Kinda's Large Tank Adventure (LTA)

[Kindanewtothis]

@seabass can you tell me more about the rigid air line tubing. Can you explain to me like if I was stupid and french speaking 😉

 

Or just an air stone like in a fresh water tank?

[Tired]

You know how an airstone has a tube connecting it to the air pump? In this case, you just don't put the airstone on the end of the tube. 

[Kindanewtothis]

Also, yeah many questions, what about micro algae grow, any other fertilizer anyone in Canada could recommand?

[seabass]

43 minutes ago, Kindanewtothis said:

tell me more about the rigid air line tubing

Rigid tubing (placed at the end of standard flexible air line) just stays in place better.

https://www.amazon.ca/Lees-Aquarium-Thinwall-Rigid-Tubing/dp/B07K8WHM1B/

It can be cut to smaller sizes.  It's cheaper here.  Maybe you can shop around for it.  Your local store might even have some.

 

41 minutes ago, Kindanewtothis said:

Also, yeah many questions, what about micro algae grow, any other fertilizer any in Canada could recommand?

Micro Algae Grow is just Guillard's F/2 fertilizer, like https://canadaaquamarine.com/products/phytoplankton-fertilizer-f-2-guillard-medium

 

 

[Kindanewtothis]

6 hours ago, seabass said:

Micro Algae Grow is just Guillard's F/2 fertilizer, like https://canadaaquamarine.com/products/phytoplankton-fertilizer-f-2-guillard-medium

Ok thanks for the research, you ended up finding it right next to my home...

 

All I could find is Canadians saying on forums that they wanted the Florida farms one you were mentionning but not wanting to pay the import charges and not having an alternative.

[Kindanewtothis]

Temperature at 83 doesn't seems to do anything. Also I've read somewhere that high temperature slows down pods reproduction.

 

Thinking of lowering it back down to 78.

[Kindanewtothis]

Haven't seen my two astrea snails in the 10g since the pistol shrimp is there...

 

I think they might be part of a wall somewhere 🙂

 

[Kindanewtothis]

On 8/9/2021 at 7:35 PM, Kindanewtothis said:

Phosphate 0.21

Nitrate 5.1

 

5.1 seems low in a dinos infestation, is it?

Nitrate 6.4 dosing again.

[Kindanewtothis]

What I work next to:

 

 

[Tired]

Fun to watch, aren't they? Look at 'em go. 

[Kindanewtothis]

Just now, Tired said:

Fun to watch, aren't they? Look at 'em go. 

The shrimp works like a small buildozer. Really funny to watch. It closes doors with shells and sand. Sandbed never looked better.

[Tired]

They do have the benefit of keeping the areas under your rocks from getting stagnant.

 

Have you heard it snap yet? They snap to fight intruders, and attack food (like worms). They also snap their claw shut on small bits of shell to break the shells into a better size. The snap is loud! It's a popping noise like something just broke. 

[Kindanewtothis]

10 minutes ago, Tired said:

They do have the benefit of keeping the areas under your rocks from getting stagnant.

 

Have you heard it snap yet? They snap to fight intruders, and attack food (like worms). They also snap their claw shut on small bits of shell to break the shells into a better size. The snap is loud! It's a popping noise like something just broke. 

No not yet, I saw videos about it and also one where a mantis shrimp fights a tiger pistol in a small tank, impressive but so wrong.

[Clown79]

Very cool

[Kindanewtothis]

Leaving in 36 hours for a week.

 

Will clean the filters and the tank walls.

 

My sister will come every 2 days to feed, empty the skimmer cup, top off water and dose 50ml of phyto in the 50g and 10ml in the 10g (what I usually dose daily)

 

Phosphate is 0.19, was 0.14 yesterday and 0.11 the day before. Will test again tomorrow and dose if needed but there will not be phosphate dosing while I'm gone. Could not established a daily need. It goes up without me always dosing but if I let it go it eventually goes way down.

 

Nitrate are not high enough (6.4), will also test again tomorrow and dose accordingly.

 

Currently dosing silicates, 25 drops per day, was thinking of dosing 2 times that tomorrow.

 

I'm expecting the tank not to be in a better condition when I'll be back regarding the dinos...

 

I'm getting conflicting information about where small cell amphidinium go at night (in the water or in the rocks/sand). Some people really have succes using a UV with dinos type that go in the water at night. They dose phyto in the day and turn off the UV 2 hours when they do.

 

I'm still considering Dino-X when I'll be back.

 

 

[Kindanewtothis]

Phosphate 0.19 (stable)

Nitrate down from 6.4 to 6.1 double dosing.

 

 

[Kindanewtothis]

The state of things, dinos were removed from the tank walls.

[Kindanewtothis]

And here's what underneath the dinos once you blow them off the rocks. It seems that only cyano doesn't get covered.

[Kindanewtothis]

22 hours ago, Tired said:

Have you heard it snap yet? 

Just did. Sure sounds like the glass cracked. I don't know what it was aimed at.

[Melfy77]

Such a tough battle!!! I admire your patience! I would have thrown the towel a long time ago, starting with removing the sand. I really hope you win that battle! BTW how is the anemone doing? I can't see it.

[Kindanewtothis]

33 minutes ago, Melfy77 said:

BTW how is the anemone doing? I can't see it

It's on the side and in the shades. I apply the "let it live where it wants to" advice. I prefered when it was fully open and in the first "row".

 

34 minutes ago, Melfy77 said:

starting with removing the sand.

I know @seabass recommanded it, but the way they cover the walls I figure the dinos will just cover the bottom also.

[seabass]

11 minutes ago, Kindanewtothis said:

the way they cover the walls I figure the dinos will just cover the bottom also.

I suspect not as bad as on the sand bed.

 

I'm not sure if you are aware, but I have two tanks which have dinos (well, actually three, but one has no livestock in it).  One tank has sand and the other does not.  The one without sand is almost clear of dinos, while the one with sand shares many of the same characteristics with your tank.

 

While I'm not sure that removing the substrate will solve your problem, I still feel it's probably a step in the right direction.  So much so, that my plan is to remove the sand from that tank as well.  I've been making water in preparation (I'm going to have to change some water to accomplish this, but I'm thinking it'll be worth it).

[Kindanewtothis]

6 minutes ago, seabass said:

I'm not sure if you are aware, but I have two tanks which have dinos (well, actually three, but one has no livestock in it).  One tank has sand and the other does not. 

I'm aware, we discussed about removing the sand and I have read your post about when you used vibrant. Some dinos retreat in the sand at night so if I was to remove the sand it would help I'm sure. How would I proceed to remove it? 

[Kindanewtothis]

Also I don't think the anemone would appreciate sand removing, it's buried in sand.

[seabass]

9 minutes ago, Kindanewtothis said:

How would I proceed to remove it? 

My plan is to siphon it out.  That will probably make less of a mess than trying to scoop it out.  Again, a fair amount of water will be removed (changed out) in the process.

 

4 minutes ago, Kindanewtothis said:

Also I don't think the anemone would appreciate sand removing, it's buried in sand.

Haha, sounds like you are trying to justify not changing it out.

 

Now if this were your 10 gallon tank with a pistol shrimp, I probably wouldn't remove the sand.  And while your LTA might prefer to protect its foot in the sand, it should be fine without a substrate.  It might even move back up onto the rocks (where you prefer it anyways).