TeenyReef's 10g Fusion - ATO Disaster

[teenyreef]

I changed the water tonight and drained most of it so I could do some more rock scrubbing and sand vacuuming and (gasp) maybe even glue up some rocks. As I took out the rocks I noticed a little scallop shell in the sand. I was it was closed so I just tossed it on the sand by the side of the tank.

 

A few minutes later I noticed that it was alive and opened up. It looks like an itty bitty flame scallop. I have no idea where it came from since I've never kept them and I haven't added anything to this tank in months. Plus they usually die in reef tanks because they need so much food. Maybe it says something about how dirty my tank must be if he's survived to get to this size.

 

When I looked at the picture, I noticed although the water was super cloudy, all the fish came over to see what I was doing with the camera

 

20170206_193008.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

[natalia_la_loca]

That's super cool.

[FlowerMama]

It's small and cute. I've found something as well, smaller than that. It's about the size of a baby anemone.

[teenyreef]

I haven't seen the flame scallop since all the rocks went back into the tank. But I did find half of a scallop shell on the sand tonight, but I don't know if it's from the flame scallop. Between the hermit crab and Doug the Puffer, I can't give a little flame scallop much chance of survival.

 

But I did get some rocks glued up. The main rock structure is glued into two big pieces that can come out separately so I can continue to clean the rocks and sand as needed. When I scrubbed the rocks last time I noticed a lot of filmy white stuff waving in the water, which I think may be some kind of bacteria. I've seen it come and go for weeks now, but I decided to try and get serious with Microbacter 7 to get the tank over the hump. So I've been dosing 10ml per night, with the skimmer off for four hours. I've done three days so far with good results. But it will take a week or two to see if the white stuff comes back.

 

I'm no completely happy with the new scape (which is mostly pretty much like the old scape). I trimmed the monti caps way back, but even so, I think the rock with the green monti needs to be removed, or at least put somewhere else, to go back to the gradual slope up from left to right. But it's getting there and I think after some fine tuning this weekend I'll have something I'm happy with again.

 

2017-02-08 FTS:

 

2017-02-08 IM10 FTS by TeenyReef, on Flickr

[fishfreak0114]

The tank looks so clean! And Doug is too cute I agree, the green monti rock looks a little out of place to me. I'm so jelly of your ricordeas! Mine never colored up and slowly disappeared. Think I have one left.

[Bowen1022]

Looks good! Glad to see you getting things back in balance.

[jack1978]

I changed the water tonight and drained most of it so I could do some more rock scrubbing and sand vacuuming and (gasp) maybe even glue up some rocks. As I took out the rocks I noticed a little scallop shell in the sand. I was it was closed so I just tossed it on the sand by the side of the tank.

 

A few minutes later I noticed that it was alive and opened up. It looks like an itty bitty flame scallop. I have no idea where it came from since I've never kept them and I haven't added anything to this tank in months. Plus they usually die in reef tanks because they need so much food. Maybe it says something about how dirty my tank must be if he's survived to get to this size.

 

When I looked at the picture, I noticed although the water was super cloudy, all the fish came over to see what I was doing with the camera

 

20170206_193008.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

Look at that face...........you know that lil sob ate the scallop..........HI Doug II!!

[DaveFason]

It would have been a high gravity beer for me.

[FlowerMama]

I agree, Dougie looks at fault!

[dcom]

So colorful, pretty awesome tank.

Congrats!

[gone_PHiSHin]

teeny how much carbon and GFO do you recommend using?

 

I have BRS rox 0.8 carbon and granular GFO

[teenyreef]

teeny how much carbon and GFO do you recommend using?

 

I have BRS rox 0.8 carbon and granular GFO

I usually use a tablespoon of rox, which is what the BRS calculator says to use. But I use half the amount of gfo they recommend. For regular gfo, that works out to 1 tablespoon.

 

I try to be really conservative about gfo, it's easy to drop phosphates too fast. I know, I've learned the hard way at least two or three times. By using less, the worst thing that happens is it doesn't drop enough, or it runs out faster, and you can just add more or replace it quicker.

So colorful, pretty awesome tank.

Congrats!

Thanks!

I agree, Dougie looks at fault!

Look at that face...........you know that lil sob ate the scallop..........HI Doug II!!

 

I think you're right, he keeps looking at me with his cute little face going "More? Please?"

The tank looks so clean! And Doug is too cute I agree, the green monti rock looks a little out of place to me. I'm so jelly of your ricordeas! Mine never colored up and slowly disappeared. Think I have one left.

Thanks, it's good to hear another opinion!

 

My rics have kind of come and gone depending on the conditions in the tank. They will tolerate a lot of light, but only if they get used to it slowly. But they really don't like much flow, I've learned that the hard way.

Looks good! Glad to see you getting things back in balance.

Thanks! Now the zoas are struggling a bit. I think maybe because the daily heavy dose of MB7 is bringing nutrients down and they don't like it much.

 

I need to check parameters, I haven't done it since last week when I started the daily dosing of MB7.

It would have been a high gravity beer for me.

Me too!

[teenyreef]

Water change night tonight. For the first time in quite a while, I did not take the rocks out and I only vacuumed the portion of the sand bed I could fit the vacuum into.

 

There are still a few traces of white fuzz (my guess is bacteria). I've been dosing MB7 every night in an attempt to outcompete it, and I'm cautiously optimistic. I'll have a better idea of how it's working by this weekend. It's also helping with nutrients, as Nitrates are down to 8 (from 12), and Phosphates are down to .07 (from .10). I put in fresh carbon and gfo and changed about three gallons of water.

 

While I had the water down, I took off that one rock with the green monticap that looked out of place, and then glued a different green monticap frag on the rock below. I think it looks a lot better now. I also put some more mortar in between the rocks that I want to keep together. The idea is that the main rock structure can come out in two pieces that interlock. That way in the future I can easily pull them out for cleaning and things won't ever get so bad again.

 

The corals are doing well, other than a few zoas that are melting. I think it's due to the declining nutrient levels. Even though they're still high, I think just the change in levels is what they don't like.

 

I took a top down shot while the water was low, but I forgot to take an FTS to show how the rocks look now

The light is off center because I moved it to the side to take out the skimmer for cleaning...

 

2017-02-14 IM10 Top Down by TeenyReef, on Flickr

[teenyreef]

I took an FTS last night but I couldn't post because the site was down. I never realized just how much time I spend on N-R until I couldn't get on for almost 24 hours 

 

2017-02-15 FTS by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

I'm still not digging the scape even though I got rid of the rock that the green cap was on. Now instead of looking like an untidy pile of random rocks, it looks like a drunk pile of rocks that's leaning to the right.

[StinkyBunny]

Still looks like a million $$$$$.

[gena]

What is the yellow fish?  Is it well behaved?  Peaceful swimmer or erratic?  I would love to get a swimmy fish in my tank LOL.

[teenyreef]

4 hours ago, StinkyBunny said:

Still looks like a million $$$$$.

Thanks, Stinky! It's definitely got the minimalist, as in "where did all the corals go?" kind of look going for it

[teenyreef]

10 minutes ago, gena said:

What is the yellow fish?  Is it well behaved?  Peaceful swimmer or erratic?  I would love to get a swimmy fish in my tank LOL.

That's Oswald, a golden assessor (basslet), and he's great! He's peaceful in behavior but he's swimmy. He'll maintain one spot against the current and the zip to another spot super fast. I'll try to take some video.

[teenyreef]

Well, talk about easy peasy! I took my cell phone out of my pocket and shot this video from my chair at the desk. And all the fish came out right away!

 

...except the video's not showing up...grrrr...

 

 

[teenyreef]

OK, @gena, here's the video

 

 

[StinkyBunny]

And as you found out, Doug WILL eat molluscs, he's the one that dispatched the Flame scallop, I'd bet $1000 on it.

[FlowerMama]

Hey, here's a pic of my teeny guy.  I don't know if it's a flame or what it is, but also tiny.

 

[ReefWeeds]

looking good!  I love the little flame!

[teenyreef]

35 minutes ago, StinkyBunny said:

And as you found out, Doug WILL eat molluscs, he's the one that dispatched the Flame scallop, I'd bet $1000 on it.

I have no doubt! He's been looking at me like a dog asking for more treats 

[gena]

@teenyreef thanks for the video!  Does he mostly stay in one spot like that?  Doesn't chase other fish?  It kinda reminds me of my orchid dottyback which was a darty fish.  I really need something that swims around like Doug LOL.  But I don't want a Doug.  I want an angel fish idealy but I don't trust them with my open brain coral and other LPS.  I would love to be able to get one of those pygmy angelfish but don't feel like having to net it when it starts misbehaving....sigh.