PSYS 3-Gal. Picotope

[paulinnate]

Thanks for the input on the AC70 and i must say, you guys are exactly right. it's already quiet and running good. I'm having trouble with my temp because of my tiny heater, 10W, but i'll probably grab a new one this weekend. my temp now is at 71 and only going up .5 degrees every 4 hours, probably not good.

 

not to take over Psys thread here, but i also didn't know to use RO water, i wasn't sure what that was until i researched a little more... hope i'm still okay using spring water with instant ocean sea salt but i won't know until i do a reading on my water. this is all new to me but i can't get enough of looking at the live rocks and day dreaming of whats to come. as soon as i find my camera battery i'll start a thread but reading along to Psys has been a blast.

 

Still waiting on Fab's cycling post, no pressure! thanks again for all the useful info here.

[PSYS]

Thanks a lot to everyone for all the replies. I really appreciate it.

 

I'm going to test my water parameters today after doing the water change. I noticed this morning that this green algae practically popped up on the rock on the far right hand side overnight. I'm gonna blast the crap out of the rocks. I definitely need a CUC!

 

Not sure what kind of algae it is... it looks a little longer in some areas than others. It may just be part of the cycle that occurred. I know I've got enough flow in the tank so I don't think that could be the issue... aside from the fact that the Rio 50 is aimed more towards the water surface than anywhere else. But still, I'm sure there's adequate flow.

 

See?

 

 

 

[kv2wr1]

That tank is lookin' good! Nice job.

[PSYS]

That tank is lookin' good! Nice job.

 

Thanks a lot!! I really appreciate it...

 

Man, the weather here sucks today!! It has been snowing since I got up earlier this morning and STILL snowing. I am SO sick of winter.

[weeber]

Really i love winter but maybe its just cause i live in florida arent u jealous.

[PSYS]

Really i love winter but maybe its just cause i live in florida arent u jealous.

 

YES! I am jealous at the moment... hahaha. sheeesh. I think we were supposed to get 2-3 inches is what I heard last night. But it's like a fricken white out right now. Big, huge flakes coming down like rain. There's probably five inches of accumulation right now.

 

Not that you'd have any idea what I'm talking about...

[weeber]

Heh just because i live in florida dosent mean im afraid of the cold it was 40 degrees here a couple of weeks ago i only wore shorts and a light jacket also i have relatives that live up north so i know what snow looks like. Although it might have been my grand parents dandreph JKJKJK:P

[PSYS]

...so i know what snow looks like. Although it might have been my grand parents dandreph JKJKJK:P

 

eeew.

 

 

 

hahahahaha.

[kv2wr1]

YES! I am jealous at the moment... hahaha. sheeesh. I think we were supposed to get 2-3 inches is what I heard last night. But it's like a fricken white out right now. Big, huge flakes coming down like rain. There's probably five inches of accumulation right now.

 

Not that you'd have any idea what I'm talking about...

 

We got dumped on here too. Gotta love the midwest.

[el fabuloso]

I don't know how you people do it out there. Lately it's been like 50 degrees out here in Vegas and I can't stand it. We should have warmed up by now.

 

Scott, all that stuff on your rock looks like it could be the beginnings of hair algae. Have you tested to see where your levels are at? If your nitrate is down you'll be able to add a CUC to start munching on that stuff. A couple of snails and a couple of hermits should do the trick unless you already have something in mind.

[PSYS]

Thanks for the reply, Fab...

 

Here's what I did thus far over the weekend:

 

I did a water change that was approx. 0.5 gallons. I went and got RO/DI water from my LFS and filled up my 7-gal. blue jug. This will probably be a weekend errand I'll run every Friday night or Saturday morning. Honestly, not that big of a deal to me since my LFS is less than three miles from our apartment. Plus, I get to scope out the new goodies.

 

So... did a water change that was approx. 0.5 gallons. Tested my water earlier this morning and as a result of the water change, lowered my nitrates to the lowest possible rate I think they can be. pH is still holding steady at 8.0 and my salinity is now at 1.026. I wanted to get it increased a little so I figured out a ratio of how much more salt I'd need... and I added that to my water change.

 

I went back out to my LFS earlier today and picked up my CUC (Clean Up Crew). I am a little worried or nervous about the rock in my tank on the far right hand side. I'd agree it does look a little like hair algae of some sort. Not sure if it's something I should be concerned about since it isn't completely out of control and appears to be isolate to that one rock. Obviously, it isn't nearly that long yet either.

 

So here's what I got for a CUC right now:

 

• (2) Red Legged Hermit Crabs
  
• (1) Margarita Snail
  
• (1) BumbleBee Snail
  
• (1) Astrea Snail
  
• (2) Nassarius Snails
  

 

They all seem to be doing fine. The hermit crabs haven't left the rock on the far right and appear to be munching on the algae as we speak. The Margarita Snail isn't one I've ever seen in person but he's actually quite interesting. He's all black in color and can definitely move. Very weird antennae of some sort and he seems like a mover and a shaker. The Bumble Bee Snail is another one that can clip along at a pretty good pace... for a snail. They all have their own little duties and although it seems like an aggressive CUC for a 3-gal. tank... I'm hoping I can rest easy that my rock, sand and overall tank will remain clean and sparkly.

 

Here's some photo of the crew I acquired:

 

* Margarita Snail *

 

* Hermit Crabs grazing... *

 

* Nassarius Snails buried in substrate... Margarita Snail, in background *

 

* BumbleBee Snail and Astrea Snail *

 

* ...another shot of the Margarita Snail *

 

* Close-Up of the crappy algae that appears to be growing by the second... *

 

* The obligatory FTS *

 

* ...and another FTS from a different angle *

[kv2wr1]

Nice crew! I thought about picking up some nass snails my self but I have the thin sand substrate so I'm not sure if I need them or not since the current stirs it up every once in awhile.

[fallenlordz]

Good looking clean up crew - hope they do their job

[Miami Reefer]

nice clean up crew

im planning to get mine next week since i barely have any algea in my tank yet

let me know how they do for you

[Aeridne]

Lookin' good!! Nice CUC. very intense. I'm sure they'll wipe out the algea. I only have two snails and one crab and they keep my tank so clean, I haven't had to scrub anything (even under the filter overhang no idea how they get under there)... I'm thinking about getting a nass snail too, let me know how yours does. I need a burrowing invert.

 

Your scaping is really nice, you're going to have good placement for your corals!! yay!! Plus, you also have room for a fish, woot!

 

taggin' along

[PSYS]

Got up this morning and the rock on the far right hand side with the unsightly algae already looks better. They must've been busy. The hermits stayed there most of the day and through the night. Now everyone is kind of scattered about the tank.

 

Next weekend... I plan on doing my standard tank maintenance. Water change. Blasting the rock with my turkey baster. Mixing up additional saltwater. Cleaning the glass. Changing the filter floss. Continuing to check water parameters to ensure everything remains in check.

 

Since I don't have a fish/corals, etc, etc... the only detritus in the substrate is the crap I blow off the rock. I don't want the Nassarius Snails to starve... but I want my substrate to remain sifted and as clean as possible. It's kind of a fine line. I may end up throwing in some food so these guys come out and eat. I don't know if it's necessary or not... but I don't want anyone to starve.

 

Next weekend... I'd like to find the Coralife Power Center but may need to order it online. This will tailor the lighting schedule to my needs. I also purchased a handful of chaeto from NeedReefFunds. I only have one source of light... so I'm going to shove the chaeto in the far right hand corner of the display tank until I have another light source to be able to put it in my AC70. I don't want the chaeto to die... but I definitely want to reap the benefits of having macroalgae remove any excess nutrients, etc, etc. My LFS also doesn't carry Chemi-Pure Elite but he special ordered it for me yesterday and he said I'd have it by next weekend when I do my tank maintenance. So I'll have Chemi-Pure Elite in the tank next weekend, too. I think the water looks great... but I still don't think I have that "polished" crystal, clear look that I've seen in some photographs.

 

I don't know if it's too soon... but I'd like to venture out to Reefs Aquariums & Pet Emporium in Green Bay, WI. They're one of the better LFS stores around here but it's a 40-min. drive or so from where I live in Oshkosh. I'd like to be able to add a small frag of mushrooms or zoas. Something that will hopefully catch my eye.

 

I'll add more photos for the heck of it. Because what's a post without photos. Even if they are random.

 

* random photo 'cuz I miss summertime. *

[NeenasReef]

I only have one source of light... so I'm going to shove the chaeto in the far right hand corner of the display tank until I have another light source to be able to put it in my AC70.

 

Check out inTank (one of NRs sponsors) for some LEDs for the Fuge, I got a set for mine and I love em- fit inside perfectly and they only cost like $20 after shipping!

[PSYS]

Check out inTank (one of NRs sponsors) for some LEDs for the Fuge, I got a set for mine and I love em- fit inside perfectly and they only cost like $20 after shipping!

 

 

Perfect! Thanks a lot for the info... I know I've seen those underwater lights referenced somewhere.

[NeenasReef]

Welcome

[PSYS]

OK. Remember that right on the far right hand side of my tank that was beginning to get covered in algae? It looked like it may have been the start of GHA. Remember? Remember how it was beginning to sway in the flow of the water??

 

OK. Here's the rock before I added my CUC at the end of my cycle:

 

 

And here's the same rock *after* I added my CUC. Pay no attention to the large Margarita Snail on that same rock. He's not stopped eating since I put him in.

 

 

Pretty cool, huh? I was actually a little concerned that my CUC would be running out of food. So I stopped at my LFS after work tonight and purchased a pack of frozen food. Looks like it's a mixture of baby brine shrimp and seaweed and a bunch of other nutritious stuff. It says it's for all omnivores and herbivores... so I can assume they will like it. I'm gonna put, like, half a cube in the tank and break it up tonight.

 

Then I'm going to do a water change tomorrow... and continue to do water changes every Saturday, as well.

 

I hope everyone is having a great week!

[NeenasReef]

Pretty cool, huh? I was actually a little concerned that my CUC would be running out of food. So I stopped at my LFS after work tonight and purchased a pack of frozen food. Looks like it's a mixture of baby brine shrimp and seaweed and a bunch of other nutritious stuff. It says it's for all omnivores and herbivores... so I can assume they will like it. I'm gonna put, like, half a cube in the tank and break it up tonight.

 

Lookin' good!

 

I personally like to melt the cubes before I put them in the tank- just take a little cup o water out of your tank and swish the cube in it until it melts, then pour away... I also use syringes (like the ones you use for baby birds) to spot feed... (my discus will actually come up and eat from the syringe )

[PSYS]

Thanks.

 

I did just that! I melted a cube in some tank water and then shot it in the tank with my turkey baster. The Nassarius Snails came out of nowhere and started chowing down. It was interesting to watch... but I hated that it made my tank look like poo. Bleh. I'm going to do a water change tonight when I get home.

[JonathanS]

watchout , dont start overfeeding!

[PSYS]

OK. Did a water change last night (0.5 gal.) and also changed my filter floss. Checked my water parameters when I got up this morning and everything still looks good. I'm supposed to have my chaeto in the mail today from needreefunds. I haven't ordered any supplemental lighting so I may just tuck it away in the display tank for now until I have additional lighting.

 

I'm going to venture out to a different LFS this weekend to see what I can see.

 

I hope everyone is having a great week!

[firstchevalier]

What size CUC did you put in there?