# The reef this month



## Jon in SW Ohio (Sep 13, 2006)

Well, been a while since I've posted an update to the reef, so here you go.

I've recently added a few new critters, for starters my Lettuce Nudibranch (sea slug) who gets the important job of eating pest algaes. Unfortunately he likes to spend most of his time doing daredevil acts such as current surfing and trying to climb inside the water flow exhaust against the current like here:






I've also recently added a Peppermint Shrimp to eat some of my small pest anemones called Aiptasia, but he is also a slacker and is still getting used to me. My fire shrimp used to be shy, and now crawls all over my arm the second it comes into the water and loves to be hand fed, so I'm sure the Peppermint will follow suit in no time. Right now his favorite thing to do is hang upside down in his cave and lean back and forth like he has OCD. Here's a pic of it:





The Royal Gramma and Fire Shrimp still tolerate eachother and even posed together for a shot:





I've also gotten some new corals including this Gorgonian the Fire Shrimp is still fascinated by:





A new large polyped coral called a Watermelon Blastomussa:





And lastly, a new neon chartreuse Palythoa I got in a trade...only myself and one other guy have them, and I could only imagine the money it could bring on eBay:





Jon
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SUZUKI RV 125 VAN VAN HISTORY


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## Jon in SW Ohio (Sep 13, 2006)

Some tank shots, here's the front sandbed from the left to right:













Full Tank:





Jon
________
Oregon Medical Marijuana


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## adiaphane (Sep 13, 2006)

Jon, I can taste blood from biting my lips in order to contain my jealousy. It looks fantastic!


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## Heather (Sep 13, 2006)

WOW, Jon!!

Amazing, amazing photos! 
I want the shrimps!


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## paphioland (Sep 13, 2006)

wow. that's all I can say


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## SlipperFan (Sep 14, 2006)

Amazing colors and textures and shapes!


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## Shadow (Sep 14, 2006)

It looks fantanstic! How big is the tank?


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## Ron-NY (Sep 14, 2006)

Very nice Jon!!!


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## cdub (Sep 14, 2006)

Dang you can't fit much more in that tank! Or can you!?


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## Rick (Sep 14, 2006)

Looking great Jon.:drool:

Do you track ORP (Oxidation Reduction Potential) on your water?


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## Park Bear (Sep 14, 2006)

beautiful Jon.....I think you are going too slow in this new hobby, you better kick it up a level oke:


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## NYEric (Sep 14, 2006)

*Bad exp*

I had a nice invert tank until the day may girlfriend decided to break up and gave me one day to move my stuff out.


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Sep 14, 2006)

I love the Blastomussa! Good luck with the peppermint shrimp...they are apparently inconsistent in their appetite for Aiptasia...and keep us posted on the lettuce nudibranch....I haven't really heard of them living very long. Take care, Eric


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## Jon in SW Ohio (Sep 14, 2006)

Luckily I only have one or two tiny Aiptasias, so the peppermint probably will never touch them. The lettuce nudi...with his daredevil desire to explore, I don't doubt him finding the wrong place to end up. They seem magnetically drawn to powerheads for some reason and I too have heard many stories of them meeting a sudden end.

Jon
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Honda Stepwgn specifications


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## Jon in SW Ohio (Sep 22, 2006)

Yet another update, my tank has been upgraded yet again. Like growing orchids, HID lights offer more options than fluorescents and so I now have a 70w 14,000K metal halide over the tank.

Not only does the light make everything look brighter and crisper, but I can now grow some of the more traditional corals people think of that demand higher light.

Here's some pics:





























The last coral is one of the higher light ones, and over the next couple weeks should color up to be purple with green polyps.

Jon
________
Volcano vaporizers


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## Heather (Sep 22, 2006)

It looks wonderful, better and better each time you share wish us, Jon. I'm hoping to see my Paphs "color up" over the next couple weeks with the addition of my new lighting too.


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## SlipperFan (Sep 22, 2006)

Just amazing!


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## TADD (Sep 22, 2006)

My wife and I went into a salt water store tonight. It was impressive! Way outta my league! 

Can you say CHA-CHING!!!!


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