Reef Rain - A Cube's Life [Bc14]

[gena]

Magnesium is up to 1980 today from all the dosing (50 ml per day for a total of 350 ml added so far). I'm just going to keep it there for the week. The tank is still covered, and no light is getting to it. Bryopsis isn't spreading and seems to be dying off slowly.

 

My lone feather duster in there seems to be faring well despite the huge boost in Magnesium.

It's taking forever, huh? Well, I do believe I have bryopsis in my tank too I was picking at a harmless looking algae that was attached to the frag plug that my frogspawn is on. It's now growing on the adjacent rock (small amounts) and on a rock quite a ways away. I was picking at it in my tank before I knew what it was!!!!!!! Boo!

 

I bought some Tech M and a test kit. I'll use that if necessary. I'm hoping to starve it by running my chaeto for 21 hours and cutting the nutrients added to the tank. Squirt is going to have to do more hunting than before

 

It really is a plague. About 10 years ago I don't remember ever reading about it. It's going from tank to tank. This one came from a reputable store too!

[squirrelieygrrrl]

hows it goin rain?

 

any news?

 

i just got the perfect byropsis eating critter, a standard tuxedo urchin. my lfs had a nice small one, bout the size of a flattened ping pong ball. he has proven to be really effective. not that i recommend adding him to the tank just yet with the mag that high. down the road maybe just as a preventative measure. ive found that the species i have will look like its been eradicated and then after a dormant period while nutrients are low it waits for the kill. even a slight raise in nutrients and BAM! its back. so if you can find a really small urchin it might be a great way to get rid of any small traces of the byropsis. mine has been cutting immaculately clean paths through the byropsis.

[Rain24]

I'm back.

 

And sadly, so is a little bit of bryopsis. We must not have brushed that rock well. It's just on the one rock. I'm going to take it out and see what happens.

 

Still no cleaning crew in case we need to continue the Kent M.

 

This is so frustrating and so not fun.

 

Squirrel - thanks for the info on the urchin. I'll keep that in mind for sure.

 

gena - I'm going to go look at your tank thread now and see what CAN be.

[gena]

I still have my bryopsis too and it's still growing. I'm trying to see the beauty in it.....LOL

 

I think you should get your cleanup crew and some hardy coral (mushrooms). You can get rid of bryopsis with livestock in the tank. This has gone on long enough!!!!!!! You need to start stocking this tank or you will go mad

[squirrelieygrrrl]

+1!

 

git er started girl!

[Rain24]

I still have my bryopsis too and it's still growing. I'm trying to see the beauty in it.....LOL

 

I think you should get your cleanup crew and some hardy coral (mushrooms). You can get rid of bryopsis with livestock in the tank. This has gone on long enough!!!!!!! You need to start stocking this tank or you will go mad

 

Oh good. I can at least get 'shrooms then? I'd be SO happy with SOMETHING in the tank.

 

But...if I get my CC won't the high mag affect the snails and things?

 

+1!

 

git er started girl!

 

I want to. It's just growing back one ONE rock. I'm going to brush the heck out of that one again.

 

BAD ROCK! Bad!

 

Also...is it time for a water change? I need to scrub the back wall and the corners of the tank. But if I change water, then the mag level drops.

Edited April 10, 2011 by Rain24

[gena]

If it were me, I'd do a big water change to get all parameters back to normal or close to it. I would probably do about 4-5 gallon change. Then I would add the cuc. I'd wait a week with testing and then add some coral. Just monitor the bryopsis. See if it starts getting out of hand. Mine has not been getting out of hand, although it has been growing. I'm hoping it will just burn itself out on it's own (wishful thinking? maybe )

 

If it starts to get out of hand, raise the mg. again. At least you will have something to look at other than rock and bryopsis. Call me weird, but I kind of like the algea (as long as it's in check). It gives it a natural look. I actually ordered some macroalgea this weekend to add to the display. I want a more natural look!

 

So, as squirrel said "git er started"

[oncorhynchus]

Rain,

 

For what it is worth I had some Bryopsis turn up in my tank after 3.5 months without any. I think the stuff can be dormant in the live rock and then just appear. I picked it off and it spread. Had 5 patches. I also went with Kent Tech M and slowly raised the Mg to 1500. It is almost gone now and my corals are doing fine. Also, it seems like since it has been weakened by the Mg, my emerald crab (whom my 2.5 year old daughter named Hot Taco) has been going after it. My plan is to keep the Mg up until there are no traces and then slowly lower it. Hopefully this will get rid of it.

[rb1685]

How's the tank coming along?

[gena]

^

 

I would love to know too. I've been thinking about this tank and wondering how it is??????

[jojoe972]

Rain,

 

Whats up with your tank?

[Rain24]

Guys, my tank is just on the world's longest cycle.

 

It's still up. It is still devoid of corals and living things because life happened. But today, for no real reason, I turned on the lights and tested the water. Guess I'm working my way back in.

[Rain24]

Tank Journal Entry

 

Reef Rain Restarts

December 15, 2012 - Tired of the tank being empty and unlit, I decided to turn the lights on and check parameters to see if I wanted to keep it going. The tank has been empty since I cycled it back in February of 2011 and then promptly ran into a disheartening bout of bryopsis.

 

Changed filter floss

 

Parameters:

pH: 8.0

Ammonia: 0.50ppm

Nitrite: 0.0ppm

Nitrate: 5.0-10.0ppm

Phosphate: 0.03ppm

Magnesium: 1740ppm (from Kent Tech-M dosing from before)

SG: 1.028

 

December 16, 2012 - Attempted to lower salinity by taking out some saltwater and adding in RO/DI.

 

SG: 1.027

Temperature: 80.4F

Cleaned back wall

Tossed out Chemipure

 

December 17, 2012 - Temperature was at 84.3F in the morning without the lights on, turned heater down. Blasted the rocks with turkey baster to dislodge detritus. Noticed that foraminiferans (

Homotrema rubrum

) were still going strong. A few spirorbid worms are still around.

 

Parameters:

pH: 8.0 - 8.2

Ammonia: 0.0 - 0.25ppm

Nitrite: 0.0ppm

Nitrate: 10.0 - 20.0ppm

SG: 1.027

Temperature: 82.5F

 

Finally...inhabitants! Meet Ruby and Meg

December 18, 2012 - Visited a LFS to get some water. Did a big (over 50%) water change. Came home with my first inhabitants. Okay, so they're really part of the clean-up crew, but I've been wanting scarlet reef hermit crabs (

Paguristes cadenati

) for a LONG time now.

 

Ruby's ninja pose

 

This is Meg on the most problematic bryopsis rock

 

Ruby has her very own hitchhiker,

a tiny featherduster worm that comes out when she eats

 

By the way, if that fuzzy stuff on the rocks is indeed bryopsis coming back, these two gals clipped away about 85% of it already!

 

Edited December 19, 2012 by Rain24

[alexversa]

Hi-Fin Goby, Stonogobiops nematodes

Candy Stripe Pistol Shrimp, Alpheus randalli

Tail Spot Blenny, Ecsenius stigmatura

Sexy Shrimp, Thor amboinensis

(Possibly) Pom Pom Crab, Lybia tessellata

Softies and LPS corals[/indent]

 

 

I love this tank already, just from reading that post. I have most of those and I got to say they make a neat little community. I love the sexy shrimp and can't get enough of them, the pom pom crab is just awesome and is one of my faves because he's like a surprise, being as he only comes out every once and a while. Goby and pistols pairs are the best thing to happen to nano's ever. Period. And the Tailspot is one of the coolest fish ever, definitely one of my faves. I have some pics of mine over on my thread if your interested.

 

What about mini carpets or rock flower nems? There easy and awesome!

Edited December 20, 2012 by ElT4coLoco

[gena]

Awww...I'm so glad you are back in it. You never even really got started!!!!!! I've read that nothing will eat bryopsis (except for a certain nudi) so there's a good chance that it might not even be bryopsis!!!!!

 

Looking forward to watching you bring this back to life!!!! Meg and Ruby are awesome

[Rain24]

I love this tank already, just from reading that post. I have most of those and I got to say they make a neat little community. I love the sexy shrimp and can't get enough of them, the pom pom crab is just awesome and is one of my faves because he's like a surprise, being as he only comes out every once and a while. Goby and pistols pairs are the best thing to happen to nano's ever. Period. And the Tailspot is one of the coolest fish ever, definitely one of my faves. I have some pics of mine over on my thread if your interested.

 

What about mini carpets or rock flower nems? There easy and awesome!

 

If I don't get a TSB, then I'll definitely get a dusky blenny. The pairing of goby and pistol is a must for me. I swung by your thread too. Nice pics.

 

I'd love a mini carpet, I'm just always worried I'd lose a fish or something to it.

 

Awww...I'm so glad you are back in it. You never even really got started!!!!!! I've read that nothing will eat bryopsis (except for a certain nudi) so there's a good chance that it might not even be bryopsis!!!!!

 

Looking forward to watching you bring this back to life!!!! Meg and Ruby are awesome happy.gif

 

I hope it's not bryopsis! But it's possible be since that was what was all over this rock. And maybe they ate it since it's all brown from lack of light and fine and tiny still.

 

Meg is hiding under a rock and Ruby is being a little piggy and eating algae.

[Mr. Microscope]

Good luck on the reload! Love the scarlets!

I think algae thrives better in water of higher temps (80F). Lowering down to 76ish might help.

[Rain24]

Good luck on the reload! Love the scarlets!

I think algae thrives better in water of higher temps (80F). Lowering down to 76ish might help.

 

Thanks for stopping by, Mr. Microscope!

 

Good to know about the temps with respect to algae growth. And here I was worried it was 76 and spent the whole day coaxing the heater up to 80. Guess we need to go back down again.

[Reeftech]

Im not sure if yo have tried yet but bringing up the magnesium level can kill of bryopsis.

[alexversa]

If I don't get a TSB, then I'll definitely get a dusky blenny. The pairing of goby and pistol is a must for me. I swung by your thread too. Nice pics.

 

I'd love a mini carpet, I'm just always worried I'd lose a fish or something to it.

 

-looks up dusky Blenny-

 

Ohhhhhh... That Blenny, that's one of my favorites. I either wanted a tailspot or a dusky but went with tailspot cuz they stay smaller.

 

And ya I guess that true, I know my clownfish got stuck to my mini carpet while trying to eat a piece of fish I was feeding the nem. The rock flowers are safer and IMO, if you get a nice one, nicer. The minicar pets just look like mushrooms. But there all cool.

Edited December 20, 2012 by ElT4coLoco

[Mr. Microscope]

Thanks for stopping by, Mr. Microscope!

 

Good to know about the temps with respect to algae growth. And here I was worried it was 76 and spent the whole day coaxing the heater up to 80. Guess we need to go back down again.

My reef has actually been around 74-73 for several months according to my probe (though I think it's reading a bit low (probably actually about 75 in there)). No adverse effects that I've seen.

Edited December 20, 2012 by Mr. Microscope

[Rain24]

Im not sure if yo have tried yet but bringing up the magnesium level can kill of bryopsis.

 

I did up my magnesium levels above 1800 for months and kept it unlit. It stayed away for as long as the lights were off, but now I don't know what this new fuzzy growth is. The scarlets have been picking at it so far.

 

-looks up dusky Blenny-

 

Ohhhhhh... That Blenny, that's one of my favorites. I either wanted a tailspot or a dusky but went with tailspot cuz they stay smaller.

 

And ya I guess that true, I know my clownfish got stuck to my mini carpet while trying to eat a piece of fish I was feeding the nem. The rock flowers are safer and IMO, if you get a nice one, nicer. The minicar pets just look like mushrooms. But there all cool.

 

Made a little mistake. I meant Dusky Yellow Streak Blenny - Ecsenius lividanalis , only grows up to 2". We'll see if I can find one.

 

My reef has actually been around 74-73 for several months according to my probe (though I think it's reading a bit low (probably actually about 75 in there)). No adverse effects that I've seen.

 

Thank you for sharing that. Now I won't have to worry as much when the temperature goes down. I'll just have to keep an eye on it in the summer when the temperature climbs. It gets pretty hot in my house.

[eddiecorrea]

Wow. You took a 2 year break and it still had water in it? Any side affects you have noticed since starting again?

[Rain24]

Wow. You took a 2 year break and it still had water in it? Any side affects you have noticed since starting again?

 

I never took the tank down because I knew I was going to eventually get back to it. The salinity had climbed up to 1.028 but now with the water change and all it is at 1.024. There was a lot of coralline bleaching, but incidental sunlight on the tank kept some of it alive. The parameters look good so far.

 

Since I turned the lights back on, there has been a diatom bloom that the snails are working on. I've added two corals and a few CUC. That's it for now. I'm going to be keeping a close eye on it. Two years gave me a lot more foraminiferans, that's for sure.

Edited December 21, 2012 by Rain24

[eddiecorrea]

Did you do anything to it over 2 years? Like add water or anything? Or did it just sit?