Wow.. you are really having terrible luck with equipment.. you sure you didn't anger the sea gods in a previous life? Lights.. pumps.. have you had a heater fail yet? May be time to get one ready just in case. 
Amp's 25g Cube Seagrass build REDUX
- Thread starter Amphiprion
- Start date
I have spares of just about everything now. Probably won't help my luck, though. I think I may end up just springing for an Eheim or something to that effect.Wow.. you are really having terrible luck with equipment.. you sure you didn't anger the sea gods in a previous life? Lights.. pumps.. have you had a heater fail yet? May be time to get one ready just in case.
Ugh, brand new return is making this awful vibration. I've done everything I can think of to stop it, ranging from cleaning the entire housing and impeller to cushioning the pump with styrofoam. None of it works. I've finally broken down and purchased a Tunze Silence pump. We'll see if it lives up to its name. I'll reserve the Laguna pump I have now as a(nother) backup.
I recently bought the Sicce version of that pump and after running a Mag 5 for 2 days all I can say is WOW!. The pumps are not dead silent but I am very happy with the minimal noise level.
Now that you mention it, you're probably right. But I'd rather not do that--I'd rather stop having to buy more equipment, honestly. It seems constant.
On the upside, the weird die-off problem has subsided and the grass seems to be recovering, albeit slowly. Tank as a whole looks to be doing pretty well, which I'm happy with. The infaunal diversity along with grass is incredible. It is really coming together as a little ecosystem. It's entirely different from a reef, but really just as rewarding in the end--to me at least. In the long term, I hope to have such a setup in conjunction with the reef to help simulated the kind of habitat you'd normally see. I'd also like to include a bit in the reef display itself. A macroalgae flat, as you'd also see in nature, would be great to include as well. The concept of all this isn't new, but something I'm definitely considering in the future.
Feeding regimen change
Okay, so I finally worked up the courage to order a large amount of various frozen foods. As such, I've decided to change up my feeding regimen a bit. The fish still get fed 2-3x daily, ranging from pellets, and one or two cubes of frozen. The fish also get a couple of pumps of Liquid Life marine plankton, which is basically cyclopeeze paste. I am also now adding approximately 2 tablespoons of phytoplankton twice daily, as well as about 1/4 teaspoon of oyster eggs nightly. I may increase the amount of phyto over time, too.
Okay, so I finally worked up the courage to order a large amount of various frozen foods. As such, I've decided to change up my feeding regimen a bit. The fish still get fed 2-3x daily, ranging from pellets, and one or two cubes of frozen. The fish also get a couple of pumps of Liquid Life marine plankton, which is basically cyclopeeze paste. I am also now adding approximately 2 tablespoons of phytoplankton twice daily, as well as about 1/4 teaspoon of oyster eggs nightly. I may increase the amount of phyto over time, too.
I took a look at the tank at night for the first time in a while and I see tons and tons of particulates. Upon closer inspection, there are millions of very, very fine filaments floating around. At first, I though a cluster of bristleworms were ground into bits by my Vortech. So, I sat with the flash light and observed. To my surprise, they curl and move. There is some absurd amount of larval action occurring in this tank without my knowledge. We're talking millions of these things and they have to be some sort of polychaete. I wish I could get a picture of them, but they are too small to resolve on any camera I have access to.
