My Walmart Paint-by-Numbers Pico

[Cintax]

In the past I have used a knife to actually cut away rock under the hold fast. I have also used Hydrogen Peroxide with success.

[pbjelly]

I tried a 50% hydrogen peroxide dip to try and get rid of the bubble algae but so far it looks like all I've killed are the new blue clove polyps. I did try to keep that part of the rock out of the solution, but I guess I wasn't that successful.

I dropped a full 100% solution directly onto some of the bubbles, but it looks like they are a hardy strain. I'm going to try again in a couple of days, but for those of you keeping score, the record stands at: Bubble Algae 100/PBJelly 0

[metrokat]

i used a new sharp blade and carefully cut each bubble off a frag i had. then i dipped it in coral RX. haven't seen them again.

[Cintax]

As long as you get under the holdfast you can get rid of them with a knife. Of course this might not always work because I had a big problem with red bubble algae on a few of my rocks. No matter what I did it would come back. Eventually I removed all the rocks with bubble algae from my tank and put them outside for the winter. They look pretty dead now but at least the algae is gone. I'll likely clean and boil them in the spring and store them someplace in case I need them again.

 

That being said H2O2 and cutting them off the rock helped a lot.

[pbjelly]

 

Lots of stuff going on with this tank. First off - I tried the hydrogen peroxide route to rid myself of the pesky green bubble algae - and it does work - although in my case I had some issues...

 

The bubbles I treated did die off - although it took about two weeks for the bubbles to lose their color and then finally fade away. The problem is the H2O2 kills other things much more effectively, so I had a hard time treating all of the places that had bubbles in ways that didn't kill all of my coral,

 

So, I got myself a little Emerald Crab. He really is tiny - it's just that these tanks are so small - he seems huge.

 

 

I was worried that he would have an issue with my resident 'invisible' HH crab - but that one really NEVER comes out.

 

 

Notice the bubble algae right behind him? Still there when he finished off everything else on the rock. I somehow managed to get an Emerald Crab who does NOT eat bubble algae.

He is cute though...

 

 

He made his home under the coral shard about one inch away from the other crab's house. No issues between them, but I did end up trying to pick off all of the remaining bubble algae manually. It probably won't work, which is sad because it means I have to make a hard choice in the future about whether or not to put the coral from this pico into my nano or not.

 

Right now it's still cold in NYC, but I'm not sure what I'll do when it starts getting really hot. I'll be facing a temperature and evaporation issue with both tanks and I don't know that I can manage them effectively through the summer. We'll have to see.

 

I do like how this tank is turning out, even though the stock light is sadly weak. My little bitty frags are filling in and spreading nicely. I split the Briarium so it can cover more of the rock and I added a tiny little piece of GSP a while ago that's doing crazy well. Everything else is a bit gangly as it reaches toward the light, but they do look a bit like trees and bushes. Even the little calcium growths on the back wall kind of add to the illusion of a starry sky. I think Bob would like it even though the color palette is a bit more pastel than he would recommend.

 

 

Happy Pico-ing and Bob Bless.

[metrokat]

Updates! yay.

[pbjelly]

I know. I'm tardy and should have my knuckles rapped...

[metrokat]

Join me for lunch in 2 weeks, I will do it for ya.

[pbjelly]

If I buy you a drink can I skip the smack?

[pbjelly]

 

Huge Spaghetti worm!!

 

It can reach every corner of the tank and has about ten arms now (shiver...)

 

I'm seriously considering adding an LED to this poor tank. I took this pic using the light from my nano fuge light and I swear I could see the corals bending toward the light in desperation.

 

I'm in a quandry about the summer heat. I can leave both my tanks where they are - which is the living room, get fans (for both), ATOs (for both), and probably a controller to deal with the temperature issue. I could move both tanks to my study/guest room (very small) and run the A/C all summer to cool the whole room, or I could gracefully bow out, add the corals from the Bob Ross Pico to the nano and hook the nano up to the used chiller I got last fall.

 

At any rate, as they say at the bar - I don't care where you go, but you can't stay here.

 

Last call is coming as the temperature rises...

[pbjelly]

The Emerald Crab is eating all of my macros and none of my bubble algae

[metrokat]

If I buy you a drink can I skip the smack?

Hmmm, I'll consider it.

 

The Emerald Crab is eating all of my macros and none of my bubble algae

I have a little stick I beat all my tank inhabitants with especially Dingbat the crab.

[iprayforwaves]

OMG! Bob Ross is GOD! LOL, I used to have a T-shirt with that on it. Nice concept!

[pbjelly]

I have a little stick I beat all my tank inhabitants with especially Dingbat the crab.

Do chopsticks count? I watched the Emerald go to town on my nice Blue Ochtodes. He just mowed down a huge section in about ten minutes.

I may have to move the little bugger to the nano.

I don't know why I cling to the fantasy that he'll somehow randomly decide to eat the bubble algae - he's OBVIOUSLY NOT INTERESTED. AAARGH!

 

OMG! Bob Ross is GOD! LOL, I used to have a T-shirt with that on it. Nice concept!

Thanks! As Mr. Ross would (probably) say if he had an aquarium - Happy Pico-ing, and Bob bless!

[pbjelly]

Tank hit 84 degrees today.

[metrokat]

[banshee]

Watch out! My tank hit 86 and went to crap after that. As for your emeralds, they suck! My 2 moved to my pico after they ate $30 worth of macros in under 24 hours.

[pbjelly]

 

The Mystery Crab molted. This is the only time I ever get a chance to see what this crab looks like - I have literally NEVER seen him leave his little rock hole.

 

 

On another crabby note, the emerald actually DID clean off all of the green bubble algae on the frag I bought for the nano! I have to check around in the pico, but I think maybe he started earning his keep.

 

So far, these two have been coexisting without a problem, but I wish I could be sure that if I put them in the nano together that they won't cause trouble. It's a pipe dream, and I will probably regret it, but I can't get that #%%^@# little HH crab out of that rock, so I guess he's moving too.

 

Onto the more serious stuff. I think the end of the month will see the end of this tank. It's getting too hot, and I just can't see adding another fan plus another ato to my tangle of electric cords in an attempt to keep this tank cool. I'd rather simplify and lose the four cords and plugs and two power strips and move all the livestock to a more stable atmosphere.

 

In winter, in my apartment, two tanks were manageable. In summer, they are turning out to be exponentially more complicated.

[pbjelly]

My Walmart Pico.

 

I know we weren't supposed to add anything after April, but I thought I could get an exemption for icecubes.

I also thought there would be a May FTS/FES thread, but since there isn't an official one, I'll post this month's FTS/FES here.

 

 

 

It was like one of those "How do you know..." jokes.

 

You know you've got a pico when... you don't buy a chiller, you just pick it up and carry it onto another room because the room it's in is too hot.

(The light's on backwards because the cord won't quite reach the outlet in the new location.. I need to fix that...)

 

On a happier note - this is why I love the pulsing Xenia clouds.

 

 

Happy picoing, and Bob bless.