Pearson's "Back to Basics" 55 build

[bbl_nk]

Pearson...Looking good! Sorry haven't hit the threads as much as I'd like lately but great progress!

Is that a clove polpy in your group of non-Zoa keepers?

[Phurst]

Yep, it is. I had some regular green cloves that were nice, but I've been after some of these guys for a while, and finaly got a frag right before the tank switch, so I'm going to hang on to them.

[bbl_nk]

That is cool. I picked up a frag of "tri-color" cloves with just two small (1/4") polyps and looks like one small one growing now. I haven't had any luck finding much out on this version but from what I can see right now, they have a neon green color on the outside of the polyp and a neon orange on the inside. Still too small to see what the third color is yet. I think that one will be good trade bait down the road.

[Phurst]

As yes, I've seen pics of the tri-color. Keep me in mind when it grows out

[bbl_nk]

Most definitely! Would love to make it a coast-to-coast colony

[Phurst]

OK, made one more non-zoa addition. I just couldn't resist



You can also see that I have a number of zoa colonies I haven't mounted yet. That's because some of them are still infested with bryopsys from the frag tank they were living in while I was getting everything ready for this tank. They're making slow but good progress.

[bbl_nk]

UGG! Bryopsis....not looking forward to that stage

[CarmieJo]

Beautiful gorgonian!

[rroselavy]

Very nice Gorgo. Great Color...

I'm thinking of getting one soon. They really are gorgeous, and look unlike anything else in my tank.

[rayme07]

I agree very beautiful gorgonian. Whats the name of it. The only ones Iv seen were red and orange so this ones new to me. Thanks

[Phurst]

I got it from Reeftopia with my cleanup crew. Their pic (nor mine) really do it justice. It's a purple you can spot across the room.

Gorgonians and invertebrates for marine aquariums

[Phurst]

I swear, if it's not one thing, it's another. I was busy mounting zoas last night, and right about as I was done, I found a zoa eating nudi, then another, and another. I have no idea where they came from, since I haven't added anything in weeks, andall my zoas look healthy, but there they were.

Treatment is fairly easy with dips, BUT, I'd litteraly have to remove and dip EVERY rock in my tank. Since they all have zoas on them. In the interim, I removed the 3 I found. I have heard of people having some success with Salifert FWE as a whole tank treatment, so I may be giving that a shot. I also picked up a yellow coris wrase who are anticdotaly mentioed as predators. Guess I'll just be keeping my eyes open.

[rayme07]

I'm sorry to hear about the pest problem hope it all comes together without anymore problems. Good luck.

[bbl_nk]

Arggg, shiver me timbers! Too bad you didn't spot and dip when you were transfering over. Hope you get them under control.

[Phurst]

Crap, crap, crap

So, we had some crappy weather here earlier this week, and our power went out Wednesday afternoon. Unfortunately, since we're on a small circuit, we didn't get service restored until today. I had 3 battery powered airstones running, and twice hooked a heater up in the tank and ran it off a power inverter in my car. Despite all of that, the house and the tank got very cold last night (we were in a hotel both nights). When I came home from work today, power was back on, and my ranco controller was reading the water temp at 54 degrees. Consequently, I lost all the fish in my tank besides my juvi lion. I lost my mated pair of clowns, my lawnmower blenny, my royal gramma, my yellow clown gobies, my diamond goby, my coris wrasse, my yellow tailed damsel, my golden damsel and my violet damsel. I also lost most of the cleanup crew I just got. My two RBTAs haven't reappeared, and most of my zoas and rics are looking pretty bad. Oddly enough, my gorg and my encrusting monti's seem fine.

Not surprisingly, I'm pretty bummed tonight.

[lReef lKeeper]

dude, that sucks !! i remember when that happened to me, although i didnt lose that much. i am thinking of doing another SMALLER (less than 300g) tank when the wife and i get the new place, if THAT makes you feel any better !!

[rroselavy]

Ooof.

I am so sorry for your loss Pearson. That absolutely sucks. I hope you rebound - and then some...

---

We live in a canyon area, and the power is fed by a single set of lines that runs up the canyon and over to the San Fernando valley. About 2-3 times a year, our power goes out because of landslides, accidents, drooping power lines, exploding transformers, high winds or some other unexplained reason. It used to be for only 1-4 hours, but lately it seems more like 4-17 hours before the city gets the problem fixed. Los Angeles can get as cold as 38 F degrees at night (as it did 3 nights ago).

FWIW. I've been researching power generators to help with the longer outages. I want a small, quiet, natural gas powered, inverter generator that I can use for the fish tank and a few other essentials. The natural gas will mean low emissions, no gunk in the motor, and allow the generator to run without refills. So far, converted Honda EU1000i and Yamaha EF1000i generators seem to be the best. I've been dragging my feet only because a generator that is small, quiet, runs on NG, and has an inverter is by definition expensive. You can get a more conventional generator that puts out 3-4 times as many watts for almost half as much, but my neighbors would probably want to kill us, and the power wouldn't be very clean for electronics...

Needless to say, your predicament has me thinking of getting a generator for my tank ASAP.

[Phurst]

Yeah, I keep thinking I should get a generator, but keep putting it off. We don't loose power all that often, but when we do, it's out for a while as the power company restores the largest circuits first, and the one I'm on only serves about 8 houses, so we're usualy dead last.

All my encrusting montis were RTNed this morning

[Skurvey Dog]

Grief Pearson, I know you are quite sick over this turn of events. Why is it that times like this, it makes it seem like the harder we try, the worse it gets. I am deeply sorry for all your loss. Chin up, something wonderful is waiting for you around the bend.

[rayme07]

I'm so sorry for you Pearson on the losses. Even though you may have lost a lot things things happen for a reason and I feel that because this happened in a big amount it will get a lot better. I wish you the best of luck.

[saltaddict]

Very sorry for your loss Pearson. There are battery back ups for CPU's that hold a charge of about 8 hrs if you are not trying to run high power stuff off them. They are about $100 at the electronics store and you could have a couple of those to run heaters in the event of another power outage and continue to run battery operated air stones in addition. Just a thought.

[CarmieJo]

Ah man Pearson. I am so sorry to hear this.

[Phurst]

We had a club meeting last Saturday, and man am I happy. I just don't know what I'd do without my local reefing buddies. After word got out about my tank disaster, i had people giving me zoa frags left and right that they had brought to trade or sell. In addition to the ones I got at the meet, I had other club members tell me they would be in touch soon with MORE frags for me So, my zoa population is looking up once again.

Now, the fish. Another local is taking down his tank and is giving me his coris wrasse and purple pseudochromis. The real kicker however is my good buddy Vince. I had to take some powerheads and a ballast out to his house last night, and he asked me to stop by the LFS to pick up a few things for him. When I got there, I found out he didn't need anything from the store, but instead has picked out an awesome yellow watchman/pistol shrimp combo for me . So, the goby and shrimp were happily setting up a burrow last night when i went to bed, and I should be picking up the other fish tonight.

I really am a lucky guy!

[lReef lKeeper]

at least now, i know where i can get my hands on some zoas when i ma ready.

[Phurst]

Of course