Another log of a Newbie starting out with TBS rock!

[Qwiv]

You might as well get yourself on the order list dood68. They are about 2 weeks out on delivery right now permitting the weather holds.

[dwculp]

So, I was just doing a 10 gallon water change during my conference period and watched the serpent star snag a snail with his tentacles, pull him out of the shell and eat him! Anyone ever seen that before????

[dwculp]

Water parameters after the 10 gallon water change:

Ammonia: ~0 (not quite 0, a bit above 0)
Nitrite: 0.1
Nitrate: 5
pH: ~8.2
SG: 1.025
Phosphate: 0.1

[Qwiv]

I have seen brittle stars do things like that, not serpent stars. I don't trust brittle stars and only slightly trust serpent stars.

[dwculp]

I just went to the grocery store and bought some shrimp, I will keep him well fed!

[slave-of-rock]

yea ive seen mine do that before, also seen my brittle eat a chromis, well my ex brittle, he ate a chromis, then later that week my eel ate him, visous cycle, but soo cool!!

[Wu Tang Clam]

Just thought I'd jump in and tell you how much I appreciate you sharing your experience with us here Teach. Great pics. Interesting thread.
I'm still in the "some day I'm gonna start a reef aquarium." stage. Trying to learn all I can first. You are an inspiration and my favorite teacher.

[dwculp]

Originally posted by Wu Tang Clam
Just thought I'd jump in and tell you how much I appreciate you sharing your experience with us here Teach. Great pics. Interesting thread.
I'm still in the "some day I'm gonna start a reef aquarium." stage. Trying to learn all I can first. You are an inspiration and my favorite teacher.

THANKS!!! I was in the "planning a reef tank" stage for a couple of years before I actually did it!

[dwculp]

The pH has been dropping at night, I have read this is normal but never encountered it before. The pH currently, at 7am is about 7.8-8.0. Same thing yesterday morning but it rose back to 8.2 later in the day. Normal?

Water parameters:

Ammonia: ~0 (not quite 0, a bit above, probably 0.15)
Nitrite: 0.1
Nitrate: 10
pH: ~7.8
SG: 1.025
Phosphate: 0.1

I believe the fish is has bought the farm, or the reef, or whatever. He is MIA. Normally he is out in the morning when I come in and retreats to a cave in the back during the day. He was not out this morning and not in his cave. He was a little rough around the edges anyways!

The water parameters are still a bit out of whack. The elevated nitrate level is probably a false reading caused by the elevated nitrite level. I believe the elevated nitrite level is probably caused by some die off. The pH is a bit out of whack as I said above, it seems to be dipping at night.

I believe all this is probably caused by some die off on the rock. I am going to ride it out, do regular water changes and see what happens, not worried yet!

[dwculp]

I spoke to soon, the fish is alive and in a different, tighter fitting cave!

[Scuba Oz]

DW, Is there a temp change between day and night? That can cause PH to fluxuate.

[dwculp]

Originally posted by Scuba Oz
DW, Is there a temp change between day and night? That can cause PH to fluxuate.

Good question, I dont think so, if there is a temp fluctuation it is only by a degree or two C. My room is almost perfect for keeping a tank as it has no connections to the outside world other than a couple of windows that are up high so the room temp does not flutuate much.

[H2OLUVSME]

how long are you running your lights now dw?

[N8C]

PH swing is normal during evenings, and usually happens gradually enough not to cause too much stress. More related to light cycle than to temp (ime).

[dwculp]

Originally posted by H2OLUVSME
how long are you running your lights now dw?

From about 7:30am to 6:00pm. About 10.5 hours.

[dood68]

wu tang clam
[welcome]

[Wu Tang Clam]

Thanks for the cool welcome dood. I think I'll be spending a lot of time here.

[ratherbediving]

Add me to the count of wannabe reefers!

DW-- what is your alkalinity? I think having a high alkalinity can help Ph swings....

to quote John Tullock in 'Natural Reef Aquariums' (pg. 127)

"It is generally recommended that a marine aquarium be maintained at an alkalinity somewhat higher than that of natural seawater, between 7 and 10 dKH. The higher alkalinity offsets the accumulation of acids typical of a closed-system aquarium."

He states a bit earlier that natural seawater is about 6 or 7 dKH.

[H2OLUVSME]

Originally posted by N8C
PH swing is normal during evenings, and usually happens gradually enough not to cause too much stress. More related to light cycle than to temp (ime).

i agree, but it doesnt make sense. hes running almost 50/50. i had trouble keeping my ph balanced in the beggining stages of my tank, but i was only running light for about 6 hours a day. once i bumped it up to abou 8-9 hours the fluctuation started deminishing. once i was running 10 hours the lowest it would get would be 8.0, and it would be 8.2 by the middle of the "on" cycle. now that ia hvae a fuge with 24/7 lights i can test in the middle of the night and have an 8.4 ph. te lowest ive read since the new fuge was 8.3.

Originally posted by Scuba Oz
DW, Is there a temp change between day and night? That can cause PH to fluxuate.

not to say this is incorrect, because ive read this also, but when i was having my ph stability problem i had a constant 78 temp. now with the vhos and big return pump, the temp is around 82, but still very stable.

landon

[H2OLUVSME]

one more thing. even though IME temp doesnt have as much effect as light, stable temp is still very important. i think more than ph. my heater went out over a weekend (tank at office) and when i came to work on monday (before lights on) the temp was only 75 (the lights and heater ususally kept it at 78 on this tank) and i had two dead fish. im still not sure what the actual cause was, but since then i run two heaters on all SW tanks and havent lost a fish since.

landon

[dwculp]

Yep, I got a mantis shrimp! Out of the corner of my eye I spied something in the rocks. The angle was odd and it was in the shadows and I thought at first it was the fish TBS had sent me. I checked the normal hide out of the fish and he was still there so I thought maybe I had a hitch-hiking fish! I was strining my eyes to see whatever it was but couldt make it out, so in went my hand to move a rock or two around and darting across the rock was an inch long mantis shrimp! I will figure someway to get him out of there, I think I know his rock!

The sea cucumbers are actually out and moving around finally, I was getting a bit worried about them!

Water Parameters:

pH: ~8.0
Ammonia: ~0
Nitrite: 0.2
Nitrate: 10
PO4: 0.2

[N8C]

Be careful sticking your hand there.... they call 'em "Thumbsplitters" for a reason

[H2OLUVSME]

thats true, be careful. if we are starting list here, you can add me to the TBS bandwagon. i spoke with Mary at TBS this morning and ordered a 25 gallon package, to seed my SB and top-off the rock in my new 75. she said if they get ttwo days diving i will get the first half of my shipment. i hope it looks as good as yours.

landon

[dwculp]

Yep, Ive definatly got a mantis shrimp, he is out and playing around, making fun of me, putting his pinchers into his ears taunting “nanny, nanny boo, boo, you cant catch me!!!�

He is bigger than I first thought. Gonna see about getting a pic.

[H2OLUVSME]

thye are awesome characters. you may want to let the students observe him for a while. though that will be he!! on your clean-up if you dont feed him well.

good luck with the hunt.

landon