iwishtofish
Active member
Thanks...and I hadn't known about those. If the RKL controller doesn't work out well, I'll give it a close look!
My "Just Can't Quit" 40 Breeder
- Thread starter iwishtofish
- Start date
Thanks...and I hadn't known about those. If the RKL controller doesn't work out well, I'll give it a close look!
iwishtofish
Active member
Have some better pictures of the porcelain crab....the pistol shrimp hasn't been seen for a couple days.
Got a pretty top-down of the clam
And a new chalice I picked up the other day from our club meeting
Got a pretty top-down of the clam
And a new chalice I picked up the other day from our club meeting
Those aren't red bugs. They look like red planaria. Also, the asterina wouldn't cause the gsp to close up. Mine closed up for a few weeks for no reason that I could measure and then just opened up one day. It was also opening up at night occasionally during that time. My point is, who's the heck knows why gsp's close up? They have their own agenda.
Sent from my KFJWI using Tapatalk 2
Sent from my KFJWI using Tapatalk 2
iwishtofish
Active member
Haha, no problem!
Thanks for the reply, though - I think these asterinas are a mean type (although I certainly could be wrong)...I've seen them on zoanthids right before they disappear, and they seem to be eating holes in the gsp. The last time the gsp opened a little bit was after I had been religiously picking off the asterinas. I've since given up.
iwishtofish
Active member
Thought I'd do a little update. I almost feel as if I should say my tank has been neglected, as I really haven't been doing any water changes or running a skimmer, but everything in there has stayed relatively healthy (with exception of the chalice) - even the polynesian clam that some folks think should have died by now remains healthy.
I added a bit more flow in the form of a cheap Chinese-made Koralia knockoff, and that has eliminated surface scum and allowed the HOB filter to be more effective.
My Marco Rock dry rock has so many holes and subsequent surface area that the pod population has flourished. That being the case, I added an only fish some weeks back, and it seems to be finding a regular supply of prey. If that changes, it will find a new home quickly.
The mandarin didn't have a super warm welcome from the shrimp and crab, but they worked out differences pretty quickly.
I did experience a strange phenomonen in the tank recently. Somebody piled up some pretty rocks in one particular spot. I thought that was pretty cool.
I'm really not sure what my next step should be with this tank. I'm wondering if I ought to add some more soft corals for movement, and just continue to run carbon to counter any chemicals they might produce.
I added a bit more flow in the form of a cheap Chinese-made Koralia knockoff, and that has eliminated surface scum and allowed the HOB filter to be more effective.
My Marco Rock dry rock has so many holes and subsequent surface area that the pod population has flourished. That being the case, I added an only fish some weeks back, and it seems to be finding a regular supply of prey. If that changes, it will find a new home quickly.
The mandarin didn't have a super warm welcome from the shrimp and crab, but they worked out differences pretty quickly.
I did experience a strange phenomonen in the tank recently. Somebody piled up some pretty rocks in one particular spot. I thought that was pretty cool.
I'm really not sure what my next step should be with this tank. I'm wondering if I ought to add some more soft corals for movement, and just continue to run carbon to counter any chemicals they might produce.
iwishtofish
Active member
Thank you. Yes, the bare bones is what I need to address. It's fun to look in there, but it could be more fun.
Things are growing, slowly though. I just pour alk in daily and add calcium every once in a while.Funny thing is that I don't get much algae growth, despite adding a fair amount of food (NLS pellets, assorted frozen). I must have a lot of tiny critters that eat things up constantly.
ReefingWerewolf
New member
So much life in that tank!
nice job.
nice job.
Amoo
New member
Do you have any idea how long it takes to read 70 some odd pages worth of posts? From the 75g to the nano thread (which you need to link to this one btw) to now, you've been on a wild ride my friend.
Since you asked, if you still have that stand for the 75g lying around WAITING for a 120g tank, maybe that is in your future?
iwishtofish
Active member
Lol, I'm honored that you read all that. Thank you. It's certainly been a "process!"
No, no 120g tank in the forseeable future. I need to concentrate on improving this current tank, probably by adding an HOB skimmer when funds allow. Then I'd feed pretty heavily, which I think really benefits a tank.
Amoo
New member
Have you put any new thought as to why you had so many issues with that 75 of yours? I know you mentioned you might have kept the water too clean...etc. Reading through your thread and seeing things survive in your smaller tanks since, I almost wonder to myself if the lack of any substrate what-so-ever, didn't allow you any buffer for the small amount of rock you had compared to water volume. I know bare bottom tanks are doable, but I wonder if you over did it with all of the additional filtration you had.
iwishtofish
Active member
The lack of substrate may indeed have been a factor. I definitely believe that I kept my water far too clean. I had no excess food remaining in there to feed an ecosystem of tiny life-supporting organisms that could provide food for my corals.
I theorize, however, that my rock is so porous that it can support high levels of bacteria - perhaps equal to that that is found in twice as much rock that is far less porous. Those holes and tunnels also provide safe haven for tiny critters to breed. Just the theory of this non-expert, of course...
iwishtofish
Active member
Well, folks, ANY fish will jump. Even a mandarin with no other fish in the tank. Kicking myself. I think had I bought any other fish I'd have put the screen on the top.
Considering an elegance coral again, if I can find a small, unique Australian model for a good price. That may take a while.
Considering an elegance coral again, if I can find a small, unique Australian model for a good price. That may take a while.
iwishtofish
Active member
Good plan!
You won't be looking at the floor every time you don't see a fish right away.
iwishtofish
Active member
I bumped up my Ca and Mg levels a bit, and my frogspawn has opened more than it has in a really long time. Maybe finally glueing it down helped with that, too - I imagine some corals don't like to move, even a little bit. Anyway, I put some frozen meaty food in the water column, and it appears it might have been eating. A first observation for this coral!
I'm a little surprised my clam tolerates this little crab running all over it, all prickly and such. Then again, maybe the clam has no recourse...
The crab, however, may not be a nuisance to the clam much longer. I caught the pistol shrimp in multiple acts of attempted assassination. The crab was lucky to be able to scoot just out of range of the shots. They were loud enough to startle me. You can see the crab in the lower right corner of the frame.
I'm beginning to wonder if the shrimp didn't play some role in the mandarin's leap from the tank.
I'm a little surprised my clam tolerates this little crab running all over it, all prickly and such. Then again, maybe the clam has no recourse...
The crab, however, may not be a nuisance to the clam much longer. I caught the pistol shrimp in multiple acts of attempted assassination. The crab was lucky to be able to scoot just out of range of the shots. They were loud enough to startle me. You can see the crab in the lower right corner of the frame.
I'm beginning to wonder if the shrimp didn't play some role in the mandarin's leap from the tank.
iwishtofish
Active member
Thanks. Crab is still around!
