Randy's Tank and Learn Thread

[RobertK]

How tall is your canopy? It looks pretty roomy in there. Does it leave you enough room to work on your tank? Do you think a 12" canopy (including overhang to cover the waterline) would be tall enough?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Playing with Fire!

Sometimes you get burned, and sometimes not.

I noticed several days ago on my webcam that the magnifica had left my rock island, crossed along a low rock and got to the back wall plastic overflow where it began to climb. I decided to watch it closely instead of rushing home.

Today I’m back, and plenty has happened in the tank, mostly undesirable, but the magnifica did not get to the powerhead. It was right at the tank top and was very close, only about 2” away, though that 2” is against the outflow.

Here’s a top down picture before I dealt with it. You can see the powerhead on the left.

Other notably undesirable things that happened in the last week was that the LTA anemone that had been doing so well also uprooted itself and was now on the top of the rock work, where it likely was pushed by the current. It was very unhappy (deflated) and barely gripping the rock. I dug a new place at a rock sand boundary and dropped it in. Waiting for it to recover. No idea why it left its previous mooring.

The two red tree sponges were both flat on the bottom despite being placed in rock holes several inches deep. Maybe a turbo bulldozed under them. I may need to glue them down.

The elegance was again pushed out of its protected spot, but the red tree sponge prevented it from getting far. I dug it’s cubby hole a little deeper.

The magnifica was a much bigger effort to deal with, and I’ll cover that in the next post.

Fish are all doing well.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Magnifica Recovery

In order to deal with the rogue magnifica, I first needed to make a better rock island. That was easier said than done as the large purple milka stylo was resting on a rock that needed to go, as were some other rocks heading toward to tank center.

Rearranging things I somehow broke the PC rainbow coral off its mount, but it is otherwise ok.

Once the rocks were rearranged with a more secure island, I needed to move the anemone. Starting with a handy American Chemical Society membership card (thin, but not sharp), I went after it.

Turns out I did not need the card. lol

After turning off the flow, and then pushing my finger gently against its base on the overflow, I could dislodge it. But then it swiveled and a whole bunch of the tentacles grabbed my arm. Fortunately there was no pain from that, and I essentially pushed it off onto the rock
Island. Those same tentacles grabbed the rock and then the base grabbed on.

After a few minutes it was attached and I turned the flow back in. The little
Clowns must have been terrified and buried themselves deeply into it for the ride. But they stayed with it. Here’s what it looked like shortly after relocating:

Over the next 2 hours it has moved toward the back of the rock island, maybe to get a better grip. Here’s a current photo:

And here’s a side view showing that there is no longer a way to reach the back along a rock (that rock is in a refugium now).

 

[Miami Reef]

Your arm must be soaked.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

How tall is your canopy? It looks pretty roomy in there. Does it leave you enough room to work on your tank? Do you think a 12" canopy (including overhang to cover the waterline) would be tall enough?

My canopy is pretty tall. Bigger than 12”, but not a lot more. I just touched my lights at 50% and they were just comfortably warm.

In terms of working in it, I thought I might have to remove the whole canopy to do the above posted work, but I did not and it was ok. :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Your arm must be soaked.

Yes, but as much from cleaning the glass as anything else. I wanted a clear view of what I was doing before I might have to chase the anemone around the tank. lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I actually thought one of the clowns was getting rejected, as it was hanging out well below the anemone as it claimed the back wall, but the trauma of my moving the mag drove them all into it where they still are a couple of hours later. lol

It’s smaller than the other two, and doesn’t get prime spots in the anemone, but is not being forced away.

 

[dwest]

I love anemones but you are reminding me why I don’t have them anymore

 

[Miami Reef]

By the way, your yellow tang got huge! It looks so healthy.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

By the way, your yellow tang got huge! It looks so healthy.

It is rolling along. The foxface looks more yellow. Even my wife said so without asking her.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Chemistry Update

Phosphate 0.36 ppm steadily creeping up, maybe due to N dropping or just extra foods (or test variability).

Nitrate 4.5 ppm (down from about 10 ppm last time). Upped ammonia dosing by 20% to 49 min or about 53.9 mL per day, split over 4 doses. That’s about 0.25 ppm ammonia per day.

Alk 7.9 dKH; upping AFR from about 22 to 24 mL per day. Still a low dose, appropriate for what’s in the tank

pH 8.0 at 2 pm

Salinity 33.5 ppt. Still low. Disconnected AWC removal pump which got reconnected while I was away

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I love anemones but you are reminding me why I don’t have them anymore

I understand. I think they are worth it, but the challenges are significant. Imagine if all your corals could decide the grass looks greener on the other side of the tank. lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Sea Fan

I was sure this sea fan was dead a long time ago and just left it it because my wife liked it even with no polyps showing, but it clearly is still alive (nor the white polyps extending from the branches)

:

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Anemones

The LTA is still fairing very poorly, but at least has some tentacles showing. It’s hard to get a useful picture of it.

The magnifica and the clowns seem to be doing fine on top of their modified rock island.

I raised the light from average of 50% intensity to 55% since the anemone clearly wants light, and I’ll up in again in a few days.

When folks are ramping up light for corals and such, how slow do people usually go?

 

[dwest]

Anemones

The LTA is still fairing very poorly, but at least has some tentacles showing. It’s hard to get a useful picture of it.

The magnifica and the clowns seem to be doing fine on top of their modified rock island.

I raised the light from average of 50% intensity to 55% since the anemone clearly wants light, and I’ll up in again in a few days.

When folks are ramping up light for corals and such, how slow do people usually go?

I’ve never gone more than 5% per week with LED’s but I’m pretty conservative with this I believe.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I’ve never gone more than 5% per week with LED’s but I’m pretty conservative with this I believe.

Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Duncan

I haven’t really said much about my Duncan, but it seems to be doing fine. The area next to it has been opened up due to the altered rock island configuration.

It’s a little hard for me to clean the glass well right by it, and that the green in the pics.

 

[lubeck]

Anemones

The LTA is still fairing very poorly, but at least has some tentacles showing. It’s hard to get a useful picture of it.

The magnifica and the clowns seem to be doing fine on top of their modified rock island.

I raised the light from average of 50% intensity to 55% since the anemone clearly wants light, and I’ll up in again in a few days.

When folks are ramping up light for corals and such, how slow do people usually go?

Assuming you don’t have a par meter I wouldn’t go above 5% at one time. I’m ramping my lights up 1% per month but would normally do 1% per week until desired par.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Assuming you don’t have a par meter I wouldn’t go above 5% at one time. I’m ramping my lights up 1% per month but would normally do 1% per week until desired par.

I have measured par, but the sky is the limit for the magnifica that I’m raising it for. They are shallow water species, sometimes even exposed at low
Tides.

Par right now is in the 250 range, and would max out around 500.

 

[lubeck]

I have measured par, but the sky is the limit for the magnifica that I’m raising it for.

Par right now is in the 250 range, and would max out around 500.

Yeah I wouldn’t worry about the mag it can probably take more than you can give it. . It’s the other corals and potential algae bloom if you jump too much too quick. . Can’t remember your lights but certainly 5% on one tank could be much different on another. My tank would probably jump 100-125 par if I did 5%