Eienna's 50g Reef

glb · Oct 25, 2013

Eienna said:
It's 2:30am and I can't sleep because they're going to bug-bomb the house and I'm scared out of my mind for my fishies. If any of that gets in the water....I've got a rock in my stomach thinking about it.

Maybe you guys have tips for keeping my babies safe while they do that...? I can't keep them from doing it, so....help?! T.T

I've heard of sealing the tank in plastic while they tent but don't know details. You might want to google it and see what you find. Good luck!

Mike J. · Oct 25, 2013

You've got to be kidding me? For what, fleas? If so, try to get them to powder the carpets and vacuum instead. What a nightmare.

Eienna · Oct 25, 2013

Mike J. said:
You've got to be kidding me? For what, fleas? If so, try to get them to powder the carpets and vacuum instead. What a nightmare.

Cucarachas. Seems we brought hitchhikers from our last address.....

I can't even do an emergency water change if I need to because our cat destroyed my RO unit hoses. GAAAH.

Eienna · Oct 25, 2013

Okay, I think I've got my problem solved. We're gonna get some plastic sheeting and tape it down really good so it's airtight. I'm also going to clean my tank stuff and remove it from the house so it doesn't get blasted.

Mike J. · Oct 25, 2013

Fumigating will not kill all the cockroaches. Borax and sugar will.

How to Kill Cockroaches With Borax | eHow

Eienna · Oct 25, 2013

Mike J. said:
Fumigating will not kill all the cockroaches. Borax and sugar will.

How to Kill Cockroaches With Borax | eHow

I have some professional roach poison that we'll be putting out after the bombing.

Mike J. · Oct 25, 2013

Step Away from the Tank (When is it time to quit the hobby?) - REEFEDITION

Mike J. · Oct 25, 2013

If I had to guess I would say 99.9 % of people who keep a successful reef tank wouldn't fumigate their homes.

Eienna · Oct 26, 2013

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Mike J. said:
Step Away from the Tank (When is it time to quit the hobby?) - REEFEDITION

Mike J. said:
If I had to guess I would say 99.9 % of people who keep a successful reef tank wouldn't fumigate their homes.

You're telling me to quit. FORGET IT. This is my passion and it's not my decision whether or not to fumigate. We have roaches, it's our fault, and it's not my house. I'm on SS disability. I can't get my own place. So I have to put up with some crap. This is one of the very few things I still enjoy with my autism and fibromyalgia. I love it. I'm NOT giving it up. Yes, there will be bumps in the road but that's life.

I got plenty of bumps and bruises with my freshwater fish, too, but now I have a thriving planted 125 that's waiting at Mom's for me to come back and get it. I've got it stable enough that even the hopeless amateur she is can look after it for me between visits. All those fish are healthy and happy.

It's depressing when crud happens, yes. Maybe I care too much - when things die it really hurts. But I'll get better at it. I'm learning every time something bad happens.

A thriving reef tank is my dream - about the ONLY dream I have now. I'm not giving up.

Eienna · Oct 26, 2013

As for my stock selections, I made a conscious choice that I didn't want to start with "beginner" animals only to throw them out later because they weren't what I wanted. What becomes of them then? Cycle starters? I get too attached to just abandon them later because I want something else.

I do agree that the goniopora was premature. The dragonet I can handle. The green mandarin I had did great (on my plan of action, I might add - buying him pods and training him over) and, supposedly at least - grain of salt on this one -, scooters are a little easier. And I had to try to take this one. It's wild-caught and quite young and despite that they were expecting it to eat flakes. FLAKES.

I never expected this to be easy. I do think I got into it too suddenly - it was supposed to be a couple of years before I could even start up. But I'm catching up.

My other dreams got wrenched out from under me when I developed fibromyalgia. I'm not letting go of this one just because I'm running into some difficulties.

EDIT: Oh, and hopefully we caught this problem soon enough that this will be the _only_ time the place is bug-bombed. I'm sick of fighting roaches. I've dealt with them for at least a solid two years and if bombing will nip this in the bud and keep me from having to go through that again - well - it scares me yo death as far as my tank goes but so be it. I'll be doing everything in my power to protect my tank during the event.

Eienna · Oct 26, 2013

They don't believe me as to the effectiveness of the borax idea (my dad used to use that on ants.) They also have pets that may try to eat the boraxed roaches. Just so you know that I didn't just ignore that.

Eienna · Oct 26, 2013

Oh, and I didn't get Spike (the green mandarin) without research, either. I rather painfully underestimated what it would cost to feed him, but I knew his needs beforehand.

Eienna · Oct 26, 2013

I'm sorry if all that came off rough. I just...I've fought so hard to get this far and I want you guys to know that I'm not just playing with this.

Eienna · Oct 27, 2013

Seems the little scooter is starting to fill out a touch.

She doesn't look quite so belly-sunk.

Eienna · Oct 28, 2013

Everything's doing terrific other than the goniopora....except for one thing. Little scooter managed to jump out of QT and into the main tank (no, I didn't put her in - amazing leap I never expected from a dragonet), soooo QT's a bust. Waiting and praying nothing bad happens. x.x

That said, it'd have to be a pretty nasty disease to get the clowns sick, I think. Healthy as could be, and more voracious little cuties I've never seen. I have to scale back their feeding a bit because they're getting a bit too fat! Growing like crazy! The leptastrea is also growing so fast I could swear you could sit there and watch it spread. Shrooms are about the same. The diplo (if indeed that's what it is) is okay. I'm not sure if it'll ever get its color back completely and I still can't seem to get it to open for feeding, but it's definitely not deteriorating and is nice and puffy.

Scooter appears no worse for the wear since her leap - and I'll be more careful to keep the lid on - and is happily eating the Ova. I'm chopping up mysis for the clowns so maybe she'll try that too.

Eienna · Oct 29, 2013

I wrote a big long thing, but scratch that. BAD idea.

Eienna · Oct 30, 2013

Tested nitrate and phosphate tonight.

I like the results. My kit isn't the most precise in the world but it's what I have.

Nitrate 0
Phosphate 1

Phos is a little high, but I'm not seeing adverse effects.