Waterbox 130.4 Macroalgae Display

[Exclusive Corals]

I've been trying to find some Colonial Tunicates for a while now and finally got some this week! Here's hoping they will survive!

Interested to see if anyone else keep something like this.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Love that!

 

[Exclusive Corals]

One of the new goodies I got this recently is a Colonial Tunicate (Ascidiacea sp.)

They came in really well initally... But started to melt away after 2-3 days. Fast forward a week and I started to see some tiny tunicates growing back from the melted remains! I will try to keep an eye on these and see if they will be able to survive in my tank.

When first arrived

After a few days

4 days since the last pic

 

[Exclusive Corals]

Some new update!

I finally got a good picture of this Pistol Shrimp living on my Dendronephthya! There's actually another one living on it, I think they're a bonded pair!

Dendronepthya has been doing pretty good still!

I got some goodies this week from AquaSD also!

Hippopus Clam (Hippopus hippopus)

A really neat Coral (I think Chili Coral?), I've never seen one pink like this before. If anyone have a positive ID that would be awesome!

Tunicate Colony Growing back really well!

UC Koji Wada Pink Nepthea

Cool new Macro!

 

[dbraun15]

This never ceases to amaze me...what kind of macro is that?

 

[H3rm1tCr@b]

I've been trying to find some Colonial Tunicates for a while now and finally got some this week! Here's hoping they will survive!

Interested to see if anyone else keep something like this.

Only in my dreams

 

[H3rm1tCr@b]

This tank is absolutely fantastic. What do you do like feeding and stuff to maintain the animals?

 

[Exclusive Corals]

This tank is absolutely fantastic. What do you do like feeding and stuff to maintain the animals?

I feed the entire line of Reef Nutrition to this tank. I feel like Phytofeast / Oyster Feast / Roti Feast contribute largely to my NPS success, and R.o.E / Trigger Feast help get my picky cardinals to start eating.

I just have to keep the water in check! The last time I checked my Water it was 0.07 Phosphate and 5-10 Nitrate.

 

[Exclusive Corals]

So tonight I decided to do a few pictures of my Carnation Coral (Dendronephthya) to document how it's doing in my tank.

I feel like the heavy dose of Phytofeast / Oyster Feast really help these guys stay happy. The main pump gets turned off for about 2 hours or so each time, this help keep alot of the phytoplankton in the water for the coral to catch.

This pink one has been in this tank for over 2 months now, it seem to be growing bigger! The red one is a little bit newer (2 weeks old)

You can see the commensal shrimp living on it! (There's a bonded pair)

Some baby ones growing from the base!

My Red Carnation

Some new polyp coming in

 

[najer]

Beautiful corals, I picked up a red carnation on Sunday, opening well but still getting used to my flow.

 

[H3rm1tCr@b]

I feed the entire line of Reef Nutrition to this tank. I feel like Phytofeast / Oyster Feast / Roti Feast contribute largely to my NPS success, and R.o.E / Trigger Feast help get my picky cardinals to start eating.

I just have to keep the water in check! The last time I checked my Water it was 0.07 Phosphate and 5-10 Nitrate.

wow i just think its fantastic that you are able to keep them alive! I can't wait to see it even more matured than it already is!!!

 

[Phycodurus]

EC, i tip my hat again to yr skill & experience. thank you for sharing this piece of living art with all of us. it's a real delight to look at.

i’m curious to ask if you’ve considered adding sponges to the menagerie?? when i first restarted my tank back in feb-2018, i purposefully didn’t hookup a skimmer because i wanted to further encourage all manner of microfauna & invert life from the live rock that seeded my tank reboot. lots of pineapple sponges and random tunicates among other critters.

i took my time letting the tank cycle (the full summer of 2018), and in the fall, i started added the more common macros to my tank: Cladophora, Caulerpa, Halimeda, Ulva, Penicillus, Udotea & Gracilaria. I'm looking forward to adding red macros to really add color. the Gracilaria didn't make it cuz i was previously running my lights too blue, i think.

in the meantime, i took a chance on a sponge ... or two ... or three ... or four, hehe. mostly Amphimedon or Ptilocaulis tree sponges. they've done quite well, or at least they're pretty stable in shape, color and form.


"red knob encrusting sponge"

in august this year, i picked up a Teichaxinella ("orange ruffled sponge" per LA/DD), and it has been doing well for me, much to my delight, since it's considered (?) a more delicate NPS sponge. i took a chance on it to test my skill-set. (original LA/DD image below)

"orange ruffled sponge"

if that Teichaxinella holds up well for the next several months, i'll be further encouraged to try the likes of sea fans or a spider sponge, maybe even a carnation coral. thank you for the inspiration!

 

[Lucie]

I've been trying to find some Colonial Tunicates for a while now and finally got some this week! Here's hoping they will survive!

Interested to see if anyone else keep something like this.

Looks like Ecteinascidia turbinata .
Do you know where your colony come from?
If i m right these tunicate love murky water

 

[AC1211]

Would clean up crew not eat the macroalgae? If I were to add some to my lps coral tank what types are clean up crew resistant?

 

[TheShrimpNibbler]

I LOVE your tank sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
much!!!!!!!!!!! It’s absolutely stunning!!!!!! I am amazed by all of the things that you are able to keep, and you have inspired me to change the plans for my tank. I’m now thinking about doing a mixed reef with normal fish, but having lots of macros in there as well. I already have a royal gramma, so all of those little shrimp won’t be a possibility, but I hope to get some feather dusters and pompom crabs. I have so many questions, so should I pm you?

 

[H3rm1tCr@b]

EC, i tip my hat again to yr skill & experience. thank you for sharing this piece of living art with all of us. it's a real delight to look at.

i’m curious to ask if you’ve considered adding sponges to the menagerie?? when i first restarted my tank back in feb-2018, i purposefully didn’t hookup a skimmer because i wanted to further encourage all manner of microfauna & invert life from the live rock that seeded my tank reboot. lots of pineapple sponges and random tunicates among other critters.

i took my time letting the tank cycle (the full summer of 2018), and in the fall, i started added the more common macros to my tank: Cladophora, Caulerpa, Halimeda, Ulva, Penicillus, Udotea & Gracilaria. I'm looking forward to adding red macros to really add color. the Gracilaria didn't make it cuz i was previously running my lights too blue, i think.

in the meantime, i took a chance on a sponge ... or two ... or three ... or four, hehe. mostly Amphimedon or Ptilocaulis tree sponges. they've done quite well, or at least they're pretty stable in shape, color and form.


"red knob encrusting sponge"

in august this year, i picked up a Teichaxinella ("orange ruffled sponge" per LA/DD), and it has been doing well for me, much to my delight, since it's considered (?) a more delicate NPS sponge. i took a chance on it to test my skill-set. (original LA/DD image below)

"orange ruffled sponge"

if that Teichaxinella holds up well for the next several months, i'll be further encouraged to try the likes of sea fans or a spider sponge, maybe even a carnation coral. thank you for the inspiration!

It’d be epic if you got a sponge decorator crab once the tank grows out more. They will cover themselves with macroalgae and sponges which would be cool. But you may not want a cross between a tarantula and a Dorito running around with shredded decor. Idk just a thought. Love the macro sponge tank idea though!!!

 

[TheShrimpNibbler]

Can you post an updated livestock list with pics? I would really love to see what all you still have. Any more pictures or updates?

 

[trueisb2]

Where did you find your Trimma and Eviota Gobies? Especially the 6 Trimma Caudomaculatum!

 

[Exclusive Corals]

I LOVE your tank sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
much!!!!!!!!!!! It’s absolutely stunning!!!!!! I am amazed by all of the things that you are able to keep, and you have inspired me to change the plans for my tank. I’m now thinking about doing a mixed reef with normal fish, but having lots of macros in there as well. I already have a royal gramma, so all of those little shrimp won’t be a possibility, but I hope to get some feather dusters and pompom crabs. I have so many questions, so should I pm you?

I'm glad you've enjoyed my tank progress! Please feel free to PM me!

Would clean up crew not eat the macroalgae? If I were to add some to my lps coral tank what types are clean up crew resistant?

I avoid particular CUC that will eat algae, my CUC consist of Cerith Snails / Astrea / Nassarius and a crapton of Pods / Mysis Shrimps.

 

[Exclusive Corals]

Sorry for the lack of update guys! I've been posting on FB mainly. I will try to get something together this week and post an update!

Biggest change will be the addition of a Elos 70 next to my tank. With the rumor of Indo opening up, I decided I want to make this tank into a focus NPS display and the Algae will have their own tank in the Elos right next to it! I have also added a Biopellet Reactor and added a Skimmer back in after 6 months without it.

I've also started my own Rotifer / Tigger Pods / Brine Shrimp culture to feed live stuff to the tank. Hopefully this will come in handy when I get more NPS in here.