out's log thread (otherwise known as Rae C's log)

[raen]

Hey Rae. I need to get back tothe store. I am officially removing all "medie" from Grahams tank, and filtering ll rubble, and LR. I will use a flass pad to help with the big gunk, but I am going to get about 10lbs of rubble to help out. Everyday his sb is covered in the RED crap!

[Rae C.]

Well, we're back from a week+ in Chicago and all fish and coral are still alive! Yay! However, I have another bryopsis outbreak. I have huge shrubs of it on the two K3's and the rio for the fuge, the outlet from the skimmer, and a large shrub on the polyp of the gsp. I'm thinking I must have pruned back too much caulerpa in the fuge. I'm working on a water change.

[raen]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by out
Well, we're back from a week+ in Chicago and all fish and coral are still alive! Yay! However, I have another bryopsis outbreak. I have huge shrubs of it on the two K3's and the rio for the fuge, the outlet from the skimmer, and a large shrub on the polyp of the gsp. I'm thinking I must have pruned back too much caulerpa in the fuge. I'm working on a water change. [/
QUOTE]

Snap a photo before you start. I would love to see it. Welcome home!

[Tabatha]

Whoa girl, just wait a second! I have read that you need to cut back your macro algae in order for it to have a growth spurt and suck up the nutrients... so many opinions, I know!

Have a read, this is an interesting article on macro algae: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-01/sl/index.php

Also, have a look in the macro algae forum on this board, there are some stunning algae tanks, you might want to consider adding some to your display.

[Rae C.]

So after a long hands-off period, I had to dive into the tank and weed. The k3's were COVERED in bryopsis. The Fuge pump was also choked up with bryopsis. The sand is not very pretty and is littered with snail shells. The red hermit crabs have grabbed up all the larger shells and abandoned the smaller ones.

I rearranged the k3's, now that they are clean and shiny. I've got one in the back lower left corner, pointing up. the other is in the front right top corner pointed toward the middle of the tank. The sand is getting shifted now, almost too much in the lower right corner. But it looks whiter.

The frog spawn and hammer are not thrilled with the change, but I think they'll recover.

I also put an activated charcoal filter like I use in the FW tank in the fuge, just before the return. I think the water looks clearer already, but it could just be the clean glass and lack of bryopsis.

[timschmidt]

The raised mag trick is what finally cured me of my bryopsis problems (that and more flow, rinsing foods, and constant water changes). Good luck!

[raen]

Gimme back my filet o fish-gimme-my-fish!

[timschmidt]

Are those the real lyrics to that #$#$#% song?

[Tabatha]

"What if it were you hanging up on this wall?
If it were you in that sandwich you wouldn't be laughing at all!"

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by out
So after a long hands-off period, I had to dive into the tank and weed. The k3's were COVERED in bryopsis. The Fuge pump was also choked up with bryopsis. The sand is not very pretty and is littered with snail shells. The red hermit crabs have grabbed up all the larger shells and abandoned the smaller ones.

I rearranged the k3's, now that they are clean and shiny. I've got one in the back lower left corner, pointing up. the other is in the front right top corner pointed toward the middle of the tank. The sand is getting shifted now, almost too much in the lower right corner. But it looks whiter.

The frog spawn and hammer are not thrilled with the change, but I think they'll recover.

I also put an activated charcoal filter like I use in the FW tank in the fuge, just before the return. I think the water looks clearer already, but it could just be the clean glass and lack of bryopsis.

soaking the k's in vinegar over night (without the rubber) will completely kill all the macro alage cells.

[Rae C.]

Last night I did some impromptu aquascaping. I walked by the tank and discovered a LARGE rock with evergreen star polyps had fallen over against the glass and against the k3. (I suspect the 5 thirteen year old boys rough-housing next to the tank had something to do with it.) I know I know, they should be anchored, but I didn't know that when I aquired the tank...

Anyway, I pulled on my shoulder length gloves, grabbed the step ladder, and began to "fix" the situation. The rock was heavier than I'd thought, and the durn urchin wouldn't leave the premisis despite loving nudges from my gloved hands. The rock slipped from my hands and landed where the urchin was. i thought i'd killed it. It was wedged at the bottom, between a rock and a hard place (the back wall). I began cussing. My hubby came to my rescue, then proceeded to yell at my son. Poor kid...I could've done something about the rough-housing, but chose to let the kids have some fun. Though I kicked them back out to the yard 5 minutes after the yelling began.

Anyway...I couldn't get the rocks to fit back together like they were, so did some minor rearranging. And discovered some fun stuff...

This is the large rock that fell. It fell to the right, there was a k3 at midpoint to its right.



The urchin is alive and well. I can't believe the spaces it can get itself into and get back out of. My hubby was ready to conduct a rescue mission, I thought it'd be best to wait it out.



My hammer coral has grown very attached to the rock I had it on. In shifting the rock to make it stay put, I discovered it's really grown into the rock, and it has lots of baby rosettes coming off the parent stalks. Yay!



My toadstool leathers are creeping uphill, just like a xenia does. Here are three shots, the brighter yellow under the stalk of the leathers is where it was once attached. One pic shows one of the leathers attaching to the back wall, like the xenias do. Wonder whats going to happend when it hits the surface of the water?

[Rae C.]

With the hammer coral positioned like it is now, I had to move the polyps out of its reach, so they are all on the left now, with the leathers.


Full tank shot, sorry about the lighting, the morning sunshine is hard to shut out...ooh, it's also a bit blurry. I'll get a better one this afternoon.

[Rae C.]

After we did a 15 gallon water change (lots of slime in the water!), we turned the flow back on. Then discovered "smoke" coming out of a rock that hadn't even been bumped. What the ??? Watch the video then see if you can tell me what it is. It was late, and the camera battery was running down, so some of it isn't very focused. Also, lots of debris flying around with the new flow pattern. But if you watch the center xenia, just underneath it is a hole in the rock. Toward the middle of the video, the smoke is really visible. It was brownish and came in spurts for a good 15-20 minutes. WEIRD!

[Rae C.]

Looking at my pictures, I see more algae than I see when I look at the tank. While it doesn't bother me too much, hubby wants it to look cleaner. I'm considering a foxface, would it eat the kind of algae's I have? I think a sailfin blenny would have problems with the mandarin, or I'd get one of those.

Also, we went to the Denver Downtown Aquarium two days ago and there was a reef tank with real coral that had some macro algae that was beautiful. How do I plant that kind of algae to compete with the ugly stuff? It was bright green and looked like fern fronds, but not the brypsis fern fronds. Does that make sense?

edit: I just did some web searching. I think the algae is Caulerpa sertularioides. But maybe I won't get it since it's relative lookalike is invasive. Bummer.

[Rae C.]

I bought a foxface yesterday. Now that it's been in the tank, I notice it's skinny and has a bit of white fuzz on the fin. I know, I know. QT the thing! But I don't have one set up. Bummer. I hope it recovers and that the rest of my fish are healthy enough to fight off ich.

The guy at the LFS said they got the foxface in three days ago and they treat all incoming fish for ich, so it's at least had a few days of treatment. I haven't seen it eat, its mostly swimming erratically along the front glass. The rest of the fish happily chomped on the algae flakes and marine pellets. Keep your fingers crossed.

I also flooded the basement again making RODI water. I was pumping the waste water from the bucket into the washing machine. I turned my head and the water was pumping between the wash basin and the machine, leaking all over the floor. Of course the water followed the wall to the basement and my husband discovered 5 gallons of water on his floor. I thought I was past the flooding stage. Oh well.

[Rae C.]

I need to scrape the glass (this part is deeper than my arm ) but here's a pic of the foxface:




and a better FTS:

[Aquarist007]

Excellent shots Rae---your tank is looking great.

You will be happy with the foxface--its a nice tame fish.

Let the sunshine in and compensate your hydro bills by cutting back the lights.
You have probably seen the results of my tank after a month of doing this.

[raen]

Looking good girlfriend! Very nice job! I cant get over the xenia....crazy!

[Rae C.]

Originally posted by capn_hylinur
Excellent shots Rae---your tank is looking great.

You will be happy with the foxface--its a nice tame fish.

Let the sunshine in and compensate your hydro bills by cutting back the lights.
You have probably seen the results of my tank after a month of doing this.

Thanx Cap'n. The sun usually shines on the tank for about an hour every morning through the sky lights. Yesterday's 18 inches of snow blocked out the light, which meant better pics of the tank

The snow is a welcome sight. We've had a very very dry winter. plus, we were just talking two days ago about going on the roof to clean off the solar panels. Now we'll just let the snow slide off with the dust

And your tank looks amazing! Can't beat sunshine for the corals.

Raen, thanx for the compliment! ya , the xenias are crazy. I hope that since I changed the flow of the koralias, the xenias will cover what they've missed. Wouldn't that look cool?!

The foxface is hiding in the back corner. Everytime I open and close the cabinet under the tank, his color changes. It's frightening. I'm not sure he's very happy. I don't see any more fuzz on him though. Keep your fingers crossed.

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by out
Thanx Cap'n. The sun usually shines on the tank for about an hour every morning through the sky lights. Yesterday's 18 inches of snow blocked out the light, which meant better pics of the tank

The snow is a welcome sight. We've had a very very dry winter. plus, we were just talking two days ago about going on the roof to clean off the solar panels. Now we'll just let the snow slide off with the dust

And your tank looks amazing! Can't beat sunshine for the corals.

Raen, thanx for the compliment! ya , the xenias are crazy. I hope that since I changed the flow of the koralias, the xenias will cover what they've missed. Wouldn't that look cool?!

The foxface is hiding in the back corner. Everytime I open and close the cabinet under the tank, his color changes. It's frightening. I'm not sure he's very happy. I don't see any more fuzz on him though. Keep your fingers crossed.

thanks Rae--cool comment coming from your peers

The foxface is fine--they do that quite often when first introduced--they get familiar in a week or two and stop doing it as much.
Foxface are constant grazers of algae so you might want to clip some nori or eg in there to give him something to nibble on.

Remember those spines on the dorsal fins are very sharp and poisonous --sometimes to us too.

[Rae C.]

Our dog, Nickel Cadnium (NiCad), is LOVIN this snow!





Boy, is this stuff fun!!!

[Rae C.]

Oh happy day! The foxface is out of hiding and I'm watching him graze on the algae on my rocks and back wall! I am relieved beyond words...

[Rae C.]

Bless me Father for I have sinned. It has been 6 weeks since I have posted a log entry...I haven't checked the water param's in months, the foxface died. It was a slow wasting away and hard to watch, but i couldn't help it along.

I think the salt mix I was using was contributing to the algae outbreaks. Four weeks ago, I started using CoralLife instead of Reef Crystals. The briopsis has not recurred after the last pruning. Hmmm.

i pulled all the xenia off the back wall and scraped really well. I'm liking the clean/uncluttered look, but the rest of the family is not happy. i assured them it would grow back in a few months.

I'll add photos tonight when I can wrestle the camera back from my daughter. I'm thinkin she needs her own camera...unfortunately, she's going to need a fancy, shmancy and not a PHD (push-here-dummy) point and shoot. Maybe I'll get myself a new point and shoot and let her keep my kodak...

[Rae C.]

Some pic's to compare the back wall:

Before


After



Any opinions?

[Tabatha]

Correct me if I'm wrong it appears you posted the same photo twice?