Susan's RSM 250

[Susan Edwards]

IT'S MY 3 MONTH BIRTHDAY (or at least yesterday was <g>) Will update on tank in a few days.

Took the plunge and used chemi clean for the cyano. I've had it before, but it was always gone by morning and if it came back, it never lasted long. this time, it's coating everything in tank and nitrates are higher than normal for my tank. They were zero (and causing issues with corals) and now over 20-30, even with water changes. Used less than a full dose of chemi clean. Used a 30 gal dose and I figure my water level is between 46-50 with the sump. I put in 3 air bubbles and pointed returns toward surface for max agitation of surface. Two airstones are running on battery pumps so will hope they run thru night. Kept skimmer on, just adjusted the air valve to less to keep it under control. box suggested removal of skimmer box but I have it now controlled.

Been doing water changes every day/every other/every 2 for weeks now due to sudden ammonia spike (dead sea cuc I think) and now have high nitrates so it's not lack of wc's! . Working on nitrates with water changes but it's not impacting the cyano at all, nor is it lack of flow. Not comfortable doing a blackout as I am afraid it would stress the fish and corals, esp. as the corals went through a rough time not too long ago. Also read not to use nori type sheets but my tang is doing well with them, and the emeralds pick at them--I rubber band a folded up sheet to a rock and place on bottom so don't want to stop that. Cut feedings to once per day.

Keeping the water temp between 76 and just over 77. Using fans as I don't have a chiller yet.

Working on the refugium this weekend. Will order some macro algae. Until I get the plumbing done, just going to start the refuge with half tank water and half fresh salt water when I do a water change (not in the 48 hrs to get rid of chemicals). I'll also add some of my sand and a couple of small rocks from my tank to the refuge. I also have 2 sponges in the sump which I took out for the treatment. Keeping in bucket of tank water mixed with fresh batch of salt water. Oh, took out the ceramic rings. With the rest of the media waiting to go back in. Not sure they should go back in as they are nitrate factories. Need opinion on this.

Sand arrives on Sunday. Won't have all my gear by then but hopefully i can get it set up and use air stones and the hang on back filter.
One drama after another

 

[Susan Edwards]

here is my diagram of my plumbing and set up. it is NOT to scale and the front of tank is like looking into sump (pretend tank not there. Did not put in all the sump chambers.

 

[Susan Edwards]

Realized I passed my 3 month mark. It's been a crazy start but fun and not boring. Had to return refuge tank as hood defective and they didn't call to say another tank came in on friday. turns out they had a 37 gal 28 bucks cheaper on sale with the same footprint. Score!! It's ready to add sand and water. Irritated that there is a sticker stuck between top trim and glass and I didn't see until after I painted. Going back to petsmart to see if they'll give a discount. who would put a sticker at the top? Should have been at the bottom.... Hood totally sucks. One piece. I have to take it off to get into tank. Will look into just lights and no hood. Can't believe that either.

Otherwise, I think i'm all set once everything gets here to do plumbing. Going to start it up on it's own with the hob filter for now. Need overflow box and hubby needs to do the float box that hooks to the pump I'll use. Oh, guess I need one of those yet too.

No water yet. what you see is the main tank reflections

 

[Susan Edwards]

Okay, lots of activity as I deal with cyano and starting a refuge. Refuge 3/4 full. Ran out of water as I also did a water change in main tank. Not going a deep sand bed until I want to order 40 lbs more sand...

Chemi clean helped some areas of cyano. Hopeful that over the n
Tank is now just past 3 month mark. Today during feeding, the 2 peppermint shrimps came to the baster for their share which was kinda cute. 1 emerald is cluing in. Little Scooter gets fed first after I squirt some for the fish.

Used IO nitrate control and am keeping temps between 76-77

-Clowns growing. They tend to mostly hang in one corner. Would like to see them more active all over.
-Chromis doing well
-Tang gets occasional white spots on fin and it goes away. I use Kent's garlic in water and in food.
-Gold Head Sleeper goby now eating frozen mysis and brine with everyone else. Love that fish, esp. when he objects to a hermit too close to his burrow and carries him off and spits him out elsewhere
-bicolor blenny darts in and out of his holes
-Scooter Blenny doing well. Puts on displays so assuming its a male. Might find him a female later
-no sign of yellow watchman or the pistol. Saw a molted shell so assume it's still in cavern but not sure if the ywg is. If so it doesn't come out to eat. Sad as I liked that teeny tiny guy
-2 pepermints doing well
-3 emeralds. Lost one last week. Not sure why
-Who knows how many hermits or other snails...
-Zoa/polyp frag seems happy
-Xenia very happy with all the nitrates....
_Torch also happy
_greet star polyps also doing well
All coral recovered except the clove which I think the algae got too much for it.

Pleased that I've come this far even with ups and downs.

 

[Susan Edwards]

My refuge is up and burbling away. Really do not like the bio wheel. Too noisy and splatter water everywhere! Just waiting on my cs overflow box to arrive, and a float valve kit to hook up hte main tanks pump to the refugium to plumb. the cycle is starting in the refuge. I used the bio spira and a shrimp which is quite disgusting today. It's in a mesh bag attached to a veggie clip for easy removal. It comes out today. I figure I'm a week away from getting it all plumbed.

Unless someone thinks I should do a complete cycle, I'll plumb together as soon as I get the cs overflow box, the plumbing, and the float valve hooked up to the pump I'll use in the main tank to send water to the refuge.

Because the refugium is 37 gal to go with the a 66 gal main tank, which is more than half the water volume, I plan to remove half the water of the refuge, replace it with water from the main tank and then add fresh salt water to the main tank so the water parameters are close to the same in both tanks. I have one small rock from display to add to the refuge and I'll take a cup or so of sand from the deeper areas to add as well. Also have 2 sponges in my sump to add into an acrylic soap cup holder (for showers) with suction cups to hold the foam. Getting my tank as close to perfect/good as I can.

Going to treat the main tank once more with chemi clean today. first treatment did not get it all and I don't want to add cyano to the refuge. Going to go find some macro algae this weekend to help with the nitrates in main tank. Got them back down to around 10. Excited to get this display refuge planted.

Received a new LED light for the refuge. Hood was horrid--it didn't swimg up or open. To get into tank, I had to remove hood completely which is a pain when it is plugged in for the lighting. Lesson learned: no more aquarium kits from petsmart... Utterly cheap and useless parts.

 

[Susan Edwards]

Lots of news...
GBTA moved. Actually came up almost all the way onto the shelf and was facing upward. Was ready to drop a shrimp into it to feed after the lights came on but then it clammed back up again. Later that day, it moved. Left that rock grouping all together and is now on the separate piece of pukani right near the sand bed. Still hard to feed but it's still hanging in there...

Feather duster had lost its crown and I feared it was gone. Some nassarius snails were irritating it. Was about to ask how long it takes to create a new crown when I saw it was back. Crown a bit different. A bit more fringy and a bit of green. Will have to get a pic and post.

Added a small ball of macro algae to the tank until I get the refugium set up. Split it between the two tanks. Hope that will help with nitrates.

Did a second dose of chemi clean Looks like it's taking care of more of it. Another day to go. Will water change tomorrow evening or monday am.

Does old coraline on rubble rock help seed a tank? I added some from the fish store to the refugium and added a few pieces to the main. If othing else, it add color...

Picked up a few more corals. Haven't added any since xmas. One of the leathers broke off so I actually did my first super glue (gel) to a rubble rock. The big piece didn't have much of a base so glued what it had and the part that broke off (had a hard piece of coral or something) to the same rock.

I think this is my duncan... Need to make notes in my phone... Already opening up. Scooter blenny finding interesting things on it to snack on. Now to figure out where to put them. lfs guy was impressed that I came in with a photo of my aquarium to plan where to put stuff.

This is my leather and the one I had to glue

Forget the name already. Have to go look up...

Bathroom suction cup to hold macro algae in main tank until display refugium is plumbed. Half the size now as I put some in the refuge for the pods.

Here is the refugium. Not sure if it needs more rock. Want lots of room for plants. Cloudy as I added the rubble rock. Right now it is set up for pods and plants. I can rearrange rock later if need
arises.
a

 

[Susan Edwards]

I have a separate refugium thread but that is more for the build and set up. My question here is on adding pods.

I added pods today to the refugium. It is not yet plumbed to the main display. I had a bio wheel hob filter running just for flow and oxygen while the tank cycles (37 gal display refugium).

Concerned that the new pod population would get filtered, I shut it off and put in an air stone. It will e a couple weeks before I get the two tanks plumbed.

Can I/should I run the filter?
Will it harm my pods. I saw a few on the glass tonight
Should I take one of the wave makers out of the main tank and use that instead? I just added a second one to help battle cyano so hate to move that one.
I could also run the power filter without the carbon/foam and just let the bio wheel run or take all out and just let it move water.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Nice thread, that took a while to read through but it was very enjoyable. I have a 75 gallon set up that is pretty much all DIY. Coming up on my one "monthaversary."

I used the instant ocean bio spira like you did, and my tank was fish ready in two weeks. Probably one, but I had a primitive camping trip planned and I didn't want to add anything and leave for a few days.

At the two week mark I added a bonded pair of black clowns that have bright, almost fluorescent, orange on their face, pectoral and pelvic fins. They were a trade in at one of the LFS here so they are about half grown, I think.

Shortly after the fish addition, maybe the three week mark I got a bloom of diatoms, so I added a CUC with astrea, cerith and nassarius snails, blue legged dwarf hermits, a coral banded shrimp and what I thought was going to be an emerald crab (ordered from live aquaria) but he ended up being red. Turns out, emerald crabs are the green mithrax crab and the red mithrax are ruby crabs. They are all the same crab with different colors.

Still haven't added any coral yet as I only have test for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. I'm fixing to order some more test supplies then in goes the corals.

I just discovered another LFS kinda close to me (30-40 minute drive, what I get for living in the country) that has a $10 per frag on frog spawn and hammer right now. I'm thinking maybe next week I get some euphyllia.

With what I've seen on pods, they grow like crazy in a HOB filter. They are small enough to get thru the pump, some might get crushed but the majority make it thru. I would just use the bio-sponge in the HOB and leave the carbon filter out. The carbon will be soaking up the nitrates you want the macro to do.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Just figured out how to add a picture on your post... Here's my clown pair.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

And here is my tank and the diy stand.

This is the final arrangement of the rocks, the structure on the right is a pretty good sized cave for things to hide in. I wanted more of an open space on the left side fire swimming room and a cave for small shy creatures to be able to go in. It's currently inhabited by my coral shrimp and ruby crab. In the future I'd like a dwarf moray eel, and he'll probably take up that space. It was made with the intentions of getting one.

 

[Susan Edwards]

@Robin Haselden thanks for sharing your set up. Love it. If you get a kole tang, it'll love to go in and out of the crevices. Mine goes in andout of the rockwork all day long. More that than open swimming. Even looked like it was stuck once under the rock where it was too small to go thru. I turkey bastered the sand out and he zips through on his side. Every crevice belongs to him . I'll go check out your build thread if you have one. If you don't you should start one. Love your clowns as well. You're being smart by going more slowly. I wasn't patient enough lol's but I haven't lost fish but have dealt with other ups and downs. Will take the carbon out and restart the filter and just use the bio wheel. And when I hook up the plumbing, I'll make sure I rinse it in the tank water loosen up any pods. I have to travel for any lfs. A good hour in most directions. Best one is in Hayward ca so far. Haven't checked out San Jose area yet.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

I don't have a build thread as of yet. I might look into making one.

 

[Susan Edwards]

@Robin Haselden Please do so and let me know so I can follow

 

[Susan Edwards]

Okay, I made a map of my aquarium. The lfs was impressed that I came in with a picture of my tank <g>. So I added the new corals and added text and a plan of next batches. My gbta doesn't show here and lord knows where it will go next or if it will even be alive tomorrow!!!

I want sections of like corals, not a random mix. Neat and tidy (and no, I'm not ocd. At least not in many areas <g>)

So far, the new corals are happy. I've epoxied the apros and then ran out of stuff. The colt is very happy on the pc of pukani. Even the drooper (one that broke off and I did my first glue) is starting to lift its branches. When I'm ready to attach, I'll shift the angles a git so they are pointing more upward. Don't want to disturb them if I don't have too at this point.

the only coral I've not decided on placement is the Duncan. Two heads are open and happ yall the time. Other 4 open and close. Not sure if they keep getting irritated by fish or are just a bit too high for lighting on that end. I stuck it there as it is the only place I can poke the plug and have it stay. The other 2 choices have to safe way to wedge in and keep it from falling, unless I try a rubber band around plug and back pc of rock of choice 1 to see what it thinks of that location.

My choices of permenant places are listed on the map below.

1-behind the rock where the gps is. I plan to glue it to rubble rock to make it a bit taller and then I can poxy it just behind or on top. Gps can grow below and even on the rubble but I can keep it off the plug1-right below on that ledge. It's a bit lower from lighting but flow should be good there

2-crevice between 2 rocks right below acros and above torch. I think it's far enough not to get stung and not too close to the acros. but not too sure on that

3-below on shelf under it's present temp. position. Not sure if that would be too low, as I can't block the swim thru--my tang would not be a happy camper--favorite shortcut.

My first choice is to share the gps rock, second by the acros. Right now, there are no hammers or frogspawn or montipora but I have places to put them <g>. Didn't add anemones as they'll go where they want to go. Oops, forgot an arrow for choice 3

 

[Susan Edwards]

guess image too large. trying again

 

[Susan Edwards]

Had to redo the big colt coral frag. It was such a fragile frag when I bought it--not affixed to a plug, just several thin, flat, oval pcs on several sides. I glued it to a rubble rock using one sliver of harden coral and it didn't hold. Had to redo. In handling it, the one that did fall off the original came off so i went ahead and put that on it's own rock. Hoping they hold now or I'll have to get brave and redo totally. What I need is some epoxy but I'm out and no lfs close to me. Don't like what amazon has but might have to order anyway. I'd like to get them fixed into their "homes"

The Duncan opens and closes and there is a new head. I thought it was just scarring but it's a new head so that makes 8. Also need epoxy to do that one. I think first I'm going to glue it to a rubble rock to a) hide the plug B) try another spot to see how it/I like it there. Can't now as the plug has nothing to jam into and it's pretty heavy. So I'm at 3.5 months now. The coral I bought this last time was the first coral since end of Dec. Didn't add anything new since end of Jan--almost 2 whole months Most algae gone or very little. Have 3 patches of it going in the pukani crevices and on one zoa frag. I use tweezers and pull. Use a brush or turkey baster on other rocks when needed. Still dealing with nitrates in the 10-20 range. Waiting for 37 gal to cycle to pumb together.

Fish are all doing well
--Kole Tang is a kick and no more white spots. I use kents garlic when he gets them in food and water. LFS said coral don't like garlic and just use in food. Tang eating frozen offerings now and algae strips rubberbanded to a rock. Everyone waits for me to take it out and put it back. One of the peppermint shrimps actually grabbed my finger in its haste. Tang is about 3.5 inches. When he gets too big, he goes to my sil who has a 300 gal. He loves to swim through crevices and now is constantly snacking on rocks and sand and even the glass.
--Gold Head Sand Sifting Goby looking good. Doing it's thing. About 3.5 inches. Love the pure translucent white with gold head and touch of blue. Moves all over tank now instead of staying close to burrow near front of tank
--Scooter Blenny is a joy. He's right there to greet me and show off and when the turkey baster god appears, he's right there to accept any offerings. Great coloring and really surprised me to find him so colorful when he displays his fins
--bicolor blenny is the guard of the tank. Goes from one pukani hole to another to watch everything and everyone!. Moves about the tank, peering over shelves and rocks. Last couple days spotted it in the gold heads burrow and it doesn't seem to mind. Saw it zip out with the blenny right there.
--2 clowns don't do much. Rather boring as they tend just to host their corner of the aquarium--literally the back corner. Wish they swim about more
--2 chromis mingle and like to flutter in the large cavern. Tang chases them out at times and they just go right back.
Eventually will add maybe a female scooter, a mandarin when pods are in great supply, and maybe another--wrasse or anthia? Or fire goby? Not sure. Happy where we are at the moment.
Corals
--xenia doing well. going to put it where it is a bit more isolated or in my refugium which is a display refugium. Might put it on same pukani as the colts. maybe it will out compete the hair algae on part of that rock
--Torch extends nicely. on and off during day, seems fully recovered from before, as the xenia has
--green star polyps looking nice
--Zoa/polyp frag really looking nice. I pluck at the hair algae every water change
--Duncan--love this coral.
--2 colts. Love them as well
--2 acros. Large brown one doing better than small green one which doesn't seem as green as when I brought it home and doesn't have as many polyps extended, unlike the brown one. Of couse, you need your camera phone on highest mag to see...
--Anemone What can I say except its not dead. It has moved, more into the open and on a totally new rock which means it went float about to do so. toward bottom on the pukani. It opens and extends. I still can't get food to stay. but if it is open I try to get some frozen shrimp in from the turkey baster. Maybe some tentacles growing a bit. Still bleached but it does unshrivel and stretch up, esp. after lights go off. Every day I see it still alive I am amazed. It if survives, it'll be the strongest thing in my tank... And most stubborn and determined to survive...
CUC
--3 emeralds all doing their job. One huge one, one med., one small. Wish they'd eat an area and then go elsewhere but they eat a few mouthfulls of the patches of hair algae and move off. Lots of snails and at least 5 hermits still.

Refugium
37 gal. 31x12x25 approx close to my display tank. It has a nice bloom of diatoms. Probably about time to add some snails. Have to see what eat diatoms or just let them be to cycle. Not sure if snails will disturb the pods on the glass Added more rock rubble. LFS said I needed more rock (I took pics of the two tanks with me) so added the 2 shelves and the rubble. It's rather messy to me but I can always add a taller rock on top or just put macro algae on top of the rock work. Goal might be to have sea horses in there if I find ones that handle same temp. Not for a good year or so. Have pods gathered on tank glass. Feeding some flakes in there every other day or so and rub between fingers to get fine. Right now hob filter. Two foam sponges from my other sump which will come out. Nitrites at 1 and nitrates at 20. No ammonia. Did a bit of a water change yesterday. Took some water out, put more in Don't want to disturb the pod population.

found a place on ebay to get some plants. Grown in open air outside vats so no pests or contamination from tanks or fish. Seems the right way to go. Once pods get going, I figure that tank will be good to put mandarins in to fatten them up before putting them in main tank. Or leave them there. Needs pods in both tanks first. Waiting for numbers to zero out so I can plumb together. I esp. hate that hob filter....Put plastic wrap around lights to keep water from forming salt creep on led lighting.

Refugium. Not very pretty or interesting. Hubby has to figure out way to attach to wall in case of earthquake. Top heavy. Need to get weight below. Next pic is what I think are pods on the tank glass. Guess I can never use a
magnet scrapper? Unless I want to sacrifice some pods...

 

[Susan Edwards]

Okay , update time. All seems to be going well. Amm and nitrite back down to 0 but nitrates still around 20. Everything seems happy. I have one acro that lost its green color and is now turning brownish. The other o ne I bought that is next to it is thriving. Not sure what to do. Duncan has a new head and the colts are getting new branches. Time for me to epoxy them down. Still have some patches of hair algae. Hoping when nitrates go down a bit more that will abate.

Ordered plants for my refugium. Need hubby to help me plumb two tanks together. He has to draw it out. We went to home depot and he couldn't figure out from what pieces I brought what I needed!

Okay something strange. We were looking at the tank tonight and I was pointing out the emeralds. I don't always see all of them often. Well, I had four. One died a few weeks ago so I removed it. That leaves 3. I counted 4 tonight! There is a little one that I have no idea where it came from. I did not use any live rock. Nothing put in that a tiny crab can come in on plus I soak all corals in dip. So it's either a baby or???? I even went back to check the dates I added the emeralds and sure enough. One from one source, 3 from another. 1 in the tank is huge, the other two are med and small. This new one is the smallest. Thoughts?

Here are some of my water pets. The only thing unhappy is one acro and my gbta which is still moving around, more in the open now, but I can't get food to stick. It gets bigger at night after the lights go off. Not sure if its because it has basically no tentacles? During the day it is shrunk, night it inflates . I try to put brine shrimp with turkey baster but nothing really sticks. Maybe the vitamins or garlic are keeping it alive. Bought a can of clams. Not sure i can use it.

First is the new crab

8 heads on the duncan now.
.

Colts doing nicely

Nice extensions on the acro

acro not doing so well.

gold head sleeper goby in front of cavern. HIs burrow is in the front where the sand is on the rock. view of my poor anemone. Next pic, everyone playing nice

 

[Susan Edwards]

Hmm, wondering if that "dead" emerald I tossed out could have been just a molted shell? It was pretty good size so maybe my monster guy had molted as it does seem as though he is quite a bit bigger? I don't think I had a crab as tiny as this guy but maybe. All I know is I have 4 in my tank. Didn't look too close at the dead one I pulled out to see if it was just shell.

 

[Susan Edwards]

Wow, my display refugium plants arrived today! Wasn't expecting them until next week. I ordered more dry rock from marco rocks. Should be here Sat so plants are glued to rubble rock so I can move them around easily. Decided I didn't like the look of the tank, and some of the plants need higher up and more flow. Right now it is just a hob filter. Have 2 more wave makers coming or power heads--no adjustments. I think I only need one. Other can go in the main tank. Hopefully they'll do until I can get it up to speed. Need to get the plumbing figured out and the two tanks hooked up. have everything except that ready to go.
I have the following that I ordered on ebay from a company that doesn't mix fish or eels in their macro tanks so hopefull that there are no pests.
red gracilaria
Dark ocean coraline
red dragon
codium
razor
space moss
Razberry hollow.
Ordered 2 variety packs on ebay so I have double the red razo and dragons tongue

 

[Susan Edwards]

Today was play with tanks. I epoxied the colts and duncan. One colt did not hold. Will retry in a day or so. It's on a large rubble but it does shift around. Right now both colts are in total sulk mode... Duncan happy as a clam. The dang cyano is returning. Trying to get those nitrates down. Put some of my macroalgae ina soap/shower suction cup in the main tank to see if it would help.

Redid the rocks in the refugium. Much nicer looking. Placed the macro where I think they should go. Very difficult to find care and placement guides. Dragon Tongue at bottom to retain deep red color, Graciela top of rocks so it will grow faster. Will retain redder color lower. Codium likes flow. Rest I just put on top of rocks for now. As things grow, I can move them as they are on rubble rock. Next step to get tanks plumbed together.