SquishyFishy's BioCube Planet

[atrox]

If this hobby was easy everyone would be doing it. Hang in there what you are experiencing now will be defining moments later. It will get better and you will learn the hard way like we all have that these systems are fragile/rock solid, expensive/bargain etc. Fish, reefs, inverts, are masters of survival and they were doing this "life thing" a lot longer than we have. Regroup and learn from you're mistakes. We all want to be successful in this hobby and you will be too! How's the ich situation now?

[SquishyFishy]

Goby is doing much better, still has little knobby globules on his skin but they look much less prominent and he's pretty peppy. Nobody else shows any sign of ich.

 

I am carrying on. Using the garlic soak and the meds every other day. To tell you the truth, since no one else had any problems, makes me think this is something exclusive to the Goby...like a parasite of some kind, but not ich...well we'll see.

 

Gramma has been scratching himself on the polyps though. He likes them.

 

Only other problem right now is the dang GHA!!!!!!!!!! I am pulling clumps of it constantly. The emerald crab is helping so I am thinking of getting a second one, he cleaned out a hole in the rock that was full of it overnight! I wish I could just pick him up and put him on the spot that needs mowing! I tried the baking soda/peroxide method but gave up on that. The params are still perfect.

[FlowerMama]

for whatever reason, many of us are getting gha right now. I'm starting to get some in my rock flower tank.

[SquishyFishy]

Just caught the contest for the 5.5 gal tank and stuff and just had to enter Houdini in the contest.

 

Houdini is just the most fun fish ever. He loves playing Hide n go seek with me, loves it when I come to the glass and he can zooom into the rock to hide and then peeks out to see if I'm still there! He pouted for 2 weeks when I brought in the Mandy, (I suspect he was so jealous of someone prettier than he) and when she passed, (and he may have been part of that!) I caught him over behind the rocks laughing!

 

Anyways, I love his Jimmy Cagney impersonation but have never been able to photograph him in time. I call it the DFWM pose....guess you can come up with that anagram! Here it is from someone else's gramma:

[SquishyFishy]

Well, the fish I was just expounding, overnight, developed the ich! The speed with which something bad develops in this hobby is astounding, worse than any disaster movie. The clowns are spot free but who knows for how long. The Goby appears to be even worse today so I know for sure the cycle has begun again.........nothing left but the Cupramine to try and that would compromise the inverts.

 

I'm thinking, I could sell everything back to my lfs, he'd love that. One thing for sure, the tank has added another huge layer of stress to my life that would be lovely to ditch! And I just made another order for filter media yesterday....d--m!

 

I'm going to be thinking a lot over the next few hours on what to do. Pray for me

[SquishyFishy]

Talked with Todd and did an assessment of the following:

 

Fish: could lose 2 clowns, a Gramma and the Goby; Total around $125

 

Inverts: around $100

 

Coral: no loss $300 so far

 

Equipment and supplies since day 1: the biggy...over $1800 or more

 

With his help and encouragement, I've decided to just let nature take its course....I will be sad to lose all the fish but if it happens, it happens. A fish free tank will still offer enjoyment with the inverts and coral color and easier to keep for vacations, etc. I love Houdini, he'll be my most stressful loss, the clowns are cute but they don't hardly ever come out from their corner except at feeding time. They have never hosted with anything. I hardly ever saw Dash either (Goby) so no interaction much there. If I destroy the scape to get at the fish I might lose more than just the fish. So I will not risk it. They will have to kick this in the DT or not at all.

 

So we'll just see, I'll continue with the treatment until the meds are used up and then it's up to the fish and nature. Like ATROX said, these organisms have been battling these parasites since time began.

 

I feel better having a plan. But I am sad today

[farkwar]

What is a DH?

 

And you're putting metro and copper directly into your tank?

 

If so, thats crazy silly. Get a Turbo Twist UV to kill waterbourne parasites.

[FlowerMama]

oh no. I hate to hear that. I haven't had ich yet but I hope you whip its butt!!!!

[SquishyFishy]

Mis type DT. And no, directions say to soak food in garlic with the metro and Focus then feed. No copper yet. I got a UV months ago but it did not fit the tank. Just happened to see one at my lfs the other day before this all started that will fit but haven't gotten to get to it...it's 30 miles away...I live out in the country and work. But will make time Friday to go get it.

 

Doing 30% water changes every 3 days. Params are still perfect.

[SquishyFishy]

Waiting for my Little Green Machine to get here, has great reviews and fits my back chamber. Won't be here til Tuesday though.

 

No white flecks on Houdini today although you can see where he has scratched himself on the rock. Goby looks almost well....I know it doesn't mean much but at least it looks like they are feeling better, gramma is out front and Dash is dashing too and fro. Clowns still show no signs of anything. Tank is pristine except for the occasional GHA Gosh I hate that stuff! I know my filter media is totally worn out and I am also waiting for the ROX and Phosguard to get here so I can redo the bags. That may have something to do with GHA outbreak. I mow everyday!

 

Now on to the next crisis, my RBTA is so stung up because of so many rock dumps over onto the hammer he sure looks bad, looks like he is regurgitating his guts...doesn't look like poop so it worries me, but he's bubbled up though not as big as before all their battles. That hammer's sting has gotta be bad. Lots of the RBTA's tentacles are all scarred up. I hope they recover from this. I have tried to stabilize the portion of rock he's on so that won't happen again...but unless I glue it down, and I hate to do this because of the inability to take apart the scape. I am the biggest problem, I have knocked it over twice gardening the GHA!

[FlowerMama]

I know, somewhere at one point you think you have lots of room, even in my Evolve 8 and I end up cracking off a piece of sps.

[SquishyFishy]

Ohhhhhhh

[SquishyFishy]

Houdini has passed down the river of no return

 

He had scratched gouges out of his skin and developed popeye. I knew it was inevitable. I caught the crabs on him this morning, and the knobby star was in the cave trying to help out with the burial at sea (humor). Will miss him, and he was my most expensive fish purchase. I paid $40 for him and I knew that was high at the time, but didn't have to pay shipping as he was local. Don't think I'll ever pay that again.

 

I am not replacing any fish no matter who goes. The clowns are hanging in with no sign of infestation and I inspect them (probably 4 or 5 times a day) with magnifying lens. They are eating the larger pellets soaked in garlic with the metro still. UV light has not shown up yet, supposed to be today by Fedex, but the gramma wouldn't have benefited anyway. The Goby is hangin on, he's a tough little guy, but I really think he won't make it either. I think my plan of action is going to be running the UV for 3 or 4 weeks and if the clowns still show no infestation, I'll turn it off, don't want to kill every dang beneficial thing in the tank. I'll be replacing with Dr. Tims bacteria routinely so I'm sure I don't kill them off, but hopefully, the UV might make a dent in all the algae(red sludge but params are perfect according to API). I have GHA in very small colonies and I mow like heck....some of you would probably say, that's not really bad, you can hardly see some of it. But I am leery of it anyway.

 

From now on, I am concentrating on keeping the clowns alive and investing in more coral and for ease of care, I think I'll key in on Ricordia...those guys are beautiful and keep on keepin on. I was all about the Zoos but my colony, although putting on more polyps consistently, is not what it once was. I dialed down the lights and time but it didn't help and they are not directly under the lights. They are mid tank but way off to the side. But they still don't get big and lush like they used to, open but teensy. Seems like the shroom family of coral is just dependable and fortunately you can get some dynamite colors and polyps. An they consistently open up and increase in size every morning...it's miraculous how big my green striped shroom gets...from a dime to a dollar!

 

One good development is the brittle stars that have hatched or hitched, whichever. They are not small either, but I only see their tentacles as they are deep in the rock. They stick up those arms and wave them around...so cute. I have now seen at least 3, maybe 4. Didn't even know I had them...so that was a blessing.

[gena]

Sorry to hear of the troubles...we've all been there!

[FlowerMama]

Must be a thing going on w/ cyano and algae these days. I can't seem to get my 60g straight w/ the cyano and what looks like green diatoms on the sand and some gha I on some rocks. I'm dreading opening up the dirty reactor my sister sent me so I can get biopellets going to assist. There's nasty water in there and biopellets that are black. She couldn't open the lid. I'm hoping that by using hot water it will expand and then open. I heard I should plug my nose. Once open, it's a quick dump in a garbage bag, seal it up and toss it in the garbage and put it in the garage. Then it's probably a week's cozy bath in vinegar, then maybe still chlorine, then back to vinegar. This thing is nasty.

[SquishyFishy]

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!

 

Update....The little Green Machine or whatever is working, tank looks great after 2 days and the Goby has no more ichy spots, so guess they've dropped off and are trying to recycle. Hope the UV will help with that. The red knobby star is doing great more and more time out and about...if he'd only eat that GHA! Along with the emerald crab! I've seen him eating it in holy places but not on the top of the rock where it shows the most!

 

Today I recycled my fresh water planted to a salty! Yep it is bare bottom with one rock in the middle of it. It's my 4 gal. Aqueon. I am taking Jacques(cleaner shrimp) and the large hermit crab that have been terrorizing the leather out and putting them in there. I think I will make it a dedicated invert cube. I want some sexies and another green bubble tip nem for them. But that's all. Now I can use it as a QT also. But I'm so down on fish, don't know if it'll ever get used.

[FlowerMama]

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!

 

Update....The little Green Machine or whatever is working, tank looks great after 2 days and the Goby has no more ichy spots, so guess they've dropped off and are trying to recycle. Hope the UV will help with that. The red knobby star is doing great more and more time out and about...if he'd only eat that GHA! Along with the emerald crab! I've seen him eating it in holy places but not on the top of the rock where it shows the most!

 

Today I recycled my fresh water planted to a salty! Yep it is bare bottom with one rock in the middle of it. It's my 4 gal. Aqueon. I am taking Jacques(cleaner shrimp) and the large hermit crab that have been terrorizing the leather out and putting them in there. I think I will make it a dedicated invert cube. I want some sexies and another green bubble tip nem for them. But that's all. Now I can use it as a QT also. But I'm so down on fish, don't know if it'll ever get used.

 

Just wait til you're over this issue and give it time. I like the idea of your invert tank. I'm loving all the critters I have in my 60 right now. So many to choose from at KPAquatics.

[SquishyFishy]

Annette, do your guys terrorize everything like mine do. Since the crab has gotten twice the size when I got him he crawls all over my neon leather, which then pulls in all his polyps and he's soooo pretty when they are out! The skunk does the same thing trying to steel everyone's food right out of their mouths! And believe me he's not starving either.

[FlowerMama]

So far, it's only my fish or nassarius snails that have ever picked food out of anemone hands or coral like acans..

[SquishyFishy]

The Goby has gone! He finally gave up the ghost.

 

Now I hope the clowns can hold out...I will really be bummed if they contract this deadly crap! The black one is doing funny things like laying on the pebbles on the floor up against the glass while the orange is doing his little dance above. It's like she is resting or something. Then she swims up and does her little dance. I am worried that she is sick but no ich spots at all yet. They are both eating well but never leave their little nest in the corner...they absolutely will never go near any corals so no hope of hosting.

[SquishyFishy]

After 9 months I still don't have any coralline to speak of. Just a few specs on frag tiles and a rock the size of a tootsie roll that is covered in it. So it had plenty of "seeding". All params continue to be perfect at least by API...Tank is crystal and clean looking even the sand has minimal green algae. Got rid of my big patch of GHA with peroxide. Very little left in a patch here or there which I continue to mow.

 

Any idea why no coralline?

[FlowerMama]

This is what I'd do, scratch off what you can from the tootsie roll, then throw it in the blender w/ a cup or two of saltwater and give it a whirl. Then dump it in the tank. It will grow much more for you.

[SquishyFishy]

Someone also said when they used the purple up it helped even though most peeps consider it hype! I have a nasty rusty brown stuff on the tops of my rock, very hard to scrape off...do you know what that is?

[FlowerMama]

Hmm. I don't know. Most times there isn't anything brown after diatoms.

[SquishyFishy]

I would try to capture it on the camera but you know how distorted the colors are. I'll try, but it isn't diatoms, more like an algae or maybe even rust colored coralline! I don't know....wait here! LOL