Mr. Fosi's 5.5AGA fish/coral mix

[FUGU!!!]

I'm down trav, but I haven't been able to make good on my xenia promise yet so I would be ashamed to ask another favor.

 

FUGU: Did you see how this tank started out (page 1)? It was pretty sorry. All it takes to have a nice tank is time and some well-timeed purchases.

Yes I have my first corals coming next saturday and about 9lbs of LR with it.If I can find my USB cable evereyone will see plenty of my new green star polyps!

[Mr. Fosi]

I am not going to start a new thread for the 2.5g I have because it is a transient tank.

 

So I will post these pics here for your viewing pleasure.

 

There are at least 5 of these starfish in the tank. I was told what kind they are, but I forgot. I started a thread in the ID forum about them:

 

 

 

This is Cindy the pompom crab. I didn't name her, the previous owner of this tank did:

 

 

 

She high-tailed it into the rock as soon as I started taking pics, which is why that first pic is so washed out:

 

[travisurfer]

nice pompom. i am thinking about one of those for my pico as well

[Mr. Fosi]

Something interesting to report.

 

I did some heavy weeding then changed the lighting regime in the 2.5; I cut it back to 3-4 hrs/day. The zoas and polyps don't seem to mind (in fact they are opening up better than before) and the GHA hasn't grown much at all. That isn't the interesting part, though.

 

There are some loose zoa frags kicking around the 2.5g. I decided to pull two of the smaller ones (<1 cm in diameter) out and drop them on the sand in the 5.5 to see if the hair algae would react to the different tank params.

 

The morning after I put them in the hair algae was 100% gone (it was long - >1 cm) and the zoas were still there. So I decided to try it again with another small frag: same result.

 

Conclusion: Either there are things in my 5.5 that like GHA for dinner or that tank has some magical property that kills GHA in less than 12 hrs.

 

Now the question is: do I pull out a larger piece of rock and put it in the 5.5 to see if things will clear the GHA off it or do I leave not-so-good-enough alone and avoid a potential GHA outbreak in my other tank?

[Anachronos]

Looks great!

[travisurfer]

im not sure as putting the rock in the tank may be too much and cause another outbreak. it could work but you have to decide if its worth the risk. i think i have finally decided to jam a whole bunch of rock in my 2.5g like you did with your 5.5

[Mr. Fosi]

I check your thread, but didn't see any pics od the extra rock... Can't wait to see pics of the new 'scaping.

 

BTW, I think I am going to drop one of the larger 2.5g rocks into the 5.5g tonight and see what it looks like tomorrow morning.

[travisurfer]

Sounds good. I was busy today so I didnt get a chance to add the rock. I will probably do it tomorrow as it is getting late.

[Mr. Fosi]

Well, I did it. I put the 3rd largest rock from the 2.5 into my 5.5.

 

I didn't get a pick of the rock before I took it out of the tank, but it compares will to the picks I already posted.

 

Pics to be forthcoming in the next couple days, depending on when/if I see a decrease in the GHA.

[travisurfer]

[travisurfer]

i got pics up as well

[Mr. Fosi]

So I've had that rock in there a while and I haven't seen any cutback in the GHA.

 

I have noticed my clown picking at things (probably pods) on the new rock, though.

 

I am not sure if I am going to leave it in there or move it back into the 2.5

[travisurfer]

oh well, it was worth a shot

[Mr. Fosi]

I will be going out of town for Christmas.

 

I have left my tanks & cat in the care of my coral pathologist friend & my major advisor (who is a marine microbial ecologist). I've given them basic instructions and my contact info, so I hope that my livestock will still be alive and healthy when I get back.

 

I suppose if I could trust anyone (who is not a fellow aquarist), I could trust these guys.

[travisurfer]

lol, one would hope

[Mr. Fosi]

So I got home & had to top off my 5.5g with more than 0.75 gal & the other 0.25 gal in my 2.5g; criky.

 

Everything in the 5.5g was ###ed, lots of diatoms & cyano. I even had a piece of LR fall over on my big purple mushroom, but it appears to be fine.

 

The GHA is going bonkers on the LR piece that I transplanted out of my 2.5g so I will be moving it back in the next day or two.

 

I also plan to pick up a FW molly tomorrow with the intention of acclimating it to full SW salinity and trying it as a GHA grazer.

[Rene]

Gah!

 

Here's hoping the tanks recover quickly...

[Mr. Fosi]

Everything seems hunky-dory.

 

I moved the GHA infested rock back into the 2.5, but a few pieces went wirling around the tank. Luckily, the mucus nets from my two largest vermitid snails snared them & allowed me to pull them out.

 

I am currently working on two things. Here is one of them:

 

 

 

 

I bought (rescued) this molly from Walmart yesterday for $1.66. I have been acclimating it to full 1.024 SG. So far he/she looks just fine & we are up to ~1.010 & I will have the water all the way up within the next couple hours. We will soon see if the rumors about mollies eating GHA are true because I am going to loose this fish into the 2.5 as soon as it is fully acclimated.

 

Here is the other one: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...=107156&hl=

[debbeach13]

Hey Mr Fosi

It has been awhile. Your tank looks great, good job on the main move. Hope all goes well if / when you move stuff to the 20. I have not checked in for some time. Congradulations on the birth of your son. Did you post any pictures of the baby?

[Mr. Fosi]

Good to hear from you!

 

I am not looking forward to another move, which we'll have to make in another couple years, but why worry about it now you know?

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...98204&st=40, post #48 and there is another pic in the later pages "Post a pic of yourself" thread.

[Dallassask]

Hi Mr. Fosi, thats cool that your putting a mollie in your tank, my buddy has 2 in his but just to let you know that acclimation isnt really nessessary, they are very tough fish and will be fine if you throw em in.

 

P.S. yah they eat GHA

[ezcompany]

i hope you don't keep him for more than a few months in there as they eventually succumb to the high salinity

 

not that i was treated my old mollies better...(threw one in my oscar tank long time ago)

[bluebastion]

Hey Fosi,

 

I need to see how effective the Mollie is for GHA.... my lawn mower that I've had for about 1 month now just started to touch it in my tank. Hope you get some good results.... I know the tank needs it.

[Mr. Fosi]

So far the fish has just been chillin, here's a pic. It's been in the tank about an hour and a half:

 

 

 

 

Dallassask: Good to hear some good news from someone who has had first-hand experience.

 

blue: I'll be posting updates here, but I can shoot you a PM if you don't want to subscribe.

 

ezcompany: Yeah, I've heard that and it's the same for guppies as well. This is just a test. If all goes well, I may pick up two more small ones and see if they can knock it down before they get done in. If so, good for me because I have a 10g FW tank that I can rotate them in and out of for continued control.

 

I'd love to rent a sea hare, but the LFSs around here don't seem to ever carry them. Have you ever seen any around blue?

[Tangman1218]

Man, I cant wait to see if this works.

 

I'd like to get the GHA out of my AP12. Ive managed to continue to pull it out on a regular basis and it has definitely slowed down.

 

Keep the updates coming Fosi.

 

Dallas, thanks for the heads up on your mollie working out. Granting Fosi's works, I'll be going out to get one ASAP

 

Tang

 

Edit: I wonder how it will fare in the AP12 with a damsel who has had it all to himself. Hmmmm....