Jar of Rocks

Tokash23 · Dec 8, 2020

So these are some before pics i fed this morning around 930 with the bubbler off for about 20 mins. I spot fed rods coral blend into and around each coral and over the shrimp and hermits to make sure they got their share. After the rip clean a few weeks ago i ha ent had a lick of algae show up between water changes. Everything stays nice and clean through the week i barely have to clean the glass. Really i just wipe it down when i do the water change and it holds pretty well for a week. No sign of the "dinos" returning either. Just wish this torch would open up the way it used to but im holding out hope itll come around.

Tokash23 · Dec 8, 2020

This picture is just now about 5 mins after the water change. I moved the torch coral back out into some light and moved the zoas out into a little more light as well it seemed the ones that were open were stretching a little for some more light so will see what happens there. The mushroom has been the only consistent but those are easy right lol (coming from the guy who found a way to kill gsp).

brandon429 · Dec 8, 2020

how nice I will be sure and link this to our deep cleaning threads for reference. things tend to work similarly between 1-1000 gallons biologically, its just the work load that changes and yours and my tanks are on the lucky end/easy to work.

you've really kept up with CPR reef here and its evident. Other reefers would have had a crash due to give up, that did not occur here.

Tokash23 · Dec 8, 2020

Came close to giving up q few times before i moved it to my desk at work. Now i see it every day for 8+ hours so thats more incentive for it to look nice. Ill keep at it hopefully itll turn out half as nice as some of the other picos on here

Tokash23 · Dec 9, 2020

So this is how it looks this morning after close to 2 hours after lights on. Ill be curious to see if it stays like this all day or shriveles back up. Does it look like its stretching for light?

brandon429 · Dec 9, 2020

that is certainly not a degredation, it sure does look to be better, maybe this one will take weeks to heal what if it was some bac infection or virus/things we don't know yet in reefing/ interesting to consider. Im am 100% sure it would be pulling up from its base, or caved in polyps showing white septal ridges by now if this was a dying coral. chances of recovery=strong and for context, do you find it funnyawesome we regenerate corals in lily vases. that's so 2020 of a problem to be having

what happens if you go back to a lfs in 1989 and let them know you planned on rehabbing a bad coral in that container/you get booted out or laughed out lol. they'd never believe this back in the day.

Tokash23 · Dec 9, 2020

That is funny to think about. My container was a terrarium that was gifted to my parents. I waited patiently for a year or so before she got rid of it.

Just made it back to the office and shes pulled in pretty tight and some micro bubbles resting around the base of one of the polyps. No skeleton showing or anything as of now. I think like you said if it was a dying coral it would have done it already so its hanging in there just not sure what could be bugging it at this point especially when it actually looked decent this morning, or decent for this particular torch anyway. Maybe it will just take a couple weeks idk ill keep doing what im doing hope for the best.

Tokash23 · Dec 15, 2020

Weekly update did a feed and water change this morning. I didnt do anything special i spot fed each of my three corals and soread some more feed about for my shrimp and hermits to eat as well. Waterchange was simple water out rock out wipe the sides of the jar clean and rock back in new water in. I did have to move the zoa frqg q little because a hermit crab had flipped it over. I pulled it out into some more light and sort of wedged it in hopefully it stays put. Not sure but it may be reaching for some more light. I am considering lowering my light a little over the next week or so just to experiment. Anyway a clean jar is nice to look at .

Tokash23 · Dec 22, 2020

Feed and waterchange day! I did add a little reef roids to my feed this morning thought id change it up a little. I just did my water change with a fresh mixed saltwater (i have been storing about 4 gallons at a time which lasts a few weeks). Salinity is a touch lower but i dont think thatll matter much.

Probably in the next week or two ill be upgrading from this jar to a larger one. I found a 2 gallon at walmart and i love the foot print it will give me extra space to add corals and such as well as some more rock. I plan to grab some live rock from my lfs to try and add some diversity and hopefully some cool hitchhikers. Heres a pic of the new jar

brandon429 · Dec 22, 2020

Looking sharp !

Tokash23 · Dec 22, 2020

Cant wait add some more stuff i want more color and movement. Been renovating a house the last few weeks it has left me with little time to do anything else. Atleast i have kept up with my weekly waterchangess.

Tokash23 · Dec 23, 2020

Looking good this morning! I think we may be coming around a little. It is definitely time to start adding some more stuff to get this thing up to its potential. I am stoked to upgrade to the bigger jar hopefully sooner rather than later.

brandon429 · Dec 23, 2020

i really believe there are toxins associated with dinos, and with in-tank kill of dinos like when using dinox or param adjustments to kill the mass

Ive seen severe coral dieoff in tanks treated with vibrant, or dinox where the mixed decay + residuals really seemed to just overwhelm, yours was intercepted right before that event. not every tank using that stuff dies, they have a decent reputation for a reason. for the 200 tanks that have died on the dosers though, they dislike being outliers. deep cleaning doesn't harm tanks, its a fine start and my tank is due for one. its got a bunch of cast around food, a gray look vs sharp color pops.

rip clean weekend for my old pico

I feel that if tanks 40 gallons and below, easy enough to run one of these deep cleans, would simply start clean using whatever approach they want to try for dinos overall health will be better, they're using things for growback prevention vs mass die off and rotting in-tank if they start with a cleaned system. in your case we got lucky one pass worked

John Bolden · Dec 23, 2020

send a pic of the jar with the blues on

Tokash23 · Dec 23, 2020

brandon429 said:
i really believe there are toxins associated with dinos, and with in-tank kill of dinos like when using dinox or param adjustments to kill the mass

Ive seen severe coral dieoff in tanks treated with vibrant, or dinox where the mixed decay + residuals really seemed to just overwhelm, yours was intercepted right before that event. not every tank using that stuff dies, they have a decent reputation for a reason. for the 200 tanks that have died on the dosers though, they dislike being outliers. deep cleaning doesn't harm tanks, its a fine start and my tank is due for one. its got a bunch of cast around food, a gray look vs sharp color pops.

rip clean weekend for my old pico

I feel that if tanks 40 gallons and below, easy enough to run one of these deep cleans, would simply start clean using whatever approach they want to try for dinos overall health will be better, they're using things for growback prevention vs mass die off and rotting in-tank if they start with a cleaned system. in your case we got lucky one pass worked

It is encouraging to look see it how it is this morning although it still has its down days but right after a feed and waterchange it looks great compared to how it was. I definitely had some sort of algae outbreak never really confirmed dinos ofcourse that was just a hunch on photos i had seen around the forum. But things seem to be trending in the right direction with consistent weekly water changes and feed. Hopefully it stays that way.

Tokash23 · Jan 5, 2021

Finally switched over to the bigger jar today! I wish i had taken the time to fully rinse out my sand its on the dirty side but itll due for now. I have some new corals coming Thursday so i needed the extra space on the bottom. I won a nice looking red acan and a red cyphastrea in an auction the other day. Looking to get some different colors going other than green. Ill post pics when they come in.

Tokash23 · Jan 7, 2021

Just put my newest additions in the jar. Some red acans and a brick red cyphastrea. The acans had some sort of worm on it i didnt notice till it fell off and scurried under a rock. Its there now ‍

. I am disappointed in the jar i love the size but the glass makes things fuzzy which sucks when im trying to see stuff thats in the back ill have to make another switch sometime soon.

Dont mind my torch looking all ticked off its the norm i just cant seem to get it figured out. I think i am going to start feeding it twice a week see if that helps.

brandon429 · Jan 7, 2021

hey those are just great for the system, they will accept feed nicely once they're set in

those acans are very well suited, I had some last ten years in the pico/ had to be removed not due to death but invasive sponge takeover, tossed out. couldn't risk takeover of whole bowl.

Tokash23 · Jan 7, 2021

I hope so i havent had a ton of success this far but i keep trying. I am happy to have some new additions to test out how they do. Plus add some different color and diversity to it.