Ska's 28 Macro Algae Display - Page 11

skabooya · #**101** 06-12-2010, 09:19 PM

Yea I was thinking that about the cycle. Thats ok it means next time i go the LFS i can get my cuc

Or maybe the good looking clowns they have there ??? what do you think.
fish or cuc first?? or both?

as for the little apaista .... GRRRRRRR!!!!!!
So far it is the only one ive seen on the LR so im going to try and blast it with some scalding hot water with my pipette. Ive seen it work before on another tank in another thread. Im hoping it will work with mine otherwise im off to order a pepermint shrimp

skabooya · #**102** 06-12-2010, 09:40 PM

BAHAHAHAHAHHAHA

so i just finished precision blasting with hot water on the apaista. I did 3 good squirts with a full pipette which fit completely over its tube and entire body. I cleaned up my materials and came back to check. I guess pods and shrimp like the smell of cooked apaista because they swarmed the area and ate the remnants. HAHAHAHA. Totally awsome to see.

whatcaneyedo · #**103** 06-12-2010, 11:17 PM

2 of my 3 tanks don't have a store bought cleanup crew and rely purely on the mini snails, brittle stars, worms, pods, and other bugs that hitch hiked into the tank. So my vote is for a fish first. But then again I have never started a tank from scratch so my advice should be taken with a grain of salt.

skabooya · #**104** 06-15-2010, 01:42 AM

a familiar part of the cycle, finally! I have a flourishing brown invasion of diatoms. Looks like testing later today or tomorrow and then a small cuc.

skabooya · #**105** 07-07-2010, 12:34 AM

Soon after the last post my diatoms cleared right up. Testing, everything was good. Went to the lfs and purchased 2 clowns (omen and nemo) they had from the Vancouver aquarium. Dragons breath macro algae was thrown in for free YAY! The clowns were perfect and still are. Very healthy and now come to my hand for food.
Today my husband went to the lfs and picked me up a pepermint shrimp. He too is doing awsome. Right away he started forraging for food, he didnt hide at all.

I have noticed with my tank I have to add nitrates via powdered ferts for my macro algae to stay red. They are too efficient at sucking up the trates. My testing still remains at 0 across the board. Unless i dose every week.
I dose baking soda 5mls a week to keep my alk up
KNO3 1/4tsp once a week to try and keep it at 5ppm

I will take a pic after I clean the tank and things have settled.

whatcaneyedo · #**106** 07-07-2010, 12:45 AM

Apart from commercial clam farms I've never heard of someone needing to supplement nitrate before.

skabooya · #**107** 07-07-2010, 02:36 AM

my livestock is still too minimal and overfeeding doesnt produce enough trates. when my macro algae go white/pale they are starving. i dose and within 1 day they are back to red. hopefully when the tank matures some more i wont need to dose as much, if any.
Oh! and i use tap as my top off because i want algae. the macro algae are more efficient at absorbtion than micro or pest/nuisance algae therefore they outcompete the micro algae. thus leaving me with a near algae free tank.

skabooya · #**108** 07-17-2010, 08:12 PM

the macro algae looks pale here because it was right before i dosed.

Still looking for:
red with blue dots (superman) dioscema mushroom, rics and rics with blue in them, yumas, bicolour frogspawn or green with pink or purple tip frogspawn, cloves (not gsp), featherdusters, sargasseum macro algae and other macros that are not red or green. A softie or some coral that loves being in direct light and is not a calcium sucker.

whatcaneyedo · #**109** 07-18-2010, 08:40 PM

How do you feel about the film on the surface of the water in your tank?

skabooya · #**110** 07-18-2010, 11:40 PM

The film doesnt bother me in the least. Its mostly bubbles anyway. If i dont dose and my macro go pale/white the film nearly goes away. Id rather have a healthy livestock than worry about looks on the top of my water. Im not interested in buying a surface skimmer. Meh.
My tunze hob skimmer does a pretty good job as is. I have it on the lowest setting so it leaves more "junk" in the water for the macros to thrive.
The fish and shrimp are doing amazing. Ive been very lucky to get such good stock. They have huge personalities too.
Now i want to get a coral beauty.. but im hoping it wont eat my nice macro algae or munch on the softies im going to get. Yikes. Makes me think about another fish but not much else interests me.
6 lines are nice but ive read too many controversial things about them.
Yasha goby i LOVE but geez are they expensive.
Yellow tail blue damsels i LOVE but i would want a group and my tank is too small for them.
I just dont know hmmmm