ReefdUp

Ryan Batcheller and I had a fun conversation on Serious Reefs discussing how I save corals as a hobby. Check it out if you'd like hear more! (Note: It's behind a paywall, so if that's not your thing, well, I'll be at the next meeting so we can chat in person!)

There are some big things underway here... and to kick it off, it's about time that we had a real way to assess coral diseases! Looking forward to your thoughts! Coral Disease Assessment: Key Lesion Insights for Hobbyists Stay tuned for the next big announcement.

Ack! I'm so sorry - I completely missed your post! I haven't had a chance to watch the video yet, but there are absolutely a lot of things that help in hospital tanks. My hospital tank is currently sitting at 74*F (not recommended), running carbon, but I use higher aeration (interested to know the logic behind lower aeration). Hopefully I can watch it this weekend. Thanks for sharing!

This is so fantastic!! Oh, I'm so excited for the students! Thank you for all of your efforts! (And, if any K-12 students are interested, we still offer free memberships for them!)

What a fantastic build!! And what an amazing opportunity for those kids. Thank you for all of your dedication - and then sharing it with us! Please keep it coming!

Welcome back!

Thank you for posting this. I am currently dealing with three SCLTD-associated bacteria in my tank now (with all accompanying symptoms), so I guess it's fair to say I have this in my tanks. I'm documenting it all, but it's really awful.

It's funny... I've been using my regular RODI setup for six years here in Fairfax County without a thought. [When we moved into the area, I read that they were using chlorine only - which was true at the time. Chloramine usage is seasonal in FFX.] I've been having some problems lately, so I've been troubleshooting everything (I mean - the tank setup is six years old - lots of failure points). That included my RODI setup. Good timing on the post, although I'm a bit late to the game. I don't have an easy way to add a second carbon block, so I'm switching to a 0.5u carbon filter specifically for chlorine and chloramines. Due to the size, I plan to switch it out frequently so it doesn't get clogged. Also, check that your DI resin is absolutely full, tamped down completely. Otherwise, channels could form, and ammonia is often the remaining byproduct.

The images aren't loading for me.

Resolved!

Received! I'll get this fixed and updated ASAP. Clarification for anyone else reading: Our system does not have an easy way for us to automatically handle certain membership classes, so we have to manually address them each year (e.g., students, teachers, family accounts). Please contact me at Membership@wamas.org so I can manually update our system, to include any verification of eligibility. I do try to reach out when I see membership statuses that do not seem correct, but this is not always possible (you should see the massive spreadsheets I've built with logic trees to minimize these issues! But, they aren't perfect!) Thanks for your patience! - Nikki WAMAS Membership Director

Hi John - I'll look into this. Thank you for your patience and reaching out! Also, I'd appreciate any info you can provide to help us troubleshoot why we haven't received your concern (correct email for me should be Membership@wamas.org). - Nikki

Pineapple sponges! (And probably some spirobid worms, too) All harmless filter feeders - the populate will wax and wane with nutrient levels

What an awesome meeting! Thanks everyone who came, sponsored, sold/bought/traded/gave goods, volunteered, and supported WAMAS in any other way! I also greatly appreciate all the patience at the door. I believe I have processed everyone's membership changes; please let me know if you find any errors or have questions. See you at the next one!

Could it be your test kit is off? That's a bit odd. And I hate to be weird, but is there any chance there's something getting into the tank? Funny - and very true story - I had a friend who had a similar problem. Her tank was struggling and had ridiculous nutrient levels. One day, she discovered that her cat had developed a habit of peeing into the tank rather than the litterbox. I'd say weirder things can happen, but that's pretty weird. 😆

Isn't it crazy how aggreasive they get against the mirror?! Glad you had a larger one available. Hopefully once they calm down, a smaller one will work for maintenance. Keep us posted!

I have one of those paper-backed foil mirrors outside my 120g facing in. It's about half a sheet of paper. I've done two in the tank before with some improvement. I keep one below the food feeder. They always hang out there anyway, so they'll beat up against the glass then, too. Good luck! It'd be awesome if you can keep them!

(Not trying to get in the way of your post...) Have you tried the mirror method? Tangs will fight the mirror instead of each other. Usually takes 3 days to fix the majority of aggression. (Let me know if you want me to remove this ... just trying to prevent a potentially unnecessary rehoming.)

Can you post more information so we can try to help your narrow down to a root cause? Please provide parameters so we can properly troubleshoot. This should include alk, ca, mag, nitrate, and phosphate. Please also detail how your colors are looking across all SPS. How are the greens, reds, pinks, purples, blues, etc. for the colors you have. Are there any that are less vibrant than ideal or have shifted (e.g., red to brown, blue to purple, green to yellow)?

When I deal with bullying, I try to trap the newer fish in an acclimation box and put a mirror alongside the tank glass. The existing fish will bully the mirror. Around day three, they are less aggressive in general. I turn off the lights, feed the tank, and open the acclimation box. I let the fish swim out on its own. I leave the acclimation box open so that the fish can go back in, if it wants. Typically they'll sleep in there for a night or two until they feel comfortable staying in the tank. But I always keep the mirror up alongside the glass.

Please provide parameters so we can properly troubleshoot. This should include alk, ca, mag, nitrate, and phosphate. Please also detail how your colors are looking across all SPS. How are the greens, reds, pinks, purples, blues, etc. for the colors you have. Are there any that are less vibrant than ideal or have shifted (e.g., red to brown, blue to purple, green to yellow)? As mentioned, magnesium and potassium can cause this. Back in my day (insert me hobbling about with a cane and hunched back), I had low potassium before it was really a known *thing.* By the time I was able to get a test kit, all of my Montis were nearly dead. And, regardless, at the time there weren't even good ways to raise the levels (and salt mixes were atrocious for it.) It was a miserable experience. But, this seems to be a fairly rare occurrence nowadays, as salt mixes include it, and our tanks don't use a lot (typically). My bet is on another parameter or a lighting/parameter combo issue. Corals can bleach with various parameter issues, which can be compounded by high/low lighting.

Wishing you all the best through this, and we hope everyone is safe. If you aren't getting enough people fast enough, please let us know so we can spread the word (and don't want to overwhelm you otherwise.)

Yes, it does look like Cerith snail eggs. No need to be concerned. But, I also typically just scrape them off the glass, as they don't typically mature in my tank.

Welcome [back]! There are a *ton* of people still here from back then. In fact... I decided to look it up. We have 106 *active members* from back then. How crazy is that?! I think that's a true testament to how awesome this club really is! Hope we serve your memory well!

Ah, yes, I'm still making my own nitrate mix with lab-grade sodium nitrate. When dosing 50ml per day of a solution, it adds up quickly. I still use Neo-Phos since I only use a few ml on occasion. It would take a lifetime to use a DIY solution at the equivalent cost.