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Ashley's 32G Biocube (The Sea Shell Motel)


AshleyH

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It's coming together!  Mushroom will probably be ok, but you may want to keep on hand something like Lugol's iodine to dip stressed corals (a couple drops of Lugol's in a cup or so of tank water for 3-5 minutes can really help).  Also is a good idea to dip and inspect for pests every coral, I use Lugol's for that too but there are other/better dips and someone probably can recommend them lol.

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Update:

 

My mushrooms are doing just fine. There is a feather duster worm also growing from the base of one of them.

 

One hermit crab is missing. I found a hermit body and I'm unsure if it is from a molt or if he died :(

 

My tank is having a suspected diatom bloom, which I am struggling with. I suspect it is persistent because I originally used tap water (shame on me) when I filled the tank on day 1. Now I've been using Ro/Di for the past 4 water changes.

 

I added members to my CUC 

2 nassarius snails

6 astrea snails

I had asked for 3 of each at the LFS, somehow got sent home with that number?? Anyway they're in there! 

 

Everyone else is doing well. Will post photos later.

Water parameters are good aside from kH is on the low side (8-9)

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On 11/8/2017 at 12:36 PM, AshleyH said:

Update:

 

My mushrooms are doing just fine. There is a feather duster worm also growing from the base of one of them.

 

One hermit crab is missing. I found a hermit body and I'm unsure if it is from a molt or if he died :(

 

My tank is having a suspected diatom bloom, which I am struggling with. I suspect it is persistent because I originally used tap water (shame on me) when I filled the tank on day 1. Now I've been using Ro/Di for the past 4 water changes.

 

I added members to my CUC 

2 nassarius snails

6 astrea snails

I had asked for 3 of each at the LFS, somehow got sent home with that number?? Anyway they're in there! 

 

Everyone else late is doing well. Will post photos later.

Water parameters are good aside from kH is on the low side (8-9)

Eek!  Yeah tap water at any point can throw params out of whack.

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Since my last water change there hasn't been much diatom growth. Hoping this is the end of it! Water parameters tested today and all is great aside from kH is 7. Going to look into adjusting this so I can get my next coral. 

Heres some updates. Mushrooms we're very happy today ?

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Just wanted to say- I counted all 5 hermit crabs yesterday simultaneously :) Yay! No one died! 

(I thought a small hermit died because I found what looked like his body about 2 weeks ago, but clearly it was just a molt).

 

I'm thinking about adding a coral and/or a fish this weekend.

Some suspects on the wanted list:

1) Tail spot blenny

2) Sand sifter goby

3) Longnose hawkfish

 

4) Frogspawn 

5) Hammer

6) Ricordea mushroom

7) Montipora

8) Brains

 

Also, my diatom bloom is over. No more brown stuff growing on my sand anymore!

 

I guess I'll see what's available at the LFS this weekend....

 

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Hi there, just a comment, it may be early for a sandsifting goby.  I want one terribly in my new tank but know I need to wait a few months for it to mature.  I walked away from two pairs of shrimp goby and bonded gobies today.  It was not easy :)  

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This guy is extra salty

You need to invest in some “coralRX” and dip ALL corals you purchase, regardless of how clean anyone’s tank is. 

 

Its better to be safe than sorry.

 

nice biocube build they’re a nice AIO tank! I have one myself, which is now heavily modified lol

 

normal KH is supposed to be 8-9 dkh for a reef tank depending on what coral you have in there 

 

be wary of the pistol shrimp they don’t like intruders in their cave and will kill anything willing to seek sanctuary... I have lost a few emerald crabs, hermits and a green chromis. 

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As soon as I say everything is going great I notice one of my clownfish (Buzz) has some weird tan/grey "growths" on it- mostly on the head, and very difficult to photograph. He was acting normally otherwise. The clown has been in the tank for 3 weeks now, and the other clownfish (Fuller) is 100% fine. I couldn't find any pictures similar online, but the closest I could come up with was lymphocystis- maybe stress secondary to my water change/tank cleaning on Wednesday?

 

I was at work and the husband was home watching videos of freshwater dipping fish all day. I was hesitant to do it, but he convinced me to dip Buzz last night. We matched the pH and temperature, and dipped him for 5 minutes. He swam upside down for a few seconds when back in the main tank, but this morning he looks great! This may be coincidence, but he now just has a few spots of discoloration on his white bands where the growths were before. 

 

I also added a montipora and a frogspawn coral and dipped them in Coral RX today. Looks like a nudibranch and two amphipods fell off.

I got some phytoplankton and ordered this dosing package: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-2-part-calcium-alkalinity-total-package-bulk.html

 

So there's been a few mishaps so far, but nothing too crazy. Seems like my tank is going through normal newbie stuff. I want to set up a quarantine tank, but need to buy a few things for it first. 

 



 

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pappadumplingz

You might have to keep dipping the monti because it might have nudibranch eggs on it. If you keep dipping it this will break its life cycle. Nice frags though!

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pappadumplingz
33 minutes ago, AshleyH said:

Omg! Can you see eggs in the photo, or is it a suggestion? How often do I dip? Thanks, really appreciating the advice I get on here.

Just a suggestion. It just may have laid eggs on the piece you found the nudibranch on. It just prevents the spread of the nudibranchs in the future if you dip semi regularly. Don't know the specific amount of times you need to dip though, you might have to check that.

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I've never had an issue with pistol shrimp attacking things in the 30 or so years I've had reef tanks. They are one of my favorite things about reef tanks, there are pairs of them in each of our tanks at home. Long nose hawks are great as are Tailspot blennies. I'm not a fan of sand sifter gobies unless they're captive bred, even then they create issues in a tank with their incessant dropping sand on everything. If that Montipora does have eggs, dip every 4 days for 3 weeks to break the cycle.

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We're dipping them every 1-2 days now.

 

Our Sunday night in New England. OCD organization. 

 

Also ordered supplies for a hospital tank to be on the safe side for my clowns. My bank account is not so happy. 

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Reef keeping is a dangerous addiction.

We went to "pick up RO/DI water" at the LFS 2 days ago and my husband spotted something he wanted, which is now happily at home in my tank. "The Brain"IMG_4482.thumb.JPG.61cd4b67b6e59d7d204dbef6ba16ce70.JPG

 

I've been in love with an alveopora at another LFS, but it was not for sale unfortunately. Then we spotted this cute little guy at my usual LFS. One of the employees mis-ID's it as a gonipora and basically told me not to get it (they know I'm new because I'm there all the time). Anyway, my husband went back last night to pick up the last of our supplies for my hopsital tank and bought it as a surprise after he talked with the owner (who knew what it was).

 

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I am super excited about this one! I know it is hard to keep, but it seems happy so far. All my supplies from BRS for 2- part dosing system came in, and I'm about to get all my supplements in check.

 

Buzz the clown is still doing fine in the meantime while my hospital tank is in the works...

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Have been thinking of switching from Instant Ocean to HW marine until I learned of Fritz salt. Found it at my LFS for $40 on sale for 55lb box! Excited to try it out.... IO definitely did not seem coral friendly during my water tests. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've been hesitating to post this in case something went wrong, but last weekend I added a tail spot blenny! I named him Burt Reynolds, and he is getting along quite well with my 2 clowns Fuller and Buzz. The first night he was terrified, but the next morning I found him swimming vertically with my clowns where they all were sleeping! Now he sleeps on the rocks. 

 

I waited 1.5 weeks after I saw the growths on Buzz, but they never came back, and he never exhibited any other symptoms of illness. I now have a 10 gallon quarantine tank set up though, and it's ready to go if I see it again along with some Seachem Cupramine and PraziPro. 

 

My alveopora, brain, mushrooms, and frogspawn are doing well, but I'm thinking the monti is looking bleached out and may be dying. Not sure what the issue is yet. I'm also a little annoyed with my coral banded shrimp Kevin. Frankly, he's becoming an a-hole. He's stepping on and pinching my coral and taking jabs at my fish. I may trade him later on down the road. 

 

I seem to be having a green dust algae bloom on the glass. I've given some pellets I got as a freebie and suspect that may be the culprit. 

 

And here's Burt.... very hard to photograph... see if you can spot him :)

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7 hours ago, AshleyH said:

I've been hesitating to post this in case something went wrong, but last weekend I added a tail spot blenny! I named him Burt Reynolds, and he is getting along quite well with my 2 clowns Fuller and Buzz. The first night he was terrified, but the next morning I found him swimming vertically with my clowns where they all were sleeping! Now he sleeps on the rocks. 

 

I waited 1.5 weeks after I saw the growths on Buzz, but they never came back, and he never exhibited any other symptoms of illness. I now have a 10 gallon quarantine tank set up though, and it's ready to go if I see it again along with some Seachem Cupramine and PraziPro. 

 

My alveopora, brain, mushrooms, and frogspawn are doing well, but I'm thinking the monti is looking bleached out and may be dying. Not sure what the issue is yet. I'm also a little annoyed with my coral banded shrimp Kevin. Frankly, he's becoming an a-hole. He's stepping on and pinching my coral and taking jabs at my fish. I may trade him later on down the road. 

 

I seem to be having a green dust algae bloom on the glass. I've given some pellets I got as a freebie and suspect that may be the culprit. 

 

And here's Burt.... very hard to photograph... see if you can spot him :)

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Nice additions!  I have heard that CBS can be jerks.  There are yellow (not the gold) and blue varieties that are smaller and supposed to be more peaceful.

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glad to see you got a TSB!  one of my favorite fish, they will quickly become a great addition to any nano 

 

also IMO if you aren't too attached to your CBS, i would try to get him out sooner than later if he's already taking shots at your fish.  i've never really considered them safe for nanos, i've read too many stories about them killing smaller fish

 

looking good so far!  i love the names of your clowns haha (i watch that movie every year before Christmas :D)

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 12/5/2017 at 10:39 AM, gone_PHiSHin said:

also IMO if you aren't too attached to your CBS, i would try to get him out sooner than later if he's already taking shots at your fish.

Kevin made his final debut today. I took him back to the LFS. He wasn't too hard to catch luckily. I lured him out with some mysis shrimp and chased him up a wall with the net. 

With some of my store credit I bought a green (longish) polyp toadstool leather coral today. I keep hoping my clowns will like one of the corals I buy. So far they just like their corner for sleeping, although they do venture out throughout the whole tank now. 

 

Say goodbye Kevin!

 

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Here is the leather in the store... once it opens up more in my tank I'll post a picture

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