90g living room reef

[Schnizzle]

I’m looking to switch salt. I don’t want to buy another batch of Instant Ocean just to have it all clump up again. Change is scary because my reef seems happy. Lots of tanks I have followed have made light or salt changes then experienced crashes. Am I being paranoid? Has the clumping issue with IO been resolved (I doubt it)?

 

[Schnizzle]

Things are going fairly well. I am still working on a skeleton crew so I don't have any added tank time. I just ordered two more boxes of IO salt, so we will see how it looks. I have empty buckets for it to go into right away. If the clumping was a bag issue, it won't matter.
I'm posting in my zoa garden thread as well. The Pencil Urchin has been sumped. It ate 2/3's of my Bonfire Zoas and two nights later, half of my remaining Bob Marley's...
I am also still struggling with my refugium. I purchased some Chaeto and Ulva Lactuca from @AlgaeBarn to replace what refused to grow. The Ulva melted within a week. I think I forgot about light acclimation and cooked it. They Chaeto appears to still be alive. I'm hoping it takes off.
The Filefish is gone and the Peppermint Shrimp are freeloaders. Contemplating a Copperband at this point because AiptasiaX isn't doing it either.
At this point, I feel like if I can get the refugium properly running I'll be in good shape.

 

[Schnizzle]

So my cleaner shrimp has passed. It was full size when I got it so it was probably at its end of life. There are ZERO signs of it in the tank so my CUC has proved it efficiency! haha Am I missing any species beside the Scarlet Skunk and Blood Red Fire? I saw a purple fire shrimp once. Is that a thing or was it like the blue lobsters?

 

[count krunk]

Purple firefish are a real thing. They are something like henfrinchi firefish. Firefish need need a top and they like to hide

 

[Schnizzle]

Purple firefish are a real thing. They are something like henfrinchi firefish. Firefish need need a top and they like to hide

Shrimp. Lol

 

[Schnizzle]

Took a couple night time photos of some of my more interesting (at night) corals.

The pectinia remains my favorite. I could happily have a species only tank of various pectinias if I could find a few more colors.

The favia that I actually broke in half trying to remove from the plug is growing very well. I thought I killed it. This is why I only cut the shaft off the plugs now.

This mushroom was the size of a pea when it was given to me just before Christmas. Now it inflates to nearly 2”.

The pipe organ is fascinating to me. I still cannot successfully frag it which is a bummer. I really need to shrink it down a few inches. It’s larger than a softball now when inflated.

Finally, my bargain bin find. The candy cane is looking great now. Supper puffy during the day and very rich color.

 

[Schnizzle]

I actually forgot I took a gamble. When placing an order for a CUC replenishment with @reefcleaners I saw a RFA available. It was not WYSIWYG but I have always been happy John’s products. It was a win for me! This thing is beautiful! I can’t wait to see it when it settles in and fully opens. As always, the rest of the order was great as well. I’m just hung up on this beauty. It has a slightly pink hue to the tentacles and some red lines going in. Hopefully I can get a good pic tomorrow.

 

[Schnizzle]

Yup. It’s even better looking today after it settled. I’m hoping it’s a she as the red and yellow one above is a male. The jury is still out on the green one. It’s a little too young.

 

[Schnizzle]

Small update today. Mostly good.

The chaeto is taking off and growing well now. I'm dosing the Tropic Marin at 6ml per day. PO3 is holding at .02 however, NO3 still climbs pretty good. I think it's the pellets I feel the need to toss in as a snack once a day.

I'm hoping I can find someone locally that want's some peppermint shrimp. I want to remove all but one and get a new cleaner shrimp. I'm not convinced the peppermints didn't take out my cleaner shrimp...

I worried myself because I cleaned the sand bed a bit and was blown away by all the filth. Once everything settled, nothing bad happened so we're all good there. I removed some random shell that no one wants to inhabit and leveled the sand back out in the front of the tank.

I finally got around to ordering the plastic coated magnets to mount my GSP to the back wall. It worked out great! Now it just needs to start covering the glass. (Photo bomb included)

Finally, I caught a red Scoly in a bargain bin so I figured, why not?! I've taken a liking to recovery projects. After dipping and removing a plethora of nasties (fireworm, vermetid snails, unknown clear tubes, barnacles and some other clear critters too big to be copepods) it looked pretty bad. This was to be expected after Beyer and ReVive. Within 24 hours it is looking great! Even eating and showing off a little green. In a few days I'll probably move it up on the rock work. I don't like how sand keeps getting blown on it. Maybe I'll dig up a chunk of rock for it to be on its own island. I'll have to think on that. Open to suggestions as well...

I'm generally happy with where things are at. Convenient, as we are within a month of having our first child. A girl. I'm starting early to get her interested in reefing. I don't know if I bought this for her or myself. haha

 

[Maxx]

Kids make things interesting with regards to life.
Enjoy all the free time you have now, and all of the sleep you've been getting. Because in a month, you wont have enough time in the day, and you wont get enough sleep.

It's worth every second of it though.

 

[Schnizzle]

Kids make things interesting with regards to life.
Enjoy all the free time you have now, and all of the sleep you've been getting. Because in a month, you wont have enough time in the day, and you wont get enough sleep.

It's worth every second of it though.

I've been patient all along and now I cant wait.

 

[Paulie069]

Small update today. Mostly good.

The chaeto is taking off and growing well now. I'm dosing the Tropic Marin at 6ml per day. PO3 is holding at .02 however, NO3 still climbs pretty good. I think it's the pellets I feel the need to toss in as a snack once a day.

I'm hoping I can find someone locally that want's some peppermint shrimp. I want to remove all but one and get a new cleaner shrimp. I'm not convinced the peppermints didn't take out my cleaner shrimp...

I worried myself because I cleaned the sand bed a bit and was blown away by all the filth. Once everything settled, nothing bad happened so we're all good there. I removed some random shell that no one wants to inhabit and leveled the sand back out in the front of the tank.

I finally got around to ordering the plastic coated magnets to mount my GSP to the back wall. It worked out great! Now it just needs to start covering the glass. (Photo bomb included)

Finally, I caught a red Scoly in a bargain bin so I figured, why not?! I've taken a liking to recovery projects. After dipping and removing a plethora of nasties (fireworm, vermetid snails, unknown clear tubes, barnacles and some other clear critters too big to be copepods) it looked pretty bad. This was to be expected after Beyer and ReVive. Within 24 hours it is looking great! Even eating and showing off a little green. In a few days I'll probably move it up on the rock work. I don't like how sand keeps getting blown on it. Maybe I'll dig up a chunk of rock for it to be on its own island. I'll have to think on that. Open to suggestions as well...

I'm generally happy with where things are at. Convenient, as we are within a month of having our first child. A girl. I'm starting early to get her interested in reefing. I don't know if I bought this for her or myself. haha

In my tank I have five peppermints and a cleaner shrimp and I’ve never had a problem so far knock on wood

 

[Maxx]

I've been patient all along and now I cant wait.

LOL...

I said the same thing until my twins were born. I dont remember much of the first month of having them.

 

[Schnizzle]

In my tank I have five peppermints and a cleaner shrimp and I’ve never had a problem so far knock on wood

I read somewhere that the peppermints can be cannibalistic and are in the cleaner family. It’s a stretch but with my luck, stretches become easy reaches. Haha

 

[Schnizzle]

LOL...

I said the same thing until my twins were born. I dont remember much of the first month of having them.

She wanted twins. I saw a video on Facebook where a couple had triplets when trying for their “second and final”! Haha That’ll be our luck.

 

[Why-Me]

Congrats kids are the best!!!

 

[Schnizzle]

Looked at the scoly when I woke up and it was wide open, looking for a snack I guess. I obliged and gave it some of the reef frenzy I feed the fish. I had to fend off a hungry snail for a couple minutes while the scoly happily ate it up. Looking all kinds of fat now. You can see the nassarius moping away as if it didn’t get its own piece of food too. I’m hoping some of the green stripes brighten up over time but I’m not very well educated on corals “coloring up” so I’m assuming it will stay as is.

 

[Paulie069]

She wanted twins. I saw a video on Facebook where a couple had triplets when trying for their “second and final”! Haha That’ll be our luck.

That’s why I got fixed like the dog after my 2nd

 

[Maxx]

She wanted twins. I saw a video on Facebook where a couple had triplets when trying for their “second and final”! Haha That’ll be our luck.

Suggestions to keep in mind...JMO, and you're getting them for free, so take em or leave them as you will....

You are "learning a new game" with someone (your new daughter) who only knows how to scream.
This will be challenging for all involved. In time, you will learn to differentiate between the different screams. At first it will all just be noise.
I have three daughters. We had the twins, then our third.
I will spare you the gory details but when changing diapers, it's natural to get creeped out cleaning her up from a dirty diaper. It's just business. You have to get all the nooks and crannies cleaned up so that you dont cause diaper rash.

With regard to diaper rash...Desitin and A&D ointment are your friends.
Walmart, Target, and many local grocery stores have their own brands of Desitin and A&D, (and infant Tylenol, Ibuprofen, diapers etc). Since you will be buying these items with alarming regularity, save yourself some money and buy the less expensive stuff when you can.

Desitin comes in two versions, (it's a zinc based cream that helps diaper rash), Blue label Desitin is 13% zinc, Purple label Desitin is 40% zinc. Save the time and just go ahead and buy the purple from the get go.
In the event of an epic case of diaper rash, you can coat the area with the Desitin, and then coat the area with A&D as a barrier...works pretty good.

If the kid is crying, it's usually just one of a few things:
Wet
Hungry
Cold
Hot
Gas

If you've just changed the kid and she's still crying...check the diaper again. They love to mess up a fresh diaper.

Routine is paramount. Get in a routine and DO NOT DEVIATE from it. Especially true with twins.

If you guys dont have a pediatrician selected yet, get on it and start meeting with ones that are close to your home.

Infant Tylenol and Ibuprofen are the same thing as Children's Tylenol/Ibuprofen, however, the concentrations are different. Infant anything is more expensive than Children's. Figure out the dosage/concentration of the Children's stuff that applies to your daughter, double check with your Pediatrician about doing so and your dosages, and then start using the Children's versions to save money.

Feeding....dont be surprised if your daughter does not learn to breast feed. Only one of mine was somewhat okay with doing so, but even then it was a struggle. We wound up having to use formula to feed our kids. Not a big deal, but whatever formula you choose, stick with it. Changing up formula can bind up the kid and then you're in for a period of non stop unhappy baby for few days. Might decide to look around and see what formula is most available in your area and gets you the most for the money. Sam's Club and Costco both sell bigger versions of most commonly found formula's for less.

If you havent figured out, kids are expensive. They make reef tanks look affordable by comparison. They're absolutely worth it, but the frustrations and stress from a newborn are real.

Two final thoughts....
Post Partum is a real thing and is not to be trifled with. My wife had it with our last one and did not have it with the twins. Dont fool with it or blow it off. If you suspect she's going through post partum, seek help.

Finally, Go on regular (at least monthly) date nights. The kid exists solely because you two like each other. The kid will do better long term if you both stay together and remain a family. Put your relationship first, and the kid second, you'll all be better for it. Also, Date night is not 2 hours in a movie theater not talking or interacting...go out for dinner and talk, go play ski ball....anything that keeps you two talking and interacting with each other.


Sorry for the thread hijack, probably should have thrown all of that in PM, but who know's maybe someone else will see my diatribe and consider some of it useful.

Good luck with the kiddo, I'm sure you'll do fine.

 

[Schnizzle]

Suggestions to keep in mind...JMO, and you're getting them for free, so take em or leave them as you will....

You are "learning a new game" with someone (your new daughter) who only knows how to scream.
This will be challenging for all involved. In time, you will learn to differentiate between the different screams. At first it will all just be noise.
I have three daughters. We had the twins, then our third.
I will spare you the gory details but when changing diapers, it's natural to get creeped out cleaning her up from a dirty diaper. It's just business. You have to get all the nooks and crannies cleaned up so that you dont cause diaper rash.

With regard to diaper rash...Desitin and A&D ointment are your friends.
Walmart, Target, and many local grocery stores have their own brands of Desitin and A&D, (and infant Tylenol, Ibuprofen, diapers etc). Since you will be buying these items with alarming regularity, save yourself some money and buy the less expensive stuff when you can.

Desitin comes in two versions, (it's a zinc based cream that helps diaper rash), Blue label Desitin is 13% zinc, Purple label Desitin is 40% zinc. Save the time and just go ahead and buy the purple from the get go.
In the event of an epic case of diaper rash, you can coat the area with the Desitin, and then coat the area with A&D as a barrier...works pretty good.

If the kid is crying, it's usually just one of a few things:
Wet
Hungry
Cold
Hot
Gas

If you've just changed the kid and she's still crying...check the diaper again. They love to mess up a fresh diaper.

Routine is paramount. Get in a routine and DO NOT DEVIATE from it. Especially true with twins.

If you guys dont have a pediatrician selected yet, get on it and start meeting with ones that are close to your home.

Infant Tylenol and Ibuprofen are the same thing as Children's Tylenol/Ibuprofen, however, the concentrations are different. Infant anything is more expensive than Children's. Figure out the dosage/concentration of the Children's stuff that applies to your daughter, double check with your Pediatrician about doing so and your dosages, and then start using the Children's versions to save money.

Feeding....dont be surprised if your daughter does not learn to breast feed. Only one of mine was somewhat okay with doing so, but even then it was a struggle. We wound up having to use formula to feed our kids. Not a big deal, but whatever formula you choose, stick with it. Changing up formula can bind up the kid and then you're in for a period of non stop unhappy baby for few days. Might decide to look around and see what formula is most available in your area and gets you the most for the money. Sam's Club and Costco both sell bigger versions of most commonly found formula's for less.

If you havent figured out, kids are expensive. They make reef tanks look affordable by comparison. They're absolutely worth it, but the frustrations and stress from a newborn are real.

Two final thoughts....
Post Partum is a real thing and is not to be trifled with. My wife had it with our last one and did not have it with the twins. Dont fool with it or blow it off. If you suspect she's going through post partum, seek help.

Finally, Go on regular (at least monthly) date nights. The kid exists solely because you two like each other. The kid will do better long term if you both stay together and remain a family. Put your relationship first, and the kid second, you'll all be better for it. Also, Date night is not 2 hours in a movie theater not talking or interacting...go out for dinner and talk, go play ski ball....anything that keeps you two talking and interacting with each other.


Sorry for the thread hijack, probably should have thrown all of that in PM, but who know's maybe someone else will see my diatribe and consider some of it useful.

Good luck with the kiddo, I'm sure you'll do fine.

Much appreciated! I've only reached the position I am in by listening to everyone I meet and learning from them. Thank you for sharing.