My Atlantis - Wild & Woolly May 2015 Pictures!

[eitallent]

On the book: Finally getting to the end of it ... now comes the proof reading, and then adding the index and the reference material listing.

 

Expect to finish the book today and then start the proofreading etc ... Looks like it is going to be around 375 pages+ with well over 200 pictures, if not more (have not counted them yet).

 

Pre-ordering will end once I complete the proof reading, so anyone who wants to take advantage of the pre-pub price should order in the next day or two.

 

On your Sponge : based on what I can see it does look really good indeed and waiting to be fed. Hopefully it is getting good water flow in that area so that small food particles that it can feed on are transported to where it is located. Spot feeding real fine foods will help a great deal too. Good luck with it !

 

 

 

That frame with the magnetic panels looks like a real good choice as it allows full access to anything underneath .. and yes your Kitty like the tank too :-) for sure.

 

Ha! Since I placed my order just last week it looks like I pre-ordered just in time Albert! You are so diligent in your work. Kudos to you.

 

The sponge, Puff, is getting good flow from a powerhead just for him.

 

That frame does look good and seems sturdy/functional. IDK if I can afford it though!

[eitallent]

The new tank looks really cool!

Current one looks like it's coming along well too.

 

Thanks! I am really enjoying the new BNGs. I named them Zig and Zag. Skipper likes to observe them from on high as a king would do from his mountain fortress.

 

I will be taking my time with the new tank. I will be adding sand (maybe black), water and rock and leaving it alone for at least a few months ( I will be so temped to go faster!) I am impatient to start fun, exciting projects but I will have to restrain myself so I get it right from the start. UGH! I hate to wait... m-u-s-t... w-a-i-t!

[albertthiel]

Ha! Since I placed my order just last week it looks like I pre-ordered just in time Albert! You are so diligent in your work. Kudos to you.

 

The sponge, Puff, is getting good flow from a powerhead just for him.

 

That frame does look good and seems sturdy/functional. IDK if I can afford it though!

Thanks eitallent ... working the disease section and finishing that up shortly.

 

That stand looks awfully nice though .. you can try to get everyone to chip in for X-mas 2013 as an advance gift maybe :-)

 

Good to read the sponge part .. good flow but not too much though but I am sure you had figured that out already.

[pschom]

That is awesome. Can't wait!

[eitallent]

Okay, update time. Squeezing in a little time to self while family is still asleep.

 

I upgraded the repugium to a larger size. This container is filled with about 5.5 gallons.

 

The submersible fuge light has gone through two bulbs.I was very careful not to mishandle it so that it would stay water tight but I think it is letting in a bit of moisture and the bulbs do not last.

 

Any suggestions for a fuge light that lasts?

Here are a few more tank pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Weetabix7]

Tank is looking great.

I can't think of another submersible light, but I know there are some small clip on PC lights out there that would work.

[nanoreefnate]

You could try the new Tunze submersible light if that isn't the one you're already using...

[albertthiel]

Okay, update time. Squeezing in a little time to self while family is still asleep.

 

Very nice looking and thanks for the update ... Sponge looks super and love those algae!

[eitallent]

Tank is looking great.

I can't think of another submersible light, but I know there are some small clip on PC lights out there that would work.

Thanks. I have a desk lamp shining on it right now. It is heating the water too much though.

 

You could try the new Tunze submersible light if that isn't the one you're already using...

 

TY Nate. I will look into that. I was using a small halogen 10W. It was really good except that where the cord goes into the rubber stopper wiggled loose from the adhesive and moisture creeped in. I will look into the Tunze. Thanks for the suggestion.

[eitallent]

Very nice looking and thanks for the update ... Sponge looks super and love those algae!

Hi, Albert. I think the sponge just might make it. I have enough nutrion in the water to grow that Barber's Brush like crazy! It has tripled in size. Even the ET fingers (that is what I call it) has new little segments. I ordered some new red macros from reefcandy.org. Now that I have the larger refugium they should be safe from grazers.

[msscha]

Is the Barber's Brush that very cool looking green thing (macro)? I LOVE that! Skipper is as adorable as ever. Tanks looks great.

[eitallent]

The bigger refugium seems to be helping stabilize the pH already. It is a 28 QT container meant for pet food storage. It has a sealable lid with a hinge. Hubby helped me drill 1.5 inch holes for the bulkheads.

 

 

 

Is the Barber's Brush that very cool looking green thing (macro)? I LOVE that! Skipper is as adorable as ever. Tanks looks great.

Thanks. It is the long brush looking macro. I think the smaller brush is called a pine cone macro (unsure). I do not know the name for the ET finger macro. They came as a bundle.

[eitallent]

It seems the poll above shows that of the people that have set up a deep sand bed 5 use them and like them and 2 did not like them. Very unscientific I know but it seems like DSB have a bad reputation but most articles I have read point to the notion that they should and do work! Still mulling it over...

[pschom]

Cool fuge! We are moving so tills have to wait, but I'd like to get a huge fuge going. Maybe 20 gallons and plumb it into my existing setup in a cabinet or something. Any thoughts about drilling the top of the BC and relocating the fuge to the rear? Probably would allow you to close the lid.

[eitallent]

Cool fuge! We are moving so tills have to wait, but I'd like to get a huge fuge going. Maybe 20 gallons and plumb it into my existing setup in a cabinet or something. Any thoughts about drilling the top of the BC and relocating the fuge to the rear? Probably would allow you to close the lid.

Hi, pschom. Yes I am consedering drilling holes in the back of the lid where there is a lot of empty space. Then the hoses could just come up from the back chambers through the back of the lid. I am hesitant because I am scared of cracking it.

Also, when the lid is down the water heats up to close to 85 F which means I would have to get a chiller. I do not like the cost of that, little miser that I am. I may have to do it though because I will keep this tank running as a hospital/quarantine tank along side the 125 G I will set up in the near future. So excited!

[jedimasterben]

It seems the poll above shows that of the people that have set up a deep sand bed 5 use them and like them and 2 did not like them. Very unscientific I know but it seems like DSB have a bad reputation but most articles I have read point to the notion that they should and do work! Still mulling it over...

To be set up properly, they really need to contain a large volume and be heavily populated with life. Otherwise they simply become a nutrient sink. Paul Baldassano says they last no more than 10 years as no DSB can sustain the amount of life needed to keep it healthy.

[fishmistro907]

It will be tough to find Skipper in that big of a tank , what are your stocking plans? Lights? good luck with it!

[eitallent]

Found a new soft and squishy HH this morning. It is a beautiful green little slug with white splotches and eye stalks.

 

 

I found the ID for this little critter on nudipixel.com site. Most likely, it is an Oxynoe panamensis http://www.nudipixel.net/species/oxynoe_panamensis/

[albertthiel]

Okay, update time. Squeezing in a little time to self while family is still asleep.

 

I upgraded the repugium to a larger size. This container is filled with about 5.5 gallons.

 

The submersible fuge light has gone through two bulbs.I was very careful not to mishandle it so that it would stay water tight but I think it is letting in a bit of moisture and the bulbs do not last.

 

Any suggestions for a fuge light that lasts?

Here are a few more tank pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Found a new soft and squishy HH this morning. It is a beautiful green little slug with white splotches and eye stalks.

 

 

I found the ID for this little critter on nudipixel.com site. Most likely, it is an Oxynoe panamensis http://www.nudipixel.net/species/oxynoe_panamensis/

 

Sea slug ... eats Caulerpa sertularioides

[eitallent]

It will be tough to find Skipper in that big of a tank , what are your stocking plans? Lights? good luck with it!

Skipper will have dibs on the realestate, because he will be first in the tank.

 

I am going to play it by ear with stocking. I was considering a DSB but I like the little sand sifting fish so I will have a regular sand bed but decided to do black sand. I will be using cured live rock and live sand to minimize the cycle.

 

I am still undecide on lights. Any suggestions will be appreciated. I want to keep lots of corals and a few fish. I like my invertebrates. And lots of macros so the lights will need to serve all those needs.

 

Thanks for visiting!

[eitallent]

Hello to all.

 

I have been busy, busy, terribly busy! More than a bumble bee, more than an ant!

 

I am excited to have a little more time to explore the new NR website. I really like it so far.

 

The tank is doing great. The new bigger fuge is also growing like crazy. I have been doing a lot of reading on pH issues. It seems my pH may not be as low as indicated by the Hannah tester. The Hannah consistently reads 7.5~7.4 but the API reads 8.0~7.8. I have calibrated and calibrated the Hannah tester with the standard solutions and it seems I got a Monday Model!

I have added a bubbler to the fuge, opened windows and doors, reduced feeding, increased macro population, reversed cycle on the fuge, weekly 10% WC, aged new SW for 24 hours with power head, topped off with RODI that has been adjusted to 8.0 with KW and the PH is stable but not much higher. Now I will look into a CO2 scrubber and/or ATO with Kalk Water to try to get the pH up to 8.1. Busy, busy.

 

 

 

 

 

[Spirofucci]

Always cool to see pics of Skipper! Also, lot's o cool stuff in the fuge!

[eitallent]

Thanks Spirofucci. Skipper still is king of his mountain. He continues to push back Karloff's attempts at coming up to the top and he ignores the Blue Neon Gobies completely.

[albertthiel]

Hello to all.

 

I have been busy, busy, terribly busy! More than a bumble bee, more than an ant!

 

I am excited to have a little more time to explore the new NR website. I really like it so far.

 

The tank is doing great. The new bigger fuge is also growing like crazy. I have been doing a lot of reading on pH issues. It seems my pH may not be as low as indicated by the Hannah tester. The Hannah consistently reads 7.5~7.4 but the API reads 8.0~7.8. I have calibrated and calibrated the Hannah tester with the standard solutions and it seems I got a Monday Model!

I have added a bubbler to the fuge, opened windows and doors, reduced feeding, increased macro population, reversed cycle on the fuge, weekly 10% WC, aged new SW for 24 hours with power head, topped off with RODI that has been adjusted to 8.0 with KW and the PH is stable but not much higher. Now I will look into a CO2 scrubber and/or ATO with Kalk Water to try to get the pH up to 8.1. Busy, busy.

 

Looks like you have been busy indeed ... good to see all is well ... and nice shot of Skipper.

 

On the pH what time of day are you testing? Any idea why your pH is so low? What is the morning reading and what is the late afternoon reading if I may ask?

[eitallent]

Looks like you have been busy indeed ... good to see all is well ... and nice shot of Skipper.

 

On the pH what time of day are you testing? Any idea why your pH is so low? What is the morning reading and what is the late afternoon reading if I may ask?

 

Hello Albert. Yes all is well and I feel happy to have time again to post to my favorite, fishy community.

Usually, the pH is slightly higher, by ~ .1, in the afternoon. Looking back at my log I find that sometimes the pH would actually drop by .1 ~ .2 in the afternoon.

 

I am sure the Hannah tester cannot be trusted. The fish look healthy and show no signs of stress. I see growth in all the soft corals and macros, except the Gonoporia and Sponge which are the same. In the display tank and refugium there is a slow and steady growth of Coraline algae, a steady population of copepods, amphipods, small snails and flat worms on the glass. Currently, there is no GHA or other green pests growing anywhere.

 

I am looking to get a better pH tester because the color test kits and the Hannah just do not cut it. Before I take any action I have to confirm that a problem with pH exists!

 

Any input on or experiences with what you (or any reader) like using to test pH would be much appreciated.