Utah Reefs Homepage
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - String Mucus on Frogspawn
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

String Mucus on Frogspawn

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <123
Author
Mark Peterson View Drop Down
Paid Member
Paid Member
Avatar

Joined: June 19 2002
Location: Murray
Status: Offline
Points: 21436
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 17 2016 at 6:42pm
If the Goby is not out much and isn't actually moving much sand around, then no worries. Enjoy it when you see it. The typical reason it doesn't chase the food being fed is that it's probably still finding enough to eat in the sand. A hungry Goby can be trapped using the Pop Bottle Fish Trap(google it).

Healthy fish are usually able to escape a Star or Anemone. It's when they are not well that they get snagged and eaten.
Brittle Stars are good tank mates most of the time.
Blennies are pretty good tank mates too, but they can get overbearing/territorial.
Yes, it's kind of crazy but the clean up crew takes care of everything dieing and dead, even bones. Not only the Brittle Star and Hermits, but Bristleworms and small bugs enjoy eating a dead fish, snail, etc.

Aloha,
Mark  Hug
Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:
www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244
Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
Back to Top
LakeCityReefs View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: January 07 2014
Location: Tooele UT
Status: Offline
Points: 498
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LakeCityReefs Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 17 2016 at 6:43pm
If animals are dying in the tank then yes, this will create huge amounts of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. You need to do your best to always remove dead critters IMO.


Edited by LakeCityReefs - April 17 2016 at 6:44pm
Here we go again
Back to Top
Hottsauce23 View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: April 10 2015
Location: Bountiful
Status: Offline
Points: 156
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hottsauce23 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 20 2016 at 2:38pm
Okay so here is an update. It's now been a few days of the sump light on all the time and the photo period of the display like 17 hours. Only one tiny feeding has been done. I did a water change on Monday night. Also most of the macro algae that has been in the display is now gone with alot getting trapped in the fan. I've seen a couple of the damsels picking at it occasionally so that is probably why I haven't had much success with it. The corals have come out a tad more but not much. I tested the nitrate right before the water change and just barely did. The color is the exact same in both tubes. So my only conclusion is there must be another nitrate factory in the tank. My thinking is there is a layer of sediment/ sand in my sump. I only put a tiny amount of sand when I started it up. I also see tiny tiny bugs swimming around in there. Could this layer of sediment just be waste and tons of nitrates? I'll post a picture. Thanks

Edited by Hottsauce23 - April 20 2016 at 2:39pm
Back to Top
Mark Peterson View Drop Down
Paid Member
Paid Member
Avatar

Joined: June 19 2002
Location: Murray
Status: Offline
Points: 21436
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 20 2016 at 3:27pm

Nope, Nitrates do not create sediment or waste.

That is a healthy sand bed, supporting bugs like Copepods, Amphipods and those little swimmers called Mysid Shrimp. I wouldn't touch it. See the worm tunnels next to the glass. Big smile  Lot's of good animals in there doing their cleanup job.

Sounds like bigger rocks are needed to hold the Macro in place in the display. Yes, Damsels eat algae.

FWIW, it's not a fan, it's called a powerhead and the thing that spins to push the water is a propeller.

If there is something creating Nitrates, it is probably where the water drains into the sump. How is that set up? May we see a pic?

May we see a pic of the display as it is now? I would like to see a full frame pic of the left side and another of the right side.

I may be coming your way in the next few days. I'll text to see when we can meet up.

Aloha,

Mark  Hug



Edited by Mark Peterson - April 20 2016 at 3:49pm
Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:
www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244
Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
Back to Top
Mark Peterson View Drop Down
Paid Member
Paid Member
Avatar

Joined: June 19 2002
Location: Murray
Status: Offline
Points: 21436
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 21 2016 at 4:38pm

Update:

Everything is looking soooo much better than what I saw in the image posted in the OP. No Frogspawn skeleton is showing and the anemone looks like an anemone. Thumbs Up

Alk 9.2 dKH, Ca <290 ppm, and Mg 1340 ppm. No need to check N compounds. I can see that everything is fine. The Nitrate test kit must be bad/old. Calcium needs to be dosed heavily and Alk will need to be dosed moderately as the Ca level rises.

We checked SG with a Refractometer and found it to be currently 1.020. It can be raised to 1.025 by topping off with salt water in place of RO water.

The fish are acting normal, eating algae and doing the things that fish do. This tank is headed for the StarStarStarStarStar

Aloha,

Mark  Hug

Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:
www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244
Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
Back to Top
Hottsauce23 View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: April 10 2015
Location: Bountiful
Status: Offline
Points: 156
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hottsauce23 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 21 2016 at 5:07pm
Thanks for all the help Mark :) I owe ya one. Any specific products you recommend to raise calcium and magnesium? Thanks
Back to Top
Mark Peterson View Drop Down
Paid Member
Paid Member
Avatar

Joined: June 19 2002
Location: Murray
Status: Offline
Points: 21436
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 21 2016 at 7:21pm

Mg is well within range.

What I recommend is what a lot of us here use. The chemicals and how to do it is discussed in the Reefkeeping Tips thread linked below. It may surprise you that it's so simple and so inexpensive.

Aloha,

Mark  Hug



Edited by Mark Peterson - April 21 2016 at 7:30pm
Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:
www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244
Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
Back to Top
Hottsauce23 View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: April 10 2015
Location: Bountiful
Status: Offline
Points: 156
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hottsauce23 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 23 2016 at 12:39pm
So a couple additional questions are what you might suggest for a test kit. The cheaper the better. Also what things would be most important for me to test. Nitrate? Calcium? If there isn't a test kit that has all the ones i should test for most often I can always buy them separately. Thanks.

Also has anyone had experience with Blue Linckia Starfish or Green Mandarins? I am potentially intrerested in getting them but I hear Blue Linckia may be difficult to care for and Green Mandarins don't come out much?


Edited by Hottsauce23 - April 23 2016 at 1:03pm
Back to Top
Mark Peterson View Drop Down
Paid Member
Paid Member
Avatar

Joined: June 19 2002
Location: Murray
Status: Offline
Points: 21436
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 25 2016 at 3:28pm

Because we can tell whether the N pollution is a problem just by looking at the coral and the tank in general, the most important tests that we use are Alk, Ca and Mg. The best three test kits for the money also happen to be the least expensive. It's the Red Sea Reef Foundation(Alk,Ca,Mg). On Amazon right now it's $51.33 with free shipping. A really good thing about it is that the refills are about $15 so we don't have to buy the whole thing again when all we need is more Alk tests. See if this link works:

http://www.amazon.com/Red-Sea-Reef-Foundation-Test/dp/B004FUJ5NE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461617125&sr=8-1&keywords=red+sea+test+kit+pro

I would not get any Stars at all right now in that tank. Here is a recent thread about Blue Linkia.

http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=79684

Mandarins need live food and plenty of it. Feel free to search the many discussions that have been posted here about this topic too. The live food I'm speaking of is that growing in the system. Buying live food is prohibitively expensive. With all the Damsels and the recent week of no feeding, there are very few live bugs in the display tank. I would not recommend a Mandarin in that tank. In fact, that size of tank is the bare minimum size that could reasonably support a Mandarin's live food needs.  

BTW, If you are looking for ideas for your next fish, consider the Clownfishes(of course), the Blennies, the Cardinals, the Wrasses, the Pygmy & Dwarf Angelfish, the Rabbitfishes and the Tangs. Remember the Assessor that Ross was so proud of and how cool it was hanging upside down under the huge Blue Wall Hammer Coral? That fish along with the Royal Gramma or the Pseudochomis would also do well as a next fish.

Aloha,

Mark  Hug

Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:
www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244
Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <123
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.03
Copyright ©2001-2018 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.219 seconds.