Wow, 3 years since my last post.
Tanks been a bit neglected since then. A few water changes here and there, replacing the Triton stuff when I got around to it.
Our bi-colour blenny disappeared a while ago.
The bug's bitten to pull my finger out and get back into it.
A few months ago I built a new water change station outside; mostly a semi-enclosed space to hold a pair of olive barrels plumbed together to make up water to replace my aging IBC (I can't get a replacement into the yard). The new RO/DI unit lives in next to them (and its waste is plumbed to a water tank hooked into my irrigation system to reduce waste water).
I've done a couple of large-ish WCs in the past couple of weeks, gone through a week's black out of the tank (cyano mostly) - the tank's been down to my pair of 13+ year old clowns and a damsel and another fish I can't currently think of, and it's dawned on me that it's quite possible that the tank is actually too low on nutrients. Most of the snails are long dead and there isn't much else going on. Even the chaeto doesn't grow as much as it just "hangs in there".
There's a job ahead of me to get some life back into it, but I'll get there. Again.
So far it's been an expensive couple of weeks:
- All of my test kits reagents are years out of date
- Needed some new Triton Core7
- My largest wavemaker died after turn off to clean so awaiting replacement
- My old Seneye is dead and needed replacement (mostly I want it for temp alerts and PAR meter given I've had the lights wound right down).
- Ordered new CuC, pods and phyto to feed them to try to get some life going again.
- ICP and N-DOC tests to see where the waters at.
- Needed a new fuge light; my old AI Prime fuge light took a dive a couple of years ago; the arm failed at the base and the light wound up in the water. Probably a day before I even noticed. Replaced with a cheap-ish fuge light for now. Had a white LED from an old 20L freshie tank over the fuge since then.
- A couple of fish arriving today to try to increase the nutrients a little.
Trying to avoid doing much else until I get the ICP and N-DOC reports back. Except maybe making some fresh salt water. Guaranteed the reports are going to tell me to do a full water change.
Tanks been a bit neglected since then. A few water changes here and there, replacing the Triton stuff when I got around to it.
Our bi-colour blenny disappeared a while ago.
The bug's bitten to pull my finger out and get back into it.
A few months ago I built a new water change station outside; mostly a semi-enclosed space to hold a pair of olive barrels plumbed together to make up water to replace my aging IBC (I can't get a replacement into the yard). The new RO/DI unit lives in next to them (and its waste is plumbed to a water tank hooked into my irrigation system to reduce waste water).
I've done a couple of large-ish WCs in the past couple of weeks, gone through a week's black out of the tank (cyano mostly) - the tank's been down to my pair of 13+ year old clowns and a damsel and another fish I can't currently think of, and it's dawned on me that it's quite possible that the tank is actually too low on nutrients. Most of the snails are long dead and there isn't much else going on. Even the chaeto doesn't grow as much as it just "hangs in there".
There's a job ahead of me to get some life back into it, but I'll get there. Again.
So far it's been an expensive couple of weeks:
- All of my test kits reagents are years out of date
- Needed some new Triton Core7
- My largest wavemaker died after turn off to clean so awaiting replacement
- My old Seneye is dead and needed replacement (mostly I want it for temp alerts and PAR meter given I've had the lights wound right down).
- Ordered new CuC, pods and phyto to feed them to try to get some life going again.
- ICP and N-DOC tests to see where the waters at.
- Needed a new fuge light; my old AI Prime fuge light took a dive a couple of years ago; the arm failed at the base and the light wound up in the water. Probably a day before I even noticed. Replaced with a cheap-ish fuge light for now. Had a white LED from an old 20L freshie tank over the fuge since then.
- A couple of fish arriving today to try to increase the nutrients a little.
Trying to avoid doing much else until I get the ICP and N-DOC reports back. Except maybe making some fresh salt water. Guaranteed the reports are going to tell me to do a full water change.
