I'm back!

[Darkxerox]

Well. My tank has been running on neglect tech for over a year.

I have a new job and some new changes that have helped me dig myself out of the depressed hole I've been in and I find myself wanting to put more effort into the tank again.

I leaned the glass for the first time in probably 4 months. There are thousands of aptasia I need to get a handle on. I will probably get my hands on a file fish for that in the short term but my sump and plumbing are covered in them too so i will probably have to reboot the tank to actually rid myself of them.

I finally bought a new mixing pump so I can do a water change. The doser need to be rebuilt and my light needs new t5 bulbs since they are so old that 2 of the 8 stopped working completely.

The new job involves a lot of travel to the bay area for training so I have access to stores again.

The local fish store owner died and the shop is under new management. The guy doesn't know anything about reef tanks but he told me to make a list of consumables and he will start stocking some basic stuff, understanding that you need product if you're going to attract customers.

Welcome back! There's always people looking for aiptasia to farm berghia with so that's an option. Any fish still kicking around in there?

 

[grizfyrfyter]

Welcome back! There's always people looking for aiptasia to farm berghia with so that's an option. Any fish still kicking around in there?

All the fish are fat and happy. The tank is on an auto feeder and I still put sheets of nori in a couple times a week. I have dumped in pods and phyto a couple times. The mandarin is still chunky and happy.

If I didn't have bristle worms, I would dump a bunch of nudi in and let them work. Most of my rock in the display are still large structures. The super glue and sand trick is amazing.

Rocks are mostly covered in a very short kind of algae and the tangs and fox face chow on it all the time.

 

[richiev]

If you come near redwood City I have a filefish you can have

 

[L/B Block]

I have seen filefish go to task- amazing!
Also the biota Molly miller blenny works too. However it takes awhile for it to get big enough to mow down the bigger aiptasia.

 

[grizfyrfyter]

I have seen filefish go to task- amazing!
Also the biota Molly miller blenny works too. However it takes awhile for it to get big enough to mow down the bigger aiptasia.

I haven't heard of that fish before. I'll have to look into it. Thanks.

 

[grizfyrfyter]

The army of micro brittle stars makes me happy.

 

[grizfyrfyter]

My fox face died in Jan and algae started taking over. My cleanup crew was old and ready for a refresh. Got some snails, some fuzzy chitons and baby tuxedo urchins. All clean now.

Peppermint shrimp did some work on the aptasia but I went from 3 to 1 and I haven't seen it in a couple days.

Moving this tank this month

 

[grizfyrfyter]

6 weeks
They had it clean in 2 but I forgot to take pics until today.

I also seem to be past the death streak after I finally found a metal bracket was dropping rust into the sump. Corals are growing again.

 

[benbaez]

The army of micro brittle stars makes me happy.

I'm getting back into my reef tank hobby after probably 15 plus years. I'm seeding a 8 gallon tank with little clean up crew members that will be used in main tank when that is ready. Do you have spare micro brittle stars?

 

[grizfyrfyter]

I definitely do. I won't be at this swap but I work in South San Jose and can bring some to work one day if you can meet me.

 

[benbaez]

I definitely do. I won't be at this swap but I work in South San Jose and can bring some to work one day if you can meet me.

I won't be at the swap either, I live in Modesto and work in SF. I'll let you know when I am in the area. Thanks!

 

[grizfyrfyter]

I won't be at the swap either, I live in Modesto and work in SF. I'll let you know when I am in the area. Thanks!

Oh, perfect. I live in Modesto.

 

[benbaez]

Are you kidding me? How awesome! I'm near Briggsmore and Oakdale. Maybe next week around 8 PM if ok during the week.

 

[grizfyrfyter]

I'm moving to the area near elm and carpenter this weekend.

 

[PjFish]

Are you kidding me? How awesome! I'm near Briggsmore and Oakdale. Maybe next week around 8 PM if ok during the week.

Wait sounds like that 1983 movie Valley Reefers?

 

[benbaez]

HAHA! I watched Valley Girl a month ago for the first time. Good 'ol fun 80's

 

[grizfyrfyter]

Finally got everything moved back into the tank.

 

[MichaelB]

Looking good. Planning to stay bare bottom?

 

[PjFish]

Nice!! Hows your army of brittle stars doing?

 

[grizfyrfyter]

Looking good. Planning to stay bare bottom?

Yeah. The anemones tank has a 4" sanded that I'm hoping will help buffer the tank better but I love bare bottom. Especially once zoans and chalice start covering the glass.