Svynx's biocube 29 thread

[ReefWreak]

I have an API beginner 6-pack test thing, and I still use that and prefer it for ammonia (never got a reading) nitrite (used it maybe once?) and nitrate (use it now and then if I'm curious, will use it for future nitrate testing). It does ask for 10 minutes for nitrate test to color up.

I bought another nitrate standalone test kit from API. They're cheap, and considered reliable by the community for nitrate.

For almost everything else, I do salifert. The exception is phosphate, but honestly all of the phosphate test kits are a crapshoot. Unless it's the Hanna phosphorous checker, I wouldn't even bother unless you have a BIG problem. You can't test low range phosphate with any kit, it's basically YOU HAVE WAAAAY TOO MUCH PHOSPHATE, or nothing. Hanna for anything in between.

 

[soulpatch]

I bought the hanna tester and still havent used it. LOL. I can see the problem with the green stuff so that is all I need. HA HA. Wasted money looking back at it...

 

[svynx]

Will be testing the water again in a few hours, but here are a few random pics as things are right now as the lights were coming on. Hoping to add a few items this weekend:

 

[soulpatch]

that ball rock you have front center would be awesome for some ric I think. Add some of the cool acans up the sides and perhaps one of his brains in the sand...


He is getting in some clams this week too so that is mostly what I will be lookin at when I head up there with you. Well that and the pink acan frag he owes me...

 

[svynx]

I will be getting a clam. It's just to soon right now.

I forget what that ball is called. It's one of those compact "live rock replacement" things. I have about 12 of them in my cadlights tank. I never thought about using them as frag holders in this tank.

 

[ReefWreak]

Is it the marine biopure ball? I haven't used them, and what do I know, but I'm fairly certain the ball ones are nit very good for denitrification (the big slabs are another story). They're too small, not enough internal area, too much surface area (perfect for nitrification of ammonia)

I also wouldn't propagate corals off of it since it is pretty fragile to disintegration and it'd made of aluminiasilicate which you don't want breaking apart in your tank. But what do I know, just another humble reefers opinion

 

[soulpatch]

Yeah I would probably remove that or at least move it to sump area...

Not personally sold on those as being worthwhile...

 

[svynx]

Yup. MarinePure Ceramic Biomedia. I haven't had any issues using them in my small tank. I stopped testing that tank a while ago, but when I did, the Nitrates were pretty much non existent. I did allow a small amount of algae to grow as a food source for a few of the inhabitants though, which might have been one of the reasons for the low readings. Main reason I have the single ball in the BC is for seeding the dry rock.

 

[svynx]

Bad pics of the new stuff, right after I finished putting things in the tank.

 

[soulpatch]

Will be sweet to see them when they open back up under the full lighting. The white polyp you got is going to be awesome looking as it grows.

 

[svynx]

Yeah, that's the only one that I'm really going to have to watch. Even though I hate loosing anything in the tank, there isn't anything really special in there. Except for the pipe organ. I've never seen an all white coral that is in good health until this one. From the reading I did, it's light and flow requirements are roughly the same as GSP, so as of right now, it's just a few inches away from the small frag of GSP (which is doing well). Time will tell. I will be testing in a little to see if I can transfer the few livestock items tomorrow. It will be nice to have something else in the tank besides coral. If all goes well, I'll add a fish or two in a week or so.

 

[svynx]

Lights are just coming on. But, I forgot to close the blinds when I left yesterday, so there was some early morning light coming in. I guess the polyps and organs liked that.

I'll take some time at lunch to start transfering the shrimp/crabs/snails over today.

 

[svynx]

Question for those of you who keep firefish and clowns. My stocking list is most likely going to include 2 firefish, 2 clowns, a goby, and a blennie. The exact type is yet to be decided. As the goby and blennie are bottom dwellers, I'll add them together. The two clowns will be added as a pair, and the same goes for the firefish. Anyone see an issue with the order in which these pairs should be added? I was thinking the firefish first as they are the most jumpy (not meaning they tend to jump which they do, but fidgety in general), then the clowns 2 weeks later, then the bottom fish last after about 2 weeks again.

 

[soulpatch]

Are you merely buying the fish and throwing them in without QT?

 

[ReefWreak]

QT questions aside, I think your plan sounds good, though I'd probably even do the firefish first, then the bottom dwellers, then the clowns last, if possible. The clowns are most likely to fight with the firefish, though the extent of that has yet to be determined. They may leave them alone entirely (likely).

If you introduce them in that order, you'll add an additional 2 weeks of time for the firefish to adjust and find their hidey-holes.

This was well thought out, good for you

 

[svynx]

It all depends on where the fish would be purchased and if the provider does their own QT or not. I'd like to set a simple tank up at home to do just that when needed. I'm not one to buy livestock from Petco/Petsmart/Walmart...I'm talking about a true hobbiest store where the slightly off mainstream items can be found (like Aquarium Specialties). I know TFP has a QT period, but I don't think it's long enough, and the fact that the entire system is interconnected is subject to question.

That doesn't really answer your question though. It will be a little while until fish are purchased. I need to see if I can set up something at home for a few weeks. The wife is starting to warm up to the idea of a nano tank, but hasn't quite made it to a solid yes yet, let alone a bare tank with 2 fish in it. I have time. Not in a rush. I was trying to see if there would be a good order for adding things.

 

[soulpatch]

I would not trust TFPs QT procedure as that has gone downhill recently. The last time I was there buying my shrimp they were putting items from shipment directly into tanks.

Even Mike will tell you to QT his livestock. He gets from great sellers who QT but stress of shipment and taking home leads room for issues to arise. With tanks connected as well something in one tank could spread unseen to another.

I ran the risk with my first few fish and lost my clowns due to one having brokenella or whatever it is called. Since then all fish have been in a small 10 gal tank for a month so I could keep closer eye on them and treat if needed. I do not treat unless I see something though as I dont want to stress the fish.



All that said your plan makes sense. Smaller clowns would better chances of avoiding aggression and up the odds of successful pairing as well. Not sure if you saw when you were at ASM on Sunday but he had baby clowns in the one anemone basket.

 

[ReefWreak]

There is a good order, and you've basically nailed it.

For QT, I've never done it and have been lucky, but now that I'm really happy with my non-aggressive non-coral-eating angel, and his companions, I'm really nervous about adding anything without heavy QT first.

For fishes, I'm looking at doing the Tank Transfer Method (TTM) between 2 5G buckets. Simple enough, and A. breaks the lifecycle of the most common parasite (ich), and B. gives the fishes time to adjust to more familiar water and each other, while also giving time for me to observe for more rare diseases.

For corals... I just think I'm going to avoid any more acros unless I get a magical/mystical/both coral in which case I'd only get it from someone I know to not have parasites, and for other corals, hopefully they don't have parasites in their tank that bother my corals. I already did observation during acclimation from my last acquisition, and there were lots of asterinas that all went into the garbage can.

 

[svynx]

All is well this morning.

Placing an order for hardware today. 2 50w heaters, air hosing, air stones, air pump, fish net, thermometers...all for using in QT minus one stone which will go into the freshly mixed salt water container. I'm also picking up some kalk powder to start using in the top off. I'll be at TFP in a week to look at invertebrates. I have very little right now as they came out of a 8 gallon setup. Only a few snails and hermits, one emerald, and two peppermint shrimp. I'd love to get a few more snails/hermits (and some empty shells), and two skunk or fire cleaners.

 

[homer1475]

I have 2 emeralds, pretty useless IMO. Cool to watch, but they do nothing but hang out underneath my hammer and frogspawn. I do have to feed them daily some nori, if I didn't I'm pretty sure they would just starve to death.

Lets put it this way, mine are so lazy, they have algae growing on their legs!