SquishyFishy Posted January 18, 2014 Author Share Posted January 18, 2014 Say hello to my little friend.........I think we're calling him Solo or Number 1 and the peppermint shrimp is Goofy! And a really pretty green mushroom smaller than a dime, the other is the size of a pencil eraser and the blue one with stripes has blown off the rock and I have no idea where he went! Link to comment
xcom Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Look like a good build so far. I'm not familiar with Dr. Tim's cycling process, but Gena said it worked, it prob will work LOL The only thing I'm not so sure about is Bermuda Pink Sand. What system are you planning on keeping? I used CaribSea Florida CC in my tank (which is the same grain size as Bermuda 2-5mm according to their website) and man that thing was a detritus trap. It needs constant cleaning and vacuuming. I ended up removed it and put finer reef sand back in. I would definitely suggesting to wait on adding more livestock for now until your tank mature a bit more. All new tank will experience a mini cyano/algae bloom, since you have dry rock I think it will be easier to control! oh and you can send me that mini brittle stars LOL Link to comment
SquishyFishy Posted January 19, 2014 Author Share Posted January 19, 2014 I just love the look of it, but we will have to see whether it will be a problem. If it does as yours did, then off with it's head! But maybe I could use the finer grain as a base and just dabble a little of the courser stuff here and there for affect. I will probably end up doing that because I'm so impatient for it to get here! Nope, you cannot have the star! Link to comment
xcom Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 I just love the look of it, but we will have to see whether it will be a problem. If it does as yours did, then off with it's head! But maybe I could use the finer grain as a base and just dabble a little of the courser stuff here and there for affect. I will probably end up doing that because I'm so impatient for it to get here! Nope, you cannot have the star! Yea that's what I'm doing right now with finer base sand and in front but a thin layer hiding behind some rocks for my ricordea garden. It works better. I also have lots of regular and dwarf cerith snails from Reefcleaners, those guys really keep my sand bed nice and clean. Link to comment
fishphi784 Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 I am building a very similiar tank. How do you like the tank so far? I had a bad pump but the company has stellar customer service and took care of it right away. I look forward to seeing how your's develops. Link to comment
SquishyFishy Posted January 19, 2014 Author Share Posted January 19, 2014 So far I absolutely love it...still have not turned on the skimmer it came with because of so many here who have had trouble with it, but my lfs guy says, run it! But I will wait on that until the tank is more mature and there is really something to skim! I am so glad I went with my gut and got the white tank...I love the soft glow of it and the clown really shows off well with that backdrop. This morning, the largest mushroom had relocated, so I am watching fragging techniques so I can maybe get him permanently attached, still have not found the littlest one that blew off the rock, he's obviously down in some hole, do they come out? Or just rot! Link to comment
SquishyFishy Posted January 19, 2014 Author Share Posted January 19, 2014 Yesterday was the first fish and shrimp in my new tank. Clown was slurping up brine shrimp like mad, today won't eat either brine nor mysis....I put it down to new tank jitters...is this right? Shrimp is going around scarfing up the left overs now so at least its getting eaten. I only fed a pipette full of the stuff brine and mysis, even tried to place a tiny piece on the mushroom, yesterday he folded up and ate a crumb today nothing as well.....I really don't want to be an overfeeder...am I on the right track and should just give them time. Following Dr. Tim, tests today read: no ammonia at all .25 nitrite no nitrate Everybody seems perfectly happy except the mushrooms are still a little traumatized from all the handling, I glued them to rocks to keep them in place and they were dipped yesterday...but they are open. Pretty and green on the top purple on the bottom. Link to comment
SquishyFishy Posted January 19, 2014 Author Share Posted January 19, 2014 O.K. I got him to eat some pellets. I put in about 5 of the samllest mm and he ate them all. So that's good. Mushroom has torn himself from the rock I glued him to!!!! and relocated to the same shady spot under the rock again. He left a small piece of foot tissue behind. Should I re-glue or just leave him and let him de-stress for a while? These mushrooms were rooted in the sand bed at the fls so I figure they don't like the rock. Link to comment
fishphi784 Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 Can't help you with the mushroom as I have no experience with them. But, I see that your skyye lights looks like mine did. I realized it was about 10 degrees of perpendicular to the surface of the water and consequentley lighting up my living room and not my tank. I un-harnessed the support and bent it to the proper curvature. It was easy and now I have optimal light direction. Link to comment
gena Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 Mushroom has torn himself from the rock I glued him to!!!! and relocated to the same shady spot under the rock again. He left a small piece of foot tissue behind. Should I re-glue or just leave him and let him de-stress for a while? If it left some tissue behind, that should grow into a new mushroom. I say leave it be for a few days. Clownfish is a cutie . Link to comment
SquishyFishy Posted January 19, 2014 Author Share Posted January 19, 2014 I did think about bending them a little, but was afraid I'd crack off the powder coat, I'll do it! Thx fish Gena: already cleaned it off and reglued him. Hope he makes it...I have learned a lesson though, no more frags out of sand beds, only on frag rocks and never ones so teeny! Still haven't located the micro mushroom, he is somewhere in the rock. He is isn't he!!! Link to comment
SquishyFishy Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 No negligible ammonia no nitrate but nitrite is spiking a bit now at 1.0!!!!!!!!!! Do I panic? I think I have diatoms, looks like brown smudges on rock right? Clown and shrimp seem happy and mushrooms seem o.k. color is not as bright as when I picked them up but they are fully open. I am feeding the clown the smallest mm pellet, he seems to prefer, but 3 times a day maybe 5 or 6 teensy pellets....not enough too much HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have been to a couple of feeding threads here but nothing that says exactly what, how much. On my way to get sand from my lfs today as nothing has come in, my plans for the Bermuda Pink are dissolving and I feel pressed to get the tank settled so Solo won't be stressed! He looks so lonely in there by himself! It's hard for me to believe that this tank is really only 4 days old and I feel like I am succumbing to the trap to do more than I should!!!!! EEEEEK! Keep calm and reef on.....right? Link to comment
gena Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 I did think about bending them a little, but was afraid I'd crack off the powder coat, I'll do it! Thx fish Gena: already cleaned it off and reglued him. Hope he makes it...I have learned a lesson though, no more frags out of sand beds, only on frag rocks and never ones so teeny! Still haven't located the micro mushroom, he is somewhere in the rock. He is isn't he!!! Mushrooms are difficult anyways as far as trying to keep them where you want them. Only 4 days old? I didn't realize. Definitely don't add anymore livestock. Get the sand and let things settle for a few weeks. I would say 3 weeks. The Dr. Tim's will help you immensely. Just sit back, observe, and relax . Food-wise, that sounds like plenty for the clown. Diatoms do look like brown smudges. I've read nitrite in a reef tank is harmless, so don't panic. But definitely don't add anymore livestock for a few weeks. Link to comment
SquishyFishy Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 Sand is in, what a mess...I tried to create as little cloud as I could by placing the wet sand with a large spoon as opposed to just dropping it in...but it is a white cloud ball right now. I rinsed well before putting it in too, but it's just too fine. I took Solo out and put him in a QT container of sorts, but he doesn't have any heat nor a pump. Right now his container is wrapped in a towel to keep in the heat, and I'm monitoring the temp and wafting in fresh oxygen every few minutes. I'm giving the cloud 15 more minutes and then he's going back in the tank, I'm too afraid to keep him out much longer than he would be in a bag from the lfs. I figure fish have to deal with sand cloud in the natural environment whenever there are storms on a reef. I have done the unthinkable and something I vowed never to do, got ahead of myself and really fubar'd it up. I hope Solo does not pay the price for my foolishness....another newbie screw up, right? I guess ya'll have heard it all by now. I'm not touching this tank again. If Solo survives along with Goofy, who is on her own right now in the tank....I will be forever grateful Link to comment
SquishyFishy Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 In close consultation with my lfs guy and he said not to worry about Solo he will probably be fine. Said if the water does not clear up tomorrow to come get a product that will help clump the suspension up and clear the water. Hope you all are not LYAO at my blunders! Link to comment
SquishyFishy Posted January 21, 2014 Author Share Posted January 21, 2014 O.K. now.....tank is almost completely clear, everybody is present and accounted for. Seem to be happy, but mushroom has relocated again, he's finally on the sand bed...go figure. Tomorrow I am moving him again...out from the back to the front. Solo seems fine too, thank goodness! Link to comment
gena Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I'm not laughing . It's all gonna work out great! Link to comment
SquishyFishy Posted January 21, 2014 Author Share Posted January 21, 2014 That means a lot coming from you Gena...THX! I guess it's the first of many mistakes I'll be making. It did get me thinking about all the equipment I do not have that would be beneficial to have around....like making my own SW as opposed to buying it. I could've really used more than the 2 gal. I had this afternoon! And another Hydor heater, etc. I would've felt much better putting Solo in an adequate QT. Anyways, another day down, I always get up a little nervous every morning now and run to check for floaters! Have a good evening. Link to comment
gena Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 That means a lot coming from you Gena...THX! I guess it's the first of many mistakes I'll be making. It did get me thinking about all the equipment I do not have that would be beneficial to have around....like making my own SW as opposed to buying it. I could've really used more than the 2 gal. I had this afternoon! And another Hydor heater, etc. I would've felt much better putting Solo in an adequate QT. Anyways, another day down, I always get up a little nervous every morning now and run to check for floaters! Have a good evening. Well, you are welcome. I'll try to help you out where I can . I didn't get my own RO/DI until like last year and I've been doing this for at least 10 years now, off and on . Link to comment
Fishstiks Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Relax....take deep breaths.....you are doing fine. Solo sounds like he will be a well spoiled little clownfish .Just keep an eye on your parameters, and try not to overfeed. Its hard, I know it, I do it. LolYour tank looks awesome, love your scape! :-) How do you like your Nuvo? I have the nuvo mini 38 gallon, and I am totally loving it! Very awesome tanks! Link to comment
SquishyFishy Posted January 21, 2014 Author Share Posted January 21, 2014 Thx guys....I love the tank, I tried to get the IM skimmer working yesterday, but the dang thing filled up with water and made a big mess so I took it out. Couldn't cope with that whilst all H E double toothpicks was busting out all over. Today I'm going over to a different lfs to see about salt and making my own SW. The params are still spiking today, a good sign but not for Solo! So I may have to go ahead with the water change. It is fortunate that we already have whole house RO water. I think I'm gonna rig up a trash can with a spigot and attach to the cold water clothes washing outlet with a splitter. I can use an extra pump I have to mix it. Link to comment
Pinner Reef Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 You might consider taking a sample of your house water with you to the LFS for a TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) test. It will tell you if the water is safe. People may argue with me but as long as the water tests below 20ppm you can use it. Link to comment
SquishyFishy Posted January 21, 2014 Author Share Posted January 21, 2014 Oh we've already had it tested extensively, long before I even considered a tank....it's pretty much perfect. We are on very good well water from an underground aquifer that has 700' of limestone (once a reef) filtering. The only problem is with PH, it is acidic and comes out of the RO spout about 7.3 so I am dosing with PH buffer. We have a whole house filter at the intake before the water heater and then a 3 stage RO under sink. Do not have a water softener and the water is very hard here, full of calcium which should be good for the corals. Of course some is filtered out with the system. But it wouldn't hurt to take it in today just to check again would it.... I am an OCD personality, in fact this tank is bringing out the very worst in that! I find myself standing in front of the tank constantly polishing the glass and testing more than once a day, tweaking the top off and re measuring salinity. At night it haunts me!!!!!!!!!!!! Augh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment
SquishyFishy Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 Nitrates were spiking so I did a water change....now salinity at 1.024, should I add SW? My lfs guy says it's healthier and helps oxygen levels with a little lower salinity, they keep theirs even lower in their display tanks...any thoughts. Other params: ammonia-0 ph-7.8 still buffering dosing nitrites-off the chart nitrates 2.0 Still dosing Seachem Stability daily as instructed, waiting on the bottle of Dr Tim's One and Only, which still hasn't been delivered. Link to comment
SquishyFishy Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 I just had to tell you guys about Solo....he is very lonely as I took him from a tank full of babies and the rock is so cold and lifeless for him. He had been just pacing from one side to the other looking for friends... Today I noticed he has developed some peculiar behavior...very cute! He visits the peppermint shrimp in her cave a lot. Peppermint Patti, we changed her name, is very elusive and sits in her cave all the time, we really don't see her much except through a slit in the rock, now Solo swims through the slit a lot now to visit with her! Isn't that too cute? It's like he's saying, "Whacha doin Patti, won't you come out and play!" I swear I've got to get him someone to interact with as soon as the system is stable enough to add another. I will try to get a video of this. I don't want to pair him up with another OC for fear of the pecking order two OC can put on other fish, but perhaps a green chromis would consent to play nice with him. Like consider him part of a school. I can't have too many in this 16 gal. It's either that or a fire fish,,,any thoughts? BTW Dr. Tim's came and is in the tank, so hopefully the params will begin to stabilize quickly. Link to comment
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