Ratvan's RSM 130D

[Ratvan]

1 minute ago, Amphrites said:

Ime, and from my reading, once any algae gets some height and structure most CUC won't touch it and you may need to remove it manually.

Supposed occasional exceptions are turbos, urchins, and crabs if you get lucky. Otherwise big herbivorous fish sometimes go for it as a snack.

Its not long at all, I thought it was more of a film algae than a turf algae? Its how it looks when i'm scrubbing it off the rocks. Doing 2-3 Rocks a day at the moment so need something to help me out here.

 

This is cleaning since Thursday

 

Knock the lights right down and blackout and scrub and siphon?

[Picogoby]

16 minutes ago, Amphrites said:

Ime, and from my reading, once any algae gets some height and structure most CUC won't touch it and you may need to remove it manually.

Supposed occasional exceptions are turbos, urchins, and crabs if you get lucky. Otherwise big herbivorous fish sometimes go for it as a snack.

Yeh! He should stick 3-4 tangs in there 🤣!

you may get lucky with turbos. Urchins are ok, but they sometimes just die and there’s a LOT of flesh to rot away!

[Picogoby]

13 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Its not long at all, I thought it was more of a film algae than a turf algae? Its how it looks when i'm scrubbing it off the rocks. Doing 2-3 Rocks a day at the moment so need something to help me out here.

 

This is cleaning since Thursday

 

Knock the lights right down and blackout and scrub and siphon?

It’s black out time again! ...... then get a big CUC!

[Ratvan]

2 minutes ago, Picogoby said:

Yeh! He should stick 3-4 tangs in there 🤣!

you may get lucky with turbos. Urchins are ok, but they sometimes just die and there’s a LOT of flesh to rot away!

You see that Yellow Wrasse? She's a snail killing machine

Can actually see the remnants of the last CUC scattered around, and my one surviving Hermit!

[A.m.P]

1 hour ago, Ratvan said:

You see that Yellow Wrasse? She's a snail killing machine

Can actually see the remnants of the last CUC scattered around, and my one surviving Hermit!

Sounds like you've got urchins in your future

[Ratvan]

2 minutes ago, Amphrites said:

Sounds like you've got urchins in your future

Yup that's why I not just bought a couple of Turbos and called it a day!

So an Urchins (maybe two) and a Conch?

[A.m.P]

I don't really have any experience with them to level, you're better off asking other folks, sorry.

Just seems like you don't have much else in the way of options.

[ECLS Reefer]

4 hours ago, Ratvan said:

OK so i need a CuC advise on this stuff

 

Urchin?Will that be ok with my Spazz Wrasse?

Neither of my wrasses even give the urchin herd a second thought

[Ratvan]

So I have had to order some Clean up Crew, have been to most of the LFS nearby and none of them carry either Urchins or Conch's (the ones I want anyway) So have had to resort to ordering online, not particularly keen on this as things being shipped to me don't tend to have a very long life. 

 

In other news have been thinking about what Clownfish (I know, I know, people in the office want clowns) species that I want to try and have narrowed it down to three different (not that different from each other) sub species. 

 

Allard's Clownfish - Amphiprion Allardi

 

Pacific Fire Clownfish - Amphiprion Melanopus

 

Seabae Clownfish - Amphiprion Clarkii

[debbeach13]

1 hour ago, Ratvan said:

Seabae Clownfish - Amphiprion Clarkii

I have had these. Only had one. Bullied every thing when it got large. 

[Ratvan]

16 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

I have had these. Only had one. Bullied every thing when it got large. 

What else did you have in the tank with them? And which one did you have? 

[A.m.P]

2 hours ago, Ratvan said:

What else did you have in the tank with them? And which one did you have? 

They quoted the clarkii and they're known to be pretty mean, if you're considering lookalikes my understanding is that tomatoes/cinnamons and the hybrid maroon-occy (blood orange) clowns are similar in body but much improved in temperament. Saddlebacks are an honorable mention as they get ugly and can get mean, but don't always.

-Disclaimer, like almost everything I say this is booknerd speak, hit up someone w/ experience for specifics and hands-on.

[Ratvan]

2 minutes ago, Amphrites said:

They quoted the clarkii and they're known to be pretty mean, if you're considering lookalikes my understanding is that tomatoes/cinnamons and the hybrid maroon-occy (blood orange) clowns are similar in body but much improved in temperament. Saddlebacks are an honorable mention as they get ugly and can get mean, but don't always.

-Disclaimer, like almost everything I say this is booknerd speak, hit up someone w/ experience for specifics and hands-on.

Yeah I meant what was in the tank with the Clarkii, as they mentioned it bullied everything else. But not what that everything else was

I'm kinda wanting something with teeth that's a total Richard, Too many hands are going in this tank.

 

Anyways, onto maintenance. I moved one rock slightly and think I have found my deadspot and why the tank was struggling (or at least one of the easier reasons to find)

Yeah, that looks sexy. Will do another Water Change today once this lot is in the back chamber, change floss etc. The rock in question is now front left. 

 

[debbeach13]

Amphrites is correct it was a Clarkii. The tank was a 55 gallon with black domino, blue devil, and a six line. The only reason the other fish were not all killed was it had 50 lbs. of rock with plenty of places to hide. Very active semi-aggressive tank. Geez now that I am talking about it I miss that tank.

[Ratvan]

Cant remember if I posted this anywhere or not? This week shall be getting an Anemone delivered.

Decided to take a Punt and Hope that it is a BTA £5.00

 

Listed as Purple Tip Anemone so we shall see what I get

[debbeach13]

 I hope it goes well for you. I think it is pretty as is.

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

7 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Cant remember if I posted this anywhere or not? This week shall be getting an Anemone delivered.

Decided to take a Punt and Hope that it is a BTA £5.00

 

Listed as Purple Tip Anemone so we shall see what I get

WHOA that thing is sexy!

[billygoat]

4 hours ago, Ratvan said:

Listed as Purple Tip Anemone so we shall see what I get

Hmm... I wonder what kind it is! Hopefully not some Heteractis monster that will grow to be a half-meter across. 😁 Whatever it is, it certainly looks pretty though!

 

Glad to hear things are starting to get back on track after all the power outage struggles you've faced recently. Kudos to you for hangin' in there and doing what needs to be done. 🙏

[Ratvan]

4 minutes ago, billygoat said:

Hmm... I wonder what kind it is! Hopefully not some Heteractis monster that will grow to be a half-meter across. 😁 Whatever it is, it certainly looks pretty though!

 

Glad to hear things are starting to get back on track after all the power outage struggles you've faced recently. Kudos to you for hangin' in there and doing what needs to be done. 🙏

Lmao its a snake lock. FFS. Cancelled

 

Thanks. Was very close to giving up, the support on here made me change my mind

[Picogoby]

38 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Lmao its a snake lock. FFS. Cancelled

 

Thanks. Was very close to giving up, the support on here made me change my mind

To quote the inspirational Dory:  “just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming........”

[StinkyBunny]

I swear to Christ, if I have to come to England over clowns, there's gonna be an international incident!! If you want clowns, Pink or Orange skunks have the best temperament of them all, even those can fly off the handle and murder a tank of fish. I have someone that wants the Sebaes I have in the run so they're going away and I might get a colony of Orange skunks for the Carpet. This isn't going to be fun catching those assholes, they're mean as a damn snake.

[Ratvan]

Fish jerky as a welcome this morning, poor little Spazz

 

[debbeach13]

That stinks. Sorry. Is that tank topless.

[Ratvan]

4 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

That stinks. Sorry. Is that tank topless.

Yes the hood has been removed long ago (prior to me getting the tank) I do have an Eggcrate cover that I place over. Just forgot last night, again. Just not as lucky this time. 

So down to Pele and Pen in this tank now....... possibly the little Gobies as well but rarely see them 

 

Will be looking to see when and if I can afford to sump this, might as well get it how I want it while its pretty much empty, started gathering containers for the livestock and rock and water

Essentially just need the pvc plumbing and the sump itself

[Ratvan]

@SliceGolfer, saw this on another thread. At what point would you add a sump to the system? After Point 12?

BTW will rehome the two remaining fish i have, I want this tank to work this time and dont think I can realistically keep the two alive in temp accommodation 

 

1. Gather enough 5 gallon buckets to place all your alive livestock in, including live rock. Or a large Rubbermaid bin.

2. Make enough fresh saltwater (from RODI water, not tap) to fill the buckets once full of livestock and rock.

3. Make enough fresh saltwater (from RODI water, not tap) to fill your aquarium.

4. Fill one or two empty buckets about 25% full.

5. Item by item, move your corals, rock, and fish into the buckets.

6. Be sure to cover the livestock with fresh saltwater so nothing is exposed to air.

7. Once all livestock and rocks have been moved to fresh saltwater, move to next steps.

8. Remove you filter, skimmer, heater, etc, etc.

9. If you have ceramic media in your filter, place it in the buckets with your livestock.

10. Drain all the water from your tank. Toss it down the toilet.

11. Take all your sand and toss it in the trash.

12 Thoroughly (and I mean thoroughly) clean your tank with vinegar and water. Put it in the bath tub and clean it. Scrub it. Make it look new.

13. Clean every bit of equipment you use with vinegar and water. Scrub it. Make it look new.

14. Put the tank back on the stand and add the hardware.

15. Skip sand, go bare bottom.

16. Fill the tank 25% with fresh saltwater.

17. Put all your live rock back in the tank and scape it.

18. Fill the tank 75% full of water.

19. Put all corals and livestock back in the tank.

20. Fill the tank to the proper level with fresh saltwater.

21. Put the ceramic media back in the filter, if used.

22. Put in new filter pads.

23. Fill the filter with water.

24. Plug everything in and turn each item on, one by one.

25. Make any adjustments as needed while you bring equipment online. Water level, temp, salinity, flow, etc.

26. Be prepared to top off the tank with fresh saltwater as equipment comes online and lowers water level.

27. Monitor the tank for anything, leaks, filter, skimmer, power head, heater. Make fine tune adjustments.

28. Leave lights off for one day.

29. Monitor the tank every hour when you are home, be ready to adjust any gear, or top off with fresh RODI water.

30. Run a full set of water tests and establish a baseline. Turn lights back on to normal schedule.