Oxy's RSM250

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
Between the hermit crab, the nassarius and the clowns not defending the eggs at night (new at the parenting thing) the last batch of eggs were eaten over two consecutive nights. I would check on the eggs in the middle of the night and find the clowns in the mid to upper corner of the tank swimming/sleeping (they never have ever stopped moving all night long) and not guarding the eggs. This time I have seen the clowns down with the eggs at night, so they are getting better at defending the eggs at night.
 

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
They did so much better this time. On Sunday morning the eggs where gone. I guess they hatched Saturday night soon after the lights went off. Next time (if there is a next time) I will try to better gauge when they will hatch and see if I can spot the tiny larvae.
 

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
The clowns continue on their cycle of laying eggs, hatching, laying more.

I've run out of some of my supplemental elements and testing shows a drop in amounts. Weekly 5-10% water changes does replenish, but they drop before the end of the week. So, I need to pick up more.

I've also run out of marine snow and phytoplankton about three weeks ago. I had been feeding once a week for years. But, haven't fed over the last three weeks. The gorgonian is not happy and hasn't opened polyps all week. So, I have to place an order for those as well. Well, at least I know that these items are being used by the critters, and I wasn't adding for no reason.

Pics to come later, the tank lights haven't turned on yet.
 

Wrangy

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Looking forward to some new pics :)
And it is certainly interesting to see what the tank actually uses when you run out of things too!
 

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
And it is certainly interesting to see what the tank actually uses when you run out of things too!

It sure is. All dosing is back on track now. Took about a week to get everything back in balance and at acceptable levels.

A few corals were unhappy, other corals didn't show any signs of distress. The gorgonian (Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae), my blue tipped acro, and the purple Turbinaria reniformis, were the corals that showed the most distress.

The gorgonian's polyps have been closed for a week and a half now. The polyps just began to open yesterday. In the week and a half time that they were closed, the stocks of the gorgonian started to gather film algae, in which I started to blow off daily. I assumed that the gorgonian is not happy w/the water quality, I don't blame it, I wasn't happy with the water quality either, but also the monti caps have grown too much around it and have cut off flow. I pruned back the monti caps last weekend to allow a little more flow to it. Then two days ago a few polyps were open and it was shedding with lots of skin. I again took the long pipette to it and blew all the shedding parts off it. Yesterday more polyps opened up. They shed from time to time, but I have only witnessed small sections at a time, not the entire gorgonian (which is over a foot tall with many branches).

The acro began to bleach. It has stopped bleaching now. It is a bit white. I will have to wait and see if it recovers.

The Turbinaria is splotchy white, the way corals look when the alk is off and is affecting them. Again, I will have to wait and see if it pulls through.
 

Wrangy

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Interesting as to how some of them react to the lack of elements. I'm glad to hear the gorg. reacted so quickly to the reintroduction of food to the tank again :) I'm sure they'll all be back to full glory in no time at all :)
 

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
The clowns continue producing eggs like clockwork, here is a little video of it. :winky: Female laying eggs, male trying to get to them and then eggs go flying around and the clowns eat the eggs.... :duh:
I guess this is nutritional, but eating your own eggs :ponder2: ?



A pic of the side of the tank.


And a Berghia nudibranch!


 

Wrangy

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Cool, cool and cool! A bit weird the clowns eating their eggs straight away haha but good food source lol
 
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