Randy's Tank and Learn Thread

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If by any chance you want to borrow a 250w MH set to put on the anemone just lmk

Thanks! I think I’m good for now. The experts in the anemone forum suggested not too much light during treatment, especially since it partly bleached. The par it’s now getting about matches what it will get in the display since the AI blades are only at about 50% right now. :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hey Randy, what type of macroalge does your Biota yellow tang like to eat best? I know you have a few types growing in your fuge. I'm going to place an order with algae barn soon and want to include some munchies for my Biota YT.

It eats almost anything now. Ulva is less preferred the Sprung sea veggies (red and purple) or nori or any of the red macros from the refugium. But it will eat it. It’s super useful for me since I can put a ton of ulva in the display and it lasts for days when I am away. It also eats TDO chromoboost, prime reef flakes, and Hikari Seaweed extreme pellets.

 

[RobertK]

It eats almost anything now. Ulva is less preferred the Sprung sea veggies (red and purple) or nori or any of the red macros from the refugium. But it will eat it. It’s super useful for me since I can put a ton of ulva in the display and it lasts for days when I am away. It also eats TDO chromoboost, prime reef flakes, and Hikari Seaweed extreme pellets.

Thanks for that. For some reason mine has not shown any interest in dried (Sprung purple) or fresh (ulva, red ogo) macroalgae on a clip, but he eats TDO and seaweed extreme like a pig. I will try some fresh macros again, maybe with a rubber band on a rock this time.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks for that. For some reason mine has not shown any interest in dried (Sprung purple) or fresh (ulva, red ogo) macroalgae on a clip, but he eats TDO and seaweed extreme like a pig. I will try some fresh macros again, maybe with a rubber band on a rock this time.

He’s used to pellets I expect. He will expand his interest. Maybe put the clip or macro rubber banded to a rock on the bottom where it is more natural for them to look to graze.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Magnifica Update


With the new longer light cycle and added nutrients, there is no sign of deflation 5.5 h into the 6 h light phase. :)

 

[Miami Reef]

Hi Randy, how’s the anemone doing? Is it still in quarantine? If so, how much longer?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Still in qt, and still seems ok as best I can tell. The increased light time and increased N and P in the water did not cause any deflation collapse like I saw in the display tank that caused me to remove it. It is still attached to the rock it has been on all along.

Plan is to move it to the display tomorrow afternoon, unless something unexpected changes things.

 

[Miami Reef]

I know this process was definitely a pain, but I just want to say you handled it beautifully. Nice work. I know you'll say something like, "I don't want to be too optimistic," or any of those pessimistic thoughts, but I don't care. I'm confident and hopeful.

I need to know what the anemone's final color will look like. Having it pass would have left me on a cliffhanger I'd spend a lifetime trying to resolve and gain closure from. lol

 

[twentyleagues]

I know this process was definitely a pain, but I just want to say you handled it beautifully. Nice work. I know you'll say something like, "I don't want to be too optimistic," or any of those pessimistic thoughts, but I don't care. I'm confident and hopeful.

I need to know what the anemone's final color will look like. Having it pass would have left me on a cliffhanger I'd spend a lifetime trying to resolve and gain closure from. lol

Sorry that last bit got me.

@Randy Holmes-Farley also eagerly awaiting the tank pics when its back!

 

[rishma]

To me there is something special about rehabilitating a reef inhabitant. I’ve had a few memorable successes and those always became my favorites.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Magnifica Update

The anemone move from the cipro hospital tank back to the display did not go exactly according to plan, but what in reefing does. lol

I first adjusted the salinity in the hospital tank slowly back to match the display by adding fresh water to the hospital tank. It has been in there for the last 5 days with no top off (I was not home), so the salinity rose from evaporation.

Next, I wanted to remove as much cipro water as possible without actually pulling the anemone and rock up out of the water, which seems stressful to me for a swollen, soft bodied animal) , so I got it into a 2 gallon bucket (anemone
and rock together barely fit) and flushed tank water through it several times. However, it the process of doing that I jostled it too much and it released from the rock and was floating free. Not the plan.

That did, however, make it easy to pour off most of the excess water in the bucket. I took the bucket to the display and immersed it and, like on the first arrival, I poured the anemone onto the rock that I had fitted back into place in the display.

I did notice the tentacles are sticky as a couple touched my hand, but they did not grab on, and by mostly touching the column, was able to get it roughly into the intended position.

Over the next 90 minutes, I was able to see the foot slowly grab on more and more, and it now looks to be firmly back in place (first picture). It’s actually grabbing more on the smaller rock I glued in place rather than the flat pedestal, but that’s fine.

Earlier today, I noticed again something that I’ve noticed over the past several days and that is that the anemone was least expanded directly under the light in the hospital tank, and more expanded further away (third picture, lower part of anemone in the picture is in brightest light) . Maybe it does not want as much light as I was giving it, and since the hospital tank has about the same par as the display, I decided to drop back the light in the display and will raise it back up slowly assuming things go well over the next week.

Foot and column after 90 min in display:

Overall look 90 min after adding to display:

In hospital tank:

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

LTA update

The LTA anemone from Petco , which has been far easier to deal with, seems to have grown considerably since I got it. The zoox has also clearly expanded into the regions that were bleached when I got it.

New:

Today:

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

To me there is something special about rehabilitating a reef inhabitant. I’ve had a few memorable successes and those always became my favorites.

I can see that. I hope I can do the same here. :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I know this process was definitely a pain, but I just want to say you handled it beautifully. Nice work. I know you'll say something like, "I don't want to be too optimistic," or any of those pessimistic thoughts, but I don't care. I'm confident and hopeful.

I need to know what the anemone's final color will look like. Having it pass would have left me on a cliffhanger I'd spend a lifetime trying to resolve and gain closure from. lol

My fingers are crossed it works out. Seems ok this morning, but the final color may take quite a while to become evident as zoox increase and perhaps other things change. :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yellow Ball Sponge Update

Learned a new fact today. Many sponges can control the opening size of their osculum, the holes where water exits the sponge. I was triggered to look it up by seeing these two different states of one of my sponges:

 

[skey44]

Yellow Ball Sponge Update

Learned a new fact today. Many sponges can control the opening size of their osculum, the holes where water exits the sponge. I was triggered to look it up by seeing these two different states of one of my sponges:

That’s cool. Love the yellow ball. I have some white sponges on the underside of my rock work and through my sump. I like them, they don’t seem invasive at this point. Will take note of different osculum sizes. I’ve noticed they look different sometimes but don’t know very much about sponges. Want to learn more now.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Chemistry Update

Nitrate 3.0 ppm (added 10 ppm to system after test; reduced refugium lighting to 8 h per night, and I’m leaving off one of the led bulbs that has been on the magnifica in its hospital tank)

Alk 8.6 dKH
pH 7.9

Added:

0.06 ppm iodide
Extra iron and manganese

Made a new batch of AFR but kept the dose unchanged

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Magnifica

Since it is bleached, I fed it a piece of scallop that I cut off a frozen food scallop. About the size of a finger nail. It consummed it and if all goes well, I’ll do this twice a week.

 

[skey44]

double posted

 

[Oldsman]

That mag healed up beautifully! Where did you purchase your red tree sponge ?