YBeNormal January 9, 2008 Share January 9, 2008 Use of tap water is not necessarilly the end of a reef tank and it may not be a problem at ll in some areas. Heck, it might even be better than some of the RO/DI water being used by folks that have not changed their filters in the past two or three years! It's good to see that you are experiencing no issues as a result of using tap in your tank for a short period of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotzer January 9, 2008 Author Share January 9, 2008 Thanks, Bob! I think it was in fairly good shape to begin with, so I probably had/have some wiggle room. I appreciate all of the feedback and advice!! T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanman January 10, 2008 Share January 10, 2008 Yeah....if only I had some. T Hehehe... can't go to the store, either, eh?? bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotzer January 13, 2008 Author Share January 13, 2008 Time to update with the new beasties from the Mr. Coral social yesterday. First, the Royal Gramma. What a gorgeous fish this is!! It has found a nice hang out in the ricordea cave on the right side of the tank. Sunshine, the candy hogfish, is like a watchdog....keeping the poor thing in there! The six line isn't in this tank, but in the nano. Having a bit of a flatworm issue, and thought I would try him before breaking down the tank and doing the whole "Exit" thing. I'm so glad I did....I am in love with this fish!! Meet Mr. Cleaner Shrimp! And lastly, RIP Mr. Mandarin. Our relationship was much too short. :( Life isn't all sunshine and roses, and since this documents my tank's history, figure I should include the bad along with the good. Tracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmubeach January 13, 2008 Share January 13, 2008 Very cute:) sorry to hear about your mandrin When ever I buy them I make sure they cup scoop them. Oh and we all make mistakes I did something really stupid a few years ago. I read that madrins are highly territorial with in their species so instead of putting two in the same tank I put two diffrent types of mandrins in the tank and they ripped each other up. I hope you try again they are amazing fish. I have to feed mine coclypeeds/live brineshrimp all the time myces shrimp are too big even though he is a big fish 3 inches. As for the 6line I had one named RACEY it lived for about 10 months till the darn hermit ate it.... The hermits ate everything from fish to corals. Anyway I love your shrimp they are amazing too. Anyway GREAT pictures!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotzer January 13, 2008 Author Share January 13, 2008 Thanks Troy. I didn't see how they collected him....was too busy socializing. The bag water sure was filled with slime though, so who knows. Both my tanks are crabless, for the reason you mention. LOL Tracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmubeach January 14, 2008 Share January 14, 2008 I should of socialized more I just followed lance around:( Anyway it was strange seeing all the wamas members in person very well hard to get to meet people maybe I just was being made nervoius by the lighting it was so intense! Anyway I just put 5 blue legged hermits back in the tank if they get big or eat anything I am going to serriously freak out! I can't afford to set my tank up again, but they seem harmless, but then again so did the last ones. I had blue legs, zebras, reds, and mixed before so I think I made a super crab through competition anyway its going to be only blue legs and as soon as they get big they are going back to centerville! Anyway I'll tell you how it goes. Troy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st9z January 14, 2008 Share January 14, 2008 sorry for your lost :( I just got a mandarin from the BZA group buy on Friday. These guys are very entertaining and very colorful. Good luck with the 6-line wrasse, mine would not touch the flatworm :/ i had to use the flatworm exit, but it was used successfully without and coral or fish lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotzer January 16, 2008 Author Share January 16, 2008 Came home from work today to find my little red monti toppled over...broken right at the base. Had to have been the turbo snail, as I can't imagine anything else being the culprit. Thankfully, it was still resting on the rock, and hadn't fallen down into the anemone! I superglued it back together. Will it be like a broken bone...stronger, once it encrusts back over? I sure hope so, as it is so bright and growing so well. Last time I had a coral bust off at the base (a pocillipora...tank cleaning accident) it STNd and I had to 86 it two weeks later. :( Cross your fingers!! Tracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 January 17, 2008 Share January 17, 2008 Was it where you had glued it? The glue is actually not great for keeping it there forever, it's kind of a stopgap until it can encrust to the rock. I find that anything that cures underwater that was originally wet tends to fall apart eventually. One thing I am attempting to do to fix this problem is put a whole lot more glue and have it go around things so that they are held in place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotzer January 17, 2008 Author Share January 17, 2008 Dave, Nope, it was broken off about 1/4 inch above where it is encrusted on the rock. Not just knocked over, but actually broken off, leaving a nub and all of the encrusting behind. Should I have just left the encrusted knob and glued the monti somewhere else? Tracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 January 17, 2008 Share January 17, 2008 Yup, you would have had 2 corals then instead of one. It fragged itself for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotzer January 17, 2008 Author Share January 17, 2008 (edited) Well, for one thing, I am quickly running out of real estate. For another...I really can't wait for the day when my little corals are big corals. Won't ever happen if the darned turbo doesn't give them a break! LOL Here's the victim....you can see where I reattached it: I have another question for everyone, while I'm in here. "Indigo" is my new Royal Gramma. What a gorgeous fish...no small wonder they are so popular. I feel a little badly for him, though. Sunshine, the candy hogfish, heretofor called "The Enforcer", has been confining the little guy to the cave on the right side of the tank. No real bullying after the first few hours, but he actively patrols the entrance to the cave, keeing the Royal Gramma in there. Is this typical behavoir for the gramma (hovering in caves), or should be be out and about more actively swimming around? He seems content, but seriously has not even attempted leaving the cave after his first hour in the tank! Tracy Edited January 17, 2008 by zotzer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascal January 17, 2008 Share January 17, 2008 Should I have just left the encrusted knob and glued the monti somewhere else? That's what I would have done. In fact, it's what I would still do - try to break if off again and just glue it right next to the base. Also, it may not have been the turbo. It's possible a fish scraped up against it and broke it off. Digis break very easily, so I'm sure this won't the the last time it frags itself. Fortunately, they also grow very fast. Is this typical behavoir for the gramma (hovering in caves) Yes, that's what they like to do a lot of the time, but after a while it should venture out for a spin around the tank occasionally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotzer January 17, 2008 Author Share January 17, 2008 Thanks!!! T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastiireefs January 17, 2008 Share January 17, 2008 beautiful!! i hope my tank looks like that soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotzer January 17, 2008 Author Share January 17, 2008 Thanks, Sara! Although I wish I would have cleaned the glass before snapping those latest close-ups. LOL Tracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valeria January 17, 2008 Share January 17, 2008 Tracy, I do not know how I missed this tread but WOW that is very nice tank. Carla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotzer January 18, 2008 Author Share January 18, 2008 Thanks, Carla! I've really been enjoying it, and it is so wonderful watching it grow up in front of my eyes every day! Tracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctenophore January 18, 2008 Share January 18, 2008 Sunshine the Enforcer may settle down in a week or so, once he (she?) realizes Indigo isn't going away. Try feeding a bit more often if you can get away with it regarding nutrients/algae. Stuffed fish tend to be mellow fish. Usually, basslets like to hang out near their cave entrances, not inside them. There is some stress there. I'll bet 10-1 that the digi will break off again at the glue joint. Pull it off and glue it somewhere else before it falls in the anemone Great looking tank, you certainly have a blue thumb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotzer January 18, 2008 Author Share January 18, 2008 Thanks Justin! Looks like the consensus is that I re-attach the monti. Will do that tomorrow. And I'll see you tomorrow. Call my cell if it's too icy and you don't want to risk life and limb over a chunk of blue xenia! LOL Tracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotzer January 19, 2008 Author Share January 19, 2008 Sunshine the Enforcer may settle down in a week or so, once he (she?) realizes Indigo isn't going away. Well, the Hit Squad (hogfish and potter's angel) are still patroling the area, but the gramma has gotten some gumption and is now hanging in front of the cave, rather than inside of it. He will retreat under the giant mushroom when things get too dicey, but at least he's begun to emerge a bit. Pardon the flash photo, but only the actinics are on right now..... Tracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotzer February 3, 2008 Author Share February 3, 2008 (edited) Haven't updated in a while and have had a lot going on. Will try to get some pics later... 1) as of last night, I am making my own water! LOL Small step, but fun. Much easier lugging it within my own house rather than from the LFS. 2) after months of fiddling around with flow (trying to upgrade from just two K1s, I seem to have found a magic combo. A K-nano and K1 on one side, and a K2 on the other. Will get some pics later to show positioning, but the K-nano has a small enough hanging magnet that is attached on my CPR pre-skimmer box. LOL 3) I've lost two corals....a neon green candy cane, and while on it's way out it took out my Dr. Mac blue monster scroll (which had been growing gangbusters!!). I blame this on: 4) lighting upgrade! My 4-lamp T5 has been swapped out for the new Nova Pro 6-lamp fixture. It has caused a birdsnest to fade out also, but it is not "bleached" per an earlier discussion on another thread. At least I sure hope it's not, as this has also been a very fast grower in my tank. 5) I noticed a white area on the bottom of one of my monti digi's. It was caused by Medusa (LTA) stings, so today I jury-rigged a tile with some epoxy as a "block". Looks like crap, but hopefully I can get some zoas or something to grow on it and make it a little less obvious. The Royal Gramma is now always out and about in the tank. The Hit Squad seems to have become accustomed to it, and it is now always visible. That's it for now. Will try to get some pics before I head off to the SuperBowl party. If not today....soon! Tracy Edited February 3, 2008 by zotzer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanman February 12, 2008 Share February 12, 2008 Still waiting.... for those updated photos! bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotzer February 12, 2008 Author Share February 12, 2008 (edited) Funny you say that, Bob. I had planned to take some photos yesterday, but came home to the tank looking like pure H-E-double hocky sticks, and the skimmer about to overflow (had just emptied it out earlier in the morning when I did my weekly water change). Still haven't figured out what in the heck happened, but suspect it was adding re-charged purigen back into the system. I'd tried once before to recharge it and the tank reacted badly (thought it may have been a cause for losing my candy canes), so I assumed I hadn't gotten all of the chlorine out. I recharged it once again, doubling up on the prime dechlorinator dosage and the length of time it was in there, soaking it for another whole day in RO/DI just to be safe. Zero clues based on my water chemistry tests yesterday either. Here were the symptoms: -ALL mushrooms in the tank were shriveled up (with the exception of the ricorea, which all looked perfectly normal) - Kenya Tree and Xenia were all slouched over and miserable looking - most zoa polyps closed - GSP was very "thin", but the polyps that were out were completely extended...just that about half the colony hadn't opened at all, but not in any one area - SPS all had full PE and looked completely normal - fish all fine and acting normal - Snails motoring around just fine - Anemone perfectly normal Today, about 24 hours after removing the Purigen -Xenia, Kenya Tree and GSP back to normal - SPS still all normal - Zoas are more open, but some colonies still closed, and others partly closed...some more than others - Mushrooms are about 1/3 of their usual selves, if that - Skimmer production back to normal - Fish, Snails, Anemone all normal I am totally stumped! I mean...what irritates the hardiest corals in the tank (mushrooms and zoas) and doesn't affect the SPS and anemone at all???? Tracy Edited February 12, 2008 by zotzer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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