Randy's Tank and Learn Thread

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I bet if you can give the elegance light for another 6 months or so, it will be good to go. I’ve had what appears to be sexual reproduction a couple of times before. Yours has made it the farthest and you are almost out of the woods I believe.

I should be able to do that. :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Calcium Update

I have not yet measured calcium on this tank, and do not plan to do so in the near term, but I do want to dose some.

The reason is that I have been relying on AFR to maintain calcium while I control it by alk. But I have also dosed nitrate to 10 ppm a few times. That will add alkalinity. Thus, I am adding unbalanced alk in that sense.

To deal with the possible depression of calcium (which may actually also be worsened by my 1% daily water changes with IO, a high alk mix), I plan to add 20 ppm of calcium using food grade calcium chloride I bought from Amazon:

Amazon.com: Pure Original Ingredients Calcium Chloride - 500 Grams : Industrial & Scientific

Amazon.com: Pure Original Ingredients Calcium Chloride - 500 Grams : Industrial & Scientific

a.co

 

[Miami Reef]

@Miami Reef your next project . I’m to dumb for all that. Just need the recipe . Maybe when back from vacation I can further try and diagnose the mixture.

Randy is the best for this kinda stuff.

I learned almost everything I know from him, but I don’t come near 1% of what Randy knows.

Trace elements and stuff like that is way above my pay grade. Lol

 

[twentyleagues]

I could not figure out how my elegance was moving around the tank. It would be in the same spot for months then all of a sudden it would be 6" further toward the front of the tank or instead of being 4" to the left of the overflow it would be in front of it and almost to the glass on the right side of the tank. I noticed two things. 1st it would inflate very large and the water flow could move it. I fixed that with a rock ring I made. 2nd after adding the ring I saw it pull itself with the tentacles sticking to the rock work around it or on the overflow. I added some more rock to the ring. its been stationary since, about 2 months now and seems happy where its at but I am not out of the wood yet I'm sure.

 

[Miami Reef]

About trace elements. I think someone asked Randy to make a DIY trace solution (like TM A & K) but I think it was very difficult to mix certain elements with different forms and oxidation states without causing precipitation.

I recall Randy showing some interest in seeing long term ICP with Cheato Gro.

But ya, heavy math is a strong weakness of mine. I just like the chemistry concepts.

 

[jonelder68]

About trace elements. I think someone asked Randy to make a DIY trace solution (like TM A & K) but I think it was very difficult to mix certain elements with different forms and oxidation states without causing precipitation.

I recall Randy showing some interest in seeing long term ICP with Cheato Gro.

But ya, heavy math is a strong weakness of mine. I just like the chemistry concepts.

Sounds like a good project for my retired dad! He’s a mechanical engineer of water treatment plants for 40 plus years and also has a chemist degree. He’s bored I’ll run it by him and see. Have Randy confirm the issues and math if he and my dad are willing.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Copepod Culture Update

The tisbe pods I have been culturing in a 1 gallon glass milk bottle that periodically gets phyto and has a slow air bubbler seems to be doing fine, but I’m going to terminate the experiment because there are obviously more pods in my display than the mandarin can eat.

I see them on the glass in places that I have not recently scraped. I most places I see several per square centimeter, and I expect the rocks have plenty as well.

Some time I’m going to add the contents of that pod container to the display, and have one less thing taking up space in the fish room. :)

 

[jonelder68]

Copepod Culture Update

The tisbe pods I have been culturing in a 1 gallon glass milk bottle that periodically gets phyto and has a slow air bubbler seems to be doing fine, but I’m going to terminate the experiment because there are obviously more pods in my display than the mandarin can eat.

I see them on the glass in places that I have not recently scraped. I most places I see several per square centimeter, and I expect the rocks have plenty as well.

Some time I’m going to add the contents of that pod container to the display, and have one less thing taking up space in the fish room. :)

Pods love the dirty glass! It’s always hard for me to clean the fuge glass because of this

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I could not figure out how my elegance was moving around the tank. It would be in the same spot for months then all of a sudden it would be 6" further toward the front of the tank or instead of being 4" to the left of the overflow it would be in front of it and almost to the glass on the right side of the tank. I noticed two things. 1st it would inflate very large and the water flow could move it. I fixed that with a rock ring I made. 2nd after adding the ring I saw it pull itself with the tentacles sticking to the rock work around it or on the overflow. I added some more rock to the ring. its been stationary since, about 2 months now and seems happy where its at but I am not out of the wood yet I'm sure.

Wow, never heard of them trying to move via tentacles!

 

[twentyleagues]

Wow, never heard of them trying to move via tentacles!

I dont know if that was what it was trying to do, but it did it. I could have been part of the flow in the tank as well. Its a cube tank and not huge 28x28" so flow is probably on the high side for some things, they dont seem to mind though.

 

[Miami Reef]

What do you think about alkalinity’s effect on acropora coloration. Do you think higher levels make the corals look brown or do you think it’s just a myth/placebo?

Is there any mechanism or theory that can logically explain how it might be causing a “brown effect,” if at all?

Randy not sure if you saw this question or if it got lost in the thread. Does alk likely have an effect on SPS colors if nutrients stay the same?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Randy not sure if you saw this question or if it got lost in the thread. Does alk likely have an effect on SPS colors if nutrients stay the same?

I don’t know. I’ve heard some folks claim they prefer lower alk despite lower growth of some hard corals because colors are better, but I do not know if it is true or not.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Snail Question

A while back I posted a picture of a whelk that folks uniformly agreed I should remove. The old picture is below. This morning I found a snail that I am unsure of. It has two antennae sticking out instead of the snorkel of the whelk, but I want to be sure it is not a whelk with its snorkel in. Thanks!

Old whelk photo:

New snail photo:

 

[Indiana Reefin]

I don’t think that is a whelk. Most whelks look like the old one you allready pulled. I would still sump it or store elsewhere until you can conduct more research.

 

[rishma]

Calcium Update

I have not yet measured calcium on this tank, and do not plan to do so in the near term, but I do want to dose some.

The reason is that I have been relying on AFR to maintain calcium while I control it by alk. But I have also dosed nitrate to 10 ppm a few times. That will add alkalinity. Thus, I am adding unbalanced alk in that sense.

To deal with the possible depression of calcium (which may actually also be worsened by my 1% daily water changes with IO, a high alk mix), I plan to add 20 ppm of calcium using food grade calcium chloride I bought from Amazon:

Amazon.com: Pure Original Ingredients Calcium Chloride - 500 Grams : Industrial & Scientific

Amazon.com: Pure Original Ingredients Calcium Chloride - 500 Grams : Industrial & Scientific

a.co

I have not kept track of your nitrate dosing but I think you added 10pm several times. Using the 50ppm nitrate consumed adds 2.3dkH…that’s not much. Plus your AFR is adding excess calcium so maybe a wash?

Why not just add some calcium to your AWC water?

Curious since I never test calcium and just estimated it doing the math. ICP shows my doesnt offset my excess calcium addition so I’ve never bother to account for it.

 

[rishma]

Snail Question

A while back I posted a picture of a whelk that folks uniformly agreed I should remove. The old picture is below. This morning I found a snail that I am unsure of. It has two antennae sticking out instead of the snorkel of the whelk, but I want to be sure it is not a whelk with its snorkel in. Thanks!

Old whelk photo:

New snail photo:

I love snails but not an expert. I think that’s a Chestnut Turban Snail (turbo castanea) from Florida. Good guys.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I have not kept track of your nitrate dosing but I think you added 10pm several times. Using the 50ppm nitrate consumed adds 2.3dkH…that’s not much. Plus your AFR is adding excess calcium so maybe a wash?

Why not just add some calcium to your AWC water?

Curious since I never test calcium and just estimated it doing the math. ICP shows my doesnt offset my excess calcium addition so I’ve never bother to account for it.

Could have done either, but as you note, it’s not much either way. Normal IO is in the
Low side for calcium relative to alk, and I hope to not keep dosing nitrate so this may be a one time calcium addition. :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I love snails but not an expert. I think that’s a Chestnut Turban Snail (turbo castanea) from Florida. Good guys.

I searched pictures, and that does fit it very well. Thx!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I don’t think that is a whelk. Most whelks look like the old one you allready pulled. I would still sump it or store elsewhere until you can conduct more research.

Thanks!

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Magnifica/Clown Update

The magnifica is doing very well. I decided to go for a trio of wild type ocellaris clowns from Dr Reef, which I just ordered. Hopefully, I will not end up with an outcast and a couple. :)

What a beauty!! Love it!