URGENT: Possible sick clown...

[traveller7]

Hmmmm, lets wait on the snail until after the fish get in the display tank. QT everything before it goes in your main tank, everything.

Yes, given the travel times you are working with, temp should be only thing to deal with, but discard the water the fish travel in.

 

[Slakker]

Alright...it all sounds simple enough.

Hopefully they make it through it all okay.

 

[Slakker]

Okay...so I may be making this whole business a lot more complicated.

I would love to do this:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=9916357#post9916357
to the Eclipse 12, and set up a little refugium in the back.

My plan is, in about two weeks, to start getting the kids back up to natural seawater levels (1.026). Once they're up there, I'm going to transfer the inverts and rock to the 10g, drain the 12, toss the sand (I should have tossed it in the beginning) and start "fresh" in the 12g. Add new sand, transfer the rock back over (I think transfer the biggest piece over, wait a week or so, transfer over the smallest piece, wait a week, and finally transfer the last piece of rock, the inverts, and the clowns over to the 12.) Add a bit of Chaeto and some LR rubble to the rear chamber with a light back there, and voila, refugium.

How bad of an idea is that?

 

[traveller7]

What is wrong with the sand?

Why not just put the algae and some rubble in the main part of the tank, save the hassle?

IMHO: A tiny fuge is more an exercise in DIY then a benefit to the tank. If you are going to enjoy the construction, additional critter stress during the moves, then go for it. I suspect your efforts will be better rewarded by focusing on your next tank, you know it is going to happen

IME: Tiny fuges are tremendously over rated vs. a ball of spaghetti algae in the main tank. One of these days I'll need to post pictures of the critters in the 3"x5"x12" mass of spaghetti in my breeder tank, low effort, high yield for the win ;>)

 

[Slakker]

I bet I could find a decent way to put some Chaeto in the tank without making it look silly.

The sand is leftover from the girl that had the tank before me, and she had her filtration off for several days to a week before I got it. The sand is full of god knows what...looking at it from the side, I can see chunks of algae or some other dark stuff in the middle of the sandbed. I'm not sure it's an issue, but it makes me a little uncomfortable. I'd really like to start fresh.

 

[traveller7]

If the rock is from the same source.....well you are sort of signed up already

Sand can be siphoned out of an existing tank with patience and new saltwater. Putting new sand in a running tank is a bit more problematic, but folks have done it.

If you are going to make the change, your plan sounds just fine to me

 

[Slakker]

The rock I bought on my own from two different LFS, so I'm not too far entangled in her previous issues. I'm worried that I'll end up uncovering something potentially dangerous if I end up moving the rock around...I'd just rest easier if I know what everything in my tank has been through. And if I give the rock a few weeks in the tank without inhabitants I think that'll seed the sand bed sufficiently that I won't have a dangerous cycle when the fish go back.

I think that I'll forego adding the chambers to my tank, and maybe do something similar with the next one. Though perhaps I'll throw the rock and inverts into a rubbermaid for a few days so I can paint the back...how long does Krylon Fusion take to dry? That's the best bet with an acrylic tank, right?

And for adding Chaeto to the tank...I could make a small "cage" for it out of egg crate...paint it black, and put it in the corner behind one of my rocks. Would make it easy to keep it under control.

Now that I'm actually going to have time to work on stuff I'm really excited...I think given some time, a bit of money (it'll be nice to have my summer income flowing again), and plenty of luck, this little tank will be real nice in no time.

 

[Slakker]

Alright...I've decided to toss the sand and get new. In the meantime, the rock and inverts (i'm down a turbo...seems the hermits got one.) are hanging out in a 14g Rubbermaid container with the filter from the Eclipse, a heater, and a cheap wal-mart powerhead. I've also painted the back of the tank black with some Krylon Fusion.

Here's the before (excuse the grunge):

Here's the after:

I'll need to buy some sand (Aragamax, probably) before I can get things up and running properly again.


I think it turned out rather nicely.

 

[traveller7]

Welcome to the world of DIY and nano modding, be careful it can be as addictive as keeping the critters

Nice job.

 

[Slakker]

Haha

It's true...I do have a few upgrades planned for this tank in the distant future. Lighting sooner than later, and far down the road adding a proper sump/fuge.

 

[traveller7]

Key to any successful art project: the proper blank

Eclipse is nice for what it is, the distance the material will travel beyond spec is not as generous as you will like.

IMHO, start with a better platform upon which to realize your dream.

 

[Slakker]

Yeah, probably good advice. But, I got it real cheap, and there's nothin wrong with being a little opportunistic now and then.

 

[Slakker]

Alright...big news!

I've got them moved from the dorms to my parents house alive. They're a bit freaked out, what with getting bagged and transported and all (someone has GOT to come up with a better way to do this...lol) but after an hour or so being back in their QT in the dark they started coming out and swimming around. They got about a 50% water change with the move, so it should be nice and clean in there for now.

I'm ashamed to say that I was a big behind on my maintenance for them (and the critters from my main tank...which had evaporated out almost two gallons of water...i still haven't double checked to see if anyone was alive after topping it off.), but when exam week rolls around i'm stressing about a lot more than just my tanks.

Everything has been fixed (hopefully), and now that I'm home to pay attention (should have told my parents to top off the other tank...i'm dumb.) things should be back on track.

I'll be heading out on a search to the LFSes for some Aragamax sand...the closest place only has the Special Grade Reef...i'm not sure why, but I'd rather have the finer, "oolitic" aragamax.

I'll keep you updated and get some pics as I go.

 

[traveller7]

Welcome home

Glad the fish made it home too

 

[Slakker]

Me too. In fact, after seeing them all happy and swimming as per their usual clowny selves this morning, I'm not 100% confident that they're gonna live after all. They're pretty tough lil fishes.

I'm not sure that I'd be quite so okay if someone trapped me in a cup, put me in a huge bag, moved me and my house somewhere completely new, and then tossed me back in.

 

[Slakker]

I just realized that last post should read "I'm NOW 100% confident..." Oops.

Update time!

Finally found a spare hour to go pick up some sand. I grabbed 30lbs of Aragamax (I love it already...way better than what I had previously) and added a slightly deeper than 1" sandbed. Mostly for aesthetics, but also for the teensy added filtration I'll get out of it.
Pre-Water:

After a not-so-painstaking process of siphoning out of the rubbermaid, into buckets, and pouring it into the tank...oh, and a run for more RO water so I could do a 25% water change while I was at it (it's been quite a while since this set of creatures has gotten one.)

With everything (and everyone) transferred into the Eclipse:

Still working the clowns up to Natural Salinity bit by bit....all seems to be fine (though those darn hermits ate my other Turbo...)

So, I need to get some more snails...Scott, you said I should QT absolutely everything...how should I go about QTing some snails?

 

[Slakker]

Another small update here today.
I've decided to get a little more creative with their food, so I mixed together a little bit of everything I've got. Here's the list:

1 cube Hikari Mysis
3 crushed Kent Reef Herbivore pellets
3 crushed ORA Glo pellets
1 crushed Ocean Nutrition Formula 1 flake
A small amount of Cyclop-Eeze (am planning on using a lot more in the next batch)

I mixed all of this together in about a teaspoon of RO water and used an eyedropper to squirt a bit of it into their tank and they went nuts for it. They were especially excited about the Mysis, which they ignored the last time I tried to feed it to them.

I put the rest of the mixture into a plastic bag and threw it into the freezer so I can break chunks of it off and thaw it out and it'll be ready to go.

Here's a more recent picture of the kids (they just will not sit still...lol)

 

[JohnnyW]

Good to see that they are doing well for you after the move and everything.

 

[Slakker]

Thanks Some good old fashioned luck (and their resilience) has made things much easier.

 

[Slakker]

Clowns are up to 1.019 salinity. I'm going to do a 1g water change with full strength saltwater tomorrow and see where that puts them...I'm excited to transfer them over!

Once I get them up to 1.024 I think I'll wait a few more days and then drip acclimate them to the main tank.