IMHO EVERY diary is informative, no matter if you're an expert or noobs like us
I can't think of how many times I've read someone's diary and they've ID'd a hitchhiker, or pinpointed a solution to a problem with a coral, mentioned a way of doing something that I've never though of... I also love to see pictures of other people's setups and livestock, every tank is so unique.
One thing I forgot to mention, something happened just the other day that was interesting, maybe this marks another step in my progress in this hobby, maybe my husband started spiking my Diet Coke with Valium, I don't know...
The background: I'm a VERY impatient person sometimes, and when I want something I generally find a way to go and get it/do it or it bothers me until I do. This hobby and my type A personality don't always go well together, lol. I'm also a kinesthetic (sp?) learner - you can show me, you can tell me, but until I do something with my own hands it's not likely to sink in. I know everyone says 'go slow', but I had to do the reverse and see for myself WHY they say it.
Lately I've been experiencing the effects of overloading my 30g - it's less than a year old and was probably due for a nice cyano bloom anyway, but I know too many fish tipped it over the top. I removed Sam to the 65g, then the Potter's angel succumbed to a nasty bacterial infection (I now suspect that Sam started it by wounding him right after he was introduced to the tank), and the tank was back to the original three musketeers - a fairy wrasse, yellow clown goby and shrimp goby. I also stopped overfeeding and let the corals fend for themselves for a bit. I assumed levels would go back to normal and the cyano would die right away, but I think the tank is going through a bit of an 'echo cycle' - some of the bacteria are dying off as there's less NH3 to feed on, causing little ammonia spikes and fueling algae blooms as they go.
I have started to see the tank leveling itself out since I stopped adding things, and have developed an overwhelming urge to LEAVE THINGS ALONE. It was miraculous when it happened just a day or three ago. I added a few more crabs and snails to the 65g and then, amazingly, suddenly I didn't have the urge to shop for more livestock, stir up/even out the sand, move anything, feed a little more, scrape algae... I'm just doing water changes on both tanks, rinsing sponges, adding things like Ca and buffer when needed and keeping my mitts out of the tank. Now that I'm not bothering them so much, I imagine they'll both settle down nicely given a little time. Maybe not worth mentioning, but it's interesting to enter a new headspace where I can look at a little algae and not freak out
. I went to a big Boxing day sale and bought ten Astraeas, ten mini bluelegs and five Hawaiian hermits - at 50-75% off, I couldn't resist. They're doing a nice job cleaning up, and the gobies are keeping the sand crystal clear. 
