Randy's Tank and Learn Thread

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Here are a couple of videos of the mandarin that one of my daughters took today:

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’m no crab identity expert, but here’s a hitchhiker crab that appears to be some type of decorator crab:

 

[rishma]

Randy - what do you think of the Hanna nitrate checker? Given my current uncertainty on my home nitrate measurement, I was thinking of getting another kit.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Randy - what do you think of the Hanna nitrate checker? Given my current uncertainty on my home nitrate measurement, I was thinking of getting another kit.

I’ve only used it a few times, and can’t comment on its accuracy beyond what others have reported, but it seems fine to me and I don’t plan to find an alternative.

At some point, if I can find the time, I’ll give it a check by spiking nitrate into my tank water and see if I get the expected rise, but IIRC, that’s already been done by others.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hydroid update

I saw another thread and realized I never circled back on the tiny hydroids that were on the glass. I really do not see any at the moment, even on glass I haven’t scraped, so they are a nonissue. Folks said they would go away, and they did. :)

 

[Reefer1978]

Hydroid update

I saw another thread and realized I never circled back on the tiny hydroids that were on the glass. I really do not see any at the moment, even on glass I haven’t scraped, so they are a nonissue. Folks said they would go away, and they did. :)

Randy did you see any reports of weird sump growth due to ammonia dosing?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Randy did you see any reports of weird sump growth due to ammonia dosing?

Just one, and maybe it was yours? Rishma noted a color change with too much dosed, and that’s the only negative I recall seeing.

 

[Reefer1978]

Just one, and maybe it was yours? Rishma noted a color change with too much dosed, and that’s the only negative I recall seeing.

Don’t remember if it was me, but I do have some weird filter feeder growth, largest one is almost an inch.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Don’t remember if it was me, but I do have some weird filter feeder growth, largest one is almost an inch.

I’ve not heard that mentioned before.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ammonia

I removed the Seachem ammonia alert. It served its purpose to potentially warn of excessive ammonia, but there never has been any and I cannot see it becoming a future issue.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Anyone have a suggestion for a good grabber tool or some such thing to grab small objects on the tank bottom?

The yellow tang must have pulled hard enough on the macroalgae rubber banded to a small rock to dislodge it and it’s now on the bottom, where I can barely reach it.

Something like this, but reef friendly;

 

[Miami Reef]

Me and my PikStick go way back. This is my ride or die, reaching almost anything I’d like, and can even lift 10+ lbs rocks. It’s a work horse.

I get it from my LFS.

26" Aqua Tongs with Rubber Tips - PikStik

Shop The Best Saltwater Aquarium Equipment & Supplies at Saltwater Aquarium. We Carry Everything you will Need for your Fish Tank.

www.saltwateraquarium.com

 

[twentyleagues]

Me and my PikStick go way back. This is my ride or die, reaching almost anything I’d like, and can even lift 10+ lbs rocks. It’s a work horse.

I get it from my LFS.

26" Aqua Tongs with Rubber Tips - PikStik

Shop The Best Saltwater Aquarium Equipment & Supplies at Saltwater Aquarium. We Carry Everything you will Need for your Fish Tank.

www.saltwateraquarium.com

I need one of those.

 

[Just John]

Identification?

Anyone have a guess what this is on the rock? It’s in a hard place to see.

These look sort of similar to what I had on some gulf live rock. I eventually decided they were a type of cryptic sponge. They spread across the rock very fast and I eventually scraped them off. what was left died and they never came back.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

These look sort of similar to what I had on some gulf live rock. I eventually decided they were a type of cryptic sponge. They spread across the rock very fast and I eventually scraped them off. what was left died and they never came back.

The ones I have seen to have stabilized in size and number. :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Me and my PikStick go way back. This is my ride or die, reaching almost anything I’d like, and can even lift 10+ lbs rocks. It’s a work horse.

I get it from my LFS.

26" Aqua Tongs with Rubber Tips - PikStik

Shop The Best Saltwater Aquarium Equipment & Supplies at Saltwater Aquarium. We Carry Everything you will Need for your Fish Tank.

www.saltwateraquarium.com

Thanks. Looks like just what I need!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Day 78 Update

Lights raised to 24% on all channels.

I decided to remove the uv bulbs from the refugium. They will be ready if needed, but I don’t want to keep killing things in the water if not required to keep the possible dino pest at bay.

The green leather is very slowly coming around with a few polyps extended. The elegance and yellow leather are doing great.

Fish are all doing fine, except the one missing mandarin.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thinking ahead, what goniopora corals do folks think would look best in white light? Any?

 

[Miami Reef]

Thinking ahead, what goniopora corals do folks think would look best in white light? Any?

The red ones. They have a nice pink color in white light.

Many Goniopora look good in white lights. I have one that looks terrible in blue lighting.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The red ones. They have a nice pink color in white light.

Many Goniopora look good in white lights. I have one that looks terrible in blue lighting.

Would the Ora cherry red goniopora meet that suggestion?