first saltwater aquarium, weird 15g setup, many questions
- Thread starter skipper03
- Start date
Yep
skipper03
Active member
fish update: big wrasse has a favorite hiding spot, in between the rocks near the powerhead intake, and peeks out from between them. it gets scared very easily when it sees me approach.
big goby usually hides. i don't know where its favorite spot is, but it has to be a good one. when visible, it becomes still when i approach, but doesn't dart away. also it seems to see its reflection in the glass or something; it swims face-first up and down it.
small goby also spends most of its time hiding, but doesn't show the glass behavior.
small wrasse hides the most. i actually just tore the hardscape apart looking for it, because if it had died overnight i wanted to get the body out asap. it was okay, just hiding in a spot i didn't think was even accessible. i hope i didn't squish either of the small fish when putting the hardscape back... i was being careful, and saw where both of them were the whole time, but i'm anxious because i can't see either of them.
big goby usually hides. i don't know where its favorite spot is, but it has to be a good one. when visible, it becomes still when i approach, but doesn't dart away. also it seems to see its reflection in the glass or something; it swims face-first up and down it.
small goby also spends most of its time hiding, but doesn't show the glass behavior.
small wrasse hides the most. i actually just tore the hardscape apart looking for it, because if it had died overnight i wanted to get the body out asap. it was okay, just hiding in a spot i didn't think was even accessible. i hope i didn't squish either of the small fish when putting the hardscape back... i was being careful, and saw where both of them were the whole time, but i'm anxious because i can't see either of them.
No need to be anxious if a fish disappears/dies. You gave enough clean up crew and you’re doing water changes, you will be fine. Don’t disturb things.
Glad all the fish are doing well. Sounds like everyone is settling in, getting used to the new environment and will eventually be out more.
Glad all the fish are doing well. Sounds like everyone is settling in, getting used to the new environment and will eventually be out more.
skipper03
Active member
true, but this was in the 5g, which has no cuc right now as there's no algae or anything for them to feed on yet.
skipper03
Active member
a lot of stuff has happened, good, bad, and interesting!
first of all, i scooped out the two larger fish and brought them over an hour away to my lfs, and when i came back, i found my small wrasse dead. so that was upsetting... bc i had just given my other wrasse away. i did email affordable aquaria, and they are sending me a replacement, which is very nice!
also, there's a crazy hair algae bloom. the snails have really stopped pulling their weight. i got in there with tongs and aquascaping scissors, and i must say, this algae is one of the worst smells i have ever smelled. i see why we try to make our animals remove it for us.
i figured that the params must be bad, so i prepared new water, and then tested the tank water - my logic being, if the params were bad and i did not have water ready, i would just be stressed but with no immediate action to take - and to my surprise, the ammonia and nitrite were at 0, nitrate was between 0-3, and phosphate was the same as it has been. i did the water change anyway, because i already had the water... and also because i don't really know what the salinity of my tank water is - my digital salinity tester said 1.024, and my refractometer said 1.030 - and i know that the freshly prepared water at least has an acceptable level.
now i think my lighting schedule is probably to blame for the algae, as i've had it on every moment i'm awake, meaning 15+ hours a day. didn't think too hard about that. i put it on a 6hr timer to try and fix the problem.
there are some really cool new macros, though! i love this green one that looks like a mushroom, and this delicate red one made of dotted lines.
also i have an increasing number of... these. they do not seem to move at all, and are firm. the first one i got was on the single piece of live rock i got from my lfs. they tend to be overtaken by algae. foraminiferans?
and i think i actually have a limpet after all! yay!
my goby is still doing well. he is getting progressively less timid, especially as he starts to associate me with food.
to feed him, i have this like, random tiny container, and i put the frozen mysis & brine shrimp cubes in it, and melt them with hot water. then i feed it to him with a pipette, and store the leftovers in the fridge.
first of all, i scooped out the two larger fish and brought them over an hour away to my lfs, and when i came back, i found my small wrasse dead. so that was upsetting... bc i had just given my other wrasse away. i did email affordable aquaria, and they are sending me a replacement, which is very nice!
also, there's a crazy hair algae bloom. the snails have really stopped pulling their weight. i got in there with tongs and aquascaping scissors, and i must say, this algae is one of the worst smells i have ever smelled. i see why we try to make our animals remove it for us.
i figured that the params must be bad, so i prepared new water, and then tested the tank water - my logic being, if the params were bad and i did not have water ready, i would just be stressed but with no immediate action to take - and to my surprise, the ammonia and nitrite were at 0, nitrate was between 0-3, and phosphate was the same as it has been. i did the water change anyway, because i already had the water... and also because i don't really know what the salinity of my tank water is - my digital salinity tester said 1.024, and my refractometer said 1.030 - and i know that the freshly prepared water at least has an acceptable level.
now i think my lighting schedule is probably to blame for the algae, as i've had it on every moment i'm awake, meaning 15+ hours a day. didn't think too hard about that. i put it on a 6hr timer to try and fix the problem.
there are some really cool new macros, though! i love this green one that looks like a mushroom, and this delicate red one made of dotted lines.
also i have an increasing number of... these. they do not seem to move at all, and are firm. the first one i got was on the single piece of live rock i got from my lfs. they tend to be overtaken by algae. foraminiferans?
and i think i actually have a limpet after all! yay!
my goby is still doing well. he is getting progressively less timid, especially as he starts to associate me with food.
to feed him, i have this like, random tiny container, and i put the frozen mysis & brine shrimp cubes in it, and melt them with hot water. then i feed it to him with a pipette, and store the leftovers in the fridge.
skipper03
Active member
trying to find my mystery crab rn. i have the rock that seemed to have been his hideout for a while, and, shining a flashlight into the pore that he lived in, he doesn't seem to be there. it's super deep though, which is interesting. did something else make this, or did he scrape it deeper with his claws? i've read that xanthid crabs do that.
skipper03
Active member
the rock (back in the tank now, i gave up lol)
p.s. my anemone hath grown more. i haven't been able to keep an eye on it because of where it relocated to
also something glued these rocks together!
p.s. my anemone hath grown more. i haven't been able to keep an eye on it because of where it relocated to
also something glued these rocks together!
Hair algae is definitely something else. It requires pretty good upkeep or it’ll take over. You’ll want slightly higher numbers on nitrate as we don’t usually shoot for 0 on those anymore, however it could be the hair algae consuming it in large amounts too.
The macro appears to be Mermaids Wineglass (Acetabularia crenulata). Mine always disappeared.
The white spots may be nerite snail eggs but can’t be certain.
The hole was likely made by something else and the crab just decided to live in it. Maybe consider the glass cup trick (place the cup at a tilt near the hole and put some food. Usually the crab will crawl in and can’t get out. But it may take a couple days).
I’m 50/50 on the nem still between Carribean Aiptasia and curley q.
Many worms and such form calcified skeletons that can join rocks so that may be it.
The macro appears to be Mermaids Wineglass (Acetabularia crenulata). Mine always disappeared.
The white spots may be nerite snail eggs but can’t be certain.
The hole was likely made by something else and the crab just decided to live in it. Maybe consider the glass cup trick (place the cup at a tilt near the hole and put some food. Usually the crab will crawl in and can’t get out. But it may take a couple days).
I’m 50/50 on the nem still between Carribean Aiptasia and curley q.
Many worms and such form calcified skeletons that can join rocks so that may be it.
skipper03
Active member
the mystery crab has allowed me to put it in a vial so i can look closely!
Hairy looking generally means not reef safe.
