alfiefive Posted March 27, 2011 Author Share Posted March 27, 2011 Geez, already that much huh? Looks like you got a premo piece to chaeto, pods rock! In my own experience, emeralds are hit or miss. I've had some in my past tanks that seemed to be quite well behaved, but I've read horror stories too so... If you think GHA will continue to be a problem for you...it may be a possibly solution...although I'd think the chaeto will take care of it all on it's own. Hahaha, I think we've all walked out with stuff we didn't really want/need from the LFS, I know I've been guilty. If you find the smallest emerald with the smallest claws...I think you might be able to mitigate the risks. Then again it could have a Napoleon complex... I agree. I'd much rather have exciting zoas/rics/corals and not fear them being destroyed by a tiny green monster in my tank. Another theory that I'm not too fond of is that if I keep my chaeto in tank as it is currently an emerald would NEVER lack something to eat, and the food source would potentially grow faster than it could keep up. I'd love to have an #######-dominant emerald crab that is all about in-tank chaeto. LOL. As I've mentioned somewhere in this thread, though, the ultimate plan is to have the chaeto in an in-tank media box somewhere in front of the upper-left powerhead. Was reading some articles about emeralds feasting on chaeto that put that idea into my brain. I think the same thing that made my GHA go nuts is the same thing that is making my chaeto go nuts. Lighting. It's strong. And probably some expansion from flow, etc. Either way I now understand fully when people say that chaeto will blow up your tank. Joking and speculating and non-serious talk about my CUC aside, I think I will pick up a nass and a nerite and/or a few dwarf ceriths (the extremely tiny kind) or some collonistas, replace the three margaritas as they die with two florida ceriths, and work on zoas/rics in the next month. Once I've confirmed they can live in my tank I will get something more exciting. So next up: finish the CUC and research how to make ugly as hell frag plugs disappear so that they don't muss up such a small tank as this. The LFS has an AMAZING tiny piece of rock with a neon green zoa colony that I have my eye on once I feel comfortable with the tank-to-date. They keep a lot of their items on small pieces of LR without frags and I would love to have that be the standard for things that enter my tank. With a LR setup like mine, there really isn't much room to place a frag. I think there is one spot I can see from here where I would be comfortable putting a frag. The rest is so vertical and the horizontal spaces are so small that I think I need to research removing things from frag plugs/working with LFS to get non-frag-plug items. I am rambling. Link to comment
Drift Monkey Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I agree. I'd much rather have exciting zoas/rics/corals and not fear them being destroyed by a tiny green monster in my tank. Another theory that I'm not too fond of is that if I keep my chaeto in tank as it is currently an emerald would NEVER lack something to eat, and the food source would potentially grow faster than it could keep up. I'd love to have an #######-dominant emerald crab that is all about in-tank chaeto. LOL. As I've mentioned somewhere in this thread, though, the ultimate plan is to have the chaeto in an in-tank media box somewhere in front of the upper-left powerhead. Was reading some articles about emeralds feasting on chaeto that put that idea into my brain. I think the same thing that made my GHA go nuts is the same thing that is making my chaeto go nuts. Lighting. It's strong. And probably some expansion from flow, etc. Either way I now understand fully when people say that chaeto will blow up your tank. Joking and speculating and non-serious talk about my CUC aside, I think I will pick up a nass and a nerite and/or a few dwarf ceriths (the extremely tiny kind) or some collonistas, replace the three margaritas as they die with two florida ceriths, and work on zoas/rics in the next month. Once I've confirmed they can live in my tank I will get something more exciting. So next up: finish the CUC and research how to make ugly as hell frag plugs disappear so that they don't muss up such a small tank as this. The LFS has an AMAZING tiny piece of rock with a neon green zoa colony that I have my eye on once I feel comfortable with the tank-to-date. They keep a lot of their items on small pieces of LR without frags and I would love to have that be the standard for things that enter my tank. With a LR setup like mine, there really isn't much room to place a frag. I think there is one spot I can see from here where I would be comfortable putting a frag. The rest is so vertical and the horizontal spaces are so small that I think I need to research removing things from frag plugs/working with LFS to get non-frag-plug items. I am rambling. An Emerald with an unlimited chaeto supply would be in heaven! Sounds like you're on to something... CUC sounds good...I really wanna find some collonistas to put in, I had nano conch snails (Columbellid sp.) that were pretty awesome as well. Maybe I can find some of those too. Stomatellas would also be awesome! Plugs are ugly...they can really ruin the look of our elegant small tanks IMO. Ramble on! Link to comment
alfiefive Posted March 27, 2011 Author Share Posted March 27, 2011 Plugs are ugly...they can really ruin the look of our elegant small tanks IMO. Ramble on! They really are. I guess they are made of what... sand and something to make it stick together? Or are they some type of more expensive/solid material? Can they typically be destroyed with pliers? That would solve that problem Dipping for mushrooms/zoas/ric is also on my next-month to do list for research. Link to comment
pyrocreep Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Most frags are put onto the plugs with nothing but super glue. If you run a knife or a razor blade under most of them they should pop off. You can also get bone cutters for fragging most things that will crunch through them. They're pretty much just made with a plaster or cement. It's not to tough. Link to comment
alfiefive Posted March 27, 2011 Author Share Posted March 27, 2011 Most frags are put onto the plugs with nothing but super glue. If you run a knife or a razor blade under most of them they should pop off. You can also get bone cutters for fragging most things that will crunch through them. They're pretty much just made with a plaster or cement. It's not to tough. Thanks. So, for example, if I picked up a few small zoa on a single frag plug I could safely just shave them off the plug with a razor (so that there is just the mushroom and the superglue) and affix the leftover glob of glue to the rock I'd like them on until they take? I've read a few "how to frag" and "how to affix corals" guides around nano-reef but thanks for the help nonetheless. It helps to have personalized advice in my thread so that I have a log of how and what I did and whatnot. It's funny, to a beginner it initially seems like this would be a deathnote for the zoa. Sort of like how until I learned how superglue works, the concept of using it in a tank seemed like a deathnote for the tank. Personally, bone cutting the frag away until it is small enough to fit in a nook of the target rock seems like something less likely to be FUBAR (when I'm the one doing it, at least). Link to comment
NUWildcat928 Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Just curious - once your water was testing okay, but before you put in the CUC, did you do a partial water change? I read that you're supposed to do that, but I don't get the point if ammonia is 0, nitrites are 0, and nitrates are like 5 or less. Link to comment
alfiefive Posted March 27, 2011 Author Share Posted March 27, 2011 Just curious - once your water was testing okay, but before you put in the CUC, did you do a partial water change? I read that you're supposed to do that, but I don't get the point if ammonia is 0, nitrites are 0, and nitrates are like 5 or less. I did do a 1.5 gallon water change (which is what, 30% in a 5g) prior to adding the chaeto/CUC. I think my nitrates have always been low because algae in my tank (specifically the GHA I pictured a few posts back) was consuming a lot of it. I also think my water/rock presented a high volume of nitrifying (making up that word) bacteria to begin with. I am keeping up on my daily water tests just like when I was cycling/learning about water. If a tank my size had no algae in it and I didn't add chaeto as well, I doubt nitrates would have consistently been so low. I think the lighting cycle I used when the tank was cycling really supported a lot of the GHA, as well as things leeching from live rock that can feed it. My water is a great source that tests perfectly, but once the GHA took hold I think the nitrate spike I would otherwise have seen as ammonia hit zero was nowhere to be found because there was enough crap in my tank to use it up. Are you experiencing a similar situation? Link to comment
NUWildcat928 Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 I did do a 1.5 gallon water change (which is what, 30% in a 5g) prior to adding the chaeto/CUC. I think my nitrates have always been low because algae in my tank (specifically the GHA I pictured a few posts back) was consuming a lot of it. I also think my water/rock presented a high volume of nitrifying (making up that word) bacteria to begin with. I am keeping up on my daily water tests just like when I was cycling/learning about water. If a tank my size had no algae in it and I didn't add chaeto as well, I doubt nitrates would have consistently been so low. I think the lighting cycle I used when the tank was cycling really supported a lot of the GHA, as well as things leeching from live rock that can feed it. My water is a great source that tests perfectly, but once the GHA took hold I think the nitrate spike I would otherwise have seen as ammonia hit zero was nowhere to be found because there was enough crap in my tank to use it up. Are you experiencing a similar situation? I am only about 8 days into the cycle, and am getting some green and brown algae growth on my rocks. There's minimal fern-like macroalgae here and there. So far my nitrates are still at 0, ammonia is around 0.25 fairly consistently. Nitrites have always been 0. I doubt that I'm seeing 0 nitrates because my algae are using it up, seems much more likely that I'm just early in the cycle. However, I see a good number of pods and I've read in multiple places that brown algae usually occurs near the end of a cycle. So, I'm not really sure what's going on, but I figure I'll just sit tight for another week and watch the numbers. Sorry that wasn't really helpful... Link to comment
alfiefive Posted March 28, 2011 Author Share Posted March 28, 2011 I am only about 8 days into the cycle, and am getting some green and brown algae growth on my rocks. There's minimal fern-like macroalgae here and there. So far my nitrates are still at 0, ammonia is around 0.25 fairly consistently. Nitrites have always been 0. I doubt that I'm seeing 0 nitrates because my algae are using it up, seems much more likely that I'm just early in the cycle. However, I see a good number of pods and I've read in multiple places that brown algae usually occurs near the end of a cycle. So, I'm not really sure what's going on, but I figure I'll just sit tight for another week and watch the numbers. Sorry that wasn't really helpful... +1 on waiting a week or two or ten or whatever . Waiting is the one thing I never take off my to do list. Hehe. Green hair algae that has fern structure can be bryopsis, maybe Google a picture to confirm if it needs to go. Link to comment
alaskan84 Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 hey alfie, how frequently are you washing/cleaning the sponge in the included powerfilter? I still havent swapped mine for floss, and I rinsed it today.....omg the smell was horrific, waay worse than the floss ever gets in my 28 gallon. Link to comment
alfiefive Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share Posted March 29, 2011 hey alfie, how frequently are you washing/cleaning the sponge in the included powerfilter? I still havent swapped mine for floss, and I rinsed it today.....omg the smell was horrific, waay worse than the floss ever gets in my 28 gallon. I switched out for floss and have been changing it weekly. It is nasty. Ended up going with the floss at your suggestion Link to comment
alaskan84 Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 I switched out for floss and have been changing it weekly. It is nasty. Ended up going with the floss at your suggestion Yeah Ive gotta swap mine to floss....that sponge is gross Link to comment
alfiefive Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share Posted March 29, 2011 Yeah Ive gotta swap mine to floss....that sponge is gross From reading your thread it looked like your tank matured/started growing all sorts of crap very quickly and I'm sure the sponge was absolutely disgusting if you just changed it now. How is the tank coming? Link to comment
alfiefive Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share Posted March 29, 2011 Quick update, margaritas are still alive and doing well. Going to add the rest of my CUC tomorrow or this weekend. I was right about the potential for the coraline on my snail shells, it is starting to spot all over my rock! HUZZAH! GHA is still moving in, but slower since adding the chaeto. The CUC in my tank to date does not eat it, so I'm thinking about that when I add the remaining CUC members. My water tests well; I will have LFS test for phosphate. I think having a lot of porous rock in such a small tank inevitably leeches nutrients into the tank that will feed the GHA until the tank is more mature. So far so good... Link to comment
alaskan84 Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Quick update, margaritas are still alive and doing well. Going to add the rest of my CUC tomorrow or this weekend. I was right about the potential for the coraline on my snail shells, it is starting to spot all over my rock! HUZZAH! GHA is still moving in, but slower since adding the chaeto. The CUC in my tank to date does not eat it, so I'm thinking about that when I add the remaining CUC members. My water tests well; I will have LFS test for phosphate. I think having a lot of porous rock in such a small tank inevitably leeches nutrients into the tank that will feed the GHA until the tank is more mature. So far so good... Looking real good alfie, I'll get some updated shots up in my thread one of these days soon. I just havent brought my dslr into work yet to get real pictures. Maybe I'll do a water change and order a cuc next week, the GHA is getting nice and long Link to comment
ParanoidObseshun Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Tank is looking good so far, keep it up. Looking forward to when you start stocking it! Link to comment
alfiefive Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 Picked up what may be the remainder of my CUC today: a cerith snail, a nassarius snail, a stomatella, and an emerald crab. I took pics during acclimation and in the tank The nassarius is about 1/4'' and the cerith is about 3/4''. The stomatella is about 1/4'' and the emerald crab is about 3/4'' at its widest. Stomatella piggybacking on the cerith. These things move FAST. After acclimating and putting him in the tank it took him all of ten seconds to start going to town on my rock. Nass and cerith on the sandbed. The nassarius borrowed within a minute and the cerith dug himself into the sandbed a bit. I'll be watching the latter tonight to make sure he's moving; seems healthy. Emerald crab during acclimation, posing: Emerald took a few bite of hair algae and darted into this cave right off the bat: Link to comment
alfiefive Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 Tank is looking good so far, keep it up. Looking forward to when you start stocking it! Thanks Link to comment
alaskan84 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 what are the thoughts on hermits in a tank this small? I'd like either a trio of blue legs, or halloweens....they come up on divers den quite often. i've got blue legs in my 28 gallon and they seem to do some real work on the algae Link to comment
alfiefive Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 what are the thoughts on hermits in a tank this small? I'd like either a trio of blue legs, or halloweens....they come up on divers den quite often. i've got blue legs in my 28 gallon and they seem to do some real work on the algae I have a fair GHA population in my tank and if this emerald doesn't wake up and smell the GHA coffee over the next two weeks I'll regret not going with a primary population of crab CUC instead of snails. So I am sort of waiting and seeing how it plays out. Link to comment
alaskan84 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I have a fair GHA population in my tank and if this emerald doesn't wake up and smell the GHA coffee over the next two weeks I'll regret not going with a primary population of crab CUC instead of snails. So I am sort of waiting and seeing how it plays out. sounds good alfie....I have 2 emerald crabs in my 28 gallon and I love them....now I really havent seen them eating any GHA, but they are a treat to watch and have lots of personality. mine havent messed with any of my coral, but they do like to chip off pieces of the live rock and then chew on them....very odd, but I've watched them do it many a times. One of mine actually has taken a likeing to one of my largest ricordias, and he lifts it up each night and crawls underneath using the ric as a blanket! Suprisingly it hasnt upset the ric at all. Link to comment
alfiefive Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 sounds good alfie....I have 2 emerald crabs in my 28 gallon and I love them....now I really havent seen them eating any GHA, but they are a treat to watch and have lots of personality. mine havent messed with any of my coral, but they do like to chip off pieces of the live rock and then chew on them....very odd, but I've watched them do it many a times. One of mine actually has taken a likeing to one of my largest ricordias, and he lifts it up each night and crawls underneath using the ric as a blanket! Suprisingly it hasnt upset the ric at all. They really are extremely personable. My favorite stocking purchase so far. Even when he was in the drip bag he would raise his claws at me when I came near. Too cool. He's been hiding since then; probably getting over the trauma of being moved. He made it to the LFS yesterday so he's been tank swapped twice since then and I'd imagine he'll take a moment to adapt to his new home. If he doesn't go for the GHA I'm in trouble! It's an all-you-can-eat buffet in there. Link to comment
.Newman. Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 give him time, it took mine a while to get over to the GHA i had in my pico. i forget his first choice of food...I think it was coralline lol. Link to comment
alfiefive Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 give him time, it took mine a while to get over to the GHA i had in my pico. i forget his first choice of food...I think it was coralline lol. Go figure. Link to comment
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