new pics of the tank *** new pics added 12.29.10

First topic message reminder :

I got some newer pics of the tank after I cleaned it this weekend. Should have waited until some of the corals were more open. I didn't get pics of some of them since they were closed up. Please don't mind the algae that I am still fighting with. Nothing wants to eat it so I pull it by hand and suction it out.

A pic of the whole tank...


Right side of the tank...


Left side of the tank...


Green/blue striped mushroom...has had four babies and spreads about 2-1/2" across fully open...


Sand sifting star...


Something my fish guy calls red razor algae (maybe someone knows the correct name). This is the size when I bought it about four months ago...


And now...


A cool little guy that I think is called a limpet from researching online sucking on an empty shell...


This zoanthid just keeps growing and spreading. I think I have it in three or four places in the tank now...


Purple 'shrooms...

you need a magfloat or somthin lol
get a magnetic glass cleaner so you can show off your tank with the glass clearer:)

Looking good! Nice Tank!

Alk.... I prefer to get my hands in my tank and scrub with a pad or use a straight blade to get clean glass. These are just pics. I haven't taken any good ones in a while.

roll up those sleeves there is nothing better!

third picture. What do you have in the plastic container setting in the sand?

whisper wrote:

third picture. What do you have in the plastic container setting in the sand?

Loose zoanthids & green star polyps. I prefer to put them in a container where they can't float away and let them attach to rubble instead of gluing them.

wildbeanerz wrote:

Loose zoanthids & green star polyps. I prefer to put them in a container where they can't float away and let them attach to rubble instead of gluing them.

^^^ THIS ^^^

you have alot of GHA too! talk to the dude at your LFS to see how you can fix that problem! you said youve tried a lawn mower blenny and emerald crabs right?
and they didnt work?
your tank is a 29g right??

Yeah, Alk...done the emerald crabs and lawnmower blenny. Neither touches this algae. These pics are old too. I have new ones from last night on my camera. I will see if I can get them posted today. I am at work so I have to get them off my camera and onto photobucket and then onto here! LOL And not get caught!

Pretty sweet tank. You'd benefit from more cleanup crew. The hermits will eat the algae back to where you don't see it. Your tank will keep producing it, but it'll end up being a food source.

Since bubble algae outbreak in my 29, which is starting to decline after 2 weeks, I'm stocked with 15 hermit crabs, 2 emeralds, a sally lightfoot, 100+ dwarf cerith snails (really), 5-10 nass snails. a mexican turbo, a tiger cowri snail, and 2 (non-aptasia eating) peppermint shrimp. I still have bubble algae but I haven't seen GHA in a GOOD long while. I can tell I would be having some massive cyano problems at the moment if it weren't for the snails chowin down on it while my parameters swing (I lost my fuge sunday.)

If all else fails and wait it out. Eventually I'd think the halimeda and the flame algae in the display will out compete the gha for food source, and it dies off on its own.[left]

wjat you mean you lost your fuge?^

Was leaking, had to pull it. Trying to figure out where to get some weld on for a fix.mod. Nitrates are on the rise... I may actually end up having to do a water change. THE HORROR!

Do you not have to do water changes when you have a good fuge?

^^ you always have to do water changes!!!!!!

and good luck pope!
LMK were you get the weld on from! its impossible to find over here! only choice is online!

wildbeanerz wrote:

Do you not have to do water changes when you have a good fuge?

the greater the water volume the more stable the tank. I do a 40-50 gallon change out of 230 odd gallons every 3-4weeks. but I do know people that haven't done water changes in literally years but my luck I wouldn't get away with that.

It's about nutrient export. My params stay in check with nitrate/phosphate because of the chaeto/dsb in the fuge. I usually do about a 15% wc once a month to replenish minerals I don't dose for. Instead I might end up having to do them once a week to get rid of nitrates and phosphates. Last week nitrates @ <5ppm today I'm ~10ppm. And my PH is swinging from 8 - 8.3 during the day when the lights are on. The loss is quite significant to the overall stability of the system. So the longer the fuge is off the system the longer these swings will continue, and the more I have to pay attention to nitrates/phosphates. Once completely dumped resealed and restocked it will take (conservatively) 6 months for the DSB to be of any use again. Meanwhile the system will be forced into another series of mini cycles to balance the nutrients that the fuge was taking care of previously. Don't confuse the term cycle here with the standardized thinking of ammonia-nitrite-nitrate, a reef will go through other types of cycles prior to maturing.

So the moral of that story is this. You get what you pay for. This hob fuge cost me 10 bucks, and has been working out well for the last 8 months. However, now the silicone patch that the previous owner hid the leak with has completely failed, and I'm back at square 1.

Sorry for the deviation. Your tank looks healthy even if you're battling a little GHA.

Not at all the more info from experienced people the better IMO! I do changes weekly. One week (hubby's off work weekend) I do about 10% then the next week (while hubby is at work) I do a 25% change and more in depth cleaning. All the while I am suctioning out the GHA. It is coming around. I am looking into adding more hermits & snails. I am limited in funds lately so I usually try to exchange something with my LFS for what I need. I did Halimeda for live rock twice now. Last time I got $18 for about 6-7 sprigs of Halimeda I do have the flame algae but hesitate to trade with it right now as I know of someone else who wants some ;) and she has something that I want too! So I would rather trade that. I need to get my camera hooked up during lunch here and see if I can't get those new pics uploaded. The algae is doing a lot better now.

Wild if you have a good LFS you deal with why don't you see if they can get you a seahare to clean up the GHA then return it when your tank is clean.

I will have to google that... a seahare huh? :)

They did mention to me the other day that they sell something called Boyds' Chemi-pure but I haven't looked it up yet to see what is in it. I don't like chemicals if I can help it. He did say it would remove phosphates though.

I dont like chemicals either thats why I mentioned a seahare but once the algae is gone it will die so you would need to work out something with them so they can take it back when your done.

I've heard of a lot of people using the chemi-pure, but I haven't tried it yet. As for funds smart CUC... Watch for group buys with places that carry cleanup crew. Either that or ebay

Something like this...

http://cgi.ebay.com/25-BLUE-LEG-HERMIT-CRAB-SOFT-CORAL-LIVE-CORAL-SAFE-/400181596814?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d2cae928e

or this

http://cgi.ebay.com/100-CERITH-SNAIL-SOFT-CORAL-LIVE-CORAL-SAFE-/400183291335?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d2cc86dc7

can be split between a couple local people at cost with decent results usually. I've seen lfs charge up to 5 dollars per crab, so even with the 50 dollar overnight shipping cost you're coming out ahead, and if you can find someone relatively local to split it's a win-win.

I still think the halimeda winds up outcompeting the GHA at some point. So long as you keep sucking it out when you WC eventually it will lack the nutrients to multiply. Seahare's are good too.

cwhip wrote:

I dont like chemicals either thats why I mentioned a seahare but once the algae is gone it will die so you would need to work out something with them so they can take it back when your done.

I've seen clubs that have hobo sea hares they pass around from member to member.

I will have to ask them about that. I know they have urchins and stuff so maybe they can get me one. They only do saltwater. That's why I like that store. Every piece & part of my tank...live rock, livestock & all are from their store.

^ clubs do the same here! a group of ppl from SCNRS meet up every month at an ihop resturant and pass seahares all the time!
they even borrow eachothers tangs for algea problems.
but it dont think tangs will much on GHA will they?

They may.