My Reef Journey Begins!

[RamsReef]

I really need to be better about updating my thread. Here' the sad update.

As I said earlier, I had been dosing Vibrant and ran into a major Cyano issue. To combat this, I added some GFO into my system. I also started dosing H2O2 hoping the combination of the two would help clear the cyano. The biggest issue is that it was covering my corals and smothering them so it needed to go.

My SPS sticks seemed weren't doing great, but they weren't doing too bad like the plating corals. The biggest issue I saw there was that they had gotten very pale and had absolutely no PE. To me, this said I had a low nutrient problem. My zoas were doing great however, which tells me I had plenty of nutrients. My pipe organ and hammer corals also haven't been doing well but not as bad as the SPS's. Being confused at this point, I pulled my GFO and stopped dosing the H2O2. I was due another Vibrant add on Sunday but stopped using it as well.
I haven't had detectible nitrates since the first month I had my tank set up. At that point my algae consumed it all. Initially, I purchased the low range Hanna phosphate checker so I ordered the ultra low range checker to help figure out what was going on.
So here I sit with no algae, no nitrates, no phosphates on my ultra low range checker, and a light blanket of Cyano (it's gotten better since I stopped doing anything). My zoa's are thriving and my SPS's have RTN. Fortunately, I don't have much invested in my corals at this point so I'm just going to go ahead and let them wipe. Not sure I could stop it anyway since I have signs of both high and low nutrients at the same time.
Lesson learned... I should have let my tank run through it's ugly stage in a more natural way. Instead, I tried to fight it and in doing that, I put my tank in a condition where I have no clue what is going on or how to correct it. Just glad I learned it now instead of a year from now.

Fortunately, all my fish and inverts seem to be doing great. They are fat and happy.

Keep on it bro, Merry Christmas.

 

[Brew12]

Things in the tank are really looking up. I have had to completely change the way I feed but it is making a huge difference. No more Cyano. Just a little GHA. Fish are definitely happy!

 

[Brew12]

It's been awhile since I updated my thread. I haven't really been doing anything with my tank other than letting it work through its ugly stage. I've also taken on the project of building my son a computer desk. Just finished it tonight. Great therapy to keep me from wanting to tinker with my tank!

 

[RamsReef]

ALWAYS ONE UPPING ME EHHH?????

I like it.

 

[Brew12]

ALWAYS ONE UPPING ME EHHH?????

I like it.

pffft... If my tank looked as good as yours I wouldn't spend time doing woodworking!

And thanks!

 

[RamsReef]

 

[Bronc]

Nice job!!

 

[Brew12]

Nice job!!

Thanks! And more importantly, my son seems to love it. Hoping that it is something he will appreciate having years after he moves out.

 

[G8trBait16]

Wish you lived closer I would love to give you one of my rainbow bubble tip Anemones. It just split from 1 to 3 literally over night. Looks like your tank is doing better. I have still been dealing with the cyano after the use of vibrant. Moved my MP40's to my back glass instead of being on the sides, corals seem to like it better, but only time will tell. Hope all is going well for you.

 

[Brew12]

Wish you lived closer I would love to give you one of my rainbow bubble tip Anemones. It just split from 1 to 3 literally over night. Looks like your tank is doing better. I have still been dealing with the cyano after the use of vibrant. Moved my MP40's to my back glass instead of being on the sides, corals seem to like it better, but only time will tell. Hope all is going well for you.

Having a bta split is awesome! Heck, I wish you lived closer just so I would have someone to exchange ideas with. Not much of a reefing community by me.

Things are going well, thanks. I'm just content to let my tank work through it's ugly issues right now. My cyano is slowly coming back but nothing like it was. FWIW I also fight a low pH and am going to try micro-nano-bubbling. Diesel highly recommends it and it is supposed to knock cyano back completely and improve pH. I'll let you know how that goes.

I've thought about getting an MP10 or 2 for the back glass to help with more random flow, but not sure I could install them where I would want them! A long narrow tank does have its flow challenges.

 

[Brew12]

Well, I think I have to accept I have had my first fish fatality in my DT. I noticed that my royal gramma never came out yesterday when I was feeding the tank and he is still nowhere to be seen. He was always out and active so I have to assume something happened to him. He looked great on Saturday so no idea what went wrong. I checked my overflow and sump (as well as possible) but no signs of the little guy.

 

[RamsReef]

Wish you lived closer I would love to give you one of my rainbow bubble tip Anemones. It just split from 1 to 3 literally over night. Looks like your tank is doing better. I have still been dealing with the cyano after the use of vibrant. Moved my MP40's to my back glass instead of being on the sides, corals seem to like it better, but only time will tell. Hope all is going well for you.

How close does one have to be..


You feel heavy breathing on your ear....


"This close?"


You grab the bta throwing it like a ninja star striking Ramasule in his face.
He immediatly tears up as the anemone unloads millions of years of evolution right into his oil clogged pores.

"Thanks G8terbait", he cries.

You sit puzzled, what the heck just happened. Was this all part of some master plan, or simply the works of a crazy man, or maybe both?

You go back to your daily life, wondering how much better it would have been, had you not read this useless post.

 

[Brew12]

Well, I had what was almost a catastrophic heater failure overnight. Fortunately, no harm was done. Did a quick write up of it here.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/heater-crisis-averted.286114/

On a separate note, I saw one of my emerald crabs for the first time in weeks. It was missing a claw but otherwise seemed to be doing just fine.

 

[Bronc]

Glad you dodged that bullet!

 

[mcarroll]

Things in the tank are really looking up. I have had to completely change the way I feed but it is making a huge difference. No more Cyano. Just a little GHA. Fish are definitely happy!

How'd you get everyone to face left in that pic?!??!!??!

Don't count the Gramma out yet....they can be very very shy if something provokes them.

Not a good thing in and of itself – just ask your one-armed Emerald Crab since he may have been "provoked" into one-armedness by the same tank mate. (My guess is that the crab disappeared to molt and got attacked while healing....sacrificing an arm to stay in his hole and save his whole!) So it could be the Gramma is only hiding vs gone.

I would be very patient or at least stage one or two all-night viewing sessions to see if he comes out or what action there is in the tank during lights-out.

Definitely an unsolved mystery.

 

[Brew12]

How'd you get everyone to face left in that pic?!??!!??!

I took the picture during marching practice!

Actually, I hadn't even noticed that. It does seem odd!

Don't count the Gramma out yet....they can be very very shy if something provokes them.

He has been one of my more visible fish for the last few months but he could be hiding. Not much I can do about it either way. Would be fantastic if he does come out to play, but it would be surprising.

 

[mcarroll]

I've seen and heard some crazy things re: fish re-appearing even after weeks on the lam.

It's hard to tell someone remotely to get their hopes up too high in the situation, but just don't give up all hope.

 

[Brew12]

My yellow tang is very grumpy this morning. Even though he is the smallest of the 3 he is active aggressive toward my Hippo tang and my Magnificent Foxface. I'm going to have to keep an eye on this one. It isn't too bad right now but they are definitely a little stressed. Setting up my invert/coral QT is on my work list for today so it may become a "time out" tank for that yellow tang if he doesn't chill out soon.

 

[mcarroll]

Might be that someone was picking on him and turned him aggressive.

On the flip, he's also the #1 suspect now for doing whatever happened to the Royal Gramma.

 

[mcarroll]

I'm with you on moving him sooner than later, BTW.

(Any chance you have the ability to do a minor tank rearrange? Sometimes that's all it takes to shake things up and settle them down.)