Ranger's Tank Journal

[Mr.September15]

What are you smoking??

 

[Ranger]

OK, I used the chart on the instructions which has the ml readings next to the dKH and meq/L. The reading I got off of the chart said i had 14.7. By my own calculations with the given equation
(KH in dKH = (1 - amount left in syringe) x 16), was 14.72...

Just redid my test and now I have a few different results. It says to stop when the water turns pink or red/orange. I didn't know what was consider the stopping point. So I took a few different readings...

A hint of pink: 13.6 dKH

Notably pink: 14.08 dKH

Dramatically pink: 14.56 dKH

All are still pretty high according to the instructions... Maybe I should redo my pH test?


EDIT: Mr. September, I think im retarded... In your pic my topic is clearly labeled "Ranger's Tank Journal" not "Ranger's Tank Jornel"

 

[SkiFletch]

Zebra hermits, most aggressive of the hermit crabs.

You spelled conscientious marine aquarist correctly

Titration is a type of chemistry operation which is what the salifert test kits technically are . I hated titrations in my orgo chemistry lab, but that's another story . You generally want to go with notably pink so a dKH of 14. Thats high and odd that your pH is low; but since your calc is also low that leads me to believe that you have a slight imbalance of carbonate and bicarbonate (alkalinity tests can't tell the difference). Give it some time to allow the chemistry to settle and you should come back to a more normal balance naturally. The chemistry is tough to explain, but suffice it to say that its better to have high alkalinity than low alkalinity

 

[Ranger]

Redid pH test and its at 8.2. Are the zebra hermits going to be bad for my future livestock?

 

[SkiFletch]

Ah, 8.2 is way more like it

As for the hermits, they're aggressive towards other hermits and snails, so be prepared to replace cleanup crew that dissappear

 

[Ranger]

Ah, 8.2 is way more like it

As for the hermits, they're aggressive towards other hermits and snails, so be prepared to replace cleanup crew that dissappear

I'd rather just give them back to my LFS since they are hitchikers anyways... and go with the original scarlet hermits...

 

[SkiFletch]

Good plan

 

[Mr.September15]

Heres an enlarged picture. If you can't see the typo God help you

 

[Ranger]

Heres an enlarged picture. If you can't see the typo God help you

Ah, I see. Previously you were saying that it was mispelled as Jornel not Journel.

Noted, changed.

 

[Ranger]

My friend and I were looking at my tank today when we noticed a approx. 1-2 cm bug thingy. Looked like a rolly polly/pill bug, it was mostly white grayish areas on its back. Upon further inspection, we noticed MANY much smaller bug thingies crawling all over the glass inside my tank. I said they might be copepods, but I thought that copepods were microscopic? What are these?


EDIT: Been watching the tank, noticed more larger ones. There are about 3 that are 1/2 cm. I can't get a good pic cuz my cam won't focus on them. But they do look like tiny Roley Poley's.

EDIT 2: Did some research and they appear to be copepods/amphepods. From what I know they aren't harmful for my tank, is it normal for them to be here this early? And where did they come from?

 

[SkiFletch]

They came from your LR. Big ones are usually isopods or amphipods.

 

[Ranger]

-Just an update on my tank, its doing great! Skimmer is pulling more gunk out of the water, im running it a little more wet than previously.

-I ran my RO unit for almost the entire day yesterday and filled up a 20gal rubbermaid tub/trashcan thingy. Will that water still be fine say a month from now when I'm still using it? It has a cover on it and stuff.

-I'm excited about all the copepods, isopods and amphipods in my tank. They are too small to take pictures of though.(duh)

-The featherdusters (what I think they are) are multiplying rapidly, just out of curiosity what do they eat? The tiny copepods?

-My tank is becoming more colorful! Plant matter is growing off of the LR. Some kindof green mossy stuff, and also some seaweed looking stuff (which I got a pic off). Also looks like what seems to be bubble algae, it hasn't spread though and to be honest I have never seen bubble algae before. I can't get a good pic of it (its just all blurry cuz its so small). I don't really know what it is.

Heres the pics:

Heres (what I think to be) a feathduster (please correct if I am wrong). You can also see some of the plant life growing.

Heres my fixed skimmer mod in its entirety, and you can see some of the gunk its pulled up within the last 20 hours(when i last dumped it out). The major change being the now vertical bubble trap

Close-up of the bubbletrap mod. Notice the lack of EXTREME micro bubbles 8)

Overall pic of the tank. I plan on adding more LR before I leave for Greneda on the 27th. So by the time I get back my tank should be good to go ?

 

[SkiFletch]

Lookin great ranger

To answer your questions, the water will be fine in the bucket as long as its covered. Doesnt have to be sealed, you just want to keep most airborne particles out of it.

The feather dusters eat tiny waterborne particles as they're filter feeders. They generally help keep your tank water looking clean.

As long as someone keeps the tank topped up with RO you should be ready to go when you get back

And btw, nice work on that superskimmer

 

[Ranger]

Lookin great ranger

To answer your questions, the water will be fine in the bucket as long as its covered. Doesnt have to be sealed, you just want to keep most airborne particles out of it.

The feather dusters eat tiny waterborne particles as they're filter feeders. They generally help keep your tank water looking clean.

As long as someone keeps the tank topped up with RO you should be ready to go when you get back

And btw, nice work on that superskimmer

Thanks! I think it looks good too. Yeah, I'm having a friend of mine come over and check up on my FW fish tanks so I'll just have him drop some RO mix in there. Thank goodness that superskimmer issue is over with, I was about to hunt down the coralife CEO and have a talk...

 

[Ranger]

Just fooling around with stocking options again. I've fallen for the sixline wrasse . Whenever I go into my LFS I see them they are just so colorful I love them. So I would wondering if my original sotcking idea would work with the added sixline.

2 Tank Raised percula
Golden Neon Goby
Yellow watchman Goby
Pistol Shrimp
and add the Sixline Wrasse

w/ a cleaner crew of:
5 Cerith Snail
5 Nassarius Snail
5 Scarlet hermits (aka redlegs)
2 Trochus Snail
1 Mexican Turbo Snail
1 Dwarf Brittlestar
1 Cleaner shrimp


EDIT: It seems like alot to me, would this be overstocked for my 25gal?