Strider's 55 gallon reef learning exeriance.

[Strider199]

I read that rule but I thought "reef safe" meant everything would co-exist peacefully. Yes I am a newbie.

Thats a great solution Cliff. Much appreciated. I will try it as my button is on a flat surface, in the sand that is. I read that it may be aggravated by sand creeping things but I haven't found another place in my rocks yet. The new batch of live rock is still in quarantine.

[Cliff]

They are reef safe in the sense that they will not eat corals. Steeling food is a whole other story

[Strider199]

Using the top quarter of a water bottle to feed my button coral works really well. Great solution for keeping the food on the coral and the shrimp and hermits at bay without having to fend them away with a tool.

Has anyone taken a magnifying lens to their saltwater set-up in the evening?

Man there is alot going on in there. I found myself researching the life I saw into the wee hours of the night yesterday.
I have some kind of pod which moves on the live rock like micro silverfish. I have found three things which look like sponges on the side of my waving hand coral rock.
I found a neat looking feather duster growing along side my leather coral which is still quit small, about 3/16 of an inch in diameter.
The little white dots on the glass seem to have 4 arms but I still haven't I.D. them 100% yet. The glass magnetic scrubbing tool works great to remove them from the front glass. I'm still not happy with the way my leather corals look but I have alot of places on the live rock which I haven't tried yet. Maybe I'm moving them too much and should just let them be for more then a day.

[Strider199]

Yesterday I went and bought an orange bubble tipped anemone and a Tomato Clown which seemed to be interacting with that anemone in the coral tank at the lfs.
Just waiting for the two to settle down and I'll post a few pictures.
The anemone is still roving around the live rock this morning looking for a suitable home I guess.

[Strider199]

Last night I was witness to my Blood shrimp shedding his exo skeleton.
As I looked his way he seemed to have a claw stuck over one of his feelers. All of a sudden his head ripped through the top of his armour is an instant. When about 2/3rds of his front was free of the old armour, he paused for about 2 seconds holding still. Then out he popped from his old covering in a flash and went under some live rock.

That was a neat sight. I wish I had filmed it.

On another note I see I am missing a piece of zoanthid I had sitting on some flat live rock. The colony has been sitting there for a few months now but I guess on of my turbo snails must have passed over it and knocked it into the rock work. I'll have to do some searching tomorrow and maybe this time I'll glue the colony in place. I have some 2 part epoxy I purchased a month ago but haven't used yet.

[Strider199]

Yesterday I bought a colony of candy cane coral, neon green and today I bought a 5 headed colony of hammer coral, also green.
The tank is shaping up.
I also managed to locate that piece of zooanthid which was knocked from it's place and set it back into place on the live rock.
Man do I need to take a few more pictures.

[Cliff]

Man do I need to take a few more pictures.

Yup, you took the words right out of my mouth

[Strider199]

Last Monday I picked up some Kenya tree coral. There are two pieces attached to a nice small piece of rock. I've put it mid-way off to the right of the tank which has a gentle flow. The coral is tall and spread and neat looking even if it doesn't have any real colours to it.
So many empty places left on the live rock, so many different corals to choose from.

[fishmommie]

It sounds like you're having way too much fun!
we must see more photos :o)

[Strider199]

Ok you asked for it.

I turned off my blue LED's and up'd the whites.

My leather corals.