Randy's Tank and Learn Thread

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Any ideas as to why softies are giving you trouble? What’re your iodine levels? Not much looks better under whites than some colorful gorgonians, nepthea, and toadstools, in my opinion. Maybe a Fiji yellow leather if you can figure out your softy problem? Alternatively, a green nepthea or a pulsing sinularia could be cool, as could classic GSP, some zoas or shrooms, or blue ridge coral

Thanks. :)

I have a Fiji yellow leather, and it is hanging in there but hasn’t grown much. I dose iodide now once a week plus whatever is in AFR, but in my old tank I had huge soft corals (including a giant leather) and I did not notice a difference when dosing iodide or not.

But since I now have organisms I never kept before, I’m dosing iodide in case it is useful.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It took several weeks for me to notice zoox to start showing up in the tentacles. keep an eye for small specks of color to appear. I have the progress of the coloring up the mag somewhere in my posting history.

Thanks. I think it is starting to pick some up, but I cannot be sure. :)

 

[LegalReefer]

Thanks. :)

I have a Fiji yellow leather, and it is hanging in there but hasn’t grown much. I dose iodide now once a week plus whatever is in AFR, but in my old tank I had huge soft corals (including a giant leather) and I did not notice a difference when dosing iodide or not.

But since I now have organisms I never kept before, I’m dosing iodide in case it is useful.

What’s different between this tank and your old tank that could be causing your problem with softies, do you think?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

What’s different between this tank and your old tank that could be causing your problem with softies, do you think?

I don’t know. There are a number of differences, such as AFR now vs kalk then, dosing live phyto every night, led vs mh, tank is pretty new now, no carbon dosing now, but that did not start for a long time in the old tank.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I’m also growing different species of macroalgae in my refugium. Chaeto then caldera racemosa last time, ulva and gracilaria this time.

 

[Miami Reef]

I don’t know. There are a number of differences, such as AFR now vs kalk then, dosing live phyto every night, led vs mh, tank is pretty new now, no carbon dosing now, but that did not start for a long time in the old tank.

You also had a Dino issue. That’s something unique from the last tank.

 

[X-37B]

I probably missed it but did you run par on your unusual light setup?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You also had a Dino issue. That’s something unique from the last tank.

Yes. :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I probably missed it but did you run par on your unusual light setup?

Yes. I discuss it here, but this map is at 50% intensity all channels. Current light is not far off that, with the 3 freshwater blades in the mid 40’s and the coral glow in the 55-75% range.

The yellow leather is likely around 200 par right now, the two Koji wada are likely around 150 par.

Randy's Tank and Learn Thread

Tank Salinity I made my 35 ppt/53 mS/cm conductivity standard using table salt: dissolve 1 teaspoon (6.20 grams) of Morton's Iodized Salt in 182 mL (182 g) of fresh water (making a total volume of about 184 mL after dissolution of the salt). This solution can be scaled up as desired...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[X-37B]

Yes. I discuss it here, but this map is at 50% intensity all channels. Current light is not far off that, with the 3 freshwater blades in the mid 40’s and the coral glow in the 55-75% range.

The yellow leather is likely around 200 par right now, the two Koji wada are likely around 150 par.

Randy's Tank and Learn Thread

Tank Salinity I made my 35 ppt/53 mS/cm conductivity standard using table salt: dissolve 1 teaspoon (6.20 grams) of Morton's Iodized Salt in 182 mL (182 g) of fresh water (making a total volume of about 184 mL after dissolution of the salt). This solution can be scaled up as desired...

www.reef2reef.com

Nice looks good.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

New Clowns Arrive!

The three juvenile sibling clowns that I bought from Dr Reef (raised by him) arrived today. They arrived in apparent good shape and are acclimating now. Little cuties!

 

[dwest]

They look great! I’m interested to see where they live. Mine preferred my elegance over BTA’s.

 

[jonelder68]

Hard Coral Update


Recall a while back I purchased several frags from Top Shelf. Of those I bought that day, only the leptoseris is holding its own. The goniopora is on its last legs and the Oregon Tort has been slowly losing color from the bottom up and is probably dead today.

By contrast, whether coincidentally or not, all of the hard corals that have gotten locally (which were all larger) are doing fine and most have visibly grown. I think that I am going to take a cue from this and try to get hard corals locally when I can.


Goniopora:

Leptoseris:

Oregon tort

Sad to hear but helps easy my pain! My TSA ordered items (bought same sale as you) have all died as well. Even sale prices grossly over priced for baby nubs. Only battlecorals from here on out

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

In tank. They clearly like hanging together.

 

[Dr. Reef]

In tank. They clearly like hanging together.

As promised they are from the same clutch, And they were a trio and I hope they stay that way.

 

[Miami Reef]

In tank. They clearly like hanging together.

So cute!!!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

New Tank Video

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

In they go!!!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Happy Clown World

2 h after adding them to the tank!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Microbiome Effect of Clown Hosting by Anemones

I was reading a bit on the relationship between clowns and anemones. Apparently, the effect goes beyond simple protection to each party, and includes changes in the microbiome on both the fish and the anemone.

Microbiomes of clownfish and their symbiotic host anemone converge before their first physical contact - Microbiome

Background One of the most charismatic, and yet not completely resolved example of mutualistic interaction is the partnership of clownfish and its symbiotic sea anemone. The mechanism explaining this tolerance currently relies on the molecular mimicry of clownfish epithelial mucus, which could...

microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com