Claw's first 10 gallon nano

[claw]

Another question! Those little white tubes have a curly base that goes into the rock. Also, after I clean the glass and little particles float about, the tubes have a really stringy thing come out that seems to have the particles cling to it. The string is then sucked back into the tubes.....I haven't heard this as Zoa behavior before. Any clarification would be great. I also have HUNDREDS of little tiny white dots on the back of my tank (where I don't clean the glass, trying to get coralline there) that don't look like starfish but I don't know what else it could be. Sorry there are no pictures, but I tried and they didn't work out well.

[lakshwadeep]

You're likely describing vermetid "snails":

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rs/index.php

 

White dots are likely small feather duster worms. If you haven't already, visit the identification forum and read the "ultimate ID thread".

[claw]

Thanks Lakshwadeep! The vermetid in the ID guide looks a lot different than what is in my tank, but that site you linked too made it quite clear. The behavior too agreed with both. As for the little white dots on the back of the tank, it could be some Spirorbis....but nothing online looks exactly like mine. I guess since they are supposedly a sign that your tank is doing well I'll just go with it for now

 

Thanks!

[claw]

WOOOHOOO! My LFS had a pretty sweet little LED set up, so I bought it. I also had some chaeto and snails thrown in. I officially have good light and snails. I'll do a water change tomorrow and every week from here on in! I took pics but can't find my cable, so later some time there will be pictures.

[claw]

Here is my new FTS with LEDs, chaeto, and snails! However the snails seem to have bumped up my ammonia to scary levels. Everything was at zero until when I put them in. The ammonia went up to 8ppm! I did a 15% water change today and the ammonia dropped down to .5ppm but still high. I'm hoping that the system will cycle now. It never truly did cycle before after months. On a plus note, my one zoa seems much happier! Any comments are great so let them fly!

[claw]

Well, I noticed one of my snails wasn't moving today so I took a net and nudged it. It fell over and about 5 fireworms(?) less than a centimeter long were burrowed inside!! I know fireworms in general aren't good but do they devour snails too? What should I do to purge my tank of them?

 

Also there are some little tubes with a few fingers sticking out of the tips. These are less than a centimeter long as well and are on the glass. I can't tell what they are and I can't get a picture that is in focus! Nothing on the hitch hiker ID looked anything like them. I know pictures would help but I got nothing.

 

On a good note, my zoas look down right giddy under my new LEDs. Some are all a deep red while one is a deep red with a bright spot in the center. I can't tell if it is blue or white or something, but they're purdy!

[yardboy]

Here is my new FTS with LEDs, chaeto, and snails! However the snails seem to have bumped up my ammonia to scary levels. Everything was at zero until when I put them in. The ammonia went up to 8ppm! I did a 15% water change today and the ammonia dropped down to .5ppm but still high. I'm hoping that the system will cycle now. It never truly did cycle before after months. On a plus note, my one zoa seems much happier! Any comments are great so let them fly!

 

I'd be surprised if a few small snails jacked your ammonia levels to 8 ppm! Also, let's do the math. If your ammonia level was 8 ppm and you did a 15% water change, the ammonia should have only dropped by 15% (hold on, got to take off my shoes and use my fingers and toes) or 6.8 ppm, not 0.5 ppm. Sounds like something went wrong with your ammonia test, which is good since an 8ppm ammonia concentration would have likely killed all your snails. But then, one of them did die, and not likely at the hand of the fireworms. They are just opportunistic, kinda like if you came home with steaks your girlfriend (or significant other) wouldn't assume you killed the cow!

[claw]

I don't know, my fiancee would probably assume that I not only killed the cow, but also have another in the freezer! I was confused about the ammonia so I'm glad that it doesn't make sense to you either. I'll keep an eye on everything and do another water change tomorrow but I'm still a little nervous.

 

Thanks!

[yardboy]

That's a good tank philosophy: When in doubt, do a water change.

[claw]

Well I wanted to get some pics up now that I found my cord for my camera. Sorry in advance for the blurriness. The first is the zoa that came with my rock. It is a very nice red with a little bright dot in the middle, I can't tell if it is a bright blue or a white. I don't really care too much if it has a fancy name, but if it looks like something is wrong with it speak up so I can try to fix the problem. The 2nd and 3rd pic are of the weird little things on the glass and heater. The pics aren't great but they are tiny suckers. I couldn't find anything similar to them on the id threads so I figured I'd see if someone else could fill in the blanks.

 

Thanks!

[nibor]

Picture 3, Pineapple Sponges.

[claw]

Great nibor! The one in the second photo looks very similar in real life so I guess it too is a pineapple sponge. I saw they are harmless so I won't worry about it unless they propagate too much.

 

Thanks again

[Genesis]

Well can't help with id on pics, but noticed you are in Bozeman. I am in Billings, just wondering if Bozeman has any LFS? We have one in Billings but they rarely get any corals that are real colorful.

 

Would love to find another source.

[claw]

Genesis,

The LFS here is Crystal Clear Aquariums. They started as tank builders and installers in some of the houses that are around, then added livestock so they can completely set up and do maintenance. Now they are finally opening a store where it will be easy for others to walk in and buy stuff. Until the store is finished, it has always been that they let you meet them at one of their houses and the livestock available was what they had. Both the guys are really nice and seem to actually care about cycles and your tank instead of just selling anything they can get you to buy. They sold me my panorama exo...something or other LED light bar which has lit my tank up beautifully and brought my hitchhiking zoas out of hiding!

[Genesis]

I was in Bozeman about a month ago and the Petsmart or Petco told me there was no saltwater fish store, but somebody was opening one, so that must be the one.

 

Do they have a variety of corals, specifically more of the colorful corals?

[claw]

I bought my live rock piece from them and it has three of the zoas pictured above, if you want to call that colorful. From the few tanks I saw in one of their houses, everything looked nice but nothing really popped like I want my tank to. Hopefully it will be clearer when the store is fully up and running. They are in Four Corners and should be open any week now....

[claw]

So here is an update of my zoa cluster. They are kinda red with a bright purple or white center. I have another that is green on the surface but originally looked this same red. I called the LFS to try and see if a pearly jawfish is in my future (this week) but I have yet to hear back from them. Fingers crossed I'll get a fish though!!

[claw]

Just changed my opinion on fish stocking. I gladly swapped the idea of two clowns for one of the new ORA mandarins! I'll get the jawfish in on Wednesday at the LFS. Then hopefully give a month or so to let ORA get the mandarins out.

 

What do you guys think?

 

Would the mini porcelain crabs (Reef Cleaners) be kosher with a mandarin? It seems like a dime would be too big for the mandarin, right? They seem like they could benefit the CUC and are similar to sexy shrimps.

[.Newman.]

those are palys not zoas next to the chaeto.

idk what type of mandarin youre talking about but if its a dragonet, then you need to train it to eat frozen food or it will die in a 10 gal.

[claw]

Thanks for the clarification! How can one differentiate between zoas and palys? As for the dragonet,

http://glassbox-design.com/2010/ora-mandar...y-captive-bred/ . I never would have attempted to train a fish for my second reef fish, but if all is done already then I'm gonna go for it. Anyone else have thoughts on this? Am I crazy for believing that ORA will have trained mandarins? They seem pretty legit....

[Genesis]

I am a newbie, but everything I have read is that a mandarin has to be in a larger tank that is established. I could be wrong on this, but check it out before you buy it...better safe than sorry.

[.Newman.]

ok that site says that they trained them to at frozen, but I'd be skeptical still...

[lakshwadeep]

Captive bred mandarins are very new and uncommon, and they should be fine with introduced foods. Wild-caught mandarins needed a lot of live rock to have enough live food because many fail to eat introduced foods. They are similar to other hard to keep fish, like moorish idols or cleaner wrasses, in that they are hardy except for their specialized diets.

[claw]

Thanks Lakshwadeep, do you think ORA will have them well trained? I don't want to slowly kill one but if it will work then I'm super excited about.

 

Everyone else is right, a wild caught would die which is why I never expected to have one. They are the fish that initially got me looking into reefs, but then I found out about there diets. If these do come trained, then that is what I'm going to be getting!!

[lakshwadeep]

ORA will have to have them well trained if they can breed them. I think the first example of mandarin breeding was accomplished last year.