Checking In, Tank Update, and a Pair of ?s

[Iconz]

Hey everyone! Sorry that I haven't been around much lately. We've been preparing for another out of state move... This will be my first with the tank. So, I'll have some questions on that, I'm sure.

Update on the tank: I've lost both my Peppermint Shrimp and my Emerald Crab... about a month apart. I can't figure out why. All water parameters seem to be great. I know they are succeptibile (sp?) to SG levels... how much of one is dangerous to them?

I've added a few corals... 3 headed Torch, 3 headed frogspawn, Small frag of Xenia which has already doubled. Metallic Green Ric that has grown a 2nd mouth in less than a month. And, some peach colored zoos.

I've also added a Strawberry Pseudocromis who is also growing like a weed! My clowns also seem to be very, very happy and are growing well.

Here's some pix of the above critters (and my growing green zoa)...

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o101/iconz_reef/My%20Animals/4-28updt009.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o101/iconz_reef/My%20Animals/4-28updt013.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o101/iconz_reef/My%20Animals/4-28updt010.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o101/iconz_reef/My%20Animals/IMG_5447.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o101/iconz_reef/My%20Animals/IMG_5439.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o101/iconz_reef/My%20Animals/IMG_5444.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o101/iconz_reef/My%20Animals/IMG_5456.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o101/iconz_reef/My%20Animals/IMG_5451.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o101/iconz_reef/My%20Animals/IMG_5446.jpg

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My first question is... what is this?

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o101/iconz_reef/My%20Animals/IMG_5457.jpg

Some sort of algae, i'm sure. But, is it good? Bad? Neutral?

My 2nd question(s) is... When i'm moving my tank in 2 weeks, its going to be for about 4 or 5 hours before i can start setting it back up.

Do i need to run battery-powered air stones for the fish?
How about for the corals?
Does the LR need to be moved submerged in water?
Any other tips?

Thanks again, And hopefully I'll be getting on here more and more again!

JD

[greg97527]

Careful with the purple pseudochromis, they can be very aggressive being from the dotty back family. I learned the hard way with the same fish.

the algae looks like cyano but way to bright. maybe a form of coraline if that part of the sand is rarely moved.

as for the moving of the tank i am adding this to favorite threads as i am moving in a few months and dont know how to do the tank move.

[jojo22]

How far is the move??? Are you next to the border or is it like a 12 hour trip??? That will affect the way you will want to move your tank, and some equipment you may not have but will need, i.e. battery powered air pump, styrofoam boxes, ice/heat packs. stuff like that.

[pass1over]

I moved my 55gal from FL to KY, about a 14 hour drive and did it over 2 days. Had an airpump branched off into each bucket with an airstone.
Did not use heaters at all and only lost 1 sea urchin. Although, there wasnt much livestock in there when I moved it.

[carpenterwrasse]

remember the fish and live stock probably traveled before you got them...and i am willing to guess it was longer than 5 hours...now this is where some will chime in and say they add pure o2 to the bags before shipping....they should make the trip that long without any added help...and someone told me that corals are hardier than we think a guy at the local fish club told a "story" that he actually let a coral dry but mistake and it came back health, just my 2 cent.....

[graphixx]

I would say anything less than 8 hours if your livestock are in tubs or large bags they will be fine just make sure they are packed good as not to have a huge temp swing. and as far as your LR I have moved mine in a tub with soaked newspaper covering them and was just fine, makes it a lot easier to move.

[Iconz]

Alright... Its going to be about a total of about 5 or 6 hours from the time i take everything down until the time everything is put back up. Its about 80 degrees here these days, so its about perfect, i think... maybe a lil warm.

I believe i figured out why my emerald crab died... My primary float switch failed on me. And the ato filled it up to the backup level.. which dropped the SG to 1.22 from the 1.26 it was at...

[graphixx]

yeah buddy 5-6 hours your fine!!! when I get fish in they are in bags with approx 2 cups of water in the bag and they are in the bags 12-18 hours and they are fine!!!!

[Iconz]

cool! That's good to hear.

[spookey]

have a good move...be careful out there....

chris

[mutts]

nice pictures!

[hummer]

how did the move go ..... how you doing....hows the tank.... did you take pics ... :):):)

[Iconz]

Hey everyone! So sorry for the absenence lately. My new job is very tiring, so when I get home in the evenings, I barely have enough time to spend time with Britt, eat, and take care of the tank. So my posts here have suffered.

The tank is doing... okay, I guess. I lost my nice frogspawn frag and my yellow leather in the move though. I've also been fighting cyano pretty bad since just before the move, and its only getting worse. Yesterday, I picked up a Lawnmower Blenny, as well as a Choclate chip starfish (in the sump since he's not reef-safe.) and a few more snails... I figure they'll help some.

I'm waiting for this cyano fight to end before I take any more pics... Hopefully it won't be too much longer....

Yesterday, I found the only LFS in town that stocks saltwater / reef stuff. Its okay. Nothing too special. But its better than no store at all!

I hope everyone is doing good, (and your tanks tooo!)....


-JD

[jojo22]

Glad to hear you're doing good, cyano is a pain, up your flow, increase your water changes and run some phosban, should help out a lot.

[iVgOnMaD]

do you have a refugium?

[hummer]

sorry too hear about your loss

[cweber]

Nice to hear from you! Sorry bout the corals, and i hope the cyano gets under control.

[Iconz]

Yes, I have a fuge... but I've yet to add some macro algae to it? Would cheato help knock out the cyano?...

Joe, I really don't know how to up my flow at this point... i'm sitting at about 35x turnover right now...

[jojo22]

What you should do then is get just a little more flow towards the bottom, You have great turnover now you just need to find a flow patern that will work for your whole tank.

I have some halmedia that I could part with if you want some macro.

[Iconz]

Sure man... THANKS! I've heard that Halmedia can suck up your calcium though... And, I've just begun to get that back up where it needs to be. Once I add it, should I increase my calcium dosage?

[jojo22]

Don't know I drip kalk water 24/7 so I usually don't have a problem, but that could explain my lack of coralline???

[Iconz]

yup, it sure could... If you're just using it for phosphate remover and a pod poduction plant, then i'd swap it to cheato and see... keep the other stuff in a 10gal in the mean time w/ a CF bulb over it just in case.

[Iconz]

Alright... I MAY have found the culprit of my cyano bloom... My RO/DI unit ouput it currently 0 TDS... However, my ATO resivoir is at 17 TDS.... With me evaporating about 8 or 9 gallons per week, could that be enough to cause this?

[iVgOnMaD]

Could be...

I would just pop some cheato in the fuge and do a 3 day lights off treatment on the main display to rid yourself of the cyano.

Just remember to keep the fuge light on to give the cheato an advantage over the cyano ;)

In really bad cases you can use erythromycin (i think thas right LOL), an antibiotic, I have used it in my reefs in the past with no problems and no die off in my case.

To increase your flow you could try these:

http://www.captivereefing.com/showthread.php?t=4830

Good luck!