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Alex's Biocube 29


xAyanex

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fishfreak0114

I never want to say any fishkeeping words when I'm around other reefers, because being that I just READ them, I actually have no idea how to say them :P so I have my own (probably incorrect) pronunciations.

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fishfreak0114

Chaeto,dinoflagellates, Cyanobacteria, cyphastrea, gorgonian, lobophyllia, trachyphyllia, caulerpa, amphiprion ocellaris, etc. I could go on forever lol. When I'm talking to people who don't know what I'm saying, like my friends, I just wing it!

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I actually googled the pronunciation for chaeto when I first started researching for a tank (I was considering a refugium). Most of them I know how to pronounce from taking etymology classes and medical terms classes.

 

Good idea winging it, they won't know the difference, haha.

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fishfreak0114

I've never thought to google them, maybe I will! My friends usually just nod and smile when I talk fish :P then they tell me that they understood nothing lol

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I've never thought to google them, maybe I will! My friends usually just nod and smile when I talk fish :P then they tell me that they understood nothing lol

Yeah! I don't really talk to anyone about it. My mom only does freshwater and rarely comes out to my house. When she does she mostly ooh's and aah's at the toadstool and the swaying torch. I tell my boyfriend about it. Mostly I want to sound informed when I go to the LFS, because it's a small store owned by one guy and run by him and another guy.

 

And OMG, while I am at work my boyfriend got home and did a water change on the QT for me. I was so nervous, like "Did you check the salinity of the water in the bucket? What about the water in the tank? Did you calibrate the refractometer first?!?" He's seen me do it a million times, but last night I had a dream I screwed up my QT so I was a little on edge. But after he was done he said Dot seemed fine. I'll test it when I get home, lol.

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when I go to the LFS, because it's a small store owned by one guy and run by him and another guy.

What's the store name? I'm in Terre Haute and our small store is the best

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I'm about 40 min southeast of Indianapolis. It is Modern Aquatix (I think it's located in Greenwood). Terre Haute is 2 hours away from me. Our small store is the best as well. I won't go to any other stores.

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fishfreak0114

Yeah! I don't really talk to anyone about it. My mom only does freshwater and rarely comes out to my house. When she does she mostly ooh's and aah's at the toadstool and the swaying torch. I tell my boyfriend about it. Mostly I want to sound informed when I go to the LFS, because it's a small store owned by one guy and run by him and another guy.

 

And OMG, while I am at work my boyfriend got home and did a water change on the QT for me. I was so nervous, like "Did you check the salinity of the water in the bucket? What about the water in the tank? Did you calibrate the refractometer first?!?" He's seen me do it a million times, but last night I had a dream I screwed up my QT so I was a little on edge. But after he was done he said Dot seemed fine. I'll test it when I get home, lol.

Generally when my friends look at my tank I just point at things? They really like naming stuff (my green hammer is Frank :lol: ).

 

I would be nervous too, whenever my mom does something in my tank I ask a million questions! Fish tank dreams are the worst! I usually dream that some crazy disease manages to infect every single one of my fish tanks and no matter what I do I can't cure my fish (pretty sure one time I dreamt something about helping them with soup)

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Cool never been there before. I'll swing by there sometime, if I had known earlier today i just drove thru Indy from New Castle.

What's your store in Terre Haute called? I'm usually never out that way though.

 

Generally when my friends look at my tank I just point at things? They really like naming stuff (my green hammer is Frank :lol: ).

 

I would be nervous too, whenever my mom does something in my tank I ask a million questions! Fish tank dreams are the worst! I usually dream that some crazy disease manages to infect every single one of my fish tanks and no matter what I do I can't cure my fish (pretty sure one time I dreamt something about helping them with soup)

Haha that's cute. Naming things makes me thing they'll die because I'll get more attached. I dreamed that somehow a bunch of instant mashed potato mix or whatever it is was dumped in the tank, and all the water was turning into mashed potatoes on top so the fish were suffocating.

 

I remember every dream I have every night. And they're all really weird, lol.

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pappadumplingz

Generally when my friends look at my tank I just point at things? They really like naming stuff (my green hammer is Frank :lol: ).

I would be nervous too, whenever my mom does something in my tank I ask a million questions! Fish tank dreams are the worst! I usually dream that some crazy disease manages to infect every single one of my fish tanks and no matter what I do I can't cure my fish (pretty sure one time I dreamt something about helping them with soup)

I have had some pretty terrifying fish dreams too lol.

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pappadumplingz

Maybe it just comes with the hobby?

Maybe, we will never know. It is quite strange though how when I wake up after one of those a dreams and instantly look at my tank.

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Maybe, we will never know. It is quite strange though how when I wake up after one of those a dreams and instantly look at my tank.

Once I wake up and realize it was just a dream I don't worry about it. I did at first and went to check on the tank a lot but now I don't.

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fishfreak0114

What's your store in Terre Haute called? I'm usually never out that way though.

 

 

Haha that's cute. Naming things makes me thing they'll die because I'll get more attached. I dreamed that somehow a bunch of instant mashed potato mix or whatever it is was dumped in the tank, and all the water was turning into mashed potatoes on top so the fish were suffocating.

 

I remember every dream I have every night. And they're all really weird, lol.

I always get attached to every living thing near me. I even name all the spiders I find, and I make sure that they're in a safe location where no one will hurt them.

 

I remember most of my dreams too! My friends think it's really weird because they barely remember any of theirs, and I can give a detailed description of so many different dreams that I have had in a week. Sometimea I have several in one night, but they usually don't make much sense. And for whatever reason, sometimes I'm a dragon in them :)

Maybe, we will never know. It is quite strange though how when I wake up after one of those a dreams and instantly look at my tank.

Sometimes I dream about my reef tank, but I'll be at my dad's house so I just wait and wonder until I see it again.

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What's your store in Terre Haute called? I'm usually never out that way though.

For Marine related Inland Aquatics and for fresh is Atlantis( Bill the owner is great to deal with).

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Update:

 

Dot is now eating flakes like a pig. Yay!

 

Quarantine Tank Testing:

Temp: 78 F

Salinity: 1.025/35 ppt

pH: 8.0

Ammonia: 0.25 ppm

 

Did a 50% water change immediately after testing.

 

DT Testing:

Temp: 79F

Salinity: 1.025/35 ppt

pH: 8.0

Ammonia: 0 ppm

Nitrite: 0 ppm

Nitrate: 0 ppm

Calcium: 500+ ppm (probably 550ish)

Alkalinity: 7.7 dKH

Magnesium: 1500+ ppm (probably 1550-1600ish)

Phosphate: 0.03 ppm

 

The concerning parameter was alkalinity. Trending alk:

6.4-->7.0-->7.7.

6.4 was alarming. 7.0 was low. 7.7....I don't mind so much. So, I haven't purchased anything for dosing. I'd rather avoid as long as possible.

 

Other than alk, calcium and mag are high as usual. Phos is fine. and everything else is as expected.

 

Here's to hoping Dot continues to thrive!

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Well darn, wrote and accidentally deleted what I wrote. Brother. Anyway, in short, you found my thread, I found yours. Everything looks really healthy and happy. Like you, the daily discoveries of things in a new tank are fascinating, I never knew I could absorb myself so quickly into reefing. Not only is the purchasing of corals an addiction, but the researching too. I had lost my husband 7 mos prior so I was happy to have my mind so solidly occupied so I wasn't thinking about loss every day, 24 hrs 7 days a week. It's what I needed mentally.

 

Yeah, you'll love it. Enjoy!!

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Polarcollision

Bristleworm on the glass in front of the toadstool:

28961977561_e1911a41d0_b.jpg

A couple more bristleworms:

28961971121_28e9eb7dd8_b.jpg

I should clarify that I'm not 100% sure they are bristleworms. I'm just guessing:

28932574612_fb42bece0f_b.jpg

Final Comment: Bristleworms (if that is what they are) move pretty fast!

 

That worm looks really familiar! I found some in my tank when it was newly set up. It's hard to see details in the photo, they're so small, but I'm pretty sure it's not the common tank bristleworm. Any chance they look like the worm at this link? or any of the worms here? I still see them once in a while and they don't seem to do any harm.

 

 

Now, the instructions for Instant Ocean Reef Crystals (which I use) are to mix the salt to a salinity of 1.020 to 1.023, and this should give you a calcium of 490, magnesium of 1440, and alkalinity of 13!

 

Since I mix to 1.025 every time, that means I'm physically adding more salt, and thus adding more calcium and magnesium. Therefore, it makes sense that those two parameters consistent test at the top of the range for my test kits (which are both Salifert). Sounds like I can just leave those two alone...

 

However, why is my alk riding low? Shouldn't it be riding high? So now I need to investigate alk.

 

How fast is the hard coral and coralline growing? Alk shouldn't be dropping that fast with your coral load... unless maybe it's precipitating out.

 

 

Yeah, but I did not acclimate her as thoroughly as I could have I guess. I don't know. I thought I was doing everything right both times, so I just really don't know. I'll just do a better acclimation next time anyway.

 

And it's alright. My mom (who is a freshwater hobbyist only) is convinced that black clowns are not as easy to keep as regular orange ones. My boyfriend kinda thought the same thing (although he's not an aquarist at all, he just gets dragged through my maintenance half the time hehee...

 

I just figured Bob was a beast and the two black clowns I've had are weaklings. I have considered just getting a 2nd orange fish, but I really wanted a black one.

 

Also I keep watching emotional romance comedy movies which aren't making me feel any better. Lol.

 

OK, you are confirming what I suspected a while back. My black clown kinda failed to thrive. He'd lay in the duncan most of the day and even though the pair went through all the motions. He died after having him around a year. Sometimes I wonder how much the insides of these designer clownfish change with their pretty mutations.

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Well darn, wrote and accidentally deleted what I wrote. Brother. Anyway, in short, you found my thread, I found yours. Everything looks really healthy and happy. Like you, the daily discoveries of things in a new tank are fascinating, I never knew I could absorb myself so quickly into reefing. Not only is the purchasing of corals an addiction, but the researching too. I had lost my husband 7 mos prior so I was happy to have my mind so solidly occupied so I wasn't thinking about loss every day, 24 hrs 7 days a week. It's what I needed mentally.

 

Yeah, you'll love it. Enjoy!!

Thank you for sharing this with me. Your tank is so fun to learn about!! I love learning. I love researching and buying corals is fun also, after I know what I'm getting myself in to!

 

 

 

That worm looks really familiar! I found some in my tank when it was newly set up. It's hard to see details in the photo, they're so small, but I'm pretty sure it's not the common tank bristleworm. Any chance they look like the worm at this link? or any of the worms here? I still see them once in a while and they don't seem to do any harm.

 

 

 

How fast is the hard coral and coralline growing? Alk shouldn't be dropping that fast with your coral load... unless maybe it's precipitating out.

 

 

 

OK, you are confirming what I suspected a while back. My black clown kinda failed to thrive. He'd lay in the duncan most of the day and even though the pair went through all the motions. He died after having him around a year. Sometimes I wonder how much the insides of these designer clownfish change with their pretty mutations.

There are still lots of those little worms. They are more clear than red but do look like that. I'm not sure how large the worm in the picture is, but this are super tiny. I'm not really worried about them.

 

The only corals that really grow are the zoas, toadstool, torch, and Yuma mushroom. The coralline grows really quick I think, for such a new tank, but that is based only on my observation and I'm new so take that with a grain of salt.

 

The third black ocellaris (because I decided not to give up on a black one) is still doing great in Quarantine. She eats well and swims around every so often, but she also likes to hide in the PVC or hang around in the top right corner of the QT with the thermometer (haha, she'll fit right in with Bob if she makes it!!) I didn't know black clownfish were considered designer, I thought that only applied to snowflakes/Picassos/etc. Interesting to know! I thought it was just like a different color (kinda like getting a pink neon fish or a yellow neon fish, same fish just different colors). I wonder if black clownfish have compromised health compared to orange clownfish. Are they bred more selectively? I would imagine so. Gives me something to research!

In the spirit of Halloween, I carved a pumpkin. I had to pick something easy I could do in an hour or two because I work today and tomorrow, so no sculpting. Showed a couple people at work and they didn't know what it was.

 

30371575330_eba34fdc2c_b.jpg

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Just caught up your thread - I'm glad things are going well! I have my fingers crossed for the fish who shall be named Dot once she proves she's not going to die for some stupid random reason fingerscrossed

 

I have the same superstition - I like to name my fish but I hate getting attached to them before I know they're going to stick around, so they stay nameless for the first couple weeks :)

 

I'm glad to hear the coralline is growing quickly, that's a good sign for aquarium health. And coralline can suck up a lot of alkalinity. Keep an eye on your asterinas, though. Some are quite harmless, but other reefers have experienced problems with them. In my 10g tank, I started with one or two cute ones. About eight months later, they took over the tank and ate all the coralline off the rocks, and started going after the zoas. I had to just pick them out whenever I saw them to get things back under control.

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I'm glad to hear the coralline is growing quickly, that's a good sign for aquarium health. And coralline can suck up a lot of alkalinity. Keep an eye on your asterinas, though. Some are quite harmless, but other reefers have experienced problems with them. In my 10g tank, I started with one or two cute ones. About eight months later, they took over the tank and ate all the coralline off the rocks, and started going after the zoas. I had to just pick them out whenever I saw them to get things back under control.

Aye, I've been warned about the asterina several times. I'm going with the innocent-until-proven-guilty approach. I started with one and I have lots now, but I figure I'll leave them alone as long as they play nice.

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Got a couple new corals two days ago. Pictures to follow. Also, my torch coral has split itself right down the middle into two heads. It is still beautiful and happy all the time. It's huge now. I only noticed because 2 nights ago I irritated it messing around in the tank, and it retreated and was all one big head. Then last night after the lights shut off it retreated and was just two separate heads all the sudden! Will post pictures soon. First I need to research the splitting of torch corals.

 

Duncan Coral:

30683319726_436da9c050_b.jpg

Plate Coral:

30087728164_bb72fe8314_b.jpg

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