Perseverance Reef

[tbrown]

Supposedly it's not a real worry until you're over 9 dKh. I think I was running close to 12 when my Acros were affected.

 

[Reefering1]

Don't forget about the filter floss, to filter dinos...

 

[Fishy888]

Just remember that if you raise your alk and phosphates start decreasing due to increased uptake by corals etc, you risk Acro "tip burns".

Agreed. I’m monitoring trends very closely.

 

[Fishy888]

Don't forget about the filter floss, to filter dinos...

Good point! I’ll have to get some. Most likely I’ll buy a dollar tree polystyrene pillow.

 

[code4]

I admit to not reading everything. But I see you mentioned CBB and clams. CBB like mussels more. And they like the frozen food with gel a feeder. And my CBB was exiled to my large tank when after a year he started eating my crocea clam. Little stinker.

 

[code4]

I use these in filter cups instead of socks. Washable also. They are for pool filters. Came with a bag to wash them in also. Amazon

 

[Fishy888]

I use these in filter cups instead of socks. Washable also. They are for pool filters. Came with a bag to wash them in also. Amazon

Awesome! I’ll check it out. Thank you for the link.

 

[code4]

Well sadly I didn't give you a link. But enough information to find them. there are cups that fit where filter socks go also. My tank is an Innovative marine and it came with them. Happy Reefing

 

[Fishy888]

Tonight I noticed that about 1/4 of my coralline seems to have died back. I’m wondering if my RODI is the culprit. It’s overdue for replacement filters and resin. It just seems strange that the nems and my soft corals aren’t missing a beat. Even the acros, other than the lack of PE, look good. If the RODI had copper or other heavy metals in detrimental quantities, the inverts would show it.

The NO3 and PO4 test kits I use are Hanna. My ALK and CAL are Salifert. I need to get a new MAG kit, although Randy has a DIY MAG test kit I believe. At any rate, it seems something is stifling coralline growth, and in fact, the aggressive growth I’ve had for almost 2 months has reversed.

If I didn’t have test kits I’d swear it was a nitrogen issue. My nitrates are still high though. PO4 is passable but definitely not low. I have plenty of macro growing. It’s taken off lately. Tomorrow I’ll export quite a bit, but I don’t think that’s causing the issue, unless the macro is taking up all my trace elements. That’s a distinct possibility.

Could a lack of carbon be contributing or causing this? I haven’t dosed vinegar in a good 3 months. I have high enough nitrates that I wouldn’t crash them with a small amount. Before I start dosing anything though, I’m going to try exporting a ton of macro, mostly chaeto.

The caulerpa is tang food and they really go for it. Soon there’ll be four tangs to feed so the nutrients and trace elements from the caulerpa should be recycled.

 

[Fishy888]

Good news. My Fruity Pebbles acro has decent PE tonight! The Vinh, not so much yet, but the lights only went off 2 hours ago. I last checked on it about an hour ago give or take. The tri-color Valida usually extends its polyps by day and it looks great considering the whole dino issue. Speaking of which…

While it still looks rough, cyano is starting to reassert control. I went to storage today and brought my two Emperor 400s home. Tomorrow I’ll get that polystyrene pillow and grab the floss out of it. I’ll buy the pool floss from Amazon too but I need to get the filtering started ASAP.

When the lights came on earlier today, it turns out that what I thought was dead or dying coralline was actually where the snails have been scraping the rock. It was dark in the tank last night so it looked like white patches instead of the ambient light. I’m glad I waited to react. I’ve been known to rush things and make knee-jerk adjustments in the past. So far though, in this system, I’ve been a lot more patient, although I could still use improvement. I’m getting there though.

Not reef related, but the “head cold” I’ve been dealing with forever turned out to be a deviated septum. I got seen for it today. The medicine they prescribed seems to be working quite well. Hopefully I can get a solid night’s sleep tonight. I have videos to make and a reef that’s about to be amazing, hopefully with some good colors soon!

 

[code4]

How high are the nitrates? Cyano can be a battle especially in large tanks. Good luck

 

[Fishy888]

How high are the nitrates? Cyano can be a battle especially in large tanks. Good luck

40 ppm.

 

[Fishy888]

40 ppm.

They’re coming down thankfully. They were almost twice that a month ago.

 

[Fishy888]

So we’re headed to the LFS to pick up my fish. It’s a day before the soft opening in the new spot but I was allowed to come now. We’re literally on the way. More to come…

 

[Fishy888]

We’re on our way back from Peoria even as I speak. I ended up getting two other fish. I got a cleaner wrasse and a regular maroon clownfish. She’s about half-dollar sized. The two hippo tangs are quarter sized. The copperband is about 3.5” including its beak. I’m excited to get them home! I’ll take pictures of them once I get them home.

 

[code4]

Is the CBB eating?

 

[code4]

That is good. One of my favorite fish. My yellow tang can be a jerk to mine sometimes. I think because they are similar in shape? Or maybe because he's a jerk. Last tang I will ever own.

 

[Fishy888]

Is the CBB eating?

Yes. It was picking at the rocks almost as soon as it was released. I’m pretty sure it was going for copepods. He was eating Hikari spirulina and brine shrimp at the store.

I’m going to try feeding it white worms tomorrow and see if it takes any.

All the new fish are doing well. The ocellaris and true percula pair are now in the 20 gallon tank now. They didn’t get beaten up thankfully but they were getting chased even as the lights went out. I just didn’t want to risk it.

Sapphire, aka Dory, was chasing the new, quarter sized hippo tangs somewhat aggressively for about the first hour, but she started slowing down some. I think they’ll be swimming together like nothing ever happened.

So far the maroon clownfish has been curious about the BTAs but she hasn’t allowed the anemones to host her yet. With time she’ll figure it out. I’m certain of that.

 

[Fishy888]

That is good. One of my favorite fish. My yellow tang can be a jerk to mine sometimes. I think because they are similar in shape? Or maybe because he's a jerk. Last tang I will ever own.

Zebrasoma tangs are among the most aggressive it seems. My bigger hippo was busy chasing the two smaller hippos around, and the Sgt. major damsels were chasing each other around.

At first the powder blue and all the damsels were chasing the CBB. All but my azure damsels that is. She (the CBB) stayed in the back right hand corner after that, and all the fish left her alone.

After the tank lights went off for the night, she went into the rock work.

I’ll be up early this morning. I have tank maintenance to do and dinos to remove after all. Most importantly though, I have fish to check on. I have a feeling they’ll be best buds with the fish that were already there by the end of the day.

I just hope that Angel (yes, the CBB has a name) comes out and swims around more. I think she will. The bigger fish only chased her for about a half hour after release.

She was decidedly picking at rocks, thankfully. I assume she was eating copepods, especially at her size. She’s about 3 inches long, 3 1/2 inches from tail to beak. I think she’ll be able to take white worms, especially the smallest ones. They certainly won’t be her whole diet but they should help her transition to healthier foods than brine shrimp. I might have to make her a feeder so she can eat. Hopefully the other fish will let her eat in peace without having to use a feeder, but I’ll make her one in a heartbeat if it becomes necessary. I’ll do anything in my power to keep her, and the rest of my fish, inverts, anemones and corals healthy and thriving. (I know, nems and corals are inverts too.)

As for my cleaner wrasse, he swam around for a couple of minutes and darted into the rocks. I haven’t seen him since. I expect him to stay hidden for a while. Hopefully though he’ll feel comfortable enough to come out of hiding today.

Edit: Angel was eating Hikari spirulina brine shrimp at the store. If I can’t get it at the LFS here in my town, I’ll get it from BRS or something. That’s only if she passes on the white worms and frozen food. There are plenty of micro dusters in there that she could eat, although I hope she leaves them alone. If it’s between Angel and the dusters though, needless to say, Angel wins without having to bat an eye! It’s a good thing she doesn’t have to bat an eye since she doesn’t have eyelids exactly!

 

[Fishy888]

As I expected, or at least as I was hoping, the hippo tangs are best buds now, the cleaner wrasse came out of hiding, and the CBB is front and center, picking at the rocks. I couldn’t be happier with how everything went. The true and false percula pair are doing good in their new turf as well.

Tonight, operation Dino Sledgehammer will commence around 10 PM!