The 6-Month Mark - Updated 5/21/11

what kind of sand did you use? looks great. love the before and after pics!

 

You'll get there, dowtish! I never thought I'd see any growth like this in my zoas! Heck, the ones we got at the beginning of this month have really taken off more than any of the others. The funny thing is the xenia and GSP (first corals in the tank) have shown the least growth and haven't spread like I wanted them to...go figure!

Jmblec, I used the bagged live sand from Petco LOL. That's what I had in my previous tank after changing over from black, so I cleaned it and bought more.

 

I did lose that original watermelon mushroom, it just decided to detach on day, and never really found a good spot. But then I noticed 2 more little ones on the original piece of rock, and they are growing really quick.

Do you feed your mushrooms or zoas?

 

My mushrooms won't close up around any food, so I've been doing nothing for them. Sometimes I squirt the zoas with the saltwater that I thaw the food in so they get little particles, dunno if that's what's helping or not. I do feed the palys, they always take it.

 

Weird the mushrooms won't eat. Maybe they are just getting enough light, or feeding on pods etc.. at night. What do you hope to do with it next? What kinds of coral/fish for example? Tank and progress looks really good so far. Happy half b-day

 

Thanks m2434. No more fish, we're full with the 4 we have now. Peace is mostly kept with it this way LOL.

Not sure what will be next on corals. We really wanted a softy tank, and seems we have it LOL. I'm sure probably more zoas and shrooms, as we both really like them.

I also found it very strange that the mushrooms won't eat, any I've had before always did. I tried a couple of times to cause a feeding response, but nothing. I guess they're getting enough somehow.

The real "what's next" will be a 125 gallon tank LOL.

 

Cool, sounds like a good plan I no longer maintain my old 75, I passed it off to a new owner. However, it's a softie tank, going on 10 years now. Started out very similarly. Also, only 4 fish for most of it's life. Good number I guess :thumb_up:

 

We plan on keeping this tank. We'll probably thin some of the rock out to seed the new tank with so this one looks nicer and will likely leave the orange-spot goby and pistol shrimp in there so maybe they'll find each other, and the smaller cardinal that gets bullied by the bigger one, and leave one of the emeralds (probably the red one). We'll probably leave all the shrimp in there, too, and get new ones for the new tank.

The other 2 fish we'll move to the larger tank since the larger cardinal is a jerk to the smaller one and the 6-spot LOVES to pace when it's feeding time. He hates only getting half the tank to sift, too. Then we'll get some fish that actually have some color!

 

Just some more updates. Had to snicker a little when I saw my statement that a 125g was next now that we have the 140 out in the garage (all clean, BTW)!

Big Red looks like he molted sometime this week, but he didn't get his claw back .


The favia has continued to bleach. It's pretty much just clear now. I don't know what to do for it, it's already under a rock to be out of the light (has been since before it bleached). It still eats.


The purple palys have gotten darker since I put them in the shade.


Antennas is carrying eggs (actually all shrimp are but the smallest peppermint). I have yet to see any of them release the babies yet, which is odd. Used to always see it in my old tank. Of course, I didn't have a job then and was up all night sitting next to the tank too LOL.


My boyfriend moved the blue mushrooms up and they started turning less blue, so I put them in the shade to get the blue back. One of them had a "gas bubble" the other night LMAO.

 

Spot's been hanging out over on AH's side of the tank for some reason. The other morning I caught him in AH's burrow (obviously with AH), and I keep seeing him hanging out in the area where the pistol shrimp is living with his bristleworm buddy. I keep hoping they'll figure it out! I think maybe he gave up on his burrow, since he didn't build it in the first place and pretty much never sifts sand. I suspect he's lazy.


The AH is still his usual self. Wish he would go clean up Spot's side of the tank!


The big cardinal says "Hey!" and still chases the smaller one around.


The little cardinal is still his usual sweet self...kinda like a puppy. He's catching up to the big cardinal, though, so Big better watch out!


Finally got a pic with both cardinals in it. The little one is a little bigger than the big one was when we got them.