it looks like. But I think this was related to the apparent intestinal issue. Perhaps Skyler went at him in his weakened state. I will monitor the other fish for a while probably before considering any new additions. It is a bummer and back full circle it is poor timing since I am trying to get nutrients up.

I also noticed a small, black critter sticking out of a rock yesterday. I could not get a picture but the head almost looked like a bobbit worm. It was black though and not fleshy colored. Perhaps it was only the top of the head which is usually darker colored. It was quick and I do have several large bristle worms in there, so hopefully I was just seeing things. As crappy as that would be, it might explain some of our livestock losses. Keeping an eye out.

Sorry to hear about the fish loss.
I know how you feel about bad timing as you were trying to increase nutrients.

However two fish dying in short concession is something to be concerned about. At least close watching and not hastily adding replacement fish till you are in the clear.

My fish disease knowledge is very limited but I suggest you ask the dish disease forum about that. If that is something infectious and has a sustained active life you may have to treat the other fish, rin tank fallow or something else.

Again, sorry for the down swing on the Tank progress. It's part of the Hobby and what teaches us to get better....in my case it took loosing about a dozen fish to get serious about QT and having Treatments for fish.

 

[IgnatiusRath]

Really sorry to hear you had another fish pass and I hope the family is taking it all right.

 

[NY_Caveman]

I'm bummed for you. Surprising that Ruby and Skyler are doing so well but the fish that should be the easiest aren't.

I was thinking the same thing. One thing I should mention is the two ocellaris were from the same source.

 

[Katrina71]

I'm more sorry than I can tell you. I know how difficult it is to lose a little guy. In particular with kids.

 

[NY_Caveman]

I'm more sorry than I can tell you. I know how difficult it is to lose a little guy. In particular with kids.

My daughters are pretty different. The younger, sensitive one always cries a little and the older one thinks of them as commodities. I am kind of in the middle of that myself.

 

[Katrina71]

My daughters are pretty different. The younger, sensitive one always cries a little and the older one thinks of them as commodities. I am kind of in the middle of that myself.

I cry. He cries.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Sorry to hear about the fish loss.
I know how you feel about bad timing as you were trying to increase nutrients.

However two fish dying in short concession is something to be concerned about. At least close watching and not hastily adding replacement fish till you are in the clear.

My fish disease knowledge is very limited but I suggest you ask the dish disease forum about that. If that is something infectious and has a sustained active life you may have to treat the other fish, rin tank fallow or something else.

Again, sorry for the down swing on the Tank progress. It's part of the Hobby and what teaches us to get better....in my case it took loosing about a dozen fish to get serious about QT and having Treatments for fish.

No replacements planned for a while. It is interesting that we only had one coral loss in four months. In fact almost all of our corals are thriving and growing. Algae has subsided and the parameters are mostly in check. If anything nutrients are needed. We just have had some challenges with shrimp and fish.

 

[WallyB]

I suffer the most before my fish die.
When they get sicker, and weaker and I can't do anything but hope watching them slow down. Sometimes a stir that bring 2nd hope to me but never happens.
Death is kind the end of suffering for fish and me.

 

[WallyB]

No replacements planned for a while. It is interesting that we only had one coral loss in four months. In fact almost all of our corals are thriving and growing. Algae has subsided and the parameters are mostly in check. If anything nutrients are needed. We just have had some challenges with shrimp and fish.

If you want to give corals a boost of nutrition to keep up the health and Color. Till you get more fish.
What works for me is 1/2 syringe of Polylab PolypBooster, then a 1/8 teaspoon or less of Polylab Reef Roids 1-3 times a week. (Nightly after lights go out).
Even if you do have enough fish nutrients, the stuff does help ALL CORALS anyway.
(Just don't over do it, if you see positive results...very tempting)

 

[NY_Caveman]

If you want to give corals a boost of nutrition to keep up the health and Color. Till you get more fish.
What works for me is 1/2 syringe of Polylab PolypBooster, then a 1/8 teaspoon or less of Polylab Reef Roids 1-3 times a week. (Nightly after lights go out).
Even if you do have enough fish nutrients, the stuff does help ALL CORALS anyway.
(Just don't over do it, if you see positive results...very tempting)

I have been spot feeding 2-3 times a week with mysis or Coral Frenzy. I have a powder food sample too I use twice a week that will last a while. I also started with Coral Essentials Aminos. One drop each day into our 35 gallons.

 

[Fudsey]

Sorry to hear @NY_Caveman

 

[Victoria M]

I was thinking the same thing. One thing I should mention is the two ocellaris were from the same source.

That might be the issue. It is strange. were they tank bred? or wild caught? I can not remember.

 

[WallyB]

I have been spot feeding 2-3 times a week with mysis or Coral Frenzy. I have a powder food sample too I use twice a week that will last a while. I also started with Coral Essentials Aminos. One drop each day into our 35 gallons.

ahhh. You got the GOOD stuff!!

 

[Katrina71]

I have been spot feeding 2-3 times a week with mysis or Coral Frenzy. I have a powder food sample too I use twice a week that will last a while. I also started with Coral Essentials Aminos. One drop each day into our 35 gallons.

I use it too.