Claw's first 10 gallon nano

[claw]

Mostly a post for me: Did a water change, salinity was higher than expected (maybe 1.025) in tank so I did the change with some low salinity water (1.018). Ph was 8.4, Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates were zero. Also, while cleaning the glass, not much crap growing...I feel like I need to get a fish and food in there so the CUC have something to "CU". I"ll check salinity tomorrow after everything becomes well diffused.

[claw]

Well, I had two snails fall over backwards last night and I think they're goners. This leaves three turbos (I think) and two nerites. I ordered some snails from John at Reefcleaners and they should be here by the end of next week. I will not be buying any more snails that can't right themselves. Too easy for them to die!!

[claw]

Update: Just got back from my LFS. I came away with a pearly headed jawfish and a cleaner shrimp. The jawfish was a little grey but LFS assured me that he would color up. [LFS has a standing guarantee that if I am unhappy with anything, I get cash back. Great guy] The cleaner shrimp was a bit of a impulse buy, where the LFS was talking them up and I had originally planned on one...

 

Also, today my package from TinyGiant came. I have about 10 new heads of zoas that he was selling. Hopefully in a day or two everything will be open and happy and I'll get a new FTS.

 

First I turned off my lights in the tank but left my room light on. Then, I floated all the bags for 15 to 30 minutes, added tank water to the fish bags in 1/4 of the bag volumes every 15 minutes until full, removed half the water from the bag and threw out, filled up again slowly, then when full added just the contents. Was this the correct method? Or A correct method since I know there are a couple ways? Nothing freaked out when I added them in.

 

The jawfish swam around like crazy for a second, then ducked in under a rock ledge and hasn't moved much since. A bristle worm poked his tail a few times but then left him alone. The shrimp has been running around feasting, or at least that's what it looks like. I guess we'll see tomorrow when I wake up what is left.

[claw]

Here are the pictures! Just did a water change and my parameters are:

Ph: 8.4 (A touch high but not horrible I think)

NH3: 0

NO2: 0

NO3: 0

 

This seems weird since I had a turbo go bottom up and it seems I had a fourth (or fifth) algae bloom. The glass is always pretty clean but the sand, rock, and a bit of the chaeto is getting pretty bad, as you see. My theory is that I have been going at such a slow pace that the tank cycled and had a bloom, then diminished, then I added snails that thrived for a while, but now a few have died and I hear turbo are not the best for sand anyways. I finally have a fish in and the waste should start to be a sustained cycle for my snails, but I ordered some ceriths, Nass, and nerites to help clean the sand.

 

Also, jawfish started one hole but found the PVC and has been in it all day. I made a larger, 6" square with two Ts as entries. So far he hasn't reached the other side. He has been playing peak a boo all day and it is very entertaining. I think he is slowly getting used to his new surroundings!

 

There are also pics of the new zoas from Tinygiant. They are not quite opened up all the way but there is good color already. I'm just a little worried if I put them too high or too low in the tank...

 

FTS up next...

 

 

FTS 06/17/2010

[claw]

Everything has gone well so far. I got some top fin sinking soft pellets with krill for a temporary food and both the jawfish and shrimp are eating like pigs!

 

I also got my additional CUC from John at Reef Cleaners. Good packing and a great variety of sizes. I'll stick with ordering snails from him, and I'll stick with avoiding turbos FOREVER!! Seeing the new snails flip themselves over is awesome compared to having to right the turbos.

[claw]

Just picked up two Ocellaris clowns yesterday. Small little buggers, about an inch long. I'll take pictures sometime soon and get a new FTS. I have a crazy red hair algae break out and I can't fight it. I've been using some algaemed and also picked up an emerald crab on the off chance he helps take care of the algae. I know it's a band-aid but I haven't been putting in food for a couple weeks since my jaw jumped so it must just be remnant nutrition. Any other ideas?

[claw]

Why is my tank crashing!!! I was using Algaemed and it would start to slow down the red hair algae, but then for some reason a snail would die, which feeds the algae, then it would become back under control, and again something would die! Most noticeably my cleaner shrimp died I saw him one day where he was still trying to move but stuck upside down. I righted him but he would then flip back over. I watched for 15 minutes then put him in a separate container so he didn't poison the rest of the tank.

 

My LFS gave me some chemiclean to try instead. I dosed it on 8/13 and will do a water change on Monday. Hopefully the algae gets controlled, I don't add to much food, and everything works out fine. I'll take a FTS after that water change no matter what.

[lakshwadeep]

Was the product safe to use for saltwater tanks? Can you provide a link? I can't seem to find a product named "algaemed". In general, chemical methods of dealing with algae blooms are bad ideas since there are so many beneficial algae (like coralline and the symbiotic algae in photosynthetic corals.

 

Can you show a picture of your "red hair algae"?

[claw]

Sorry, Algaefix, not algaemed. It is here: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?...r:referralID=NA

 

It does say it is safe for marine use, but I was hesitant because I wanted a natural way to solve the problems (including me not adding extra nutrients). However, I would suck out the algae every morning and by night it would be covering all my corals and two polyps started to die off. I'll try to take a picture of it later tonight.

 

It looks pretty much exactly like this except for it was everywhere: http://66.209.190.18/Red_Hair_Algae.png

 

After I dosed with Chemiclean and did a 50% water change things seems to be doing better. I'm going to do another water change today and see if maybe I nuked the algae and everything else can get back to normal.

[claw]

Since my chemiclean blast everything seems to be doing well, very clear water and great parameters. I've begun dosing with DT's phytoplankton and will soon be adding some copepods to help regain some self sustaining ability. We'll see how well that works out. I'm already planning on upgrading to some type of cube that's roughly 30 gallons. It should help buffer much better. I also feel that a copepod-dosed 30 could provide sufficient food for a mandarin, which is the reason i wanted to start a reef.

 

New FTS to come some night...

[.Newman.]

nice start but IMO you should have stopped after the jawfish. you have a cool tank for it (for the majority of its life) but the clowns overload your tank. I am having algae trouble in my 10 gallon that has two clowns. they are the cause of too many nutrients. they must be fed a lot and they poop a lot.

[claw]

Everything seems to be going fine for me with the clowns. Since the jawfish jumped I'm too hesitant to get another fish that is a known jumper until I have a better lid, which I think will be when I have a 30 gallon cube of some sort.

[.Newman.]

oh wait he jumped? did not catch that I am very sorry you lost him

 

try covering up the holes in your lid! clowns will jump too. just about any fish will.

anyway i hope your clown pair isnt as challenging to manage in a 10 gal as mine are lol. (cyano problems at the moment)

[claw]

Well I had some HORRIBLE red hair algae that broke out, but Chemiclean nuked it good. Now it seems though that all small scale life is dead. So hopefully with phytoplankton dosing and some copepods things will start coming back.

[.Newman.]

chemiclean was not the best course of action 0_0

you should look to solve the root of the problem because otherwise another type of algae will take over just the same. you cant keep using chemiclean each time...

[claw]

Thanks Newman, the tank was crashing so to save everything else it was the action. Found and isolated the problem (starting water) and going well now.

[rO.oster]

Thanks Newman, the tank was crashing so to save everything else it was the action. Found and isolated the problem (starting water) and going well now.

 

does that mean tap water?

 

and does that mean you are using distilled / ro-DI water now?

[claw]

I was using DI water available to me at my lab, but apparently it was not clean enough. No I am buying RO/DI water from LFS.

[claw]

Well here is a quick update:

10 gallon is doing great but I got a smokin deal on a BC29 without the hood. Since I have two LED strips now (1 module and 1 stunner) I figure I could make my own hood and eventually add one more module to have a fairly powerful tank. Still don't want to expand much past zoas and rics. All my corals are doing great now! I began dosing weekly with DTs phytoplankton and oyster eggs. Zoas are all open and bright and many of my rics just split. I still have no idea where my emerald crab or one of the percs went...MIA I guess.

 

Anyway, I waited to get the bigger tank, but when it got here it was broken so now I am fighting with UPS to get it figured out. I was all ready to swap everything over so the 10 gallon is at a stand still waiting to be taken down are moved over. I will let everyone know how it goes and link to the new thread for my 29 gallon....whenever I finally get it!