cbreps
02/11/2007, 10:32 AM
hi all, just thought i would introduce myself and tell you what i have. constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! after logging onto RC last week and cruising the forums i realize alot of things i probably shouldnt have done!! our 12g nano cube has been up and running for almost 2 yrs now, in the beginning we had a few snails and hermit crabs, and a pair of clown fish. over time bristleworms over populated the tank and our two clown fish died at about the year mark. the guy at one of our lfs told us the bristleworms will kill fish? we put in a 6line wrasse to eat some of the bristleworms (his suggestion) and it was dead in a week. frustration and life got in the way and nothing was put into the tank all summer. all we did was add water to the tank and kept it running. a couple months ago macro algae started growing in it which got me interested in the tank again (imagine that!). i took stock of what was in the tank: 2 astria snails, 1 turban snail, i un-id'ed snail (little guy with black skin,really long antennae,and apparently nocturnal) a HUGE colony of bristleworms (anybody want to buy some?) ,1 bumble bee snail, tons of little tiny crustaceans?,oh....and a fighting conch (i read that it is impossible to keep a fighting conch in a tank this small, i better tell him that! he has been in the tank for about 1.5 yrs!).
so off to one of my lfs i go.....about a dozen tiny hermits (blue leg,red tip cortez,zebras),a couple more small astrias,3 small turbos, 1 redfoot snail, 2 big nassarius snails,3tiny ones, and 2 tonga conch's, a peppermint shrimp, an arrow crab (for the bristleworms), and finally 2 margarita snails...oh wait and some xenia. i didnt put it all in in one day but over a few week period. i also (embarrassingly) bought a water test kit and a siphon tube with a sand cleaner (in two years had never cleaned the sand). i know i am setting myself up for a public flogging, but please go easy on me!!i want to do it right this time. the last two additions, the peppermint shrimp and the arrow crab died within a couple days (last weekend). i got out the test kit and guess what?? everything was high (well the ph was good), i did a 30% water change and sifted up the sand in the front of the tank. man was there some junk in there! the xenia loved it though and look awesome! i added some rubble and bioballs to the back section and more live rock a few days back, one piece had two "warty mushrooms" on them that look AWESOME today, better than they did in the tank at the shop. i checked the level today and the ammonia is at .25 ("safe" according to the supplied chart). i did put another arrow crab and peppermint shrimp in a couple days after the water change and they are both doing good. we watched the arrow crab rip apart a bristleworm last nite...hooray for him! i have been setting my worm trap daily and catching 10-20 at a time. i top off water daily with bottled drinking water and for the past month have been adding a two part product (kent marine, nano reef part A and B) daily. i put a few drops of novaqua water conditioner and fish protector with electrolytes in the glass of "top off" water daily and also i add 5ml of stress zyme biological filtration booster on the weekends. a different lfs guy (i have 4 that i go to) told me to change the live sand (it is only good for 18mos.?) i had a 20lb bag i bought earlier in the summer so i was going to do that tomorrow morning. he told me to do just one section of the tank. i was going to also put some fresh salt water in as well maybe 3 gallons (25%). i promise no more additions and will probably try to get rid of a few things if i see that the additional live rock and removal of hundreds of bristle worms (i imagine with as many as i have they are creating a waste load)doesnt improve things. the ammonia level isnt skyrocketing though as it took a few days to read .25 and 7 days later reads the same. (i did put a bit of kent ammonia detox in when the reading hit .25. we have also noticed a bunch of tiny (smaller than a grain of rice) snails in there before the addition of the new live rock, they are long and pointed much like the fighting conch as opposed to the astria or turban snail? we would like to eventually put a small goby or blenny in there and maybe more mushrooms or xenia, BUT only after the sand change is complete and everything stabilizes nicely, also knowing that we may have to remove a few animals to accomplish this. OR..... i could set up the 60gallon tank i have sitting here.....jeez i can see myself getting really out of control in this hobby, like my reptile addiction. letting the flogging begin.........thank you ma'am may i have another? john
so off to one of my lfs i go.....about a dozen tiny hermits (blue leg,red tip cortez,zebras),a couple more small astrias,3 small turbos, 1 redfoot snail, 2 big nassarius snails,3tiny ones, and 2 tonga conch's, a peppermint shrimp, an arrow crab (for the bristleworms), and finally 2 margarita snails...oh wait and some xenia. i didnt put it all in in one day but over a few week period. i also (embarrassingly) bought a water test kit and a siphon tube with a sand cleaner (in two years had never cleaned the sand). i know i am setting myself up for a public flogging, but please go easy on me!!i want to do it right this time. the last two additions, the peppermint shrimp and the arrow crab died within a couple days (last weekend). i got out the test kit and guess what?? everything was high (well the ph was good), i did a 30% water change and sifted up the sand in the front of the tank. man was there some junk in there! the xenia loved it though and look awesome! i added some rubble and bioballs to the back section and more live rock a few days back, one piece had two "warty mushrooms" on them that look AWESOME today, better than they did in the tank at the shop. i checked the level today and the ammonia is at .25 ("safe" according to the supplied chart). i did put another arrow crab and peppermint shrimp in a couple days after the water change and they are both doing good. we watched the arrow crab rip apart a bristleworm last nite...hooray for him! i have been setting my worm trap daily and catching 10-20 at a time. i top off water daily with bottled drinking water and for the past month have been adding a two part product (kent marine, nano reef part A and B) daily. i put a few drops of novaqua water conditioner and fish protector with electrolytes in the glass of "top off" water daily and also i add 5ml of stress zyme biological filtration booster on the weekends. a different lfs guy (i have 4 that i go to) told me to change the live sand (it is only good for 18mos.?) i had a 20lb bag i bought earlier in the summer so i was going to do that tomorrow morning. he told me to do just one section of the tank. i was going to also put some fresh salt water in as well maybe 3 gallons (25%). i promise no more additions and will probably try to get rid of a few things if i see that the additional live rock and removal of hundreds of bristle worms (i imagine with as many as i have they are creating a waste load)doesnt improve things. the ammonia level isnt skyrocketing though as it took a few days to read .25 and 7 days later reads the same. (i did put a bit of kent ammonia detox in when the reading hit .25. we have also noticed a bunch of tiny (smaller than a grain of rice) snails in there before the addition of the new live rock, they are long and pointed much like the fighting conch as opposed to the astria or turban snail? we would like to eventually put a small goby or blenny in there and maybe more mushrooms or xenia, BUT only after the sand change is complete and everything stabilizes nicely, also knowing that we may have to remove a few animals to accomplish this. OR..... i could set up the 60gallon tank i have sitting here.....jeez i can see myself getting really out of control in this hobby, like my reptile addiction. letting the flogging begin.........thank you ma'am may i have another? john