Tank Pictures

[jaodissa]

Time will make it go away I have to say I really hate api test.. It's to dang hard to tell the color sometime. For example. I tested nitrites today.. They are not the light blue on the top of the chart, but they aren't purple either either.. so I have no clue what it is today other than a little lower than 24 hours ago

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaodissa http:///t/391798/tank-pictures/20#post_3479439
Time will make it go away I have to say I really hate api test.. It's to dang hard to tell the color sometime. For example. I tested nitrites today.. They are not the light blue on the top of the chart, but they aren't purple either either.. so I have no clue what it is today other than a little lower than 24 hours ago
The 0 color is all you really need to concern yourself with....as long as any other color shows it isn't ready. I used to always look at my watch...my brother noticed and asked me what time it was...LOL...I had to look again to tell him. I looked at my watch to see if it was time for me to leave for my nightshift job, I wasn't noticing what time it was, just that it wasn't time yet.
I didn't care for API test kits either. The Instant ocean ones are the best for being able to read the color. They have a chip with the right pigment to compare the test tube to, instead of a color chart on a card.

 

[jaodissa]

Well it's for sure 0 today! Nitrates are 20 though. I'll do a water change in a couple days then add a clean up crew in a week or two.

 

[jaodissa]

Things are looking good. Brown cyano going away red cyano almost gone. Going to pick up a cleaning crew and start a pod population next week. R

 

[jaodissa]

So updated status.. PH 8.0 Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 20 phosphate .25. Still have the icky red slime algae stuff, but oh well I was bored and wanted to add something haha... This is what I added http://www.flickr.com/photos/lonestaraqua/5558807024/ (This isn't mine just a picture of what I bought. When it opens up I will get my own shot It was cute and only 12 dollars why not

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaodissa http:///t/391798/tank-pictures/40#post_3480557
So updated status.. PH 8.0 Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 20 phosphate .25. Still have the icky red slime algae stuff, but oh well I was bored and wanted to add something haha... This is what I added http://www.flickr.com/photos/lonestaraqua/5558807024/ (This isn't mine just a picture of what I bought. When it opens up I will get my own shot It was cute and only 12 dollars why not
LOL...I know all about xenia, it's my favorite coral...pretty and dances (pulses) I wanted to see YOUR Xenia.
What a perfect coral for a horse tank...those messy eaters need critters to remove nitrates and phosphates, I chose macros. Xenia loves nitrates and light...lots of light. Tip the rock that it's on and the xenia will climb upward spreading as it goes...super pretty.
Congratulations on a good deal too, I paid $60.00 for a single stalk. I never seen it cheaper.

Oh, and because Xenia are light hungry, I would create a shadey spot for the horses to retreat to. I used wedding cake columns and made a shelf of acrylic and use silicone to attach it...oh and I drilled a hole at the top of the shelf over each column to allow it to sink....at first I just put rock on the shelf but later I placed an in-tank refugium on it. I read that horses need a shadey spot in the tank...It's book info and I'm not certain what affect not having a shadey spot would do if anything. I always give the advice that I myself would follow....if I'm off, thank God for his kindness and the others more knowledgeable chime in to help...

 

[jaodissa]

As soon as I can find my cell phone I will take a picture of it for you! It's slowly opening now I didn't know they needed a lot of light I just have some compact fluorescent.. think it will die?

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaodissa http:///t/391798/tank-pictures/40#post_3480566
As soon as I can find my cell phone I will take a picture of it for you! It's slowly opening now I didn't know they needed a lot of light I just have some compact fluorescent.. think it will die?
No...set it up high in the tank. Those fish lights offered in a FW tank hood won't work, but the power compacts will. Midway up should be high enough...xenia likes to climb so tip the rock...I kept Xenia for many years under PCs.
Xenia are very hardy. But in the future make sure to check on a corals needs before you buy.

 

[jaodissa]

Thanks! I think Im just gonna go and order some T5's! Still cheaper than some of the stuff out there, but better than the CF I needed to replace bulbs anyways.

 

[jaodissa]

Okay I give.. I hate this tank... Everything that can be covered is in red slime. I don't get it. Even the cute little coral I bought was covered. It's going back to the store and I have no idea what the heck Im gonna do with the red crap. This is day 3 or 4 of my lost cell phone so I cant even take a picture

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaodissa http:///t/391798/tank-pictures/40#post_3480763
Okay I give.. I hate this tank... Everything that can be covered is in red slime. I don't get it. Even the cute little coral I bought was covered. It's going back to the store and I have no idea what the heck Im gonna do with the red crap. This is day 3 or 4 of my lost cell phone so I cant even take a picture
Cyano is not algae...it is a bacteria. It feeds on phosphates and nitrates. The main cause is over feeding and low water flow. Remove all that you can by hand, use a turkey baster (fish only) . Add some red slime remover...follow the instructions to the letter. Aim a power head so it doesn't move the sand but it circulates the water hgood and turbulent. Always top off with RO water and what ever you do...do not overfeed. Don't get coral until you have it under control because the coral food will feed the cyano, and so will any extra food the fish don't eat.
Seahorses are horrible dirty eaters...I gave up on coral and went with macros. I have cyano in the potbelly horses tank, you are not alone.
Fish that will eat the extra food the horses waste are a great way to keep the tank clear of extra food, peppermint shrimp are great for eating and finding the wasted food. Nassarous snails too....LOTS of them.
When I get out of the hospital, I'm going to order the fish I want to try and get my pots tank up to snuff. Oh and also water changes..lots of water changes.

 

[jaodissa]

Thanks hun! I haven't feed the tank at all as there has been nothing in it to feed. There is horrible low flow though. also Im topping off with water from one of those water machines that sell water for 25 cents.. Is that bad? The red slime crap is easy to pull off the sand bed and I do remove it, but if the lights are on it comes back super fast. If the lights are off it is minimal. I left the lights off for 3 days before hoping it would do something, but it just came right back.
I have yet to put a clean up crew in it. I figured the less stuff I had while dealing with the slime the easier. Is there a clean up crew out there that will help with this?

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaodissa http:///t/391798/tank-pictures/40#post_3480816
Thanks hun! I haven't feed the tank at all as there has been nothing in it to feed. There is horrible low flow though. also Im topping off with water from one of those water machines that sell water for 25 cents.. Is that bad? The red slime crap is easy to pull off the sand bed and I do remove it, but if the lights are on it comes back super fast. If the lights are off it is minimal. I left the lights off for 3 days before hoping it would do something, but it just came right back.
I have yet to put a clean up crew in it. I figured the less stuff I had while dealing with the slime the easier. Is there a clean up crew out there that will help with this?
First...the store purchased water is great..that is RO and much better than tap water.
Next...the CUC won't eat red slime..however they will eat the leftover food the horses miss, which is creating the extra nutrients that it feeds on. So getting a CUC will certainly help.
Seahorse are stronger than we realize and can handle the extra current. They can't be blown away where they have to hold on to their hitches for dear life (LOL..I actually did that) but you can increase the flow enough to prevent the dead spots that allow cyano to settle and grow.
So remove what cyano you can by hand, get that CUC and keep your water changes going.

 

[bender77]

I just want to add, you may want to test the water you are buying at the store before you mix here. Around here the stores are notorious for not changing the filters in those machines and the water is basically no better than tap water.

 

[jaodissa]

We are on base and pretty lucky that they are reliable about the care of product they provide. I have personally seen them out there changing the filters and what not. They check on the lines every 3-4 weeks, now our tap water is terrible lol. Im amazed they even let humans consume that crap.
Maybe dumb question here too.. If I dont have any horses am not feeding the tank and have macro algae why is the problem so bad? I have two huge hand fulls of cheato and it is just covered in slime also...
Im gonna go and do a huge water change today and do the slime remover stuff, but im worried that it will just come back if i am just using products to take it away for a time being.

 

[bender77]

How old is your tank now? A slime out break is part of the whole maturation process

 

[jaodissa]

it 6 weeks today I thought the brown Cyano was something new tanks had to deal with and red Cyano was something older tanks delt with?

 

[bender77]

IDK, I've had both. I still wouldn't 100 rule out the water. Can you test your RO water for phospates, ammonia ect before you mix it?

 

[jaodissa]

Quote:
Originally Posted by bender77 http:///t/391798/tank-pictures/40#post_3480838
IDK, I've had both. I still wouldn't 100 rule out the water. Can you test your RO water for phospates, ammonia ect before you mix it?
I have to top off today so I will test before I do that
I used the chemi red slime remover stuff and it worked really awesome! There is still a small little patch left, but tonight I have to do a 25% water change then I can redose.

 

[jaodissa]