Oh No... Not Another Nano Startup Thread!

[@ombomb]

Aiptasia 0
Me 1



Just tested the water and the stats are:

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate 10
pH: 8.1
SG: 1.023
Temp: 80F

So fully cycled in less than 2 weeks!

Going to do a bit of a water change now, get the SG up the final notch and start the skimmer off.

Crabs / snails to be added on Saturday.

 

[SkiFletch]

Nice job on the Aiptasia killing . Sounds like you're on the right track. Cant wait to see more pics

 

[@ombomb]

Well the cleanup crew mission was something of a washout as neither of the fish shops close to home had a decent selection of snails in.

I did manage to pick up a couple of turbo snails, 2 bumblebee snails (which I will be keeping a very close watch on), 1 blue legged hermit, 1 scarlet hermit (who is in a small, hollow piece of live rock rather than a shell!) and a nice big clump of cheato (which also included a brislteowrm and a couple of small shrimps from the LFS's refugium).

More snails will be purchaced online thanks to a very good recommendation from Dan (SF05) as soon as their website is working again...

For now, here's the hermits:

f

 

[@ombomb]

More cleaners added today:

1 X Blue Legged Hermit
1 X Blue Knuckle Hermit
1 X Emerald Crab
8 X Nassarius

So I'm nearly there on the cleanup crew front, although I would still like some nerites / astreas...

Also the tank is continuing to fill up with small sponges and there are now pods COVERING the glass!

I spotted something odd on the shell of one of the turbos earlier, not sure what it is, looks almost like a polyp up close, hoping it's not a sea apple. Not the greatest photo but I'd appreciate your thoughts...

 

[@ombomb]

Couple of more pics:

Another shot of the turbo's hitch hikers:

A pic of the shy emerald crab...

And finally the Blue Knuckle Hermit:

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

Hey Atom

Looking great so far
Keep on eye on those bluelegs they are reported to be the meanest towards snails

Dan

 

[@ombomb]

So I've heard, but my understanding is that only happens if there aren't sufficient spare shells for them to grow into, so I've made sure there's plenty of spares in there over a range of size. I absolutely love the hermits, so much fun to watch!

 

[SkiFletch]

Lookin good, tough to make out what those little hitchikers are on the snails. Could be a coral polyp, aiptasia or mojano anemone, feather duster, or perhaps something even else? Are they clearly colored at all?

 

[@ombomb]

They're a pretty dark red, look more like filter feeders than an anenome, but it's hard to tell even with my face pressed against the glass they're so small!

As I was having another quick look, I saw one of them snap shut just like a feather duster...

 

[SkiFletch]

Well, if they're dark red its unlikely that they're aiptasia. Eh, see what happens

 

[Aquascaper]

The blue legs will kill snails if they find them upturned so keep an eye out for any that fall off the rocks and end up upside down.

The red 'things' are more than likely Foraminiferans, mini fiter feeders and a good hitch-hiker, my live rock is riddled with them.

 

[lljdma06]

The red 'things' are more than likely Foraminiferans, mini fiter feeders and a good hitch-hiker, my live rock is riddled with them.

I love those hitch-hikers, they're so cute! Now for a cliche. (Forrest Gump voice) "Marine tanks are like a box of chocolates, ya never know what you're gonna get" (end Forrest Gump voice).

Wonderful stuff, I'm chomping at the bit to set up mine, but patience is a virtue.

 

[@ombomb]

I'm VERY happy with the BLue Knuckle hermit, have a few patches of hair algae, but the crab is slowly working it's way round them devouring them.

Very attractive, very useful and only a fiver!

 

[@ombomb]

Time for a quick update:

Water stats:

Amonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate < 5

Temp 79F
SG 1.024
pH 8.1

All stats are now stable and have been here for best part of two weeks, meaning is nearly nemo time!

Here's a shot of the tank at set up:

Compared to the tank this afternoon:

The rock has coloured up VERY nicely IMO!

Still got a couple of patches of hair algae that mu Blue Knuckle can't get to but the Nerites and Turbos are working their way around clearing them off.

 

[steelhealr]

Is it me or is your water level low? SH