OrionN's 320 Reboot

[Eagle_Steve]

@OrionN how things going? Have not seen you in a while and just checking in.

 

[Zionas]

Hi Minh, what are the angels and wrasses you have now? You have a great collection but I would love for you to tell me which species. From what I remember, you have a Regal pair, Watanabei pair, Flameback harem, Flame harem, and Bicolor harem or pair.

 

[Miami Reef]

@OrionN

Is the tank still running? How many clams do you currently have?

 

[Jeffcb]

Any updates?

 

[RandomUser7]

I'm very curious how you seed live rock and gather sand in Corpus Christi Bay. Where do you leave the rock, and can I just get sand straight from the beach? I've lived in Corpus Christi my whole life, and I would love to take advantage of being so close to the Gulf to hopefully kickstart my new tank.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

@OrionN how's your reef doing?

 

[Petcrazyson]

Do you have any more pictures of the reef and wrasse gang?

 

[OrionN]

Do you have any more pictures of the reef and wrasse gang?

Due to the pandemic, the last two years have not been good to me or my reef. Work were brutal due to Covid, and the finance was even worst. Our workdays seem double and our pay drastically decreased.
I was really overworked and the tanks suffered. Not a total crashed but near crashes. A lot of my animals died included a a lot of the fishes, and all the corals. I was able to save. A few animals.
the long and short of it is that I lost 80% of my fish and a lot of my sensitive animals.
I am going to see if I can revamp my tank again in the near future.

 

[OrionN]

Two Crocea and a Gigantea I was able to save in my QT system.

A tiny 1.25 inch Australian Harlequin Tusk in my acclimation box in my QT system so I can get him to grow a bit before let him into the general QT system.

 

[OrionN]

I got two T. noae clams over the holiday. I have been looking for color teardrop forever that won’t bust my bank. These are T. noae wild collected from Australia. They were sold as Maxima, but looking at the clams I guess that they are Noae, and I was right in this case.

 

[OrionN]

I have been growing a Black Mangrove in my sump for the last 2.5 years. I got the seed on the beach late 2020. The mangrove, even under cramped space, is going very well. Below are pictures from 1/2021 and more recent pictures.
1/11/2021

a little later

Flowers

current

1 month worth of growth 12/4/2022 to 1/1/2023

Full plant on 1/1/2023

the plant send root all over my sump and also send air roots for O2. I recently move the plant so there are new area exposed to more light. This stimulate the growth from the trunk that I documented this last month.

 

[OrionN]

Maybe it is just me but the clams look even better to me today.

 

[MartinM]

Nice! I have never seen such colorful noaes! Do you know what part of the world they’re from?

 

[OrionN]

Nice! I have never seen such colorful noaes! Do you know what part of the world they’re from?

The two Noae clams are wild collected from Australia

 

[OrionN]

Another week of growth. This branch really explode. I can see the growth from day to day.

I also got a new Red Mangrove pod. It already started to grow leaves and multiple roots. I just put it right above the sand and rock. I kinda loosely loop a plastic tide to keep it stable and not floating away from the Black Mangrove air root. I will cut the plastic once the root got hold of the rock and sand.
I hope it will grow quickly too.

 

[TheShrimpNibbler]

Those clams are quite pretty! Never seen flowers on a mangrove before either, is that a black mangrove with them?

 

[OrionN]

The new plant is a Red Mangrove. The larger, older plane is a Black Mangrove. The flower is that of a Black Mangrove.
Thanks

 

[OrionN]

My little guy in the QT system with a full stomach

 

[OrionN]

I took picture of my Red Mangrove this AM. I had it into my tank Friday. So far there is no wilting or discolored or drop leave. I think it will be fine and I did not damage the root getting it from Petco back to my tank.

 

[OrionN]

Bright light can result in dense branches and foliages. Here is a picture of the top of one of my Black Mangrove branch. BTW, damage at the tip of the leave when young result in a heart shape leave.