Nano Sapiens 12g - Ye Olde Mixed Reef

[Nano sapiens]

I did not realize the air boundary layer was such a source of heat loss. Very interesting.

As ripples are created the area of the surface layer boundary increases...and so does the opportunity to lose heat to the colder surrounding air. How significant this heat loss would be would depend on the size of the ripples, the duration, etc. Add to that the fact that the air being pumped into the system is typically colder than the aquarium water and one can see the issues (talking about cooler climates and times of the year here, not the summer or the tropics).

To my way of thinking, anything that can be done to retain the initial heat in the system (while not negatively impacting the oxygenation level) is top priority

 

[Aqua Man]

Boo, a 21 hr. power outage (Tues 1:30 pm - Wed 10:30 am . But yay, everything survived!

This ranks high on the list of every reef keepers' worst nightmares. The two most important parameters I consider in this scenario are oxygenation and heat. And here's how I dealt with this (low-tech fashion).

Yes, for sure loosing power is a stressful event for me too. Longest has been 12 hrs. I recently picked up a small generator to power a heater and a return pump. We loose power for a few hrs every year.

Happy to hear your tank is still doing well! Hot hands for heat is a great idea. I’ll need to remember that.

 

[Nano sapiens]

Wanted to check temp and could barely read a thing:



'Bob' (or one of his relatives) 'chill'in on the thermo'

And I've got another species of Eunice type worm that looks a lot more like a house centipede (long body bristles that look like long legs), but haven't managed a pic yet.

I find it strange that after 14 years the little demons start showing up

 

[Nano sapiens]

Effects of a recent LPS slow tissue recession episode:

On this formerly LPS encrusted wall, only one colony of Lords and a small Blasto survived. What I noticed here is that any injury or irritation seemed to start a slow decline (digitate hydroid sting, fish picking at it, accidentally bumping into a colony, my lone Brittle Star taking up residence, etc.).

Both B. merletti colonies were similarly hard hit:

But there's still hope that one or two will bounce back...

And my fav Button Scolly:

I dismounted this one and gave it a 2 min. FW/Iodine/Tea Tree Oil bath and smeared the infection/tissue recession boundary with Neosporin. A bit of a Hail-Mary, but it's better than just watching it slowly disintegrate to a skeleton.

What might have caused this outbreak is a tough one. I would typically see a small amount of brown/black necrotic tissue at the tissue recession line, but it's not a typical snotty Brown Jelly infection. Some polyps just started gapping and then slowly died from the inside out while others died from the edges in. Bowerbanki, Duncans, Pachysepta...all fine and flourishing. SPS...all doing great. Zoa colonies...a-ok (other than a RPE colony recovering from hydroid stings).

I'll take the advice I like to give to others: 'Soldier on!'

 

[lubeck]

Sorry to hear about the tank. Crazy only the lps?

 

[Nano sapiens]

Sorry to hear about the tank. Crazy only the lps?

Only specific LPS, at that. Basically, anything that we formerly used to say belonged to the 'Mussid' family. And I fed them 2x/wk, every week, with a variety of foods, so definitely not a lack of nutrition.

There are only two things that *might* have contributed:

1. My last purchase was a Blastomussa vivida that took 2 months to get it's mojo back (it looks fine today). Might have introduced a bacterial pathogen.

2. New bucket of RS Blue Bucket started about two weeks before I started loosing corals. This salt has a live bacterial component and so this particular batch could theoretically have introduced a pathogen that specifically affects certain LPS.

Other than these two items, it's been 'reef everything as usual'

 

[vlangel]

I am very sorry that this has happened to your tank. When you have a tank for many years like you have, its inevidable that one of these mystery scenerios will happen eventually, but that doesn't make it any easier. Its difficult to watch even one coral languish but when multiple coral are effected it can be enough to make one want to give up! But your advise to others and now to yourself is very good advise: soldier on!

 

[Nano sapiens]

I am very sorry that this has happened to your tank. When you have a tank for many years like you have, its inevidable that one of these mystery scenerios will happen eventually, but that doesn't make it any easier. Its difficult to watch even one coral languish but when multiple coral are effected it can be enough to make one want to give up! But your advise to others and now to yourself is very good advise: soldier on!

Absolutely right, given enough time 'stuff happens'. It could have been a lot worse...

And not the first time I've lost corals on this wall. It used to be a nice Rhodactis Wall and after I accidentally squished a Captain America Paly just upstream I lost almost all of them within a week or so.

While we may try to learn everything we can about reef systems, we still have a lot to learn about the bacterial/viral/fungal/micro algal interactions (both in the general environment and in the coral holobiont).

 

[vlangel]

Absolutely right, given enough time 'stuff happens'. It could have been a lot worse...


While we may try to learn everything we can about reef systems, we still have a lot to learn about the bacterial/viral/fungal/micro algal interactions (both in the general environment and in the coral holobiont).

So true!

Will you let things settle and hopefully whatever it was will run its course or do you restock again soon?

 

[Nano sapiens]

So true!

Will you let things settle and hopefully whatever it was will run its course or do you restock again soon?

Just settle for a few months.

 

[Nano sapiens]

Jul 2023 (15th Year):

FTS:




Left side:




Right Side:



Little nano is still alive and kicking after 15 years. But it's been a strange past 1/2 year with the specific species single-polyp LPS die-offs...

Anyway, at least most of the coral is still alive and well:


H. bowerbanki:




Duncans:




P. maldivensis, 'Shadow Prince Zoas and 'Green-mint Pavona':




'Fallen Horizons Leptoseris':





Bunch 'o corals (pachysepta, Birdsnest, banki, Pavona, Leptoseris)




Lot's of warfare going on (Stylocoeniella overtaking Leptastrea):




Lone Lord colony that survived:




...and the last B. vivida coral polyp added:



I was thinking of what I might have to say on this occasion for those wishing to keep a nano reef going for a long time, but there really isn't much that hasn't already been said. Stick to the basics, patience, learn to 'read' your corals, monitor the essential parameters, develop an effective maintenance routine and you'll have the best chance at a long-lived system.



Ralph.