Revamping My 40B (5 year old tank)

[phoenix91]

Cyril squamosa still doesn't look to brilliant, I thought he looked like he was perking up some yesterday but was mostly closed today. In a last ditch effort to save his life he has been transferred into the 20g; he'll just have to learn to deal with majanos and bubble algae and flatworms. I'm skipping the ac on that tank tonight and doing an extra large one on the 40, there's something not right in this tank. I came home to the pissed off clam and my aspera had completely rtn-ed. It's completely gone which kind of sucks because it was doing so well and was so pretty. I can get another piece from the guy I got it from but that not the point. Everything else looks mad so something's not right.

[phoenix91]

So the tank had an episode of RTN today; lost the aspera, a small frag of millipora, and possibly the pokerstar monti. I have no clue what's going on. I tested everything yesterday and it was all fine. The only thing I didn't manage to test for was ca because the kit ran it half way though the test. I rechecked salinity and alk (my main suspects) and they are normal.

 

I did a 10 g WC and I think I'll put more water on tomorrow to do another change in a few days.

 

I'm frustrated and annoyed.

 

[gena]

Ugh...sorry to hear .

[phoenix91]

Thanks Gena. I think it was a light issue, too high maybe. I've put more eggcrate over the tank.

 

One of the local reefers I've bought from before hs generously offered to donate a few small pieces once the tank stabilizes, people are so nice.

[GTi]

So the tank had an episode of RTN today; lost the aspera, a small frag of millipora, and possibly the pokerstar monti. I have no clue what's going on. I tested everything yesterday and it was all fine. The only thing I didn't manage to test for was ca because the kit ran it half way though the test. I rechecked salinity and alk (my main suspects) and they are normal. I did a 10 g WC and I think I'll put more water on tomorrow to do another change in a few days. I'm frustrated and annoyed.

Sorry to hear about this. I've just had some of the same issues so I know how it feels. I also ended up switching the frags over to another tank and most of them are doing better including the clam. I have been doing a downsizing and wanted to avoid transferring any pest over to the new set up - I had vermetid snails, ball tip anemones, harmless flat worms and asterinas. Nothing too bad but it was a good chance to start over. Good luck with the clam and corals.

[Giga]

Nice tank and thats a HUGE horse!

[phoenix91]

Sorry to hear about this. I've just had some of the same issues so I know how it feels. I also ended up switching the frags over to another tank and most of them are doing better including the clam. I have been doing a downsizing and wanted to avoid transferring any pest over to the new set up - I had vermetid snails, ball tip anemones, harmless flat worms and asterinas. Nothing too bad but it was a good chance to start over. Good luck with the clam and corals.

 

Sorry to hear about your issues as well, this hobby is trying sometimes. I've pulled the dead frags and put more of a filter up over the tank for the light. I'll just keep a close eye on it for a while and do regular testing to make sure everything's stabilizing. My 20g (old tank) has bristle worms, asterina, limpets, harmless but ugly flatworms, majanos and loads of green palys i can't get rid of. There's also still a huge devils hand in there and a blue damsel i can't catch for the life of me. The clam did look a bit more open this morning so maybe he likes all those pests, when i come to move him back i'm not entirely sure how i'll de-pest him since i don't think he'd do well in qt. Oh well, i'll come to that bridge when i get to it.

 

Luckily one of the local guys has said he will donate a few frags when the tank is stable again which is lovely of him; his tank is amazing and he has this huge frag system.

 

Nice tank and thats a HUGE horse!

 

Thank you! Yes, he's massive.

[GTi]

The clam did look a bit more open this morning so maybe he likes all those pests, when i come to move him back i'm not entirely sure how i'll de-pest him since i don't think he'd do well in qt. Oh well, i'll come to that bridge when i get to it.

That's a tricky one. I'm just going to give mine a light shell cleaning with a toothbrush in the holding tank, check for no obvious pests (especially pyramidal snails around the foot) and hope for the best!

[phoenix91]

That's a tricky one. I'm just going to give mine a light shell cleaning with a toothbrush in the holding tank, check for no obvious pests (especially pyramidal snails around the foot) and hope for the best!

 

I think that's what i'll do too. I haven't tested how clams react to flatworm exit and i'm not sure i'm willing too. If this clam survives it can stay in the 20 for a while, it's on a hanging frag rack away from bristle worms so i only really have to worry about majano which can be scraped off/killed with kalk paste and flatworms.

[jestep]

Have you tried a springer's damsel for the flatworms? All of mine readily eat them. My pico had thousands and it took less than 24 hours for the damsel to take out every one.

[phoenix91]

Have you tried a springer's damsel for the flatworms? All of mine readily eat them. My pico had thousands and it took less than 24 hours for the damsel to take out every one.

 

I have one, he doesn't touch them, he's stuck in the 20g with the flatworms because he's been tough to catch. I'm leaving him there until the whole tank transfer is complete. The flatworms are are in the 20g, i have a 3 g qt tank which i'm moving corals into, treating for flatworms etc and then after qt they're moving into the 40g. The 40 g is flatworm free at the minute.

[GTi]

I think that's what i'll do too. I haven't tested how clams react to flatworm exit and i'm not sure i'm willing too. If this clam survives it can stay in the 20 for a while, it's on a hanging frag rack away from bristle worms so i only really have to worry about majano which can be scraped off/killed with kalk paste and flatworms.

Zeph is the resident clam expert - he'll probably know if the flatworm exit is clam-safe. I use fit once before and all my micro brittle stars were stunned by it and the flatworms were just fine. I later ID'd them as the Australis variety and the FE isn't effective on that species.

[phoenix91]

Zeph is the resident clam expert - he'll probably know if the flatworm exit is clam-safe. I use fit once before and all my micro brittle stars were stunned by it and the flatworms were just fine. I later ID'd them as the Australis variety and the FE isn't effective on that species.

 

I actually asked him and he doesn't know, i'm not sure anyone has been brave enough to try it out just in case.

[GTi]

I actually asked him and he doesn't know, i'm not sure anyone has been brave enough to try it out just in case.

I read the Salifert website and it says it FWE is safe for inverts but I would be concerned too. I think I would just try a light brushing of the shell and rock before switching it over to your DT. Worst case scenario is you transfer some flatworms and have to decide whether to use the FWE or not. I got a 6 Line Wrasse and they are supposed to eat flatworms. I saw him pick at a few but he never seemed to make a dent in the population.

[phoenix91]

I might not have to worry about using FWE on the clam, it might not make it.

 

Goodbye forest fire digi, I barely got a chance to see how pretty you'd be. Another coral falls victim to the RTN

 

This thread has taken a sad turn so I'll cheer things up with a photo of my best and most handsome boy sporting the new bridle my tax return payed for

 

 

http://s156.photobucket.com/user/vickiwilson91/media/imagejpg1_zpscb5c9d89.jpg.html'>

 

[gena]

 

 

 

He's wonderful and I love his handsome new bridle .

[phoenix91]

He's wonderful and I love his handsome new bridle .

Thanks!

 

His wonderfully fat head is hard to fit a bridle to but I love him anyway

[gena]

Thanks!

 

His wonderfully fat head is hard to fit a bridle to but I love him anyway

His eyes look almost human to me..very expressive. And I love his bangs .

[phoenix91]

His eyes look almost human to me..very expressive. And I love his bangs .

 

He does have nice expressive eyes, and he knows just how to use them to look guilty and make me feel bad for him. His forelock is ridiculous, it never grows and gets rubbed mostly off in the summer by his flymask.

 

I much prefer how he looks above to how he sometimes looks (and how badly he sometimes behaves); he some times acts like he's auditioning for the rodeo

 

[phoenix91]

Okay, after much searching no testing and replacing things I might have figured out what happened in my tank. Tonight I bought new thermometers and the to, showed at 75/76 degrees, the old thermometer was showing 80. Luckily I bought 2 new ones so I've replaced the one in the 20g too. I might have to consider investing in a digital temp monitor or something; I had no idea thermometers could go bad.

 

The clam is still looking bad, not closed but the mantle is retracted. However, 1 day in the 20 g and the flesh inside is looking puffier, it's got more colour and bits of the mantle are starting to peak out. I really hope it can recover.

[phoenix91]

As if my luck wasn't bad enough my heater has also crapped out :/

 

I only bought it 2 months ago and to be honest i think it was defective when i got it and i should have returned it straight away. Now it won't stay on. I've managed to swap a few things round and pull out my trusty wc mixing heater (an incredibly old hydor theo meant for a small tank i'm sure, it doesn't turn off but i've popped it on a timer). I'll be going out first thing to pick up a new heater. The broken one is a eheim jager 125w, and it's the second jager that has broken for me so i'll be moving away from that brand i think.

 

I have to say though amazon has really gone above and beyond. I bought it through one of their vendors and the returns policy said i couldn't return it because i've had it too long and also used it, so i contacted them and explained the situation. Well i got an email back about 30 minutes after contacting them and the guy has sent me a return ticket and offered free one day shipping on the replacement one if i buy one. I'll return the defective one for a refund but won't use their very generous one day shipping offer.

 

Oh and i do think my clam is recovering, he's way more aware of movement and such than he was a few days ago, when i was fiddling with the heaters he kept opening and snapping shut every time i moved

[gena]

Great news about the clam!

 

Actually the whole situation just being heater/thermometer related is great news!!! That's so much easier to fix .

[GTi]

I got fed up with heaters being unreliable and also the size and style. I tried a Cobalt Neo Therm. Small and easy to place, indicate tank temp and set temp. A little more than a Jager but not by much (Amazon has a 100W for $42). Mine have kept to the set temperature well and I haven't had any problems in the relatively short time I have owned them.

[phoenix91]

Great news about the clam!Actually the whole situation just being heater/thermometer related is great news!!! That's so much easier to fix .

Luckily it's fairly warm here right now during the day and I've been in touch with amazon, they're going to send me out a new heater next day without any shipping charges, I should have it Monday. I've had to just go with the jäger again since I couldn't find a suitable one locally.

 

I got fed up with heaters being unreliable and also the size and style. I tried a Cobalt Neo Therm. Small and easy to place, indicate tank temp and set temp. A little more than a Jager but not by much (Amazon has a 100W for $42). Mine have kept to the set temperature well and I haven't had any problems in the relatively short time I have owned them.

To get the free shipping deal with amazon I had to go with the jäger but I will keep the cobalt in mind and might get one to have as a spare I case the new jäger craps out. Oddly enough I've found the top fin heaters to be very reliable in the past but went with a jäger because they look sleeker, I went looking for a top fin to replace it today but couldn't find one locally.

 

The tank is having an ammonia spike right now, I'm mixing 15 g to do another WC, I also changed out all the filters on my RODI system I case something has affected them. I've also removed all corals from the 40 b, some are in the 3 which now has a lovely 2 level rack system I created this afternoon and some went back into the 20, they'll just have to go through qt again later. I'm also selling the frogspawn and some of the monticap to make room, a guy will be here at some point tonight to pick them up. I tried to catch the fish but it proved too hard. The WC should help them, they don't appear stressed so that's good.

 

I had to cut off 2 branches of the Mille that had died and some of the pink birdsnest.

 

My dad was helping me change the filters and he listened to me bitch about the tank issues and he said 'is it really worth all this'? And honestly, I'm not sure it is.

[gena]

Luckily it's fairly warm here right now during the day and I've been in touch with amazon, they're going to send me out a new heater next day without any shipping charges, I should have it Monday. I've had to just go with the jäger again since I couldn't find a suitable one locally.

 

 

To get the free shipping deal with amazon I had to go with the jäger but I will keep the cobalt in mind and might get one to have as a spare I case the new jäger craps out. Oddly enough I've found the top fin heaters to be very reliable in the past but went with a jäger because they look sleeker, I went looking for a top fin to replace it today but couldn't find one locally.

 

The tank is having an ammonia spike right now, I'm mixing 15 g to do another WC, I also changed out all the filters on my RODI system I case something has affected them. I've also removed all corals from the 40 b, some are in the 3 which now has a lovely 2 level rack system I created this afternoon and some went back into the 20, they'll just have to go through qt again later. I'm also selling the frogspawn and some of the monticap to make room, a guy will be here at some point tonight to pick them up. I tried to catch the fish but it proved too hard. The WC should help them, they don't appear stressed so that's good.

 

I had to cut off 2 branches of the Mille that had died and some of the pink birdsnest.

 

My dad was helping me change the filters and he listened to me bitch about the tank issues and he said 'is it really worth all this'? And honestly, I'm not sure it is.

It will be worth it when you get everything worked out. Hang in there!!!!