mixed reef lagoon

[RayAllen]

Looks great Ace. Very natural look.

[Mr Cob]

The feather star is really cool.

[Europhyllia]

Looking forward to tomorrow's pics!

[hobogato]

the little ones are here (little being the operative word)

pics later...

[Europhyllia]

Yay!

[Bill S]

...

[hobogato]

ok, they are tiny but look healthy

here they are drip acclimating in a 1 gallon pitcher
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/PDRM3880.jpg

here are a couple of individual shots (pun intended) of one in transfer to the tank
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC05965.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC05966.jpg

here they are in their new home - had to add the net breeder because i was worried about them getting thru the slots in the acrylic holding box
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC05971.jpg

here they are with some macro - four are visible :)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC05972.jpg

[Europhyllia]

Wow they are very cool but I envisioned them way bigger!
The side view of the shot glass with the little brown cuttlefish is great. Good Luck. Hope they all survive and thrive. :)

[stoneroller]

Tiny little beasts... good luck.

[Rychek]

Awesome! Good luck and thanks for sharing.

[txmaverickmh]

Finally...the true cuttle lagoon! Tank is looking spectacular Ace, I cant wait to see how these guys do! Good Luck!

Michael

[hobogato]

found this 2" long monster in the tank this morning - time to do some research
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06065.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06070.jpg

[hobogato]

looks to be Dendrodoris nigra - a sponge eater that eats a specific type of sponge. problem is, no one really knows what sponge and i have lots of sponges in my tank that i really dont want it munching on. not sure what to do...

[Kristy]

What the heck is it? A type of nudi? Cucumber? Snail? Don't send it to me!

[hobogato]

nudi - it is really cool looking

[hobogato]

apparently what ever sponge they eat, it is a very specific kind. since i have seen no damage to the sponges in my tank so far, i decided to put him back in and take my chances

[FireWater]

That is cool. Looks like it is time to go on a sponge buying spree to find out what it eats. I like the rolling of the dice Ace - life is after all one big science experiment. LOL

[RayAllen]

Too Cool Ace those cuttles are tiny. Cant wait to see them hunting in action.

Love the Solid black nudi. Its like the monster that travels in the shadows that you dont see!

[msmith619]

Cool, damsel food! Oops. Looks like they are going to need to grow some before they consider those damsels as part of their diet! You should take the damsels into your breeding project at school.

[hobogato]

that is the plan if i can catch em mike.

[ErikH]

Love the shot picture, too bad that darn water drop is right there!

[hobogato]

nah, adds to the effect - kinda like a generous bar tender that fills it to the rim ;)

[SoLiD]

Ummmm.... Wow! Nice one Ace, Really.

[ErikH]

that pic is my desktop background lol. So cool, those little killers are.

WELL HELLO DAVID! :D :D Missed you bro!

[Mr Cob]

Ace, the cuttles rock man! I wish the best for all of them.

[hobogato]

well, i knew the day would come when i had to get rid of the damsels. Sunday, i noticed one of them eating my seaworld milli (suspected for a while, but never caught him until then), so i decided it was time. i tried the fish hook first, but got no takers. so, i drained the tank and took nearly all of the rock and coral out to catch them.

i didnt get the rocks back exactly as before and took the opportunity to rearrange the corals a bit. broke lots of stuff during the process, so i will be posting a ton of stuff in the frag program and selling a few frags as well.

here is the tank today - now that everything has recovered (for the most part) - you can see some of the frags on the top right bridge
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06098.jpg

i have 1000 live mysids coming in today, and have had artemia in two hatcheries for a couple of days. the plan is to get a good colony of mysids established in the tank since there are now no fish to eat them. four of the five cuttles are still going strong and should really start growing with a large supply of food

[Europhyllia]

Awesome! It's as gorgeous as ever!
Two questions:
what is that gorgeous bright blue branching thing?
Did you break off any corky finger?

[hobogato]

thanks karin, the blue one is a gorgo i got at ad, and funny you should mention the corky finger (are you eligible for a level 2 coral)....

[Europhyllia]

level 2 and level 3. Just don't go crazy and post it as level 1 ;)

[hobogato]

mysid shrimp are here, acclimated, and just added to the tank. put some in with the cuttles and three of four ate right away. the fourth one isnt changing colors like it should so i dont know if it is gonna make it.

here is the tank with about 1000 live mysids in it
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06099.jpg

[d3rryc]

Do I wanna know what 1000 live mysis cost?!?!

[hobogato]

sure if you wanna help me pay for em :)

$130 shipped.

[Mr Cob]

WOW....very cool ACe. Tanks looks great as well. I miss seeing all the blue damsels~!

[Gseclipse02]

i was going to ask the same thing lol

[d3rryc]

Let's see, two malamutes, two cats, a 140-gal and a 20-gal... Yep, $130 sounds about right for groceries over here, too. Sorry, Ace, but you're on your own!

[sharkboy]

got any more pics of cuttlefish???

[hobogato]

no, they are still very shy. i am down to two babies, but both are eating well. one is just a little smaller than the other.

i did get video of my cucumber eating - he does this every night after i put freshly hatched artemia nauplii in the tank - frond lickin good!
k1UWvGefRtw

[hobogato]

had the halogen ceiling lights on with just the actinic t5s on the tank on and noticed that the everything had an interesting look. tried to capture it, almost got it, pic is just a tad less blue overall than the tank actually looks.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06140.jpg

i think some of the colors are so vivid because the bulbs in the halogen fixtures in the ceiling are those true view bulbs.

[Third Coast Tropical]

Awesome picture. Your tank is ridiculous!

[HoppyBunny]

That FTS is awesome! The lighting is really interesting. I could stare at your tank for hours...so much to see!

[d3rryc]

Just sick, Ace. SO jealous... B)

[Mr Cob]

Ace....you pulling macro out? I don't see as much and it looks as if the micro is less as well.

I love that last FTS!!!

[rocketeer]

I just made your tank my wallpaper.

[hobogato]

thanks for the comments all - macro algae is only on the back side of the rocks, in the sand in the back and on the very top of the rocks.

nuisance algae is settling down again, just keeping up with manual removal and 5 gallon water changes twice a week

[rocketeer]

Got a higher res shot?

[hobogato]

no, i resized that one to post. i will take another tonight and send it to you on email if you will shoot me your email addy

[marcusgonzales210]

where are the gorgonians you bought from us? (A.A.)

[hobogato]

marcus, the fan is in the center, next to the orange sponge - looks like a diagonal line in this pic bc it is points forward from the rock. the blueberry is in the back, but unfortunately it is continuing to deteriorate from the air exposure it got during shipping. i was hopefull but i dont think it will make it.

[ErikH]

I am jealy.

[marcusgonzales210]

that sucks that the blueberry gorgonian isn't going to live. it was my favorite of the gorgonians. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. :( We have HUGE elephant ears if you're interested. I don't know how one would fit in that tank though. Looks nice btw.:applause:

[hobogato]

yeah, the blueberries are difficult anyway, a little damage and they typically dont recover.

[saabtech]

stunning tank Ace. one day, after several thousand hrs i will have a tank that is a fraction of yours and yet still be satisfied.

[hobogato]

thanks kevin

took a couple of night pics with a flash just for you erik

here is the one you requested :) this thing stays open almost all of the time now since i have been feeding live brine babies daily, but it doesnt extend like this during the day
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06178.jpg

the feather star seems to be doing very well, stays under the red cap except at night and when i feed the tank - also seems to love the jet of flow coming out of the closed loop nozzle
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06175.jpg

[txg8gxp]

Wow, awesome sun coral. Looks very happy.

[saabtech]

awsome feather star also. were is that vid for the cucumber eating? i want to see that again.

(edit: found it.. post 287, that thing is really cool!)

[ShAgMaN]

The feather star is sic...After I saw him a week ago I did some research, which basically said they are impossible to keep...crazy.

[hobogato]

thanks for the comments guys

yes, crinoids are not good aquarium candidates. i would not have searched for one, but once it was in the lfs, i couldnt leave it there knowing it would have a good chance of surviving in my tank because of the way it is set up and the amount of food i add for all of the filter feeders. wow, that was quite the run-on :)

[kkiel02]

Very nice indeed I was just telling my girlfriend how you can setup a tank and make it look so "grown in" so fast.

[saabtech]

i would not have searched for one, but once it was in the lfs, i couldnt leave it there knowing it would have a good chance of surviving in my tank because of the way it is set up and the amount of food i add for all of the filter feeders. wow, that was quite the run-on :)

complex compoud sentance. J/J better he is in your tank than mine. he is safe.

[ErikH]

Ace, if you find my jaw, please pick it up off the floor.

I got some of that food from Gabe, how much are you feeding per day? I really should feed differently than I do.

[hobogato]

erik, i feed live phyto and live baby brine every night. every morning i feed a mix of those prawn eggs, rotifers, cyclops and mysids(to the acans and other lps) - the equivalent of one or two frozen cubes total.

petsmart had mollies on sale for $1 each with pet perks card, so we bought a bunch to set up a breeding colony in the tank to feed the lone surviving cuttle hatchling (more eggs coming later this week hopefully). a few did not handle the acclimation to saltwater and died. that is sad, but all is not lost - as one died in just the right spot
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06182.jpg

[txg8gxp]

Awesome pic.

[hobogato]

got ten cuttle eggs today - thanks jeremy!

they are much larger than any i have had before, one of the cuttles is very visible and it is almost as big as the two week old hatchling i have in the net breeder already! mollies are poppin out babies like crazy too, so i should have a great (cheap) food source this time as well :)

[Europhyllia]

very cool! So is there different 'breeds' of cuttles?

[hobogato]

there are different species, but all of the eggs and cuttles we get here in the u.s. are dwarf cuttlefish (Sepia bandensis)

[Gseclipse02]

were they from the same supplier ?

[Europhyllia]

interesting about the different sized eggs then! Good Luck. I've been waiting a long time now for cuttle pics...

[hobogato]

got these thru reefs2u jt.

well, we already have one hatchling - it is about half the size of the two week old toddler :)

[Gseclipse02]

were the ones before from them to ???


that's cool that they are hatching already hopefully you have better luck with these ...

i don't think i have ever seen one of these in person before

[hobogato]

the first batch of eggs were from the same place, but the last hatchlings were from a different supplier

here are some pics

moving them around to clean the net breeder
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06194.jpg

two week old and hatchling
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06193.jpg

here is the baby condo - one net breeder for cuttles and one for baby mollies
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06197.jpg

[Europhyllia]

Happy Birthday little cuttle. So glad to see the other ones growing too though!

[hobogato]

what i think is funny is the bigger one knows now that i am not gonna eat him, so he doent try to hide anymore. the little one however must think i am a predator based on how still and camoflaged it stays.

[Europhyllia]

Awww... bonding already ;)

[saabtech]

congrats and good luck. hope they all make it.

[hobogato]

the brains really inflate this time of the day, so i thought i would share a pic

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06200.jpg

[corruption]

Lovely! I like that red/green one -- was that one from Gabe? Looks familiar :)

-Justin

[hobogato]

no, that one came from polly's pets in uc. gabe has one in the shop very similar to it tho

[corruption]

Ahh -- beautiful regardless :)

-Justin

[hobogato]

oh, if you are talking about the red lobo in the back, that did come from gabe's :)

two more babies hatched last night :D

[hobogato]

just got back from the classroom with 12 baby mollies to add to the food basket as well as a bucket full of water loaded with pods :)

[Europhyllia]

baby pics? (of the new cuttles -but we can look at baby mollies too ;) )

[hobogato]

here are a couple of quick ones

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06204.jpg

closer - sorry for the oof
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06205.jpg

[Europhyllia]

so do I understand this correctly: the pretty golden color is a camouflage that they can change? The larger white one in the earlier pic can change his color to this as well?

[hobogato]

yes, the larger white one from earlier is the largest one in these pics. they can go from snow white to almost black and every shade/pattern of rusty brown in between. they can also change their texture from completely smooth to covered in spikes. they can also create a moving color pattern on their skin which many people call the "passing clouds" pattern. they can also pulse white to color to white etc. i am really looking forward to when they are bigger so i can get some good video of those transformations.

[Europhyllia]

wow that will be very cool!

[hobogato]

you can actually see how they darkened up from the first pic to the second - the flash from the first pic startled them a little.

[Rychek]

That is too cool Ace! I can hardly wait for them to grow out a bit. Good luck with this batch!

[ErikH]

Ya for babies

[hobogato]

up to six babies with four eggs left - one baby died right after hatching :(

i spent a couple of hours setting up the mysid shrimp tanks. the idea is to keep a constant slow flow going between the two tanks with different size filter screens so the adults are trapped in one tank and the juveniles are trapped in the other while the larvae can move between them freely. it involves and air lift tube and a siphon to return the water.

here are the two parts before installation
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06207.jpg

also, each tank has a home made air driven sponge filter. this pic shows one assembled (left) and the other in pieces (right)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06206.jpg

to jump start the bio filter, i put the new sponge filters in the main tank and used the filters that have been in the main tank for these new tanks.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06208.jpg

i also did a big water change and used old tank water in the new mysid setup.

here is the whole thing running
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06209.jpg

[Rychek]

Nice setup. I need to take notes on this stuff. :)

[txg8gxp]

Looks good. Keep us updated on how it seem to work out for you.

[hobogato]

well, the mysids have moved mostly into the 20 gallon over night, so i will harvest from the 10 gallon until those are mostly gone and then i will set up the screens. fed them freshly hatched brine last night and they went nuts! two days in shipping with no food, they were really hungry. soaked some more baby brine in live phyto overnight and fed those this morning.

also, we have a new cuttle hatchling this morning and the cuttlefish ate all of the mysids we put in with them last night - about 20. still have three eggs - two small ones and one big one that looks like it will hatch any day.

[Europhyllia]

Ace that sounds great that they are all eating so well!

[saabtech]

wow ace. all this sounds very exciting. congrats on the progress and i am sure it will prove to be a valuable resource for teaching.

[hobogato]

baby #8 this morning - two unhatched remaining.

here is a pic of some of them - they were all in a line, but started moving when they noticed me above them with the camera
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06218.jpg

here is the tank this morning with the new mangroves that i got from richard (thanks again!)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06226.jpg

[txg8gxp]

I like the FTS. Taking mental notes....when my tank is full, just start growing stuff out of the top..hahaha. Looks great.

[Europhyllia]

actually I really like your blinds!

[hobogato]

got em at lowe's - faux wood. they look like real wood, but are MUCH cheaper.


actually I really like your blinds!

well, unfortunately the mysids did not do well. i think 1000 was too many for that 30 gallon setup that i threw together. the dead ones did not go to waste tho, all of my acans ate really well for a few days - as they died i siphoned them out and fed them to the acans in the tank.

i am gonna try again this week as i still need live mysids for at least another week. this time, i will put some in net breeders in the main tank, some in this setup and some in a couple of tanks at the school.

all 8 cuttles are doing well, the last two eggs were apparently infertile.

[Gseclipse02]

got em at lowe's - faux wood. they look like real wood, but are MUCH cheaper.


ile.


you mean you didn't make them :wink_smile: lol


those mangroves are huge!

[hobogato]

actually, i made one set for our upstairs bathroom, and decided i would rather buy the rest - they are a real pain to make.

[Jarob]

I love how your cuttle lagoon turned into a full blown beautiful show reef tank!!! Looks great and im so curious to see the cuttles grow!!!

[hobogato]

thanks jarob

got home this evening and snapped a few shots while i had the camera out.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06358.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06359.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06360.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06357.jpg

i resisted this coral for two days - but my will power just wasnt strong enough.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06363.jpg

[Europhyllia]

Oh glad you got it. Stephen, Julia and I were marveling over it at the shop. :) It's so unusual and it looks great in your tank. Some really nice shots - too bad they missed the POTM.

How are the babies?

I just thought about something: why are cuttles only available as eggs or babies? If they are so tough to raise wouldn't it be easier to buy adults?

[hobogato]

they only live about a year and by the time they are big enough to catch, they are older and dont live much longer. you can find them occasionally from suppliers, but they usually dont live very long in the tank.

[FireWater]

Tank looks great as always Ace. I absolutely love the diversity that you have put into this one. Your will power is nonexistent Bro.

[kkiel02]

Very nice addition with the elegance. Jeremy almost talked me into it the other day. Man those tips just glow.

[HoppyBunny]

Love the elegance! What a fantastic addition Ace. Like Karin said, we were all eyeballing it. If I didn't already have one I wouldn't have been able to resist that beauty. Good to see it ended up in good hands. :)

[hobogato]

well, the mollies are technically feeder fish, but this is not how i actually intended

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06364.jpg

[Gilbert]

Oh the acan is eating the molly. I didnt notice that at first. Pretty cool.

[HoppyBunny]

That is an awesome picture! At least the mollies you lose aren't going to waste!

[RayAllen]

Thats so cool, took me a moment to realize what I was seeing. That going to be one large head.

[hobogato]

well, i am down to one baby cuttle fish. i dont think any of the other hatchlings ever ate, even though they were offered live mysis, live brine, live copepods and amphipods, live baby mollies, and frozen mysids.

the one survivor, whom we have dubbed uno, is at least twice as big as it was when it hatched. hopefully i can switch it over to live mollie babies and shore shrimp in the next couple of weeks. when it gets a little bigger, i will try to find a few more that are near the same size.

[Europhyllia]

I am sorry not more made it. You put so much effort into this. Must be frustrating to not see more pull through! :(

[hobogato]

yes, it is, but that is the game we play :at_wits_end:

[ErikH]

Wow whadda ya think it is? Sorry for the frustration, this has gotta be driving you bonkers.

[hobogato]

well, the first batch of eggs didnt hatch because i had my salinity too high. the next batch of hatchlings arrived VERY small - probably only one or two days old and that is too early to ship them with any success. this last batch of eggs hatched well, but apparently they must not have been eating, even though they were given many differnt types of food - could be that they were shipped too close to hatch time which delayed hatching enough to make them weak by the time they hatched.

[ErikH]

Ahhhh at least they are CB!

[txg8gxp]

What a bummer...What species are you keeping? Hope you have a nice healthy group before too long. These would be amazing to sit and watch. I would love to try myself, but if your haveing a few issues who know what problems I would have.

[justahobby]

What was your reasoning with going with cuttles so young?

[txg8gxp]

From what I have read, Its all about shipping. Adults done ship well at all.

[mabel_photo6]

Cuttles!!! Sorry to hear not many of them lived. Growth pictures of the cuttle?

[hobogato]

that is correct stephen, also:

1. wanted them with us as long as possible since they only live around a year
2. really wanted to go with captive produced - people dont get rid of captive produced adults

[justahobby]

I see. With a short life span, would be safe to assume that once adults they breed like crazy? If people are not willing to give up adults, it sounds like you aren't even close to being the only one having trouble raising them up. Comforting? lol

[hobogato]

the ones i had before, i raised from 2 month old captive babies. they started laying eggs at 5 months old and their first clutch was over 70 eggs. they are supposed to lay eggs every month or so after that until they die at about 13 months old.

[txg8gxp]

Would you have to have mollies? Is there a good food replacement for them?

[hobogato]

mollies are the food replacement for live my$id$ (yes i spelled it that way on purpose :)) however, to give them the best chance, i still bought the live mysids as well. on top of that i have been giving them amphipods and copepods from the school tanks (huge population there).

[justahobby]

Mollies seem a likely source since they are rapid live bearers and tolerant of SW.

[txg8gxp]

$$ makes sense. What species? Speia Bandensis?


mollies are the food replacement for live my$id$ (yes i spelled it that way on purpose :)) however, to give them the best chance, i still bought the live mysids as well. on top of that i have been giving them amphipods and copepods from the school tanks (huge population there).

[hobogato]

i have personally bought 3000 live mysids @ $133 per 1000 (and another 2000 thru the classroom to try and raise them there as well). this will be the last try as i can not afford to try again. if uno doesnt make it, this will become an aggressive fish reef.

[hobogato]

yep


$$ makes sense. What species? Sepia Bandensis?

[Europhyllia]

are teh aggressive fish going to leave the feather star, etc alone?

[hobogato]

hopefully it wont come to that karin, but yes the feather star will be fine with the fish/eel i will have. it is actually growing many new arms and has only dropped two, definitely a great sign that it will be with us for a long time :)

[Europhyllia]

excellent. like you said: it's probably going to be a mansion for one lucky cuttle
but if it wouldn't work out I'd hate to see the pretty star fish endangered. :)

[txg8gxp]

Don't give up...They are amazing creatures, it would be awesome to watch them. The passing cloud pattern is just too cool.

[hobogato]

few pics from today

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06371.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06372.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06374.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06375.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06378.jpg

top down shots

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06377.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06379.jpg

uno - the little cuttle is about 1/2" long now

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06382.jpg

[aquasport24]

Sorry about the little ones Ace, but the tank is looking good.

[txg8gxp]

Nice pics. What do you think was the issue with the others? Not eating, stress?

[hobogato]

not sure, could be that they were shipped too close to hatch time which delayed hatching enough to make them weak by the time they hatched.

[Texreefer]

everything is looking great Ace!!

[saabtech]

that stinks man. we will all root for UNO.

[Europhyllia]

He's eating and growing. I am sure he'll be fine.

I think I recognize one of the frags! :)
Love that apple green acan by the way. Very nice :)

[saabtech]

oh and GREAT PICTURES. thanks for sharing

[Big_Pun]

saw this on reefbuilders first half is on frogs then cuttles, thought it was cool video

http://reefbuilders.com/2010/03/03/richard-ross-interviewed-cuttlefish-breeding-program-california-academy-sciences/

[Mr Cob]

Go UNO!!!

Hey Ace...I have probably said this like 10 times throughout this thread...but what the heck...

The tank looks great and I LOVE ALL of the colors!

[Jarob]

Oh man that lime green acan is beautiful, ive never seen that color morph!! Goodluck with that little guy, hope he keeps eating!

[Firstman]

i want him to make it they are very cool looking and he well have a nice pad.

[mabel_photo6]

SUPER cute thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hobogato]

a change a gonna come...

before pic for reference :D
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06392.jpg

[aquasport24]

oh oh ,let's the drum roll somebody...

[allan]

Dang Ace, words do little to describe your tank, and pictures pale in comparison to seeing it in person, but I am REALLY looking forward to see what you'll do next.

Standing by....

[Europhyllia]

Eek. I am sorta scared. How could it get any better than it is? Don't change it!

[HoppyBunny]

Hmmm, what could you possibly be doing next...:nailbiting:

I can't wait to find out!

[txg8gxp]

Wow, thats alot of stuff to move. Can't wait see the new plan.

[hobogato]

all done, pics tomorrow :)

[mabel_photo6]

Holy moly, I hope it's a good change. lol
The tank looks AWESOME right now!!
I'm gonna come back and check out them after photos. :)

[saabtech]

all right! ITS TOMORROW!!!! where are the pics?

[Mr Cob]

all done, pics tomorrow :)

hey....you can't do that and then leave us hanging. I'm calling you right now....WAKE up!

[ismvel]

I was there earlier and it does look good, and he got himself a very nice centerpiece also. ;)

[allan]

Early doesn't help, it's already seven and no pics....

Ace is probably on the porch cooking some beans, fixing to grind them up for coffee, hands in his pockets oblivious to the fact that the rest of Texas awaits....

[hobogato]

nah, been drinking coffee for a while now :) ill get some pics in a little while

[allan]

Are you happy with the results?

I spent an hour trying to drill rock to make a tower, and when it was done I sped through attaching several frag corals that I had lying about the sand bed. Rock looks rather plain right now, not sure if I'm happy with it.

[hobogato]

yep, it is exactly what i was going for :)

[Europhyllia]

I can guess!
You figured out that you won't be able to continue to add livestock at the rate you are going in a 150 and decided to buy Gator's 650. That way if you are left with only one cuttle you can also get some Gigas clams and giant octopus for added interest!

[hobogato]

i wish.

[allan]

Don't wish Ace... Do!

[hobogato]

ok, so after seeing the rc tank of the month i realized what it was that just wasnt right about my tank. it was too unorganized and looked cluttered. so, i decided to remove a little rock and rearrange the righ 2/3 of the tank. i also came across this huge encrusting gonio at phenomenal aquatics and knew it had to be the centerpiece of the tank. the idea was to keep the left column intact, except for moving some of the corals.

for reference, here is the before pic again
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06392.jpg

now, here is the new and improved version (the first pic is as it looks, the rest are in camera white balance corrected)

notice, i also regrouped the mangroves into two bunches
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06395.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06396.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06397.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06405.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06406.jpg

from the top

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06400.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06402.jpg

[Europhyllia]

They both look great (of course!) but I really loved the cluttered look. It was just so you (not that I know you well but you just give out that vibe of pure joy and no self control when it comes to coral buying that's really fun :D )!
The cluttered tank had that element of abundance and never knowing where to look because there was just so much amazing stuff piled up all over!
Somehow I get the impression though there might still be some tweaking on even the current set up. We'll see where it goes... ;)

[hobogato]

i appreciate the honesty :)

right now, i am really pleased with it and when things grow in, i think it will look pretty cool. i really like all of the open water in the middle now also. i even thought ahead and planned out a place for the two group order corals coming in next week :D

[Mr Cob]

Looks awesome....I love the acans grouped together....that will look sweet as they grow in....you have some nice ones. Can't wait to see some closeups of the gonio.

[txg8gxp]

Looks great, I like the more open area. Looks alot more natural now I think. Man, I love that green acan.

[joker78148]

Tank looks great Ace. Thanks for the phyto

[saabtech]

hay..... why dont you have any coral in there. somethings is missing. J/J


Wow that thing is nice. hope i can get over there and see it in person.

[Rychek]

Ace you never cease to amaze. :)

[txg8gxp]

How is uno?

[hobogato]

ate his first baby molly last night :D

[txg8gxp]

Awesome, How big is he now?

[hobogato]

about the same as that pic a couple of pages ago - maybe a tiny bit bigger. his head and tenticles are more pronounced now than they were in that pic tho.

[txg8gxp]

Smart little guys
Kx8rHF-S_0I

[hobogato]

great video! the others we had a long time ago used to do that in the caulerpa bed, but they would change dark and mottled to blend in with the darker surroundings.

sorry, no new cuttle pics - trying to avoid stressing the little uno as much as possible.

i did take pics of my black sun coral, first time it has opened up and begged for food with the lights still on since i got it a couple of weeks ago. i rewarded it with some pe mysis :)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06407.jpg

also took a few more random pics - nearly everything has fully recovered from being moved around this weekend.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06420.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06418.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06416.jpg

[justahobby]

I started a couple pages back and was admiring the LP gorgonian, thinking "man, that thing is a centerpiece!" Then, I saw you were adding a "centerpiece"........... I scrambled to the updated picture, frantically looking everywhere. Suddenly, "AH, there it is. Front and center still :)" Good job.








:whew::whew::whew:

[Mrs. z28pwr]

Wow Ace your tank is looking great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rocketeer]

I'm glad Uno is doing well. I got worried when you said you were rearranging your tank.

Jack

[ErikH]

Ace, what has changed in your regimen since you started this tank? You still surface skimming etc?

[hobogato]

actually, i have not run carbon in at least a month and i no longer have to use the surface skimmer either. i have kept very steady at the twice a week 5 gallon water changes. i use a glass bowl to dip the water out of the tank to clean up the surface, but lately i have not needed to do that as there is not really a buildup on the surface anymore. so now, i just siphon the water off and replace it. the tank is coming up on 6 months old, and it is really starting to get in the groove - no more cyano or diatoms and the hair algae is really getting thin.

[hobogato]

well, i added the flow accelerators (eductors) i got from bernie to the output of my closed loop and my mollies are swimming for dear life! it said on the package up to 400% increase in flow, but i was skeptical - not anymore! i had to rearrange a couple of corals because the flow was too high for them, but i think i have everything in a good spot now. ill try to get some video soon. thanks again bernie - look forward to watching your tank progress :D

[hobogato]

yep, you can probably guess by the thread title change that uno is no longer with us.

amazing how attached you can get to a tiny little creature.

[lt1z28]

Glad the flow accelerators worked out for you.

[Rychek]

No more cuttles in the future of the lagoon?

[hobogato]

not any time soon. i will be adding a zebra moray eel and at least one lion fish. probably a smaller type of tang also.

[Europhyllia]

yep, you can probably guess by the thread title change that uno is no longer with us.

amazing how attached you can get to a tiny little creature.
I'm sorry :(

[stoneroller]

Sorry about the cuttles. Your frogspawn has been missing you...

[Mr Cob]

We'll miss you UNO.

Ace, the new renters sound like interesting choices for the lagoon. Can't wait for them to move in....and definitely want to see some flow vids.

[rocketeer]

Wow, sorry to hear that. It sounda like it was a good effort though. Maybe by reading this thread somebody else might have better success. Thanks for sharing.

Jack

[Big_Pun]

get a big manthis shrimp

[txg8gxp]

Sad to hear...Hope the new plan works out good for ya.

[hobogato]

...and definitely want to see some flow vids.

here is a video i put together yesterday - i bet you can guess what i removed at the end :(

h53NwrvGtKA

funny, tank will look a bit different than this after i get done tonight

[Europhyllia]

Oh Ace it's so lovely and peaceful. Are you sure you don't want a Molly tank?

So what's happening tonight?

[hobogato]

not something that was planned...

[Europhyllia]

not something that was planned...

the molly tank?
or whatever mysterious thing is happening tonight?

[hobogato]

what i got for the tank today :)

there were many things i could not have in the tank with cuttlefish, but there was one that made me really miss my old tank. today, while searching for the zebra moray (found) and lionfish (found X2) i came across a really healthy purple base H. magnifica

to accommodate it, i had to rearrange just a tad :)

[Kristy]

Uh oh... more rearranging!

Sorry to hear about uno. He was a beauty. I think I'm going to miss the mollies a little too! :(

[Europhyllia]

The new fish will eat the beautiful spotted mollies! :(

[hobogato]

i caught as many as i could (17) today and took them to the classroom setup. both lions are too small to eat them right now anyway, so i will continue to try and catch the few that are left to move them to safety as well :)


The new fish will eat the beautiful spotted mollies! :(

[Mr Cob]

The tank looks sweet Ace...thanks for posting the flow vid.... I LOVE THE ACANS, especially the green one!

[Europhyllia]

:D Good

[hobogato]

some pics this morning - no lights on except the actinics (sun wasnt high enough yet either)

first, a fts - as it looks
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06431.jpg

now, same shot with the camera correcting the white balance
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06429.jpg

the rest of the pics are with the flash

the new eel - yet to be named
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06434.jpg

fu man chu lion (had to use an led spotlight as well for this pic as it is in a very dark area)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06438.jpg

baby volitans lion
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06441.jpg

new nem H. magnifica - from the front of the tank
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06435.jpg

and from the back
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06440.jpg

nem's mouth is tight as it should be and it did not deflate at all overnight. hopefully it is as healthy as it appears right now

[hobogato]

you can see that the volitans had a busy night of eating those shore shrimp i put in the tank a couple of days ago :D

[Bill S]

I think it looks a bit crowded. A nice 215 with a sump and fuge would better fit all of that livestock!:rofl:

[Europhyllia]

I love how Ace always lives in the NOW. No waiting for stuff to grow out (or in?).
No waiting around for the next step. Remove body- put new bodies in.
Instant gratification. I like it :D

[marcusgonzales210]

I LOVE your scolymias!!! Where did you get them? I've always wanted to get a pair of fu man chu lionfish.

[hobogato]

thanks marcus, one is from reefs2u and the other is from aquarium masters in cc. the third one is a propagated one i got on a group order a couple of weeks ago.

[hobogato]

seems that way, but after having tried unsuccessfully to get hatchlings past the one month mark several times, i kinda expected the outcome with uno. funny thing is, i thought i was past that barrier and actually put a call in to order some more eggs the day before he passed. luckily, the eggs didnt make it on the shipment...


...Remove body- put new bodies in...

[Europhyllia]

But it worked for you once before! Any idea what didn't work out this time?
Maybe a separate small tank where feeding is more controlled (like people do for baby fish)?

PS: that bodies remark sounded harsh. what I meant was that we never have to wait for the 'to be continued' part with you. It's always something exciting right away. ;)

[allan]

But it worked for you once before! Any idea what didn't work out this time?
Maybe a separate small tank where feeding is more controlled (like people do for baby fish)?

PS: that bodies remark sounded harsh. what I meant was that we never have to wait for the 'to be continued' part with you. It's always something exciting right away. ;)

Yeah Ace, how about cephlapods? DannyV has a tank for sale.

[Europhyllia]

Yes! Allan, so true. This one would be nice:
http://www.oceanproaquatics.com/shop/bali-zebra-mimic-octopus-chierchiae-smmed-rare-ships-free-p-19715.html

[allan]

Can't access at work Karin, will look when I get home.

[Europhyllia]

BALI ZEBRA MIMIC OCTOPUS CHIERCHIAE
http://oceanproaquatics.com/pics/zebra_octopus_%283%29.jpg

http://oceanproaquatics.com/pics/zebra_octopus_%284%29.jpg

[allan]

lol, pictures are blocked at work.... but I will google the bali dude.

[allan]

Wow Karin, that is a sharp looking octo. I'm sold. Ace, let's do it!!!

Actually, LMK when you're all hooked up and the octo is doing well so I can come over and visit. :D

[hobogato]

no karin, i have never raised them from new eggs/new hatchlings. when i had them before, i started with some that were 3 month old captive hatched. if i can raise them from eggs, i wont keep them since they only live about a year and i would want a sustainable population.

allan, i would do that in a heartbeat if christy wouldnt shoot me ;)

[Europhyllia]

The bali mimic one is not poisonous (see the guy is putting his hand in the tank!)
That being said I think a stylish octopus like that would make a great anniversary gift. Allan YOU should consider one for Gloria. I just saw a very nice pentagon corner tank in the FS section that would go lovely with this

[txg8gxp]

Looks great, I love the eel. I always wanted a blue ribbon.

[RayAllen]

Very Cool Ace, Im thinking of putting a eel in the 180.

[hobogato]

the tank turned 6 months old this week

first day with live rock in it
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC05309.jpg

today
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06449.jpg

[Jarob]

GOSH that looks amazing!!!

[Texreefer]

I see at least ONE MORE spot you can stuff something! wait.. that didn't come out right..!!! looks awesome...

[Mr Cob]

LOL, Mike!

Amazing how many colors there are.

Ace... we set our tanks up around the same time....Sept. 09'

[hobogato]

found some nudibranchs eating my sps, so i had to add some wrasses.

here is 2/3 of my nudibranch elimination team

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06482.jpg

[cowboy572]

Hey Ace, you should have let me know I would have been happy to let you adopt "Flipper" again.

[Europhyllia]

They are very beautiful. Is that a pair and the female/male colors are this different? Or are they two different kinds of wrasses?

[hobogato]

i wish i had know, i would love to have him back. i dont want to try and catch this one now tho.

karin, one is a yellow coris and the other is a red coris. i also added a sixline, so hopefully the three of them will make a good eradication team :)

[hobogato]

tank is doing well, almost all algae is gone, including most of the macroalgae and the little bit of briopsis that was cropping up.

just one progress shot to post, the first pic is after being in the tank about a week

3/9/10
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06407.jpg

here it is tonight begging for live brine (with flash - even tho the actinics are still on)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06500.jpg

a little closer
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06501.jpg

[txg8gxp]

Wow...:thumbs_up:

[saabtech]

thats some happy coral.

[Europhyllia]

Reminds me of taking pictures of black dogs. lol.
It's tough to take good pics of black dogs... and black corals! ;)
Looks very healthy and happy though!

[hobogato]

you are right karin, that color makes it very difficult to get a decent pic

[hobogato]

here is an actinic fts from last night
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06503.jpg

[Still Learning]

Sweet!

[hobogato]

thanks

took a few pics this evening. i think i have the fish list where i want it with:

volitans lion
radiata lion
fu manchu lion
blackfoot lion
zebra moray
red coris
copperband
6 line wrasse
tusk
radiant wrasse
yellow coris

first, the radiata
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06523.jpg

the volitans
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06524.jpg

first territorial discussion
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06527.jpg

tusk
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06525.jpg

linkia
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06526.jpg

urchin
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06529.jpg

corkscrew gorgonians
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06528.jpg

the blackfoot (bluefin)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06530.jpg

from the top
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06532.jpg

i picked up this fish not knowing about it specifically - just applying what i already knew in general about keeping lions since i have had them on and off for a long time. after researching, i realize that i will be lucky to keep him very long, but keep your fingers crossed for the little one, he seems to be doing well so far.

[Mr Cob]

The radiata shot is awesome with those scollies!

[Europhyllia]

I didn't know you could keep so many different lions! I just saw a pair of Fu Manchus on Diver's Den and they looked awesome! The Radiata is very pretty too :)

[StevenSeas]

Those are some very nice specimens. I hope your bluefin will do well

[aquasport24]

That is awesome Ace, I don't think i ever seen a tank like yours before. Hope they all get along ok.

[ErikH]

Man it would be nice to trade tanks with you every couple of weeks. I really love the radiata, even though I know it would eat my other fish, it just pulls at me every time I see one. :)

[hobogato]

thanks for all of the comments

actually, i was a tad worried because he is always just flat on the bottom. but, in the research i did, they are always found this way in the wild, sometimes even partially buried in the muck. his colors also seemed very faded compared to what they should be. well, last night, i had to get up in the middle of the night for something and when i turned the lights on, he was swimming all over the tank and had the most vivid coloration! i will try to get a pic one night if i can, but it seems he is doing well.


...I hope your bluefin will do well

[hobogato]

the fu manchu settled in a verry viewable place last night, so i was able to get better pics of it this morning. it had some scuffs around its head when i firs got it, but those have disappeared now and it is looking nice and fat too.

pardon the flash, i would have cropped it out, but i wanted to include the eel since he was begging for food already
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06533.jpg

here is another one of just the lion
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/aggressive%20reef/DSC06534.jpg

[Jarob]

incredible lions!! You have one of the most fascinating tanks ive ever seen..

[hobogato]

thanks jarob

added some live saltwater shore shrimp (ghost shrimp), and not only the volitans, but also the radiata and bluefin ate several each :D the fu manchu never comes out in the daytime, so i am sure he will get his share tonight

[Third Coast Tropical]

The radiata shot is awesome with those scollies!

I agree...awesome shot


So, when you cutting that orange and green scolly? ;)

joking of course.

Just curious...Who is the boss in this tank?

[hobogato]

right now, the volitans thinks he is, but since they are all about the same size with the same weapons, no one pays attention to him :)