So-Cal Sustain-A-Tank
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SantaMonicaHelp
Valuable Member
What are you going to do use for filtering?
I'd recommend an algae scrubber since you are trying to use less power and they are sustainable.
I'd recommend an algae scrubber since you are trying to use less power and they are sustainable.
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tjgr34
Active Member
I think I'm just going to go with live rock and whatever media I decide to put in the Reefpack 250's media chamber. I'm not using a sump based mostly on the need for extra energy to move water to and from said sump, so I think a scrubber is out of the question. Also, how are scrubbers sustainable? Don't they need a dedicated light, their own water flow, and result in increased evaporative water loss?
tjgr34
Active Member
I feel like RO waste water would be fine given that it goes through three other filter cartridges before it gets to the RO membrane.
leptang
Well-Known Member
I too am not running a sump because of the power bill in southern California. I use a hang on back skimmer/refugium with a bag of carbon on my 75 gallon tank. I use led lights also to cut down on power. I use a 150 watt heater thats it. I drip limewater to top off evaporated water from a container on top of the tank. Simple and cheap.
Eienna
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Well, it's still concentrating the waste that the other filters don't get... *shrug* I don't even recommend drinking the stuff normally. Go bottled if you can. Use the wastewater for other things, like clothes washing and houseplants.
SantaMonicaHelp
Valuable Member
-You can build your own scrubber(s). I apologize I meant to say it'd be fully sustainable if you only had algae eating fish. As far as power I'd be more concerned about big lights. LED's don't take as much power,. You could go without lights completely too if you want be a sustainable as possible.
Anyway, here's a good read:
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/eq...lgae-your-aquarium-hopefully-permanently.html
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tjgr34
Active Member
That's a cool idea. How did you calibrate your drip rate and how do you adjust it?
I hadn't thought about this kind of scrubber- it's pretty cool. I was only familiar with the kind that sit in the air above a sump. Unfortunately, I just painted the back glass of the tank black, so I think this approach is out.
tjgr34
Active Member
Update:
I was trying to hold off on buying equipment for a few weeks, but we all know how that goes. So today I went out and got the following:
50 lbs of dry rock
Sand
Vortech MP10 ES (2012)
Tunze Comline Reefpack 250
Eheim/Jager 50 watt heater (to fit in the Reefpack)
I'm going to pick up a Tunze 3155 ATO and I'll get pictures up in the next couple of days. I also made a bit of decision regarding water production. I've decided that I'm going to try to do water changes with the Catalina Water Company stuff they sell at Petco. For top off, rinsing, etc., I'm going to setup an RO-less filter system using parts from Bulk Reef Supply. I had a two canister D.I. unit leftover from my last setup (this is the only time I can remember a benefit from being a packrat). I ordered another of the same unit and am going to run the canisters as follows: 1) 1 Micron Sediment filter, 2) 5 Micron Carbon Block, 3) 1 Micron Carbon Block, 4) D.I. Resin. I figure that this setup will achieve most of the benefits of a traditional RO/DI setup without wasting loads and loads of water. I got a 2-point TDS meter coming with the filter parts, so I should be able to reach some sort of conclusion.
I was trying to hold off on buying equipment for a few weeks, but we all know how that goes. So today I went out and got the following:
50 lbs of dry rock
Sand
Vortech MP10 ES (2012)
Tunze Comline Reefpack 250
Eheim/Jager 50 watt heater (to fit in the Reefpack)
I'm going to pick up a Tunze 3155 ATO and I'll get pictures up in the next couple of days. I also made a bit of decision regarding water production. I've decided that I'm going to try to do water changes with the Catalina Water Company stuff they sell at Petco. For top off, rinsing, etc., I'm going to setup an RO-less filter system using parts from Bulk Reef Supply. I had a two canister D.I. unit leftover from my last setup (this is the only time I can remember a benefit from being a packrat). I ordered another of the same unit and am going to run the canisters as follows: 1) 1 Micron Sediment filter, 2) 5 Micron Carbon Block, 3) 1 Micron Carbon Block, 4) D.I. Resin. I figure that this setup will achieve most of the benefits of a traditional RO/DI setup without wasting loads and loads of water. I got a 2-point TDS meter coming with the filter parts, so I should be able to reach some sort of conclusion.
SantaMonicaHelp
Valuable Member
let us know how it goes :becky:tjgr34
Active Member
EQUIPMENT UPDATE:
Here are some pictures of the new gear I posted about the other day.
From left to right: Tunze Comline Reefpack 250, Ecotech Vortech MP10, Tunze 3155 Osmolator ATO.
The Reefpack 250 consists of a Tunze 9004 skimmer and a 3162 Filter. The two filters come packed in a little plastic tube that I'm going to end up using as my ATO reservoir. Here's a picture of the two of them out of the tub. The pack also comes with an extra couple of wads of filter floss.
Here's a picture of the 3162's guts. It's a pretty basic filter, but I'm happy with it as a place to put carbon or whatever other material I want to use to supplement the rock that will be in the tank.
The 3162 also has a place to insert a heater. The people at Marine Depot advised that only a 50 watt heater would fit, but the filter itself says that it will take a 75. I'm probably going to have to supplement with another heater anyway, so I went with a 50 watt-er. I know it looks like the heater is above its minimum water line, but I swear that the Tunze manual uses a picture of an Eheim/Jager heater in the exact same position as an example of where the heater should be.
One final feature- the 9004 has a nice little slot where the 3155 (ATO) infrared sensor fits. I'll still have to mount the backup float valve in another location, but this should make it easy to find the ideal water level for the skimmer. Here it is.
Here are some pictures of the new gear I posted about the other day.
From left to right: Tunze Comline Reefpack 250, Ecotech Vortech MP10, Tunze 3155 Osmolator ATO.
The Reefpack 250 consists of a Tunze 9004 skimmer and a 3162 Filter. The two filters come packed in a little plastic tube that I'm going to end up using as my ATO reservoir. Here's a picture of the two of them out of the tub. The pack also comes with an extra couple of wads of filter floss.
Here's a picture of the 3162's guts. It's a pretty basic filter, but I'm happy with it as a place to put carbon or whatever other material I want to use to supplement the rock that will be in the tank.
The 3162 also has a place to insert a heater. The people at Marine Depot advised that only a 50 watt heater would fit, but the filter itself says that it will take a 75. I'm probably going to have to supplement with another heater anyway, so I went with a 50 watt-er. I know it looks like the heater is above its minimum water line, but I swear that the Tunze manual uses a picture of an Eheim/Jager heater in the exact same position as an example of where the heater should be.
One final feature- the 9004 has a nice little slot where the 3155 (ATO) infrared sensor fits. I'll still have to mount the backup float valve in another location, but this should make it easy to find the ideal water level for the skimmer. Here it is.
tjgr34
Active Member
ROCKWORK UPDATE
I picked up around 50lbs of dry rock and some sand. I knew I wasn't going to use all 50lbs, but got extra so I could play with the scape. Here's the rock:
I washed the rock by dipping it in a 4:1 water:vinegar solution for a few seconds, scrubbing it with a brush, rinsing it in water, and then soaking it in more water overnight. Here are pictures of everything that fell off the rock.
4:1 Water:Vinegar
Rinse Water
I came up with this scape originally, but wasn't able to recreate it. This was very, very frustrating.
This is the arrangement I got together in the tank. There is a plastic rod running through the center of the main tower.
I'm still chasing the ghost of that original scape, but I'm pretty happy with the one that's in the tank now.
Feedback Requests:
First, what do you guys think of the scape?
Next, I'm still unsure of what I want in a light. Obviously, I want to use and LED. I'm leaning strongly towards Current USA's Orbit light. Ive seen them in person, and the overall value can't be beat. My only reservation is that the fixture might not be powerful enough to do LPS low in my tank. Alternately, I feel like Marineland's Reef Capable LEDs offer a bit more power, but with less control, at the same price point. I don't think I can justify going up to the level of a Radion or one of the AI fixtures, mainly because I know I'd be running the fixture at like 60% power most of the time, and because having a 130 watt LED with powered fans seems like I'd be getting away from the Sustainability focus of this tank. Any other thoughts on lights?
Proposed Stock List
I know I'm still a long way away from putting livestock in the tank, but I've already been thinking about the stock list and could use some input from you guys. ORA sells directly through liveaquaria.com. Although they are high on their prices, and I'll have to pay a steep shipping fee, I think this going to be the best way to choose the captive bred fish that I want. I'm open to alternate suggestions, though.
Fish
I want to avoid jamming a bunch of frags into my tank, so I'm trying to keep the list small for now. I'd really like to get a euphyllia coral, but I don't know if there will be room. Anyway, here's the tentative list.
I picked up around 50lbs of dry rock and some sand. I knew I wasn't going to use all 50lbs, but got extra so I could play with the scape. Here's the rock:
I washed the rock by dipping it in a 4:1 water:vinegar solution for a few seconds, scrubbing it with a brush, rinsing it in water, and then soaking it in more water overnight. Here are pictures of everything that fell off the rock.
4:1 Water:Vinegar
Rinse Water
I came up with this scape originally, but wasn't able to recreate it. This was very, very frustrating.
This is the arrangement I got together in the tank. There is a plastic rod running through the center of the main tower.
I'm still chasing the ghost of that original scape, but I'm pretty happy with the one that's in the tank now.
Feedback Requests:
First, what do you guys think of the scape?
Next, I'm still unsure of what I want in a light. Obviously, I want to use and LED. I'm leaning strongly towards Current USA's Orbit light. Ive seen them in person, and the overall value can't be beat. My only reservation is that the fixture might not be powerful enough to do LPS low in my tank. Alternately, I feel like Marineland's Reef Capable LEDs offer a bit more power, but with less control, at the same price point. I don't think I can justify going up to the level of a Radion or one of the AI fixtures, mainly because I know I'd be running the fixture at like 60% power most of the time, and because having a 130 watt LED with powered fans seems like I'd be getting away from the Sustainability focus of this tank. Any other thoughts on lights?
Proposed Stock List
I know I'm still a long way away from putting livestock in the tank, but I've already been thinking about the stock list and could use some input from you guys. ORA sells directly through liveaquaria.com. Although they are high on their prices, and I'll have to pay a steep shipping fee, I think this going to be the best way to choose the captive bred fish that I want. I'm open to alternate suggestions, though.
Fish
- 2-3 Green Chromis
- Not captive bred, but they're such great fish for the top of the water column and I have no concerns about the hobby's impact on their wild populations based on the niche they occupy.
- Either a Yellow Watchman Goby or Blue Fin Goby from ORA (there will be an accompanying pistol shrimp)
- Which would you get?
- One Oscellaris Clown.
- Probably from ORA because their price on these isn't so high and it will let me feel like I'm spreading the cost of shipping over more items.
- One of the following from ORA (toughest choice)
- Neon Dottyback
- Black Neon Dottyback
- Yellow Assessor
- Randall's Assessor
- Maybe a Neon Goby
I want to avoid jamming a bunch of frags into my tank, so I'm trying to keep the list small for now. I'd really like to get a euphyllia coral, but I don't know if there will be room. Anyway, here's the tentative list.
- ORA Mint Pavona or a local Monti Cap frag
- Jack'o'Lantern Lepto (local frag)
- Mummy Eye Chalice (frag)
- A couple of Zoas
- Rastas for sure
- Blue Eye'd Blondes? Still not sure about this one.
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tjgr34
Active Member
I filled the tank with Catalina Water Co. water from Petco near the middle of November and tossed in a frozen shrimp from the grocery store to get the cycle going. I also dosed the tank with API Quick Start to help speed things up. I covered the tank up with towels to discourage algal growth during the tank's combined cycling/mini-curing process and ran the MP10 on its constant speed at 40% power.
The cycle took about two weeks to complete, which, I think, is pretty good given I started out with completely dry rock. Here are some pics of the progression.
11-17: A couple days after adding the skrimp. Ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are all present. Nitrates didn't really move from this 10-20ppm reading until much later in the cycle, which makes me think that they were present in the Catalina Water Co. water. I didn't test that water when I had it and probably won't be buying it again, so this will remain a mystery.
11-22: Ammonia has increased a bit, but nitrites and nitrates look about the same.
11-25: Ammonia is dropping...I think. The ammonia reading certainly seems lower, but neither nitrites nor nitrates have increased. I'll just assume that there's some sort of nitrogen limbo state in my tank.
12-1: Ammonia and nitrites are way down to nearly 0, and nitrates are on the rise. I'd say the cycle is about done!
Next step: Livestock.
The cycle took about two weeks to complete, which, I think, is pretty good given I started out with completely dry rock. Here are some pics of the progression.
11-17: A couple days after adding the skrimp. Ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are all present. Nitrates didn't really move from this 10-20ppm reading until much later in the cycle, which makes me think that they were present in the Catalina Water Co. water. I didn't test that water when I had it and probably won't be buying it again, so this will remain a mystery.
11-22: Ammonia has increased a bit, but nitrites and nitrates look about the same.
11-25: Ammonia is dropping...I think. The ammonia reading certainly seems lower, but neither nitrites nor nitrates have increased. I'll just assume that there's some sort of nitrogen limbo state in my tank.
12-1: Ammonia and nitrites are way down to nearly 0, and nitrates are on the rise. I'd say the cycle is about done!
Next step: Livestock.
tjgr34
Active Member
I stopped by an LFS on 12-4 to look around at their stock and ended up grabbing three green chromis (Chromis viridis) and a small cleanup crew.
The cleanup crew is made up of 20 mixed Astraea, Cerith, and Nerite snails. I'll probably add another 5-10 as the tank becomes more mature and would like to get a few Nassarius snails in the mix as well. I'm going with a crab-free crew because crabs inevitably get hungry or shell crazy and turn into murderous little b@$tards. I would like to add a Fighting Conch at some point down the road, but I'm worried that there won't be enough scraps in the tank to keep up with its appetite. During acclimation, six of the snails formed themselves into two identical snail chains (pictured below), and some of the Nerites ended up riding the Astraeas around the tank for a couple of days.
One of the three chromis started showing what I thought was an abrasion on its flank from netting/transport. The abrasion had turned into what looked like a massive bruise by the second day after introduction and the fish's breathing had become labored. Sure enough, the "injured" chromis vanished on the third day following introduction. The other two fish looked healthy and were eating well, so chalked the initial death up to trauma. However, a few days after the first death, both of the other chromis began to develop similar looking marks in similar locations to the blemishes seen on their former tank mate. At this point, I knew something was up and consulted the internet for help. It only took a few minutes to determine that my fish were succumbing to uronema (Uronema marinum). I freaked out after this discovery and tossed both melafix and pimafix into the tank in the appropriate amounts. Not only did my frantic treatment not save the chromis, but it slammed my tank's pH down to the point that snails started falling off of the glass. I managed to save the snails by immediately dosing some pH increasing compounds, but raised my tank's alkalinity to about 25 dkh in the process.
I did just about everything wrong with regard to the chromis. First, it had been about four years since the last time I purchased this species. Green chromis were more or less bulletproof at that time, and I assumed that they still were. Had I done a little research, I would have found that imported green chromis have been shrinking in size. Indeed, the bodies of the three fish I bought earlier this month weren't much bigger than my thumb nail. These smaller fish are more susceptible to stress-induced infections and parasites than larger specimen commonly seen a few years ago. Second, I didn't do any sort of prophylactic dip when I introduced these fish. I'm not sure if this would have cured the fish of their uronema problems, but it's something that shouldn't be skipped. Third, I rushed these fish into a tank that had only just finished cycling and whose pH was clearly not yet stable. My takeaway from this experience is that I need to avoid rushed decisions when dealing with livestock.
Here are a couple of FTS from when the chromis were still around.
The tank is going through a diatom bloom right now, but that problem should work itself out as I do more water changes to get rid of residual melafix/pimafix, get my photoperiod dialed in, and get the skimmer back online once enough of the bubble bath has been removed.
I stopped by another LFS today and picked up a bottle of tigger pods and a mushroom (Actinodiscus sp.) frag. I'm hoping to find a LiveAquaria gift card under the tree and figure that the pods will have enough time to get themselves established if I can hold off on stocking more fish until after New Years. I'm also hoping that I can keep the mushrooms alive. If not, I may need to stick to freshwater.
The cleanup crew is made up of 20 mixed Astraea, Cerith, and Nerite snails. I'll probably add another 5-10 as the tank becomes more mature and would like to get a few Nassarius snails in the mix as well. I'm going with a crab-free crew because crabs inevitably get hungry or shell crazy and turn into murderous little b@$tards. I would like to add a Fighting Conch at some point down the road, but I'm worried that there won't be enough scraps in the tank to keep up with its appetite. During acclimation, six of the snails formed themselves into two identical snail chains (pictured below), and some of the Nerites ended up riding the Astraeas around the tank for a couple of days.
One of the three chromis started showing what I thought was an abrasion on its flank from netting/transport. The abrasion had turned into what looked like a massive bruise by the second day after introduction and the fish's breathing had become labored. Sure enough, the "injured" chromis vanished on the third day following introduction. The other two fish looked healthy and were eating well, so chalked the initial death up to trauma. However, a few days after the first death, both of the other chromis began to develop similar looking marks in similar locations to the blemishes seen on their former tank mate. At this point, I knew something was up and consulted the internet for help. It only took a few minutes to determine that my fish were succumbing to uronema (Uronema marinum). I freaked out after this discovery and tossed both melafix and pimafix into the tank in the appropriate amounts. Not only did my frantic treatment not save the chromis, but it slammed my tank's pH down to the point that snails started falling off of the glass. I managed to save the snails by immediately dosing some pH increasing compounds, but raised my tank's alkalinity to about 25 dkh in the process.
I did just about everything wrong with regard to the chromis. First, it had been about four years since the last time I purchased this species. Green chromis were more or less bulletproof at that time, and I assumed that they still were. Had I done a little research, I would have found that imported green chromis have been shrinking in size. Indeed, the bodies of the three fish I bought earlier this month weren't much bigger than my thumb nail. These smaller fish are more susceptible to stress-induced infections and parasites than larger specimen commonly seen a few years ago. Second, I didn't do any sort of prophylactic dip when I introduced these fish. I'm not sure if this would have cured the fish of their uronema problems, but it's something that shouldn't be skipped. Third, I rushed these fish into a tank that had only just finished cycling and whose pH was clearly not yet stable. My takeaway from this experience is that I need to avoid rushed decisions when dealing with livestock.
Here are a couple of FTS from when the chromis were still around.
The tank is going through a diatom bloom right now, but that problem should work itself out as I do more water changes to get rid of residual melafix/pimafix, get my photoperiod dialed in, and get the skimmer back online once enough of the bubble bath has been removed.
I stopped by another LFS today and picked up a bottle of tigger pods and a mushroom (Actinodiscus sp.) frag. I'm hoping to find a LiveAquaria gift card under the tree and figure that the pods will have enough time to get themselves established if I can hold off on stocking more fish until after New Years. I'm also hoping that I can keep the mushrooms alive. If not, I may need to stick to freshwater.
tjgr34
Active Member
More Pictures!
I'm a bit behind getting these posted, but here are a few shots of the tank and its inhabitants following the holidays. I'm using one of those waterproof Panasonic cameras to take pictures. I can't remember the model number on the camera, but its at least four years old. That said, I think I'm getting decent results considering the limitations of the camera.
FTS. I'll remember to turn the lamp behind me off next time.
Blondie frag I picked up at Coral Gazers. I've moved the frag up in the tank since this picture was taken and the polyps have colored up nicely.
Left side of the tank- I got this classic green/purple frogspawn from Coral Gazers, too.
I think this is the best picture I've taken so far.
I'm a bit behind getting these posted, but here are a few shots of the tank and its inhabitants following the holidays. I'm using one of those waterproof Panasonic cameras to take pictures. I can't remember the model number on the camera, but its at least four years old. That said, I think I'm getting decent results considering the limitations of the camera.
FTS. I'll remember to turn the lamp behind me off next time.
Blondie frag I picked up at Coral Gazers. I've moved the frag up in the tank since this picture was taken and the polyps have colored up nicely.
Left side of the tank- I got this classic green/purple frogspawn from Coral Gazers, too.
I think this is the best picture I've taken so far.
tjgr34
Active Member
The tank has been up and running for a little over two months now, but things are far from settled.
I've added a few more coral frags in the last month. I'll just do bullet points about them.
Jack'o'Lantern Leptoseris
I got this guy back in January at the SCMAS meeting for a very good price. The frag bleached out really badly when I first put it in the tank. I'm not sure whether this was from the Seachem coral dip solution I made being too strong, or if the frag got too cold in the bag on the way home from the meeting, but I was sure that I had killed the it. It took a couple of days, but the coral colored back up and is doing great now. It's growing slowly, but is definitely growing. The color on this coral is great and it seems very hardy.
Rasta Zoanthids
Another pickup from the SCMAS meeting. These are my all-time favorite zoas. I only got a three-polyp frag, but that number has already increased to four. They look just as good in my tank as they do in pictures I've seen.
Unknown Zoas
These came as a bonus from the SCMAS member who sold the Rastas to me. I didn't really want them at the time, but I'm glad that I have them now! They have very bright orange skirts with deep purple centers. The centers also have a sort of swirly white pattern in them, which doesn't show up very well in photographs. I wish I could remember then name to these guys, because they make the blondes I have look boring by comparison.
Pavona
I think this is a Pavona frondifera, but I'm not exactly sure. I got it from the frag tank at PetCo when I was picking up a neon cleaner goby. I still haven't been able to get the color balance right on my pictures, and this coral is the one that's most affected. It looks much more blue in the tank than it does in pictures.
Here's an FTS to close out the pictures.
I ordered a couple of ORA fish through LiveAquaria. I got a Yellow Watchman Goby and a Yellow Assessor Basslet. The goby was, well, not very yellow when it arrived. ORA's website talks about this, but I didn't pay very close attention before ordering the fish. I would have been fine with it, but, unfortunately, the watchman didn't handle shipping very well and died a couple days after he arrived.
The Yellow Assessor is another story. This fish is very bright yellow, although he sometimes becomes more olive-colored when he's upset, and is starting to develop orange margins on his dorsal fin. The Assessor has been very shy and hides most of the time, but has been venturing out into the open more over the past week.
I opened the post by saying that things are far from settled in my tank. This is because the neon goby is having bouts of ich. I've treated with Melafix in hopes that the fish's immune system will be able to kick the infection with a little help, but the ich only stays away as long as I'm actively treating. I ordered a bottle of Ruby Reef's Kick Ich product and am going to try that next. I know that it won't be a total solution, but I'm hoping it will keep things in check until I can get a hospital tank going. I'm not looking forward to pulling the Assessor out of the tank just as he's getting comfortable, but I also don't want to constantly battle ich for my tank's lifespan.
I've added a few more coral frags in the last month. I'll just do bullet points about them.
Jack'o'Lantern Leptoseris
I got this guy back in January at the SCMAS meeting for a very good price. The frag bleached out really badly when I first put it in the tank. I'm not sure whether this was from the Seachem coral dip solution I made being too strong, or if the frag got too cold in the bag on the way home from the meeting, but I was sure that I had killed the it. It took a couple of days, but the coral colored back up and is doing great now. It's growing slowly, but is definitely growing. The color on this coral is great and it seems very hardy.
Rasta Zoanthids
Another pickup from the SCMAS meeting. These are my all-time favorite zoas. I only got a three-polyp frag, but that number has already increased to four. They look just as good in my tank as they do in pictures I've seen.
Unknown Zoas
These came as a bonus from the SCMAS member who sold the Rastas to me. I didn't really want them at the time, but I'm glad that I have them now! They have very bright orange skirts with deep purple centers. The centers also have a sort of swirly white pattern in them, which doesn't show up very well in photographs. I wish I could remember then name to these guys, because they make the blondes I have look boring by comparison.
Pavona
I think this is a Pavona frondifera, but I'm not exactly sure. I got it from the frag tank at PetCo when I was picking up a neon cleaner goby. I still haven't been able to get the color balance right on my pictures, and this coral is the one that's most affected. It looks much more blue in the tank than it does in pictures.
Here's an FTS to close out the pictures.
I ordered a couple of ORA fish through LiveAquaria. I got a Yellow Watchman Goby and a Yellow Assessor Basslet. The goby was, well, not very yellow when it arrived. ORA's website talks about this, but I didn't pay very close attention before ordering the fish. I would have been fine with it, but, unfortunately, the watchman didn't handle shipping very well and died a couple days after he arrived.
The Yellow Assessor is another story. This fish is very bright yellow, although he sometimes becomes more olive-colored when he's upset, and is starting to develop orange margins on his dorsal fin. The Assessor has been very shy and hides most of the time, but has been venturing out into the open more over the past week.
I opened the post by saying that things are far from settled in my tank. This is because the neon goby is having bouts of ich. I've treated with Melafix in hopes that the fish's immune system will be able to kick the infection with a little help, but the ich only stays away as long as I'm actively treating. I ordered a bottle of Ruby Reef's Kick Ich product and am going to try that next. I know that it won't be a total solution, but I'm hoping it will keep things in check until I can get a hospital tank going. I'm not looking forward to pulling the Assessor out of the tank just as he's getting comfortable, but I also don't want to constantly battle ich for my tank's lifespan.
tjgr34
Active Member
Well, I'm on the fourth day of ich treatment with Ruby Reef Kick-Ich. So far, so good. The treatment cleared the existing infection off of my neon goby within the first day, and the goby remains free of any signs of ich. My corals don't mind the treatment at all. They don't react when it is dosed into the tank. I know Kick-Ich won't eradicate ich from my tank completely, but it seems like a very good way to control outbreaks when they happen.
