Ribbies Rimless 15G Reef

[Meech]

My girlfriend pointed out that the female clown has grown quite a bit today. I hadn't even noticed until she said something but it's obvious now who the female is and who the male is now.

 

Glad to hear they're healthy... Its really cool that they're hosting the frogspawn. It sounds like its worth it to get a pair of clowns rather than just one.

[ribbie]

10 cerith snails have joined the party....

[WI Reefer]

awsome aquarium man.. how the battle agents byropsis going?

 

I think I man be battling the same thing

 

 

all you clowns makes me want another

[FindingBlemo]

I'm really going to start focusing on my water chemistry in the new year.

Amen.

[ribbie]

awsome aquarium man.. how the battle agents byropsis going?

 

I think I man be battling the same thing

 

 

all you clowns makes me want another

I have some GHA and no Bryopsis that I can see. I think my PH is a little high but I haven't been testing. I just got a master reef kit from API so I'm going to test the chemistry shortly and try to figure it out.

 

Dosing Tech-M worked like a charm though and I would recommend it to anyone who is in the same problem. I was fortunate that it occured so early in my cycle and I was able to treat it aggressively. I now know that I had the problem due to using uncured live rock. If I did it again I'd cook the rock before I used it.

 

Thanks for the clown comments. They're really fun to watch and are definitely a good fish to pair. They need a buddy in the tank otherwise they just look dormant and sad.

[Meech]

Dosing Tech-M worked like a charm though and I would recommend it to anyone who is in the same problem.

 

What exactly is in Tech-M that wards off the GHA? I thought it was magnesium for pH buffers. My understanding of pH and alkalinity is far from extensive and I was certainly unaware that they directly impacted algae growth. Do you have any info on this. I thought this was just nutrients for coral.

 

The reason I ask is I've got a bit of a GHA problem of my own, and while I'm pretty sure its mostly flow oriented, I've already been considering dosing with the addition of corals to my tank. I don't want to dose for anything I can't test for so starting could be costly with added cost of test kits, however if it may help control algae this could be an added bonus. I'll do some research and look forward to hearing if you've got any info.

 

In the meantime I'll try and get to the bottom of the source of my algae problem like you are with your testing.

[opy01]

My office tank has alot of zoas and shrooms and now has a frogspawn and torch (and some random sps HH). I was using purified water but not RO/DI and I think that caused a major GHA outbreak so I switched but I am still suffering from the GHA. I have been using Tech M for a couple of weeks now but not aggressively since I am not here every day and I do have corals and dont want to overdose. I do pull GHA out periodically but it does seem to be getting lighter. I just wonder how long it takes to get rid of the GHA. Hopefully when I move the tank to my new office I can vacuum out alot of the GHA and the huge water change will do some good too. I also scrub the areas that I can with a tooth brush and that gets some of it and then the skimmer goes nuts.

 

I too would like to know what is in the Tech M that helps GHA.

 

and ribbie your tank is looking great. That brain is something else too. Oh and I to your frogspawn. I hope mine looks that huge one day.

[ribbie]

I'm not exactly sure what's in the Tech M that makes it work but after researching online I found that it was the common denominator in eliminating the bryopsis. My basic understanding is that the raised magnesium levels choke out the bryopsis but I'm not sure if it's by competition or otherwise. I was also using chaeto morphia at the time of dosing to introduce a natural competitor so I would try that in combination with the dosing.

 

 

 

So, I finally tested my params thinking they'd be waaaaaaaaaay out of whack (in the ph dept at least)... and not so much:

 

 

dkh: 8

Ca: 420

Ph: .05 (barely noticeable)

 

*sigh* so maybe it's a flow issue for the gha that I have. I've noticed that the reduced feedings have helped in the brown algae growth. I'm also contemplating switching to a reef salt over my IO stuff.

 

Tons of zoa growth going on and I see potential with my acan except it keeps getting knocked off. I bought some aqua putty and that seems to be doing a good job on my other frags so I'm thinking of trying it on the acan.

 

Not much else to report, all the ceriths are at home but I forgot how much my urchin likes to wear them as decorations. I've had to save 2 a day since I've added em.

[ribbie]

I noticed today that my scolymia had shrunk down to about 1/4 of it's normal size... the water temp was 84 degrees! I set the temp lower on my thermometer and now I'm going to pray it bounces back...

 

I lifted it a bit with the baster to see if there was something underneath that was bugging it and there was a huge bristol worm! It scared the crap out of me. There was a second one about half the size but the big one was about 5 inches and thick.

 

Thank god I got gloves for xmas.

[Meech]

I noticed today that my scolymia had shrunk down to about 1/4 of it's normal size... the water temp was 84 degrees! I set the temp lower on my thermometer and now I'm going to pray it bounces back...

 

I lifted it a bit with the baster to see if there was something underneath that was bugging it and there was a huge bristol worm! It scared the crap out of me. There was a second one about half the size but the big one was about 5 inches and thick.

 

Thank god I got gloves for xmas.

 

Bristle worms are gross! Hopefully the scoly recovers.

[ribbie]

And, I forgot to mention, a snail escaped from my tank. I'm not even quite sure what kind of snail it is, I got it for free from the LFS when I bought some nassarius snails a couple months ago. I've seen it come right to the waterline and turn around with it's body about half way out of the tank but I never imagined it would make it's way out of the tank.

 

It was found upstairs though which means my dog must have gotten a hold of it at some point. Now the question is whether or not the snail got out itself or if the dog just took advantage of it when it was near the rim.

[Meech]

It was probably some species of snail, like a nerite, that inhabits an intertidal zone. There are lots of threads reporting snails making an "escape" from the tank making it down the stand to the carpet...

 

As for making it upstairs... I'd be suspecting the dog...

[ribbie]

it definitely looks like a nerite meech thanks for the heads up

[ribbie]

yikes now my temperature is 75 degrees and a plate of zoas are all closed up :s

 

I hope they just dont like the chilly water. Everything else doesnt seem to mind, I'm just going to bring the heat up another smidge.

[nebthet]

Here is hoping things warm up for you there a little.. If you must.. take a smaller pop bottle and fill with boiling water and put cap on and let it sit in the water to help warm it up a little.

I had to do that when switching over heaters when one stopped working and I went out to get another.

[ribbie]

all is well now and everything has recovered nicely.

[ribbie]

Not much to report. Getting some great growth on my zoanthids and my acan is starting to get some nice coloration.

 

Pics next time I tidy my tank up.

[ribbie]

Alright, new year and a new goal. SPS! I've returned my tunze 9002 and have purchased an Aqua C Remora instead. I initially wanted to purchase a deltech MCE300 at twice the price but ultimately decided against it due to the oddball pump they use (maxi 1000, not available in north america). I decided that the Aqua C made more sense even though it's louder. It's coming with a maxi1200 and I plan on attempting the sound mod to minimize the sound. It's on it's way either today or tomorrow

 

 

I have a snail story as well. A couple of months ago I was given a nerite snail for free from my LFS when I bought some nassarius. I threw him in the tank and didn't think much of it but it was the first time that I had put something in my tank without knowing the consequences. Big mistake... or should I say a whole bunch of little mistakes. If you haven't guessed by now, the nerite birthed in my tank. So now, instead of having one snail I dont really know anything about I have several dozen. Here's a picture of one of them on the glass... he was so small I couldnt get the camera to focus on him:

 

 

I think I've had some great success with my zoanthid's in the past couple weeks. I've really noticed their growth compared to when I first bought them. The greenberries are doing great up front. I counted thirty five heads the other night and noticed three more this morning:

The clowns were hungry when I took these pictures so they tried to be in every shot practically

My eagle eye's:

Tough to get a picture of my bam bams but there's roughly 9 polyps now:

 

My frogspawn has just exploded recently. I'm not sure but I think the two main heads are starting to split and I've also noticed a brand new third head developing on the stock.

One of my more colorful astrea snails

My candy canes have split from two heads to four a while ago but I noticed lately the bottom heads are developing a third head. I hope it doesnt get too big to be up there...

gsp growing like a weed:

sexy shrimp having a stand off?:

scolymia brain coral (its all brown now? ) :

tuxedo urchin fuzz has looked better... its like he just crawled out of a dumpster!:

(rip suncoral)

My very first frag.. my how you've grown.

My acan hasn't really grown much but its been knocked around. I finally got some aquascape putty and fixed a bunch of frags down so I'm hoping it will start to thrive.

And lastly my elusive first fish... who's still quite camera shy:

 

Now it's time to play NAME THAT MACRO ALGAE!!!! (Please? lol)

Every one of these was on the rock I purchased so I have no clue what it is.

 

This little guy has grown about 25% bigger and has fluffed up:

 

This patch has grown the most:

 

Which is odd because this looks the same to me and it's just gotten longer not thicker:

 

Alright, that's it from me.

[opy01]

Nice update! I love the pics. Ever since I raised my temps from 78 to 81 my snails are all multiplying. I have 13 eggs with 12-18 nano-conches in each plus I went from 1 or 2 stomas to about 15 now. Of course look at the bright saide, if it were fresh water you'd have hundreds by now .

[ribbie]

haha I guess that's true opy! Now that you mention it my water is closer to 82...

 

 

 

I'm pumped right now. Off to hopefully buy my first SPS coral.... and possible a blenny. We'll see.

[ribbie]

Why is it that the more money you spend on this hobby the more money you want to spend???

 

Here's my first SPS:

 

 

 

And got a new fish, my two spot blenny!

 

 

I"m still working on placement of the acro. The plug is so damned big I cant really put it anywhere except for the middle of the tank like so:

 

[opraider36]

Very nice! Fish gallery?

[ribbie]

Very nice! Fish gallery?

 

Yup. Also got some flake food so I can try hand feed my clowns.

 

Lemme know if you ever want to get rid of a ric.

[opraider36]

Nice, i would like to try that out too . Im feeding the super tiny pellets from fish gallery right now, and everything loves them so im good. Ya i will for sure, as of right now im going to hold onto them, i want to get them off of the small shell tho, its too small for the three heads.

[ribbie]

Nice, i would like to try that out too . Im feeding the super tiny pellets from fish gallery right now, and everything loves them so im good. Ya i will for sure, as of right now im going to hold onto them, i want to get them off of the small shell tho, its too small for the three heads.

 

Well I bought a 40 year supply of flakes practically lol so let me know if you want some to try. I tried feeding them yesterday and the clowns didnt even look at them. I'm going to work on them though. I think it'll only work when they're super hungry.

 

I feed mysis/brine/pellets and now flake. Used to feed marine snow but that's done now.