Fishfreak's foxy BC29: Brine Shrimp!

[fishfreak0114]

What a nice little tank! That reflection pic of the finger leather is a cool shot, I'll be following along

 

How's the Flame doing?

Thanks Yoshii! I love that leather so much. The flame seems to be doing well, this wave of ich didn't really seem to affect it. It's still really active and I didn't see any spots.

Amazing pics of your progress. What a stunner.

Thanks spec! When I looked back through some pics I really can't believe how far it's come. I can't believe it's only been a year and a half! It feels way longer

[fishfreak0114]

2nd transfer done today, friday august 12th at 3pm. Next transfer by Monday august 15th at 3pm.

 

The fish look decent, the flames tail is a little rough but the damsel looks much improved. They're in an aquarium now, not a bucket , so I can see them better. Only 3 transfers to go!

[fishfreak0114]

3rd transfer done today, august 15th at 1pm. Next transfer by august 18th (Thursday) at 1pm. However, I will be doing it on Wednesday because that works better for me. They're looking good! No more visible ich on either. There was one spot on the flame this morning, but it fell off about an hour before the transfer. I like this method! Except for how much salt it uses because my salt cost $100 for the bucket and I've gone through a LOT. Perhaps using cheaper salt for QT would have been better? I'm still dosing prazipro at each transfer.

 

I've gotta post a pic of the dendro, it looks great!!! This is the first time I've ever seen it with tentacles and healthy, other than the WYSIWYG pic from the website before I bought it. It eats like a pig too!

[xAyanex]

Those Blue Kiss Zoas are awesome!

　

I am so sorry for all of your fish losses.

That newer leather is so cool!

　

The Tank Transfer Method (TTM) was very interesting to read about. I've never heard of it until now. I've never dealt with a fish with ich before, either.

　

Seems like the plate is finally letting go. That's a bummer. Oh well, your plate has inspired me to get a plate sometime soon.

　

I can't believe your tank is only a year and a half old! It is so beautiful! I hope mine is half as pretty as yours by then.

　

I've never edited a single photo.

 

Glad your dendro turned around!

 

I've actually been thinking about switching my salt as well (to a more expensive one). What do you currently use? Do you like it?

[fishfreak0114]

Thanks Alex! I'm sure you're tank's gonna look great in no time, it's already off to an awesome start

 

The blue kiss zoas are so great, I swear they're getting bluer.

 

I wish I'd considered tank transfer last summer when I had fish with ich in QT, I think it would've worked better and maybe they would have pulled through. Oh well, lesson learned. I'm definitely bummed about the plate, but it's had so many ups and downs I'm really not surprised. Maybe I'll try again...or maybe I'll get more brains because I seriously love those things!

 

Usually for pics I just crop it if I need to, and try to correct the colors. My phone always makes my sand look blue in pics, I haven't figured out how to fix that, but at least I can usually get the coral or whatever it is closer to the real one. I'm gonna get some pics of the dendro up, I looked at a pic from Friday and it's gotten better over the weekend.

 

I use Red Sea coral pro, and have since the day I set up. I don't have anything to compare it to, but I like it. It mixes quickly and clear, and so far I haven't had to dose (although admittedly I suck at checking parameters, so maybe I do need to dose and don't know it). Since the filter I was using to mix broke, I've been mixing my salt into the water, already heated, while I'm doing a water change. It still dissolves really quick that way, although a powerhead would work better.

[fishfreak0114]

I've got this sponge in a couple places, but this is the biggest patch. Kinda neat

 

The dendro on Friday

 

The dendro today. I want to cover the epoxy border with sand now that it's not dead

 

Jim!!!

[xAyanex]

I use Red Sea coral pro, and have since the day I set up. I don't have anything to compare it to, but I like it. It mixes quickly and clear, and so far I haven't had to dose (although admittedly I suck at checking parameters, so maybe I do need to dose and don't know it). Since the filter I was using to mix broke, I've been mixing my salt into the water, already heated, while I'm doing a water change. It still dissolves really quick that way, although a powerhead would work better.

 

I've been thinking about switching to Red Sea Coral Pro specifically... I have been using Instant Ocean Reef Crystals because it was closest to the parameters I wanted and at the right price. While the parameters are fine and the salt seems to mix fine, there always seems to be this tannish-brown sludge leftover after a few mixes, and I have to seriously scrub my bucket, powerhead, thermometer, and heater. It's gotten to the point where it clouds up the water and looks terrible sometimes, and I won't even use the water.

 

This was something I had read online about it many times. Many people seemed to have this weird tannish-brown layer at the bottom of their mixing container, and for a lot of people that was why they quit using IO Reef Crystals. However, some people claimed they never had an issue and kept using it anyway. I was hoping I'd be one of those people, but alas, I am not.

[Water Dog]

That's why I only mix reef crystals for a max of three hours before a water change. No brown sludge for me.

 

As part of my QT procedure, I always use the TTM method. It's totally scientific how you methodically out run the ich life cycle. I'm am fairly certain in saying that my tank is ich free!

[xAyanex]

That's why I only mix reef crystals for a max of three hours before a water change. No brown sludge for me.

 

As part of my QT procedure, I always use the TTM method. It's totally scientific how you methodically out run the ich life cycle. I'm am fairly certain in saying that my tank is ich free!

Ah, maybe that's my problem. Sometimes I let it mix for several hours before I use it.

 

My QT is just 4 weeks of observation in a QT tank. I don't treat for anything unless I notice an issue. I'm suuuuper new so I've never seen ich just yet. However, I've only had 3 total fish (and one died of unknown cause 3 days before its 4 week quarantine was up).

[fishfreak0114]

That's why I only mix reef crystals for a max of three hours before a water change. No brown sludge for me.

As part of my QT procedure, I always use the TTM method. It's totally scientific how you methodically out run the ich life cycle. I'm am fairly certain in saying that my tank is ich free!

I used to mix my water for days (before I knew better) and that made some sludge.

It totally makes sense to do TTM, and I like that I don't have to go with chemicals. They seem to be not too stressed out by this. After they're done QT and into the DT, I'll be pretty confident in my tank being ich free too!

[fishfreak0114]

4th transfer done today, Wednesday august 17th at 4pm, next transfer by Saturday august 20th at 4pm. They're still looking good!

[fishfreak0114]

Man, my RFA won't stay put! I really liked where it first settled, it was between/below the Rics and my purple mushroom. Then it moved to the left and started to sting one ric. Then to the right and up and fully puffed up it was stinging two Rics and my purple mushroom. So, I moved the Rics and left the mushroom because when it retracted the RFA didn't touch it. I figured it would move again, and I was right. Now it's above the purple mushroom, below the blasto and stinging nothing! let's hope it stays put now. The porcelain hasn't left it since the first day I plopped him on top.

[fishfreak0114]

I randomly decided to test my parameters. Thankfully they're all still good

 

pH 8-8.5 (nutrafin, probably not accurate)

 

Nitrate 2 (Ha! Nutrafin again and totally wrong! There's no way I have that low of nitrates with the way I feed and tap water. I'd guess 10-20 range)

 

Phosphate 0.03 (salifert. Keep forgetting to change the phosgaurd, finally did today)

 

Alk 9.5 dKh. (salifert. Pleasant suprise, I remember when I used to check it would be closer to 7.5-8)

 

Calcium 440. (Salifert. Normal range for my tank)

 

Sg 1.026 (I calibrated my refractometer and then checked and was like, WTH, my sg is 1.021!!! Silly me, I calibrated it to 1.021 instead of 1.026)

[fishfreak0114]

The RFA moved again! Now it's nestled in the red macro about half way up the tank. Unfortunately it's on the side of the tank so I can't see it from the couch

[fishfreak0114]

The fish end their tank transfers tomorrow! They're looking good. I just set up the 10g QT again. I REALLY hope they're ich free, I haven't seen any in ages, but I can't see in their gills obviously. My fingers are crossed

 

I've decided to cut back feeding in the tank for a bit now that I'm not trying to get corals healthy again. I can definitely tell that the obscene amount of food that goes in has taken a toll. More algae than normal on the glass, and a touch of cyano on the sand. And the bristle worms SO MANY...

 

With all the tank transfer stuff, I've deviated from my normal water change schedule and the sand hasn't been vacuumed in a while. Once all my equipment is disinfected VERY thoroughly I'll do a proper water change and vacuum the sand, clean the pumps and back chambers etc. it got about a 16l water change tonight when I set up the QT, but it still needs more. I think everything should be normal agin after that.

 

I can tell that I pissed a couple things off by adding phosgaurd...perhaps I overdosed? I've never had an issue before. It could also be that the tank was a bit hotter than normal today because I wasn't home. The things I'm talking about are the whip gorg and leathers. Everything else doesn't care.

 

Today I gave some frags to a pet store, my favorite one. Got a pack of mysis in exchange GSP, a couple zoas and the mummy eye chalice and marble favia (I wanted the space for stuff I like more in the future).

[fishfreak0114]

Well guess what? The RFA has moved again. It's now below the red macro on the left side of the tank, just above a bunch of mushrooms. Let's hope it doesn't move down.

[fishfreak0114]

I put the damsel and flame into the 10g today. To be honest, I'm worried that despite the care I took with the transfers that they still have ich. I could be wrong, but when I looked at the flame, I saw two "spots" on its tail. I watched it like a hawk for several minutes, and one time it turned and they were both miraculously gone. Perhaps there was something else like a micro bubble there? It seems weird that both would disappear at exactly the same moment. My mom said I should just wait and see, so I will. I really hope the ich doesn't return. Both the fish seem happy to have more room to stretch their fins.

[fishfreak0114]

I just noticed the weirdest thing. My feather has left half his tube, the crown comes out the normal spot but the worms rear end exits the tube about halfway down. That's new. And guess what?! IT MADE A NEW SANDY TUBE!!! I'll upload a pic later, but I poked it to see if it was a new tube and yep, it is solid. So my duster is half brown papery tube, half sandy tube. Very interesting

[fishfreak0114]

[fishfreak0114]

A couple small updates:

 

My nem must have serious wanderlust because it has continued to tour my tank. Today it snuggled up with duncan the Duncan's pissed and looks mildly stung (I moved it to the sand) and so is the nem.

 

Another bristle worm brushed against me, it was floating through the water and it landed on the back of my hand. Nothing happened. Do they only bristle you if they "attack"? I mean, it was just floating around so maybe it wasn't prepared or something.

 

My alpha and omega zoas and sunny D's are growing so fast! Which is great because they're probably my favorite types of zoas. I'm thinking if transplanting a couple polyps to other places, like the little gaps between other stuff to fill it in.

 

One of the macros I got looked so crappy when I got it, covered in some sort of fuzz and ragged. It grew a new, clean leave though and it looks good! I can't wait for it to grow more, I think it will look really nice.

[teenyreef]

I think there are a million different kind of bristle worms and some sting worse than others. Plus it depends on how big they are. And I've never seen one float around unless it was dead, or mostly dead.

 

None have mine have ever stung me, but I don't touch the big ones. Ewww.

 

That's a pretty shaving brush - I'm glad it's growing back

[fishfreak0114]

The worm came off a frag plug that I lifted and was floating around in the current. I avoid putting my hands near the big ones at all cost lol. I can't wait to see what the macro looks like when it's grown more.

 

I'm going to. Try to get an FTS up by the end of the week, I plan on a water change tomorrow or friday.

[xAyanex]

The worm came off a frag plug that I lifted and was floating around in the current. I avoid putting my hands near the big ones at all cost lol. I can't wait to see what the macro looks like when it's grown more.

 

I'm going to. Try to get an FTS up by the end of the week, I plan on a water change tomorrow or friday.

I never put my hands in the tank without gloves. Maybe just because I'm new, or maybe because I work in a lab so it's second nature. And maybe it will wear off, maybe not.

 

The QT I don't so much care about, but I wear gloves with it too.

[fishfreak0114]

I never put my hands in the tank without gloves. Maybe just because I'm new, or maybe because I work in a lab so it's second nature. And maybe it will wear off, maybe not.

 

The QT I don't so much care about, but I wear gloves with it too.

I've never been a big fan of gloves, I don't like that it makes it more difficult to adjust things. I should get some really thin ones, I have rubber dish gloves and coralife gloves but I barely ever use either because I have a hard time working with them on. For vacuuming gravel I use them though.

[xAyanex]

I've never been a big fan of gloves, I don't like that it makes it more difficult to adjust things. I should get some really thin ones, I have rubber dish gloves and coralife gloves but I barely ever use either because I have a hard time working with them on. For vacuuming gravel I use them though.

I don't have any thick gloves. I use, like, OBGYN animal birthing gloves, which is basically a shoulder-length clear plastic sleeve glove. I usually double it in case there are any holes. Then, I wear a nitrile exam glove over that. That way I have super thin, super easy-to-use gloves that allow me to manipulate anything in my tank the same way I would without gloves.