First saltwater tank, 40b reef build.
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GHsaltie
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Blue (black combtooth blenny) has been in the tank for just over a week now and I decided to add Salt&Pepper (clowns) to the mix today. The stronger flow freaked them out a little bit but now they are cruising around exploring everything. Blue is doing very well, still a picky eater but he's starting to like the taste of mysis. As for Nessy, well he's darting around flaring his fins at everybody, I think he's upset at having to share his tank with others. He will just have to get over his greedy self.
I also have a trumpet coral that I have been nursing back to health. A lady was breaking down her tank and brought her stock to the store that I work at. At the time my tank wasn't ready for coral so I passed on taking it. It slowly declined over two months time and was barely in existence when I felt my tank was stable enough to handle a small coral. Here is a picture from June 23rd, three days after I brought it home and it had already showed improvement.
And here is a picture from today
I am very happy with how my first saltwater attempt is going, and I can only hope my tank continues to improve. I am starting to get nervous though, because I am going to be moving in two weeks time and I'm not looking forward to break in down the tank. I think, however, that I'm going to use this opportunity to change my rockscape, I don't like the looks of it as of right now.
I also have a trumpet coral that I have been nursing back to health. A lady was breaking down her tank and brought her stock to the store that I work at. At the time my tank wasn't ready for coral so I passed on taking it. It slowly declined over two months time and was barely in existence when I felt my tank was stable enough to handle a small coral. Here is a picture from June 23rd, three days after I brought it home and it had already showed improvement.
And here is a picture from today
I am very happy with how my first saltwater attempt is going, and I can only hope my tank continues to improve. I am starting to get nervous though, because I am going to be moving in two weeks time and I'm not looking forward to break in down the tank. I think, however, that I'm going to use this opportunity to change my rockscape, I don't like the looks of it as of right now.
Lionfish Lair
Renee
Oh wow! Your rock was crazy alive! Did you get everything ID'd?
Looking forward to seeing the waspfish in there!
Looking forward to seeing the waspfish in there!
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GHsaltie
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Hey @Lionfish Lair nice to see you pop in! I'm pretty sure I got everything ID'd correctly thanks to your site, minus the yellow worm. I'm fairly certain it was a ribbon worm but I only saw it that one time not a whiff of it since then. That nasty crab in post #18 is the Lord of the Sump, he was so small then! Unfortunately most of the sponges have died off 
, I expected that to happen but it's still sad. I've got a couple very small patches of sponge and one small tunicate? that are still alive but I'm not certain if there is anything I can do for them so I'm just trying to keep my tank stable and hope they live. In addition to the zoas and trumpet coral (which lost a head to a crab :mad
I also have a hammer, an acan that's already growing, a beautiful green rock flower nem and a small maxi mini. For those who haven't seen some of my other threads I lost Nessy back in September, on my birthday, thanks Nessy..... He jumped out of the tank sometime early in the morning during a power outage. Still upset about that one. Salt&Pepper are getting bigger and are happily hosting the powerhead 
. I had plans to go to Jacksonville today to hopefully pick up another fish and some more coral, but there was a misunderstanding between me and DD so the previously mentioned waspfish was shipped out a day later than I asked and arrived today instead of yesterday. So all plans canceled I'll just have to go next weekend!
Now onto the pictures!
FTS
And drumroll please........
Tada! The newest addition, DD pic!
Hiding under the powerhead (turned off) in QT.
I'm fairly certain it's a male, but either way my sisters (they do all the naming
) have already dubbed him Razor. The picture really doesn't do justice because he's sooo much redder than I was expecting! Super excited about this one!
, I expected that to happen but it's still sad. I've got a couple very small patches of sponge and one small tunicate? that are still alive but I'm not certain if there is anything I can do for them so I'm just trying to keep my tank stable and hope they live. In addition to the zoas and trumpet coral (which lost a head to a crab :mad I also have a hammer, an acan that's already growing, a beautiful green rock flower nem and a small maxi mini. For those who haven't seen some of my other threads I lost Nessy back in September, on my birthday, thanks Nessy..... He jumped out of the tank sometime early in the morning during a power outage. Still upset about that one. Salt&Pepper are getting bigger and are happily hosting the powerhead . I had plans to go to Jacksonville today to hopefully pick up another fish and some more coral, but there was a misunderstanding between me and DD so the previously mentioned waspfish was shipped out a day later than I asked and arrived today instead of yesterday. So all plans canceled I'll just have to go next weekend!Now onto the pictures!
FTS
And drumroll please........
Tada! The newest addition, DD pic!
Hiding under the powerhead (turned off) in QT.
I'm fairly certain it's a male, but either way my sisters (they do all the naming
) have already dubbed him Razor. The picture really doesn't do justice because he's sooo much redder than I was expecting! Super excited about this one!
Lionfish Lair
Renee
Hello little guy!
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GHsaltie
Valuable Member
Oh my goodness, I just fed everyone supper, and Razor took a piece of frozen mysis! I'm so stoked I wasn't expecting him to take frozen right away but he did! Maybe I shouldn't say anything though in case it was a mistake.... where's some wood to knock on 
.
.
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GHsaltie
Valuable Member
6:50 am and little Razor is already giving me heart attacks! Probably shouldnt have named him so quickly 
. So I got up and when I go to check on him he's not underneath the powerhead like he was yesterday. No big deal he must have moved into one of the pvc pipes. Nope. Underneath one of the pipes? Nope. Hiding on the heater? Nope! Starting to panic! I go in there and carefully pick everything up check inside the powerhead, take the heater off the wall, look inside the filter. Nothing! I'm thoroughly panicked now thinking the only explanation is that he jumped out somehow. I check all around the tank on the floor everywhere I can think and nothing! I'm very upset right now because he just vanished and I can't even get a refund for this $100 fish because he just poofed! Then while I'm going to unplug the filter from the wall I happen to look over and, voila, there he is staring at me from BEHIND the filter motor! The one spot that I couldn't see him unless I was towards the back of the tank. I think I've had enough excitement for today thank you.
And of course he's too darn cute to not post a picture
.
. So I got up and when I go to check on him he's not underneath the powerhead like he was yesterday. No big deal he must have moved into one of the pvc pipes. Nope. Underneath one of the pipes? Nope. Hiding on the heater? Nope! Starting to panic! I go in there and carefully pick everything up check inside the powerhead, take the heater off the wall, look inside the filter. Nothing! I'm thoroughly panicked now thinking the only explanation is that he jumped out somehow. I check all around the tank on the floor everywhere I can think and nothing! I'm very upset right now because he just vanished and I can't even get a refund for this $100 fish because he just poofed! Then while I'm going to unplug the filter from the wall I happen to look over and, voila, there he is staring at me from BEHIND the filter motor! The one spot that I couldn't see him unless I was towards the back of the tank. I think I've had enough excitement for today thank you.And of course he's too darn cute to not post a picture
.
Lionfish Lair
Renee
Is he in the pump guard!!!!
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GHsaltie
Valuable Member
*sigh* he is indeed. Don't worry though it's not plugged in . Although his choice of home makes things tricky because I had planned on doing ttm once he was settled and eating good. Now I have a predicament as to how to get him out.
. Although his choice of home makes things tricky because I had planned on doing ttm once he was settled and eating good. Now I have a predicament as to how to get him out.
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GHsaltie
Valuable Member
Got a couple more coral additions over the past week. A gorgeous orange plate and a green toadstool (which is easily the size of my palm but hasn't opened up yet) both from Jacksonville. Also picked up a bicolor hammer and a green nepthea earlier this week, and lastly I'm waiting for my duncan from Joe Knows Reefs to arrive, come on fedex!
It looks kind of yellow here, but oh my goodness its as orange as orange can be!
The nepthea hasn't opened fully yet but it's getting there, really excited to see what it looks like fully extended.
It looks kind of yellow here, but oh my goodness its as orange as orange can be!
The nepthea hasn't opened fully yet but it's getting there, really excited to see what it looks like fully extended.
Lionfish Lair
Renee
*sigh* he is indeed. Don't worry though it's not plugged in
I've had fish that took a liking to pieces of equipment and I've just moved the equipment with them. LOL!
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GHsaltie
Valuable Member
Since starting in the saltwater hobby I have discovered that I have an odd fascination for the tiny and strange critters that secretly inhabit our tanks. During a coral dip two weeks ago the only interesting critter I saw was a teeny tiny worm, bristleworm I assume, I was slightly disappointed that I didn't find anything else but I guess that's good news for my tank . So anyway I tossed the teeny worm under the microscope for some pictures and thought it would be fun to post them here. I know at least a couple members can appreciate the creepy underdogs .
. So anyway I tossed the teeny worm under the microscope for some pictures and thought it would be fun to post them here. I know at least a couple members can appreciate the creepy underdogs .
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GHsaltie
Valuable Member
My toadstool is finally starting to open up woohoo! Ridiculously happy about that . I did lose my bi-color hammer though, which is really upsetting it was my favorite piece .
. I did lose my bi-color hammer though, which is really upsetting it was my favorite piece .
Steadyreef42
Active Member
Awesome build . I too have a 40 with 20 sump. I can't believe I haven't come across this thread yet.
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GHsaltie
Valuable Member
Had a horrible day at work yesterday, so after feeding everyone and cleaning the glass I decided to throw something under the microscope since that never fails to cheer me up. My victim today is the algae on the sand bed. Haven't the slightest clue as to what algae because I'm horrendous at algae IDs 
. All I know is it's really cool under the scope .
Salt&Pepper decided they were jealous that the algae was getting all the attention and not them.
. All I know is it's really cool under the scope .
Salt&Pepper decided they were jealous that the algae was getting all the attention and not them
.
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GHsaltie
Valuable Member
It's nothing special, just an ancient kit that my mom got during my older brother's middle school years. I had actually completely forgotten we had it until about a month after I started my tank. I was seeing all these tiny critters and I was thinking, man I wish I had a microscope...... then I remembered that there was one stored in my parents closet! And not but a week after that my mom started purging old school supplies
. I nearly freaked out when she tried to give away the scope. Thankfully she is very encouraging about my explorations 
.
The third setting on it doesn't even work anymore haha!
