Banshee's 14G BioCube

[banshee]

I don't think anything was wrong with the tank. I came back yesterday to everything happy and normal. I have a 25% WC ready for when I get home tonight. The b/w clown is fine and happy, the clown goby was even out and about for awhile. The pom pom crab came out to grab some pellets and the emeralds were picking around the rocks. All the snails and hermits are fine as is the cleaner shrimp. My only guess is that the o/w clown was not healthy for some reason. I'll check params again after the WC but I would bet money on them being fine. The only coral that didn't look happy was my xenia and I'm unsure whether an invert walked over it or it doesn't like its new spot. If it still looks unhappy when I get home I'll move it back to where it was before.

[gena]

Hope you had a nice weekend

 

I don't think anything is wrong with your params. Especially since everything else is great. It was just an unhealthy clowfish

[Jai1985]

I have to agree with Gena, everything else would look like crap if it were params.

[banshee]

I went ahead with the WC tonight and changed filter floss too. I scrubbed my media basket and vacuumed the sand as well. Tested the basic params and everything was zero. I'll test calcium and mag tomorrow when I have more time. B/W clown seems perfectly happy. She chased the siphon around the tank like it was some invader of territory just there to upset her day. The cleaner shrimp was all over it trying to grab everything I sucked up. The xenia is still closed so I decided to give it one more day before I move it. Everything else was open and happy... or at least not pissed I guess? Even the nem seems okay. The green clown goby has been out and about wandering the tank. He was hanging out on the return pump which worried me. I thought maybe it was an oxygenation issue but he didn't seem to be gasping. Shortly after he went back to his ledge/cave and hung out there but further out where I could actually see him. I assume he's just getting bolder. Five of 7 hermits were accounted for during the WC and all of the snails. Two snails seem to be stuck together though? Really weird. They are sucky-part to sucky-part with a big ball of sandy goo covering them. I tried to siphon it off but it wouldn't let go. They were still kind of moving so I left them alone. If they aren't seperated by morning I'll have to force them apart or toss them. It definitely didn't look right. Saw both emeralds picking away at anything and everything. Didn't see the pom pom but that's not new and he was out yesterday so I'm not worried yet. I feel paranoid now. I just want to sit and watch my tank and see if I can figure out what's 'wrong'. I'd feel a lot better if the xenia would open again. Hopefully it just doesn't like its new spot.

 

Alright, I'm just paranoid ranting now. I'll quit and try to sleep, I swear!

[Jai1985]

If there was nothing wrong with params. Then it had to have been the fish. I really don't think you have anything to worry about.

[gena]

The snail thing sounds really weird Maybe they are making babies!!!!!

[FlCandy]

The snail thing sounds really weird Maybe they are making babies!!!!!

 

 

+1

 

Just watch your healthy fish as you never know what that little sick guy had. Sorry for your loss girl.

[banshee]

Everything is still fine this morning. The xenia is the only thing still pissed so I'll move it when I get home. I think I'm going to switch the location of the brain with the mushroom rock and then move the xenia to the other side. My frogspawn and macros should be here this week so now I'm really excited!

[banshee]

I went ahead and switched the brain with the mushroom rock. Then I moved the Xenia to the other side. It's still all closed up and bent over on itself. I hope it perks up soon. I'm starting to worry now.

[FlCandy]

I went ahead and switched the brain with the mushroom rock. Then I moved the Xenia to the other side. It's still all closed up and bent over on itself. I hope it perks up soon. I'm starting to worry now.

 

It either loves or hates tanks. I have heard the same thing happening with GSP.

[gena]

I went ahead and switched the brain with the mushroom rock. Then I moved the Xenia to the other side. It's still all closed up and bent over on itself. I hope it perks up soon. I'm starting to worry now.

You could possibly take it as a compliment....your tank is too clean

 

Not that I know what could be bothering it, but supposedly they like dirty!

 

Try not to worry

[Quantum]

How do you like the Koralia 425? I just ordered it and want to hear a reefer comment on it.

 

 

btw, sweet tank; cool build; good luck

[Jai1985]

Gena, insightful and probably right :-)

[louy99]

whats your salinity at? you are doing water top offs with fresh ro water and not salted right?

[banshee]

Gena - I've heard that too. Maybe I'll hold off the next water change a few extra days.

 

Quantum - Thanks! I like it. I'm actually starting to wish for more flow though. I think an MP10 might be in my future.

 

louy - 1.025 always. If I top off I do it with fresh RO/DI but since I do water changes 2-3 times per week and have the stock lid I usually don't have to top off between changes.

[Jai1985]

I think you might be changing your water too much. I change mine only once every two weeks, although I have a very low Bio load. You might be giving yourself mini cycles from all the water changes. Jmho I would wait a week to a week and a half and see how things go before doing another water change. I would also see about getting some more ventilation going on so you will get better gas exchange if your not having to top off anything.

[banshee]

I usually prop the feeding lid during the day to help with ventilation. I don't get enough evap to make top offs necessary. I usually over-fill during water changes so it ends up perfect before the next WC. I'm going to take it down to weekend water changes and see what happens. I don't think I'm having mini cycles though. My params are always perfect and I test every 2-3 days now. I think it really might be too clean since I tend to get OCD when I see any kind of junk on the sandbed or rocks. I fed mysis shrimp last night and I would usually do a WC today to get the leftovers out but I think I'll wait it out and see if things perk up with slightly dirty water. The good news is the brain looks even better in its new spot. The bad news is I ended up with more runaway mushies after moving their rock. I kind of hope they'll all just take off and find a home and then I'll remove that rock completely.

[Jai1985]

Lol @ the mushies :-)

[louy99]

I usually prop the feeding lid during the day to help with ventilation. I don't get enough evap to make top offs necessary. I usually over-fill during water changes so it ends up perfect before the next WC. I'm going to take it down to weekend water changes and see what happens. I don't think I'm having mini cycles though. My params are always perfect and I test every 2-3 days now. I think it really might be too clean since I tend to get OCD when I see any kind of junk on the sandbed or rocks. I fed mysis shrimp last night and I would usually do a WC today to get the leftovers out but I think I'll wait it out and see if things perk up with slightly dirty water. The good news is the brain looks even better in its new spot. The bad news is I ended up with more runaway mushies after moving their rock. I kind of hope they'll all just take off and find a home and then I'll remove that rock completely.

 

Yeah, slow down on those water changes. 2 gallon change once a week should be enough.

[TeflonTomDosh]

So..I know you had/have an emerald crab in your biocube at some point. Did you ever have an issue with it trying to chomp on your snails or hermits or anything? I don't have any hermits but just added a turbo snail & emerald crab to help with this algae (gha) and the turbo would of been enough, he already cleaned off the rock it was starting to bloom on, in an hour! But I saw the emerald drag one of my snails under the rock work to have his way with him, I promptly rescued him and now he's cleaning the glass. Just curious if you or anyone else has had these issues? Maybe if it continues I'll put the emmy up for adoption, or spot feed him shrimp or something. let me know! thanks!

[banshee]

I have two emeralds. I got them because a coral I bought had bubble algae. They cleared that up in about a day. Now they eat the pellets that make it to the bottom and I feed a half cube of frozen mysis 1-2 times per week. I am missing a hermit but I'm not sure if it was the emeralds or it just died or maybe it even moved shells and is in hiding. All snails are still accounted for. I'm thinking I may move the emeralds to my pico when it's ready.

[TeflonTomDosh]

I have two emeralds. I got them because a coral I bought had bubble algae. They cleared that up in about a day. Now they eat the pellets that make it to the bottom and I feed a half cube of frozen mysis 1-2 times per week. I am missing a hermit but I'm not sure if it was the emeralds or it just died or maybe it even moved shells and is in hiding. All snails are still accounted for. I'm thinking I may move the emeralds to my pico when it's ready.

 

Yeah, guess I'm going through buyers remorse. Not sure if I even need it in there, as I have no bubble algae, had some gha but that turbo snail knocked that out real quick. Guess I'll give him a few days and see how things go and if ok I'll just spot feed him occasionally.

[TeflonTomDosh]

Yeah, guess I'm going through buyers remorse. Not sure if I even need it in there, as I have no bubble algae, had some gha but that turbo snail knocked that out real quick. Guess I'll give him a few days and see how things go and if ok I'll just spot feed him occasionally.

 

Anyways, after I posted that last reply, I looked in the tank and that crab was sitting right below the spot where my clown hangs out @ night, claws wide open like he was ready to pounce. No thanks, took his happy lil a$$ back to the LFS and got me a few small hermits. I'll sleep well tonight

[FlCandy]

Anyways, after I posted that last reply, I looked in the tank and that crab was sitting right below the spot where my clown hangs out @ night, claws wide open like he was ready to pounce. No thanks, took his happy lil a$$ back to the LFS and got me a few small hermits. I'll sleep well tonight

 

 

Evil little bugger!

[banshee]

Anyways, after I posted that last reply, I looked in the tank and that crab was sitting right below the spot where my clown hangs out @ night, claws wide open like he was ready to pounce. No thanks, took his happy lil a$$ back to the LFS and got me a few small hermits. I'll sleep well tonight

 

Mine do that. They are on the defensive. They'll grab at the glass scraper, my gloved hand, or anything else that comes near them. The fish and inverts have learned to steer clear. I still don't really like them but at least I'll never have bubble algae.