Days 15 - 18, June 2011

It has been 15 days and my ammonia and nitrate tests have not detected even a tiny increase. This is most likely because the rock was well cured and did not have any die off in the new tank.  I decided to take a risk and add some livestock without being sure the tank cycled. I started my cleanup crew with 2 Astrea snails and 2 Blue Legged Hermit Crabs. In one day the crabs ate all the undesirable brown algae off the rock in back left. With the algae in check, I can slowly start to increase the lighting.

Hardy Toadstool Leather frag.

Ultra Green Palythoa and Blue legged hermit crab in back.

Zoanthid buttons starting to open up.

This tiny piece of rock was in the back corner of a tank at my local reef store. I noticed seven polyps on it and they were happy to make a good deal.

These polyps are tiny and are stretching for the light.

A close-up of the long thin polyps on the leather coral.  They grab plankton from the water for food, but most of their nutrients come from zooxanthellae algae that live under the skin of the animal.  Corals have a symbiotic relationship with this algae.  The algae lives off the sun and the coral lives off the algae.  The light I am providing for the corals is 50% 10,000k natural daylight and 50% actinic blue.  The blue light replicates the spectrum that the corals get when they are 10-15 feet below the ocean surface.

Bristle Worms circled in red.