Randy's 130D

[vubben]

How are you doing your water changes??? BTW glad to hear the Blenny is good so far.

The one I'm doing today is unscheduled although I'm trying to keep to a schedule of doing one every or Friday or Saturday.
I siphon out about 15 liters and then replace with Red Sea Pro Coral SW that I have premixed the week before. Before I pump that into the tank I mix it again while heating it up to match the temperature of the tank water.

I use RO water that I buy from a machine at a local grocery store. This water has tested 0 for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and phosphate. I have not tested it for anything else.

 

[NewEnglandReef]

The one I'm doing today is unscheduled although I'm trying to keep to a schedule of doing one every or Friday or Saturday.
I siphon out about 15 liters and then replace with Red Sea Pro Coral SW that I have premixed the week before. Before I pump that into the tank I mix it again while heating it up to match the temperature of the tank water.

I use RO water that I buy from a machine at a local grocery store. This water has tested 0 for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and phosphate. I have not tested it for anything else.

Nice job...sounds good, I am in the process of switching the salt I use from the red sea that came w/the starter kit to Brightwell aquatics Neo Marine...it is fairly new but I have read good things about it, I will keep you posted on how things are going, today the switch begins. Good luck, it sounds like you are on top of it:read:

 

[vubben]

Randy - The first thing that comes to mind on the puffs of smoke are Stomatella Snails, they spawn that way. You might have not noticed them yet.

Thanks for the link Eddie. I have not noticed them yet although the rock the "puff" was near is a branch type that could conceal any number of beasties.

Since noticing the first few a few weeks back, I have had a mini explosion of Vermitid snails. I have since found about 12 of them all in the same general area. I have read that they can become a nuisance so I have removed about half of them. My skunk Shrimp hangs out near one of the larger Vermitids and seems to be eating the thread it exudes.

 

[vubben]

I watched it for a good 1/2 hr before I realized what was going on. I kept thinking "Is my snail on fire?" LOL

LOL. I know what you mean. It took a while before it registered with me as well. The first thing that went through my head was "odd, that looks like cigarette smoke"

 

[Reefmack]

A couple snail spawning videos:

Stomatella

YouTube - Stomatella Snail Spawn

Turbo

http://vimeo.com/1592535\

 

[redsea reefer]

You're welcome Randy!

 

[vubben]

A couple snail spawning videos:

Good videos, thanks Terry. What I saw seemed more like the Turbos but even a finer smokey cloud, not as particulate. I will assume it was some type of snail spawning.

Found another strange creature today. This looked like a smail shelless snail or slug, the kind you might find in a garden. About 1/4 inch long with two eyestalks at the head and a tapered body like a Cerith snail (although shell less) It slowly crept along a rock moving like an inch worm would. Last I saw it was moving pretty close to the Red Mithrax crab, don't know if it survived the encounter. While the crab loves algae, It does quickly grab any frozen food that happens to drift into it's path and seems to love it. Definitely not a strict vegetarian.

On another note. Terry, I am starting the Tunze Osmo install shortly and was wondering where you located the controller unit. I have seen some mounted inside the right cabinet door but that seems like it could be a messy wiring issue. I'm thinking of mounting it on the outside right of the cabinet just below the tank bottom. Any advice on that?

Thanks

Randy

 

[Dweezil]

Randy ~ Be carefull of that "snail thing" you saw. The way you describe it could be a nudibranch of some type and many do eat corals. If you see it again I would probably try to get it out.

 

[vubben]

Randy ~ Be carefull of that "snail thing" you saw. The way you describe it could be a nudibranch of some type and many do eat corals. If you see it again I would probably try to get it out.

Hmmm. I wonder if that's what could be troubling my zoo's. I did look up Nudibranches at one point and most of them looked alot stranger than this guy who was a very smooth, nondescript brown. Regardless, I'll stand by with the turkey baster in reverse mode and keep an eye out for it.

Thanks Tammy.

 

[Dweezil]

Maybe Terry or Eddie will jump in and give their opinion. I'm just going by the description and they are both much better ID'ers than I am. Hard to know for sure without a picture of coarse but I am a worm a phobe and don't like anything like that in my tank. LOL

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Randy... very smooth, nondescript brown - sounds a lot like a Stomatella Snail

they are good

 

[vubben]

Found him and got a not very good picture. Tried to get him out but accidentally knocked him off the rock and lost him. Dohhh! Anyway, here it is.

 

[vubben]

Hi Glenn. You can see in the second shot what I mean about it moving like an inch worm.

 

[vubben]

That was easy!
Don't know why I got so paranoid about installing the Tunze Osmolator. Went in easy as pie. I think the trick was to read the instructions carefully, then, since they are totally confusing, ignore them completely and install according to pictures posted by others.

I positioned the water line on the magnet just slightly above the tank water line and the pump immediately came on when I plugged it in. It ran for about 10 seconds and stopped when the water reached a little up the sensor.

Here's a few pics. Unfortunately it's hard to get a shot of the magnet straight on so you can see it in relation to the waterline.

Be aware that when you bring the magnets together the inside one will likely twist as the magnetic forces line up. Let it happen and adjust after they are happily holding each other.

I mounted the controller on the outside right of the cabinet. It's not totally obvious in this spot but is visible if I want to see it. Should be able to hear it easily as well.

Drilled two small holes in the top of my reservoir to run the pump hose and the power cable.

Didn't have enough RO water to fill the reservoir but the draw rails seem to be holding the weight just fine.

 

[redsea reefer]

Well its definitely a sea slug but maybe to young to identify, I refer to this website to ID Nudi's and slugs - there is over 25,000 pics of them... Here is the site below.

Nudibranch and Sea Slug Photos Collection » Nudi Pixel

Nice install of the ATO btw...

 

[imaccat]

+1^

 

[vubben]

Well its definitely a sea slug but maybe to young to identify, I refer to this website to ID Nudi's and slugs - there is over 25,000 pics of them... Here is the site below.

Nudibranch and Sea Slug Photos Collection » Nudi Pixel

Nice install of the ATO btw...

25,000 WOW! That's a whole lotta Slugs!!! Just went through about 40 pages and I'm sick of seeing em already.
So, would you suggest, as Tammy did, removing it if I get the chance?

Thanks for the link.

 

[redsea reefer]

Randy - I would remove it if I saw it again. Better safe than sorry...You're welcome for the link..

 

[Reefmack]

+2 on the slug/nudibranch. Nudis don't get as big as some slugs. Remove it if you see it again. A post in the Hitchhiker forum may get you a type and what if anything it preys on.

Whenever you unplug the Osmolator and plug it in again it'll pump for 8-10 seconds and shut off. I just unplug mine from the controller on water changes.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

+3 ^ that a pic we can id from !

Went in easy as pie. I think the trick was to read the instructions carefully, then, since they are totally confusing, ignore them completely and install according to pictures posted by others.

Congrats !!!