Little Tank of 'Horrors'

[Arkardios]

FTS 12/8/24:

FTS 11/18/24:

Spoiler: Current stocking

INVERTS & FISH

Nassarius, bumblebee, dove, collonista, nerite snails​

Blue-leg hermit crabs​

1 Emerald crab​

1 Skunk cleaner shrimp​

Dozen or so sexy shrimp​

1 small, very reclusive mantis shrimp​

Lots of asterina/aquilonastra​

1 Tailspot blenny 'Tony'​

​

MACROALGAE

Caulerpa racemosa​

Caulerpa taxifolia​

Halymenia sp.​

Hypnea pannosa​

Codium fragile​

Halimeda sp.​

​

CORALS

Sinularia brassica​

Sinularia flexibilis(?)​

Sinularia mollis​

Capnella imbricata​

Pinnigorgia sp.​

Xenia sp.​

Erythropodium caribaeorum​

Briareum violaceum​

Briareum cf. hamrum​

Anthelia sp.​

Discosoma sp.​

Rhodactis howesii​

Zoanthus sp.​

Duncanopsammia axifuga​

Pavona sp.​

Caulastrea furcata 'neon green' & 'blue'​

Aiptasia sp.​

Anemonia manjano​

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The beginning
A.k.a Pest Tank

A little 4g tank with what most people consider pests. Aiptasia, manjano, xenia, caulerpa. Not heated so we'll see what makes it through winter, though I don't think temps will drop lower than 21C.

 

[Pico_Reefs]

You just want to see what happens?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Interesting idea for a tank!

 

[Vinaka_vakalevu]

My money is on the Majano

A.k.a Pest Tank

A little 4g tank with what most people consider pests. Aiptasia, manjano, xenia, caulerpa. Not heated so we'll see what makes it through winter, though I don't think temps will drop lower than 21C.

 

[3rd Coast Reefer]

This is cool, I'll be following along.

 

[Arkardios]

You just want to see what happens?

Kind of. I just really like aiptasia and manjanos to be honest. Love how they look and just wanna give em their own little space to thrive. Just not in my main tank. ;-)

Interesting idea for a tank!

This is cool, I'll be following along.

Happy to have you!

My money is on the Majano

I'm really hoping the manjano takes off. At the moment it's only 1 manjano vs, like, 7 aiptasia. Two of which are already massive.

The xenia's also self-propagated already. A lone polyp popped up on the sand and looks to be doing just fine.

 

[Vinaka_vakalevu]

Kind of. I just really like aiptasia and manjanos to be honest. Love how they look and just wanna give em their own little space to thrive. Just not in my main tank. ;-)



Happy to have you!


I'm really hoping the manjano takes off. At the moment it's only 1 manjano vs, like, 7 aiptasia. Two of which are already massive.

The xenia's also self-propagated already. A lone polyp popped up on the sand and looks to be doing just fine.

Stress them out, poke them etc they will take over

 

[Arkardios]

Going good.

There's a little mantis shrimp that hitchhiked in on the one piece of live rock I bought for this tank. Last week I started hearing clacking sounds and the sand was getting stirred up.

So yesterday I added a little PVC tube to maybe coax the guy into using that as a home eventually. And some rubble for any building endeavors.
The aiptasia and xenia are doing super well. The xenia's split in two, which is just fine by me.

The caulerpa's growth is a bit slow. Maybe not enough nutrients, not quite the right lighting, not sure. I do need to up the nutrients for sure, there's some dinos on the sand.

I just love the look of this tank rn.

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

Wait, what do you mean the Xenia split in two? Did half of it just walk down to the pipe area? Or is that the new growth from the self-propagation? Which is also an amazing amount of growth in a month!

 

[Arkardios]

Wait, what do you mean the Xenia split in two? Did half of it just walk down to the pipe area? Or is that the new growth from the self-propagation? Which is also an amazing amount of growth in a month!

The big colony that used to be on the top of the rock literally split. The part that's now down near the pipe wasn't attached to the stone yet, slowly ripped in two and fell down.
The self-prop is at the bottom left, and just grew a third polyp.

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

The big colony that used to be on the top of the rock literally split. The part that's now down near the pipe wasn't attached to the stone yet, slowly ripped in two and fell down.
The self-prop is at the bottom left, and just grew a third polyp.

It was trying to escape the horrors, haha

 

[PistachioSkyBird]

A.k.a Pest Tank

A little 4g tank with what most people consider pests. Aiptasia, manjano, xenia, caulerpa. Not heated so we'll see what makes it through winter, though I don't think temps will drop lower than 21C.

I have been tempted to try this for a low maintenance option for my classroom. I am excited to see how it goes!

 

[Arkardios]

I do need to up the nutrients for sure, there's some di

Nvm, just tested N & P, nitrate's at ~50 and phosphate at ~0.01...

I think reducing nitrate a bit (down to at least 25) and upping phos to .02-.03 is a start. Maybe mess with the light a little bit.

 

[stewy14]

where are we doing out betting? is there an app we r using or something?
if not, 50$ on majano

 

[Flameback Pair]

@Arkardios interesting. Did the critter take up home in the pipe?

 

[Arkardios]

@Flameback Pair Not yet, still chilling in the rock.

50$ on majano

My money's still on the aiptasia tbh. ~9:1 odds

 

[SamKnaphus]

Going good.

There's a little mantis shrimp that hitchhiked in on the one piece of live rock I bought for this tank. Last week I started hearing clacking sounds and the sand was getting stirred up.

So yesterday I added a little PVC tube to maybe coax the guy into using that as a home eventually. And some rubble for any building endeavors.
The aiptasia and xenia are doing super well. The xenia's split in two, which is just fine by me.

The caulerpa's growth is a bit slow. Maybe not enough nutrients, not quite the right lighting, not sure. I do need to up the nutrients for sure, there's some dinos on the sand.

I just love the look of this tank rn.

I have never even heard of a mantis shrimp hitchhiking! Fitting for this tank lol considering many reefers want them far away from their tanks. This will be an awesome home for the dude. Out of curiosity I looked up some info about them and found out a vast majority of the species were discovered by a guy named Raymond Manning. He was a specialist on them. Idk kinda cool. If you have some free time you may enjoy reading about him

 

[SamKnaphus]

A.k.a Pest Tank

A little 4g tank with what most people consider pests. Aiptasia, manjano, xenia, caulerpa. Not heated so we'll see what makes it through winter, though I don't think temps will drop lower than 21C.

I will absolutely be following along with this though. Fantastic idea! Will you introduce more? Bearded fireworms and asterinas feel like an obligation for this tank

 

[aztoza]

I love this haha following

 

[Arkardios]

I will absolutely be following along with this though. Fantastic idea! Will you introduce more? Bearded fireworms and asterinas feel like an obligation for this tank

Glad you enjoy!
I did add some asterinas already, same with some bristleworms. Currently I'm on the hunt for some green manjanos. Maybe some 'ugly' brown palys too lol.

I have never even heard of a mantis shrimp hitchhiking!

They're a pretty common hitchhiker from what I read. Mostly from indopacific rock I think.