Brew's 187g slice of the ocean

[Brew12]

I love fox face. I also unfortunately like acans. And have a small tank

Mine has been a model citizen so far. Since I've had him almost 2 years and he is likely fully grown I'm hoping he stays that way.

 

[Brew12]

Quick update before I start playing in the tank. The algae in my tank is starting to die off very nicely. Not every patch has been impacted yet, but my water almost always has bits of decaying algae floating around it in. I'm having to change my filter socks more often which is a good thing. Looks like it will still be awhile before it is all gone, and cyano is growing on the decaying patches, but I'm pleased with the progress.

As for aptasia, good and bad news. The good news is that the peppermint shrimp are eating it. The bad news is that the shrimp are so small right now they can't make a dent in the population. One of my goals for today is to get rid of as much of the aptasia as I can to help the progress along. I have a bunch that I can pluck out of the sandbed and will use a few syringes full of Aptasia X to get a bunch more. I don't like using too much of that at once even with GAC running in my system. I'm ok with slow progress as long as it is progress.

Vermited snails are still bad and getting a little worse. Fortunately, they don't seem to be bothering anything so this is the one issue I'm not dealing with right now. Once I get the algae cleaned up I think I'll start playing around with CaCO3 dosing again.

I may pull out and throw away the rock with my GSP on it. Not sure why, but mine isn't very green and just doesn't look as nice as most I have seen. Not sure if it is my tank or just the strain of it I have. If I do keep it I need to cut it back soon. It's growing off the rock island and I don't want to lose control of it. I have some zoas I need to cut pieces off of, too. Heck, I even have some birdsnest I need to remove. I broke it off from where it was to move it and some small fragments that remained have grown fairly large.

Only other thing to report is that I keep having to increase my alk/calc dosing. Might be the vermited shells! I've bumped up my dosing by 1.2mL per day 3 times in the last 5 days and it's still not climbing substantially. Very pleased with that.

Ok, enough procrastinating. Time to do some work and get the tank ready for photo's this afternoon.

 

[Brew12]

Power washing the rock is complete.

 

[Brew12]

Everything is done including the glass being cleaned. Now I need to wait for the water to clear up and I can start getting some pictures.

Something pretty humorous happened while I was cleaning my tank. I was moving a rock around and I thought I felt something bump my hand. I was looking to see what it was when a yellow tailed damsel rammed my hand again. ;Wideyed Smallest fish in the tank and he is attacking me. I couldn't help but laugh. Not sure if he was trying to bite. His mouth is way too small to even get a pinch. I've had these little guys for 2 years and they are still just over an inch long. He must have woken up on the wrong side of the coral this morning.

 

[Brew12]

Pictures are going to have to wait. At least any good ones. It looks like a snow globe in my tank right now. I was hoping that power washing the dead algae off would let it clear up but stuff is still decomposing into the water fairly quickly. A good problem to have for everything but taking pictures.

I did take this picture. I find it interesting how different the new growth is from the original frag. The new growth is almost white where the old growth is the part sticking up.

 

[dragon99]

Those reference testing kits should be something standard in the main kits.
Like a small bottle inside the CA testing kit to allow you to check your test kit once and a while to be sure it detects a known Ca level at all times.
But again, this would make the test kits a little more expensive and not 2 kits of different makers are identical.

So I stick with only one maker, change out the test kit regularly and aim for stable values and not absolute values.

Aquaforest test kits (CA, MG, Alk) all include a vial with a reference solution. They are actually cheaper than some competitors.

 

[Brew12]

Aquaforest test kits (CA, MG, Alk) all include a vial with a reference solution. They are actually cheaper than some competitors.

Good to know. I've never used their test kits before.

 

[Brew12]

Ok, I figured the snow globe effect wouldn't impact a FTS very much so I took a few.

1.

2.

3.

4.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Looking good @Brew12

 

[Fudsey]

I like 2 as it has the most fish visible (that I can count)

 

[NY_Caveman]

I love #2 as well.

 

[Victoria M]

I like them all!

 

[Barrett]

I like #1 and #4 equally since you get more side profile shots of the tangs and foxface

 

[Brew12]

November and December for archiving

12/31/18 (or maybe 1/1/19... shhhhh)

11/30/18

 

[NY_Caveman]

November and December for archiving

12/31/18 (or maybe 1/1/19... shhhhh)

11/30/18

That is so “last year.”

 

[Brew12]

That is so “last year.”

Yes, yes it is! And so far this year has gotten off to a good start as far as the reef tank goes!

 

[RichtheReefer21]

November and December for archiving

12/31/18 (or maybe 1/1/19... shhhhh)

11/30/18

I've really been debating a back-glass island in my tank. Yours looks amazing

 

[Neo Jeo]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Blue-Laser...oggles-Case-/123257258773?txnId=2051194189002

Works great on the aptasa

 

[Neo Jeo]

I was. I pulled my chaeto out of the refugium and increased my dosing rate. This is to knock back these short, tight balls of algae that I have growing.

How did it work? I have a small patch of this crap and GAH

 

[Why-Me]

and HERE if you just gotta have that more powerful lightsaber.