The build thread: 430gal. display

[Ummfish]

Starter cultures came in today.

Here's a comparison photo between (left) Acartia tonsa (a pelagic copepod and, unfortunately, really too fast to get a good photo of), (center) a sixline prolarva, and (right) the markings on a millimeter scale.

And here's a short video of small strain rotifers (4x magnification):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFSNujomB8Y

 

[Ummfish]

Here's another little video:

Acartia tonsa, in culture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZswCr3vrf0

 

[Ummfish]

And, the harlequin filefish finally spawned in front of the camera:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8K8bCiy92w

I've now been taking care of them for 170 days, just shy of six months.

 

[Ummfish]

And.... Harlequin filefish eggs!

 

[Ummfish]

And one more round, this time with microscope shots.

4x

10x

 

[jasonh]

Congrats on the filefish spawn Andy.

Obviously you've got some happy fish if everything's spawning for you

 

[Ummfish]

Thanks, Jason! I don't know if "happy" is the word for it. I think there's another "h" word that describes it better.

 

[jasonh]

lol, yeah that too.

So I added the 36w of T5HO to the sump, pulled out the crappy sponges that are probably not helping and threw in some random egg crate for stuff to grow on. I also added a 2nd air pump to my skimmer and it's actually skimming something (I have to force feed the pump air). So hopefully all that combined will start to help out... Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Ummfish]

I haven't finished glueing it up yet, but here's the manifold for the larval rearing tanks.

So the theory is, as long as I have enough water flow so that the manifold overflows and sends water back to the sump even when the water is flowing into the tanks at the maximum rate I want, then I should have a constant head pressure for the water flow for each tank. That way, I should be able to pull tanks on and off the system without having to constantly mess around with the ball valves on the other tanks. We'll see.

 

[Ummfish]

Something new. This is my daughter's tank down in the basement. It's letting her work on building a community of fish and learn how to care for them. I'm also using it as a place to try out a bunch of macroalgaes and seagrass, hoping that one of them really likes the tank and will out compete the nasty algae that's been growing in there.

This is what she wanted to keep, so we design the tank around them.

I really like the look of all the algaes. I hope something takes off.

And for something completely different, a couple of shots of the feeding frenzy in the main tank tonight:

 

[jasonh]

Hey Andy, would you be interested in a scooter blenny for one of those tanks? My pod population seems to be down, and it's being bullied by another fish so it's starting to get a little too skinny for comfort. It'll actually eat frozen, but I can't feed the tank often enough for it to be happy just on frozen.

If you want it, it's yours. I just need to find a good place for it so it won't starve to death in my tank...and I'm sure it would probably do pretty well in your system.


I also like the look of the macro algaes. I think it'd be cool to have a tank stuffed with them, but certainly not in my main display, haha.

 

[Dreamer]

Hey Jason,

If Andy doesn't want it I would be interested while my systems isn't close to Andy's I do have a huge pod population and I promise if fish eats more that my systems produces to find a better home like your doing rather than let it perish.

Mark

 

[Zooid]

I like the look of the macro algae, Andy.
It looks like you have some red gracillaria in there. That stuff grows pretty good even in my tank and I have a hard time with chaeto.
Is your daughter going to start breeding the seahorses?
I love the shot of the feeding frenzy.

 

[Ummfish]

Thanks, y'all! Sorry to be gone all day: Kiddo's birthday party.

Jason--Thanks! Maybe go with Mark first on the scooter. I'd love to be the backup for you, though. My tanks with sandbeds have a lot of pod eaters at the moment, so I'd like to hold off. I could probably fit him in if need be, though.

Gale--Thanks. Yep, gracillaria and 3-4 other types of red macro. I'm sure she'll make me try to raise them if we can get one pregnant. They were sold to us as H. kellogi, which I've read means that they're probably actually H. kuda. Great. Looonnnggg planktonic development.

Other news: Looks like we might have three female yellowhead jawfish and no males. Because all three look like they are hydrating eggs with no male to give them to.

 

[Ummfish]

Two of the three jaws:

 

[Ummfish]

Noticed the citrons being bozos on the glass, and--lo and behold--they were up to no good!

Those aren't copepods on the glass.

Here's a millimeter scale shot at the same resolution as the eggs and with an egg superimposed:

Video to follow as soon as YouTube gets done with it.

 

[Ummfish]

Here's the short version of the movie featuring the female. I have a longer version that's uploading now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa3lD2RVuIY

It looks like the pair ate this nest. Typical for a first spawn, though.

 

[Ummfish]

Managed an okay shot of the male seahorse tonight. Hope you like it:

 

[Ummfish]

More horse photos:

 

[Dreamer]

hmmm I think Andy maybe holding out on us. I think he has found the spanish fly for aquatic animals???????

Mark