Mission Impossible?

[Juston]

I recently took advantage of the SEA Father's Day sale to stock the tank.
My tank was done cycling, so it was time to stock it. Mike from Sea said the water sample was so perfect it was scary. (My girlfriend is OCD regarding the water quality) Added so far about 105lbs of Live Rock. 130 gallons total with the Sump, DSB, only about 10 Snails/crabs and an Emerald Crab.

Well except for Dwayne giving us a chromis that was listing to the side, (which I accurately estimated had a tank life of 2 days before going to the big fishtank in the sky) all was well.

EXCEPT for my beautiful new Flowerpot. It has sucked into itself after the first day and only a couple pieces of it have ventured out and not at all like in the store. I have done a ton of reading on them and thought I was prepared for the experience. I have tried encapsulating him in a 2 liter bottle for feeding, used a turkey baster to feed him directly, bought Microvert, and bred Brine shrimp, as well as added FUEL, and I just can't seem to get the poor guy to come out. I am starting to feel like a Bad Tank Parent with the poor thing all sucked into itself.

I do have warmer water then I want and am trying to come up with solutions atm. (83-86)

So my questions..

Anyone dealt with Flowerpots successfully? Where to place, Lighting, flow, food?

Anyone have any Chiller ideas less then the $200 average? I have thought about DIY refridge with tubing, or Bottles of ice. Which I am going to start slowly tonight, so as not to overdo the temp change.

Any help you guys have would be great, even if it's just a hug or wag of the finger, or a "step away from the tank".
:blown:

-Juston

 

[savageAJC]

what lights are you running and how far from the surface?

you can stick a fan near the surface of the tank to cool it off... im sure others will chime in, fortunately ive never reall had a big problem with tank temp.

 

[Juston]

Here is the current setup.

and the Flowerpot in question.

T5 lighting, not quite 2 feet down from the lights. 2 White, 2 Blue.
Flowerpot extended about 2 inches from his base at the store, now just the right side barely comes out.

 

[aquaph8]

Don't waste your money on a chiller, go with the clip on fan savage suggested. Chillers produce about as much heat as they cure unless vented. Don't sweat the flower pot, there a PIA

 

[oscarslr]

Will take time, keep it low and out of flow took mine almost a month to adjust to new environment

 

[xpertrifle]

Walmart sells clip on fans, like the kind your bus driver had in school only plastic. This is what I use blowing over the sump or main. Also keep and eye on your heaters, esp the glass ones. The themostat shorts some times and it will heat like crazy.

 

[Juston]

Correction- I have T12 lighting. Thank you guys for the assistance.

 

[Tucson Reef]

Flowerpot does best in old tank. When I kept them I used to just stir up the sand bed everyday ot two, they like the detritus. Just because the polyps look big, don't let that fool you on feeding, dirty water is their native envoirment and food source not brine shrimp sized stuff.

 

[xpertrifle]

By the way the rock looks good. I like the barnacles!

 

[sillygoose]

They had those barnacles at SEA the last time I was there. They are cool.

 

[brettinteriors]

Second on the flower pot. fan works great. are your lights ina canopy

 

[sillygoose]

How about spot feeding with something like cyclopeze (sp?)?