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Unread 10/08/2012, 05:06 AM   #76
Musing.Dog
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Thanks, my water is mixing up right now. I have no idea how high my alk is but it's well over 15. There is an issue that I also tested some leftover water I mixed up a while ago and it shows similar numbers. I will test my new makeup water as well (I stupidly mixed it with the older water.)


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Unread 10/08/2012, 08:17 PM   #77
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Okay well, I did a 20% water change today because I don't have the facilities to store much water at a time. The dkh is something like 16 now using the 'low resolution' instructions. Not good but the ricordea seem to be happier than before the water change. My new water in the trash can is 10.8 dkh.


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Unread 10/11/2012, 06:44 PM   #78
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So here's everything.

The ruffly alga is doing some nice things.



The gracilaria is not though. I might not feed enough; I frequently have 0 nitrates.



My little orange ric is shrinking and has been. I am not sure what its issue is.



The green one seems fine.



And I have some diatoms on top of everything else.



I am still debating whether I want to feature royal grammas or orangeback basslets here. I am leaning toward the orangeback basslet right now even though they might eat my peppermint shrimp which is still alive and kicking (really nice complete molt today).


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Unread 10/11/2012, 08:08 PM   #79
StephLionfish
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Hope that algae clears up for you. As I always say, the scape looks nice.
Orangeback Basslets are cool looking fish.
Glad the shrimp is doing well. They are cool little critters.


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Unread 10/11/2012, 08:10 PM   #80
Musing.Dog
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Thanks StephLionfish, I love the orangeback basslets but they do limit my other stocking choices. I think the diatoms will clear up eventually, the macro will need more coercive methods. Thanks for commenting on the scape, I like it but I wish I had more space around the formation. Yep, this peppermint shrimp is so much better than my last; he doesn't try to eat my arm.


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Unread 10/12/2012, 06:54 AM   #81
TundraGuy
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Dude the second pix in post number 78 shows a sundial “zoa eating” snail clear as day.
Grrrrrr I hate them little buggers!


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Unread 10/12/2012, 11:52 AM   #82
Musing.Dog
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I'll look into it but it looks like a colonista snail to me. I don't have zoas but I only ever see them eating diatoms or greendust/film micro algae.


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Unread 10/12/2012, 04:42 PM   #83
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They are collonistas. Beneficial.

You could still have some cleaners or fire shrimp, right? I thought that basslets only ate the smaller shrimp.


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Unread 10/13/2012, 07:38 PM   #84
Musing.Dog
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It depends on the royal gramma it seems. Some like to eat cleaning shrimp too. I think the orangeback basslets are more prone to it than the royal grammas. Yeah, I took a look at the snails are they are for sure collonistas.
The dkh is still 16 today after another 20% or maybe more waterchange. On the more positive note, calcium is 400ppm, not that that is very useful.



Last edited by Musing.Dog; 10/13/2012 at 07:49 PM.
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Unread 10/15/2012, 09:00 PM   #85
Musing.Dog
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Awesome, the alkalinity is coming up at 10.8 or 11ish. I accidentally dropped in a couple more drops past the color change point. Calcium is at about 400ish. Much more normal now. I am also seeing a greater increase of inflation in the orange ric and a slight increase in the green ric. It seems like bringing the calcium up a little has helped a lot with leveling the alkalinity out a little.


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Unread 10/25/2012, 08:54 AM   #86
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Well, the alkalinity is a stable 10.8 or so. I haven't been topping off like I should though and the salinity has been a tad crazy. I need to buy an auto top off and forget about it.
I don't believe there has been much of a decrease in hair algae but the diatoms and cyano are decreased. The red ruffly algae is still doing well. The gracilaria is still melting some and the prolifera isn't growing very well.

I looked at some of my hair algae under a little microscope I have. Pretty interesting. I couldn't see too much because I don't have cover slips but I got to see the irregular branching of my hair algae, some nematodes, epiphytic diatoms, and a few random sponge spicules. I don't have fancy equipment but I tried a camera shot down the 'scope tube.



And here's the full tank shot. Notice the lack of diatoms in the left corner.




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Unread 11/04/2012, 08:24 AM   #87
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Now the green ric looks crappy like the orange one. I am not sure what's going on here but I have seen some brown matter expelled (unsure if it was fecal matter or zooxanthellae) and even some slight mesenterial filaments showing. There is nothing else in the tank besides snails, the two rics and a peppermint shrimp. I look at the tank at all hours and never see the shrimp anywhere near the rics.
Ammonia is showing up as 0.25ppm on the API ammonia test kit. I am unsure of this number.
Nitrite is 0
Nitrate is 0
pH: 8.0



Last edited by Musing.Dog; 11/04/2012 at 09:12 AM.
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Unread 11/04/2012, 02:46 PM   #88
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I did another ammonia test and it has come up 0. The topoff water is also 0. Alk is 9.6 dkh. :/ I don't know what is going on here.



Last edited by Musing.Dog; 11/04/2012 at 02:52 PM.
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Unread 12/10/2012, 11:22 PM   #89
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Well, a lack of resources and time have taken a toll on this tank. I have to stand on a chair to do any maintenance and I almost can't afford salt mix anymore. I am just growing algae and pods. The rics were no more as finals came and went.
I'm breaking this tank down most likely.
I am leaving soon for several weeks and this monstrosity will have no one to top it off. I don't want to come back to a box of green fluff and salt creep.
Thanks for following though, those who read. Maybe one day I will come back to this idea when I have more disposable income.


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Unread 01/04/2013, 08:45 PM   #90
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Okay well, I went on my trip. I turned everything off including the lights, circulation pumps and heater. No topping off was done and the aquarium was not covered.
It almost looks exactly the same as I left it perhaps except for a little more green fluff.



Here's a really rough phone picture.

Even the peppermint shrimp was alive.



The caulerpa is battered. I moved the other two algae into the quarantine which recieved the same treatment. They look sort of okay. The gracilaria is sad.

The casualties included a few nassarius snails and ceriths including a stocky florida cerith.

The water is super clear but the salinity is something like 1.029
I'll be bringing that down slowly for the sake of the shrimp. I don't know, I guess this hobby won't let go of me.

I just wish this tank weren't so deep. I am thinking about adding significantly to my sandbed or something to elevate the rocks so that I can reach things without wetting my armpits. Or perhaps just taking some rocks out for a more open scape.


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