karimwassef
Active member
Get some uncured LR like me and watch your algae flourish!! Maybe too well.
Caribbean Biotope Seagrass Tank
- Thread starter Michael Hoaster
- Start date
saltwater sam
New member
Uncured live rock can poison your tank with ammonia. Very bad idea. If you get uncured live rock it's absolutely necessary that you cure it before you put it in your tank.
That's true, Sam. Which is why I want some! But for this planted tank, it isn't absolutely necessary. External curing is safer, for sure.
Karim, I forget who posted to this thread on where to get Silversides, but I bookmarked it. Here it is:
http://mblaquaculture.com/content/organisms/menidia_beryllina.php
You'll get a kick out of the "other uses" info.
Karim, I forget who posted to this thread on where to get Silversides, but I bookmarked it. Here it is:
http://mblaquaculture.com/content/organisms/menidia_beryllina.php
You'll get a kick out of the "other uses" info.
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karimwassef
Active member
I wasn't serious about the uncured LR, Sam.
Gnat-eating silversides?? Could it be more perfect? I haven't seen them in a reef - anyone know if they're reef safe? They might be the schooling fish I've wanted. 100 of them for $60 shipped.
Gnat-eating silversides?? Could it be more perfect? I haven't seen them in a reef - anyone know if they're reef safe? They might be the schooling fish I've wanted. 100 of them for $60 shipped.
I know right? Plankitoves, so they should be reef safe. A school of 100 in your tank would be sweeeeet! You've got plankton by the ton too. I imagine they eat the gnat larvae (like mosquito fish), but I bet they'd eat gnats too, if available, and they can get them in their mouths. I'd maybe do a little research to make sure they're reef safe, but I agree they might be the schooling fish you want. I hope they are, because I can't wait to see pics!
sam.basye
New member
I warned you... Foam wall color update?? :uhoh3:
Add more pics for the rest of us to enjoy!
Hows the sea-grass growth and diatom bloom going?
I just added a green chromis to my little reef today. Jealous?
It's my cheap solution to determine weather or not my pistol shrimp will kill a larger fish. lol I'd rather lose a $5 fish than a $50 fish! It's lucky I really like the little bastard after I accused it of killing my two baby mangrove snappers!
Sam
Add more pics for the rest of us to enjoy!
Hows the sea-grass growth and diatom bloom going?
I just added a green chromis to my little reef today. Jealous?
It's my cheap solution to determine weather or not my pistol shrimp will kill a larger fish. lol I'd rather lose a $5 fish than a $50 fish! It's lucky I really like the little bastard after I accused it of killing my two baby mangrove snappers!
Sam
I'll try to get some pics of the wall tomorrow, lights are out now. It looks great. The only color change I can see is from algae and diatoms (that I will never need to clean, yay!).
The seagrasses are growing. Still not very pretty yet though. Diatoms, cyanobacteria, and algae are all making an appearance. Water's kinda cloudy too, so I'm guessing it's a bacterial bloom. I'm at 3 weeks, so I'm somewhere near the worst part of the nitrogen cycle.
I would definitely be jealous, if I hadn't added two temporary fish myself today - one Black Molly and one Silver Molly. I'm hoping they'll help my snails catch up with algae growth. Afterwards, I'll keep them in the quarantine tank.
Pistol shrimp? I had one. It was tiny - no way it could hurt a fish. Did you mean Mantis Shrimp?
The seagrasses are growing. Still not very pretty yet though. Diatoms, cyanobacteria, and algae are all making an appearance. Water's kinda cloudy too, so I'm guessing it's a bacterial bloom. I'm at 3 weeks, so I'm somewhere near the worst part of the nitrogen cycle.
I would definitely be jealous, if I hadn't added two temporary fish myself today - one Black Molly and one Silver Molly. I'm hoping they'll help my snails catch up with algae growth. Afterwards, I'll keep them in the quarantine tank.
Pistol shrimp? I had one. It was tiny - no way it could hurt a fish. Did you mean Mantis Shrimp?
sam.basye
New member
Nothing like less maintenance for a demanding hobby. Looking forward to the pics!
I had some freshwater breeding orange swordtail mollies not long ago - neat experience.
As far as snappy goes... Definitely a pistol shrimp. (He is my profile pic) I needed something to blame for my little fishes disappearance. Snappy was about inch and a half and the baby mangrove snappers were about an inch long and the other slightly smaller. One disappeared and a few days later, so did the other. No carcase, no remains, nothing. I have since relocated the entire tank and inhabitants to a different tank. Not a crispy fish to be found.
Snappy is a good 2" now. Watched a video of a pistol shrimp popping a cleaner shrimp and carrying it back to its lair which is why I blame him. Lol
Once I get around to finishing my 26g bowfront project I won't worry about him
I had some freshwater breeding orange swordtail mollies not long ago - neat experience.
As far as snappy goes... Definitely a pistol shrimp. (He is my profile pic) I needed something to blame for my little fishes disappearance. Snappy was about inch and a half and the baby mangrove snappers were about an inch long and the other slightly smaller. One disappeared and a few days later, so did the other. No carcase, no remains, nothing. I have since relocated the entire tank and inhabitants to a different tank. Not a crispy fish to be found.
Snappy is a good 2" now. Watched a video of a pistol shrimp popping a cleaner shrimp and carrying it back to its lair which is why I blame him. Lol
Once I get around to finishing my 26g bowfront project I won't worry about him
sam.basye
New member
So you think Snappy snapped your Snappers?
Well I guess if he was bigger than they were, it could happen. Mine was only about an inch-a Tiger Pistol I think.
Bummer losing fish, huh? Have a drink to forget! Maybe some schnapps?
Well I guess if he was bigger than they were, it could happen. Mine was only about an inch-a Tiger Pistol I think.
Bummer losing fish, huh? Have a drink to forget! Maybe some schnapps?
sam.basye
New member
Aren't you the witty one tonight
Mine came from the gulf of Florida. I liked those fish even though they would probably outgrow the tank in a matter of months. Oh well. I don't understand how a fish just goes missing...never to be seen again.
Anyways, drink up to Sir snaps a lot! A 'fish killer' and friend...
Mine came from the gulf of Florida. I liked those fish even though they would probably outgrow the tank in a matter of months. Oh well. I don't understand how a fish just goes missing...never to be seen again.
Anyways, drink up to Sir snaps a lot! A 'fish killer' and friend...
I watched that video. Snappy did it. Or maybe they jumped out? Have you checked around on the floor? Do you have a cat? If not, and you don't find them on the floor, Snappy's your perpetrator. And he went from an inch and a half to two inches around that time…
Evidence is adding up, Snappy. Is there something you'd like to confess?
The only other thing I can think of is an unknown, killer hitchhiker. Like a Mantis. But if it were that, Snappy would fall victim as well.
Evidence is adding up, Snappy. Is there something you'd like to confess?
The only other thing I can think of is an unknown, killer hitchhiker. Like a Mantis. But if it were that, Snappy would fall victim as well.
The mollies aren't doing much so far. They look like they're waiting to be fed. I'm just glad they survived the fresh to saltwater acclimation. I have no plans to feed them, so when they get hungry enough, I think they'll come around.
sam.basye
New member
No cat, no remains in the tank, no smells, no crispy carcases on the dresser, behind it, or on the floor. Had a Kuhli loach commit suicide a while back and it started to smell for a week and I found it all crispy a month or so later next to the power strip...
I think snappy didn't get bigger until a month or so after they disappeared... Houdini fish!
I took everything apart to clean and scrub in addition to a 75% water change a few days ago...no sign of that 'baby pistol shrimp' I found last week either... sigh
The green chromis is doing good - not shrimp food as of yet
Is there any trick to acclimating the mollies? Like a maximum SG?
Pic is the baby shrimp... its 1-2cm long, clearish pink and has a faint green enlarged left claw. It's hiding under the branch stump. You can see the black innards and eyes and a basic outline of its body.
I think snappy didn't get bigger until a month or so after they disappeared... Houdini fish!
I took everything apart to clean and scrub in addition to a 75% water change a few days ago...no sign of that 'baby pistol shrimp' I found last week either... sigh
The green chromis is doing good - not shrimp food as of yet
Is there any trick to acclimating the mollies? Like a maximum SG?
Pic is the baby shrimp... its 1-2cm long, clearish pink and has a faint green enlarged left claw. It's hiding under the branch stump. You can see the black innards and eyes and a basic outline of its body.
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I still think Snappy did it.
I did a little research on molly acclimating. It was all over the place. Some people took days, some took minutes. I split the difference and took about a half day. Other than that, nothing special. They never really looked stressed. They can be happy in full strength seawater, but not in soft, 'pure' water.
I'm psyched they survived. I'm not so psyched with their behavior so far. They're not eating algae! We'll see. I don't plan to feed them. It's a battle of wills! Me against the mollies!
I did a little research on molly acclimating. It was all over the place. Some people took days, some took minutes. I split the difference and took about a half day. Other than that, nothing special. They never really looked stressed. They can be happy in full strength seawater, but not in soft, 'pure' water.
I'm psyched they survived. I'm not so psyched with their behavior so far. They're not eating algae! We'll see. I don't plan to feed them. It's a battle of wills! Me against the mollies!
karimwassef
Active member
Silversides?
I'm pretty sure Silversides are planktivores. Are you getting some, Karim?
The mollies are starting to nibble about, but they tend to hang around the fake root in the shadows. They seem reluctant to venture into bright light, where the algae is. I got them at Petsmart. Raised in captivity, they've never been in a tank like mine. I'm sure they'll come around though.
I'm sorely tempted to get a blenny! Maybe a fighting conch would be better, since my sandbed is the worse off, algae-wise. I'd rather not add either, with the tank so young and iffy right now.
It may be time for some manual removal. Yay"¦
The mollies are starting to nibble about, but they tend to hang around the fake root in the shadows. They seem reluctant to venture into bright light, where the algae is. I got them at Petsmart. Raised in captivity, they've never been in a tank like mine. I'm sure they'll come around though.
I'm sorely tempted to get a blenny! Maybe a fighting conch would be better, since my sandbed is the worse off, algae-wise. I'd rather not add either, with the tank so young and iffy right now.
It may be time for some manual removal. Yay"¦
karimwassef
Active member
Phyto eaters or leaf eaters?
I'm adding 100 glass shrimp to mine. I love the way they infuse life into a tank.
I'm adding 100 glass shrimp to mine. I love the way they infuse life into a tank.
Have you seen these shrimp (Palaemonetes Vulgaris) at
http://www.livebrineshrimp.com/Index.htm ?
Scroll down that first page. They're calling them Marine shrimp Janitors and Feeders. Looks like a good, small, marine shrimp.
http://www.livebrineshrimp.com/Index.htm ?
Scroll down that first page. They're calling them Marine shrimp Janitors and Feeders. Looks like a good, small, marine shrimp.
