Nana's 40B

[NanaReefer]

Great except for this crap on my SB-lol. I'm really wanting to try this Nualgi but I'm scared ya know. Debating on, should I wait to see if it clears up on it's own, turn my white lights down even more? I don't really know what to do.

I gently stir up the surface in hopes of disturbing it enough to be removed via the over flow. Every time I do this, my sock & skimmer get really nasty. So it's doing some good. But the stuff comes right back.
I know for a fact I'm not over feeding. Only got 2 fish. I'm not using any coral foods, nor dosing anything else. Nor do I think it's diatoms, although it "looks" like them.
If I leave the SB alone then it develops little tufts of algae. So something is definitely bound up in the sand itself. I'm almost tempted to do a deep cleaning of the SB. Thinking I got some bad Live Sand?

On a good note all corals are thriving and fish are doing well

Sorry for the rant...just frustrated

 

[mfinn]

I've never used the live sand in a bag myself.
I like to clean my sand just as much as possible before adding it to the tank. Seems like the potential for adding unwanted things is higher. But then I like a shallow sand bed. 1" to 1-1/2" at most. I do deep clean this. All the way to the glass bottom.

I'm getting cyno in my 233 on the sand bed and a few rocks. I haven't had to deal with that in years.
It's kind of ugly too.
I'm pretty sure it's from a combination of over feeding and new sand.
I'm feeding twice a day now. I have a couple anthias and everything I've read about them is they need 2-3 feedings a day.

So I started using GFO and carbon last week. I think it's helping a little.
I also added more flow from a Vortech MP40.
Could really use another, but now that I'm on a fixed income, funds are tight.

 

[NanaReefer]

Yeah I freaking hate cyano!! Had that really bad case in my 26g. Couldn't get rid of it for nothing.
Gotta wait till payday to get something proper to clean my SB. Fixed income don't ya know eh? Lol

 

[mfinn]

I have a un-opened container of UltraLife Red Slime Remover sitting on my shelf that I am very tempted to try.
I also have 2 bottles of Boyds Chemi-Pure I may try too.

 

[NanaReefer]

I really like the ChemiPure Elite. Been using it for years. Does a nice job gently, unlike a reactor that sometimes strips quickly.

On another note. I think I may have made a big mistake Been trying to raise my ALK. It's been running very low. Yesterday a.m. it was 6.7 so I dosed 25ml of BRS soda ash. Tested this morning and reading was 7.6 this is good. So I dosed 30ml. Tested tonight and damn, it's at 8.4! Didn't think it would jump that high that quick! Not sure if it's the cause but my Birds Nest did not look happy! Only partial PE which is very unusual Man I hope I didn't kill it.

Times like these I'm wishing I had a doser.

 

[NanaReefer]

Yahoo! Just added a Strawberry Conch!! At this very moment it is burying itself in the SB

 

[mfinn]

That should help stir the sand bed.

 

[NanaReefer]

Hope so We'll see right. Hopefully I got it in time. Was being kept in a tank with barely any substrate in it. Definitely not enough to burry itself in. This came from a Feed Store that keeps a few SW tanks-lol. But their tanks are actually clean.

I went to the main LFS that I usually get my SW livestock from and I was so disgusted! One tank held a lil 3" Engineer Goby that was alive but being torn apart by a Six Line. Just about every tank was loaded with Red Planaria. Tons of algae & cyano! NO living corals. This is a store that's been in business for 20yrs. I worked for this owner back in the early 90's. I've offered free labor to him to get these tanks back up to par, he declined

Sorry for the rant. This really has me upset and a bit angry!

 

[mfinn]

Hope so We'll see right. Hopefully I got it in time. Was being kept in a tank with barely any substrate in it. Definitely not enough to burry itself in. This came from a Feed Store that keeps a few SW tanks-lol. But their tanks are actually clean.

I went to the main LFS that I usually get my SW livestock from and I was so disgusted! One tank held a lil 3" Engineer Goby that was alive but being torn apart by a Six Line. Just about every tank was loaded with Red Planaria. Tons of algae & cyano! NO living corals. This is a store that's been in business for 20yrs. I worked for this owner back in the early 90's. I've offered free labor to him to get these tanks back up to par, he declined

Sorry for the rant. This really has me upset and a bit angry!

I don't blame you. It is maddening to see tanks in terrible shape when it takes so little to maintain them.


I need to find some more sand stirrer's for my 233.
I was thinking a sand sifting gobie of somesort. But if I remember right ( haven't looked at these fish for a very long time) most like to take gulps of sand then swim up in the water column and release the sand usually over corals. There was one, but I can't remember which seemed to stay lower before releasing the sand.

 

[NanaReefer]

No sand sifting Goby's!! You'll regret it for sure! From everything I've read a tank your size would be a great home for a Fighting Conch
I know my tank is small for the one I got but hopefully he'll make short work cleaning up my SB and then I'll either re-home him of start feeding him algae wafers

 

[mfinn]

It's been a long time since I dealt with sand sifting gobies and if I remember correctly, regret was one of the emotions connected with them.


I did add a Fighting Conch a couple weeks ago.

 

[NanaReefer]

Great minds thinking alike!! It was nice seeing pics of your tank (hint hint) what's your maintenance been like? Do you have a dosing pump on it? I was checking out a 3 port one myself. Already spending tax return moneys

 

[NanaReefer]

WC done, WP10 moved to the back wall, center mid-level. Changed white lights down to 20% max from 30%, left blues at 50% max. I'm totally liking the look Hope my corals do. They were looking a little washed out.
I really need more corals! No place around here to get them

 

[NanaReefer]

I ordered a Royal Gramma today. Hopefully it does well in my tank

 

[mfinn]

I've always liked them. I haven't seen it myself, but have read they can be a little aggressive.

 

[NanaReefer]

I've read a lot of mixed reviews but only seen one video where one got into a tiff with a bi-color Blenny, no blood was shed However more on the positive side then negative has been said.
I'm going to add it to the left end where it'll have that rock to itself. Lil cave en all. My bi-color has his home Turbo snail shell at the far right corner.
Other happenings in tank...my Conch has finally made an appearance!


Also one of my Favia frags is showing bleached spots This of course has me very concerned. As I know nothing of possible causes. Especially when the one right next to it shows nothing of the kind.

 

[mfinn]

Could the favias be fighting at night?

 

[NanaReefer]

I've yet to see sweepers long enough on this particular Favia. Their more like a Candy Canes. But just in case I'll move it.

All else is well. Sand bed seems to be clearing up. The Conch is doing a great job stirring it up. Comes out every night and just slowly cruses around, looking like a lil vacuum cleaner.

I finally got around to returning the Yellowlined Cardinal. Talk about an evil lil fish! I no sooner added my new Royal Gramma and the Cardinal went in for the kill. I was faster! Since it's been gone my Blenny is everywhere in the tank. What a joy to watch

Finally got my parameters stable. Seems 20ml of ALK a day is the key.

 

[NanaReefer]

I am soooooo loving my tank these days-lol!! SB is almost completely cleared up. No unwanted algaes showing up. Parameters stable. Corals doing great (With the exception of my Birds Nest) and Bi-Colored Blenny & Royal Gramma doing wonderful. I love feeding them Reef Frenzy!! No waste and it's healthy for them
Rick of Reef Radiance has sent me a new fuge lamp. It's called the DM-5e. SPECIFICATIONS:

Power: 5 WATTS

Layout: 5 X 1 WATT LEDS:

1 RED LED @660 nm

2 ROYAL BLUE LED @ 450 nm

1 VIOLET LED @ 410 nm

1 WHITE LED @ 6500K Kelvin

 

[mfinn]

That's great.
What do you think was the turn-a-round?


When you get the light, take pictures.