Tank Journal Archive

[Kharn]

Here is what I am having problems with...whilst i have essentially chosen / made places for specific corals I want to keep...the 2 biggest places still available currently are vacant and this is substrate level in the 2 'gaps' between the 3 verticals of the DIY PVC burrow with their plateaus etc. causing dark areas.



Originally the plan was to go for a nice RBTA within each tank taking up 1 of the 2 spaces in each tank...but I don't know if I wanna risk it....

 

[Kharn]

The good thing about the SPS bench (at least I think) is that it will have great flow over it and direct from the Refugiums, the cascade slides will be just above them so any micro life and the initial flow will be up at the SPS corals first (from what I read this should be a good thing considering that most require moderate - strong flow and require that supplemented micro food not that I won't give them that as well I also hope that being positioned up high they will get the light required), each tank has 2 powerheads (1 on either side) for overall flow within them for the rest of the corals.

 

[Kharn]

Here is a 'Top Down' view of the DIY PVC burrow detailing how every plateau has at the very least 95% of it showing and not covered by another, thus making all available to light.



With the intended coral positions and space available at substrate level.

 

[Kharn]

I'm starting to lean towards the Gorgonian (I just LOVE!!! the purple ones/bright yellow stem & red polyp ones) for the '???' spots but not like 1 in both so would want something different in the other available spot...I'd go a clam but it should be damn obvious why I cannot...considering that the O.scyllarus is the 'anti-christ' for clam society...

 

[Kharn]

Here is a more advanced image of coral placement, although this is just an idea as I don't know if all of these corals would be capable of living together peacefully, my largest concern being the gorgonians...for flow as you can see in the picture the rear and both sides will have flow points, with the left powerhead being positioned behind the left vertical DIY PVC extension but pointing towards the Gorgonian in that '1/2' of the tank, the right sides powerhead will be positioned under the described brain coral plateau and again directed towards the Gorgonian in that '1/2' of the tank, I keep reading how Gorgonians need strong flow, so this should solve that solution, also since the 2 places where the Gorgonians are situated is the largest 'open water' zone so the Gorgonians should help to spread the flow to other places (mixed in with the top flow from the Refugium over the SPS).



Just an idea but I would LOVE to see something like this come to reality! (as I said I am worried about some incompatibilities...comments appreciated on this please!).

Be so kool to see a peacock darting about all the bright vibrant ultra grade corals :D the only ric's going in would be the fluro Orange/Pink/etc. style same goes for all the other types of corals the only thing I currently have that I deem "ultra" are my pair of Acans :D but these 2 Peacock tanks are destined for the best of the best xD.

 

[Kharn]

The 1 'downside' I suppose of all this added coral and it being the best I can get...is that the likely hood of feeding the larger smashers 'large' live food will likely have to cease...there is far too much activity and I foresee things getting knocked down, accidentally targeted or just in general damaged in the process of wrangling the prey that it's own size....the Juggernaut has collapsed his own cavity many times chasing, hammering at a large prey item that foolishly went in to seek 'shelter'.

 

[Kharn]

As far as I am concerned with the Gorgonians, the common factors seem to be...

- Positioned away from other corals specially those like LPS (stingers) & Soft (mucus defense/offense).
- Positioned in direct flow a.k.a strong water movement over them.
- Fed (irregardless of whether they are NPS or PS) I do not see other Softies/LPS/SPS disagreeing with the extra food they will get from the Gorgonian feedings.

Considering the positions I have planned for them I think they should do well, being on the bottom of the tank substrate level (where nothing else is) and having all other SPS/LPS/Soft corals raised on plateaus out of the way, as I said previously for the powerheads there will be 2 per tank... 1 directed at each Gorgonian.

 

[Kharn]

This is a 'cut in half' view of what the large plateaus will be like for the LPS tentacle corals, the base where the coral sits should form a 'cone' shape, since most of the hammers, frogspawns, torchs that I have seen have a sort of 'V' base making it impossible for them to stand upright on the solid flat base...however with the slightly raised sides and deeper center this should create a 'V' itself allowing these types of LPS to slot in and sit upright.

All corals will be affixed with Gum to the plateaus if possible.

 

[Priscacara]

Love all your plans and diagrams. I was going to suggest more acans for those spots, xenias would work but get to be a pest over time I think and not very much color to them. maybe a nice bright trachy or two?

 

[Kharn]

Actually I am starting to consider (if it possible, although no one has chimed in and said "Wait a minute you can't do that.") are the Gorgonians & Dendros

 

[Priscacara]

I have seen them in tanks and you mentioned feeding them in your posts so I think they would look great as well, I usually stick to the simple corals still so acans and trachys came to mind :)

 

[Kharn]

As for the Acans whilst I love them and know they work well :D I want to really restrict myself to 1 major colony per coral type so the acans that I have in the photo already, would be the best Ultra Premium ones I can find rather then having lots of other acan colonies with inferior colors/patterns

 

[Kharn]

As far as I am concerned when it comes to 'feeding' a tank microscopic meals for the sake of filter feeding inhabitants...I would just turn it into a temporary snow globe and let EVERYTHING get it's fill, SPS/LPS/Soft/NPS as I have seen all my corals take in food when it lands on them / brushes past them.

 

[Kharn]

A few picture updates :) most are corals but there is 1 of a stomatopod at least :)

All taken on Nikon 1 V2








Minos the L.colemani


More to come :D

 

[Priscacara]

Your going to turn your stoms into right marine snobs Kharn! Nice spacious designer built accommodation and gardens that "better homes and gardens" would kill for, although I don't think their resident green thumb would put his hands in :)

 

[Kharn]

That's the thing :) stomatopods are so hardy that whilst they are thriving now, everything that is happening for the future (upgrades) is for the sake of the corals, the stomatopods themselves will only further thrive within the systems :D. I knew I wasn't going to be able to have just stomatopods in tanks....haha it's not that their boring me it's that it seems like a waste of space....specially when such colorful creatures could really appreciate and equally colorful home :D.

 

[Kharn]

A few more pics from this evening this time mostly Stomatopods with a few corals :).

THE JUGGERNAUT (O.SCYLLARUS)


THE KRAKEN (O.SCYLLARUS)



ROCKY (G.GRAPHURUS)


MAXIMUS (G.GRAPHURUS)


The LEVIATHAN (L.MACULATA)
[Broken External Image]:[URL]http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/8000/dsc0944x.jpg[/URL]

ROCKYS RICS
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ELEPHANT EAR MORPH


Hope you like!

 

[Priscacara]

I had a couple of mates over last night and showed them your stoms, they couldn't get over the colors.

 

[Kharn]

I had a couple of mates over last night and showed them your stoms, they couldn't get over the colors.

Amazing isn't it :D I like to think of it like this for 2 reasons....

Firstly, nature likes to subconsciously warn other creatures against 'dangerous' creatures through colors, many of the worlds most poisonous / dangerous creatures host vibrant spectacular colors :D kind of counter to the human intuition..."Ooo pritty <picks up>....<BANG> Son of a!!...."

Finally climate/habitat, most stomatopods that have bright colors actually live within equally vibrantly colored habitats, the O.scyllarus is one of the reef inhabitants so it makes sense that it is one of the most colorful species.

I'm sure there is much more to it then that but, that is the most basic reasons I see.

 

[Buddy]

I was thinking for those spots where you want a nem, why dont you try a torch coral? They kinda look like a nem. Grab a nice colour and the best thing is they wont go walk-about over everything!