Berghia Nudibranch Rock Test

This Aiptasia took a chance and established itself on the front wall of the refugium and an inch from the bottom of the sand bed. The spots next to it look like snail egg sacs. Upon closer inspection, they are found to be "baby anemones" or basal cells most likely being placed by the larger anemone.

I always worry that the Pipefish might injure themselves with the stinging nematocysts of the anemone. Do they instinctively know to stay away?

Now, I've placed the Berghia Nudibranch Rock in close proximity to the Aiptasia. The Nudibranch adults have been hiding underneath this rock which was placed on eggcrate, high up in the refugium. When I moved the rock, I saw a few nudibranchs underneath. Some of the egg strands have disappeared. Hatched? I also saw about 4 adults still in the grid of the eggcrate. So, I placed a recovering plate coral on top for shelter.

The Rock has been losing a lot of Aiptasia since I placed Nudis there 4 days ago. The largest one in the back has disappeared and was probably clobbered by a pack of Nudis sometime during the night. There are a few tiny ones on top, exposed to light. Are they saving them for the baby Nudis?

How many days until they decide to invite this anemone family over for a late night dine in? We shall see.

"They mostly come out at night.....mostly." -Ripley.

RKE 1.07 Firmware Update

With new firmware released yesterday, I worked on updating my Reef Keeper Elite (RKE). I had skipped updating other releases up to this point because Digital Aquatics wasn't providing a fix for the graphing feature. I'll have to wait several hours before I can see if graphing has indeed been fixed.

I should have broken out a notepad to record all the steps that I had to take to finally reach the goal of SUCCESSFUL UPDATE. It would have been hilarious to bore you with the details in order for you to "join me", Lord of the Rings-esque style, on my quest. I'll just bring up a few salient points that have seared themselves into my memory.

First of all, I used to consider myself technically savvy (at least back in 2002), but now I find myself going through stuff I thought I heard about years ago and already forgot. Like the following:

1) Using USB memory keys in Windows 98 usually requires a driver of some sort. So, using that Win98 laptop to do the updates was not an option. But, wait, I could burn the firmware software to a CDROM and transfer it that way.

2) MSI installation file from the CDROM was not understood by Win98. So, go get the other WinVista laptop from upstairs because the old laptop ain't gonna work. During this time, I was also trying to install Firefox after getting the wireless card configured on Win98 laptop, but it was taking too long to download.

3) When someone (or something) installs WinZip onto a Vista computer, the trial ends after 45 days and it doesn't unzip the program from Digital Aquatics. Then, after you uninstall WinZip, WinVista dosen't know how to open zip compressed files. It originally was supposed to do it, though. (and if you associate zip files with IE, you get stuck in a software loop! Delete the file to cut the crap!) I finally tracked down a simple Registry fix.

This sort of troubleshooting can really use up the buzz off of your morning coffee.

I had left my own winXP laptop at work. Things would have been simpler if I wasn't sandwiched between Win98 and WinVista laptops today. The Vista computer finally was able to get the firmware software installed. Now, it was time to update the modules.

When it came time to update the never-before-updated module called the GC1 or "head unit", I had to figure out how to unplug the line.

The data line is buried in the unit with only the flushed precision that a design engineer would be proud of. Unfortunately, I bit off my finger nails the day before, so I had to look for some other sharp instrument to lower the dongle in order to release the line. I found myself having to do this several times while updating because.....

...the updates were not successful on the first attempts. For the GC1, there's a drop down menu for Advanced, but I didn't see any mention of it in Digital Aquatics' instructions. Of course, their instructional PDF is currently named with "v105", so someone is overlooking something somewhere out there. So, I just ran the Advanced option not knowing what I was really doing.

But, what else can you do when the modules don't even power up after your first attempt?

Just keep trying and praying to Poseidon (or Neptune, one of their competitors).

YES, I PLUGGED THE PROPER WIRE INTO THE PROPER DEVICE WITH THE POWER OFF AND OTHER MODULES UNPLUGGED!

G.D............F!

In addition to having to install the firmware a few times with the head unit, I had to install it a few times with the SL1. I wonder if there was some sort of specific order I was to follow? In the end, my method of re-installing-the-firmware-until-it-works worked.

Now, I'll give it time to show me what it can do. Once I verify graphs are working, I'll try to move over more devices to the RKE's control. Then, someday I may give it my stamp of approval.

Berghia Nudibranch Egg Mass

You done lay me a whole mess a eggs!

It hasn't been a full 24 hours after acclimation and already a few Nudis have decide to launch a full assault on the Aiptasia infested rock by laying egg strands. Now, I have to go research what the best time would be for me to move this rock to the main tank. Okay, Berghia.net says 6 to 8 weeks after hatching.

Berghia Nudibranchs

Once again, I've decided on a "biological" approach (go ahead and roll your eyes and say, "there he goes again! Let's see how well this is gonna work.") to address another pest problem commonly encountered in the reef tank: the Aiptasia anemone. Aiptasia normally can be found as a hitchhiker on live rock. In small numbers, it doesn't pose much of a threat. But, if your reef tank is overfed or high in nutrients, you can potentially increase the numbers of these pests. They pack a powerful sting and can migrate, so you also put your corals and fish in danger. If you try to manually remove one, it will leave behind basal cells which will result in more anemones! I've already tried the chemical approach (Aiptasia-X...cool name, cool concept, cool video...doesn't work in my hands).

Here are a dozen Nudibranchs I ordered and received today from Berghia.net. (Saltyunderground's website was down at the time....soooo.....yeah.....).

Acclimating the animals to the proper temp and chemistry of your system is a process best done with a few beers on location. Unfortunately, I wasn't stocked! I decided to start them off in the refugium before I move them to the main tank.

I had to shake the bag to get them loose before I used the wide bore pipet to transfer them to this Aiptasia infested rock. I disturbed the rock so that the Aiptasia retracted their tentacles a bit. In this way, I was hoping to avoid getting a Nudi mistakenly eaten. (yes, this can happen! I don't think they'd be able to save themselves by eating the anemone from the inside out!).

You can barely make out where they are located on this rock. These creatures are nocturnal, so this might be the last time I see them hagin' out. Once the Aiptasia is eradicated in the refugium, my plan is to move this rock to the main tank very close to other Aiptasia so that the Nudis hiding underneath or within the rock will move on to their next meal.

And, who knows? Maybe there will be some egg layin' in the future?

It's sad to say that once the Aiptasia population is lowered or eradicated, it will be difficult for these creatures to sustain themselves (BECAUSE THAT'S ALL THEY EAT: AIPTASIA; NOTHING ELSE! Earth's biology truly is odd and seemingly, irrational at times. Did they choose to only eat Aiptasia or were they born that way?! Haw!). I'm at least glad that they were tank raised instead of pulled directly from the ocean since their last stop will be in my reef tank. If I can, and after they've served their purpose, I may be able to collect some and pass them on to fellow reefers.

Pipefish

I purchased these pipefish 3 weeks ago at Vets Pets in El Cajon. I was originally seeking a pair of Dragon Face Pipefish as a biological solution for controlling my acropora red bug infestation. After a week under quarantine, I moved the pair to the refugium. But, I just couldn't bring myself to dump them into the main tank where they would face the dangers of 3 VorTech pumps, Jabba the very hungry Scolymia, Queen Amygdala the Flame Angel, various shimps and crabs and who knows what else?

They'll have a permanent home in my refugium. Consequently, I've effectively downgraded my refugium's function to biological scrubber (macro algae aiding in the removal of nitrogenous waste and phosphates). The pipefish will probably keep the 'pod population from migrating to the main tank. A certain Scooter Blenny is unhappy about that, but in exchange, he demands extra servings of Ocean Nutrition pellets delivered right up to his face.

These guys are very difficult to photograph as they have long bodies and are very small. For now, here's a pic of one of the pair.

Dragon Face Pipefish

Oh, yeah: as an impulse buy, I also got a pair of Banded Pipefish. These fish spend more time hovering in the water column while the Dragon Face spend their time slithering on the bottom. One of the Banded had a split tail when it first arrived, but it has healed since then.

Banded Pipefish

The concern is that these fish will eat up all the available critters in the refugium. So, I've entered into a new stage of reefkeeping: growing Sea-Monkeys®. Every Monday, I start up a hatchery of Brine Shrimp (San Francisco Bay Brand). A few days later, they are harvested and kept in the refrigerator where they remain viable for 4 days or so.

VorTech Maintenance

The VorTech pumps were getting a little slimy and covered in coralline. I decided to soak the nozzles in white vinegar diluted 1:1 with warm water. While that was soaking, I scrubbed up the acrylic walls of the main tank.

The vinegar water turned red as the coralline dissolved. A toothbrush came in handy to speed up the cleaning process. The propellers had to be scrubbed well as they seemed to attract a thick coat of slimy algae.

I also did a little rearranging of the corals. I always break a few because I'm too high on coffee in the mornings. This coral is not too pleased. Now that I look back on it, I saw a similar "bite" mark a few months ago and didn't realize the unknown critter was me!. Not to worry, it'll recover.

PIF Corals

These are some of the corals that I've taken from the main tank. They're up for "Pay It Forward" or the deep freeze.

The Kenya Tree Coral was situated too close to the Vortech pumps in the main tank and subsequently threw off all sorts of frags. I was worried that they might take over the tank! It's a great beginner coral choice which requires moderate lighting.

These yellow zoanthids have taken over a large portion of one of my live rocks. This is the original frag plug which seeded the mother colony in the main tank.

The Pulsing Xenia is growing rapidly in the main tank. This was my first attempt to mount a frag. I just plopped it down on this frag plug and placed it in the low-flow refugium where it took a foot hold. I had to remove 4 colonies from the main tank as it encroached upon my bottle brush Acropora and helped kill it. The attempt at fragging that Acropora was a total failure.

Dragonfly

More on the Arthropoda series...

This red dragon fly (Sympetrum illotum the Cardinal Meadowhawk?) and its mate frequently visit the ponds in the backyard for a quick bite and egg laying. I've seen the female skipping along the surface and simultaneously ejecting fertilized eggs into the pond. The insect larvae are able to survive on mosquito larvae and probably offer some protection over this viral vector.

Artsy Fartsy Shot