New nano reef diary

[Blinky]

After adding the goby, I monitored the water quality very closely, not even a tiny spike. The Caulerpa is growing like mad, levels are great - NH3 & NO2 0, NO3 <5, PO4 <0.25, Ca 400, pH 8.2, SG 1.022.

Bought 3 bumblebee snails and a female yellow-finned fairy wrasse today (Cirrhilabrus flavidorsalis), she's stunning! Under the store lights she was pretty, but after I got her home her colours really showed up under my lights - she's purple, hot pink and bright yellow, with a white belly. The salinity in her tank was 1.019, so I dripped her for about two hours since my tank is at 1.022. She acted like she owned the place from the minute I placed her in the tank, and ate very well tonight

Did a 10% water change today - thought I might as well, since I drained about 1g of water while drip aclimating the new fish.

Here's a pic from this afternoon, sorry about the reflection and lousy quality. I'll try to take some decent pictures in the evening and post them tomorrow, I snapped this quickly when both fish darted out simultaneously at feeding time.

 

[pl*co]

Seems like there are more colors in your rock now. Looking forward to seeing some close-ups of your fishies. Lookin' good!

 

[Swimfins]

very nice Blinky! My LFS is getting some fujii rock tomorrow. 7 dollars a pound.. Might see me there snooping

 

[Blinky]

SF, I've seen some nice pics of Fiji LR, and from what I've seen $7CD/lb for premium LR is a great price.
I'm partial to Tonga Kaelini rock, because of the light weight, open shapes and different colours of coralline algae; I think it's totally a matter of personal taste, all the different types seem to have their own special qualities. I hope you dive in, I've never had so much fun watching a tank progress

 

[Swimfins]

Question: They tell me its premium fijii. Good stuff?

They will receive 5000 pounds of it today. I can rserve a box (45 pounds) for$144.00 Canadian, but I only need 15 to 20 pounds and some base rock

On top of that, I'd like to use other rocks as well, so I don't want all that.
But its a gr8 deal for big tank biggies eh?

Ok, looks like ya got me started. Your fault again I have to blame someone for this $$$$$, lmao!!! By the way, my royal pleco has thinned out all my nice ozelot sword leaves...oh well. How is L18 doing?

 

[Blinky]

(Yesterday -> SF, PM'd ya )

My goby became very sick yesterday, it came on suddenly and I'm not sure what caused it. Here's the orignial thread about it, basically he stopped eating, started swimming eratically, breathing hard, and then weakened so much he couldn't swim properly. I euthanized him after the second time I found him stuck to the fuge intake. I wonder if it was Amyloodinium, sure hope not.
So far the wrasse looks fine - she ate last night, and again this morning. All inverts are fine, eating like little piggies.
Last night's levels:
pH 8.2
NH3/NO2 0
NO3 0-5 (nearly 0)
PO4 nearly 0
salinity 1.022

 

[Blinky]

Today I did a 30% water change, rinsed out the Caulerpa in the refugium (some of it was covered in bits of dirt/sand), wiped the tank down and cleaned some algae off the sides and heater.
Levels before water change:
NO3 5
PO4 0.25
pH 8.2
salinity 1.022 (+)

After:
salinity 1.023 (gradually raising it to 1.024-1.025 over several water changes)

The fairy wrasse seems fine, I'm crossing my fingers. She's eating well, getting braver and took the water change in stride.

Here's a pic in memory of my little goby, taken yesterday before he got really sick - I was so happy to get a pic of him and the pistol working together.

Here's a picture from this afternoon, it doesn't really do her colouration justice - she's neon pink and purple, and has purple edges along her fins. My husband thinks she looks like a FW fish (read: boring), I think she's just beautiful, and I love her personality.

 

[mogurnda]

Sorry about the goby. The pattern of looking great then suddenly getting sick and dying sounds almost like cyanide. That pairing sounds so cool.

That wrasse is a beauty. More photos, please!

 

[Blinky]

Dave, your posts always make me smile
I wondered if it was cyanide as well, I read about that last night when I was researching, trying to find out what on earth happened. I have a nice marine-only LFS close to home, as well as Big Al's where I bought the wrasse. I get a discount at work, but the marine stock sometimes looks a little iffy, and obviously there was something wrong with the poor goby, so I think I'll stick to the other stores - I'd rather pay full price for something I know is healthy.

 

[Blinky]

I bought a Red Sea Prizm HOB protein skimmer at work (saved 30%, love that employee discount!). So far I don't see any gunk at all, nothing frothy happening. I'm guessing it takes a while to get going, because it seems to be working properly. [Edit] discovered I'd forgotten to move the little air tube from the priming position onto the other inlet, it's now foaming away like mad and making loads of noise [/edit]

Unfortunately, because of the placement of the fuge and the skimmer, the skimmer's intake is dead centre, which meant I had to move some of the rocks. I'm not really pleased with the arrangement ATM, but didn't want to spend an hour with my hands in the tank.

I also bought Kent 'Essential Elements' supplement, because I've read the skimmer will remove some needed nutrients, as well as some 50 micron filter material. I cut a small square of it, placed it in the fuge so the water exiting would pass through, and after rinsing and replacing it a few times, the water is much clearer.

All the inhabitants seem fine, levels are great tonight:
pH 8.3
NH3 0
NO2 0
NO3 0
PO4 0

I guess I can attribute that to the mass of Caulerpa in the refugium and possibly removing some of the gunk with the filter pad.