New Red Sea World for Squishy

[SquishyFishy]

OK I want one when the time comes...these guys are really cute:

New species Candy Cane Hermit just identified near Bonaire:

[Minidoll]

That is cute! How's the tank doing, any better? And the fish? Bummer to hear of your tank woes.

[SquishyFishy]

My new fish are in quarantine at the lfs but are improving and can probably return in another week! Everyone else is doing well, I think the Monti is improving, getting some color back.

 

Tank is doing much better but now am having the same Cyanno problems as last tank. The skimmer offered with the RSM is awesome and really collects a lot of goop,but that pesky orange stuff on my sand bed drives me bananas! I'm using the new Vibrant which did wonders in the smaller tank but isn't keeping up with the Cyanno here...yet.

[SquishyFishy]

Well the wrasse didn't make it but the tang came home back to normal...been back a week, no more signs of disease.  My lfs guy gave me a Diamond Goby to replace the wrasse, but within 4 days I came home to a plastic wrasse laying on top of my net screen, somehow he'd jumped straight up and managed to get through the 1/4'' net and fell back down on top of it but we were gone.  Wow, he was worth $30 so no more of those guys for me, I'll stick with just the fish I have now...no more.  The Monti is still bleaching and it was the star of my tank, so huge and green, and mostly I think he and the Nems are not too happy in the new tank and I think it is due to the change in lighting.  Dave's lights cannot be beat.  The AI lights that came with my RSM are just not the same.  Nothing looks pretty to me really unless I have it on almost nothing but blues.  The Nems appear to be deep purple and are not opening well and not bubbling up like they always did in my last tank with Dave's lights.  I can't justify doing away with a set of $600 lights though so I guess I'll just have to keep tweaking them and hope everyone improves.  The Cyano is under control somewhat with all the additives I've been using.   But overall, I'm not as pleased with the new tank as I thought I'd be.  Guess I have to give it some time.

[do not smoke the reef(er)]

sorry to hear about the mummified fish you found on the screen. Had a yellow watchman goby, mine did the same thing with a screen on but ended up getting all the way out, i think My dog got him.

 

What do your settings on your Hydras look like? 

[SquishyFishy]

I have the whites at only 25%, the blues are at 90, no UV, no greens nor reds at all and I think the Violet is at 40%.  If I adjust the whites any higher, the leather goes into morning and everything else closes up mostly.

 

My biggest beef is that Dave's lights would give a really great neon effect on all blues and these AIs don't, even when I turn the whites off like just before bed, with just the blues on, the water looks all blue but the Ricordia is blah instead of neon, the leather too used to be really neon green, so I'm really disappointed.  AND...the nems really do not like it at all, they haven't really opened up all the way nor bubbled since they moved.

[ninjamyst]

sorry to hear about the wrasse and your issues with the AI lights.  I seen a 60 gallons tank running 2 Hydra 26 HD and the color was awesome.  All the corals in that tank glow like crazy.  I am surprised you dont like the light.  Of course Nanobox has that magic spectrum, but the AI should be comparable.  

[SquishyFishy]

Thx for replying, I value your experience Ninja....well either that or I'm doing something wrong, the Monti which was brilliant green in the Biocube and my prize center specimen is now almost completely grey!!  Not to mention my nems which got such great compliments for their bubbles and color!  Finding folks with RSM E series to compare settings with are almost nil!  I read some advice that I should just give it time and they will adapt.  The filter media is still a sore spot...when I was used to replacing floss pads every 3 days and now the inconvenience of having to pry out the sponges (quite hard for me) and go spray them outside to clean.  I'd rather have the floss back!  I can say that the skimmer is excellent though!  producing sludge of pudding consistancy.  And the collection cup is really big so you don't have to clean but once a month.

 

I also read a lot of advise to just leave the cyano go and it would disappear in a while.  I'm dosing Dr. Tim's Waste Away now so just bacteria that will hopefully eat the rust colored crap up!

[do not smoke the reef(er)]

On 2/25/2017 at 8:13 AM, SquishyFishy said:

I have the whites at only 25%, the blues are at 90, no UV, no greens nor reds at all and I think the Violet is at 40%.  If I adjust the whites any higher, the leather goes into morning and everything else closes up mostly.

 

My biggest beef is that Dave's lights would give a really great neon effect on all blues and these AIs don't, even when I turn the whites off like just before bed, with just the blues on, the water looks all blue but the Ricordia is blah instead of neon, the leather too used to be really neon green, so I'm really disappointed.  AND...the nems really do not like it at all, they haven't really opened up all the way nor bubbled since they moved.

I would try turning the whites down on these some. I run my whites at a max of 15 percent, mainly at 13 for the majority of the day. Corals are loving it. Blues at about 70 greens and reds are off.

 

Sorry to hear that even when your whites go off your blues do not pop. Do you happen to have a screen shot of your settings?

[SquishyFishy]

I'll get my hubs to help me and get one in here.  We have the app on a ipad, so he'll have to pull it up on this PC and I can get the Screen Shot for you.

 

Thanks for your help Cheifin

[do not smoke the reef(er)]

3 minutes ago, SquishyFishy said:

I'll get my hubs to help me and get one in here.  We have the app on a ipad, so he'll have to pull it up on this PC and I can get the Screen Shot for you.

 

Thanks for your help Cheifin

happy to help! there is also an AI Prime group on FB, they help with hydras as well. 

 

AI Prime reef group   let me know if you need me to send an invited over Facebook if you can not find it.

[SquishyFishy]

unfortunately, I deleted my FB acct.

[SquishyFishy]

well things are looking up around here...Thank you God!

 

I got a new AI profile upload from an expert over on Reef Central and since then, the corals are starting to improve, nems are looking much better.  Chemiclean champagne is succeeding and most Cyano is dimishing now.  Fish are doing O.K. although the yellow tang won't hardly eat.  Some evidence of Lateral Line in her.  But I am adopting a wait and see attitude with all things these day instead of stampeding.

 

I have finally remembered our old stand by "Nothing happens fast in reefing!"  Ordered a new CUC from John, I was almost out of any sand sifting inhabitants.  And vow not to clean so much, the lfs guy says my tank is way too clean, he has a block sponge in his main RSM tank he hasn't cleaned in 5 years, he says I need more bacteria.
 

[SquishyFishy]

Thought I'd report a change today. Monticap is decidedly greener this afternoon and after shedding its entire skin the toadstool leather is putting its polyps out So I'm doing better as well 

 

Everyone over on Reef Central agreed I was forgetting this tank is so new again.  And they were right.  One said no WC for 3 or 4 weeks, just let tank lie...so that's what I'm doing.  I think cyano is getting better also.

[Minidoll]

So glad things are turning around for you. Whew, been worried for you. It's such a beautiful tank! I had a setback with my 20. Doser wasn't working properly so my ALK and CA got totally off balance. My super stable box of water became an unstable nightmare overnight. Lost 3 SPS, my brittle starfish and my emerald crab. Actually, the whole tank looked awful but I figured out the problem, fixed it and everything is fluffy again and on the mend. This hobby sure has its highs and lows. 

[Weetabix7]

On 3/15/2017 at 8:36 PM, SquishyFishy said:

Thought I'd report a change today. Monticap is decidedly greener this afternoon and after shedding its entire skin the toadstool leather is putting its polyps out So I'm doing better as well 

 

Everyone over on Reef Central agreed I was forgetting this tank is so new again.  And they were right.  One said no WC for 3 or 4 weeks, just let tank lie...so that's what I'm doing.  I think cyano is getting better also.

 

What great news, SO glad to hear things are improving!!!!

[SquishyFishy]

GLad to hear that also doll.  Yes, it's hit and miss all the time!  Thx for the shout out Weetabix.

 

Today, had another high...decided that yes I have SPS after all and what does it love...light!  Eureka!  I moved the Bird's Nest up higher in the tank (switched it with the torch) and the colony is opening up much better, so I was the problem not the lighting!  In 4 hrs, it actually looks pink and green again...Who knew?! LOL  I will try to be patient while it heals up...hope I see it fluffy again soon.  The new CUC additions are settle in, so I raked the tip top of the sand bed to stir up the Cyano.  It looks a little better, but dang, that stuff is lethal!  I blow it off the rock and coral several times a day!

 

This tank is at least 8 to 10 inches deeper so I just wasn't thinking!

[SquishyFishy]

Here's the latest FTS:

The torch was up where the birds nest is and the bird's nest was right over the white rock.  If you compare with my sig shot you can see where the Monticap was at first plus now have more rock for filtering.

[SquishyFishy]

I love my Black Cap Basslet, but boy does he love to dig and throw sand and rock around, which the others on the right of the tank, including my nems absolutely loath!

 

Speaking of the nems.  They are still very unhappy, I'm not attempting to move them up, they can walk around whenever, but if the day ever comes when they bubble up pink again, then I'll really relax!  Their mouths have been pretty wide open so it is concerning!

You can see them both in the bottom on the sand underneath the leather toadstool and next to the green recordia, who is also finally opening up

[SquishyFishy]

I'm trying not to panic about the nems and remember that to them, they are in a new tank, even though everything in there but the sand is almost 3 years old!

 

But when I look at this shot of the BC last April, it kind of makes my stomach sink!

[SquishyFishy]

Well, had to bust down the tank yesterday...so stressful!  Just couldn't handle the cyano anymore.  The stuff had to be siphoned every day!  It could be rolled up like a carpet over top of the sand bed and it regrew overnight!  It was horrific.  I bought a new sand cleaner but it wasn't strong enough to suck this thick sludge up.  Nothing chemical could touch it.  It was suffocating all the rock and corals also.  I think it was a different strain of cyano, more aggressive and thicker for sure...never seen this kind before.  Threw away some rock also and will replace it with new dry rock.

 

Praying that all my corals make it along with the stressed fish.  I took each rock out and scrubbed it, put it back in and siphoned all the sand out, it's now bare bottom.  Poor little corals were so stressed.  Just hope they do not die and cause a spike in ammonia/nitrate/nitrites.   Did a WC and will do another today when I put the new rock in.  Cleaned the back chambers and pumps also trying to get every trace of the sh1t out!  This has caused me so much angst that I was/am considering giving up the hobby now.  I just don't have the fortitude to fight this anymore.  Did I mention we leave for a cruise in a week???  Who knows what will happen while we're gone, but at least there is no sand for it to feed on.  We'll see what happens, but if it returns, I'm done!  Anyone need an almost new Red Sea Max E 260 half price????

[SquishyFishy]

Did more research and now I find out I'm all wrong, its dinos not cyano!  So have ordered DinoX and will try that, lights out and more Microbacter7  But , it's good that I went bare bottom.

[SquishyFishy]

well, I guess this tank has totally crashed.  Lost both nems along with the birdsnest who was declining anyway, most mushrooms are hanging on just barely, blue ones are OK green ones are looking more black than green, sadddd.  Leather is pouting but I think he'll make it.  And the green Monti is unbelievably doing quite well considering.  I'm removing critters as they expire but I know I'll probably see an ammonia spike, fixin to test that this morning.  The fish are all OK, crabs are too.  But its such a shock to look at it right now.  Almost over the edge and wanting to give up...but Hubs talked me out of it...too much invested so I've ordered some things I had put off, Hanna checkers for Phosphate and calk and a doser for Kalkwasser.

 

Doing a huge water change this afternoon after he returns from work.  So hopefully, we'll better water quality tonight.  Not purchasing any more corals until the things I have now are thriving again.

[HIppieRose]

Hope all recovers soon.  I have wanted to give up so many times. 

[SquishyFishy]

Thanks I appreciate that!  Tank looks pristine without the sand although I do see some Dinoflagellates popping back up on some of the cleaner rocks.  The Dinox is coming in 2 days so we'll see if it works.  I've decided that when its time, I'm going to repopulate with the green star polyps I love, so much great color, easy to keep and let it cover the rocks.  I will also replace my nems...but that's it...no more corals after that.  Softies are so easy to take care of and can take so much abuse.  Gonna try to seed the tank with Coralline so it will start growing on the glass bottom.