msscha Posted July 2, 2012 Author Share Posted July 2, 2012 The tank looks great. Glad the shrimp has reappeared and those sexies are just too cute. I have xenia growing out of a zoa colony, it doesn't seem to bother them too much but i'm going to get rid of it at some point because i know it'll take over. Not sure how i'll get it out without cutting up some zoas but i'll give it a go. Get a ywg and tell me how cute they are, i really want one! Not sure if one would do well with my 3 idiot fish though. Thank you! And I think you're right about the xenia -- the zoas do not seem bothered by it at all. Aesthetically, I don't think it's the best spot. As for spreading, this clump has been this size for months, so I don't know if it will every get bigger! I am uncertain about the YWG. LiveAquaria states they should have a min 30 gal system to be really happy. Right now, I want to see if the inverts make it. I am really disappointed about the skunk! Besides being really expensive, I liked both the color and personality. Quote Link to comment
msscha Posted July 3, 2012 Author Share Posted July 3, 2012 (edited) That new peppermint has got to be the shyest thing I've ever put into the tank. It poked its head out just after feeding this morning, but has since disappeared again--definitely needs to be called Priss. There is no sign of the skunk -- I am really disappointed about that. (in addition to being a bit ticked off b/c it was pricey). The sexies are still doing well, and seemed to have settled on the duncan as a host. The head they hang out on doesn't seem particularly pleased by this, but I don't see signs that they are actually eating it. Toward the afternoon, one will get on the algae-covered red grape caulerpa and munch. I assume its the EAM thing again! It's so cute b/c it looks like it is riding a bucking horse. Not on the red grape -- just hanging out at home! Edited July 3, 2012 by msscha Quote Link to comment
RedStang Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Been a while since I've been on so had a bunch of reading to do. Sorry about the skunk. I love mine and he pops all around the tank cleaning any fish that will let him. My yellow watchman goby even got far enough away from the pistol shrimp to get a cleaning. Quote Link to comment
msscha Posted July 3, 2012 Author Share Posted July 3, 2012 ...Sorry about the skunk. I love mine and he pops all around the tank cleaning any fish that will let him. My yellow watchman goby even got far enough away from the pistol shrimp to get a cleaning. Yeah, this is why I don't think he's just in hiding post-molting. The first 3 days I had it, it was out and about, and would even clean my hand if I put it in the water. I'd just had my water tested, so I really don't know what happened. I'd like to try another one, but I am feeling shy of putting down another $30 on it! Quote Link to comment
msscha Posted July 5, 2012 Author Share Posted July 5, 2012 R.I.P. Ginger 20 years old (at least -- I lost track about 5 years ago), beautiful and grumpy to the end. Laid herself out peacefully beneath an oak tree. Buried in the garden next to the pond, at the foot of a milkweed plant (asclepias). Quote Link to comment
phoenix91 Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Sorry for your loss, she was a beautiful cat. Quote Link to comment
msscha Posted July 5, 2012 Author Share Posted July 5, 2012 Sorry for your loss, she was a beautiful cat. Thank you, Vicki. She had a long, peaceful life, and had been an "old" cat for a while now, so it was time. Kind of marks the end of a personal era for me as she was the last living element of my premarried life . Quote Link to comment
msscha Posted July 5, 2012 Author Share Posted July 5, 2012 (edited) Just did WC -- am tired of seeing micro-debris floating around. Put the oceanic carbon filter back in since that seemed to help. Ordered the TOM scraper multi-tool since none of the stuff I jerry-rigged worked (did have fun destroying things, though!). Moved blasto to front clump of tube coral (which is mostly dead) next to the other one. I think it will be happier there since the trimma isn't always sitting on it. Priss came out for a while, but I miss the skunk. Will pick up at least one more sexy and give the skunk another try next week, providing my paycheck comes through correctly. The ricordea seem to be doing particularly well -- I wonder if they'll ever actually split??!! The colors are brighter, they are open wide, most have two mouths, but none have ever split. I have some little tiny red bugs down at the bottom of the tank at the sand's edge. And something was just re-arranging the sand a bit, too -- I used the 10X mag with the 4X mag and saw what might have been a little pistol or a good size pod of some kind. Or maybe it is a worm of some kind -- whatever it is is using two "legs" to pull individual grains of sand for cleaning. Welcome, O Mystery CUC! [Update: that was no worm! I caught a glimpse just at the surface -- looks much more like a bleached beetle than a pod or shrimp -- maybe a chiton?] The BC tank fans are acting up again. I have no idea why. They've been quiet for months. It is really annoying!! Some random pics Cool Red Tunicate Favia, up close and personal Mirror Acans Edited July 5, 2012 by msscha Quote Link to comment
phoenix91 Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Does the mystery cuc have plate like things on it's back? if so, that's probably a chiton (lucky you!) That's the one thing i didn't like about the BC, the noisy fans. What do you feed your acans? mine seem to have just stopped growing, it lost 1 head, i think due to too high lighting when i first got it but now it's just sort of sitting there not really doing much. The war coral is going nuts and looks to have about 6 new mouths. Your shrimp buying encouraged me to go get one. I was looking for either some sexies or a peppermint but ended up with a cleaner. Got it for a steal too since i traded in some small frags. Quote Link to comment
msscha Posted July 9, 2012 Author Share Posted July 9, 2012 Does the mystery cuc have plate like things on it's back? if so, that's probably a chiton (lucky you!) Yes, I think it did. If chitons are good, then I'm glad. What do you feed your acans? mine seem to have just stopped growing, it lost 1 head, i think due to too high lighting when i first got it but now it's just sort of sitting there not really doing much. The war coral is going nuts and looks to have about 6 new mouths. I have been supplementing with some zooplankton by Brightwell once a week, but otherwise, nothing. They have zooanthellae (or whatever the spelling is), so should be fine on just light and whatever is in the tank. However, my first one which grew like gangbusters for months has stopped growing and looks sad. The major thing to have changed is that I ran out of Marine Fusion and no one is currently stocking it. It was a mix with "something for everything" in the tank and that is what I fed. I may get some flakes, just to add whatever it had back into the mix. Your shrimp buying encouraged me to go get one. I was looking for either some sexies or a peppermint but ended up with a cleaner. Got it for a steal too since i traded in some small frags. Well, I hope yours lasts!! I'll look into getting another next week. This week is crazy busy !! Quote Link to comment
metrokat Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 I'm sorry to hear of your cat. Hugs. Quote Link to comment
msscha Posted July 10, 2012 Author Share Posted July 10, 2012 I'm sorry to hear of your cat. Hugs. Thank you. Quote Link to comment
msscha Posted July 10, 2012 Author Share Posted July 10, 2012 Just cleaned the glass with my new scraper, and happy to say it got most of it off. Still need to get a smaller blade attachment to get into the corners. Maybe I'll just grab a razor blade myself. All critters are still accounted for, and Priss is coming out of hiding more often. The sexies appear to be eating my duncan...not happy about this at all. I don't care if they eat the zoas (especially after reading an article by Shimek on palytoxin!), but I do really like the duncans and do not wish to sacrifice them to the shrimp. They get fed every day except on the weekends, and Monday is when I noticed a neat line of polyp missing from two heads. I left my camera in the car, or I'd post a picture and get some expert feedback! Quote Link to comment
msscha Posted July 11, 2012 Author Share Posted July 11, 2012 Just not sure my water quality is all that great, despite what the tests are coming out to read. If I have no measurable nitrate, phosphate, then why do I have cyano and new algae everywhere? Clearly, there's a nutrient source. So...I am going to take out some of the bioballs and add Seachem's Matrix biofilter support media to boost the cleaning power of the tank. Everything seems okay except for the purple-pink acan and the little yellow sponge, but I still want to increase the filter media. The oceanic filter is helping with the detritus, but I'm not convinced the purigen is still doing much of anything. Quote Link to comment
Old Gregg Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Aww poor little kitty From what I've observed in my tank is that the cyano grows on areas that collect detritus, not necessarily from bad water quality. Maybe that's why people say to increase water circulation when you see it forming. That would also explain your good water readings. The cyano is eating the larger particles before they break down. Do you have filter floss or anything similar in there? That'd help out in the long run for sure When my power was out for a few days I took out my filter floss (I forget my reasoning at the time lol) and within that time cyano started growing on the glass and back walls of my tank. I scraped it all off and caught it with my fish net when it was floating around Quote Link to comment
Rrudo74901 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 I have been battling cyano for about 2 and 1/2 months now and water quality and all parameters are in range. All livestock are thriving. Went away on vacation for a week and only had the sitter feed once in 7 days. When I came home, no more cyano. I still have some green algae, but now my chaeto is growing better as well. I was feeding either, reef keepers filter formula, frozen mysis or pellets every other day. The reef keeper filter food has really help the coral grow so I was using it primarily. I'm backing off to once every 3 days. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment
msscha Posted July 13, 2012 Author Share Posted July 13, 2012 (edited) Thanks very much for the thoughts. Actually, where the cyano is currently located could very well be a place where detritus is collecting -- it's also a site where algae had started growing. Hmm. I am out of town for the weekend, so assuming the sexies don't eat all my coral while I'm gone, I'll have to think about re-arranging flow. And I do feed quite a bit -- it's why I increased my water changes from 1 to 2 gallons. That one I struggle with...the clown just looks so pathetic, it's hard not to feed her at least once a day! Edited July 13, 2012 by msscha Quote Link to comment
Rrudo74901 Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I agree entirely. Everytime I walk past my tank I want to feed the fish. It's just not practical or healthy for the tank. Quote Link to comment
Old Gregg Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 (edited) Feed moar! Need moar! Make super clown! Super Clown Below Edited July 15, 2012 by Old Gregg Quote Link to comment
msscha Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 Feed moar! Need moar! Make super clown! Super Clown Below eeewwww! Quote Link to comment
msscha Posted July 16, 2012 Author Share Posted July 16, 2012 (edited) I took a long weekend and feared what this morning might bring...but everyone is still here, corals are looking great, and my sick acan is beginning to recover! The only changes I made were to remove the phosphate remover filter bag since my levels were at "0" and take out about a 1/4 of the bioballs which were replaced with a small jar of seachem filter media (little gray porous rock looking things). I am hoping that increases the beneficial bacteria load. The chaeto seems to be doing well, though there is a green leaf of something I didn't order that may need to be removed. I don't want caulerpa right now. My slime bed of cyano has gotten bigger and is now annoying the micromussa. I do believe it is time to peroxide that piece of rock. The mussa is not glued down, and the only other coral on that rock is a big pink mushroom, so collateral damage should be minimal. There are a couple of mollusks that I believe are still alive and some filter feeders, though...I hope it isn't too bad. Acan rock is also beginning to get some very nice coralline algae. Started green, but is now turning red/salmon. Woo hoo ! Update: a couple of hours later -- was just doing some magnifying-glass enhanced tank gazing and spotted what seems to be two tiny scallops! I didn't bring my camera again -- I'll try to get a picture tomorrow. Edited July 16, 2012 by msscha Quote Link to comment
ScubaEthan Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Scallops?! Can't wait to see those. My magnifying glass is my favorite tank accessory haha. I've gone back several pages to catch up some. I've miss your thought provoking posts! The tank is look amaazing. Where did you get your rock in the beginning? Everytime I stop by your thread I'm amazing at how much it on it. Poster child for LIVE rock. I'm usually not a fan of favia but those are really nice. You have three species of shrimp in your tank? I'm going to take some sort of hiatus from the hobby here soon so if you are interested in any of my stuff. Just let me know! It would be easy shipping since we're close. I'm sorry about your cat rest in peace. Quote Link to comment
msscha Posted July 17, 2012 Author Share Posted July 17, 2012 Thank you, Ethan. Currently, I have only two species of shrimp in the tank as the skunk cleaner died 3 days after I bought it. The sexies and peppermint are doing well, so that is enough for now. For the time being, I am not adding anything to the tank. I am struggling with water quality (as evidence by the re-appearance of cyanobacteria), but not sure of the source of the problem. So, I will keep things as is for the time being. Good luck with your moving adventure! I'll look forward to finding out where you land . A few pictures to support my procrastination habit! Hitchhiker brain coral -- at least, that is what the LFS says it is. Sexy up close Red Acan Encrusting colors -- I love the colors here, though the picture doesn't capture it well enough Reflecting Acans (I may have posted this earlier) Quote Link to comment
ScubaEthan Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 That hitchhiker brain coral, or whatever it is, is really neat! I love all the encrusting colors and sponges and... tunicates? Hope you can get that cyano out! Quote Link to comment
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