Looking good, you're tank is exactly twice the size of mine and I want it lol. The black silicone looks sweet.
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Khemul's 120 Gallon Tank
- Thread starter Khemul
- Start date
Some pictures...
Lil' Blenny. Was labeled "Eyelash Blenny" but as far as I can tell that is exactly the same thing as a Lawnmower or Algae Blenny. It does look a little different but that is probably because it is a baby (1.5" at most). Here he is inside the Starry Blenny's home, while the Starry Blenny was playing on the other side of the tank. :laugh:
The LTA seems to be getting fully settled in. It doesn't want food just yet, but it is coming out more. Tried to keep it out in the open but it kept trying to float away. I think it likes that spot since it can retract into the area between the rocks. Right now it is sort of on a reverse schedule, comes out the most in the morning until the lights come on, then a couple hours after the lights come on it retracts into its little crevice there. I doubt 4 T5HO's (even with ATI bulbs) 22-23" above it is too much for it so I assume it is just getting settled in and comfortable.
The Duncan is also in the background. It seems to LOVE the new tank. Never saw it extend so much in the old tank.
The new Frogspawn. I think it is a little too small right now for ID. The store had it with the Octopus variety, but I think it may just be a bright green of the normal branching Frogspawn. Either way works for me. Not sure why the coral itself is so tiny on a big skeleton like that, but as far as I can tell it is fully extended (that was how it looked at the store too).
What will hopefully someday be the Zoanthid rock.
The two Frogspawns. They are actually on different rocks with the Octopus being in front of the normal one. The picture really didn't catch that very well. Looks like they are almost on top of each other in the picture.
Ricordea and Kenya Tree area. The rock in the upper right is usually where the new Eyelash Blenny lives.
Lil' Blenny. Was labeled "Eyelash Blenny" but as far as I can tell that is exactly the same thing as a Lawnmower or Algae Blenny. It does look a little different but that is probably because it is a baby (1.5" at most). Here he is inside the Starry Blenny's home, while the Starry Blenny was playing on the other side of the tank. :laugh:
The LTA seems to be getting fully settled in. It doesn't want food just yet, but it is coming out more. Tried to keep it out in the open but it kept trying to float away. I think it likes that spot since it can retract into the area between the rocks. Right now it is sort of on a reverse schedule, comes out the most in the morning until the lights come on, then a couple hours after the lights come on it retracts into its little crevice there. I doubt 4 T5HO's (even with ATI bulbs) 22-23" above it is too much for it so I assume it is just getting settled in and comfortable.
The Duncan is also in the background. It seems to LOVE the new tank. Never saw it extend so much in the old tank.
The new Frogspawn. I think it is a little too small right now for ID. The store had it with the Octopus variety, but I think it may just be a bright green of the normal branching Frogspawn. Either way works for me. Not sure why the coral itself is so tiny on a big skeleton like that, but as far as I can tell it is fully extended (that was how it looked at the store too).
What will hopefully someday be the Zoanthid rock.
The two Frogspawns. They are actually on different rocks with the Octopus being in front of the normal one. The picture really didn't catch that very well. Looks like they are almost on top of each other in the picture.
Ricordea and Kenya Tree area. The rock in the upper right is usually where the new Eyelash Blenny lives.
Looking good. Been thinking about getting some of those ricordea.
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What do you use to attach your corals? I tried some kind if putty but it didn't hold and was quite frustrating.
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The epoxy/putty can be tricky. Ideally it should be applied in a dry environment (yep, epoxy for aquarium use...dry environment 
). Even then if it isn't given a long time to set (weeks really) it is very easy to knock loose. My urchins sometimes rip pieces off days after the piece was epoxied. After about a week though they can't. I've heard some people use superglue to help anchor the epoxy (superglue frag/rock to epoxy then superglue epoxy to rock), gonna try that next.
Everything is held together through epoxy or prayer (lost a few mushrooms, kenya tree bits and I think the Finger Leather to that last method
).
). Even then if it isn't given a long time to set (weeks really) it is very easy to knock loose. My urchins sometimes rip pieces off days after the piece was epoxied. After about a week though they can't. I've heard some people use superglue to help anchor the epoxy (superglue frag/rock to epoxy then superglue epoxy to rock), gonna try that next.Everything is held together through epoxy or prayer (lost a few mushrooms, kenya tree bits and I think the Finger Leather to that last method
).
I really don't like the putty and instead use a lot of SG gel 
. Most corals can be out of the water for a couple of minutes without issue so if at all possible I glue frags (no plugs) right to my rock out of the water. A minute is all it takes and you can glue around the base to make sure all the nooks and crannies are filled in before placing it back in the tank. If you must use the putty, glue->putty->more glue does help. Also, the putty gets hot while it cures so never apply it to the flesh of the coral.
. Most corals can be out of the water for a couple of minutes without issue so if at all possible I glue frags (no plugs) right to my rock out of the water. A minute is all it takes and you can glue around the base to make sure all the nooks and crannies are filled in before placing it back in the tank. If you must use the putty, glue->putty->more glue does help. Also, the putty gets hot while it cures so never apply it to the flesh of the coral.
Well my clowns aren't interesting in living inside any corals or anemones...but my Starry Blenny appears to be. :screwy:
He keeps perching underneath the Octopus Frogspawn and the LTA when he gets a chance. No fear of stings. Just shoes the tentacles away with his fins. Rather comical to watch really. He shoes the tentacles away, they come back investigating what is sitting right under then, he shoes them away again, repeat, repeat, repeat. :laugh:
It appears at this point if they were going to do harm then they would have already so I guess either he can handle it or they don't sting him.
Question on LTA's, how well do they co-exist with corals nearby?
Basically the Caribbean Sharpnose has realized that the foot of the LTA may be edible. Not enough to do any damage but enough to annoy the anemone quite a bit. It bailed out of its old home where its foot was usually exposed if a fish got inside the cave it was resting in. Below sort of illustrates it (older picture)...
The red area was the old home. It appears to want a spot where the current will push it into the rocks. I built up a spot like that at the blue point. It seems okay there but not 100% happy. There is a natural point like that at where the green circle is. That is basically where the nem keeps ending up when it bails from a spot. It seems quite happy with that spot. The problem is that is a high traffic area for the sand-dwellers. They move in and out of, around and under that tall rock all the time. But the bigger issue I think is going to be that the normal Frogspawn is a few inches above that spot and the Octopus Frogspawn is four or five inches in front of it. My concern with the natural point the LTA wants is that it is within sweeper range of the Frogspawns and with a little growth will have the corals within stinging range for the LTA. So am I better off letting the LTA pick that natural spot or making a similar spot at the blue circle away from the corals?
He keeps perching underneath the Octopus Frogspawn and the LTA when he gets a chance. No fear of stings. Just shoes the tentacles away with his fins. Rather comical to watch really. He shoes the tentacles away, they come back investigating what is sitting right under then, he shoes them away again, repeat, repeat, repeat. :laugh:
It appears at this point if they were going to do harm then they would have already so I guess either he can handle it or they don't sting him.
Question on LTA's, how well do they co-exist with corals nearby?
Basically the Caribbean Sharpnose has realized that the foot of the LTA may be edible. Not enough to do any damage but enough to annoy the anemone quite a bit. It bailed out of its old home where its foot was usually exposed if a fish got inside the cave it was resting in. Below sort of illustrates it (older picture)...
The red area was the old home. It appears to want a spot where the current will push it into the rocks. I built up a spot like that at the blue point. It seems okay there but not 100% happy. There is a natural point like that at where the green circle is. That is basically where the nem keeps ending up when it bails from a spot. It seems quite happy with that spot. The problem is that is a high traffic area for the sand-dwellers. They move in and out of, around and under that tall rock all the time. But the bigger issue I think is going to be that the normal Frogspawn is a few inches above that spot and the Octopus Frogspawn is four or five inches in front of it. My concern with the natural point the LTA wants is that it is within sweeper range of the Frogspawns and with a little growth will have the corals within stinging range for the LTA. So am I better off letting the LTA pick that natural spot or making a similar spot at the blue circle away from the corals?
Sweepers will likley be an issue for the LTA. Even carpets don't tolerate sweeper stings very well. Now if the FS's flesh makes contact with the LTA, chances are the FS will retract in that direction and/or that polyp may bail out completely. Just part of keeping nems in a reef.
The blenny knows what he is doing. Blennies love holes around fleshy corals and nems (just added camo/protection from predators). If you had a carpet, my guess is the blenny wouldn't be so bold.
The blenny knows what he is doing. Blennies love holes around fleshy corals and nems (just added camo/protection from predators). If you had a carpet, my guess is the blenny wouldn't be so bold
.
Guess I'll try to encourage the nem to stay in the blue area then. I think I can manage it by breaking or slowing the flow through that area.
I should be used to it by now. Everything I put in this tank ends up liking lower flow and weak currents. :laugh:
I should be used to it by now. Everything I put in this tank ends up liking lower flow and weak currents. :laugh:
