My Rockin' Flower Garden!

[kimberbee]

They are cute!!

[gena]

WOW! That one conch is HUGE!!!! .

[FlowerMama]

I'd be wary of that many conchs in there unless you start growing more film algae. I had two small S. alatus fighting conchs in with my hawkwing, and after a couple of months both of the fighting conchs died, probably too much competition for what little algae I had. So far I've stuck with just my hawkwing, had him for over two years now.

 

I think I'll move my regular conch to my 34 in this case. Every day right now I can swipe the sand w/ my hand and move algae and a film, in 2 days it'll be all covered again. Now I'm getting green film on the walls of the tank too. I only feed twice a week, feed the nems directly but I wonder if part of it is due to the slime that nems secret when they go to the bathroom.

 

They are cute!!

 

thanks.

 

 

WOW! That one conch is HUGE!!!! .

 

Lordy, I know, that's why I was a little leery of getting one in the first place. It is cool though, really cool, to see them move or turn their bodies.

[gena]

 

 

 

 

Lordy, I know, that's why I was a little leery of getting one in the first place. It is cool though, really cool, to see them move or turn their bodies.

Does it plow into your anemones at all? Or is it pretty conscientious of it's surroundings? Mine is the small kind but he still is pretty thoughtful of the coral .

[FlowerMama]

Does it plow into your anemones at all? Or is it pretty conscientious of it's surroundings? Mine is the small kind but he still is pretty thoughtful of the coral .

 

So far they haven't. Of course I'm not downstairs watching the tank either like I can my 34 to notice. In some places the big one may have to think of how it'll get around the rock. I have a couple rocks w/o nems on them I think I'll just push together on the left hand side so it's not so much of an obstacle course.

 

Luckily, I have a friend here that has like 4-5 tanks, from 40-90 so if anything I could sell one if need be later. KP Aquatics said they only get them in once or twice a yr so when he said he had two I jumped on it. I sent them some videos of the last critters I got from them. And one of Gertie since she's 2 inches now, a thin 2 inches but still. She still looks small to me, but I understand she's supposed to get to like 3-3.5 inches.

[jedimasterben]

I think I'll move my regular conch to my 34 in this case. Every day right now I can swipe the sand w/ my hand and move algae and a film, in 2 days it'll be all covered again. Now I'm getting green film on the walls of the tank too. I only feed twice a week, feed the nems directly but I wonder if part of it is due to the slime that nems secret when they go to the bathroom.

Yeah, I would just leave the 60 for the hawkwings, plus then you'll have another good CUC member in the 34

 

The sand 'algae' you have is cyanobacteria. From what all my research has said on it, basically you have an imbalance in nitrate and phosphate, shifted more towards phosphate being higher. Animals and algae use N & P near the 'Redfield ratio' of 106:16:1, carbon, nitrate, phosphate, so you can see that significantly more nitrate is used than phosphate. Algae and cyanobacteria are really good at pulling nutrients from the water, so they'll grow when others just seem to mull along.

 

What protein skimmer are you using on the tank?

 

Does it plow into your anemones at all? Or is it pretty conscientious of it's surroundings? Mine is the small kind but he still is pretty thoughtful of the coral .

Mine very delicately cleans around my maxi minis. Whenever one touches his siphon he pulls back very quickly and is all NOPE

 

[gena]

Mine very delicately cleans around my maxi minis. Whenever one touches his siphon he pulls back very quickly and is all NOPE

 

 

Yeah, it's pretty cool that they don't plow things over like that. Delicately cleans around, is a great way to describe what they do. I think they are my favorite CUC member ever!

[jedimasterben]

 

Yeah, it's pretty cool that they don't plow things over like that. Delicately cleans around, is a great way to describe what they do. I think they are my favorite CUC member ever!

You must not have had yours figure out a way to climb onto the rocks yet.

[gena]

You must not have had yours figure out a way to climb onto the rocks yet.

Nope...never seen him on a rock. Sometimes I have to rescue him when he wedges himself between the rock and the glass. I'm sure he could figure it out on his own, but if I see it I help him out .

[jedimasterben]

Nope...never seen him on a rock. Sometimes I have to rescue him when he wedges himself between the rock and the glass. I'm sure he could figure it out on his own, but if I see it I help him out .

I've seen mine get wayyyy higher on the rocks than I'd imagined he'd be able to climb. I think maybe the fish or snails helped him out LOL

[FlowerMama]

 

Yeah, I would just leave the 60 for the hawkwings, plus then you'll have another good CUC member in the 34

 

The sand 'algae' you have is cyanobacteria. From what all my research has said on it, basically you have an imbalance in nitrate and phosphate, shifted more towards phosphate being higher. Animals and algae use N & P near the 'Redfield ratio' of 106:16:1, carbon, nitrate, phosphate, so you can see that significantly more nitrate is used than phosphate. Algae and cyanobacteria are really good at pulling nutrients from the water, so they'll grow when others just seem to mull along.

 

What protein skimmer are you using on the tank?

 

Mine very delicately cleans around my maxi minis. Whenever one touches his siphon he pulls back very quickly and is all NOPE

 

 

 

Using a Reef Octopus NWB110 4”. My sister gave me her phosphate reactor but I haven't gotten is started yet for how nasty it is, she couldnt' get the top off and there/s water in there too and I'm basically scared of that nasty thing. So bad she couldn't even get it open to remove the junk.

 

[FlowerMama]

Cyano can also be green? I have much less red. probably 80% and 20% red.

[gena]

 

 

Using a Reef Octopus NWB110 4”. My sister gave me her phosphate reactor but I haven't gotten is started yet for how nasty it is, she couldnt' get the top off and there/s water in there too and I'm basically scared of that nasty thing. So bad she couldn't even get it open to remove the junk.

 

Yikes . Did you get it open yet?

[FlowerMama]

Yikes . Did you get it open yet?

 

Nope! I keep putting it off because it looks so nasty. Then I have to figure after that how I would hook it up to my pump because the tubings differ in diameter so I don't know if that means I somehow hook it up into that line and use some kid of adapter on each end or what. She left me the tubing so I could see how it hooks up so once I have it cleaned out, I'd like to get it figured out & hooked up.

[gena]

 

Nope! I keep putting it off because it looks so nasty. Then I have to figure after that how I would hook it up to my pump because the tubings differ in diameter so I don't know if that means I somehow hook it up into that line and use some kid of adapter on each end or what. She left me the tubing so I could see how it hooks up so once I have it cleaned out, I'd like to get it figured out & hooked up.

Is it the pump that came with the reactor? That's strange that they would be two different sizes. I think standard is 1/2".

[jedimasterben]

Using a Reef Octopus NWB110 4”. My sister gave me her phosphate reactor but I haven't gotten is started yet for how nasty it is, she couldnt' get the top off and there/s water in there too and I'm basically scared of that nasty thing. So bad she couldn't even get it open to remove the junk.

Ok, so you've got a decent skimmer. I would start dosing 5mL daily of vinegar. If you see now improvement after two weeks, then I would double it to 10mL per day. Once the problem improves, you can back it down to 5mL and see if it returns, if so then 10mL is your working dose.

 

Cyano can also be green? I have much less red. probably 80% and 20% red.

Cyanobacteria can be pretty much any color, as different species will use different ratios of photosynthetic pigments, but most will be a brownish-red color.

[FlowerMama]

Ok, so you've got a decent skimmer. I would start dosing 5mL daily of vinegar. If you see now improvement after two weeks, then I would double it to 10mL per day. Once the problem improves, you can back it down to 5mL and see if it returns, if so then 10mL is your working dose.

 

Cyanobacteria can be pretty much any color, as different species will use different ratios of photosynthetic pigments, but most will be a brownish-red color.

 

hm, vinegar, interesting? I never heard of that. I need to see if I have any.

[jedimasterben]

http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/116-vinegar-dosing-methodology-for-the-marine-aquarium

[FlowerMama]

Is it the pump that came with the reactor? That's strange that they would be two different sizes. I think standard is 1/2".

 

No, there was no pump w/ the reactor. So I was wondering how I could hook it up w/ the outgoing line back up to the tank. First things first, I need to open it, dump it, get vinegar to soak it and for dosing my 60g.

[Horerczy]

You will probably need a vice to get the lid off that reactor. At last that's what i usually have to do.

[FlowerMama]

You will probably need a vice to get the lid off that reactor. At last that's what i usually have to do.

 

Yeah, thanks for the tip, then once I do that outside, it's dump and run for the hills. Oh, wait I am in the mountains already. I know the stench will be horrific.

[FlowerMama]

ha!!!!! Remember when the maroon nem spewed in the 34 gallon? Randi was over just now and we went to look at the tank here in the basement, 2 nems were slowly releasing tiny little pellets that were floating around in the water til they landed in the sand. The size of tiny pellets!!!! I'm gonna have some babies!!!! The original mama and.....

This is the other one that released!!! I'm super excited!!!! So, the cyano certainly hasn't hampered their growth and if I do have a little phosphate it hasn't either.

 

http://s1278.photobucket.com/user/1stimereefer/media/023_zps2b5903ed.jpg.html'>

[Horerczy]

 

Yeah, thanks for the tip, then once I do that outside, it's dump and run for the hills. Oh, wait I am in the mountains already. I know the stench will be horrific.

Yeah that stench is unbearable. Something akin to petroleum.

[FlowerMama]

Quick History because thread began way earlier than the tank.

 

 

5/20/2014- tank got wet
6/7 - 13 nems went into the tank
8/2 - witnessed maroon nem spewing in the 34.
8/4 - the rock w/ maroon daddy and white mama went into tank
10/12 - the orange/purple ripple released babies as did white mama!!!!

[FlowerMama]

Yeah, I would just leave the 60 for the hawkwings, plus then you'll have another good CUC member in the 34

 

The sand 'algae' you have is cyanobacteria. From what all my research has said on it, basically you have an imbalance in nitrate and phosphate, shifted more towards phosphate being higher. Animals and algae use N & P near the 'Redfield ratio' of 106:16:1, carbon, nitrate, phosphate, so you can see that significantly more nitrate is used than phosphate. Algae and cyanobacteria are really good at pulling nutrients from the water, so they'll grow when others just seem to mull along.

 

What protein skimmer are you using on the tank?

 

Mine very delicately cleans around my maxi minis. Whenever one touches his siphon he pulls back very quickly and is all NOPE

 

 

Well, tested just now and nitrates and phosphates are zero, I do believe it's on its way out as I'm mostly seeing a light green and not a purple/red so I'm just going to continue with water changes.