DChemist Posted February 5, 2007 Author Share Posted February 5, 2007 I wouldn't let it turn into a stray voltage debate (perhaps just a discussion)... I've got the ground probe wire plugged into the only good ground around my tank and I've PM'd you a couple of questions (I hate to appear too ignorant on my own tank thread). I'm not sure I'd be seeing the improvements in my tank if I still had a problem with stray voltage- though I will test in order to eliminate that as a cause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DChemist Posted February 10, 2007 Author Share Posted February 10, 2007 Update... I played around with the voltmeter (looking for stray voltage and /or current)... Either I don't have any or I'm measuring it wrong. Regardless, the tank is improving. Corals I thought I lost are still alive and are recovering. I'm getting suspicious that the reason for the crash may have been my Halimeda crashing or "going sexual". It's entirely white and falling apart. My wife said around the Halimeda was the last to clear and the odor was very much like Halimeda. (have you even trimmed it, let it dry out a little and smelled it?) I've posted a question in the discussion forum asking what I should do about the fine green algae growing on the recovering corals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DChemist Posted February 11, 2007 Author Share Posted February 11, 2007 Update II... Here's a photo of my problem... I thought I completely lost this purple monti the week after the crash. It's gained back some of it's color and the polyps are extending well. I'm going to do my best to help these recover. One approach is to add more grazers. Today I added 4 red-legged hermits to my cleaning crew. Already I've seen them clean up a couple of patches. I've just been setting them where I want them to work. This one even climbed up here without me telling it to. The other approach I'm taking has been the addition of a scribbled rabbitfish. I'm impressed- he started eating algae within ten minutes after acclimation and addition (Yes, I didn't quarantine him- I felt the benefits outweighed the risk). I'll post pictures of him this next week... As always, any feedback is welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly guy Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 Is that scribbled rabbitfish eating the bryopsis you just pictured that is growing on the corals??? Bryopsis IS Satan. My scribbled rabbitfish will only eat it if i hit it with boiling water first. I know i recommended them to you in your other thread....... But i have to tell you something........i did a lot of research on it and they are one of the more likely fish that WILL eat the stuff.....but even then only 50% or less of them. I bought mine hoping they would......but they didnt except for under the circumstances i described. Bryopsis will grow when all the other nuisance algaes wont. I battled with that crap....ended up blow torching a bunch of rock...covering the stuff up with epoxy and glue. I finally beat it but it wasnt pretty. I had this one patch that was growing out of the underside of a scroll..........i couldnt for the life of me get it to stop. I ended up tossing half the coral as i didnt want to risk it reintroducing it to my tank. Sorry to be a pessimist......but that stuff caused me much pain. I will offer this.......absolutely under no circumstances try to pick that stuff off in your tank. It spreads by fragmentation........if you are going to pick it off, take the rock or coral out of the tank to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DChemist Posted February 11, 2007 Author Share Posted February 11, 2007 I'd love to say the rabbitfish was eating the algae on the coral- but that would be an exaggeration. I've only seen him picking algae off the live rock today. I don't mind your pessimism... I fully realize that I may have to ultimately frag the corals to save them- I'm just going to do my best to avoid that option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 My hermits never clean that stuff well, but the snails, they clean triple their weight. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DChemist Posted February 11, 2007 Author Share Posted February 11, 2007 My hermits never clean that stuff well' date=' but the snails, they clean triple their weight. Good luck.[/quote'] I agree about the snails- just have never seen them actually on any coral. But I guess I've never needed them to clean the coral before... Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly guy Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 Do you know where you got the bryopsis from??? Personally, I think its morally ok to execute them if you do.........just MY opinion of course Bryopsis isnt like hair algae that just grows in any old tank that provides the nutrients......it needed to be introduced. I know where i got mine from. It was visible when i bought the corals from the guy.............unfortunately i didnt know any better at the time :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Yeah, I was referring to the first two pages or so of the thread--all those beautiful photos--not the recent problems. After it posted, I realized I hadn't read the most recent posts... Sorry bout that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanz Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 get a long spine urchin, only if you don't care for the purple stuff.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DChemist Posted February 13, 2007 Author Share Posted February 13, 2007 Yeah' date=' I was referring to the first two pages or so of the thread--all those beautiful photos--not the recent problems. After it posted, I realized I hadn't read the most recent posts... Sorry bout that.[/quote'] No problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DChemist Posted February 13, 2007 Author Share Posted February 13, 2007 get a long spine urchin' date=' only if you don't care for the purple stuff....[/quote'] I got a short spined one- I don't care about the coraline. He doesn't clean the corals- just tips them over.DOH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DChemist Posted February 13, 2007 Author Share Posted February 13, 2007 Here's the newest addition... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DChemist Posted February 13, 2007 Author Share Posted February 13, 2007 And a before and after shot of the cleaned up purple monti. I believe the hermits did most of the work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly guy Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 Sweet fish. Im glad i was wrong about the bryopsis. Either i had a different nuclear kind on steroids or i ticked God off..........whatever the case may be, whenever i see the stuff i cringe........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DChemist Posted February 14, 2007 Author Share Posted February 14, 2007 Sweet fish. Im glad i was wrong about the bryopsis. Either i had a different nuclear kind on steroids or i ticked God off..........whatever the case may be, whenever i see the stuff i cringe........ Me too (about the bryopsis). I suspect you hadn't sacrificed to the reef gods... It's a great fish- he is eating off of the corals now too.(rock2) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 Those are very cool fish! Mine is getting bigger everyday and they have a different personality about them. Mine will stick is nose out of the water, like he wants you to pet him, but the spines have stopped me from trying. :p DOH! (scratch) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DChemist Posted February 23, 2007 Author Share Posted February 23, 2007 Another Photo Those are very cool fish! Mine is getting bigger everyday and they have a different personality about them. Mine will stick is nose out of the water' date=' like he wants you to pet him, but the spines have stopped me from trying. :p DOH! (scratch)[/quote'] Yeah- they're cool. The spines are intimidating. Here's a close-up that I took a couple of days ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DChemist Posted February 26, 2007 Author Share Posted February 26, 2007 The rabbitfish is cleaning up on the bubble algae also. He's incredible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluecheese Posted March 12, 2007 Share Posted March 12, 2007 Great shots and beautiful tank. Amazing recovery. Beside the flatworms, How does the tank look now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DChemist Posted March 14, 2007 Author Share Posted March 14, 2007 Great shots and beautiful tank. Amazing recovery. Beside the flatworms' date=' How does the tank look now?[/quote'] Thanks Bluecheese. The tank is looking great. I know I need to post follow-up photos, I just haven't the time lately. I did add a sixline wrasse to control the flatworms. Because of the wrasses reputation as a jumper I put the eggcrate back on. I can't believe how much light it cuts out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DChemist Posted April 6, 2007 Author Share Posted April 6, 2007 Here are a couple of current photos (both of them already posted elsewhere on the forum)... I hated the egg crate back on the tank so I pulled it off. Full tank shot- taken last weekend. Hitchhiker 'Hell's Fire' Anemone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DChemist Posted April 6, 2007 Author Share Posted April 6, 2007 I guess I hadn't posted any photos of the sixline in this thread yet either... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyenna Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 Here are a couple of current photos (both of them already posted elsewhere on the forum)... I hated the egg crate back on the tank so I pulled it off. Full tank shot- taken last weekend. Wow, looks like a great recovery. Earlier, it sounded like nothing would make it but now it appears most of your corals survived!.....? congrats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DChemist Posted April 11, 2007 Author Share Posted April 11, 2007 Wow' date=' looks like a great recovery. Earlier, it sounded like nothing would make it but now it appears most of your corals survived!.....? congrats.[/quote'] Thank you, I'm shocked everything is doing as well as it is. In all honesty- it seems as if everything is brighter and more colorful than before. The only reason I can think of, is that I started feeding more than I used to. All-in-all, I only lost a single coral (not counting the shrimp, fish, etc.). On a different subject... The six line jumped last Saturday or Sunday. I knew I was tempting fate by taking the egg-crate off. The red flat worms are still around, but not in epic quantities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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