Marine Tank Update

Sp G = 1.023
t = 69.8F

This morning the Lunar lights went off early, but the morning light came on at 7 as it should have. KT appeared to be about 1" which is normal since it is the morning and I'm assuming it is still under stress from transportation.

First Life Re-Introduction! (Kenya Tree)

Today I plan to check for those worms and fish out any that I can find. Then I'll put in the Kenya Tree & turn on the lunar light.

Rehabilitation Day 1

Ammonia 0.25

So today is day 1 of the re-start!This morning I checked the ammonia and was surprised to fihd its low level at 0.25 given that I left the tank untouched for so long.Steps I made today:1. I had immediately disconnected the Fluval filter2. Rinsed the media in the filter body3. Thoroughly rinsed the filter floss in the filter body5. Dumped the water out of the filter body in the toilet (the water was brownish, but much lighter than a month-two before.6. Re-assembled the filter and refilled it with water form the tank7. Turned the filter back on. 8. Scooped the decayed plants remains from the fuge.9. Added 1 bucket of fresh (unsalted) water treated with Aqua Safe or something of that sort.10. Scrubbed the hair algae off the front glass.Status: all equipment seem to be working fine.

Equipment:

• Fluval 204 canister filter
• CPR AQ Fuge
• Power Head (to pump CPR)
• 36Wt Actinic Light (day interval)
• 2 LED Moonlights (night interval)
• 9 Wt bulb lighting the fuge at night
• 200 Wt heater in the fuge

Livestock: doubtful, except for plethora of green Hair Algae and Coraline Algae.

Light change in Fuge to 2700K

So today I had swapped the Actinic 9 Wt for a 2700K 9Wt in the fuge. I had also added a timer to make the lights go on alternate schedule (one on other off). This way people say the Ph will be more stable. I was able to fit the surface skimmer fixture, but not sure if I should turn it on.
Can't wait for things to get back to normal to re-start the tank.

Filter Maint

Didn't have much time this morning, so just quickly took out the filterfloss from the bottom basket and swished it in the pre-made water (the left overs from prior water changes). The yeild was brownish load of gunk in the water. Placed floss back into the filter and turned it back on. Will check parameters later on tonight.
Oh, the CPR is now serviced by 9 watt actinic bulb that is on 24/7.

Morning Check-up

So, this morning I have added some water as some got evaporated. After that the tests have shown the following:

t = 78.6
Ammo = 0.25, but closer to 0!
Ph = 7.9
SG = 1.025

I will do the filter maint (floss wash in tank water and about 1/2 gallon PWC tonight) to further bring ammo down.

Morning Check-up

SG = 1.026
Ph = 7.9
Ammo = 0.25
t = 78.4 F

Filter Maint

PWC 1 bucket
Filter floss rinse in a bucket of used water yeild yellowish-brownish water. Two smaller filter pads were rinsed too.

More Measurements

A PWC of 1 gallon and measurements:
SG = 1.026
Ph = 8.5
Ammonia = never saw this color before. it is brownish - off the charts

Re-introduction of LR & Worms (?!)

So, this morning I woke up at 6:00 AM and decided to go with advice on killing aiptasias by injecting them with lemon juice. After making this decision I did:

1. PWC (1 bucket of water out) = approx 1 gallon
2. Scrubbed LR (stored in another bucket of water) with turkey brush under running tap water.
3. Examined LR for life and found the following:
4. Large Worms 2"+ will post picture later
5. Small crustacean (like a snail 1/3")
6. Piece of brown seaweed - 1/4"
   White leathery blubs.
7. Some hair algae
8. Weighted LR = 12 Lb - which is good according to this article
9. Put scrubbed LR back into the tank and a couple of small pieces into the fuge.
10. Filled up the tank with water with pre-dissolved salt using a declorinator from a yellow bottle.
11. Re-measured SG = 1.026

Oh, while doing the above, I managed to drop my Fuge light inside the fuge! - it got the GFCI tripped and hopefully the light will be OK.

Just Another Day.

In the morning I realized that I forgot (again!) to turn the canister filter on and plugged it back in. After running it for a few minutes (to ensure the water is out of the filter and back into the system I tested ammonia. The reading was still at .25 and the Ph registered at around 7.9 - but my color perception maybe off.

New Equipment: CPR Unit.

This evning I had picked up and installed at the back of the tank an $80 CPR Refugium. Now my tank starts to feel like professional, lol. I took off the surface skimmer as there is no space of it on the back right now and moved the heater over into refugium as to decrease the presence of equipment int the tank. The guy who sold me refugium said that I can replace the canister filter and that it was the only thing that he had running his 20 gallon tank on. I'll see about that after consulting with members of MRI also had carried out a one bucket PWC.
The ammonia reading prior to the PWC was.25 and the Ph was about 7.9 I'm looking into getting the light timer and a new 10K light bulb.
Oh, another survivor showed up - a serpae looking sea star! - she was spotted on the tank wall.

PWC & Maint

Today I had carried out another massive waterchange.
Readings

Pre PWC

• t = 82.5
• Ph = 8.0
• Ammo = 0.5-1.0
• SPg = 1.020

Post 30 - 40% PWC:

• Ph = 8.5
• Ammo = .25 !
• SPg = 1.020

Either yesterday or today I had dismantled the filter and squished the water out of the filter floss under the running water and out of the two filter pads until close to clear water was coming out. I believe that constituted to major Ammo drop.

Recovery and Survivors

First, the care process: At night when I got back home I took all the pre-change measurements:

• Ph 8.2
• NO3 = 0
• Ammonia 1.0 - 2.5 probably 2.5+
• Alk = 3.6; PO4 = 0
• SPg = 1.028

Then I turned off filter, skimmer, & heater. Moved all the live rock to the bucket (no corals on live rock made it ). Moved all pegs with surviving corals to the corner. Scrubbed the front and side walls with mag cleaner to A- cleanness scraping off all algae (coraline and other). Syphoned the water mixing up the top layer of live sand into the bucket with live rock.Whatever didn't fit, into another bucket (that one is to be dumped out later). Alltogether about 5" of greenish/blueish water were removed. Clock striked 12:30 AM. I scrabbed the filter pad from HOB DIY skimmer with a turkey brush under the stream of fresh water in the sink until it turned back to blueish. The pad was leaching yellowish water while being scrubbed. Started to poor tap water back into the tank (SPg prior to pooring went up to 1.036+) declorinating it with stuff from yellow bottle. When tank was almost full, took out coral pegs and shook off the sand, re-stuck the pegs into live sand. Checked the SPg = 1.017; poored salt into the skimmer chamber and it equipment on. After running it for a few mintues, reinserted the filter pad and turned the canister filter on too. SPg prior to going to bed and in the morning was 1.019. Poured more salt into the skimmer chamber. SPg went up to 1.020 and temp reading was 84.x F. 50/50 light went on by timer around 7:30 AM.

Second, the survivors: 1 maybe more turbo snails; sea hare - yey! - he's back to DBTC and is already spoken for; looks like ricordia corals on one of the pegs made it; mushroom coral. Some weird white blubs on the life rock.

Tank CRASH Day

Yesterday I noticed that the corals looked pretty much dead, today I saw NO FISH IN MY TANK!

Pre-change readings:

• NH3/NH4 = blue! - never saw this color before - off the charts!
• Ph = 8.2
• NO3 = 0-10 - can't tell
• Alk = 3.6
• PO4 = 0.00
• SG = 1.028

Massive waterchange was carried out (4 canisters (Ocean Spray) of freshly mixed water were PWC'ed.

10K K light stopped working sometime before the crash, so the tank was serviced by a single 36 Wt 50/50 light bulb.

1. Problem with the canister filter required its temporary shutdown (1+ month) with replacement by a HOB DIY Skimmer (from HOB filter). Strangely enough the week before the crash, all chemical levels reported normal (PH, Ammonia, Phosphate, Nitrate).
2. What I think were the leading causes of crash: 1. cansiter filter was restarted after 1 month of bein stale (stupidly enough, yes I admit I made a stupidity, I didn't toss the water out of it. Second, the sp. gravity level rose from usual 1.025-1.026 to 1.035+ (top of the scale and probably even higher.Strangely enough I couldn't find neither of my three fishes this morning! (could the cat gotten them? - I truly don't think so, could they have gotten dissolve in the high salt water?)

SO, to the conclusion.I'm not ready to give up on this hobby. I plan to restart. This time I will do the following:

1. Rescue the surviving corals [mushrooms] (tonight) by taking water measurements and making necessary adjustments. Will remove survivors off the live rock.
2. Will syphon through the top layer of the live (still live?) sand while removing the water.
3. Will remove live rock and will boil it to ensure all the aiptasias are GONE!
4. Will scrub-clean the front and side glass of whatever that brown crap had grown on it during the last few days.
5. Will ensure the canister filter and the skimmer function properly (flow adjustments).

Time to get back to bloggin'

Well, I just found out where my problems are coming from:
Slime Alga => Lack of water flow, which is true since the powerfilter has been disconnected for a while
Bubble Alga => probably was introduced with the rocks from LI sound. Will have to be more careful next time and boil the damn rocks.
Hair Alga => Got a slimy kind of thingy yesterday (about 2" long) that's supposed to eat it. The thingy is called a "sea hare."
Darn aiptasias are doing well - the berghias team didn't seem to affect them a bit.

Snags and Issues

Well, first of I ran into a snag with trying to frag Kenya Tree and attach it to a rock.
It wondered off (despite rubber band) and attached itself to a different rock. I had re-attached it to the one I want again this evening.

The problem is with my clamber light control strip. For the life of mine I can not figure out how to program the damn thing!

Fragging Kenya Tree, New Additions

Today I decided to experiment. I went out to Long Island Sound and picked up some stones and a closed clam (about 1" long).
I had acclimated the clam by changing 50% of water twice into a cup I brought her in. Then I dropped her and the rocks into the tank.
I tried to scrape off the smaller mushroom, but it started to leach out the slime and I left it alone. I tried to do the same with another coral and the story repeated itself.
Then I tried to tear off the smaller Kenya Tree. With a pretty big effort I was able to do so. I took a small stone from the tank and attached the fragged KT to it with a rubber band. We'll see if KT will attach itself to the rock in a week or so.

Maint Day (Long Overdue PWC!)

OK, today (2:27 AM on 7/7/08) I did the long overdue almost full bucket water change.
Resulting SPGa right after PWC = 1.024
Interesting thing noticed: I never looked at my tank at night before. Lately, since my timer is broken my light cycle is a bit erratic (Actinic is switched with 10K at different times and then 10K with Actinic and Actinic with night LEDs. However I do turn on my Actinic lights at around 7 AM every morning.
So, back to my discoveries: At 2:27 AM Kenya Tree (under two LEDs) looked "deflated," The mushroom was about 1/2 its daily size (about 1" in diameter during the day). Is this normal for them? - I don't know. Have to post this on a forum.

Feeding & Behavior Observation

Ammonia = 0.00
This morning (7:15 AM) I dropped some food in the tank.
I have to say Mimo looks almost exactly like his new bud, I'm pretty sure they are of the same kind.
I could tell Mimo from his new bud right away! Mimo and the Devil went right after the food, but that fish stayed out. When he tried to approach the food he was let know by the Devil that he is not welcomed here. No fierce attacks, just little chase away.

Mimo meets who?

Today almost three months after I got Mimo and the tank I got him a buddy. I have to name that other fish! I found him yesterday in New World Aquarium. Hopefully he didn't change sex yet and still is a male.
Acclimation:
Dropped a bag in the water. Fed the cat.
Poured some water into the bag. Took off my work clothes.
Poured some more water in. Went looking for the net. Cursed cuz I couldn't find it.
Poured the water with the clown out of the bag into the bucket through the net.
Released clown into the tank.
P.S. By the time this happened, only Moon LEDs were on.
Also bought Phytoplankton.

Mushroom Planting

Today I decided to split my mushroom colony I had recently acquired. As I had discovered, one of the pegs had not one, but three mushrooms!

Prep 1
Gathering:
0. Read some articles on mushroom fragging.
1. Found a cork (from wine bottle)
2. Found never-used blade
3. Found some bandage
4. Found rubber band from old fish bag
5. Found a plastic container (used it before to transfer my fish in it)
6. Paper towel roll.

Prep 2.
1. Put a chair next to the tank
2. Thoroughly rinsed the blade and rubbed it with paper towel
3. Rinsed the cork
4. Spliced the cork to shorten it.
5. Tried the cork in aquarium (to see if it'll stay put) - it did.
6. Cut a piece of bandage small enough to cover the cork
7. Filled container (5) with aquarium water and put it on the chair
8. Took mushrooms peg out of the tank and tried to separate small mushroom growing on the side of the peg. (Mushroom became slimy and hard to handle. Scraped it off with the blade.)
9. Rinsed the peg with remaining two mushrooms in the container to remove excessive slime.
10. 10 Placed the peg back where it was in the tank.
11. "Pasted" the mushroom on top of the cork
12. Covered the cork with bandage and fixed it in place with rubber band.
13. Cut excess of bandage with the blade
14. Rinsed in the container.Place the newly planted mushroom next to the mother colony.
Will take the bandage off on July 7th (two weeks from planting time should allow the mushroom to heal).

New Corals

This morning the KT corals were doing fine, though leaning towards the filter intake under the flow. The fish seemed to be stressed and hiding out. So I turned off the filter for the day (Turned it back on at night when the fish were more or less OK).

More Corals

Today I had picked up life rock from a member at Manhattan Reefs forum. The rock has two Kenya Tree coral branches on it. Some baby yellow sun corals and baby mushrooms growing on it.
I brought the LR with corals home, and put it in a bucket. The water didn't cover the corals and they hanged down helplessly. I started to syphon water from my tank to the bucket until it was full. Then let is stand there while I was re-arranging LRs and Corals in my tank. When I was done, I took the rock out of the bucket and placed it in the center of my tank. The KTs stood up. I saw a couple of creatures in the bucket that looked like slim starfishes. I scooped them out and put them in my tank as well.
I dumped the water out of the bucket and mixed some new one to compensate for the lost water in the tank.

First Corals added!

Today I have bought my first corals!
I got 1 mushroom and two others.
Pictures will be posted.
When I brought them in only my night light was on. I turned on the dawn lights and floated the bag for some time. Then I had poured the water into the bag once, let it float, poured it again, let it float. Then I took the sticks out and transferred the corals over. I burried the sticks up to the top in the live sand. Two next to live rock and one in the front of the tank. Then turned the lights back off.

Maint Day

Parameters before PWC
Sp Grav: 1.022
Ph: 8.0 - 8.2
PO4: 0.0 - 0.1
NH3/NH4: 0.o <- 0.25

Partial water change: 10 % (1 bucket) @ SPG 1.023
Iodine: 40 drops added
Temp: 86F

Light Adjustment

I noticed that the temperature of the tank is around 88 F. In an effort to cool it down a bit, I have adjusted my 200 Wt heater to around 75 F and put two front legs on the light fixture to lift it off the tank cover. Now there will be air under the light to carry away heat from the bulb.
At last: I keep air conditioner on at 84 F to control room temperature.
Future plans:
1. Add two rear legs to uplift light fixture more.
2. Add computer air fans to move air below the light fixture.

Fed the fish with flakes.

Filter Maint

Fluval 204 maint:
L = Fiber
M = Biorings
H = Purigen in mesh bag + more fiber
Changed O-ring and siliconed top to bottom to stop leakage.

Cold Water!

Morning water temp check shows: 70.1 F which is very low.
Turned on the light (directly above the glass pane and that heated up the water by 2 F to 72 F which is still pretty low.
Still using inefficient air-driven filter.

Adjustments needed

Ammonia .025
I can not combat Ammonia. The additional waterflow from powerhead and ME 25 doesn't seem to have any affect on it. I'm planning to replace Ammochips with Purigen, stop ME 25 and see if that will rectify the situation.

Maint Day

Alk: Within normal limits
Ammonia: .25 after 10% water change!
Salinity 1.025
Carried out 10% (1" off the top of the waterline) water change. Siphoned from the bottom.
Checked the ammonia in the water pre-mixed with salt before adding it to the tank. "Fresh" salt water shows 0 ammonia. Tank water shows .25 even after 10% waterchange.
I have ordered Purigen as I found out that AmmoChips are not good for saltwater.
After water change added 40 drops of iodine supplement.
Will reduce feeding to once a week on wednesdays in effort to combat ammonia.

New Equipment - Aqualizer.

Today I have installed a Aqualizer ME-25 - the device advertized here on my site. The device consists of small tube installed on top of aquarium cover and a powerhead. I think the powerhead is too small for my tank (will see how it works for a month and maybe will change it.)
Fed the fish with flakes.

New Life, New Equipment

Hello,
Today I bought two things,
First, I got some macro algae from Petco for $2.00, not sure what kind it is.
Second, I bought some device off advertisement on my website that is supposed to take care of my ammonia problem and reduce the need for water changes by 75%. It also should come with the water pump that is needed for water circulation increment in my tank his thing is supposed to arrive on Friday. Well, we'll see how that will work out.

New Life, New Equipment

T = 80 F
Ammonia: 0.25

Today I have bought a new plant (water weed) at Petco for about $2.00. I got it to diversify bioload in my tank with a secret hope that it will somehow help with ammonia level. I had requested its ID on the fish forum where I usually go. I had temperature acclimated it, and then dropped it in my tank. The plant naturally fell to the bottom w/o need to burry it in the sand where it makes now a nice natural centerpiece for my tank. I had thrown out that green plastic thing (see picture at the right).

Another thing, I bought a new piece of equipment for $37.00 that supposed to increase waterflow, eliminate ammonia, reduce the need for the water changes. This thing supposed to arrive on Friday to my work. We'll see how that will work out.

I'm afraid I had made a big mistake: I had cleaned the tank with papertowel sprayed with glass cleaner and then reached into the tank with my hands. I'm keeping my fingers crossed...

Fish Feeding

Evening water check:
Ammonia = .025 but closer in color to 0
Nitrite Almost certainly 0.
I attribute positive change to new filter media and the new air pump that drives my bottom filter. (that thing is now bubbling really well and loud).

I also reduced the feeding amounts.
Fed the fish today.
The red slime is still taking over the tank. I'm considering buying a canister filter (Fluavl 10x series), especially given the hot summers in New York. I don't think the fish will survive under 86-89 F! So to avoid that I plan to buy canister filter and install it inside of the dorm fridge to use a filter/chiller kind of thing.

Change in Feeding

Since my Ammonia readings were a bit high, I decided to reduce flake feeding to once in two days for the fish and Anemone feeding to once a week. Fish was fed today. Next Anemone feeding planned to happen this weekend as well as partial water change. I was told that Purigen can be a good filter medium so I'll try to get it soon.
To buy
Chem tests for Calcium and Phosphate
Purigen
Macroalgae
Replace lightbulb

Test

Temp: 80F
NH3NH4 = 0.25
Tox. Amm. 20
Ph 8.6
I decided to check the parameters after I fed the anemones. Since the ammonia is too high, I'm going to reduce feeding to once in two days and will feed Anemones only once a week on weekends.

Anemone Feeding

Today I bought two shrimps at the fish market. They cost me only $0.35!
I scraped a miniscule piece off one of them and fed three anemonies (the Senior, and two other ones that I could spot) The senior is still hiding behind the rock right under my filter's output. It was fun to watch it grab the piece of shrimp! Later that day I saw my clown bonding with the anemone - very interesting to watch!
I'm thinking about adding the macro algae to the fishtank.

Cleaning Day

4/19/08
Measurements:
Temp: 77 F
Ph: 8.4
Ammonia: .25
NO2: .1
NO3: 0 - 2.5
Alk: 2.8-2.9
Salinity: 1.022
Made 1 bucket water change.
Added about 40 drops of iodine supplement
Morning feeding was with the flakes

More adjustments

Added night-light - one blue LED that sheds light on a pile of live rock in the right corner. The light fades in and out at a constant rate and creates interesting highlight in the tank at night.
My other bulb went out. So I have to buy a new one.
The other bulb left working is: Fluorescent 5000k.

Another Adjustment

Added blue led light to simulate night-light. It is located right above the live rock pile in the right corner and casts buish light on it - very interesting effect as the light fades out and turns on again. I'm not sure yet if it is beneficial for fish or not - will do some research.
My other bulb had burned out so I'm looking for replacement.
Current bulb left: Fluorescent 5000K.

More Adjustments

Salinity 1.020.
Ph: 8.2
Ammonia: 0.0

Replaced filter with Penguin 125 Biowheel (for larger capacity aquariums); used old filter's sponge and new filter's ammochips as filtration media. Squirted some water on to the stones to get the debris out. Discovered that there is another small anemone inside there. So I have 4 small ones and one big one.

First minor maint day

Morning Salinity: 1.021
Evening Salinity:

This morning I fed the fish with the flake food.
Evening I fed the fish. Then I had topped the tank (about 3/4") with newly prepared water: about 1 cup of salt on 3" water in the bucket which gave me 1.025 salinity reading. Once I added the water I put in about 10 drops of iodine as well.

Fish seemed to respond fine.

Day 6: More discoveries

Evening Measurements:
Temperature: 79 F
Salinity: 1.025 Good!

My tank and fish are doing well.
The anemone (or at least I think it is an anemone) - Moni Sr is still behind the rock right under the filter. Another one - Moni Jr is still on top of the tallest rock. I'm excited - can't wait to add more life to the tank!
Evening (10 PM): Came home and found two more anemone-like creatures. Both are reddish and about 1/3 in diameter.
Fed the fish with a bit of flake food.

Day 5: More Adjustments & Discoveries

I tried to install a check-valve, but it fell apart on me. Never buy anything of "Lee's" brand!
Evening - Fed the fishes with live brine shrimp
Discovered something about 1" long on the live rock. It looked like pink worm with legs. - not sure what it is.
Moved the air-pump for bottom filter inside the tank stand. Removed the airstone that is not used anyway. I think that enough aeration will be provided by operating the bottom filter.

Day 4: Discoveriess

Parameters:
Temperature 74 F.
Salinity 1.020 Went up! - Great

Heater that I brought from another tank broke. I need to get a new one.
I found out that the thing that was on top of one of the rocks turned out to be another anemone. Today it was inflated to twice the yesterday's size!
We discovered some strange things (one like a crab another one like a ball of slime on the rocks.

I fed the fishes with some live brine shrimp. They can't take them at once. They put them in their mouthes and then spit out and take in again until they swallow the whole thing.

Day 3: Adjustments Day

Morning Parameters: Evening:
Salinity: 1.018 Salinity: 1.019
Temp: 73 F. Ammonia: 0.0
Nitrate: 0.0
Ph: 8.2

Today I cleaned the salt from the bulbs.
Fed the fishes. They took flake food readily.
Anemone appears to be alive and acclimating well
Afternoon: I put the filter on. It blew off the anemone from the wall. I hope she is fine. Fed the fishes a bit more.
Anemone crawled behind the liver rock she seems fine.

Evening:
I bought salt.
Dissolved salt in a water to .032 salinity.
Added the declorinator to the water and poured the water into the fish tank
That raised the salinity to 0.019.
Added 25 drops of iodine supplement to the water.

Day 2: Rest Day

Water Temp: 78 F.
Noticed that the anemone appeared in the corner of the tank.
Let her alone. The fishes seem fine.
Didn't do anything.

Day 1: Setup

I went to the Bronx and met the guy. (I'll drop 'I' in the beginning of the following sentences):
Disassembly:
1. took a big bucket and scooped about half the tank out in it.
2. transferred live rock into the bucket with water
3. took another bucket and scooped some water into it.
4. transferred anemone (the only one I could find into that bucket)
5. Took an empty container and scooped the fish with some water into it.
6. Let the container float (closed) in the bucket with water. Closed bucket with cap.
7 Brought both buckets, & fishtank with some water in it home by car.
Re-assembly:
1. Put a tank in my room on top of the piece of furniture between the windows.
2. Scooped some more water into the tank.
3. Put some live rock back into the tank
4. Hid a bottom filter among the rocks and connected airline to it.
5. Put the rest of the rocks in and poured the rest of the water.
6. Cleaned the buildup from the inside of the tank walls with a piece of a paper towel.
7. Let the container with the fish float on the surface (opened).
8. Some time later started to pour water from the tank to the container to less stress the fish (just a pre-caution, that was all the same water they were in so just the temperature could be the factor.)
9. Poured the rest of the water into the tank from another bucket.
10. Let the fish float back into the tank.
11. Put the cover on top of the tank.

My First Marine Aquarium

I found this guy on http://newyork.craigslist.org/.
He offered a 10 gallon marine tank with fishes.
I got it on 3/27/08