my new baby... AKA The Café

[najer]

Its been needing to happen!
We will have to video call Simon when we are all together. Gonna have to hear Simon say Wonky at least once

Le bar de spray c'est wonky, patience, you won't hear me properly until I unleash the F bomb!

 

[dvgyfresh]

At the rate I'm losing torches and hammers, it would be cheaper to fly to you first class and back to pick it up, than wait another month.

Think you can get cipro in Mexico amoung other things lol kinda bummed can’t get it from chewy tho

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Think you can get cipro in Mexico amoung other things lol kinda bummed can’t get it from chewy tho

Yeah I could have gotten Cipro while I was in Mexico a few weeks ago, had I known.

 

[najer]

No fish trap and the convict is in the sump, desk end view, just need to rebuild the scape now.

 

[James_O]

No fish trap and the convict is in the sump, desk end view, just need to rebuild the scape now.

Love that picture! Looks like the fox face is wearing camo ;Lurking

 

[Soren]

Love that picture! Looks like the fox face is wearing camo ;Lurking

That is one of the interesting details of foxfaces!

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

That is one of the interesting details of foxfaces!

I called it going Skellator Mode. My one spot gets completely white with black stripes.

 

[Soren]

...also, I may have discovered the cause of the troubles that my raccoon butterflyfish seems to be having, though it does not seem to be getting worse.
When I checked the general pH range to match the freshwater bath, I noticed that there was a high nitrite reading along with high nitrate (using API 5-in-1 test strips). I used tank water from my FOWLR for the first half-fill for my quarantine, so I expected high nitrates, but the high nitrite seems to be an indication that my QT was set up to quickly to actually cycle even with the use of a piece of liverock from my FOWLR and bacteria starters. Ammonia seems to not register with a Salifert test, but I cannot tell if it is true zero or some ammonia. I also have no ammonia registering on a Seachem ammonia badge, though I have heard those are not reliable at low levels.

Would a couple 50% water changes be a good idea over the next few days? How else should I deal with nitrites and possible ammonia? I've started some bioballs culturing in my FOWLR to hopefully get the QT cycled. How long does it usually take for bioballs to be cultured with bacteria?

Any other general advice for possible lack of cycle? The foxface and engineer gobies seem to be doing great, but the raccoon is still breathing about 150-160 times per minute with mouth constantly gaping. It swims listlessly sometimes while hanging in the water tail-down and in one place, but when it swims around the tank, it seems fine. It also occasionally swims to the surface and sticks its mouth out of the water.

I forgot that my sister's coworker gave me some SW aquarium stuff when I first got my tank. The stuff she gave me included a circulation pump that has been added for more flow and a small Tunze skimmer that I plan to use eventually on the QT.

One more note: I have a bottle of Fritz Zyme 9 nitrifying bacteria that has been sitting on a shelf in my basement fishroom for a few months. Should I consider dosing this to improve my QT cycle or is this a waste or hinderance?

Sorry to post all this on Frank's thread... maybe I should shift this to my build thread and just tag you folks here for advice?

@Lost in the Sauce My bicolor has a very interesting and typical camouflage pattern at night that looks strange compared with the normal daytime coloration.

 

[James_O]

That is one of the interesting details of foxfaces!

Oh, their skin will actually change color? I thought those were just shadows!

 

[Soren]

Oh, their skin will actually change color? I thought those were just shadows!

Oh, no, they totally can change colors (as can most marine fish, as I understand it)! My Fiji bicolor foxface (Siganus uspi) gets gray/white with black and brown camouflage mottling very similar to @najer 's picture of his Magnificent foxface! I am pretty sure it is truly a form of camouflage, especially since the fish tend to change at night or when stressed.

My purple tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum) is a solid deep navy/purple during the day with faint darker spots near the face, but at night becomes lighter blue with some areas somewhat grayish while its sides become black. Even my green reef chromis (Chromis viridis) changes at night to have black barring on the sides on a deeper blue background from almost-white un-patterned light blue during the day.

Some links, if you want to check out foxface camouflage:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxface_rabbitfish#/media/File:Siganus_vulpinus_estresado.JPG
2. Reddit: Aquariums/comments/bjtuxu
3. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/foxface-stressing-me-out.481516/#post-5251881
4. Youtube: fKA6aTXES6o

 

[dvgyfresh]

Camera spam , if you look really hard you can almost make out something! Lol

 

[James_O]

Oh, no, they totally can change colors (as can most marine fish, as I understand it)! My Fiji bicolor foxface (Siganus uspi) gets gray/white with black and brown camouflage mottling very similar to @najer 's picture of his Magnificent foxface! I am pretty sure it is truly a form of camouflage, especially since the fish tend to change at night or when stressed.

My purple tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum) is a solid deep navy/purple during the day with faint darker spots near the face, but at night becomes lighter blue with some areas somewhat grayish while its sides become black. Even my green reef chromis (Chromis viridis) changes at night to have black barring on the sides on a deeper blue background from almost-white un-patterned light blue during the day.

Some links, if you want to check out foxface camouflage:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxface_rabbitfish#/media/File:Siganus_vulpinus_estresado.JPG
2. Reddit: Aquariums/comments/bjtuxu
3. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/foxface-stressing-me-out.481516/#post-5251881
4. Youtube: fKA6aTXES6o

That’s so cool, thanks!

 

[DiefsReef]

...also, I may have discovered the cause of the troubles that my raccoon butterflyfish seems to be having, though it does not seem to be getting worse.
When I checked the general pH range to match the freshwater bath, I noticed that there was a high nitrite reading along with high nitrate (using API 5-in-1 test strips). I used tank water from my FOWLR for the first half-fill for my quarantine, so I expected high nitrates, but the high nitrite seems to be an indication that my QT was set up to quickly to actually cycle even with the use of a piece of liverock from my FOWLR and bacteria starters. Ammonia seems to not register with a Salifert test, but I cannot tell if it is true zero or some ammonia. I also have no ammonia registering on a Seachem ammonia badge, though I have heard those are not reliable at low levels.

Would a couple 50% water changes be a good idea over the next few days? How else should I deal with nitrites and possible ammonia? I've started some bioballs culturing in my FOWLR to hopefully get the QT cycled. How long does it usually take for bioballs to be cultured with bacteria?

Any other general advice for possible lack of cycle? The foxface and engineer gobies seem to be doing great, but the raccoon is still breathing about 150-160 times per minute with mouth constantly gaping. It swims listlessly sometimes while hanging in the water tail-down and in one place, but when it swims around the tank, it seems fine. It also occasionally swims to the surface and sticks its mouth out of the water.

I forgot that my sister's coworker gave me some SW aquarium stuff when I first got my tank. The stuff she gave me included a circulation pump that has been added for more flow and a small Tunze skimmer that I plan to use eventually on the QT.

One more note: I have a bottle of Fritz Zyme 9 nitrifying bacteria that has been sitting on a shelf in my basement fishroom for a few months. Should I consider dosing this to improve my QT cycle or is this a waste or hinderance?

Sorry to post all this on Frank's thread... maybe I should shift this to my build thread and just tag you folks here for advice?

@Lost in the Sauce My bicolor has a very interesting and typical camouflage pattern at night that looks strange compared with the normal daytime coloration.

@Soren yes I think you can use the Fritz which can help get bio filtration kicked off. Pull any carbon if you have it in the hob and I would get the circulation pump running and set it flowing up to agitate the water a bit to add o2 into the water. skimmer will definitely help with that as well. What you are describing sounds to me like low oxygen in the water but please, anyone else chime in cause I'm still new and dont mind being stepped on

 

[James_O]

Not my coral, but I took the photos ;Snaphappy

 

[DiefsReef]

I'm out, night folks.. Morning Frank whenever you get back on

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

...also, I may have discovered the cause of the troubles that my raccoon butterflyfish seems to be having, though it does not seem to be getting worse.
When I checked the general pH range to match the freshwater bath, I noticed that there was a high nitrite reading along with high nitrate (using API 5-in-1 test strips). I used tank water from my FOWLR for the first half-fill for my quarantine, so I expected high nitrates, but the high nitrite seems to be an indication that my QT was set up to quickly to actually cycle even with the use of a piece of liverock from my FOWLR and bacteria starters. Ammonia seems to not register with a Salifert test, but I cannot tell if it is true zero or some ammonia. I also have no ammonia registering on a Seachem ammonia badge, though I have heard those are not reliable at low levels.

Would a couple 50% water changes be a good idea over the next few days? How else should I deal with nitrites and possible ammonia? I've started some bioballs culturing in my FOWLR to hopefully get the QT cycled. How long does it usually take for bioballs to be cultured with bacteria?

Any other general advice for possible lack of cycle? The foxface and engineer gobies seem to be doing great, but the raccoon is still breathing about 150-160 times per minute with mouth constantly gaping. It swims listlessly sometimes while hanging in the water tail-down and in one place, but when it swims around the tank, it seems fine. It also occasionally swims to the surface and sticks its mouth out of the water.

I forgot that my sister's coworker gave me some SW aquarium stuff when I first got my tank. The stuff she gave me included a circulation pump that has been added for more flow and a small Tunze skimmer that I plan to use eventually on the QT.

One more note: I have a bottle of Fritz Zyme 9 nitrifying bacteria that has been sitting on a shelf in my basement fishroom for a few months. Should I consider dosing this to improve my QT cycle or is this a waste or hinderance?

Sorry to post all this on Frank's thread... maybe I should shift this to my build thread and just tag you folks here for advice?

@Lost in the Sauce My bicolor has a very interesting and typical camouflage pattern at night that looks strange compared with the normal daytime coloration.

I think Fritz is the one that has to be refrigerated after opening doesn't it?

 

[James_O]

I'm out, night folks.. Morning Frank whenever you get back on

Goodnight!

 

[Goaway]

O)l

Not my coral, but I took the photos ;Snaphappy

Really loving those aips! Can I have them?

 

[Goaway]

I thought I would share this.

Before nem shrivels up for his nightly poop.

 

[Soren]

@Soren yes I think you can use the Fritz which can help get bio filtration kicked off. Pull any carbon if you have it in the hob and I would get the circulation pump running and set it flowing up to agitate the water a bit to add o2 into the water. skimmer will definitely help with that as well. What you are describing sounds to me like low oxygen in the water but please, anyone else chime in cause I'm still new and dont mind being stepped on

The Fritz is unopened and available to help get the bio filtration going. I do not have a HOB filter on the QT, just a sponge filter along with ceramic media, a small live rock from my FOWLR, and my experimental 3D-printed porous plates. Thanks for advice not to use carbon (I assume it would hinder the bacteria activity for the biofilter?).

The circulation pump is aimed toward the tip to increase surface agitation in an effort to increase O2 concentration, but I still doubt this is the ultimate issue, since I already have bubbles from the sponge filter and a small water pump at the surface for surface agitation/oxygenation as well as a relatively low bioload for a 40-gallon tank. I think the issue is lack of oxygen for the raccoon only but not for the other fish, but it seems more likely it may be due to ammonia burning of the gills. Maybe the raccoon is more susceptible (as a species or individual stress/health level or age/size?).

I am not planning to use the skimmer yet to prevent removing any bacteria from the water while the biofilter gets established, but the increased oxygenation is one of my primary reasons I want to use it later. Right now, when I turn it on, it bubbles like crazy and fills the collection cup very quickly while also leaking small bubbles out the sides of the skimmer body and into the tank water (which might become a problem with too many small bubbles?).

I think Fritz is the one that has to be refrigerated after opening doesn't it?

What about before opening? This was a new bottle that was excess when starting my rock cycling in a Brute can for my 90-gallon build. This also means I have had it sitting around for 9 months in the basement since I posted pictures of my cycling rock back in late January this year...