Tank Journal Archive

[Wrangy]

Well after writing my rather long winded literature review, "Fracture induced mechanisms in cast iron water mains" and finally feeling better after being rather unwell the last few weeks, I was finally able to get home to see the tank after three weeks of no water change and it wasn't good. Not good at all :( kinda fucked up if you ask me..
I have no words to describe the troubles the tank is having and I post this simply for the sake of being able to look back at the difficulties I've had like I always do:


I almost wanted to abandon ship and run away it was just disgusting, this is why you shouldn't live away from your tank while unwell kids! The thing that got me the most was how upset some of the acro's were, turns out the salinity was up way high to add to it :( and my brother still thinks the tank is "normal"! I can't really blame him but he's as observational as a blind cavefish... and as ugly! lol
To add to the mounding disappointment, I couldn't find my little copperband anywhere either "but I swear I saw him yesterday and he was fine" thanks really astute of you!
I suppose you can say I just sucked it all up and went for broke. Took me a few hours but I removed as much of the algae as I possibly could. I pulled my little maxima off his rock and cleaned him right up, taking every piece of algae off I could find and 70% of the zoa's that had grown on him, I'll be removing the rest next time! Completely removed a small rock that was overgrown and siphoned up the rest of anything else I could find.
Once I was all said and done, the acro's had immediately calmed down and settled a bit more which was reassuring to see and the little clam was getting plenty of light again, unencumbered by the algae and zoa's that were making it's life difficult!
The end result isn't much better but it's certainly an improvement, I'm hoping to have this tank completely gone within the month and everything in the new tank. I have my plans in place and the new tank is getting here on Sunday so hopefully everything turns out okay!


As you can tell, algae is definitely a bloody nutrient sink... this is the skimmer only 20mins after turning it back on once the water change was completed..


It may be an uphill shit fight at the moment but I'm positive about what the new tank is going to bring and I'm thoroughly excited about it and having my babies back! One of the things I'm looking forward to is being able to feed my fish babies a proper diet and get their colours glowing again :)
I have my plans in place for the new tank so I'm hoping I can work things in properly and have the tank running smoothly before the removalists get to the house to pack everything up! lol

 

[RobbieMVFC]

Bugger!. how long until your tear it down ?

 

[Wrangy]

Bugger!. how long until your tear it down ?

The process will be occurring over the coming month :) A couple fish at a time, a clam here and there and zoa's all at once lol acro's will come back when the tank is ready as they're being minded by a friend :)

 

[MagicJ]

Things can definitely go down hill quickly in a small space.

Sad to hear about the CB - there was no sign of it during the clean-up?

 

[Sam Parker]

:(

 

[Wrangy]

Things can definitely go down hill quickly in a small space.

Sad to hear about the CB - there was no sign of it during the clean-up?

They certainly do when you're not there :(

Me too, he was no where to be seen :(

:(

My sentiments as well

 

[chimaera]

Arse.

 

[suta42]

I feel for you. Good news is you're back now. Have you checked the weir for Junior?
Reason I ask is my LFS had one, total length maybe 1cm(???). Anyhow he swum through the weir comb teeth and regularly ended up there.

About that bloody caulerpa, I've got it too and seriously it's such a PITB. honestly thought of putting a tang in there to deal with it (and I don't even like or keep tangs...) I ignored it when it first came in on LR that looks like a large dead piece of gnarled acro, allowing the rhizome to be hidden from predators. Never buying that type of rock again either. If I were you I'd find a buddy who's looking for a baby rabbit or foxface and return it to him a month or two later after its worked its butt off.

Good luck with the clean up,

Angie

 

[Wrangy]

Arse.

Arse with a capital A indeed! lol

I feel for you. Good news is you're back now. Have you checked the weir for Junior?
Reason I ask is my LFS had one, total length maybe 1cm(???). Anyhow he swum through the weir comb teeth and regularly ended up there.

About that bloody caulerpa, I've got it too and seriously it's such a PITB. honestly thought of putting a tang in there to deal with it (and I don't even like or keep tangs...) I ignored it when it first came in on LR that looks like a large dead piece of gnarled acro, allowing the rhizome to be hidden from predators. Never buying that type of rock again either. If I were you I'd find a buddy who's looking for a baby rabbit or foxface and return it to him a month or two later after its worked its butt off.

Good luck with the clean up,

Angie

No signs of the little guy in the overflow, I'm kind of hoping he's hiding around the skimmer and I haven't found him yet lol but I don't hold a great deal of hope for that we shall see what happens though. At least there's the light at the end of the tunnel with the new tank coming and finally having the reef with me every day! It's been 6 veeeerrrryyyy long months without a tank in the apartment!! :(

haha worst shit in the world! I'm thinking of getting a small foxface or rabbit to run in the tank for the first few months to make sure it doesn't come across but I'd like to have a sump to hide the zoa's in before going with that option haha. I've gone with all dry rock so it's not coming in that way lol the only bit of transfer I'm worried about are the clams shells but they will get thoroughly inspected and maybe treated without touching any sensitive flesh but we'll see about that lol.

Thanks Angie :) I appreciate it! Hoping to squeeze a few butterflies/angels into this one which I know you'll appreciate ;) lol

 

[slin1977]

Arse with a capital A indeed! lol


No signs of the little guy in the overflow, I'm kind of hoping he's hiding around the skimmer and I haven't found him yet lol but I don't hold a great deal of hope for that we shall see what happens though. At least there's the light at the end of the tunnel with the new tank coming and finally having the reef with me every day! It's been 6 veeeerrrryyyy long months without a tank in the apartment!! :(

haha worst shit in the world! I'm thinking of getting a small foxface or rabbit to run in the tank for the first few months to make sure it doesn't come across but I'd like to have a sump to hide the zoa's in before going with that option haha. I've gone with all dry rock so it's not coming in that way lol the only bit of transfer I'm worried about are the clams shells but they will get thoroughly inspected and maybe treated without touching any sensitive flesh but we'll see about that lol.

Thanks Angie :) I appreciate it! Hoping to squeeze a few butterflies/angels into this one which I know you'll appreciate ;) lol

Has the tank been delivered ?

 

[ezza]

Oh the horror!!

 

[Wrangy]

Has the tank been delivered ?

Sunday is delivery and setup day and Monday will be water I think :)

View attachment 54274

Oh the horror!!

That's was my reaction too! Haha

 

[jart]

Sorry to hear about the tank dramas.

Did your Caulerpa go asexual on you, like I have read can happen, or did it just end up in the DT somehow and take hold?

 

[Lesley]

Dam. That's sad @Wrangy
Love the fact you share your experiences though
Negative & positives
Thank you & looking forward to watching new build

 

[Wrangy]

Sorry to hear about the tank dramas.

Did your Caulerpa go asexual on you, like I have read can happen, or did it just end up in the DT somehow and take hold?

Thanks mate and didn't go asexual just grows like an absolute bastard! Started off real small and exploded from there :(

Dam. That's sad @Wrangy
Love the fact you share your experiences though
Negative & positives
Thank you & looking forward to watching new build

Thanks Lesley :) there always negative and positive in reefing and while we all love sharing the positive, I think sharing the negative is underrated. It's not pretty but I'll enjoy looking back when things are going well again!
I'm fucking excited for tomorrow though!! (excuse my French haha)

 

[Wrangy]

:D GUESS WHO HAS A NEW TANK :rofl

 

[holly]

That weed is just uncontrollable, I admire your stubbornness. I've got various green/red/black algae growing in the prop tanks, it's interesting how the various green things grow and change. Hope none of it makes it to your new tank!

 

[Wrangy]

That weed is just uncontrollable, I admire your stubbornness. I've got various green/red/black algae growing in the prop tanks, it's interesting how the various green things grow and change. Hope none of it makes it to your new tank!

I have been known to be very stubborn :P
I'm hoping so too! Everything that can be dipped will be and anything that can't which is the two clams are going to be scrubbed lol

 

[holly]

I have been known to be very stubborn :p
I'm hoping so too! Everything that can be dipped will be and anything that can't which is the two clams are going to be scrubbed lol

Get yourself a nice sharp scalpel and some ibuprofen for your sore back you'll have at the end of all that! My caulurpa has actually died off as the cheato has grown - I wonder how much they compete....

 

[Wrangy]

Get yourself a nice sharp scalpel and some ibuprofen for your sore back you'll have at the end of all that! My caulurpa has actually died off as the cheato has grown - I wonder how much they compete....

haha I've cleaned up one clam almost entirely so hopefully not too much work to finish the job :) lol