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[twan]

if its Is this Bryopsis then I read hermits will not eat it


I wanted to keep a hermit free tank if possible but if they will eat it then I would reconsider

I wanted to keep a hermit free tank if possible but if they will eat it then I would reconsider

Also it is more prolific on the higher rocks leading me to think light is fueling this.
The rock cycled In bins for 6 weeks in the dark and has been in the tank on a full lighting schedule for close to 3 weeks now. Diatom bloom has come and 80% gone and the green is new within the last 3 days.

New tank syndrome and continue along and add a fish?
Halt everything and begin manual removal?
Add hermits?
Dial back lighting?
All of the above?

 

[twan]

Rock was dry to start.
Sand was from 2 new unopened bags.
The bryopsis started 1-2 days before the new frags were put into the tank.
The only wet things that entered the tank prior to seeing the bryopsis was the snail (no hermits) order from Reefcleaners.

 

[twan]

So this new algae breakout is all that is standing between me and adding my 1st fish.
From opinions on here and other forums this is just not new tank syndrome or plain hair algae.
This is bryopsis. Let's start attacking it.

Tests Before Removal
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
5-10 nitrate
.08 phosphate

Here are 2 pictures of the offending algae:

Attack Stage 1 - Completed
-Manual removal from rocks with tweezers.
-Manual removal from 2 rocks with brush in another container.
-Complete replacement of one particular rock with one still cycling in my old bin (left picture is removed rock and right is ts replacement:

-Results (can also see new monti cap placement):

Attack Stage 2 - Taking place tomorrow.
-Water change.
-Addition of 5 emerald crabs, 8 hermit crabs, 4 peppermint shrimp to boost my CuC.
-Retest water parameters 24hrs later.

Attack Stage 3 - Taking place this weekend.
-Test magnesium.
-Bump magnesium to 1600 using Kent Tech M.

 

[jcdeng]

5 emerald crabs and 8 hermits, seems a little too much for your tank size, when they are done with the algae, I would put whatever you can catch into the sump fuge, cuz they might attack your corals or smaller CUC members once algae is gone and nothing else to eat.

 

[twan]

so any help on he bryopsis?

start over?

 

[jcdeng]

no, the crabs and hermit will work, just remove them to the sump when they are done with the job.

 

[twan]

Ok onto Attack Stage 2
After a 20% Water change and the addition of 5 emerald crabs, 8 hermit crabs and 4 peppermint shrimp to boost my CuC, I am now shutting off my lights for 48 hours.

Tests Before Manual Removal & Water Change.
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
5-10 nitrate
.08 phosphate

Tests After Manual Removal & Water Change.
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
2 nitrate
.05 phosphate

The small,approximatley 1/2 a dime sized areas of what we now believe is Bryopsis have 1-3 fern like filaments growing out of them. While this is not an infestation as it stands now; the areas are spread apart. Magnesium measuring and boosting to the 1600 range is the next step.
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Side question.
Unlike the bryopsis patches, areas in direct light have begun to get a lime green coating on them.
I read that sometimes lime green on a rock can be the signs of phosphates leaching out from the rock, which can cause algae outbreaks such as hair algae. Other times it can be the signs of new coraline growth. Its not fuzzy or slimy to the touch, it almost looks like its been painted on. Tooth brush scrubbing does not remove it. Here is a picture of what I am talking about, this is from another users tank but color and pattern the same as mine.

Reference Link:
http://www.garf.org/NORM/coralline/corallinenorm.shtml

The initial growth will appear as a lime green coating. After about three months you will see your rocks turn pink, then purple. Naturally, the degree of coloration will vary from tank to tank.

 

[twan]

Bryopsis Battle
Well my Tech M and Magnesium Test kit came in............but after adding my emerald crabs, hermit crabs and peppermint shrimp combined with a water change about 90% of the bryopsis has disappeared. The lime green areas also have subsided. I am not saying it was eaten by the CuC or that my water change and manual removal was a complete success but I am very happy about this.

Will it come back? Not sure, but for now I am not going to dose the Tech M yet.

Equipment Panel
Got the Ecotech Battery backup wired to run both MP10's if there is a power loss and I am not home to wheel out and turn on the generator. Also took this time to clean up some mounting positions.

Corals
Everything is doing fine under my current lighting parameters. The hammer did not like the flow in the old spot so here it is in its new home opening full and very happy.

Here is a new addition, 2 heads of Orange Florida Ricordea

New Order
Since everything has settled down I am going to add fish. The rock has been cycled for over 3 months and exposed to light and the new sand for about a month. I am trying to do things safe and slow. I think I have waited long enough. With my fish stocking list I wanted the more docile fish 1st. Here is my order coming in on Tuesday. I added 2 corals to it because why not get free shipping?!?!?!

Item Details:
CN-79907 SW - Starry Blenny - Small, Qty:
0508121300 Diver's DenYasha Goby Male with Red Banded Snapping Shrimp,
SE-48101 CF - Giant Green Polyp Duncan, Triple Head
051112419 Diver's DenMushroom Rock Ricordea Florida

 

[twan]

Added the Yasha/Shrimp and the Starry Blenny yesterday via drip method over 30-40mins.
Neither have eaten in the first 24hrs.

Yasha/Shrimp - acclimated together but as soon as they were added the shrimp bolted but the goby did not follow. Right now the shrimp is hard at work making a burrow and the goby is about 10 inches away under a rock facing the other way, tucked way inside with no sign of wanting to come out. Is this normal? How will they pair up? Do I have to target feed that area with spectrum pellets / mysis to get him to eat?

Starry Blenny - LFS only had 4-5" large so I ordered a small off DFS and it is really small, I mean 1.5" max.
It's ok though, he can grow with the tank. Tons of personality as he perches all over the place and looks about.
Will he eat spectrum pellets / mysis or do I need to pickup some spirulina flake?

 

[twan]

Fish report!

Starry Blenny - All over the place grazing on rocks. Has yet to take spectrum pellets, formula 2 pellets, frozen mysis or cyclopeeze from me. I guess he is not hungry with all the grazing?
Yasha - still separated from the shrimp, has yet to come out, has yet to eat that I have seen, did see a peppermint shrimp harassing him. What to do?!?!!?

 

[twan]

Fish
Starry - Ill just stay content that the starry is grazing. He will not take any one of the myriad of foods I have tried. He is always put and perched.

Yasha - he has not ventured out of his deep borrow within a rock all the while 6 inches away in the opposite direction and under a different rock the shrimp is constantly working. I have yet to see him eat or come out. Maybe he is feeding on scraps at night. I am leaving him alone.

Skimmer
Got it adjusted so it is pulling some nice gunk now that I am feeding the tank. My problem is every time I turn off the skimmer to perform a water change or clean out the cup I have to adjust the skimmer way down. The water height is still the same as I am not turning it back on till the water level stabilizes..............it just goes all out of whack and I have to turn it way down then incrementally ramp it back up over the next 24hrs to get it skimming like it was. My 1st skimmer, this typical behavior?

WMX and Battery Backup
Added both of these to my Apex/Ecotechs and I am really happy with them. WMX rolls through 5 different profiles in a 24hr period with the 2nd pump mostly in antisynch. I used to just turn both pumps off via my Iphone app when feeding but the addition of the battery backup prevented me from that. The WMX addition also meant that I could not hold the "mode" button on the mp10 head unit to put it into feed mode. What I did then was create two different profiles off the APEX feed mode that worked out great. My feed interval is 10 minutes. My feed profile is constant at 5% for 10 minutes. My flush profile is nutrient transport for 2 minutes at 90% directly following.

If FeedA 002 Then [insert your profile for fast motion after feeding]
If FeedA 000 Then [insert your profile for slow motion during feeding]

Feed interval of 10 + 0 equals the 10 minutes you want to run the slow profile.
Feed interval of 10 + 2 minus the time Slow will run equals the 2 minutes you want to run the fast profile afterwards.

So with one touch of the bottom arrow on my apex i get pumps at 5% for 10 minutes to feed & then they automatically go into nutrient transport at 90% for 2 minutes to kick up anything uneaten so it can be sucked down to the sump and filtered/skimmed. When that is over it just kicks back into whatever time based profile happens to be running before I initiated the feed.

I was also able to finally setup a a dynamic dns server so I can acess the Apex while away from my home network. This apex is so worth the money.

 

[twan]

Fish list from here till the end:

African Leopard Wrasse (female)
Flame Angelfish
Mystery Wrasse or Four Line Wrasse
Pink Skunk Clownfish (pair)

Do you think the clown pair should be next or one of the wrasses along with the angel?

 

[xxxAngeloxxx]

IMO I would put some clowns in first

 

[twan]

I read the Leopard Wrasse might be a little tempermental and I am going to add him next, solo.
That makes the Path ahead:

1.) Leopard Wrasse alone.
2.) Pink Skunk Clown pair.
3.) Wrasse + Flame Angel.

 

[twan]

Water Parameter Check

-7 days since last 12g water change.
-6 days since Starry Blenny and Yasha Goby with shrimp addition.

I am hoping to only have to change 12g of water every 10-12 days.

The last 24hrs of Apex

 

[twan]

A finally eating Yasha Goby. I saw him take a piece of mysis on two separate occasions now. One so large I though he would choke on it! His shrimp has an intricate burrow 6 inches away under another rock. He is not even aware. I am just glad he is poking out a little bit and I actually saw him eat something finally.

Starry Blenny stretching out in the shade. He is just about 1.5" and tons of personality. I saw him take mysis once but never any formula two pellets or spectrum pellets. He is however constantly grazing on the rocks.

New 3.5 Head Green Polyp Duncan - Aquacultured

New Florida 12+ mouth Florida Ricordis Rock

 

[twan]

Task list

Home Generator.
Having an electrician coming to the house today to quote me a price on a transfer box tied into my panel.
As long as all goes well I will order the Generac XG8000E tomorrow.
I have the Ecotech battery backup for the MP10's but that is all at the moment.

My wife called today and said we lost power twice for about 10 seconds both within 1 minute today.
I brought up the Apex on my phone from the office and see that there was power out at 1:46pm and back on at 1:47pm today.

What I want to know is why didnt my email alarm go off? Is my statement in the wrong order? Is there a typo? Does power need to be off for a longer to trigger it?

Set OFF
If Temp > 79.0 Then ON
If Temp < 76.9 Then ON
If Temp > 08.25 Then ON
If Temp < 07.50 Then ON
If Power EB8_3 Off 001 Then ON
OSC 715:00/005:00/000:00 Then ON

Fuge
Going to add Chaeto/Holder/Submersible light to my Sump.
Going to try this light in this basket mounted on its side so water flows through it and make extra holes in it.

 

[twan]

Is my email trigger just missing this?

Power Apex OFF 001 Then ON

 

[8pixel]

Task list
Home Generator.
Having an electrician coming to the house today to quote me a price on a transfer box tied into my panel.

Your thread is fantastic!
Please update us with the transfer box cost as I've been thinking about doing the same and wondered what the costs would be.

 

[twan]

Your thread is fantastic!
Please update us with the transfer box cost as I've been thinking about doing the same and wondered what the costs would be.

This is in CT, and $750 if paying cash. My other 2 quotes were around $1000.
This is installation cost only, not the actual generator.