Another new tank - Page 10

amcarrig · 08-23-2004, 03:56 PM

Hi Todd. I haven't read the entire thread yet but wanted to know if the tissue on the leather coral is intact or if pieces of it are starting to fall apart/fall off?

Birdlady · 08-23-2004, 04:10 PM

Hi Todd!

You may want to sloooowwww dowwwwnnnn....How long has the tank been up now...2 weeks or so? And what have you added to it...4 or 5 fish, a xenia and a leather coral? Anything else?

I am not trying to bring you down...just want to help...

Did you get a cycle on your tank...an ammonia/nitrite rise and then decline? What test kits are you using?

How are they looking now....

Poppy828 · 08-23-2004, 04:53 PM

Amcarrig....
The leather is all intact. When I woke up this morning it was standing up again but nothing more...when my wife came home she called me at lunch to check the tank, she said that both leathers were up and sprouting the little tiny tentacles as she calls them. But when I returned home 4 hours later, the one that was initially bent over was not sprouting or anything. I am thinking that they are just taking some time to acclimate. We will see how they look in the morning.

Thank you.

Todd

JohnO · 08-23-2004, 04:56 PM

BL,

I agree with your comments in all senses. It's very important to take things slowly and not to hurry. That's also one of the hardest things to do :-)

While coral doesn't add much in the way of polluants to a tank ( in a general sense ) it certainly does suffer from it

John

Poppy828 · 08-23-2004, 05:01 PM

Evening Birdlady. Nice to see you again.

a bit over 3 weeks I believe total. I have the 3 Green Chromis, Clarkie, Scopis Tang. I have also added 10 turbo snails and 8 small hermit crabs as well as 2 sifter stars. I have had no spikes in anything. Ammonia has been a constant 0 as well as Nitrites/trates. CA has been stable now at 450-460. I have been checking that daily since I had a high reading before. Salinity is a constant 1.025, PH is up a bit at 8.4 from the 8.3 it was at. Alkalinity is 3. I just picked up an Iodine test this evening to test that tomorrow with the rest of the tests again. As far as corals I have added the 2 toadstool leathers, xenias, Zooanth?? (sp), and 5 mushrooms. All the corals with the exception of the xenias and toadstools are doing great. They are all full and bright once the lights kick on for an hour or so.

I appreciate you trying to help Birdlady and I realize you are not trying to bring me down. I appreciate all feedback I can get and any and all advice as well. Please feel free to continue giving your advice and suggestions Birdaldy. I respect all you have to say. Thank you.

Todd

Poppy828 · 08-23-2004, 05:05 PM

Also forgot to mention, I ordered my RO/DI filter from Walter this morning. So I'm sure that will help as well.

The only change I have made to the tank was adding carbon (in a bag) to the sump to aid in cleaning up the water. Nothing has been sucked into the tank or anything that I have seen. That would not cause problems would it??

Todd

Craig Manoukian · 08-23-2004, 05:13 PM

Yikes, three weeks. Don't add anythiNg more to youR tank for at least two months to allow your system to calibrate itself and stabilize. WhAT ARE YOUR WATER PARAMETERS AND IF YOUR AMMONIA, OR NITRATES ARE HIGH i SUGGEST A WATER CHANGE .

PS sorry about the caps lock!

JohnO · 08-23-2004, 05:17 PM

Todd,

From another perspective I think the initial comments made regarding the corals need to acclimatise to a new tank are now self evident. Over the next few days you should see continual improvement.

What you are seeing is just normal or possible behaviour of some corals when moving from one environment to another or even just being moved within the same tank. So in essense it is not a 'problem' :-)

The comments that I made in support of BL were to alert you of the need to take things a bit more slowly :-) The tank you have is continually cycling and producing Ammonia and therefore Nitrites and Nitrate, you often wont even see these levels because of the biology you have put into place with the initial cycle, but they are there. In fact every time you feed, move something or even put your hand in the water you are adding to this continual cycle.

The biggest problems come, when you add things or make changes that the biology cannot handle. Unfortunately there is no real way of measuring this that I know of.

Cheers

John

Poppy828 · 08-23-2004, 05:37 PM

Ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are ZERO, NADA. Not had any spikes in that at all Craig.
I test my water daily right now just to make sure I do not miss anything. May be over kill but I would rather be prepared. I test in the morning when I wake up and then once before bed. I feel this is better for me until I get the hang of this better.

As far as adding more things in....not going to happen ATLEAST for another 5-6 months. I plan to learn everything I can about the different corals available and then make a decision on which ones I want and try to learn more before actually placing them in the tank. I helped a Friend out with these corals due to a move that would not be friendly to the inhabitants of his reef. SO I thought better for me to try and save them rather than letting them just die or he trying to make the trip and them die anyways. I just hope I am successful is all. We shall see.

Poppy828 · 08-23-2004, 05:41 PM

I believe the acclimation process is in place as well John. I have called everyone and everybody about this, even the Friend who had them, and everyone agrees it is the change in environment. In my previous post you will see what prompted the placement of the corals. Just trying to help is all. I appreciate you helping out with all of this John. Not sure how to give Karma out or anything but I owe a lot of people Karma including yourself. I will learn hoe to do that and make sure you get it.

Thanks again John.

Todd