Lost Shepard's Reef

[twentyleagues]

12/15 Update (late):
Noticed I hadn't posted in a while, mostly due to just being busy, will try to make a couple while I am on break from teaching.

I lost both of my mandarins in the past month, they both had been with me 7-8 years and this was their third tank. Both were wild caught and I do not know what their actual age was but I believe I can safely assume 10+ for each of them based on their size when I got them. I will get more eventually but I am not in a rush and I might consider ORA or Biota even though at their size they would be hard to spot in an 8' aquarium.

If anyone is interested in green montipora frags just let me know, would have to be local pick up. Would prefer something in return if possible.

Photo updates:

Looks great!
Sorry to hear about the Mandarins, I love them. I am unsure on the life expectancy on them as well. Longest I had one was about the same 8-10 years. I wonder if since ORA and Biota breed them they have more knowledge on how long they typically live. When mine died it was only maybe 3-3.5" fat but not huge I have seen ones much larger, so I was thinking it was something I had done. Mine was also wild caught as it was before anyone was captive breeding them.

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

Looks great!
Sorry to hear about the Mandarins, I love them. I am unsure on the life expectancy on them as well. Longest I had one was about the same 8-10 years. I wonder if since ORA and Biota breed them they have more knowledge on how long they typically live. When mine died it was only maybe 3-3.5" fat but not huge I have seen ones much larger, so I was thinking it was something I had done. Mine was also wild caught as it was before anyone was captive breeding them.

These were both 3.5-4", so definitely large for mandarins from what I had seen and were fat and happy the whole way then they just kind of disappeared one day...I have a healthy clean up crew so disappearing is usually going to result in a natural clean up process. Most of what I have read says they have a 5-7 year life expectancy in the wild and 10-12 if healthy in captivity. So most likely they were both at the end of that window.

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

So it's definitely been a while...again...

A lot has happened but I'll try to summarize as succinctly as I can.

The one variety of green montipora that I had was trying to take over everything so it was time for a major cut back. So I broke a lot of it out of the tank and gave most of it away and some if it just got set out in the sun and will end up being recycled through the calcium reactor the next time I refill it. During the big frag session there was a minor avalanche which ended up facilitating a rework of the aquascape and new placements for a few corals.

Then on March 25th a few new additions were made in the form of ORA aquacultured creatures:
12 Lemon Damsels
1 Kamahora Blenny
2 Maxima Clams

Here are some photos as of this past weekend:

 

[Tahoe61]

What no images of the Clams???
Gorgeous encrusting corals.

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

What no images of the Clams???
Gorgeous encrusting corals.

I will try to get you some in the next go 'round.

I will say in a 240 these little ORA clams look like specs right now.