Tyler's 29Gal. Tank Project!

[SaltNoob]

My new 29 Gallon Tank has started off nicely. I found a feather duster with all his "feathers" open and grabbing the open waters!!! So excited. I also have a clear anemone, he is small and I cant tell what he is, but he sucks up to a tiny ball. He has white tips of his lengths when hes open. Very small, I will post a pic when I have a better picture of him. This is my current tank. All levels: Salt, Ammonia, pH, Nitrite all good for adding new friends to the tank! I dunno if I should keep waiting cuz its only been cycled for a week, however the rock was fully cured at my LFS that specializes in only salt water tanks. Hope you like it!

Oh almost forgot Temp: 78F =)

 

[lljdma06]

My guess is that the anemone is an aiptasia species. A pest anemone. I've got a few. You should probably cover his hole with coral epoxy and kill him. I should do this with mine, but I haven't done it yet because I'm lazy.

I have banded aiptasia though, which don't spread as fast.

 

[SaltNoob]

In what way are they pests? they just multiply? It does not seem to stick out from the rock like these, nor look anything like them. I will keep watching it.

Update: With more close inspection I have found an Aptasia in a different place as it looks exactly like the picture. What is the easiest way to remove it without having to take all the rock out? I read some articles saying inject it with lemon juice..? The other anemone is nothing like these.

 

[SaltNoob]

The following picture is most similar to the anemeone that I have in my tank.

 

[Malawi MaD]

Wouldnt mind doing a saltwater tank myself, just i dont no if i could keep up with the maintenance due to most of my time with the fish i have already

 

[lljdma06]

People consider them pest because they tend to multiply rapidly and overrun the tank. They can also sting neighboring corals.

There are several pest anemones, including aiptasia species and Majano anemones. People have different methods for there removal. If it live in a hole, people recommend sealing the hole with aquarium epoxy. If it's not in a hole there are several options to consider. Some use a syringe to inject lemon juice, Joe's juice, boiling water, or other chemicals into the anemone. The thing to injecting is that you have to get the syringe into the anemone. Other suck it up with a turkey baster. Or blast it with ice cold RO water to make it release.

Haha, I'll have to implement several methods to get rid of mine. One will be epoxied, the others will be zapped.

A soldering iron is also often used. You have to be careful, however, that you don't harm your other corals.

L

 

[Donya]

The following picture is most similar to the anemeone that I have in my tank.

If that really is what you have, it's a non-photosynthetic coral. I had one polyp as a hitchhiker and fed it lots (pellets, mysis, etc.), and over a few months it produced four new ones. Unfortunately the genus escapes me right now. The only real caution I would have about them is that they seem to pack a punch, as literally everything in the tank keeps its distance from mine - pest nems included. Other things with similar tentacles worth Google-imaging include Pseudocorynactis and Corynactis species (both Corallimorpharians).

 

[SaltNoob]

The following picture is most similar to the anemeone that I have in my tank.

If that really is what you have, it's a non-photosynthetic coral. I had one polyp as a hitchhiker and fed it lots (pellets, mysis, etc.), and over a few months it produced four new ones. Unfortunately the genus escapes me right now. The only real caution I would have about them is that they seem to pack a punch, as literally everything in the tank keeps its distance from mine - pest nems included. Other things with similar tentacles worth Google-imaging include Pseudocorynactis and Corynactis species (both Corallimorpharians).

Are they bad? These besides the color at the moment are more similar. The image above still doesnt do the tips justice as to how bright they are! I need to get a close up picture but its hard. Maybe I will use the camera in a plastic bag! lol.

Oh this one...Corynactis australis... - Jewel Anemone... Looks the most! However mine has no stem at the moment.

UPDATE: I have algae starting to grow around the tank. Take a look! This was last night.

 

[lljdma06]

Looks like some diatom growth there. Your herbavores should take care of most of that for you.

L

 

[ALW]

If your stats are ok, looks like it's time for a CUC.

 

[SaltNoob]

If your stats are ok, looks like it's time for a CUC.

Funny you say that. They are in there. Can't you see em? lol Stats are great! All zeros except pH of course. If you look in the center you can see my Elec Blue, further to the left a cerith snail.

Is there a better way to prevent diatom blooms?

 

[SaltNoob]

Decided I am going to grab a couple more snails as the algae is growing pretty quick and I only have 5 snails right now. I was hoping to get two Astrea's as they are great for diatoms as well.

Currently I have 4 ceriths and one Margarita snail. Any input?

-Tyler

 

[SaltNoob]

Well, I went to my FS and got two astreas yesterday. I acclimated them for 1.5 hours after floating them for 20 minutes. I will post some pictures of them tonight.

I need some help. My Electric Blue hermit died. =(... Stats are good. Ammonia MAYBE at 5ppm but that might be cuz hes been dead?
I was new to acclimating and didn't use a drip method (only 35 min.overall), so maybe this could have caused his death? He was very active for two full days then began sulking and now hes dead and he smells dead for sure, so I took him out immediately.

Temp in the tank is 77 pretty constantly. I need a refractometer but the salinity really hasn't (as far as I can see) changed as my hydrometer still floats the exact same when I turn water movement off.

Any ideas? Thank you. Oh and all others in the tank are alive, active, and look extremely happy eating as they walk around.

 

[Donya]

Ammonia MAYBE at 5ppm

That's pretty high and very far from ok if it's anything above 0. What test kits are you using? You have one with a color scale that lets you tell 0.0ppm from 0.5ppm at least, let alone distinguishing 5.0ppm. If you're getting 5.0ppm, don't add any more animals until it reads a clear 0.0ppm. If you have animals currently in the tank, you will need to do a large WC immediately and keep up with frequent WCs until the level drops and stays low.

I was new to acclimating and didn't use a drip method (only 35 min.overall), so maybe this could have caused his death?

How was the acclimation done if not drip? Did you transfer tank water into the bag in bits? If so then it is unlikely to be that (although I would never recommend anything but the drip method) and more likely that the tank water has problems.

 

[SaltNoob]

Ammonia MAYBE at 5ppm

That's pretty high and very far from ok if it's anything above 0. What test kits are you using? You have one with a color scale that lets you tell 0.0ppm from 0.5ppm at least, let alone distinguishing 5.0ppm. If you're getting 5.0ppm, don't add any more animals until it reads a clear 0.0ppm. If you have animals currently in the tank, you will need to do a large WC immediately and keep up with frequent WCs until the level drops and stays low.

I was new to acclimating and didn't use a drip method (only 35 min.overall), so maybe this could have caused his death?

How was the acclimation done if not drip? Did you transfer tank water into the bag in bits? If so then it is unlikely to be that (although I would never recommend anything but the drip method) and more likely that the tank water has problems.

LOL Sorry not 5ppm, I meant .05 ppm because it was barely off of the "yellow" color strand. I took my water to the sw aquarium specialist store and had all params tested. ZERO ammonia. ZERO Nitrite. ZERO nitrate. pH at 8.3.

The first acclimation was not drip. I added bit by bit from the tank. I read it online and did not find out the best way to do it until after the fact. I have dripped the others in and they are doing very well.