Tank Journal Archive

[webber555]

Ok, results still all zero - starting to think I won't have a traditional cycle as I got the rock from a tank with fish already in it and have had little if any die off. Thinking a CUC soon...? Let me know where in Sydney to purchase from..

AC70 fuge running, just need some macro of some sort to fill it with. Let me know if you have some spare. Only problem is lighting - I'm using a desk lamp but when the main lights are off there is a fair bit of residual light entering the tank. Will this be an issue - should I paint the outside of the fuge black to minimize this?

 

[chimaera]

Sounds like a CUC is indeed in order.

Residual light - do you mean from room lights, or other? If room lights then nothing to worry about, it will be nice and dark overnight I assume.

 

[firebird]

or do you mean the side of the fuge that abuts the DT/ if so yes -you can paint this to stop light entering the tank

 

[webber555]

yeah painting the fuge or the side of the tank will help, although a little will still enter the tank - will post up a pic later.

 

[webber555]

Quick update - have the lights off trying to fight some algae (hasn't increased since I reduced lighting period). Pulled a heap out by hand but there is still some there - green hair on the back wall, a bit covering the sand, some red on one of the rocks and some fern like stuff. Added a turbo and a Strombus, will pull some more out by hand in the next few days and hopefully start to get on top of it. Definitely two crabs in there so I will get them out when I can. Might put them in the fuge and let them have at it.

 

[webber555]

Bit the bullet and bought a pair of little Occy clowns. One Orange and one black and white with an orange face. All fine, they are not shy at all, except I can't get the black and white one to eat. The orange gobbles up brine shrimp and flake while the B&W looks for it, chases the food, sniffs it and leaves it. He glides back and forth along the glass a lot though so I'm wondering if he's grazing on algae at all...? How do I get him to eat something!?

Also got the fuge humming along with some macro kindly donated by firebird. Not happy with the amount of residual light coming from the fuge though. Even though I have painted the AC70 black and have a dark towel rigged up to stop some light reflecting off nearby furniture it still throws out a lot from where the water returns to the tank. Will have to get a power compact maybe and shoot the light through the side. I'm assuming it will still work directing the light through the darkened plastic on an AC70..? :confused:

After looking on another thread - have decided the small shrimp I spied may be a small mantis species rather than a pistol. He is in a rock right next to a brittle star - they seem to be leaving each other alone. I have heard some pretty cool clicks though.

Will get some pics later when the lights are on.

 

[Buddy]

How long have you had the clowns? Sometimes new fish won't eat for the first few days until they settle in a bit.

 

[webber555]

Only 2 days. Will give it a while before I panic. He seems interested, just doesn't swallow...

 

[webber555]

 

[Priscacara]

Nice looking fish! Hope it starts to eat for you soon.

 

['vspec']

Only 2 days. Will give it a while before I panic. seems interested, just doesn't swallow...

Sounds like the ex wife :p

congrats on your new editions dude

 

[webber555]

B&W Clown eating like a champ now.

 

[Buddy]

Good news :D say thanks to him for not making me look stupid lol!

 

[webber555]

Ok, update time - Pep shrimp arrived today - there was a mix up with orders so he threw a few extra in. So I have 6, which is overkill - will give them a week or so to clear up a few small aiptasia then will probably sell or trade half of them on.

Everything is going ok except for one thing which has got me worried a fair bit. If you look at the early pic of the orange clown you can see a very small white spot under his left eye which is barely noticeable.

unfortunately it has grown much bigger - extrudes quite a bit and has a black dot on each end maybe?? Hasn't seemed to affect him too much, still eating but he has a stringy poo which is constantly dragged around. (Apologies for the algae on glass - he hid behind the worst patch and I haven't wiped it in a few days).

Any idea what it is? Doesn't look good anyway...

The B&W clown does not seem affected at all.

 

[Buddy]

Check out lymphocystis. Usually you will see it from stress or bad water quality. My clown had it a couple of weeks after I bought her and it will clear up with very clean water conditions and a good diet. It took a few weeks from when it got to its largest size to completely disappear. I don't think it is contagious so I didn't QT and my other clown didn't catch it but just do some research for yourself

 

[webber555]

So best course of action - QT and wait it out?

 

[Buddy]

I wouldn't even QT, transferring it to another tank will just stress it even more.

 

[Salty]

From what I can see if the white mark below it's eye is "fluffy" say, i'd lean towards lymphocytes, but/or by the look of the eye, I'm guessing that white blotch is almost buble like, like a blister so to speak. If so I'd say Exophthalmia. You should QT but thats up to you. Water changes may help or if you decide to medicate, tri sulfa is a good option as both conditions are bacterial. Good luck

 

[webber555]

Ok update time -

Full test results just before a water change.

Salinity: 1.026
Ammonia:0
Nitrite:0
Nitrate: 0.25-0.5
Phosphate: <0.03
Ph: 8.1
KH: 9.3
Calcium: 440
Mag: 1410

That seem all above board?


Livestock atm: 2 Occy clowns (Orange 1 is looking worse around the eyes and is not eating much at all - may have to make a hard decision soon?)
3 Pep shrimp
1 Stromb
1 Turbo

Coral:
1 xenia frag (thanks Ads)
1 elegance (which 1 of the Peps keeps climbing over)
A few brown mushrooms on a stick

Will get a FTS up later when the lights are on.

 

[NiCd]

Hows the xenia settling in?