It's up! Something is alive!

[NewToThis]

Short Story:

Well, I had a catastrophic tank disaster (110g double-overflow). But, long story short, it is up and running again, with more live rock, and even some creatures.



Long story:
For anyone who is wondering, don't try to use fiberglass insulation as a filter medium. It comes apart, gets gross, gets sucked inside your pumps, and all hell breaks loose. So, my tank was down for a few months. Well, I decided to get it going again. I called my LFS, and got the owner to come out and get everything hunky-dory again. $760 later, I had water flowing, pump going, correct filtration installed, 50lbs more live rock (to add to the 80lbs of moldy algea live rock sitting in the once-dead tank), 30 hermit crabs, two clown fish, and two shrimp. :bowdown::bounce:

After a brief disturbance caused by 1.032 salinity (all of my crystallized salt melted, jacked up my salinity), I ran over and got 20lbs of fresh water, and that evened everything out. About two weeks later, I bought the clowns and shrimp. I drip-acclimated my clowns and shrimp, and put them inside after an hour or so of dripping. Everything seemed fine with the clowns, and they look happy. But since putting the shrimp inside (24 hours and counting), I haven't seen them. They went behind a rock, and never came out. Could they be dead?

The shrimp were purchased because I found an ugly black sea anemone growing out of one of the new live rocks. My LFS said it was a pest, and that the shrimp would kill him. Does that sound plausible?

Pics on their way!

stats:
temp: 75
alkalinity: 3
ph: 8.1
salinity: 1.024

let me know if any of those numbers are way out of wack, and how to correct them.

Thanks guys! :bowdown:

 

[little_fish]

So you havent seen the shrimp or the clowns since introduction?

Shrimp, pretty common, and i wouldnt worry about it. But only specific types of peppermint shrimp will eat aiptasia, which im not sure your nem is. I would get some aiptasia X and deal with it manually.

If you havent seen the clownfish in more than a week, then i would be a bit concerned. It might be that they are being hosted in spot you cant see, but that is kinda odd. I worry that you didnt let your tank properly cycle and that is what caused their possible demise

Also, your alk shouldnt be that low. You should retest and check your results against another kit. Also what are your ammonia and nitrate levels?

 

[NewToThis]

The clowns are doing great. They are swimming mostly around a 10" radius from a specific corner of the tank, but will venture out every now and then.

I haven't set eyes on the shrimp in over 24 hours.

I think my ammonia and nitrate should be fine, because the only thing in my tank prior to these clowns and invisible shrimp was... rock. Should I still check it???

 

[NanoReefer]

definatly still check it just incase there was alot of die off the rock( which shouldnt happen)

 

[NewToThis]

alright, will do. Pictures are uploading.

If you can let me know your thoughts on the algae growth or things on the rocks, that would be great. Thanks.

 

[NewToThis]

 

[NanoReefer]

it soft of looks like hair algae, what do you have in the tank for a clean up crew?

 

[NewToThis]

30 hermits and a couple shrimp. I'm not entirely sure all of the hermit crabs are still kicking, though...

 

[little_fish]

i would get some snails, like turbos, asteria, nerites and a few nass snails

 

[NanoReefer]

+1 lil fish

 

[NewToThis]

perfect, thanks. How many is "some"?

 

[little_fish]

i would get 5 tubros, 10 of the others

 

[NewToThis]

i will be getting the snails soon, thanks.

On another note, I need a protein skimmer.

 

[little_fish]

get your self a good skimmer, protein skimmers are you get what you pay for commodity. You also want to get one that is rate for twice your system volume. A great skimmer for the money are the reef octopus skimmers or they hydro bubble skimmers.