Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread

Status
Not open for further replies.
ROFL... I just thought you were trying to beat melev to the 10k mark:rollface:
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7255737#post7255737 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Hop
ROFL... I just thought you were trying to beat melev to the 10k mark:rollface:

Hmmm, now there's a thought!!! :D
 
A guess an update is due...

The frag I got from Zenya is RTNing now. :( I got it last year at MACNA, and it was doing quite well. It is really a small twig with a few branches, but all the same - argh.

The Hammer coral that I grew from a couple of heads is dying. I'm going to pull it out tonight to see if I can frag away what seems distressed from the rest that seems happy. I don't know why it is just dying, head by head. The frogspawn did the exact same thing last year, and I never did find the source. There is a rock anemone nearby, but the neucrosis occured at the furthest point away and is working its way toward the anemone, so I don't think it is the culprit.

I have a few very resilient cyano patches that stay dark all night long. Cyano tends to turn clear at night. I'm going to siphon out what I can find.

A third Tigertail cucumber has been seen in the reef, so one of the split at some point. I have a feeling there are probably four in the tank by now.

The purple monster (A. secale) looks great, and is keeping its nice color.

The BTAs seem quite large, and I'm beginning to wonder if any of them may decide to split soon.

All the fish are healthy and happy, and virtually all the corals look good. I did add that Montipora digitata about 6 weeks ago that looks pretty much history, and I never did find out if it was a water chemistry issue or if I have a fish (Tucker?) nipping at it.

So while that might not be a very happy update, I'm just telling you how it is. There are lots of great looking corals in the tank, including the Tyree LE, but a small percentage are not faring well.
 
That really sucks... However, it does make me feel a little better that even a master like you has problems too. I guess there is never just sitting back and looking at a perfect reef is there?
 
possibly related to the Probidio?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7256176#post7256176 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
A guess an update is due...

The frag I got from Zenya is RTNing now. :( I got it last year at MACNA, and it was doing quite well. It is really a small twig with a few branches, but all the same - argh.

The Hammer coral that I grew from a couple of heads is dying. I'm going to pull it out tonight to see if I can frag away what seems distressed from the rest that seems happy. I don't know why it is just dying, head by head. The frogspawn did the exact same thing last year, and I never did find the source. There is a rock anemone nearby, but the neucrosis occured at the furthest point away and is working its way toward the anemone, so I don't think it is the culprit.

I have a few very resilient cyano patches that stay dark all night long. Cyano tends to turn clear at night. I'm going to siphon out what I can find.

A third Tigertail cucumber has been seen in the reef, so one of the split at some point. I have a feeling there are probably four in the tank by now.

The purple monster (A. secale) looks great, and is keeping its nice color.

The BTAs seem quite large, and I'm beginning to wonder if any of them may decide to split soon.

All the fish are healthy and happy, and virtually all the corals look good. I did add that Montipora digitata about 6 weeks ago that looks pretty much history, and I never did find out if it was a water chemistry issue or if I have a fish (Tucker?) nipping at it.

So while that might not be a very happy update, I'm just telling you how it is. There are lots of great looking corals in the tank, including the Tyree LE, but a small percentage are not faring well.
 
Marc, how do tiger tails reproduce? I have had 2 of them for almost a year. You mentioned split?
 
Rapid Tissue Necrosis....

Marc, in relation to other incidents you've had in the past, do you think this latest batch of RTNs and other problems has a higher time to problem ratio? Just trying to work out if you think Prodibio is the cause as I'm sure you are....
 
Overall, everything is fine. I mention the few things that bother me because I'd like my reef to be 100% happy all the time. Odds are every one of us have one or two corals that aren't doing well while the rest are just fine, and we put all our attention on the few in hopes of getting them to rebound.

An important facet to keep in mind is the combining of many different species in one contained water source. Running a good quality skimmer, using a DSB, filtering with lots of live rock, adding fresh carbon actively as well as running phosphate removers all help, but in nature, we just don't see the mixture of livestock that we tend to accumulate. We see it, it's pretty, we buy it, and then put it in a spot that doesn't touch its neighbor. Even under the best of circumstances, some stuff won't survive.

If I had access to natural sea water and could change out the system daily with new water, odds are I could pull off what I wish. But I don't, and running a mixed reef with softies, SPS, and anemones as well as fish can be quite taxing.

The frag I got from Zenya has looked amazing for months. Matter of fact, I posted a lovely picture of it from above about two months ago. Then one of those stupid mushrooms in my tank blossomed too close to it, so I had to move the frag. It could be the Prodibio products affected this coral, or it could be the residual sting of the mushroom, or it could be the move to a different spot (differing flow, differing lighting, differing neighbors) that caused this little guy to RTN on me. I hate that.

Regarding cucumbers, they just pull themselves in two usually. I really like Tigertail cucumbers because they are interesting looking. I've seen others that just look plain and ugly, and I won't even get them for our monthly club raffle.

I don't necessarily believe Prodibio has done anything in my tank yet, plus or minus. Today it is time to dose again, and I'm going to use Reef Booster for the first time as well.
 
Question about something I saw in my tank last night. About a week ago notice little baby pepperment shrimp in my live rock. I have been looking at them every night because they are cool to look at and I want to see if they are going to make it. So far so good. Last night found hundreds of tiny transluscent shrimps swimming freely in the tank. I shutoff all of the pumps to better look because the flow was tossing them around. They are clear with white specks that reflect the light. They drawn to the LED flashlight I use to look at with. My pepperment shrimp and yellow clown goby enjoy eating them. They followed the light anywhere I moved it in the tank. My question is did I have a big birth of mysis pods? There was about two to three hundred easy. I did scoop some out and put them in my refugium where flow is a little slower. As anyone had this happen to them?
 
Marc -

I had a similar situation with my Euphylia's dying one head at a time. After losing several colonies I figured "What the heck" took them out and dipped them in very cool RO water, and two small nudibranch guys fell out. Replaced the corals and they are doing fine ever since. Then I read that there is such a critter that eats euphylias.

Just a thought.

Chris
 
Marc,
Great thread!! I was listening to the podcasts on my way to work and I heard you mention you had a Phosban reactor. I was wondering what pump you are using with it? I think the only pumps I saw that were rated close to 100gph were RIOs. PLEASE keep up the good work with the podcasts. Thanks
Jack
 
<b>Airman</b> - You may be looking at baby peppermint shrimp in your tank. Try looking at this video: http://www.melevsreef.com/video/lil_angels.wmv & http://www.melevsreef.com/video/angels_of.wmv

<b>Chris</b> - I'll try that. That would be surprising, but at least I'd know what had happened!

<b>Jack</b> - Thanks. Btw, we aren't allowed to have URLs in our signature lines. The pump I use is a Maxijet. Phosban Reactors come with a ballvalve, so you can control the amount of water flowing into th e reactor. A Maxijet 600 is plenty.
 
Yes that what I saw about two nights ago. Last night looked again but they are all gone :( I still have the little shrimps inside of the LR that is about two weeks old. After you shot the video was did your little shrimp disappear the next day?
 
My Peppermint Shrimp larve last maybe one full day before they are blown into the over flow or the powerhead. I suspect they would run out of food before long. When mine hatch you I don't see the numbers melev does. I suspect the hatch is large but the MJ1200 in my tank takes them out fairly quick. The shrimps on your live rock may be Mysis. I have tons of those swimming around.
 
Here's an interesting update, but no picture unfortunately.

I saw my blood shrimp today, and I never, and I mean never, ever see it. It hides in the rockwork all the time, and even late night I just see its antennae waving until the flashlight hits its spot.

The Copperband Butterfly was hovering next to it in the cave spot (center of the tank) and the Blood Shrimp was cleaning its gills. That was pretty cool to watch. It pulled the gills out quite far, almost uncomfortably, but the Copperband seemed to enjoy it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top