banshee Posted April 13, 2012 Author Share Posted April 13, 2012 It looks great! Everything was open and happy yesterday when I got home. I noticed there was some leftover food on the sand so I went ahead and did my water change a little early. Now the water is crystal clear, pods are everywhere, and all the corals look thrilled. Well, except the leather which looks the same as it always does. I think I might sell it since it just doesn't seem to be all that happy in my tank and it takes up a lot of space. I am so excited for your frag tank! My pink rics should arrive today! I can't wait to get them in the tank! Now if I could just talk my hubby into upgrading or letting me have a frag tank already. Link to comment
metrokat Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 I need to do some research to understand exactly what the PAR value means. What do SPS need vs. LPS vs. softies? I'm pretty lost on the whole light thing. Kat, where are you getting the PAR values from? I can't find them on Ecoxotics site. "Okay, for anyone as lost as I am on PAR I found an explanation on 3reef.com: P.A.R. (photosynthetically active radiation) for dummies (sounds like a book title) - A measure of visible light intensity using an instrument calibrated with daylight. Right now I don't think the units (µMols•m2•sec) it is measured in are important only that there is a high maximum value and a low minimum value. The highest value that can be recorded is 2100 for outside solar radiation." "Visible light is supposed to be somewhere between 400 nanometers and 700 nm. This is the light we are able to see without any devices (the naked eye). The low end being the blues and violets and the high end, a reddish color. Photosynthesis which occurs in the Zooxanthellae is supposed to happen because of this band of visible light. The Zooxanthellae provide nourishment to the coral and in some sps corals this is 99 percent of their food source." The PAR values were emailed to me by Ecoxotic when I brought up the fact that their suggested number of PP modules for SPS actually starved my corals. Link to comment
gena Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 It looks great! Everything was open and happy yesterday when I got home. I noticed there was some leftover food on the sand so I went ahead and did my water change a little early. Now the water is crystal clear, pods are everywhere, and all the corals look thrilled. Well, except the leather which looks the same as it always does. I think I might sell it since it just doesn't seem to be all that happy in my tank and it takes up a lot of space. I am so excited for your frag tank! My pink rics should arrive today! I can't wait to get them in the tank! Now if I could just talk my hubby into upgrading or letting me have a frag tank already. Awesome!!!!! Can't wait to see the new ricordea!!!!! This will be my first frag tank Link to comment
banshee Posted April 13, 2012 Author Share Posted April 13, 2012 Me neither! They were delivered about a half hour ago and I'm seriously considering just leaving early so I can get home to them! I asked some questions on your thread about your RKL. I'm looking at getting one (or an Apex Jr.) next month. Link to comment
FlCandy Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Pics of the rics!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment
banshee Posted April 14, 2012 Author Share Posted April 14, 2012 They're uploading now! I got home and got them into the tank. After dinner I noticed my daisy polyps aren't open and my BTA looked a little pissed. I ran my params and got readings on nitrite and nitrate. I don't know how that is even possibly when I did a 2 gallon water change yesterday and everything was fine! So I've been busy mixing up a 50% water change and, of course, the baby decided to have a diaper explosion which resulted in a huge clean up. So I'm finally sitting down and getting pics uploaded now! Link to comment
FlCandy Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Bleh! I understand! Take your time! Link to comment
banshee Posted April 14, 2012 Author Share Posted April 14, 2012 23/37 uploaded! And my BTA is walking around the tank with the piece of silverside I gave it earlier. Not eating it, just walking around the tank waving it around! No wonder I've suddenly got nitrates. The BTA better watch it or it's going to be taking a hike! Link to comment
banshee Posted April 14, 2012 Author Share Posted April 14, 2012 Okay! Pics! New rics! Once again they sent me an extra but only these 5 were PINK! 19 happy rics: frogspawn: Green Clown Goby: BTA went for a walk today: Pom Pom: FTS yesterday: Okay, gotta go check on my water change! Link to comment
Paigee Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 I really like all the rics you have! So pretty. And those LEDs made a HUGE difference in colour. Even with the so-so quality pics, you can totally tell the difference! Can't imagine what it looks like in real life Link to comment
Builder Anthony Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Wow thats alot of mushrooms. Link to comment
banshee Posted April 14, 2012 Author Share Posted April 14, 2012 I can't wait for my photographer friend to come take pics. It looks amazing in real life! And now that the BTA moved to where the leather is I have a reason to get rid of it! Link to comment
louy99 Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Okay! Pics! New rics! Once again they sent me an extra but only these 5 were PINK! 19 happy rics: frogspawn: Green Clown Goby: BTA went for a walk today: Pom Pom: FTS yesterday: Okay, gotta go check on my water change! You posted yesterday that you did an early water change and you are doing another today? Slow down on those water changes. Nice shrooms btw Link to comment
gena Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Love the new rics!!!!! I'd say you have the perfect reason now to get rid of the leather. When that thing opens fully it's going to shade a large area. I think you'd be much happier without it Did you get your mini anemones yet? Those are on my future list now that I have my frag tank Link to comment
TeflonTomDosh Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Are you using that oceanic holdfast stuff too? It works well once it cures, but i HATE the white coloring it leaves behind. Wonder if there's anyway I can "paint" it to cover it up. hmmmmmm Link to comment
banshee Posted April 14, 2012 Author Share Posted April 14, 2012 You posted yesterday that you did an early water change and you are doing another today? Slow down on those water changes. Nice shrooms btw I got some low readings on nitrites and nitrates. Water changes will be happening until they go to 0 again. I think the BTA dropped a piece of silver side and it's rotting under the rock somewhere. Love the new rics!!!!! I'd say you have the perfect reason now to get rid of the leather. When that thing opens fully it's going to shade a large area. I think you'd be much happier without it Did you get your mini anemones yet? Those are on my future list now that I have my frag tank The BTA moved back to his corner so I guess the leather can stay for now. The minis are shipping Monday. Are you using that oceanic holdfast stuff too? It works well once it cures, but i HATE the white coloring it leaves behind. Wonder if there's anyway I can "paint" it to cover it up. hmmmmmm I use regular old aqua mend putty. It will be covered by the encrusting corals and coralline eventually so I just ignore it. Some of the white is LR rubble too. I broke up a piece of LR and the inside is all white like that. Link to comment
banshee Posted April 14, 2012 Author Share Posted April 14, 2012 A few pics of the rics now that they're acclimated plus my BTA while it was out and about. Link to comment
banshee Posted April 14, 2012 Author Share Posted April 14, 2012 I'm not sure what's going on. Everything will look awesome for a few hours and then look like crap for a few hours. I did the 50% WC and still got some nitrite and nitrate readings so I went and bought a big 20 gallon tub and I'm mixing up enough water to do several changes over the next few days. Everything was looking awesome after the change though. The daisy polyps opened up, the BTA had bubble tips, the brain was all puffy, and the rics were expanding. Then a few hours later everything closed up and deflated and generally looks pissed. My heater is only 50W so it's taking forever to get the new batch of water up to temp. I can't figure out whats causing the mini cycle either. I siphoned the sand, siphoned the back chambers, changed my chemipure, and changed filter floss. I chased down everything that was lodged behind the scape and pulled it out and blew off my rocks with the turkey baster. The tank is spotless! But it's still unhappy. Link to comment
FlCandy Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 I'm not sure what's going on. Everything will look awesome for a few hours and then look like crap for a few hours. I did the 50% WC and still got some nitrite and nitrate readings so I went and bought a big 20 gallon tub and I'm mixing up enough water to do several changes over the next few days. Everything was looking awesome after the change though. The daisy polyps opened up, the BTA had bubble tips, the brain was all puffy, and the rics were expanding. Then a few hours later everything closed up and deflated and generally looks pissed. My heater is only 50W so it's taking forever to get the new batch of water up to temp. I can't figure out whats causing the mini cycle either. I siphoned the sand, siphoned the back chambers, changed my chemipure, and changed filter floss. I chased down everything that was lodged behind the scape and pulled it out and blew off my rocks with the turkey baster. The tank is spotless! But it's still unhappy. Stop changing the water. What are the EXACT reading you are getting right now. It may just be a overnight spike that will go away but we need to know the test readings. So many frequent WC can cause a decrease in nutrients and therefore bacteria will have no food and then your Bio filter starts to die off. You may just be having a mini cycle as you started feeding more to get the Xenia fed. It'll be okay deep breath. Link to comment
banshee Posted April 15, 2012 Author Share Posted April 15, 2012 Ammonia was 0 yesterday and 0.25 today. Nitrite was 1 yesterday and 0.50 today. Nitrate was 20-40 yesterday and 10-20 today. Temp is 78.8, calcium is 440, dKH is 11, and I didn't run phosphates. I had to do a WC knowing the nitrate was over 20. I'm not sure what made it rise so fast. And something must be decomposing because I had no ammonia yesterday and I have ammonia today. It has to be the chunk of silver side my BTA dropped. Nothing else is MIA. Link to comment
FlCandy Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Ammonia was 0 yesterday and 0.25 today. Nitrite was 1 yesterday and 0.50 today. Nitrate was 20-40 yesterday and 10-20 today. Temp is 78.8, calcium is 440, dKH is 11, and I didn't run phosphates. I had to do a WC knowing the nitrate was over 20. I'm not sure what made it rise so fast. And something must be decomposing because I had no ammonia yesterday and I have ammonia today. It has to be the chunk of silver side my BTA dropped. Nothing else is MIA. Its the Ammonia and Nitrites that worry me. Do the daily Wc for now until those are at 0, let the Nitrates do their thing once the other one is down. You need some for the corals. Something may have died in there, is there anything that is missing? Link to comment
banshee Posted April 15, 2012 Author Share Posted April 15, 2012 Nope. Both clowns and the goby are accounted for. I have all snails minus 1 accounted for at this very moment and 4/5 hermits visible at the moment. I saw the pom pom crab yesterday and both emeralds were seen today. The BTA and the mini mini are both there and so are all the corals. So unless some kind of huge invisible HH died the only thing I can think of is the silver side chunk that the BTA dropped. Link to comment
FlCandy Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Mini cycle as your tank was so clean and your feeding more now. Do the WC to keep the levels low and monitor 2x a day, AM and PM readings until it's back to normal. It'll be okay. Link to comment
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