couple questions on my new riccordia

[romsoccer12]

i got an orange ric from my LFS. i have a lot of flow in my tank so its hard to fine a nice spot. i put it halfway up in my tank but everyonce in a while, the flow seems to much for it and the sides get pushed up. is this normal? second question, it has 2 mouths and im thinking about cutting it in half. will it remake its roundness? and will all the new fragoffs of the original ric stay the same color?

 

[romsoccer12]

oh and yea, what should i feed it? nothing seems to stick to its bubbles but it opens up all the way everyday. ive tried mysis and fineley chopped krill.

 

[iFisch]

Get your algae growth under control. Stop adding corals.

Let your tank stabilize first.

 

[romsoccer12]

i ordered it before the algae bloom. how about instead of being a smart a$$ you answer the question

 

[iFisch]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15271138#post15271138 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by romsoccer12
i ordered it before the algae bloom. how about instead of being a smart a$$ you answer the question

How about you research and understand how to keep a reef tank. Nothing GOOD happens fast in this hobby.


How about you do a little research on similar looking alga's, to get yours identified, so the problem can be solved.



I'm more worried about your tank being over-run by your algae bloom, which you seem can't get under control. You're corals will look ugly covered in that stuff.


RESEARCH that first. Or for a matter of fact, why don't you research ANYTHING before you buy it. It seems you know how to spend money, but have know idea what you're technically buying, how to care for it, etc.


Just my $.03. :lol:

 

[JMCAquarium]

"yawn" I would have to agree with ifisch on this one you seem to have bigger issues as of now then how to properly frag a ric. If you were to frag it now under those unstable conditions I doubt it would survive. Clear you algea and resettle the tank before risking such things.

AS far as cutting a Ric I would advise agianst cutting a ric if you have never cut a shroom before as reg shroom are far more forgiving if cut wrong but rics are not practice on a reg shroom first and make sure it grows back happy and healthy cut it 50/50 making sure half the mouth is with each peice.

Aslo he was not being a Smartass he was simple stating the truth you tank is 3 months old.....lol I run my systems empty with rock only for a full month before adding CUC and light fish make sure you do not rush it it will bite you back if you do.

 

[romsoccer12]

i research everything before i put it in my tank. isnt this website to learn and research also? btw i identified my algae problem and have it under control my hole tank isnt covered in cyano, its one rock and it seems to be receding. is 3 months old not long enough to add one mushroom? should i wait another year next time? thx jmc for giving me some reasonable advice instead of just dissing me and what i am doing. please dont assume that im going to do something just by asking about it. now, can somone answer my first question? is there to much flow for my riccordia? since my tank is having an algae bloom, i would like to give it the best spot for survival

 

[JMCAquarium]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15273572#post15273572 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by romsoccer12
is 3 months old not long enough to add one mushroom? should i wait another year next time?

hhmmm speaking of smartass ....... No three months is about when you should be introducing First/new corals slowly 2-3 new peices per month at most to allow the water and other corals to ajust. As most do not know even the smallest coral gives of toxins and if they are introduced to fast to allow fot he others to get used to or the newly introduced coral to stop being ****y you will get your first crash.

Answering you second question if the sides of the shroom are turned up all the time then yes that is to much flow and sooner or later the shroom will die or in most cases go for a walk to the other side of the rock. You can keep the water flow up simple place a peice or rubble infront of it to defuse the water flow directly on the shroom itself and all should be good.
I'm not the Mushroom King for nothing got anything else ?

 

[iFisch]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15273572#post15273572 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by romsoccer12
i research everything before i put it in my tank. isnt this website to learn and research also? btw i identified my algae problem and have it under control my hole tank isnt covered in cyano, its one rock and it seems to be receding. is 3 months old not long enough to add one mushroom? should i wait another year next time? thx jmc for giving me some reasonable advice instead of just dissing me and what i am doing. please dont assume that im going to do something just by asking about it. now, can somone answer my first question? is there to much flow for my riccordia? since my tank is having an algae bloom, i would like to give it the best spot for survival

Yes. Congrats on identifying your problem. Solve, and fix it before even thinking about another coral/fish. Let the tank stabilize, maybe a 2-3 weeks period, then consider adding another coral again. Cyano is hard to battle, and may take months to get a good portion fully removed. Just because it's gone today, doesn't mean it won't be back tomorrow. Go three weeks without a single algae bloom, and I think you're on the right direction. This does not entitle you to add more corals, fish.

This part, is called stabilization aka maturing a tank. Give it another month, then slowly add a fish and a coral. Next month, maybe one more coral.


Reef keeping is about patience. If you have none, please exist this hobby. It will cost you big time, your wallet that is, by "expediting" things.

You don't see tank of the month, being 3 months old. They are year, year and half "+" old. This is just an example, I'm not saying you want a fully stocked tank, but in this hobby, patience, and timing is key.


You hate me, yet I am still giving you reasonable advice. I don't want to see an eager teen drop money, kill animals, etc, because that individual is eager to spend money, and not the time it requires to fully understand how to keep a reef and it's inhabitants.

Call me a smartass, jackass, I don't care.

 

[romsoccer12]

i found a new spot for it. its almost no flow but its the best i could do without it getting blown away or pushed off by my blenny. what should i feed it? mysis or small pieces of krill dont really stick to it they just float away. sorry for calling you a smartass. i can be a hyporcrite sometimes. as for the cyano, its almsot gone! more flow and less light worked

 

[JMCAquarium]

Cyano is not an algae but a micro bacteria and it will be back as all tanks have it it's weather or not it blooms or not but keeping you water chemistry in check and making sure there are no dead flow spots in your tank will help you in your battle.
I do not have photo ability at work so I am not sure if you posted a picture of the shrooms new location but if you not have posted one could you?
As far as feeding stop trying to feed it for now....what are your light system stats as shrooms are mostly photosynthetic and do "Need" to be fed but thrive when they are that is , only after the are happy and stable.

 

[JMCAquarium]

What Is It?


Some cyanobacteria is beneficial, being an important part of the nitrogen cycle. Spirulina, which is hailed as a "superfood," being rich in all of the amino acids, as well as other important nutrients, is a form of cyanobacteria. Others, however, produce various forms of neurotoxins, hepatotoxins, cytotoxins, and endotoxins. All forms of cyanobacteria seem to be somewhere between plant and bacteria. They have a gel-like cell wall (cell walls are usually reserved for plants) and are fed partially by photosynthesis. They also possess bacterial traits. Some are free-floating, some form threads, or sheets, or even hollow spheres. Thankfully, it seems that most of the harmful cyanobacteria take the form of brilliant sheets, making it easy to identify.
A few things contribute to the beginning of a cyanobacteria outbreak. Too much light, too much phospate, and general poor water quality can begin an outbreak. Introducing plants that have not been quarantined can bring on an outbreak in a seemingly healthy tank. Once it has begun, however, cyanobacteria can be much harder to get rid of than an algae outbreak.

What to Do?


If you are facing an outbreak of cyanobacteria, there are a couple of options for treating the tank:
Antibiotics


The first is a fairly simple remedy. Dosing the tank with an antibiotic will kill off the infestation pretty quickly. This has several downsides that offset its ease and speed. The first is that every use of antibiotics has the potential to create a strain of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. You may get rid of the cyanobacteria only to find that your tank has been infested with a strain of fish TB that doesn't respond to the antibiotics. The second is that some fish and inverts don't deal well with certain antibiotics. The third is that dosing a tank with antibiotics is a good way to completely un-cycle the tank.
A good way to at least partially bypass the loss of your tank's cycle is to pull the media out of your filter and store it in another tank. If you don't have another tank, you can seal it in a bag with some tank water and keep it in the refrigerator. After you have set aside the filter media, treat the tank. Once treatment is done, run fresh activated carbon in the tank for an hour, then replace the filter media. This should leave your tank with a significant portion of its nitrifying bacteria intact.

Starve the Little Buggers


The second method, while more work and time intensive, has no real negative effects on the tank itself. In fact, it is, in general, good for the fish. The first thing to do is to thoroughly clean every surface of the tank. Second, step up water changes to lower the phosphorous levels in the tank. If your water supply normally contains phosphates, you may want to invest in some phosphorous-removing filter media. Third, kill the lights for several weeks. Fourth, feed your fish less. Most fish food contains phosphorous, which ends up in the water, feeding the cyanobacteria. Combined, these actions should starve the cyanobacteria out of the tank. This procedure takes time, of course, which is its greatest downside.
During either procedure, it is a good idea to remove the bacteria as it appears. You can often get it with the vacuum if you lightly scrape at the sheets with the edge of the vacuum attachment.

 

[iFisch]

He's running stock lighting, I believe. 96w PC over 29g.

 

[romsoccer12]

yep. and i think its the bad cyano. its just slimey red over all my rocks. i added more flow and reduced the lights a lot. i also pump it out when i do water changes. it mustve worked because it covered rocks and now i only see like 2 blotches of it and thats dieing! i also think adding more hermit crabs worked because they would keep climbing all over it.

 

[romsoccer12]

another wierd question. last night, the bubbles completely seperated into 2 but it was still connected in the bottom skin. i thought it was splitting but i woke up this morning and its completely intact with no negative affects. does this mean its starting to split? and when should i start feeding it? are my lights not good enough for it? i put in 8 inches above the sand and the tank is only 19inches high.

 

[iFisch]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15287825#post15287825 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by romsoccer12
another wierd question. last night, the bubbles completely seperated into 2 but it was still connected in the bottom skin. i thought it was splitting but i woke up this morning and its completely intact with no negative affects. does this mean its starting to split? and when should i start feeding it? are my lights not good enough for it? i put in 8 inches above the sand and the tank is only 19inches high.

Split = another mouth.


Your lighting should be fine. Maybe move it up the rock a little bit. It can take days for corals to acclimate to your lighting. Be patient.

 

[macclellan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15271650#post15271650 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by iFisch
alga's

Lol @ "alga's." Trying to look smart are we? "Algae" is the plural of "alga", so "alga's" is the singular possessive. You meant to say "algae."

 

[iFisch]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15290557#post15290557 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by macclellan
Lol @ "alga's." Trying to look smart are we? "Algae" is the plural of "alga", so "alga's" is the singular possessive. You meant to say "algae."

Yes. I tend not to post stupid.

Good eye. If Algae means more than one, why isn't everyone saying ,"I've got an alga problem?" Unless that person is battling cyano, and hair algae.



And I'm sure you've been caught too, on grammar, so don't be cracking the whip! :lol:

 

[macclellan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15290813#post15290813 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by iFisch
If Algae means more than one, why isn't everyone saying ,"I've got an alga problem?" Unless that person is battling cyano, and hair algae.

Why not? No one speaks greek so they don't understand the grammar (who knows the difference between phenomenon and phenomena for that matter?)... and "algae" is technically correct if there is more than one organism...which there always is in a reef tank. The most obvious error when people say I've got this kind troublesome kind of "algae" instead of "alga," or referring to multiple species as algaes (or algas) instead of algae.

I'm sure that I make plenty of grammatical errors (please let me know of any), but I"m not trying to school the OP like you are.

 

[JMCAquarium]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15287825#post15287825 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by romsoccer12
another wierd question. last night, the bubbles completely seperated into 2 but it was still connected in the bottom skin. i thought it was splitting but i woke up this morning and its completely intact with no negative affects. does this mean its starting to split? and when should i start feeding it? are my lights not good enough for it? i put in 8 inches above the sand and the tank is only 19inches high.

At this point pictures would better help us understand the issues at hand.