Struggles of a beginner

[Enthrol]

Anyone have any success making their own calibration solution for a refractometer?

 

We're under quarantine but lucky my local petco decided to ignore that and I was able to grab a new one. Unfortunately I seem to have misplaced my solution I used previously and can't order more currently.

 

edit: 

Found this link that seems pretty good. Going to look more into it.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/rhf/index.php
 

[Clown79]

2 hours ago, Enthrol said:

Anyone have any success making their own calibration solution for a refractometer?

 

We're under quarantine but lucky my local petco decided to ignore that and I was able to grab a new one. Unfortunately I seem to have misplaced my solution I used previously and can't order more currently.

 

edit: 

Found this link that seems pretty good. Going to look more into it.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/rhf/index.php
 

You can use rodi or distilled water if you can't get calibration solution

[Daan6661]

Dude, I've scanned to your thread and I must say:

 

You're totally handling all this stuff very well. 

 

Wel done sir. 

 

[Enthrol]

7 hours ago, Clown79 said:

You can use rodi or distilled water if you can't get calibration solution

It'll be slightly off when reading saltwater right? But it'll do until I can get more calibration fluid.

[Clown79]

54 minutes ago, Enthrol said:

It'll be slightly off when reading saltwater right? But it'll do until I can get more calibration fluid.

Many use either for calibration. 

The solution is the better option but the other 2 work as well 

[Enthrol]

7 hours ago, Daan6661 said:

Dude, I've scanned to your thread and I must say:

 

You're totally handling all this stuff very well. 

 

Wel done sir. 

 

Thank you. I've been trying real hard to be patient and not look for quick fixes. Got some really good advice early on to make small changes and observe how those effect the ecosystem. 
 

Though I will admit my frustration with my snails and I'm dying to add a new fish lol. Good thing about the quarantine is I'm forced to wait lol.

1 hour ago, Clown79 said:

Many use either for calibration. 

The solution is the better option but the other 2 work as well 

Awesome. Thank you.

[Enthrol]

So I have a lot of time to observe the tank and think.

 

Since I'm having trouble with my snails I'm considering purchasing hermits instead of adding more snails. I still want to try Cerith snails before I make any real decisions on CuC, but anyone have a hermit dominate CuC? 

[billygoat]

15 hours ago, Enthrol said:

I touched it yesterday during maintenance it is was hard, and no slimy qualities. Also used the turkey baster directly on it and it didn't let loose.

 

I'll keep an eye on it and see if brushing it with a toothbrush dislodges it during my next water change.

 

Based off your description though, I'm inclined to believe its Coralline. Also if I'm remembering correctly Billygoat mentioned coralline up taking Alk and Calcium. That might account for my slow drop in those parameters. Haven't heard of coralline being maroon, but I'm sure there's a lot more coming I havent seen before.

Coralline comes in a huge variety of colors and growth forms. It can be red, pink, maroon, or sometimes even green! It wouldn't surprise me if you've got a bit popping up in your tank, and its a good sign as its generally indicative of a healthy system.

 

Great to see you're still trucking along. Quarantines and other limitations on movement have thrown a wrench into many people's reefing plans, but it seems like you've got a good plan to wait it out. I know it's obnoxious to have to wait to add more livestock, but this extra time will almost certainly be beneficial for the long-term stability of your system. 👍

[Clown79]

15 minutes ago, Enthrol said:

So I have a lot of time to observe the tank and think.

 

Since I'm having trouble with my snails I'm considering purchasing hermits instead of adding more snails. I still want to try Cerith snails before I make any real decisions on CuC, but anyone have a hermit dominate CuC? 

Hermits aren't really that bad.

 

Unfortunately they get blamed a lot for snail death, in reality one will never know if that snail was I'll or dying- therefore the hermit did you a favor by doing its job(cleaning)

 

Shrimps do the same thing.

 

I've had snails sit for days, even flipped over- I've had to remove them, flip them, or leave them my hermits couldn't be bothered with them

 

Get red scarlets, not red legged. Red scarlets have full red body and yellow around the eyes.

 

Zebra's, left claw, striped seem to be aggressive.

 

They are awesome cleaners and bother no one.

[Enthrol]

3 hours ago, Clown79 said:

Hermits aren't really that bad.

 

Unfortunately they get blamed a lot for snail death, in reality one will never know if that snail was I'll or dying- therefore the hermit did you a favor by doing its job(cleaning)

 

Shrimps do the same thing.

 

I've had snails sit for days, even flipped over- I've had to remove them, flip them, or leave them my hermits couldn't be bothered with them

 

Get red scarlets, not red legged. Red scarlets have full red body and yellow around the eyes.

 

Zebra's, left claw, striped seem to be aggressive.

 

They are awesome cleaners and bother no one.

I'm noticing the same thing with my hermits. The turbos wont stay right side up lately and the hermits couldnt be bothered to investigate. 

[Enthrol]

3 hours ago, billygoat said:

Coralline comes in a huge variety of colors and growth forms. It can be red, pink, maroon, or sometimes even green! It wouldn't surprise me if you've got a bit popping up in your tank, and its a good sign as its generally indicative of a healthy system.

 

Great to see you're still trucking along. Quarantines and other limitations on movement have thrown a wrench into many people's reefing plans, but it seems like you've got a good plan to wait it out. I know it's obnoxious to have to wait to add more livestock, but this extra time will almost certainly be beneficial for the long-term stability of your system. 👍

Thanks for the support. Eager to be able to show some progression but doesn't hurt to go slow.

[Enthrol]

Well... 

 

Found 2 more aiptasia stalks today, more bubble algae, and a couple more vermitid snails.

 

Luckily they are all located on one rock. Just going to pull that rock out and let it dry. Most of my problems start there, but that also holds the one featherduster I've seen and a host of pineapple sponges.

 

Maybe I can add it back in a couple weeks.

[Clown79]

13 minutes ago, Enthrol said:

Well... 

 

Found 2 more aiptasia stalks today, more bubble algae, and a couple more vermitid snails.

 

Luckily they are all located on one rock. Just going to pull that rock out and let it dry. Most of my problems start there, but that also holds the one featherduster I've seen and a host of pineapple sponges.

 

Maybe I can add it back in a couple weeks.

Why not just remove the items? Drying out the rock kills everything on and in it and it should be cycled separately before being added back into the tank.

[Enthrol]

14 minutes ago, Clown79 said:

Why not just remove the items? Drying out the rock kills everything on and in it and it should be cycled separately before being added back into the tank.

Frustration mostly I guess. If you remember the pictures I've posted, its the branch that sits on top. 
 

I have other rocks I can add if the current rock volume proves to be too little.

 

And if I'm being completely honest I'm not happy with the way the branch looks, so I guess there's a measure of looking for a reason to pull it too.

[DreC80]

I'm with ya...it looks a little out of place.  You could always remove the aptasia, bubble algae, etc and break the branch rock up and use it in your rear chamber to maintain the bio filtration it provides.

[Enthrol]

1 hour ago, DreC80 said:

I'm with ya...it looks a little out of place.  You could always remove the aptasia, bubble algae, etc and break the branch rock up and use it in your rear chamber to maintain the bio filtration it provides.

That's a thought! 
 

Think I'll let it dry, then cure it and some other rocks I have stashed away to do just that.

 

Only have 1 snail, 2 hermits, and a firefish worth of bioload so the rocks I have should support it, but I'll keep an eye on my ammonia just to be sure.

 

I'm going to hold off on adding anything but CuC for a month or two until I get a good balance for my CuC. Hopefully I can cure the leftover rocks I have for the back chambers.

 

Here's a look without the branch. Like the way its a little more open, I'm able to better see the other rock, and it provides more places to eventually set corals.

[billygoat]

2 hours ago, Enthrol said:

Well... 

 

Found 2 more aiptasia stalks today, more bubble algae, and a couple more vermitid snails.

 

Luckily they are all located on one rock. Just going to pull that rock out and let it dry. Most of my problems start there, but that also holds the one featherduster I've seen and a host of pineapple sponges.

 

Maybe I can add it back in a couple weeks.

Aiptasia is awful, and bubble algae can be pretty gnarly too, but to speak from my experience: don't worry too much about it. I've had Aiptasia, bubble algae, and all sorts of other things living in my tank since the very beginning. Harboring a small number of these pests is practically inevitable in a home aquarium. It's only when they get completely out of control that you have to really worry about them, but in a balanced system they will have to compete for space and nutrients with a host of other more desirable organisms, and this competition will generally hold them at bay. So the message I guess is: Don't panic!  If the pests on your rock become problematic later on down the line, you can cross that bridge when you come to it. 

 

That being said, I actually rather like the 'scape with that branch removed! 😁 It's smart of you to consider the eventual placement of corals, as they're likely to come in on bits of rock or frag plugs that will take up plenty of space. Your fish load is also quite low, so I have to imagine that the impact on your biofilter from removing that rock will be minimal.

[Enthrol]

42 minutes ago, billygoat said:

Aiptasia is awful, and bubble algae can be pretty gnarly too, but to speak from my experience: don't worry too much about it. I've had Aiptasia, bubble algae, and all sorts of other things living in my tank since the very beginning. Harboring a small number of these pests is practically inevitable in a home aquarium. It's only when they get completely out of control that you have to really worry about them, but in a balanced system they will have to compete for space and nutrients with a host of other more desirable organisms, and this competition will generally hold them at bay. So the message I guess is: Don't panic!  If the pests on your rock become problematic later on down the line, you can cross that bridge when you come to it. 

 

That being said, I actually rather like the 'scape with that branch removed! 😁 It's smart of you to consider the eventual placement of corals, as they're likely to come in on bits of rock or frag plugs that will take up plenty of space. Your fish load is also quite low, so I have to imagine that the impact on your biofilter from removing that rock will be minimal.

I hear you. Like I said to Clown, there's a measure of looking for a reason to remove the branch. 
 

I'm aware that removing it isn't going to really solve anything. The pests will just pop up elsewhere. Its just part of having an aquarium, take the good and deal with the bad. 
 

Even if the removal does solve the problem short term, it'll only last as long as I dont add anything new.

 

It is reassuring to know I'm not doing anything wrong to get these pests though.

[Enthrol]

Oh just realized I didn't post this yet.

 

When my lights came on today saw *another* new thing.

 

After some research I'm thinking copepods, but I'm reading some contradictory things. 
 

Tiny white specs on the glass that only showed up today. The glass was a little hazy with build up. The specs definitely move on their own, so I ruled out snail eggs. The picture isnt great as my phone can't get a good shot on something that small.

[DreC80]

Could be copepods.  Do a Google search for hydroids.  It could be those as well.  They are fairly common with a newer tank and will go away on their own.  

 

On a side note, take a look at reefcleaners.org.  I've ordered from them/John several times.  You may want to bolster the clean up crew to help get after the hair algae.  I've always had hermits in my tank and haven't experienced any issues with them.  With proper feeding and husbandry the algae will go away on its own, but it doesn't hurt to have critters helping get rid of it faster 😀

[Enthrol]

2 hours ago, DreC80 said:

Could be copepods.  Do a Google search for hydroids.  It could be those as well.  They are fairly common with a newer tank and will go away on their own.  

 

On a side note, take a look at reefcleaners.org.  I've ordered from them/John several times.  You may want to bolster the clean up crew to help get after the hair algae.  I've always had hermits in my tank and haven't experienced any issues with them.  With proper feeding and husbandry the algae will go away on its own, but it doesn't hurt to have critters helping get rid of it faster 😀

The quarantine has put a damper on my purchases. No lfs open and deliveries are minimal if at all. Afraid to order something and it just sit in a warehouse you know?

 

Have plans to try to grab 3-4 ceriths depending in size as soon as I can. Maybe another hermit.

 

For now its all manual for me lol.

 

The hydroid pictures I ran across looked more like little starfish. These in my tank didnt have the tentacles, but I'll keep an eye on them.

[Enthrol]

6 hours ago, DreC80 said:

I'm with ya...it looks a little out of place.  You could always remove the aptasia, bubble algae, etc and break the branch rock up and use it in your rear chamber to maintain the bio filtration it provides.

Quick question about the rock rubble while I'm thinking about it.

 

If I go this route I'd need to occasionally take the out to clean them in saltwater right?

[Clown79]

5 hours ago, Enthrol said:

Oh just realized I didn't post this yet.

 

When my lights came on today saw *another* new thing.

 

After some research I'm thinking copepods, but I'm reading some contradictory things. 
 

Tiny white specs on the glass that only showed up today. The glass was a little hazy with build up. The specs definitely move on their own, so I ruled out snail eggs. The picture isnt great as my phone can't get a good shot on something that small.

The tiny things are pods most likely.

 

The bigger white creature looks like a flatworm- not all are bad.

[DreC80]

8 hours ago, Enthrol said:

Quick question about the rock rubble while I'm thinking about it.

 

If I go this route I'd need to occasionally take the out to clean them in saltwater right?

Definitely wouldn't hurt to help clean the detritus.  In my wife's nano, I put rubble rock in a filter bag and put it in the back chamber.  That helps keep detritus from settling on/in it and makes it easy to pull out to siphon the rear chambers.

[Enthrol]

4 hours ago, DreC80 said:

Definitely wouldn't hurt to help clean the detritus.  In my wife's nano, I put rubble rock in a filter bag and put it in the back chamber.  That helps keep detritus from settling on/in it and makes it easy to pull out to siphon the rear chambers.

That's exactly what I was thinking of doing with the rubble. Thanks!