gone_PHiSHin Posted March 26, 2017 Share Posted March 26, 2017 yeah I like the guys at Elite Reef but their stuff can be a little pricey. they have a good invert selection though for sure I used to go there a lot when I first set up my tank but stopped going as much because they don't get a ton of new stuff in regularly. occasionally they have some nice frags in the $40 section and I'm pretty sure they'll always do 3 for $100. the 'coral cash' helps too. i got got my live rock from them, most of my CUC, and my tailspot blenny (he was tiny when I got him!) I would highly recommend the nano blend reef food they have in the freezer. they make it themselves, it's a blender mix of pretty much everything and my fish and corals seem to love it. they freeze it flat so it's easy to break off a small piece. it's cheap and will last you a long time. once you really get things going though, you MUST go to Aquatic Art in Highlands Ranch. by far the best bang for your buck! I love that place for frags, I was just there yesterday. also the scarlet hermits are $2.50 and they always have some sexy designer clowns and other nano fish. Quote Link to comment
graftobny142 Posted March 28, 2017 Author Share Posted March 28, 2017 Made a ghetto-media basket out of terribly cut acrylic and weld-on 16. It will last until I can use a laser cutter next week. I also installed a cobalt mj 1200 and I have to say, it's much quieter than the stock pump. Water is a little cloudy but the frogspawn is fully extended even after lights out. So I think everything's going well. 1 Quote Link to comment
graftobny142 Posted March 29, 2017 Author Share Posted March 29, 2017 Extended and happy. I think it's getting some more color to it as well. The coral has 2 heads and a 3rd baby head at the base. How does this look for flow? Quote Link to comment
Weetabix7 Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 The flow looks mostly good but slightly low. However, the corals tell you if they're happy, and what you described sounded like a happy coral. Quote Link to comment
graftobny142 Posted March 29, 2017 Author Share Posted March 29, 2017 Saw the frogspawn pooping! I thought it was sweeper tentacle at first. It was a long green string coming out of the mouth. Will the crabs eat it? Quote Link to comment
Weetabix7 Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Who knows, lol, watch and see!! Quote Link to comment
graftobny142 Posted March 30, 2017 Author Share Posted March 30, 2017 Frog pooped, retracted quite a bit, and then came back out an hour later. All 3 crabs ate a piece of scallop, ammonia was slightly elevated between 0-.25 after feeding which seems expected? Quote Link to comment
graftobny142 Posted March 31, 2017 Author Share Posted March 31, 2017 Figured out why the ammonia was elevated. The cerith snail that was a surprise in my cuc pack died a few days ago, and I removed its body as soon as I saw it floating. But I had left the shell in the tank thinking it was empty. Nope! Saw the hermit poking at it so I took it out to smell and it reeked. Quote Link to comment
graftobny142 Posted March 31, 2017 Author Share Posted March 31, 2017 Also, it seems my coral frag came with a bit of algae. Frag was mostly white when I put it in but now has a small covering And it looks like it has grown a little on this rock. I Bayer dipped but didn't do anything for algae :/ Something to worry about? Quote Link to comment
Weetabix7 Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Can't really see much in that last pic to tell. Everything else sounds pretty normal. Quote Link to comment
graftobny142 Posted March 31, 2017 Author Share Posted March 31, 2017 Just two small green/brown spots, similar to the color on the frag plug. Looks like the crab has some on his shell too. Time to get a few snails! Quote Link to comment
graftobny142 Posted April 3, 2017 Author Share Posted April 3, 2017 While I was at the LFS getting some water I couldn't pass this guy up He spent the first 24 hours under the a rock but doesn't even hide when we walk by now. I fed two pinches of Marine Flakes to the tank and he ate a good amount. I can't believe its finally happening! 2 Quote Link to comment
graftobny142 Posted April 5, 2017 Author Share Posted April 5, 2017 Firefish and Hermit crabs take scallop pieces directly, it's awesome! Thanks are going great so far. Small diatom spots present, may get a snail or two. 1 Quote Link to comment
graftobny142 Posted April 5, 2017 Author Share Posted April 5, 2017 Unfortunately the other scarlet hermit died overnight. He hadn't been as active the last few days but was eating. The blue legs are still moving and picking the little algae there is off things. Could I just not have enough algae to support the bigger crabs? I didn't drip acclimate any of the invertebrates but could that cause a problem weeks later? Quote Link to comment
Weetabix7 Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 Just now, themummra said: Unfortunately the other scarlet hermit died overnight. He hadn't been as active the last few days but was eating. The blue legs are still moving and picking the little algae there is off things. Could I just not have enough algae to support the bigger crabs? I didn't drip acclimate any of the invertebrates but could that cause a problem weeks later? Doubt it would cause a problem weeks later. Have you been dropping a little food in there now & then for them? I would. Quote Link to comment
graftobny142 Posted April 5, 2017 Author Share Posted April 5, 2017 I think it may have just molted! There is a crab in the shell still haha I have been feeding them every few days directly. 1 Quote Link to comment
graftobny142 Posted April 5, 2017 Author Share Posted April 5, 2017 I should have taken a picture of the molt. It was the front half of its body, shell was red which made me think it was the actual crab. In other news, my coralline starter arrived from Weetabix7! Poured it in and added the GSP frag in as well after a quick Bayer dip. How long do they take to open? 1 Quote Link to comment
Weetabix7 Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 Yeah, molts can really look like the real thing, I think we've all been fooled by them at one time or another. As for the GSP, you may see a few polyps start to open tonight or tomorrow. Quote Link to comment
graftobny142 Posted April 7, 2017 Author Share Posted April 7, 2017 Crab is still in his shell but he hasn't moved. I think I ####ed his chances when I ran freshwater in the shell to clean it out (thinking he was dead); with how sensitive inverts are to water parameters are. Time to get some snails with this diatom presence. And look what came out a lot quicker than I thought it would. Quote Link to comment
Weetabix7 Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 See, I told ya!! It'll probably open up all the way sometime overnight. Quote Link to comment
graftobny142 Posted April 7, 2017 Author Share Posted April 7, 2017 24 minutes ago, Weetabix7 said: See, I told ya!! It'll probably open up all the way sometime overnight. Maybe not Moved it to my back wall. The power head is blowing across from the left side, may have to adjust that if it is too strong. Quote Link to comment
Weetabix7 Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 Lol, you don't mess around do you?? Quote Link to comment
graftobny142 Posted April 7, 2017 Author Share Posted April 7, 2017 I have to learn somehow! And from what I read GSP is really hardy. Bonus is that it's soft so I cut it with a razor. Quote Link to comment
Weetabix7 Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 4 minutes ago, themummra said: I have to learn somehow! And from what I read GSP is really hardy. Bonus is that it's soft so I cut it with a razor. It's a great one to learn on and yes, quite hardy. Quote Link to comment
graftobny142 Posted April 8, 2017 Author Share Posted April 8, 2017 Went down to Aquatic Arts to get some inverts and walked away with some coral as well. Great store and great staff! First up, 2 Astrea and 3 Cerith to clean the algae I finally have on my sand and glass. Candy Cane Ricordia Zoas+Xenia Gorilla Nipples Found two worms after the Bayer Dip. They appear to be young flatworms, if that is the case its best to remove them right? Since writing this one has torn the other up. Quote Link to comment
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