MedRed Posted July 4, 2009 Author Share Posted July 4, 2009 So after chasing aiptasia around the tank, I couldn't get my scape back to a way that I liked it. I decided to go for coral surface area this go around. Presenting: "The Atoll". It's a little cloudy as made quite a mess moving the rocks and sand around. I tried to offset it, but the rocks and the size of the tank weren't cooperating too much. I have pods all over the glass. I think i'm about ready for a clean up crew. hopefully the param check agrees. You can see I have bryopsis on the glass. The FW world has an algae that's just as much of a PITA (cladophora). i'm going to check my paramaters and then begin dosing the kent mg and raise my mg levels to 1600 ppm. I've seen a few threads on the other forums that show success with this method. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finch6013 Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 great looking aquascape. Cant wait to see it stocked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedRed Posted July 4, 2009 Author Share Posted July 4, 2009 Thanks finch! Tank parameters: Calcium: 440 ppm KH: 8/143.2 ppm PH: 7.8 too low! what should I do? I don't have an alk test I noticed Phosphate: 0 Nitrate: 5 ppm Nitrite: 0 Ammonia: 0 Clean Up Crew Time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undrtkr_00 Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 You'll want an alk test and also a mag test. Alk is pretty easy to boost with baking soda. If you boost your alk, the pH should come in line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedRed Posted July 4, 2009 Author Share Posted July 4, 2009 I have a magnesium test. I'm going to test here in a moment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedRed Posted July 6, 2009 Author Share Posted July 6, 2009 My clean up crew has landed. 10 Nassarius 10 Florida Ceriths 1 Peppermint shrimp I'm not quite sure what I bought on the snail numbers... I think i may have 15-16 ceriths I'll let these guys marinate for now before i figure out what else I'd like to add. I just noticed my blue leg is wearing the same shell as a Cerith... Aacck! :scarry: He may have to go sooner rather than later. Raised my mg up to 1600ppm. *points at bryopsis* Avada Kedavra! :wizard: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benny503 Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 MedRed, if you think you are having too much ceriths and nassarius. I dont mind buying some from you since I need to get some clean up crews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedRed Posted July 6, 2009 Author Share Posted July 6, 2009 lol... we sha'll see. I keep clean up crews for my FW tanks as well. Once they clear up the algae... then I'll supplement their diet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COReefer Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 looking good medred. It was nice to meet you today btw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedRed Posted July 6, 2009 Author Share Posted July 6, 2009 Thanks COReefer, nice to meet you as well. Too bad I don't know where you live. I'd dognap Spencer. Lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COReefer Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 thanks man. Kidnapping is the biggest form of flattery..........wait......no it's not=P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedRed Posted July 6, 2009 Author Share Posted July 6, 2009 lol............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brokenzoa Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 The tank is looking great. looking forward to seeing it stocked. It was nice meeting you today, Thanks for the comment about Spencer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason7504 Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 i have around 7 ceriths, 3 nass and 3 astreas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannedmulder Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 Thanks COReefer' date=' nice to meet you as well. Too bad I don't know where you live. I'd dognap Spencer. Lol![/quote'] I'll give you directions!!! (whistle) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedRed Posted July 6, 2009 Author Share Posted July 6, 2009 thank you brokenzoa! Spencer is really sweet. He makes me sad that I can't have a dog :-(. How well is your CuC doing jason? Really cannedmulder? (plotting) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason7504 Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 well i might need a few more astreas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedRed Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 latest full tank shot: My stupid peppermint shrimp is constantly in hiding. All I ever see are his antennae waving around from inside some crevice. Will he become more comfortable overtime? with tank mates? It's quite easy to see the one rock on the left introduced the bryopsis to my tank. almost all the other rocks are clear of it. It is only infesting that rock and the walls. Bryopsis:Clado as SW:FW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 You will probably seldom see the peppermint shrimp. If you look in at night your chances are better and once in awhile it may come out when feeding but otherwise it will try to stay hidden during the day (the good news is they tend to pick a spot where they hide most of the time). When I first got mine I would see it more often but I didn't have enough rock for it to hide too well, now I only see it once every week or two. I have a pair of red fire shrimp that come out more often. They hang out close to the front under the rock ledges on one side and often come right out on the sand when feeding. I occasionally see them cleaning fish as well. They do stay hidden more than most of the creatures though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedRed Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 Thanks Rick, I've been successful in finding him most days. He's used 3 spots so far. I'm going to test my parameters again this weekend. If they are looking good, I'm going to add something more out in the open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Nice looking tank Med, my peppermint is now residing in my filter. Started eating my hammer lil bastard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Nice looking tank Med' date=' my peppermint is now residing in my filter. Started eating my hammer lil bastard.[/quote'] There are a couple of different species commonly called peppermint shrimp. A search will turn up the differences (something to do with the nostrum length) although even with that it is hard to tell them apart. I wonder if you have the "other" species. It is more likely to eat feather dusters instead of aptasia while the opposite is true of the first. Maybe it eats hammers/fragspawn as well. I've had both but took the second ones back right away when they started eating my feather dusters. Do you have any green emerald crabs? They get rid of bubble algae but then they may start in on the corals. Mine was temporarily banished to the sump when I caught her eating the GSP. I put her into the Nano tank once I had it set up but my Electric Blue Hermit (Which is getting huge) had it for dinner over this last weekend. (When I got back from the beach Sunday he had the carapace torn open and was munching away at it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Yes I have emerald's too but have never had an issue with them. The bubble algae is gone, I saw the shrimp sitting on the hammer stalk eating away at the tenticals. He is lucky to be alive at this point. I was going to just pitch him into the grass as I normally do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Yes I have emerald's too but have never had an issue with them. The bubble algae is gone' date=' I saw the shrimp sitting on the hammer stalk eating away at the tenticals. He is lucky to be alive at this point. I was going to just pitch him into the grass as I normally do.[/quote'] Drastic measures. (I tossed a chromis in with my trigger when I caught him picking on my purple tang but I didn't intend for the trigger to kill it.) Did I tell you how I got my Horseshoe crab? It was because of a male emerald crab that had some massive pincers. He got up on the rocks and was literally trying to catch the fish as they swam by. After he got a small piece of a cinnamon clown I traded him in on the Horseshoe. Okay back to Medred, Do you know what are you going to get next? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedRed Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 Ha ha... i don't mind the banter at all. I'm learning from it. I'm not sure what's next. Fish? Coral? it's a mystery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.