Why Ro Water Is Good For You And Your Tank

[Mr Miagi]

My tank reached 80ppm at one stage when I messed with the sand bed a bit much (I serisouly need to stop fidling) and I still have my clown fish. The hermits, snails, pods, polycheates etc all survived, aswell as my corals. (Bar my Alveopora. )

 

[Lynden]

80 ppm? Wowsers.

Thanks guys, I am now off to the JL aquatics order list!


-Lynden

 

[Lynden]

Well, read the banner... I finally got my first big coral colony

It's a Cladiella leather coral. I ordered it thinking it was going to be this dinky little stick, but it was actually pretty big. I also ordered two fish as well, a Hector's Goby and a Midas Blenny. I don't have a picture of the Midas Blenny yet, but the two fish are feeding well. The coral's looking good too

My lovely Cladiella:

My new Hector's Goby:

And my Eibl's Angel. You can't even tell she had fin rot anymore...

I also bought some "Phos-X" for the tank. It says it's for ponds but it looks identical to "Green-X" for a fraction of the price.

Oh yeah, my awesome Panther Grouper!

Just kidding. He isn't mine.

-Lynden

 

[SkiFletch]

Love the hectors goby. Great little fish

 

[Lynden]

So now I think it's time for some more corals anyone reccommend anything? I wanted something that would flouresce under actinic lighting. The zoanthids I had before did this, and I think some mushroom anemones do this too? Well, go on, what do you all suggest?

-Lynden

 

[SkiFletch]

Phosphorescent corals huh? Open brains, blastomusas, and favites brains come to mindd first. Some echinoporas also phosphoresce as do certain Euphylla species. Colorful zoos will phosphoresce as well

 

[Lynden]

Okay, cool B)

The Cladiella's condition (and size) seems to be fluctuating. I understand that leathers will do this, however it is slightly dispirating to see it go from "magnificent" to just "normal". The polyps were closed for a little while too today, but I think they are opening up again.

Does "brown slime disease" affect leathers? Mine seems to be especially shrunken and even deteriorating a little in an area around the back, but I don't think that it has gotten any bigger than it was a few days ago. Maybe just a little necrotic tissue?

And for my final question, can I use Phos-X in the marine tank? I sure hope so it advertises the same things as Green-X, and looks identical, it was just a relatively cheaper purchase than Green-X, I assumed this was just because it was a larger quantity (and also it was on sale).

Thanks,
-Lynden

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, lets see, how to describe this... "Brown Jelly" infections are tough to deal with. First off, theres no real diagnosis on what a brown jelly infection is. Sometimes it will culture out parasites, still others it will culture out bacteria, and sometimes it wont culture out anything. It seems to me at least that the "brown jelly" is more of a stress response similar to the inflamation response in humans and other terrestrial vertebrates. When the coral is stressed for some reason, it secretes this brown mucous at the site of stress. Sometimes the stress spreads RAPIDLY, sometimes slowly. Theres unfortunately no exact science with brown jelly.

Make sure what you're seeing is in fact brown jelly. Most leather coral species can undergo shedding events... Might be the case in your tank

 

[Lynden]

It's a tan-coloured slime. But it looks like it's falling off. So maybe it was just a shed?

But can I use Phos-X in the marine tank?


-Lynden

 

[SkiFletch]

Well, I've never used that brand of phosphate remover, but if its a small white-looking gravel substance then yes, it would be suitable. If its a liquid or a powder that dissolves in water then no, bad idea. Keep in mind that if it is a ceramic gravel that it will get hot upon introduction into the tank. Dont be alarmed, thats normal

 

[Lynden]

They looked like little clay pellets I put them in my trusty Fluval 404 yesterday; the little bastards floated at first, but I got 'em to stay down. No erratic fish behavior or coral closing yet. The crab, being indestructible, doesn't show any odd behavior either. But the Cladiella seems to be changing size a little more than normal

-Lynden

 

[SkiFletch]

They're ment to be put in filter bags so they dont float away . Little clay pellets is the right look. Instead of buying expensive filter bags though, just go to the drug store and buy some women's nylons . And when the girl behind the counter looks at you funny tell them your drag-queen husband needs them

 

[Lynden]

Lovely.

Well, being 14, I still live with my mom, who always has a broken pair of nylons somewhere.
I also use a product called "Nitrate Sponge" from Kent, which is a little white gravel-like medium. I put that in a nylon at first, but I eventually just tore it open and put it in the Fluval.

The Cladiella has expanded again. My 240 gallon is closer than ever before (figuratively speaking), and I am already thinking of it's layout and stocking.


-Lynden

 

[Lynden]

I think I might purchase so lighting from Aquatraders.com.

I know they are very cheap China crap, but it may be my only choice, as I'm not a millionaire. My lights that I have now are Odyssea, and so far I am impressed with them. Has anyone had experience with Odyssea HQI? I haven't made up my mind yet...

-Lynden

 

[Lynden]

New updates are as follows.

I noticed my Cladiella was slumping down more than normal. So, today I decided to remove it from it's old rock, which it apparently didn't like for some reason. I gently picked it up, and as expected, the entire mass quickly retracted into a ball-like shape. I then slowly pried it from it's old rocks, and I discovered what appeared to be advanced tissue necrosis. I brought it up to the surface for "the sniff", and it didn't smell like rot. But I find it hard to believe that it isn't rotting, as it's main trunk appears to be losing it's skin, and particles scattered everywhere.

I then placed it into a suitable position. But after a few minutes, I realized that several of the branches could not expand to the light. Arbitrarily, I decided to frag it. I used a razor blade and very carefully sliced off the smallest of the three trunks. I then used the most advanced positioning method known to man; wedging the trunks into the most suitable crevice I could find.

But anyways, apparently I own more than one species of coral; I found a tiny colony of what appeared to be tiny zoanthids, with a green body and flourescent tips. I will treat them as a colony I paid for, and see if the polyps won't get any bigger, as they are quite small (2/8''). Possibly very young ones? But unfortunately, I rubbed them with my finger in disbelief, :stupid: but they don't appear damaged.

The polyps on my Cladiella "Colt" Coral are reopening. I took two pictures, but the camera was a crappy as ever.

And the frag;

-Lynden