ggNoRe's 29g Biocube HQI

[reeffreak]

The Blue Zoo brand is good stuff.They always send a sample pack when you order live animals.Otherwise,don't waste your money on the other dry stuff especially flakes.Go to a LFS and buy some frozen cube of mysis.Most fish and corals love the stuff.

 

[ggNoRe]

That's what I was leaning towards geatting. Thank's much, feel much more confidant now. :)

Offtopic: Is Dominick your name? Curious since I saw it in your sig and that's what me and my wife plan to name our son (well... Dominic) who is due to arrive any day now. :P

 

[Bifferwine]

Yes that is his name!

 

[ggNoRe]

:mrgreen: Order's in! I got everything except the bluezoo food since it would have been a seperate shipping charge. So exctited!!

 

[yote]

I use these Invertebrate and Filter Feeder Foods: Brightwell Aquatics Zooplanktos-M Zooplankton

Aquarium Fish Foods: Hikari Mysis Frozen Shrimp

Frozen Fish Food for Aquarium Fish: Ocean Nutrition Cyclops Frozen Food

Along with DTs Oyster eggs.

 

[reeffreak]

Yeah,that's my name.I think Dominick will be a fantastic name,obviously.Congratulation on the new baby on the way.

 

[dcantucson]

:mrgreen: Order's in! I got everything except the bluezoo food since it would have been a seperate shipping charge. So exctited!!

They're a great Company to order from. I have a bit of a credit from them that I need to use up. Looking forward to the pictures.:^:

 

[ggNoRe]

Got my first batch of live goods today! :mrgreen: I did a slow drip acclimation for everything as I have decided to be as nerdy as I can be and do the best I can do to not let anything die. As stated before I got 1 fish, 2 shrimps, and 7 snails all of which came alive although at first glance I thought my green banded goby (Pedro aka "Little Pedro") and cleaner shrimp (Oscar named after the notorious grouch since he wasn't so happy about his transfer) were goners as they were playing dead. The cleaner was even upside down laying on his back with feet in the air motionless. Now that they are in the tank everyone looks happy except that same cleaner shrimp now he's laying on his side barely moving his legs but I'm hoping over time I can nurse him back to health. The Peppermint shrimp (Sam aka "Sam the Man") was very lively during the transfering into tank process but as soon as he got in he went under the rocks and I haven't seen him since. When I got home from work today Pedro was not to be seen but after he saw me looking around with the flashlight he came out of hiding and since can't get enough of my attention! He's eating like a pig and dancing all around the front of the tank as if he wants to play with me. And now... pics!

Oscar when I first introduced him to the tank actually looking alive:

And Pedro being an attention whore:

I took this one to help get an idea of how itty bitty he is, he is literally the size of a guppy:

 

[ggNoRe]

Unfortunately, Oscar did not make it. On the bright side I sent Bluezoo a mail and they backed up their guarantee right away and assured me I would get credit for his death.

 

[dcantucson]

Awe sorry about Oscar. Looks like you'll be getting some more stuff to use that credit up! :^:

 

[Bifferwine]

Are you sure Oscar didn't molt?

 

[ggNoRe]

Man I sure hope not because I threw him out. I really doubt it though before I tossed him I sprayed him a bit with a turkey baster and he didn't flinch and continued to lay on the the floor on his side motionless not even attempting to push away the grains of sand that got blown on him. I have some pics of him that I sent bluezoo to confirm his death right before I plucked him out of the tank that I will upload here when I get home from work. I do however think Sam is molting he's upside down but clinging to a rock I thought he was dead as well but when I lifted the rock he moved ever so slightly and it didn't seem as if it was the current swaying him. Is this typical of a molting shrimp? I really do not know anything about it. I checked my params to check if there was something wrong that may have killed Oscar and also to see if Oscar being dead in the tank threw anything off. The results I got were:

PH: 7.8

My PH has always been 7.8-7.9ish I have no clue why it is so low. I started with Instant Ocean but did my last water change with Tropic Marin Pro Reef. Is this something I should take action to raise? If so what action should I take?

Ammonia: 0
NO2: 0
NO3: 0-2

I really feel bad about killing the shrimp but then again he looked in really bad shape when I got him as well. I want to try my best to make sure this doesn't happen again as I do plan to get another cleaner shrimp soon.

Thanks for all the help! :mrgreen:

 

[OmegaOmega]

Man I sure hope not because I threw him out. I really doubt it though before I tossed him I sprayed him a bit with a turkey baster and he didn't flinch and continued to lay on the the floor on his side motionless not even attempting to push away the grains of sand that got blown on him. I have some pics of him that I sent bluezoo to confirm his death right before I plucked him out of the tank that I will upload here when I get home from work. I do however think Sam is molting he's upside down but clinging to a rock I thought he was dead as well but when I lifted the rock he moved ever so slightly and it didn't seem as if it was the current swaying him. Is this typical of a molting shrimp? I really do not know anything about it. I checked my params to check if there was something wrong that may have killed Oscar and also to see if Oscar being dead in the tank threw anything off. The results I got were:

PH: 7.8

My PH has always been 7.8-7.9ish I have no clue why it is so low. I started with Instant Ocean but did my last water change with Tropic Marin Pro Reef. Is this something I should take action to raise? If so what action should I take?

Ammonia: 0
NO2: 0
NO3: 0-2

I really feel bad about killing the shrimp but then again he looked in really bad shape when I got him as well. I want to try my best to make sure this doesn't happen again as I do plan to get another cleaner shrimp soon.

Thanks for all the help! :mrgreen:

My very first shrimp was a peppermint shrimp and he died within a couple days - same situation as yours.

I waited for my tank to become more established by a few months, got another one and he's still alive today (and huge). I think of shrimp as a Canary in a coal mine. Their sensitivity to everything will generally be one of the first indication something is wrong, or going wrong with your tank.

 

[ggNoRe]

Good to know. Guess I'll put off getting anymore shrimp for a bit til my tank is more established. Never knew they were so sensitive. Here's pics of the poor fellow right before I took him out:

 

[yote]

Hote to hear about Oscar,but you got some otherwise great looking stuff.:D

 

[ggNoRe]

Thanks Yote! Sam was molting he left wat looks like a clay sculpture of himself on the ground.

 

[ggNoRe]

Here's Sam's molting getting sucked up in the vents.

 

[ggNoRe]

Went shooping today for my first coral purchases. I went a little crazy and ended up coming home with 2 Japanese Zoa frags, 1 GSP frag, 1 Ricordea, and 1 small Blastos frag. Right now I am acclimating them. My plan is to put all of them in the tank to float for 20mins., then put them all in a 5G bucket and slowly drip acclimate for a while, then add lugol's solution and let sit for about 15-20 more mins., shake them off a bit and put them in the tank while everything is turned off (pumps, etc..). Continue to do a water change. Then turn everything except the lights back on and keep them off until they are scheduled to turn on tomorrow (considering even shortening the timing the MH is on by a few hours and gradually get it back to it's normal 9 hour schedule). These are my very first corals and I'm pretty nervous. Does this sound like a good plan? Any tips or suggestions are welcome. :mrgreen:

 

[yote]

Sounds like a solid plan to me.Except I wouldnt go through the hassle of cutting the MHs back.Just start the corals on the bottom and work them up to final placement over a couple of weeks.

 

[ggNoRe]

Sweet, makes my life easier. My placement plan is to put the zoa's on a rock by the bottom, same for the ric just on the opposite side and away from the flow, blastos on the sand half way in the "cave", and the GSP on a rock on the very top. If I do this from the get go would that be ok or should I start all of them including the GSP from the substrate?