180 build from scratch!

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13221344#post13221344 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
really? first I have heard of that.

I think for a while it was a mystery for people that could not grow GSP and xenia in there tank. Sometime ago someone made the connection that if you dip a coral or rock in Fluke tabs to kill flat worms (mainly AEFW's) a unexpected side affect was their xenia and GSP dying off. If the coral or rock is rinsed it usually is not a problem.

Now that it is somewhat known you will find people posting in the forums that dipping a rock and not rinsing is a way to completely eradicate the tank of them. Apparently the residual chemical is toxic enough to keep the system xenia and GSP free for years.

 

[melev]

I wonder if that would work for mushrooms.

 

[jnarowe]

I wonder if that is what killed off my xenia a while back? Perhaps some Interceptor got into my system? My GSP is alive and well, but the xenia forest completely crapped out. Now just a couple stalks have risen like the Phoenix!

 

[melev]

Interceptor doesn't seem to affect any corals, Jonathan. Xenia can wither and melt away quite easily. A single alkalinity swing can be all it takes.

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13223637#post13223637 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Interceptor doesn't seem to affect any corals, Jonathan. Xenia can wither and melt away quite easily. A single alkalinity swing can be all it takes.

I agree - I saw no ill effects on GSP or xenia from interceptor

xenia and anthelias can die off for unknown reasons - I had a very nice piece of blue anthelia that was doing great, then for no know reason it died off and there where no signs of it for months. I then used the rock it was on in another tank and it grew back from what appeared to be nothing. The other tank had 100% fresh salt water mix so I suspect it may have been a nutrient deficient issue or excess chemical issue that built up over time.

 

[jnarowe]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13223637#post13223637 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Interceptor doesn't seem to affect any corals, Jonathan. Xenia can wither and melt away quite easily. A single alkalinity swing can be all it takes.

Well I certainly have plenty of those!

 

[ReefStomper]

Great tank, looked at it from start to now and I am impressed. I think you need some more clams! =)~

 

[michika]

Haha, thanks ReefStomper. You're right, I do need more clams! Got any?


I'm not aware of anything being dipped in fluke tabs. They aren't available here on the open market anymore. Who knows though. I have had some of the same rock since I started the hobby in 2004. I was able to keep xenia for a period of at least 6 months, but I gave it away once I figured out what the light purple nub on a piece of live rock was. I always get the strangest hitchhikers!

I also have a hard time getting zoas to thrive, and mushrooms.

 

[michika]

The tank seems to have been put on pause. I've been so busy for the last couple of weeks with roller derby that I've let a few things slide. I haven't done a water change this weekend yet, I'll probably get to it on Tuesday. The other thing is that I've haven't been able to continually test and bump my parameters as needed, and as a result I am seeing pretty much no growth in my SPS.

The tangs now all graze, which is great to see. The doctor tang is just getting bigger by the day. I suspect that in 3 months it will be probably 6" if it keeps up with the growth rate its been exhibiting. This is the fastest growing tang I have ever kept. From 1" to 6" in less then a year is amazing growth.

We are still house hunting. We have a pending deadline to get out of our condo, and into a new place, or we will have to stay where we are for at least another 6 months. Hopefully we get something soon.

 

[michika]

So its official, we are moving! We are taking posession in 3 weeks, and moving the tank two days after that. With this new house we will not be able to go for a long shallow rectangle, however, there are lots of other options that I think could work for us.

The house we bought requires some aesthetic work, but that is all. The basement will require more work to make it tank-ready, but that was pretty much a given.

I am going to be a bad little girl tomorrow though, and am going to one of my favorite shops to buy clams, and SPS.

 

[jnarowe]

very naughty indeed, me likey!

 

[michika]

What can I say? I have a weakness for pretty things!

I'm also trying to pick up a vortech with battery back up before the move. I figure if I get one, I can figure out if I like it, and then go from there. What should I be looking for when buying a used Vortech?

 

[jnarowe]

If you are asking me, I can't help you there...and I did my own naughty today, so I'll have to blame that on you! :lol:

Picked up a tomini and a freckled face/lavender tang...not sure on the positive ID yet.

 

[michika]

Your naughties sound pretty! I think we all need some photos!

I haven't been to any LFS since July, or maybe August, I'm not sure. I've been so good about staying away because of this house purchase.

 

[jnarowe]

Unfortunately by the time I thought about taking pics, I was too, uh, how do you say?...spinning? Naw, they came in at a really low salinity and I was pumping food into the bucket so I couldn't really get a good shot. They are now in the QT. The lavender had navigated the baffles so by about 10 pm it was trapped in the far left chamber where the skimmer discharges. He is so small I just left him in there.

BTW, Sherman and I witnessed something interesting after placing them into the QT. I had a modded Maxi-Jet 1200 in the for flow and we saw the tomini get sucked onto it several times. The strange thing is that it is much larger than the lavender, but the lavender had no problem staying off of it. Sherman's theory is that body shape played a major role in that the tomini is very flat.

So now I have personally witnessed a fish getting repeatedly sucked onto a powerhead and I take back EVERYTHING I have said about numerous claims that powerheads have killed fish. The assumption has always been that the fish was weak and somehow "had it coming", but here is a very healthy young fish strangely attracted to the flow but easily getting stuck on the powerhead.

I switched it out for a Koralia, and have my fingers crossed that when I go down to the tank room today, that tang will still be with us.

 

[michika]

Wow! I have to agree with you on your previous theory about fish & powerheads...well I consider it disproven!

I was bad, and I did pick up 3 SPS colonies, but no clams. I wanted clams, but I had a budget and was forced to stick to it. I also picked up ReVive to try out as well. Its about half the price of Pro Coral Cure and the bottle looks considerably less prone to leaking.

Photos later, I must go fondle some hot sweaty derby women for the next three hours.

 

[jnarowe]

kick 'em in the shins girl!

 

[michika]

It was a good practice, but I'm happy to be home and basking in the glow of my tank again.

So as I was dipping the new colonies in ReVive I came to understand the reasoning for the "this is not a cleaning product" disclaimer on the package. It smells so strong! I'd forgotten how harsh some of the traditional cleaning products smelt!

Tonight we have some polyp extension, but not a lot. All these colonies had considerably better extension at the store. I am not sure how I feel about ReVive over TMPCC as my usual incoming dip of choice. The recovery time from the dip to have full polyp extension seems less with TMPCC, but who knows, this is only the first time I've used the product.

Anyways, so I've decided I do not care for the AquaConnect bulb, or whatever the other non-XM bulb I have on the tank is. Colours don't pop, and SPS beneath it just doesn't thrive. Clearly this is not the bulb for me, and I will, after we move, change it out to something else.

Its nice to see my clams are growing. This gigas is now just about 1/4" away from the glass, however when the mantle is extended, it does touch the glass. When you have bigger clams sometimes it hard to see that they really are growing.

This was the Vlamingi just after I had my hand in the tank to place the new colonies.

 

[jnarowe]

wow, neat shot of teh vlamingi! Your colonies look great Catherine. Very healthy and nice colors! :thumbsup:

 

[melev]

I like ReVive more that TMPCC, but have both. I don't dip corals long on ReVive though.

My floors never looked cleaner though. :lol:

I like your recent pictures, and that first coral looks very very promising. I wonder what it is, and how it will grow out.