(Tank Move and 8 week Update) 10g Nano, TBS live rock, live sand, hitchhikers, CUC (Original TBS Package)

[jpmazzone]

I used TBS LR for my Waterbox 20 cube. Great stuff and I continued to find beneficial hitch hikers well into the fourth month. I suspect that you will see some die off. I experienced that. The first to go was the macro algae and then you'll start losing some things you don't see. When this happened, I started to get some red turf algae so I added a large CUC. Don't make the same mistake I did; I added too many crew. SO I went through a second die off. Now everything seems to have equalized and I have such little algae in the tank that I never scrape the back wall so that the CUC has something to feast on when the rockwork is picked clean.

 

[CallMeChris]

I used TBS LR for my Waterbox 20 cube. Great stuff and I continued to find beneficial hitch hikers well into the fourth month. I suspect that you will see some die off. I experienced that. The first to go was the macro algae and then you'll start losing some things you don't see. When this happened, I started to get some red turf algae so I added a large CUC. Don't make the same mistake I did; I added too many crew. SO I went through a second die off. Now everything seems to have equalized and I have such little algae in the tank that I never scrape the back wall so that the CUC has something to feast on when the rockwork is picked clean.

I am really enjoying the experience! How long before your macro started to die off? I did find the body of a small blue legged hermit today, but so far that’s it, far as I can see anyway.

 

[saltnut]

I am really enjoying the experience! How long before your macro started to die off? I did find the body of a small blue legged hermit today, but so far that’s it, far as I can see anyway.

I wonder if it was just a molt.

 

[CallMeChris]

6 Week Update
Nitrates continue to be high, even after a couple 3 gallon water changes. Just under 50 right now. Ammonia and Nitrate are at dead zero. Will do a couple more water changes over the next couple days.

Critters continue to look and act normal. Did discover one Astrea dead snail, upside down. Also saw a tiny crab with pointy claws. Time to start trying to trap them.

Purchased one fresh shrimp from Publix. That was fun 14 cents. Put a couple small pieces in two glasses and put them in tank 10 minutes ago. Hopefully I don’t just catch a bunch of blue legged hermit crabs We shall see.

Also saw some barnacle action! Video link below. Oh, and a couple cool feather dusters.

Will be trying the stinky trap method for catching isopods later this week. Want to work on the crabs first.

More pics!

Feather duster!

Another small batch of hidden cup coral

Live barnacles in my tank!

Barnacles Filtering in my tank!

youtube.com

 

[Barrnone]

Loving all the life in your tank! Nice video.

 

[CallMeChris]

I wonder if it was just a molt.

I’m thinking so

 

[saltnut]

Did you catch the crab?

 

[CallMeChris]

Did you catch the crab?

Tried a couple times and just caught blue legged hermits, lol. Will probably wait till after I move in a couple weeks to try again. Might be able to grab them while pulling rock out of this tank and putting them in buckets for the move, or when putting the rocks back into the tank after the move.

 

[CallMeChris]

Loving all the life in your tank! Nice video.

Thanks I’m enjoying the documentation aspect of this process

 

[Gumbies R Us]

6 Week Update
Nitrates continue to be high, even after a couple 3 gallon water changes. Just under 50 right now. Ammonia and Nitrate are at dead zero. Will do a couple more water changes over the next couple days.

Critters continue to look and act normal. Did discover one Astrea dead snail, upside down. Also saw a tiny crab with pointy claws. Time to start trying to trap them.

Purchased one fresh shrimp from Publix. That was fun 14 cents. Put a couple small pieces in two glasses and put them in tank 10 minutes ago. Hopefully I don’t just catch a bunch of blue legged hermit crabs We shall see.

Also saw some barnacle action! Video link below. Oh, and a couple cool feather dusters.

Will be trying the stinky trap method for catching isopods later this week. Want to work on the crabs first.

More pics!

Feather duster!

Another small batch of hidden cup coral

Live barnacles in my tank!

Barnacles Filtering in my tank!

youtube.com

Glad to see the tank is still doing well!

 

[moreef]

I’m starting a tank with dry rock and sand but debating on using this package along with it. Really don’t want to deal with pests especially mantis,crabs and algae. Anyone have a negative experience with doing this?

 

[CallMeChris]

I’m starting a tank with dry rock and sand but debating on using this package along with it. Really don’t want to deal with pests especially mantis,crabs and algae. Anyone have a negative experience with doing this?

TBS actively looks for and removes any pests they see, some do get through though. Part of the deal when working with live rock. Which is why I am using an observation tank before putting in a main display. Gives a chance to deal with pests.

 

[CallMeChris]

7 Week Update

So, I hit 100 Nitrate in the tank. Ammonia and Nitrate are zero. ph is 8.2 and Alk is 8.0. Been at 50 nitrate for a couple weeks. Doing 15% water changes weekly. Everything looks fine, critters acting normal, no algae explosion. So I guess I’m fine with the 100…

Snail died (Astrea snail upside down), CUC did it’s job and ammonia and nitrites didn’t spike, just nitrates

Current FTS

Rinsed out the HOB filter media in the old water change bucket and a couple things came off of interest. Isopod and Amphipod.

Gammarid Amphipod Swimming

Gammarid Amphipod swimming around small container. Came off a saltwater tank filter cartridge that I was rinsing

youtube.com

Cirolanid Isopod Swimming

youtube.com

Purchased a trap from Amazon to catch Isopods, will post a picture when it comes in.

Colonial Tunicates doing great! Probably cause of the nitrates?

Got a red flashlight to help look for nocturnal pests and activities. Found a small whelk, also say something dart into a rock hole. Guess the red light was too bright or not red enough?

My first attempt o catch pesty crabs, only got blue legged hermits. As you can see, not much space to work with.

Cerith and Astrea

Comb Jelly


Aiptasia on glass? Or maybe a ball anemone? Thoughts?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

7 Week Update

So, I hit 100 Nitrate in the tank. Ammonia and Nitrate are zero. ph is 8.2 and Alk is 8.0. Been at 50 nitrate for a couple weeks. Doing 15% water changes weekly. Everything looks fine, critters acting normal, no algae explosion. So I guess I’m fine with the 100…

Snail died (Astrea snail upside down), CUC did it’s job and ammonia and nitrites didn’t spike, just nitrates

Current FTS

Rinsed out the HOB filter media in the old water change bucket and a couple things came off of interest. Isopod and Amphipod.

Gammarid Amphipod Swimming

Gammarid Amphipod swimming around small container. Came off a saltwater tank filter cartridge that I was rinsing

youtube.com

Cirolanid Isopod Swimming

youtube.com

Purchased a trap from Amazon to catch Isopods, will post a picture when it comes in.

Colonial Tunicates doing great! Probably cause of the nitrates?

Got a red flashlight to help look for nocturnal pests and activities. Found a small whelk, also say something dart into a rock hole. Guess the red light was too bright or not red enough?

My first attempt o catch pesty crabs, only got blue legged hermits. As you can see, not much space to work with.

Cerith and Astrea

Comb Jelly


Aiptasia on glass? Or maybe a ball anemone? Thoughts?

Tank looks like it is doing great!

 

[CallMeChris]

8 week Update and Tank Move

Moved the tank to the new house today! It was a process, lol. Glad I didn’t have to deal with fish or expensive coral. Main concern was to keep the rocks submerged and the biome in good shape. Secondary, yet still important, goal was to keep the snails and hermits and other beneficial critters alive during the process. Tertiary, also important, to try and nab the gorilla crab I’ve seen peeking out of one of the base rocks, and any other targets of opportunity that arise.

Post move report: I believe the rocks and biome are in good shape. The snails and hermits all seem to be doing well. Haven’t seen my fleshy limpet, tried to spot which rock they were on before the move, but didn’t see it. Hopefully, they will show up later. Caught the gorilla crab! It was under the rock I suspected and was able to grab them with my tweezers while transferring the rock into the bucket.

Impossible to put all the rock back in the way it was, so looks like a whole new tank now

Only took an hour for the water to clear up. Tested ammonia a couple hours after the move and it just barely registered.

Some pics!

Before and after the move:

Caught the sucker!

Something new shows itself, sponge?

 

[CallMeChris]

Think I have a hidden pistol shrimp! I can hear it, but have not seen it. Tanks still doing good after the move.

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