SlasherZ's First Foray Into Saltwater

SlasherZ · Oct 27, 2023

New stock ready to go into the tank! A bicolor blenny that's equal parts beautiful and goofy, and a happy little emerald crab!

Both from reliable sources so currently acclimating to go directly into the tank! Pics to follow once they get settled in.

SlasherZ · Oct 27, 2023

Here's the blenny, not the best pictures since he's still being shy, but he seems to have found a cozy little overhang in my rockwork!

SlasherZ · Oct 27, 2023

Butterface (named by the girlfriend because she's so pretty... But her face is Ew) the blenny, happy in her new hole!

SlasherZ · Oct 28, 2023

We've decided to move some mollies from our freshwater tank over to the saltwater tank today. Going to make it a bit of an experiment as well, due to varying info found during research!

We have three mollies that have been voluntold to participate...

One will be dropped directly in after temp acclimating

One will be drip acclimated over 16 hours

One will be drip acclimated over 32 hours

Here's hoping they all do well in the transfer!

SlasherZ · Oct 31, 2023

Unfortunate news. None of the mollies made it more than a day in the tank.

On the brighter side, it's payday and I'm planning to get some corals frags! Anyone have a recommendation on corals they had luck with when first starting? Thinking about a small zoa frag and some gsp just to see how things go. Love the look of gsp on the back wall.

SlasherZ · Dec 12, 2023

It's been a while since I've updated this! So far, not too much has changed...it's mostly just been maintaining steady parameters and experimenting with a few small coral frags.

I've had this weeping willow toadstool for a week now and I'm still super stoked about it! (don't mind my pipefish, he likes to chill under it.)

SlasherZ · Dec 16, 2023

Got a bunch of new corals this week, an awesome early Xmas present from the girlfriend! New is some pulsing xenia, some branching GSP, a pretty green sinularia, a toadstool, and some bigass green paly/zoas! Also a tiger conch and a feather duster. That conch is a goooofy looking guy!

Any thoughts guys?

SlasherZ · Mar 3, 2024

So I travel for work sometimes and after being gone for two weeks I've come back to my tank being full of green water... The fish and corals are all happy and healthy still... Just not something I want in a DT

I've done two 25% water changes over the past week and it really hasn't helped much. Last night I bought a cheap UV light, one of the green machine things from petco. I haven't got a sump on this tank so I can get one that's hard plumbed in and this was my best option. I'm hoping it will help out some.

Nitrates are kinda high, sitting at 22 as of last night, so I dumped a bunch of my macro algea trimmings from my macro tank into the DT, hoping this helps to export those nitrates which I'm guessing are from extra big feedings my kid and fiance did while I was gone.

Anyone have advise on how to further deal with this issue, or am I doing alright so far?

SlasherZ · Mar 3, 2024

SlasherZ · Mar 3, 2024

The UV I bought.

SlasherZ · Mar 5, 2024

I don't know if it's my water changes or the UV light, but I've been seeing progress over the past few days! The water is slowly but steadily looking better!

TX_REEF · Mar 7, 2024

Glad the UV and water changes helped - are you running activated carbon? That may also help.

SlasherZ · Mar 7, 2024

TX_REEF said:
Glad the UV and water changes helped - are you running activated carbon? That may also help.

Yeah, I don't have a sump on this tank... Just a penguin hob. Bio balls and ceramic rings on one side for amphipods and detritus, sponge and and carbon on the other. Been putting extra carbon in and changing it every day or two since this started.

It's gotten much better, This morning I could see all the way through to the back of the tank! If I look through the side I can see maybe halfway through. I do have a lot of particulates though so I think I should swap my Sponges for filter floss or something.

SlasherZ · Mar 7, 2024

I'll take an update pic when I get home!

TX_REEF · Mar 7, 2024

SlasherZ said:
Yeah, I don't have a sump on this tank... Just a penguin hob. Bio balls and ceramic rings on one side for amphipods and detritus, sponge and and carbon on the other. Been putting extra carbon in and changing it every day or two since this started.

It's gotten much better, This morning I could see all the way through to the back of the tank! If I look through the side I can see maybe halfway through. I do have a lot of particulates though so I think I should swap my Sponges for filter floss or something.

I use this stuff, it's much easier to just toss it and replace. Easy to cut to size, nice and cheap!

https://amzn.to/3P9Wvqd

SlasherZ · Mar 7, 2024

TX_REEF said:
I use this stuff, it's much easier to just toss it and replace. Easy to cut to size, nice and cheap!

https://amzn.to/3P9Wvqd

Awesome! That is much cheaper than what I was looking into. Thanks for the rec!

How longs it usually last for you?

TX_REEF · Mar 7, 2024

SlasherZ said:
Awesome! That is much cheaper than what I was looking into. Thanks for the rec!

How longs it usually last for you?

I use it in my frag system, generally swap out once a month more or less. You'll want to check it daily with how cloudy your water is - once it's cleared up, you shouldn't need to change it more than twice a month, I'd guess. Just keep an eye one it because it is fine enough to restrict water flow if it gets clogged up.

TX_REEF · Mar 7, 2024

if you mean how long the roll lasts me, I have only purchased one roll so far since my tank has been up since the start of December 2023 - not near to finishing the roll, it's massive