Rabbut's Marine Jurnal

[ben1987]

If you think heat is going to be a massive issue in summer then what about a mobile air-conditioner? B&Q had a fair few at half price when i was there last

 

[rabbut]

Left the flap open today, and so far the tank has stayed on the temperature that the heater is set on, so I guess it is just that there isn't enough ventilation in there. PC fans will be bought and installed some time this week, and I'll be getting them temperature controlled (DIY electronics, fun fun )

Problem two. There are four Aptasia anenomies on the reah lump of live rock. I don't have any Joes Juce, so I need an alternative method of exturmination. I am planing on getting some peppermint shrimp for CUC anyway, as they are cool, but what can I do to keep these guys in check while I wait for the rock to cure? I remember Skifletch mentioning superglue somewhere Do I just poke them into their hole and superglue them in or do I use it like Joes Juce? What is the best method of application?

All the best
Rabbut

 

[rabbut]

Quick up-date. It would appear that the rock won't need as much curing as I thought, two days after adding, I have the following results;

Ammonia; 0.00ppm
Nitrite; 0.00ppm
Nitrate; 12.5 ppm
pH; 8.0

I listed ammonia as 0, but under filament lights, it looked half way between 0 and 0.25ppm. This is how zero usualy looks under these lights for this kit, but I don't yet want to risk adding anything untill I'm 100% shure on where the levels are...

I have tested with Tetra's range of kits. The temperature is holding steady on 24c today with me leaving the flap open, so hopefully the addition of some fans will be all thats needed to stop things cooking.

I don't have a salinity guage, but the water was on 1.024 when it left work, and I have only ever topped up to this point with fresh RO, so I don't see how that would have moved

I want a pair of skunk clowns for this tank realy, but I know they can be teritorial. Would I be best adding both together, or one at a time? Also, anyone know of any good on-line retailers offering any for sale ATM that are tank bred? Nobody localy has any, though I may get work to order some I've gone on a bit of an eco-friendly streak all of a sudden, looking to get TB's or stock that needs a new home rather than anything wild caught...

Thanks again
Rabbut

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah sounds like you had just enough bacterial colonies to deal with the the dieoff. Also sounds like it's still dying off and cycling as nitrate is skipping up pretty quickly there...

 

[rabbut]

OK, thanks Ski. I am going to do another water test tomorrow to see just where things are. If nitrate isn't that far from the previous measurement, am I good to order the CUC? I have never seen a lower reading for nitrate on this kit, so mebe I need a proper reefer's kit? (this includes on neet tap water that the water board and other local members all report zero from)

Any thoughts of the anenomy outbreak?

The planned CUC at this point are three peppermint shrimp, two turbo snails, and two red-legged hermit crabs. Again any issues? Are the red legs likely to kill the snails of the shells, and are there any ways arround this? I know that blue-legs are notorious for their snail killing habits, but does this apply to all hermit crabs?

All the best
Rabbut

 

[SkiFletch]

You can order the cleanup crew for sure. I'd avoid fish for now till the nitrate settles. Once it does, do a BIG waterchange, even 100% to eliminate the nitrates before you go ahead and add fish

 

[rabbut]

OK, todays test results;

Ammonia; 0.00ppm
Nitrite; 0.00ppm
Nitrate; 12.5ppm
pH; 8.0

I'll be ordering CUC from Ultimate Aquatics on-line (Cheaper that at work and local retailers and even Ebay )

I have nere seen this kit give a reading of less than 12.5ppm, so I suspect that nitrate may be lower, just out of range of this kit. I'll dig the Red Sea kit out and do a curiosity test with that one, as I know that goes down to zero from playing with neet RO...

All the best
Rabbut

EDIT TO ADD; interestingly the Red Sea test kit recons there is less than 2.5ppm of nitrate.... Which kit would you guys believe?

Further edit to add: Ordered the CUC yesterday, and it arrives on Friday apparently Also did a waterchange to freshen pull the nitrate down if the Tetratest kit is correct

 

[rabbut]

OK, one Photo-update after getting the Clean-up crew in...

Water stats as of Saturday are;

ammonia 0
nitrite 0
2.5>nitrate<0
pH 8.2
SG 1.022

I've now topped up two days evaporation losses with salted RO (arround 2l) to try and pull SG up a little to 24... All the new stock are looking good though, and I've started my hunt for some Scunk Clownfish

The rock stack as it is now;

The only remaining Aptasia, the other 4-5 of them appear to have found a shrimp during the night...

Some free Yellow Sponge. This was transported in air though, so I don't expect it to last. It is already looking a bit "worse for wear"

A hitch-hiking hermit of some kind. Either a massive blue leg, or more likely a common...

He decided he'd had enough photos taken of him by this point, and did a runner... I cannot find either of the ones I bought, but there were no spare shells in there that they could have re-located to and that isn't the shell either were in when I last saw them...

One of the three Peppermint shrimp. Being a little camera shy. They usualy all come out when somebody in in the room Loverly colours on them...

I've added mebe 1/4 of a block of frozen brine by Ocean Nutrition to keep things ticking over for now. The whole CUC went mad for the stuff

All the best
Rabbut

 

[CageUK]

A nice start there rabbut.

Glad to see the peppermints doing their job.

With regards to your previous comment about test kit anomalies. I find it a constant source of frustration that different kits give different results, are often ambiguous at best when trying to match up colours when the test tube colour looks nothing like the printed card. The printed cards from batch to batch often show different colours due to the limitations of of printing processes (especially those nonces that use 4 colour process printing).

And finally the colours looking different light.
I daren't do a test in the evening as colours under tungsten/halogen/fluorescent lighting show totally differently to tests performed in the daytime. Even in daytime the tests can look different depending on the quality of light ie lots of sunshine or cloudy grey skies.

On top of all that, some test state you must hold the test tube directly against the white on the card and some don't mention it at all. Often if you hold a test tube directly to the card it completely changes to the colour that would appear if you stood the tube away from the card.

Frankly I find it amazing we can get any accurate results at all.

Ok I've probably gone a little over the top but it does wind me up!

Why can't someone invent a CHEAP digital test station that needs no calibration and can test for all the main elements (and possibly a few of the minor ones as well).

Pie in the sky I know but I can dream.

 

[rabbut]

I know what you mean about lights making a difference as well as colour chart reading... My dad used to test water for the environment agency, so I used to have access to lab grade test gear, but most of his gear apparently was no good for marine, and he's now moved into soil instead Tetra were usualy more accurate than most other kits when compaired to lab results, but the Tetra kit never returned a value much less than 12.5...

Give it a few years and I bet there will be an accurate digital probe commercially available for most things, but calibration and all-in-one solutions I'm always sceptical about. I cannot see the advantage TBH, the more it does, the more there is to go wrong

All the best
Rabbut

 

[rabbut]

I just put a reserve on a breeding pair of Skunk clowns at my local branch of Waterscapes. Gonna set me back £60 which I suppose isn't bad for a proven pair. I do want to eventually branch out into breeding these little guys later, just gorra convince my folks that there is enough space in the garden for a fish shed, or in the garrage arround the car and other junk...

Will be going to collect them tomorrow

Rabbut

 

[ox5477]

Very cool rabbut... post some pics when you get them settled in!

Ox

 

[rabbut]

Of course. Don't expect any untill tthe day after tomorrow. They run their system on 1.020, so I'll be taking my time over a drip aclimation due to a fair sized salinity difference... Poor things will probibly be under a lot of stress for a few hours after introduction... The tank catches the early sun, and I'll be introducing in the morning, so I may need to go as far as to cover over the tank when I put them in...

All the best
Rabbut

 

[rabbut]

Fish forever suppise me by their resiliance These guys have gone through the fuss of aclimation and introduction to a new tank like nothing happened... Well, nearly, they are a tad "jumpy" but the weather has cooled sufficienly to allow me to close the hood, avoiding any suicides. The heater and halide were both on together after a hour of lights this morning with hood closed Anyhow, picture time

The pair

The full tank ATM

Two of possibly three hermits, hanging out on the rockwork. I still think I have a stoe-away hermit in there somewhere...

A quick question about Royal Grammas. Are they likely to be OK in this tank, or I going to have to look at other tank mates? Also, I'm remembering this right aren't I, Royal gramma = well behaved, false gramma = nasty so-and-so

Thanks all
Rabbut

 

[adam98150]

Your tank is looking great Rabbut! Those Clowns look fantastic. I believe Royal Gramma's are widely regarded as peaceful, although they establish a 'home' such as a cave within the rock work, being territorial to those who enter.