My Rockin' Flower Garden!

[Dryland]

I like your tank. I'm jealous of all those rock flowers! Have you had much luck propagating them? Following.

[FlowerMama]

I like your tank. I'm jealous of all those rock flowers! Have you had much luck propagating them? Following.

 

I just witnessed a spawn right before I moved them from my 34g to this one. Time will tell. We'll see. One thing I'm having trouble with is cyano. I did the Dr. Tim's half dose of Waste Away but I'm going to do another half dose tomorrow after a large water change. Then the weekend after that I'll be getting a reactor. I feed each flower by hand but I think because it's a new system it doesn't take much for nutrients and light to come together to make the lovely shade of red/purple cyano. I feed ever other day or every 2 days because of the cyano when you're supposed to feed daily if you want regular spawning. How do people keep the cyano at bay and feed daily???

[Tamberav]

I just witnessed a spawn right before I moved them from my 34g to this one. Time will tell. We'll see. One thing I'm having trouble with is cyano. I did the Dr. Tim's half dose of Waste Away but I'm going to do another half dose tomorrow after a large water change. Then the weekend after that I'll be getting a reactor. I feed each flower by hand but I think because it's a new system it doesn't take much for nutrients and light to come together to make the lovely shade of red/purple cyano. I feed ever other day or every 2 days because of the cyano when you're supposed to feed daily if you want regular spawning. How do people keep the cyano at bay and feed daily???

 

I overfeed my macro tank like on an insane level.. no problems what so ever so I guess it must be the macro that keeps it in line as I don't use a PO4 remover. Do you have a fuge going? Cactus calperla wouldn't look too shabby in your sand bed though. Otherwise a reactor should do the trick.

 

I do also run biopellets but that mostly effects Nitrate.

 

Have you gotten a florida conch yet? I think the best bet with cyano is hit it hard with as many things as possible. Sand stirrers, PO4 control, chemi clean, siphon it out, ect.

[gena]

 

I just witnessed a spawn right before I moved them from my 34g to this one. Time will tell. We'll see. One thing I'm having trouble with is cyano. I did the Dr. Tim's half dose of Waste Away but I'm going to do another half dose tomorrow after a large water change. Then the weekend after that I'll be getting a reactor. I feed each flower by hand but I think because it's a new system it doesn't take much for nutrients and light to come together to make the lovely shade of red/purple cyano. I feed ever other day or every 2 days because of the cyano when you're supposed to feed daily if you want regular spawning. How do people keep the cyano at bay and feed daily???

I had a little cyano in the big tank so I just started doing two water changes a week and changing my reactor media weekly. It's gone away. I feed daily too.

 

In the little tank I think it was just a new tank syndrome thing. It too has gone away. You'll get past this cyano soon. Just keep up with your water changes and media maintenance. It's just a phase .

[famousdan314]

You may also try increasing water flow slightly, along with all the other good suggestions people have made. I know it's difficult with nems to play with flow but heard this helps as well to cut back on cyano. You could also keep lights off for one day or half a day once a week to slow down the spread.

[FlowerMama]

Flow is high right now. I last fed 2 days ago, haven't again because at the time of the pic it looked good, today it's all red & purple again. I"m going to try to get in a good water change tomorrow after I remove some cyano and use the half dose again of the Time's waste away. I'm going out for town then from Tues- Fri. I have to take my Tunze pump from my 34 and put it in this tank because it went to low and now I can't get it going again and I've shook it and it still won't start . I'm done w/ Tunze. I"ll go w/ a Smart ATO on the next one I buy for this tank. Unfortunately I let it go too low and the unit turns off after a bit but they shouldn't just stop when you have it filled up again.

 

Right now I have the water at it's highest at 40 White, 60 blue.

 

I overfeed my macro tank like on an insane level.. no problems what so ever so I guess it must be the macro that keeps it in line as I don't use a PO4 remover. Do you have a fuge going? Cactus calperla wouldn't look too shabby in your sand bed though. Otherwise a reactor should do the trick.

 

I do also run biopellets but that mostly effects Nitrate.

 

Have you gotten a florida conch yet? I think the best bet with cyano is hit it hard with as many things as possible. Sand stirrers, PO4 control, chemi clean, siphon it out, ect.

 

I will have to get a Florida Conch. I worry about him not having enough to eat because I hand feed the flowers so I don't have food floating around. Guess I'll just hand feed him too.

I had a little cyano in the big tank so I just started doing two water changes a week and changing my reactor media weekly. It's gone away. I feed daily too.

In the little tank I think it was just a new tank syndrome thing. It too has gone away. You'll get past this cyano soon. Just keep up with your water changes and media maintenance. It's just a phase .

 

I do have to up my water changes, It's hard to know when to do one because 4-5 days in the TIm's Waste away works it's best it seems. I have no nitrates in the tank at all, thanks to the skimmer.

[jedimasterben]

I will have to get a Florida Conch. I worry about him not having enough to eat because I hand feed the flowers so I don't have food floating around. Guess I'll just hand feed him too.

They aren't detrivores, they are algaevores. Just so you know

[FlowerMama]

They aren't detrivores, they are algaevores. Just so you know

 

Hope they like cyano. Right now it seems to be the algae of choice in my tank. Tomorrow morning is water change time and then more Dr. Tim's. I FINALLY was able to move the rainbow nem. It had detached from the rock in the 34 and was stuck to the glass but you couldn't tell, just a couple days ago it was still attached to the rock. Can't wait til it gets huge in the 60!!! Now I still have to get the gold one moved. Then I'll have 3 left in the 34 but I'll leave them in there, they aren't as pretty.

[jedimasterben]

Hope they like cyano. Right now it seems to be the algae of choice in my tank.

Cyanobacteria is not an algae. Conchs (and specifically Strombus alatus) eat film algaes and semi-complex hair algaes. They don't do a thing for cyano, despite what you might find that says otherwise around the net.

[FlowerMama]

Cyanobacteria is not an algae. Conchs (and specifically Strombus alatus) eat film algaes and semi-complex hair algaes. They don't do a thing for cyano, despite what you might find that says otherwise around the net.

 

Thanks for clarifying.

[Tamberav]

Ya, I didn't mean to make it sound like it would eat the cyano. I just meant to mention it as a sand stirrer because he does a good job shoving mine all over. I don't have any visible algae in my tank but my conch has been in there for a year now so he is eating something.

[jedimasterben]

Really, they aren't all that great at sand stirring, either, as most of their time is spent above the sand looking for food. My hawkwing conch (which is even larger than S. alatus) didn't do anything for my cyano, the only thing that did was manually siphoning the entire sandbed with a gravel vac into a 1 micron filter sock. I saw immediate results from that, while everything else (increased skimming, large amounts of phosguard) did nothing over the course of a couple of months.

[Tamberav]

Really, they aren't all that great at sand stirring, either, as most of their time is spent above the sand looking for food. My hawkwing conch (which is even larger than S. alatus) didn't do anything for my cyano, the only thing that did was manually siphoning the entire sandbed with a gravel vac into a 1 micron filter sock. I saw immediate results from that, while everything else (increased skimming, large amounts of phosguard) did nothing over the course of a couple of months.

 

Tell that to mine. He is always partially under the sand leaving ditches everywhere.

[danschargers21]

Looks great, great idea with the tank.

[Wendy]

Hey Annette, I was away for a lil' bit... took a few days last week to read this whole thread. I tried to get on NR to comment, but I had forgotten my password Finally remembered it this week...

 

I just have to tell you how impressed I am of this tank & to know that you did most all of it all by yourself... You're AWESOME!!!

 

Hang in there! These cyano issues shall pass, hopefully sooner than later

[FlowerMama]

Looks great, great idea with the tank.

 

thank you. I'm loving the tank and its inhabitants. Tomorrow I do a feeding and then water change. I was at the beach for 4 days and then out of the house since Sat midday, have to catch up and take care of everybody. I'm sure they're starving. Millie looks a touch fatter in her love handle area so she ate pods well while I was gone.

 

Hey Annette, I was away for a lil' bit... took a few days last week to read this whole thread. I tried to get on NR to comment, but I had forgotten my password Finally remembered it this week...

 

I just have to tell you how impressed I am of this tank & to know that you did most all of it all by yourself... You're AWESOME!!!

 

Hang in there! These cyano issues shall pass, hopefully sooner than later

 

Thanks Wendy. Wow, what compliments. I'm glad I was forced to do it by myself, really learned a great deal, even w/ some trials and tribulations. The rainbow one found its spot on a rock after I put it in the front, it said, no, and wondered right over to a rock. it just so positioned itself that i can only see 1 or 2 nems facing me, the other faces the wall.

[FlowerMama]

Well, came downstairs to get on the treadmill. Millie jumped/died. There were plenty of pods at least so she didn't die from hunger. Anyway, I have less cyano right now but I'm also getting a light green covering so does this mean green algae of some kind is winning aginst the cyano? I've been really poor, really poor doing water changes lately (also on this change of diet which makes me have to cook alot on the weekend) and that's usually when I do my water changes so I can do them when it's light.

 

I'll get it to it Sat for sure for this tank. The rock flowers are all doing well, all eating. I've backed off though to like once or twice a week because of the cyano and the lights are only at 40% and 60% on the blues.

[gena]

Well, came downstairs to get on the treadmill. Millie jumped/died. There were plenty of pods at least so she didn't die from hunger. Anyway, I have less cyano right now but I'm also getting a light green covering so does this mean green algae of some kind is winning aginst the cyano? I've been really poor, really poor doing water changes lately (also on this change of diet which makes me have to cook alot on the weekend) and that's usually when I do my water changes so I can do them when it's light.

 

I'll get it to it Sat for sure for this tank. The rock flowers are all doing well, all eating. I've backed off though to like once or twice a week because of the cyano and the lights are only at 40% and 60% on the blues.

Sorry . Was millie the dragonet?

 

I just stuffed myself with cake and pasta. It's my husband's birthday today . Good thing I don't eat like that often...I feel like a slug now LOL.

[FlowerMama]

Sorry . Was millie the dragonet?

 

I just stuffed myself with cake and pasta. It's my husband's birthday today . Good thing I don't eat like that often...I feel like a slug now LOL.

 

Yeah, she was. It stinks. She was so pretty. I'm thinking though that I need something that moves the sand some, maybe a diamond goby. I'm thinking of moving the one I have from the 34 but I think it'd be hard to catch him so it may be best to leave him. Do you think it would disrupt any baby rock nems if they were in the sand? I have to add more wave to the water. Find a different setting to help w/ this algae.

[Tamberav]

Sorry about the dragonett They are hardcore jumpers, I lost 2 through 1/4 inch netting.

[FlowerMama]

Sorry about the dragonett They are hardcore jumpers, I lost 2 through 1/4 inch netting.

 

wow. she just loved going from left to right along the long back wall across the sand, never saw her go but an inch up.

[Mirya]

[gena]

 

Yeah, she was. It stinks. She was so pretty. I'm thinking though that I need something that moves the sand some, maybe a diamond goby. I'm thinking of moving the one I have from the 34 but I think it'd be hard to catch him so it may be best to leave him. Do you think it would disrupt any baby rock nems if they were in the sand? I have to add more wave to the water. Find a different setting to help w/ this algae.

Did you ever get a fighting conch from KPA? I absolutely LOVE the one I have. He moves the sand. Maybe get one or two of those (no more than that). You could try the diamond goby but you may get sick of sand storms from him.

 

I guess there's always a chance the baby nems in the sand will be disturbed by any sand sifting critter. Maybe you could move them into a shallow container like I've seen some of the RFA propagators do????? Just an idea.

[owenj]

aww, sorry about Millie

[FlowerMama]

Did you ever get a fighting conch from KPA? I absolutely LOVE the one I have. He moves the sand. Maybe get one or two of those (no more than that). You could try the diamond goby but you may get sick of sand storms from him.

 

I guess there's always a chance the baby nems in the sand will be disturbed by any sand sifting critter. Maybe you could move them into a shallow container like I've seen some of the RFA propagators do????? Just an idea.

 

Yeah, I just went online last night and think I'm going to buy 1, nice price. I think one will be enough. I haven't looked on there in a long time and haven't bought anything in a long time. I"m having withdrawals. The toadstool is doing really well by the way. Hey, that wrasse that was in there? Do think that would be nice for that long tank? That is when I put the screen on it. I have screen in my living room, was to be for the 34 but I think I bought the wrong size and can make it for the 60.