Mother's Pico 4.3G - CUC introduction

[Sunstar]

I won't be home to see her reaction, I will be at work. Even though I got 3 stitches at work today.

 

It is infront of a window, which is my main concern. I'll see what happens, I may move it somewhere else. Like maybe where my hallowe'en tree resides?

 

also this is the first waterchange since the dino situation

 

[Christopher Marks]

I’m sure she will love it @Sunstar!

[banasophia]

So nice!!! Great job, she’s one lucky mom! 🐠💙🐠

[vlangel]

Such a cool idea, your mom will love it!

[Sunstar]

Okay, Mum came down stairs early so I got to reveal it to her -  which made my day much better.  I of course stood in front of it and said Happy mother's day and then stepped aside, handing her the note I had written because I expected to be at work when she came down.

 

I mentioned in the note that I have wanted to show her my tank, but her knees issue always put me on edge because the basement is a hazard. So I thought I would share with her the experience.  I explained to her that this was the tank I was having trouble with - so it needs to be watched and that we might relocate it to the other side of the room - I don't mind. I also assured her I will take care of its maintenance.

 

I was worried she didn't like it but apparently she was posting about it on facebook.

[Tamberav]

Awww.. I think it is a great gift!
 

It is like gifting a under water garden that will give and give every day and grow more beautiful as time goes on.

[Sunstar]

it'll look pretty. I wish I had more time to get it established.

 

[vlangel]

She will really enjoy watching it mature and you can point out some of the fascinating tiny life in it.

[Sunstar]

I took my mum out for a visit to the coral shop to pick up her choice of "squishy" as I called it. She chose a fire and ice zoa "daisies" as she called them. I also got a pair of those super tiny tiger gobies (they are in her tank, any problems they can go into mine) they are so tiny I have trouble finding them.  I picked up a small turbo snail for her. they also had some caulaupera that I picked up to use as nitrogen export.

 

She was NOT happy with me with getting her to the dentist for an emergency filling. She took my appointment slot and glared daggers at me.

[Christopher Marks]

I'm happy to hear she likes it! Curious to see those tiger gobies, sounds cool! 

[Sunstar]

2 hours ago, Christopher Marks said:

I'm happy to hear she likes it! Curious to see those tiger gobies, sounds cool! 

lets see if they will oblige - they do.

 

I fed them this evening, and wow were they happy and eager for the provided food. happy fat bellies.

 

Can you see the fishy?

 

(Back of house fishy)

 

This is the front of house fishy

 

 

[Sunstar]

I will get teh FTS later. I had to do a bit of cleaning. Hair algae is a bit crazy, I am treating it with fluconzadrol (or however its spelled)

[Sunstar]

Okay, the hair algae is on the cusp of being conquered. I used fenbendazole in this tank to effect its end. Its still within the 10 days treatment span but its nearly cleared up. The front glass is still has crud on it  - I need some new pads. You can see one of the two gobies in this picture. its still doing okay. The trumpet fell down, I'll get around to fixing it.  I am thinking of upgrading to a slightly larger tank, one I can add a sump area like my 10 gallon - to give more flow and to clean the water.

 

[Christopher Marks]

Glad you checked in @Sunstar! How has your mother liked having a pico reef of her own?

[Sunstar]

She loves it and misses it. due to the lack of air con, I have taken it into the basement to keep it safe. my display rarely goes above 82 down there. But it got to about 85 - 86 one day when it was upstairs so for its own safety, its being kept cool. So I try to keep her updated with fishy stories or pics.

 

Also, the hair algae is gone - battle won.

 

I thought i posted this ages ago...

 

 

[Sunstar]

Update:

 

Tank is doing well, kept it in the basement over the summer. gobies are happy.

 

BUT... There is a but....

 

I picked up a  4.3 gallon cube from big als, an AC20 - I plan to pick up an ATO by next summer.  I will be cycling the sand and rock soon, while I get a small overflow setup in the tank.

 

I just want better filtration and the ability to surface skim.

[Sunstar]

 

[Sunstar]

Okay progress with setting up this other tank is a bit slow But..... this is what is going on so far.

 

Sprayed a plasti-dip coating on the designated back side of the tank

Cut black glass and is preparing to cut slots into it for the overflow.

Picked up a Micro Smart ATO.

[vlangel]

1 hour ago, Sunstar said:

Okay progress with setting up this other tank is a bit slow But..... this is what is going on so far.

 

Sprayed a plasti-dip coating on the designated back side of the tank

Cut black glass and is preparing to cut slots into it for the overflow.

Picked up a Micro Smart ATO.

Will this still be your mom's tank?

[Sunstar]

This is still her tank. It has been in my basement because this summer was so dangerously hot.  its her tank, with her choice of creatures to go in it (with guidance and whatnot) but I maintain it.  She is still disabled to maintain it, but I had a problem with hair algae and gunk on the surface that made it really unattractive.   Since its going into a 4 gallon, it won't beable to go back into the basement come next summer - so I will give her my fans -  but that needs a system to counter evap. my ATO system I had on my original nano, would work, but its kinda bulky.  Mum is very particular about how things look - so I am gunning for something that is clean, somewhat automatic and practical.

 

As she is still significantly disabled (having two knee replacements this year) she is really unable to do top offs.

 

Mum's doing the glass cutting -  as she has the equipment. I just give her the specifications.

 

When its installed and cured, we can get it set up where she wants it (this time not near the window) She's excited to see it and her gobies again.

 

 I intended her to have this size tank when I originally got to big als - there was a sale, and I thought that that size would be better for her than what I had originally chosen, but they were sold out, an d I wasn't heading back to that city for a while.  I go to Hamilton only about once every 6 or so months. (I really dislike this city)

[vlangel]

That sounds real nice.  Have you looked into the smart ATO?  They are pretty clean and not intrusive.  As long as you keep the sensor clean they work well.

 

I hear you about the city, I hate cities too.  I am a country gal.

[Sunstar]

8 hours ago, vlangel said:

That sounds real nice.  Have you looked into the smart ATO?  They are pretty clean and not intrusive.  As long as you keep the sensor clean they work well.

 

I hear you about the city, I hate cities too.  I am a country gal.

the smart micro is the one I picked up for this tank.

[Sunstar]

Well that was the shit.

 

Okay - this past weekend, I was worked about 22 hours in 48. I worked two straight days no breaks. Needless to say, when I got home both those days, I was beyond tired to chck on my tanks... Thats when crap happens isn't it?

 

(My weekend is monday/tuesday)

Monday, I notice things are not all right, so I do a water change, not 100% because I don't want to shock things. I gave it a clean, fed the fish.  Insisted that my mother get a move on and cut that glass I needed three weeks earlier because -  something is wrong with the tank. She would not let me use the glass cutters (although I know how to use them) and said she would get around to it.

 

Tuesday I was sick to my stomach, so I spent most of the time in bed, except when I had to go to the fish shop to pay for the rest of my ATO. Tuesday night when I was feeling a little better, I stuck the glass overflow into the tank. I planed to let it cure at least 24 - 36 hours, or at least until the smell of vinegar was gone.

 

Wednesday, fed the gobies, and it all seemed okay, if looking a little rough.

 

Today, I get home from work and I go to feed my fish - my gobies are dead, the mushrooms melted and it smells.  I remove any of the coral surviors, mum's "Daisies" and a couple softies are clinging to life, and I drop them into the bucket where I had the sand/rock cycling. I inform mother of the crash - She needed to understand that, A: this sort of thing can happen -  and B: the importance of, if offering to do something, do it in a timely manner. I had intended to have this set up back October 1 not 18th. Been a full month since, I got the tank And "the delay had dire consequences.

 

I know when we got the glass saw down, I thought it would be done shortly. I did not want to push her because, I know she recently had surgery and can get tired easy. I'd ask, and she said she would, I'd offer to do it, she said no ï'll do it".

 

I explained when something goes south in a tank, it can go very very fast.  I have had two maybe three crashes in the past -  various reasons, from mechanical failture to snail death.

 

Snail death also appears to be the catalyst in this case. I had a snail in that tank, and usually during the day it tucks itself against the rock and it comes out and does its cleaning work by day. When I was removing the rock and stuff, I found mr. stinky wedged in the rock.

 

Needless to say, Mum is devastated. I'm annoyed because if I was on schedule, this would have been largely avoided. But things are what they are. Lessons are to be learned. I feel bad that I failed the gobs. I was so looking forward to seeing them in their snazzy new home.

 

As for the snazzy new home.... (bitter sweet)

 

I am currently filling it. The ATO is in place, I am making a fresh batch of water, heater is in. The bag of  bio-media has been cycling in my reef tank since day one, so hopefully that shall be ready to seed the new reef. the dry rock has been cycling in the bucket of sand and water (which was seeded by squeezed out filter floss - and has been also cycling since day one. There was enough sand in the bucket to cover the bottom of the tank, the overflow is holding - although my silicon job sucks, it's sealed I will put the heater in that area, once its running.

 

I am so sorry, I failed the pico.

 

pics coming soon of the 4.3

[Sunstar]

 

[WV Reefer]

2 hours ago, Sunstar said:

Well that was the shit.

 

Okay - this past weekend, I was worked about 22 hours in 48. I worked two straight days no breaks. Needless to say, when I got home both those days, I was beyond tired to chck on my tanks... Thats when crap happens isn't it?

 

(My weekend is monday/tuesday)

Monday, I notice things are not all right, so I do a water change, not 100% because I don't want to shock things. I gave it a clean, fed the fish.  Insisted that my mother get a move on and cut that glass I needed three weeks earlier because -  something is wrong with the tank. She would not let me use the glass cutters (although I know how to use them) and said she would get around to it.

 

Tuesday I was sick to my stomach, so I spent most of the time in bed, except when I had to go to the fish shop to pay for the rest of my ATO. Tuesday night when I was feeling a little better, I stuck the glass overflow into the tank. I planed to let it cure at least 24 - 36 hours, or at least until the smell of vinegar was gone.

 

Wednesday, fed the gobies, and it all seemed okay, if looking a little rough.

 

Today, I get home from work and I go to feed my fish - my gobies are dead, the mushrooms melted and it smells.  I remove any of the coral surviors, mum's "Daisies" and a couple softies are clinging to life, and I drop them into the bucket where I had the sand/rock cycling. I inform mother of the crash - She needed to understand that, A: this sort of thing can happen -  and B: the importance of, if offering to do something, do it in a timely manner. I had intended to have this set up back October 1 not 18th. Been a full month since, I got the tank And "the delay had dire consequences.

 

I know when we got the glass saw down, I thought it would be done shortly. I did not want to push her because, I know she recently had surgery and can get tired easy. I'd ask, and she said she would, I'd offer to do it, she said no ï'll do it".

 

I explained when something goes south in a tank, it can go very very fast.  I have had two maybe three crashes in the past -  various reasons, from mechanical failture to snail death.

 

Snail death also appears to be the catalyst in this case. I had a snail in that tank, and usually during the day it tucks itself against the rock and it comes out and does its cleaning work by day. When I was removing the rock and stuff, I found mr. stinky wedged in the rock.

 

Needless to say, Mum is devastated. I'm annoyed because if I was on schedule, this would have been largely avoided. But things are what they are. Lessons are to be learned. I feel bad that I failed the gobs. I was so looking forward to seeing them in their snazzy new home.

 

As for the snazzy new home.... (bitter sweet)

 

I am currently filling it. The ATO is in place, I am making a fresh batch of water, heater is in. The bag of  bio-media has been cycling in my reef tank since day one, so hopefully that shall be ready to seed the new reef. the dry rock has been cycling in the bucket of sand and water (which was seeded by squeezed out filter floss - and has been also cycling since day one. There was enough sand in the bucket to cover the bottom of the tank, the overflow is holding - although my silicon job sucks, it's sealed I will put the heater in that area, once its running.

 

I am so sorry, I failed the pico.

 

pics coming soon of the 4.3

Sending you some good reefing vibes~~~~~~~~~~