Isn't that a lot more work?
- Thread starter Dustin07
- Start date
Honestly we are bargain hunters. Most of my frags came from the $9.99 bargain bin or an LFS I know of that will cut stuff for me in the store and give me good prices. The torch was $50/head (so we only got one) and I'm pretty certain that's the most expensive coral we have in our tank, but it's really nice and adds that much needed flowiness and vibrance!
T Diddy
Happy to be here
That’s cool. I keep threatening to venture out and visit new stores, but the nearest one is an hour away. Having said that, I ordered some stuff from a supposedly top notch online seller…let’s just say that I would have walked right past this stuff if it was at my LFS…big disappointment.
I get that!
We have an OK store about 25 min away, but our favorite two are 45-60minutes in opposite directions so we tend to make a date day of it. Go for the long drive, have lunch and and browse frags. For us it's a fun Saturday during the very cold and rainy PNW winters!
We have an OK store about 25 min away, but our favorite two are 45-60minutes in opposite directions so we tend to make a date day of it. Go for the long drive, have lunch and and browse frags. For us it's a fun Saturday during the very cold and rainy PNW winters!
…I kill me
Are these guys people eaters?
so someone said purple dragons, which seems pretty close. I need to try to get a better picture. looked OK on my phone until I opened this thread up on desktop...
The only thing in my tank not thriving right now is that darn mushroom. It looks very stable and ok but he's substantially smaller than he was a couple weeks ago.
We have been playing with the water flow from the Voyager unit we put in. It's not adjustable.... So we've been trying to find an angle that doesn't blow away some stuff but improves flow for other things.
I think we have that dialed now and the shrooms seems to be in a comfortable zone, but still not thriving.
Also the next thing I want to learn more about is my BTA. We've had it for quite some time and it seems happy but honestly I feel like it's my only coral (aside from the shroom) that isn't showing any signs of growth. I think it's underfed and I'm not sure how to really feed it well.
I mostly give it a dusting of the benepets. I try to do mysis from time to time but it's sorta hard to target feed it. I need some pinchers I think since the mysis is too big to get into a pipet.
We have been playing with the water flow from the Voyager unit we put in. It's not adjustable.... So we've been trying to find an angle that doesn't blow away some stuff but improves flow for other things.
I think we have that dialed now and the shrooms seems to be in a comfortable zone, but still not thriving.
Also the next thing I want to learn more about is my BTA. We've had it for quite some time and it seems happy but honestly I feel like it's my only coral (aside from the shroom) that isn't showing any signs of growth. I think it's underfed and I'm not sure how to really feed it well.
I mostly give it a dusting of the benepets. I try to do mysis from time to time but it's sorta hard to target feed it. I need some pinchers I think since the mysis is too big to get into a pipet.
Did some reading on how to move a stubborn anenome and decided to try the ice cube method against my RFAs foot. It released within seconds so I relocated to a better starting point so I'm not staring at his foot lol
We will see if this damages him over the coming days but I'm amazed how a tiny icecube got him to release so fast
We will see if this damages him over the coming days but I'm amazed how a tiny icecube got him to release so fast
I love seeing other peoples photos and I'm sure you guys too... I will work on getting better pictures. But my wife and I have basically created what I call "mount zoanthid" or Mt Zoa. all of my rescues are doing fantastic. I'm spot feeding everything 2x per week with benepets, and when I get to the bottom of my serving size I fill the cup with tank water (rather than pipeting) and broadcast the last of it.
We added a Neon dottyback and another chromis. The chromis swam RIGHT to our other chromis and they became instant best buds. I assume because they're as dumb as Dory and thought they were looking at themselves.
The neon dottyback swam STRAIGHT to the first hole it could find and hid. My larger damsel spent the day chasing it. I might rehome him. He's getting big which is cool, but I don't want aggressive fish if I can avoid it. My orchid dottyback has decided she can swim wherever she wants now that the neon dottyback is the new kid taking the hazing. all fish and corals seem to be good, the mushroom isn't as big as it was, but is looking healthy.
We added a Neon dottyback and another chromis. The chromis swam RIGHT to our other chromis and they became instant best buds. I assume because they're as dumb as Dory and thought they were looking at themselves.
The neon dottyback swam STRAIGHT to the first hole it could find and hid. My larger damsel spent the day chasing it. I might rehome him. He's getting big which is cool, but I don't want aggressive fish if I can avoid it. My orchid dottyback has decided she can swim wherever she wants now that the neon dottyback is the new kid taking the hazing. all fish and corals seem to be good, the mushroom isn't as big as it was, but is looking healthy.
Now, my next research project:
I run a slightly dirty tank, obviously, which makes my zoas happy. But I really do need to clean the glass almost daily. really, I can do it daily. I could improve my filtration for sure. In fact I might move to a hang on, or something different because I do not like the suction cup style filtration I currently have. one time the suction cups came unattached and it started shooting water across my living room floor.
it woke me up and and went sliding across the room stubbing my toe on the way thinking my tank had sprung a leak.
I have read about algaes competing with each other for nutrients. I get brown (is it diatom?) algae on the glass. if I let it go for a couple days I have found that an old credit card scrapes it off in little sheets much better than say a sponge washing.
it's not cyanocobalamin, I've had that and it was much worse.
this isn't bad, it's just a maintenance issue I'd like to improve if possible.
my emerald crabs have eliminated my bubble algae with no harm to any corals. I have 4 shrimp now, the cleaner, 2 sexy, and a camel. they all seem healthy and happy. a handful of nasarius digging up the sand, bunch of trocus keeping rocks clean. but the glass is my next endeavor.
can I safely add some Chaeto or something to compete with the brown algae?
I run a slightly dirty tank, obviously, which makes my zoas happy. But I really do need to clean the glass almost daily. really, I can do it daily. I could improve my filtration for sure. In fact I might move to a hang on, or something different because I do not like the suction cup style filtration I currently have. one time the suction cups came unattached and it started shooting water across my living room floor.
it woke me up and and went sliding across the room stubbing my toe on the way thinking my tank had sprung a leak.
I have read about algaes competing with each other for nutrients. I get brown (is it diatom?) algae on the glass. if I let it go for a couple days I have found that an old credit card scrapes it off in little sheets much better than say a sponge washing.
it's not cyanocobalamin, I've had that and it was much worse.
this isn't bad, it's just a maintenance issue I'd like to improve if possible.
my emerald crabs have eliminated my bubble algae with no harm to any corals. I have 4 shrimp now, the cleaner, 2 sexy, and a camel. they all seem healthy and happy. a handful of nasarius digging up the sand, bunch of trocus keeping rocks clean. but the glass is my next endeavor.
can I safely add some Chaeto or something to compete with the brown algae?
The brown algae you are describing in likely not diatoms. It's more likely just normal film algae. I get the same thing and need to clean my glass every day/every other day. Some Ceriths and Astrea snails will help cut down on how often you have to clean the glass.
I've never had good luck with chaeto in the DT. In a fuge, I've had varying success over the years. Seems a lot of people have success with it by dosing Iron.
Caulerpa, on the other hand, will definitely grow well in the DT as long as the nutrients are there to support it. The negative about having Caulerpa in the DT is it can grow very quickly and spread everywhere. Some have also reported it irritating corals and other sessile inverts.
I've never had good luck with chaeto in the DT. In a fuge, I've had varying success over the years. Seems a lot of people have success with it by dosing Iron.
Caulerpa, on the other hand, will definitely grow well in the DT as long as the nutrients are there to support it. The negative about having Caulerpa in the DT is it can grow very quickly and spread everywhere. Some have also reported it irritating corals and other sessile inverts.
That is about 90% of the response that I expected. years ago in my old setup I ran I think a 40g DT and a 20g fuge filled with Caulerpa, but since the fuge isn't currently an option (YET) I was hoping to find creative solutions... hmm.... I do have a section of my tank in the back right corner where I'd be OK with it spreading some and I can prune it. I've considered even something like a shroom box to keep it contained... I might have to keep pondering or simply keep cleaning, lol.
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