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Mark's 150 (NanoBox Retro)


markalot

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Every frag has survived so far, even the tiny little acro I'm trying to save.  Look at the size of the cali tort.  Good grief it's a fast grower.  Color is meh, as is the possible lemonade unknown on the left. 

 

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So slow so far, it has encrusted more but not much more.   The colors on this are so much more vivid than anything else I have.

 

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I wish my cali would grow like that, my oregon is outgrowing it.... the cali got beat up by stupid vermatid snails though so I think that kind of held it back from doing anything for the longest time. It is just now starting to do something... 

 

Tank looks great 🙂

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  • 2 weeks later...

So the dosing of Goat De-wormer (Fenbendazole) is done.  The dosage for goats is diluted so my actual dosing is pretty low, so far 10 drops.

 

What does this stuff do?  Kills most soft corals (not shrooms or zoas).   Yes, it kills Xenia, this is the same ingredient as the old fluke tabs.   I'm about to tear down the tank because the Xenia is out of control, so this is the last resort.   Supposed to be bullet proof, no reports of SPS, Fish, or shrimp being harmed.   So far the Xenia size is slightly reduced, and the green star polyps look worse, mostly closed up 6 hours after dosing.   My goal is to slowly eliminate both since any rapid reduction will result in a huge nitrate spike.   We'll see how it goes.  

 

Some say this stuff gets in the rock and you won't be able to grow softies for months or years.  I hope that's right!  

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I feel like the challenge will be in a few days when it starts melting.  Will be trying to keep the skimmer clean and watching KH in case the coral growth slows.   

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Horrible iPhone pic, but this is what the Xenia looks like as of last night.    

 

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The daisy polyps looks a little better, maybe they'll survive.  

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51 minutes ago, DaveFason said:

Interesting as I have never heard of this. Are you able to vacuum the xenia out to eliminate some of the die off?

-Dave

 

Not sure yet.  From what I understand they just slowly melt away, and the smell has started so I suspect that's what is happening.  

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12 hours ago, markalot said:

Horrible iPhone pic, but this is what the Xenia looks like as of last night.    

 

1PrxNJE.png

 

The daisy polyps looks a little better, maybe they'll survive.  

Which Iphone? Using a filter or just stock camera?

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38 minutes ago, slowngreen said:

Which Iphone? Using a filter or just stock camera?

Just the stock camera ... a 6 I think.  Piece of crap phone, I want my android back (it's a work phone, free for me).

 

 

I ended up having time to take some real pics.  Or realer pics.  Or something.  The Xenia is slowly vanishing, must be melting.  Great smell.  The skimmer is a lighter brown but hasn't gone crazy yet.  

 

KH 7.2 which is where it was a month ago.

 

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These belong on those Xenia infested rocks.  The Cali tort has very rapid growth.

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Xenia harmed the Lokani, that was the last straw.  

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The death meltdown has begin, 6 days after dosing.

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The Xenia is mostly gone already, the daisy polyps just now dying. There's a ton of them, this will be a lot of nutrients released. /fingers crossed.

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So far so good.  Xenia is gone, just gone.  Daisy polyps still withering away.  Good polyp extension early this morning so as of this moment SPS are still healthy.  

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1 hour ago, SeaFurn said:

How are the Superman mushrooms doing? I know you said the fenbendazole doesn’t kill shrooms or zoas. Just curious.

 

They are doing well, thankfully.  A xenia stalk had grown right on top of them and it withered away without any damage to the shrooms.   5 of them now.  :)   

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Purple Stylo lost a lower branch.  It never loses branches.  This morning it was completely gone but it appears the part nearest the base is in the same place.  This was covered in Xenia last week.  I hate coincidences.    KH 7.2
 
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Orange passion
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Vivid Rainbow
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Nothing new to report.  The Purple Stylo had 3 lower branches RTN but seems to be stable.  Some browning here and there, but not consistent and seems to be improving.   The skimmer STUNK and was full of chunky goodness.  Emptied 3 times so far.    I am dosing 5ml NOPOX every 3 days and 2 drops of PhosphateRx every other day.  Glass gets algae 6 hours after cleaning so the in tank nutrient load is pretty high.   Nitrate still tests near 0, and I am not testing PO4 but I assume it's raised a bit.
 
Clowns delayed eggs laying by a week but now have a smaller than normal batch in the typical location.  
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Color is coming back.  Every other day dosing of PhosphateRx seems to be helping.  I stopped dosing NOPOX when the stylo lost a branch.  The dieoff is, in my opinion, mostly over.  What's left are dead pieces that flake off when touched.  The skimmer is full of nearly black chunky goodness.  

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

The tank is not 100% healthy, some acros showing stress, so a full battery of tests this morning.

 

KH 6.7 - Alk usage on the increase.

Calcium 450 - slightly overdosing 

Nitrate ~ 3  - No Xenia to consume nitrate

Phosphate 33 - .1 PO4 - high as expected, but not horribly high.  Doing daily dosing of PhosphateRx, 1 drop  REAGENT EXPIRED

 

PO4 might have been higher.  Not too fussed with a powder expiring.

 

Salinity 38.   Lowering it back down.

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The tank has turned the corner and growth is exploding again.  Let me review how I think things happened and how I avoided and long term damage.

 

PO4 measured .1 when I finally got around to testing.  Had this been two years ago I would have freaked out and adde GFO, killing most of my SPS.  THis time I simply started doing drops of PhosphateRx.  1 drop daily, or 2 drops every other day.  I know it slowly reduces PO4 so no thinking required, and I know I can add it daily even if PO4 is low without doing any harm.  Sure enough the acros started to regain health and now my healthy take indicator has gone on a bender.  I don;t call this the crazy bird for nothing.  :D

 

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Besides the purple stylo losing most of two lower branches my Lokani started to STN and the big Valida showed broken and patchy skin.  This happened over 3 or 4 days when the Xenia had vanished but the daisy polyps where still disintegrating.  I suspect PO4 rose rapidly along with who knows what else.  I tested PO4 after the Lokani had lost some skin and started PhosphateRx a few days BEFORE I tested.  I know, sorry for the lack of accurate tracking, but time is limited these days.

 

Here's the Lokani.  You can see the lower left of the base is a hard edge and is starting to grow back now.  The lighter areas are where the skin died off.

 

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Here's damage (flashlight) to the Valida.  It's already starting to heal but still looks pretty bad.  Skin underneath is still healthy, only the skin near the tops looks to be effected.

 

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That's about all the visible damage ... fingers crossed this is over!

 

The Slimer and Miami Orchid are battling to take over where the daisy polyps used to be.

 

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This green cap was a small mass of mostly brown nothing, covered in Daisy polyps.  Good grief.

 

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Lokani frags never showed any stress.  These are so cool looking.

 

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Superman Shrooms

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FTS.  

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