Newbie's New Tank Log

[Myka]

jer77: Thanks for your input! Much appreciated!

In my last order I actually got Salifert Alkalinity and Calcium tests so that I can start to raise my pH. However, I didn't know that a low pH could be a contributor to nuisance algaes...thanks for that bit of info! I am a little bit leary of dosing Kalk in a small tank though...what are your thoughts?

My Xenia though, is very very happy. I don't think I've seen a bushier Xenia.

 

[jer77]

To manually dose kalk just add a little less than 1/4 teaspoon for your 30 gallon tank each time you dose. Never add kalk directly to your tank. I mix it in a gallon of fresh water, you can just add it to a glass of water too, and add it to an area of high flow in your tank. This can be done many times a day, atleast an hour apart, to increase your pH levels. Kalkwasser also will help to lower your phosphates by bonding to them and precipitating them out of the water. Kalk can also neutralize organic acids and precipitate out metals.

What are your ca/alk levels?

 

[Myka]

Awesome! Sounds like a miracle mix! Haha! I thought you were supposed to drip Kalk so that your pH stayed steady instead of fluctuating between dosings?

I haven't tested my Cal/Alk yet...will do on Saturday.

 

[Myka]

Tests from today including my new Alkalinity and Calcium kits (all Salifert):

pH - 8.0
Am - Not measurable
Ni - 0
Na - 0.2
Phos - Teeny tiny little trace
Alk - 2.74 meq/L or 7.7 dKH
Cal - 435

So, everything seems to be on target...why would my pH be low?? The pH in my QT is 7.8-7.9 with my Yasha Goby in there...is that harmful for him?

The bushy hair algae is going away now too. Coralline doesn't seem to be doing much. I have some, it's just not spreading or bleaching or anything...just hangin out.

One of the Ceriths has hardly moved since I got him on Tuesday...I think I might remove him before he dies. Or maybe he's already dead.

 

[Myka]

CORALS!!!!

I brought home a Bubble Coral and an Open Brain Coral. Is there any chance that the Open Brain could eat my Yasha Goby?

 

[jellyous]

Tanks looks good myka, glad to see the zenia is doing well. It will probably start spreading like crazy and become a good regular source of extra cash or store credit. That is what happened to mine, I started with one stalk and it turned into damn near fifty in only a few months.

 

[Myka]

Thanks for the comment jellyous! Oh man, I hope the Xenia doesn't go too crazy, but some trades at the LFS would be nice!! Corals are freakin expensive in this neck of the woods. Basic softies and LPS are CAD$60 for small wild caught colonies. Wish they had more frags...

Well I managed to finally figure out a way to position my MJ1200s so that I could get two running off my Wavemaster as the same time without having a sand storm! Woo hoo!

Now running 32x turnover!!! Kind of... I have the two MJ1200 powerheads (295 gph each), and then my skimmer is run by an MJ1200, and I also have an AquaClear 200 on there (200 gph) running my PhosGuard and sponges for the QT. However the AC is actually turned down as low as it will go, so it's actually probably only pushing 100 gph, and the MJ on the skimmer is probably slowed down a bit by being on the skimmer, so maybe only 200 gph. So I'm guessing REAL turnover is more like 26x then. PLUS, the two MJ1200s are on the Wavemaster, so only about 10x constant turnover, with blasts up to 26x. Oh well, still good turnover I think? Lots of places for the corals to keep out of the flow too.

My hair algae is almost all gone, both the bushy kind and the regular. I do have a bit of bubble algae which seems to be very very slowly spreading. I'm hoping it will bugger off soon too. I am pretty sure the coralline is finally starting to spread now. I noticed some very small pinkish patches on my (what one was) dry base rock.

So the open brain and the bubble coral look really good today! Here's some photos I just took, comments on coral placement are welcomed!!!:

 

[Myka]

Twice I dosed 3 tsp of SeaChem Reef Builder to get my KH up a bit. I just tested my KH and it's 14.4 dKH or 5.14 meq/L. Ooops...too much Reef Builder, the KH went up a LOT more than the jar told me it would. I suppose I just wait for it to go away?

I just measured my pH, and it's at about 8.1, but this is this first time I've tested it at the end of the light cycle. I always test in the morning and it's 8.0.

 

[Myka]

So I took a little look-see through Melev's ID page for plants and algae. I have the following ones off of Melev's:

Bryopsis
Lobophora
Neomeris annulata
Padina
Red Algae (or similar something or other)
Sargassum

Oh ya and I have red, pink, and purple coralline. The purple stuff is really starting to take off now too.

My Xenia isn't happy with the second MJ1200 running...I might have to buy a couple of smaller PHs...

 

[brucoh]

Please, please, please remove that background. From your last pic, your tank is coming along nicely, but that background is cheapening the look. It doesn't even fit the length of your tank. Sorry to sound harsh, but I can't stand fake backgrounds. Tape a black piece of mat board or something to the back of your tank. It would look 100 times better.

 

[Myka]

LMAO!!! I hate them too...that one isn't even SW! Hahaha! I just haven't bothered to take it off yet. I am moving the tank once I build the stand for it, and I am painting the back of it black. I promise it will look better.

 

[hmello@bermexin]

I agree with brucoh. Lose the background. Get some poster board in the color you want of something. Also in figuring your flow rate it is my undertanding you only use the powerhead(s) in your tank and the return water flow. Not the skimmer or hang on filters.

 

[Myka]

Give me a break it came with the tank, and I haven't bothered to remove it yet!! Hahaha!

Ah, that's interesting...I'll check into the flow rate some more.

 

[Myka]

Got a Candy Cane and a Fox Coral today. They're being acclimated right now. They came with lots of hitch hikers; about half a dozen amphipods (which is great because my tank only has copepods right now), about half a dozen of those tiny little starfish that I can't remember the name of that I hear are good and breed in the tank (but do they eat all the stuff out of my sand like brittle stars do???), a bristleworm (he went down the drain), and a 2" brittle star (who will be making my QT his home, and then maybe back to the LFS...hehe).

 

[MR PALM BEACH]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9256560#post9256560 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by brucoh
Please, please, please remove that background. From your last pic, your tank is coming along nicely, but that background is cheapening the look. It doesn't even fit the length of your tank. Sorry to sound harsh, but I can't stand fake backgrounds. Tape a black piece of mat board or something to the back of your tank. It would look 100 times better.

Haha I was thinking the same, just didnt have the heart to speak up.:rolleye1:

 

[Myka]

After looking a bit closer at the photos in my coral book, I have come to the conclusion that my Candy Cane has some rather receded edges.

 

[Myka]

Hey guys!!! I took the stupid background off!! I just put an old pillowcase on the back for now until I move it and paint it. It does look much better. Some pics from today:

My receded Candy Cane:

Fox Coral:

FTS:

 

[brucoh]

From your first pic to this last pic, it's 100 times improvement. Looking good.:thumbsup: Are you going to paint it the same color as that pillow case? I would. I just got a new 50 gal. tank today and can't decide on blue or black. What I did on my 29 gal. was tint the back glass with a mirror tint. You could still see light through it so I put a piece of black poster board behind that. It's a black background, but has a reflective tint to it giving the illusion of more depth to the tank. I'll do the same with this new tank, but still deciding on either blue or black poster board.

 

[Myka]

Yes, actually I do like the color of the pillow case, and like blue better than black for a background, however, I already have black paint, so I'll probably just paint it black. Thanks for the comments!!

I had to adjust the Bubble and the Fox today. The Bubble was expanded SO much it was starting to touch a feather duster, and was also touching the glass. The Fox expanded so much it was rubbing against the LR, so I adjusted it as well.

 

[mccarty30]

You are inspiring me. I'm new and watching you step by step. Keep up the good work and keeps us updated!

Everything looks GREAT!