Kinda's Large Tank Adventure (LTA)

[seabass]

14 hours ago, Kindanewtothis said:

Really sorry, did not want to mess with your article thread @seabass. Did not know where to ask my questions about the phyto cluture so I did a little bit of both (here and in your tread).  Thanks for the advices about the pump, that could have been a mess.

No need to apologize.  You didn't mess it up.  There was just some specific sourcing from Canada and a few air pump basics which I thought we could address here.  Don't feel like you can't post over there, I just felt we could get into it more here (if needed).  I'd really like to see your phyto culture succeed!

 

Sorry, family is visiting and I wasn't around to respond earlier.

 

13 hours ago, Kindanewtothis said:

I feel the brownish color is from the different strains of phyto.  It's possible that it might turn more green as the population ratios shift.  But for now, you'll probably judge things by how dark the culture is.

 

There is some larger chunks in your culture.  I might strain them out through a brine shrimp net.

 

I can't see through your culture.  Are you still using an airstone?

[Kindanewtothis]

9 hours ago, seabass said:

There was just some specific sourcing from Canada 

I ordered the rigid tube you recommended. Could not find anything else. I hesitated because of the price due to the fact that it's a 3-pack and I only need one.

 

9 hours ago, seabass said:

There is some larger chunks in your culture.  I might strain them out through a brine shrimp net.

Yes there are indeed. Something like that? https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0002APXLY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_i_PT15PBCQ1N1Y1WCENX4K

 

Could not find the 53 micron sieve you refered to in your article.

9 hours ago, seabass said:

Are you still using an airstone

No it's what was causing the foam but the line is not completly at the bottom.

[seabass]

47 minutes ago, Kindanewtothis said:

Something like that? https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0002APXLY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_i_PT15PBCQ1N1Y1WCENX4K

Could not find the 53 micron sieve you referred to in your article.

Yep, that will take out the larger chunks (which should help).  A plankton sieve could remove things as small as rotifers (which might be handy, but probably isn't a must have).

 

53 minutes ago, Kindanewtothis said:

No it's what was causing the foam but the line is not completely at the bottom.

Gotcha.

[Kindanewtothis]

Lights are back on normal schedule.

 

Everything, sponge and pads were changed in filters. Carbon was added. Dosing MicroBacter7, but it might not be necessary since @Melfy77 is giving me rocks (thank you so much again).

 

Dino-x treatment is over, at first it looks like a success, but only time will tell.

[Kindanewtothis]

@seabass can you link the spirulina you are using?

 

So it's like having a pods culture but in your tank?

[Kindanewtothis]

This is exactly what I have:

 

https://candycorals.ca/products/forest-fire-rhodactis-mushroom

 

It even splited while the dino-x treatment.

 

Lights are not fully on yet.

[Kindanewtothis]

Is it dead?

 

 

[Kindanewtothis]

@seabass I'm about to something potentially stupid.

 

The hammers don't look so good and one seems to be dead. Since falling and getting clued back on seems to have killed one I'm thinking I should reduce/avoid manipulations of the corals. Also I clued them a lot since one fall.

 

Now, I'm thinking of a rescue mission: Taking the rock itself and switch it with a rock from the 50g. That implies taking some dinos from the 10g to the 50g but I'm thinking there is still dino-x in the 50g water (dosed last night).

 

So?

[seabass]

5 hours ago, Kindanewtothis said:

@seabass can you link the spirulina you are using?  So it's like having a pods culture but in your tank?

It's just something I'm trying out.  I'm not sure what to expect quite yet.  However, this is what I got: https://www.amazon.com/Spirulina-Powder-Organic-Certified-Superfood/dp/B06XRZH2R1/

Although besides being, 100% raw organic spirulina, there is nothing really special about it.  I believe that you can even buy spirulina powder as a reef food/supplement.

 

4 hours ago, Kindanewtothis said:

Is it dead?

Probably no coming back for those particular polyps.

 

4 hours ago, Kindanewtothis said:

Now, I'm thinking of a rescue mission: Taking the rock itself and switch it with a rock from the 50g. That implies taking some dinos from the 10g to the 50g but I'm thinking there is still dino-x in the 50g water (dosed last night).

I don't know, it might be a potential risk.  I would probably be reluctant to cross contaminate between tanks just yet.

[Kindanewtothis]

I'm already adding a rock from another tank tomorrow and going to have to change the rockwork. 

 

The more I wait the less dino-x is left in the water.

 

Thanks for the advice. I'm going for it.

[Clown79]

17 minutes ago, Kindanewtothis said:

I'm already adding a rock from another tank tomorrow and going to have to change the rockwork. 

 

The more I wait the less dino-x is left in the water.

 

Thanks for the advice. I'm going for it.

Bad idea switching rocks between tanks.

 

Adding rock from a tank with no dino is fine but i can confirm that adding rock, corals, anything from a tank with dino(even just after they are "gone") will transfer them.

 

Thats how i got dino in 3 tanks. 

 

 

Why do you think I just recently asked you if you shared anything between tanks?

 

[Kindanewtothis]

8 minutes ago, Clown79 said:

Bad idea switching rocks between tanks.

 

Adding rock from a tank with no dino is fine but i can confirm that adding rock, corals, anything from a tank with dino(even just after they are "gone") will transfer them.

 

Thats how i got dino in 3 tanks. 

 

 

Why do you think I just recently asked you if you shared anything between tanks?

 

You guys are right. I'd be putting my 50g at risk. Not switching, I hope the corals will hold on.

[Jakesaw]

Just wanted to give an update on my DINO that used to completely cover all of my aquarium walls.

 

Switched from rinsing foam block filter every week or two ( It was always brown when I cleaned it ) to replacing filter floss pad very 3 days.  The Dino really seems to have gone down.  Whenever I change my floss I pull alot of Brown Dino with it but the tank walls aren't repopulating very quickly.  I have some Dino on there, but maybe about .10 - 25 percent what it was.  

 

So siphoning wall to clean and pouring  the clean part of siphon bucket into HOB filter with floss seems to be working for me.   

[Clown79]

1 hour ago, Kindanewtothis said:

You guys are right. I'd be putting my 50g at risk. Not switching, I hope the corals will hold on.

The corals will be fine if you leave them alone. Constantly changing their environment, moving them, touching them - is harmful to their health.

 

They have to reacclimate every time you move them,change tanks,change placement, change lights. Disrupt the system. 

 

You are risking both tanks. Not just the 50g. 

 

At this point, you don't even know if dino x worked. You just finished the treatment. 

 

The tank is in a state where you need to let things rest and work on biodiversity.

 

All it takes is 1 disruption to the system and you are back to where you began, sometimes the reoccurring dino outbreaks are worse than the initial.

[Kindanewtothis]

24 minutes ago, Clown79 said:

The tank is in a state where you need to let things rest and work on biodiversity.

Was planning on waiting 1 week before a.water change. I fear the dinos coming back boosted with the new water. Haven't change water since mid-June. Dino-x instructions says to wait a week.

 

Am I correct to think I must wait this water change to start adding pods and dosing phyto?

[seabass]

31 minutes ago, Kindanewtothis said:

Am I correct to think I must wait this water change to start adding pods and dosing phyto?

You certainly could wait.  I believe many algaecides lose effectiveness after about three days.

 

The water change recommendation might be to remove some of the Dino-X; however, I would think it's also to help remove the dead/dying cells (and other organic wastes).

[Kindanewtothis]

Get your rocks ready, what not to do follows...

 

I saw @Melfy77 today. She showed me hey tanks which are spotless, really clear. She gave me really mature and full of life rocks. The rocks are in my tanks now. She also gave me coral frags a pavona, a poccillopora and a green hammer.

 

I arrived home and saw that the 10g walls are full of dinos. 

 

Panicked, added the rocks in both tank and began to think about what to do with the new frags.

 

So, the hammer, it had to go with the others hammers, but these corals were ment for the 50g. With the dinos in the 10g, the blue hammer with the dead head (one of two), I finally decided to move the hammers from the 10g to the 50g. They were glued, but really glued (since one fall down). Had to pull really hard on the plug, I should have use a tool. It went well for the blue and my green hammer. Now the orange one... I had to pull so hard that when it came the shock was so strong that 3/4 of the polyps bailed... My 3 hammers, in the shape they are now, are in the 50g and so is the one that Melfy77 gave me.

 

The two sps are in the 10g.

 

 

[Kindanewtothis]

Orange hammer doesn't look so bad in the circumstances. I guess other polyps will grow. 

 

Sorry for the blue picture, I don't want to mess with the lights and let things settle down.

[seabass]

I'm a bit confused as to why you are adding stock at this point (even if free).  Sure, the dino bloom was an unfortunate circumstance, but I would have let things settle down and stabilize (in both tanks) before adding more to the mix.  I hope it all works out for you.

[Kindanewtothis]

Well I needed the rocks, @Melfy77 needed the place and it's a 500km drive. 

 

 

 

 

[Kindanewtothis]

The orange one seems to hold on

[Kindanewtothis]

And that's the 10g.

 

Walls are covered. Rocks are not for some reason. Sandbed is not so bad as the shrimp is going all around turning it and moving it.

[Kindanewtothis]

How often do you shake a phyto culture ?

[Kindanewtothis]

Anemone seems on the way up. I've been feeding it every day a small quantity of mysis for the last few days as it wouldn't take a lot each time and fishs came to steal it. It was closing fast enough.

[seabass]

 

To me, it looks like it's worse today.

 

When harvesting weekly, I find that I don't really have a need to shake the culture.

 

I see the reflection of the light in your pictures above, but the light fixture is not in the pictures.  I have mine right up against the culture:

 

If you feel the culture is going downhill, I might:

• strain the culture into a clean holding container
• clean the bottle
• dilute the culture in half with new saltwater
• add some F/2
• return the culture to the bottle
• bring the light closer to the bottle
• adjust the air flow to match the picture below