what's going on?

I thought we were due for some tank updates. And, if anyone wants to highlight their tank like Tinkerman so graciously did a while back, please step up. If not, maybe I'll do it but I have a lot on my plate right now till summer.

So, for me, my 75g is still getting on my nerves. I still have numerous clove outbreaks. I'm really at a loss about what to do about them so I have done nothing since tearing the rocks down with swan, scrubbing some, removing some and totally reworking the aquascape). Well, I guess I have taken out a few more pieces of rock but, really, I can't take it ALL out and that's about the point I'm getting to.) I am also fighting what I assume to be cyano on the sandbed. However, I realized my old bulbs could be contributing to this. My last tests a week ago (planning to again this eve) showed nothing out of line except for calcium was high and I'm starting to wonder if that is a faulty test because it shows high every time. I have been very good about my w/c's and am doing 10 gallons weekly to try to get things in check. I'm hoping the hubby will build me a DIY zapper for the cloves like OBB mentioned but so far, he's not too interested in that project. On a brighter note, I do feel if I could overcome the cloves, I have this tank just how I like it with corals that I'm really happy with. I have done some pruning so that what I have left are just my favs since I was downsizing my rockwork. And, I like the more open aquascape I now have.

I am loving my little nano tank at work. So far, it has just a few pieces of LPS and some zoas. The pc's aren't doing much for the LPS right now so I might just go with softies. I need new bulbs on that tank as well though so I'll hold out and see how that changes things before pulling out the LPS pieces. I put a little green goby and three sexy shrimp in it last week and they are just the cutest little dudes! From my other thread on the light discussion, I decided to stick with the hood the tank comes with to keep my goby inside the display and am hoping the new bulbs will lessen the yellow look and color up my corals. I may upgrade them to 27w...still want to research one more time before I order which will be any day now.

Another project I'm working on is the frag tank...well, sort of working on it. I think about it sometimes. Does that count? I need to find some acrylic for Jim to do a build for us and then I plan to build a frame for the LED light I'm no longer using out of pvc. I think that will be all we need to have a little, easy to manage, frag tank to take to the TCMAS swap and anywhere else we decide to take it. I think I mentioned but I have a littler heater for it and plan to just use a HOB filter for flow and probably put some carbon in it too.

How are things going for you all? Please don't let the only post in this thread be one about cyano! LOL Or, don't let me be the only one dealing with pests!

Zapper may make the cloves release alot of toxins into system if u went that route I would say try it In a bucket or if u could just cut the rock and discard any pieces w/ the poylps Those things seem to be almost impossible to deal with

I was thinking I would just zap a few at a time. Right now, I have a 5" colony growing on my overflow box. I'm afraid to scrape them off of it as then little pieces would float around and take root wherever they land. I could try to catch them with a net but I know I wouldn't get them all. I have been taking out pieces here and there as I mentioned earlier until a couple of weeks ago when I say the overflow colony and threw in the towel. I have also put marine putty over spots...just did that again after I posted this. I guess the other spots do seem almost manageable but they're just gonna keep popping up here and there. A zapper would give me a tool to use right when I saw a new spot.

blennieluvr wrote: I need to find some acrylic for Jim to do a build for us

Cammie I do have a piece for the bottom of your tank I'd sell you you'd just need to get the side walls.

[Cammie I do have a piece for the bottom of your tank I'd sell you you'd just need to get the side walls.[/quote]

K...thanks Jim.

I am envisioning a product here...

Think short piece of PCV with a razor blade on one end and a siphon hose on the other end. Start the siphon into a bucket or your sump, then start scraping off the clove polyps, allowing them to go through the siphon. At the end of the siphon hose is a wonderful felt based filter sock to catch every little piece of clove polyp. This may be out there already, but I haven't seen one local.

You could even do it with felt draped over a 5G pail and let the water fill the pail and the cloves stay on top of the felt.

A smaller version of this could be used for bubble algae as well to catch all the little seeds inside when or if they pop.

If I had the cash for a laser I'd already have one. It looks like the investment for the laser removal tools will be close to $400 to buy a nice powerful one in the 1.4 - 1.7 watt range. This is with all the safety gear to avoid instant blindness if the beam went astray and reflected back at you or an innocent bystander...

Would you be reusing the water after filtering it with felt? I would be very careful with the felt. Colored would of course be really bad, as lots of chemicals to make the colors. Even the white can be very treated to get white. Handmade felt, has lanolin and soap in it. Too much info on felt, but the siphon idea is great. What about just cutting a slit in the pvc and inserting the razor blade. Is there anything that eats clove polyps?

I have been using the poly-felt for filter socks for years with no issue. Colored felt for sure is not good, but the white stuff at Walmart has worked great for me. I just cut out the pattern and sew them up with a drawstring made out of a white shoelace. It ends up being about $.40 per sock when I am all done. This way I have enough to swap them out more often and have a larger load to wash up when needed. Also if they get bad enough, at that price I don't mind just tossing them out. I haven't used them on the 125 yet as I have no holder yet. I chatted with Jim about options for that but then forgot to give him my acryllic... DOH!

Yes a slit in the PVC would work just fine. That would also keep the edge of the blade closer to the inlet of the siphon to not miss any little nasties.

Glad your felt is working. It would have been my luck to use it and then have a disaster. Like my husband dropping my 18 inch Marineland Led light in the tank last night. I took it apart to get the water out, and used the blow dryer. I didn't pull the wires out. The ends came off easily, so I hope this works. I don't want to have to replace it right now. But if I did have to, I could upgrade. I've been besmerched for my Marineland light. LOL.

Okay, Cammie I'll be the one that replies to your question. ;P For my BC 14 gallon things are getting better in it...especially since I added the Chaeto you gave me which has grown. I aslo added two Narcissus snails which helped. But I still can't grow nice coralline yet and the colors looked washed out in my corals so I'm being patient with it. I think it's going to be a slow recovery but it's looking better. Most of my Cyno is finally gone...FINALLY!! lol I know the new MP10 has something to do with that too.

My BC 29 is doing good minus the turf algae that I think I finally have under control. I picked up a few more cool things for the tank from Saltwater Empire last weekend...including a Crocea clam. I added a GFO reactor last month to it that has helped with the algae problem I was having. And I changed from using Chemi-Pure Elite and Purigen to the GFO and BRS carbon. And it's looking better in there...probably cause I change them out more often now (and I quit over feeding). lol I'm now looking into getting a HOB skimmer...the AquaMaxx HOB actually and adding Chaeto to that tank (which I actually think is growing (as in hitchhiked) on my liverock which is funny) then I think I'm done messing with it and ready to let it go on autopilot other than water changes and filter cleaning. Let things grow out.

And my newest project will be the 125 gallon currently goldfish tank that I plan to convert to saltwater when it's time (as money allows to buy the gear for it). But I'm excited to at least now have the tank and stand anyways. Plus, we are getting a 30 long I don't know what to do with yet...frag tank? lol

Anyways, that's my current updates. Now I need to post pics soon I think.

Well I went ahead and started up my 66 gallon. I put in 55 lbs of dry rock and 40 lbs of dry sand. I also put in 2 maxi-jet 1200s which are a lot louder then I was expecting. i then cycled it with bacteria in a bottle. I used Bio-spira and a single maroon clownfish. I was a little nervous that what I did was not going to be a good idea, but so far no problems yet. The tank has been set -up for about 2 weeks. My ammonia levels only went up to .5 ppm and nitrite and nitrate levels were 0. The clown fish seems to be doing well. I also set up 20 gallon sump with a reef-octopus nwb150 protein skimmer.