Weeds - Page 77

Michael Hoaster · 03/01/2021, 01:26 PM

I'm a little concerned about putting six grammas all together in a 3 foot long tank, but hopefully they'll be smaller and less aggressive during their stay. There's a total of 10 pipes, plus dead coral pieces, so there should be room for everyone.

The Hilton QT is ready to receive guests!

ThePurple12 · 03/01/2021, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

Good to hear that's a temporary situation. With your open top tank, I think a mangrove could look super cool!

Not today. They will ship today or tomorrow, so they'll arrive tomorrow or Wednesday. As soon as they notify me they've shipped, I'll post it.

Here's the 36 gallon QT they'll be going in.

Oops, I was thinking today was Tuesday. That’s a 5 star QT!

vlangel · 03/01/2021, 06:00 PM

Hopefully because they are juveniles all going in together, they will be more tolerant of close quarters and you have provided lots of territory and hiding places. What more could teenage fish want????

Michael Hoaster · 03/01/2021, 06:37 PM

Yeah, it'll mess me up if they send big fish! I did ask for small juveniles, but you never know. I agree, smaller fish are less ornery. I could probably throw a few more rocks in there, just in case.

No shipping notification, so I guess they'll ship them tomorrow. Just one more delay…

QT23

vlangel · 03/02/2021, 05:58 AM

Knowing KP Aquatics reputation I would expect them to try and fulfill your request for small fish. More mature fish could definitely interfere with your plans so I hope you get what you asked for.

So it looks like Wednesday is the big day?

Michael Hoaster · 03/02/2021, 04:05 PM

Since they sent small fish before, and I ordered the day they got them in, I'm optimistic. I still haven't gotten a shipping notification yet, but yes, I expect them tomorrow. Now that it's past 5pm on the east coast, I expect to get it any time now…

QT24

Michael Hoaster · 03/02/2021, 08:13 PM

Ugh. I got an email from KP Aquatics. They said they didn't have the appropriate sizes for me this week, and will ship as soon as they were available. It'a a huge bummer, but I appreciate that they know what I'm trying to do, and didn't just send what they had.

SO, the fish that I so desperately want to get in my display first, is looking like another week out. Ugh…

vlangel · 03/03/2021, 05:47 AM

Oh wow, that is disappointing. However it definitely is better to wait for what you need (small fish) rather than to get big fish only to have aggression issues later. Still, I feel your disappointment, it's so hard to wait! You are much better at it than most of us aquarist!
I do appreciate KP Aquatics for trying to get you what you want. They are very customer service oriented and that is to be commended!

ThePurple12 · 03/03/2021, 07:29 AM

Aw man, that's frustrating. We all know what it's like waiting impatiently for a fish to come!

Michael Hoaster · 03/03/2021, 08:13 AM

Yeah, it's a bummer. Especially considering I've got a fish in QT that's ready to go. Best laid plans…

QT25

Michael Hoaster · 03/04/2021, 10:08 PM

Today I received a couple of items from Gulf Coast Ecosystems.

Purple Candelabra (Plexaura flexuosa) is a gorgonian. It's a thicker branched variety and possibly my favorite. It's about 7 inches tall or so. It's mounted on a frag plug, which I stuck in the sand for now. I've got a rock I'm going to drill a hole into to hold it. I'll place the rock out in the grasses, in good light and current. No polyps have appeared as yet. I have some frozen rotifers I'll try feeding it once they pop out. I'll also probably get some Reef Roids for it. I've heard that is really good for corals and gorgonians in particular.

The other item is a plant, Halymenia durvillei (Dragons Breath). It's a Pacific species they've been aquaculturing. I received two 2 inch frags of it. I placed them on the back, left edge of the patch reef, in pretty good light. This is the one that should get orange highlights, if it does well. It's a little different from most of my other reds. I think it will add an interesting color and texture.

It's nice to bring in something new. I really enjoy picking out unusual plants and stuff. As much as I love the seagrass, I'm finding that I'm also having a blast with the macros.

I'm pretty sure I'm seeing an uptick in growth in all the plants, since I restarted CO2. I see changes everyday. It's good!

QT26

vlangel · 03/05/2021, 07:13 AM

I am excited for you about your new purchases. I think you will enjoy them a lot. It's funny but I too have been visiting live plants.com. I really want sargassum so am holding off on an order until they get some of that. I also would love to have dragon"s breath as it is spectacular. I had it once and it flourished until I gave a huge portion away and then what I had left just stopped thriving.

That gorgonian will be a very nice addition to your reef. I like how you plan to drill and put it in a rock. That should look great.
Best of luck with everything.

Michael Hoaster · 03/05/2021, 02:43 PM

Thanks Dawn. I'm still trying to coax the polyps out of the gorgonian, to no avail. I just need to be patient. I'm kind of excited to see how the Dragon's Breath does. It would be pretty cool to have some yellow/orange fluorescence! I had something awhile back that could be called dragon's breath, but it was a deep red. It did very well, to the point I got tired of pruning it back. I traded it in for fish food at my LFS. In the description on GCE, they mention that it grows in cycles, and to split it up occasionally to keep it going. I have a head start I guess, since they sent two frags of it.

It's so ironic they rarely have Sargassum available. It washes up by the actual ton on beaches. It seems strange that it is challenging to keep in aquariums given it's abundance in Nature. I would never have even tried it, had it not grown out of my live rock. It stayed very small for quite some time. Now it is finally growing. It's weird!

vlangel · 03/05/2021, 05:38 PM

Sometimes gorgs need a few weeks to settle in. I am sure that it will extend it's polyps in a week or so.

I like that florescent tips on the dragon's breath too. Mine was really striking when it did well. Maybe I split mine up at a bad time or waited too long or something like that. I don't know, some things remain a mystery.

Michael Hoaster · 03/05/2021, 05:57 PM

I keep thinking I can see a hint of polyp, but it's just wishful thinking. A week sounds about right. So far the Dragon's Breath looks good. I have high hopes for it!

QT27

vlangel · 03/06/2021, 07:16 AM

When you get a chance it would be nice to see a pic of the new acquisitions.

Michael Hoaster · 03/06/2021, 11:05 AM

I will. I'll probably do some work on the tank this weekend, so after that I'll get some pics. They're both towards the back of the tank, so it'll be challenging to get good ones.

Michael Hoaster · 03/07/2021, 01:21 PM

I'm not working on the tank this weekend, with a sore back. I got a couple of pics of the new additions. Unfortunately, the gorgonian is sloughing off tissue and doesn't look good. This may have convinced me to swear off gorgonians going forward. The Dragon's Breath frags are doing well, though I'm having trouble keeping them in place. I re-placed them for this pic.

Doomed?

Top down view.

ThePurple12 · 03/07/2021, 01:47 PM

Sorry about the gorg, maybe it will recover. For sargassum, I've noticed it doesn't do well being transplanted. Mine also grew from a rock, but when I fragged it the new plants didn't do well. Maybe that's why it's so abundant in the wild but doesn't do as well in aquaria.

Michael Hoaster · 03/07/2021, 01:54 PM

Yeah, I'm bummed about the gorg. I agree on the Sargassum. I think the best chance to have it survive is to buy live rock and let it grow from that. Of course you have to be lucky to get it on the live rock… It was the same with Botryocladia for me. Bought plants never made it for me, but the ones growing from my rocks do great.

vlangel · 03/07/2021, 03:13 PM

Michael, do not give up on the gorg yet. I have seen them do that and still recover, they can be funny that way.

Michael Hoaster · 03/07/2021, 06:19 PM

Okay Dawn, thanks. It looks worse than the pic though. I'm not optimistic.

vlangel · 03/07/2021, 07:37 PM

Well, here's hoping that it makes a recovery in spite of how bad it looks. That will be a bummer if it does not make it cause I think it would be a cool addition.

Michael Hoaster · 03/08/2021, 12:13 PM

Guess who decided to move hidey holes? My one remaining Barnacle Blenny has relocated from the back wall, where she was all but invisible, to a prime location in an actual barnacle. Right in front. Sometimes they go back to their old homes, so I had to snap a pic, before she changes her mind.

Welcome back to primetime, Belinda!

Scarlett is still doing well in QT. I noticed today that she has been working on the tank glass film algae, which is good. She's still as timid as ever, but I think she'll loosen up once she has some neighbors, in the display.

There has been some communication and confusion with KP Aquatics regarding the grammas, and I decided last night to cancel my order. They weren't able to get six small ones similar in size, so I gave up. However, this morning they emailed me back, saying they were getting more tonight and should have what I wanted, so I told them to go ahead and ship them to me. SO! After giving up on the idea of having a harem of Royal Grammas, it looks like it's going to happen after all. Rollercoaster!

QT30

vlangel · 03/09/2021, 05:22 AM

I only have 1 barnacle blenny too but Barney, has always taken up residence in a coco worm tube that faces the front of the tank. It's great because I can always see his cute little face staring right at me when I look in the tank. Maybe yours will stay put so you can continue to enjoy her. I hope so.

I am glad that Scarlett has done so well in QT. I think that you are right about her relaxing once she gets in your tank and not acting so timid.

So when do you expect KP to ship the grammas? Today maybe????

03/01/2021, 01:26 PM	#1901
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	I'm a little concerned about putting six grammas all together in a 3 foot long tank, but hopefully they'll be smaller and less aggressive during their stay. There's a total of 10 pipes, plus dead coral pieces, so there should be room for everyone. The Hilton QT is ready to receive guests! __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

03/01/2021, 06:00 PM	#1903
vlangel Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,409	Hopefully because they are juveniles all going in together, they will be more tolerant of close quarters and you have provided lots of territory and hiding places. What more could teenage fish want???? __________________ Genesis 1:20 - Current Tank Info: A 56 gallon naural nutrient macro reef that flows into a 30 gallon fuge with macros/seagrass that flows into a 20 gallon sump. Last edited by vlangel; 03/01/2021 at 06:14 PM.

03/01/2021, 06:37 PM	#1904
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Yeah, it'll mess me up if they send big fish! I did ask for small juveniles, but you never know. I agree, smaller fish are less ornery. I could probably throw a few more rocks in there, just in case. No shipping notification, so I guess they'll ship them tomorrow. Just one more delay… QT23 __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

03/02/2021, 05:58 AM	#1905
vlangel Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,409	Knowing KP Aquatics reputation I would expect them to try and fulfill your request for small fish. More mature fish could definitely interfere with your plans so I hope you get what you asked for. So it looks like Wednesday is the big day? __________________ Genesis 1:20 - Current Tank Info: A 56 gallon naural nutrient macro reef that flows into a 30 gallon fuge with macros/seagrass that flows into a 20 gallon sump.

03/02/2021, 04:05 PM	#1906
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Since they sent small fish before, and I ordered the day they got them in, I'm optimistic. I still haven't gotten a shipping notification yet, but yes, I expect them tomorrow. Now that it's past 5pm on the east coast, I expect to get it any time now… QT24 __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

03/02/2021, 08:13 PM	#1907
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Ugh. I got an email from KP Aquatics. They said they didn't have the appropriate sizes for me this week, and will ship as soon as they were available. It'a a huge bummer, but I appreciate that they know what I'm trying to do, and didn't just send what they had. SO, the fish that I so desperately want to get in my display first, is looking like another week out. Ugh… __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

03/03/2021, 05:47 AM	#1908
vlangel Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,409	Oh wow, that is disappointing. However it definitely is better to wait for what you need (small fish) rather than to get big fish only to have aggression issues later. Still, I feel your disappointment, it's so hard to wait! You are much better at it than most of us aquarist! I do appreciate KP Aquatics for trying to get you what you want. They are very customer service oriented and that is to be commended! __________________ Genesis 1:20 - Current Tank Info: A 56 gallon naural nutrient macro reef that flows into a 30 gallon fuge with macros/seagrass that flows into a 20 gallon sump. Last edited by vlangel; 03/03/2021 at 06:34 AM.

03/03/2021, 07:29 AM	#1909
ThePurple12 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Virginia Posts: 506	Aw man, that's frustrating. We all know what it's like waiting impatiently for a fish to come!

03/03/2021, 08:13 AM	#1910
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Yeah, it's a bummer. Especially considering I've got a fish in QT that's ready to go. Best laid plans… QT25 __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

03/04/2021, 10:08 PM	#1911
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Today I received a couple of items from Gulf Coast Ecosystems. Purple Candelabra (Plexaura flexuosa) is a gorgonian. It's a thicker branched variety and possibly my favorite. It's about 7 inches tall or so. It's mounted on a frag plug, which I stuck in the sand for now. I've got a rock I'm going to drill a hole into to hold it. I'll place the rock out in the grasses, in good light and current. No polyps have appeared as yet. I have some frozen rotifers I'll try feeding it once they pop out. I'll also probably get some Reef Roids for it. I've heard that is really good for corals and gorgonians in particular. The other item is a plant, Halymenia durvillei (Dragons Breath). It's a Pacific species they've been aquaculturing. I received two 2 inch frags of it. I placed them on the back, left edge of the patch reef, in pretty good light. This is the one that should get orange highlights, if it does well. It's a little different from most of my other reds. I think it will add an interesting color and texture. It's nice to bring in something new. I really enjoy picking out unusual plants and stuff. As much as I love the seagrass, I'm finding that I'm also having a blast with the macros. I'm pretty sure I'm seeing an uptick in growth in all the plants, since I restarted CO2. I see changes everyday. It's good! QT26 __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

03/05/2021, 07:13 AM	#1912
vlangel Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,409	I am excited for you about your new purchases. I think you will enjoy them a lot. It's funny but I too have been visiting live plants.com. I really want sargassum so am holding off on an order until they get some of that. I also would love to have dragon"s breath as it is spectacular. I had it once and it flourished until I gave a huge portion away and then what I had left just stopped thriving. That gorgonian will be a very nice addition to your reef. I like how you plan to drill and put it in a rock. That should look great. Best of luck with everything. __________________ Genesis 1:20 - Current Tank Info: A 56 gallon naural nutrient macro reef that flows into a 30 gallon fuge with macros/seagrass that flows into a 20 gallon sump.

03/05/2021, 02:43 PM	#1913
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Thanks Dawn. I'm still trying to coax the polyps out of the gorgonian, to no avail. I just need to be patient. I'm kind of excited to see how the Dragon's Breath does. It would be pretty cool to have some yellow/orange fluorescence! I had something awhile back that could be called dragon's breath, but it was a deep red. It did very well, to the point I got tired of pruning it back. I traded it in for fish food at my LFS. In the description on GCE, they mention that it grows in cycles, and to split it up occasionally to keep it going. I have a head start I guess, since they sent two frags of it. It's so ironic they rarely have Sargassum available. It washes up by the actual ton on beaches. It seems strange that it is challenging to keep in aquariums given it's abundance in Nature. I would never have even tried it, had it not grown out of my live rock. It stayed very small for quite some time. Now it is finally growing. It's weird! __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

03/05/2021, 05:38 PM	#1914
vlangel Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,409	Sometimes gorgs need a few weeks to settle in. I am sure that it will extend it's polyps in a week or so. I like that florescent tips on the dragon's breath too. Mine was really striking when it did well. Maybe I split mine up at a bad time or waited too long or something like that. I don't know, some things remain a mystery. __________________ Genesis 1:20 - Current Tank Info: A 56 gallon naural nutrient macro reef that flows into a 30 gallon fuge with macros/seagrass that flows into a 20 gallon sump.

03/05/2021, 05:57 PM	#1915
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	I keep thinking I can see a hint of polyp, but it's just wishful thinking. A week sounds about right. So far the Dragon's Breath looks good. I have high hopes for it! QT27 __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

03/06/2021, 07:16 AM	#1916
vlangel Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,409	When you get a chance it would be nice to see a pic of the new acquisitions. __________________ Genesis 1:20 - Current Tank Info: A 56 gallon naural nutrient macro reef that flows into a 30 gallon fuge with macros/seagrass that flows into a 20 gallon sump.

03/06/2021, 11:05 AM	#1917
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	I will. I'll probably do some work on the tank this weekend, so after that I'll get some pics. They're both towards the back of the tank, so it'll be challenging to get good ones. __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

03/07/2021, 01:21 PM	#1918
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	I'm not working on the tank this weekend, with a sore back. I got a couple of pics of the new additions. Unfortunately, the gorgonian is sloughing off tissue and doesn't look good. This may have convinced me to swear off gorgonians going forward. The Dragon's Breath frags are doing well, though I'm having trouble keeping them in place. I re-placed them for this pic. Doomed? Top down view. __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

03/07/2021, 01:47 PM	#1919
ThePurple12 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Virginia Posts: 506	Sorry about the gorg, maybe it will recover. For sargassum, I've noticed it doesn't do well being transplanted. Mine also grew from a rock, but when I fragged it the new plants didn't do well. Maybe that's why it's so abundant in the wild but doesn't do as well in aquaria.

03/07/2021, 01:54 PM	#1920
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Yeah, I'm bummed about the gorg. I agree on the Sargassum. I think the best chance to have it survive is to buy live rock and let it grow from that. Of course you have to be lucky to get it on the live rock… It was the same with Botryocladia for me. Bought plants never made it for me, but the ones growing from my rocks do great. __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

03/07/2021, 03:13 PM	#1921
vlangel Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,409	Michael, do not give up on the gorg yet. I have seen them do that and still recover, they can be funny that way. __________________ Genesis 1:20 - Current Tank Info: A 56 gallon naural nutrient macro reef that flows into a 30 gallon fuge with macros/seagrass that flows into a 20 gallon sump.

03/07/2021, 06:19 PM	#1922
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Okay Dawn, thanks. It looks worse than the pic though. I'm not optimistic. __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

03/07/2021, 07:37 PM	#1923
vlangel Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,409	Well, here's hoping that it makes a recovery in spite of how bad it looks. That will be a bummer if it does not make it cause I think it would be a cool addition. __________________ Genesis 1:20 - Current Tank Info: A 56 gallon naural nutrient macro reef that flows into a 30 gallon fuge with macros/seagrass that flows into a 20 gallon sump.

03/08/2021, 12:13 PM	#1924
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Guess who decided to move hidey holes? My one remaining Barnacle Blenny has relocated from the back wall, where she was all but invisible, to a prime location in an actual barnacle. Right in front. Sometimes they go back to their old homes, so I had to snap a pic, before she changes her mind. Welcome back to primetime, Belinda! Scarlett is still doing well in QT. I noticed today that she has been working on the tank glass film algae, which is good. She's still as timid as ever, but I think she'll loosen up once she has some neighbors, in the display. There has been some communication and confusion with KP Aquatics regarding the grammas, and I decided last night to cancel my order. They weren't able to get six small ones similar in size, so I gave up. However, this morning they emailed me back, saying they were getting more tonight and should have what I wanted, so I told them to go ahead and ship them to me. SO! After giving up on the idea of having a harem of Royal Grammas, it looks like it's going to happen after all. Rollercoaster! QT30 __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

03/09/2021, 05:22 AM	#1925
vlangel Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,409	I only have 1 barnacle blenny too but Barney, has always taken up residence in a coco worm tube that faces the front of the tank. It's great because I can always see his cute little face staring right at me when I look in the tank. Maybe yours will stay put so you can continue to enjoy her. I hope so. I am glad that Scarlett has done so well in QT. I think that you are right about her relaxing once she gets in your tank and not acting so timid. So when do you expect KP to ship the grammas? Today maybe???? __________________ Genesis 1:20 - Current Tank Info: A 56 gallon naural nutrient macro reef that flows into a 30 gallon fuge with macros/seagrass that flows into a 20 gallon sump.