Nobby's S-650

Pat24601

Well-Known Member
Hey, no harm, no foul when it comes to MIL taking care of the tank for a week. I always expect disaster in a situation like that and anything less than that is a win!!!

As for Aiptasia, in the long run it's just pretty easy to get so I think you are pretty much just going to have to deal with at one point or another. I don't think anyone really quarantines corals (although coral dips is a good idea). Really, I'm not sure if a coral quarantine would even help. I had my first visible signs of aiptasia 6 months after I had put anything in the tank. I have no idea which frag they even came in on.

That said, while many have had luck with Aiptasia-X, I definitely have not. The only thing that works for me is taking the rock out and cleaning it up and/or replacing it. It's possible I'm using Aiptasia-X wrong, but I've tried lots. I suppose there is no harm in giving it a shot and if it doesn't work then take the rock out.
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
I've tried using Apstasia-X in the past in my smaller tank, but it only made things worse as the bloody Aps then appeared everywhere ! The rock it has appeared on only has some Florida Ricordia growing on it, so I think I'll gently remove the rock, transfer the Ricordia, and then have a go at zapping the rock! Burn the bugger out with a soldering iron ! Taking the rock out will not result in any upheaval as it is pretty easy to get to.
I've had success in the past with a Filefish, but once the Aps are gone they start to munch on any other softies in the tank!
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
Here is an interesting thread about Fish Immunity, and the possible reasons of why we get things like Itch in our tanks. The bottom line is that there is a theory that after quarantining the fish, and keeping the tank relatively sterile, that the fish lose their immunity, and once something bad happens, all the fish have no in-built defense against it........If fed more live food instead of flake/frozen etc, their immune systems are kept up to scratch....or something like that ;) An interesting read.

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?threads/a-discussion-on-immunity.95269/
 

Pat24601

Well-Known Member
Here is an interesting thread about Fish Immunity, and the possible reasons of why we get things like Itch in our tanks. The bottom line is that there is a theory that after quarantining the fish, and keeping the tank relatively sterile, that the fish lose their immunity, and once something bad happens, all the fish have no in-built defense against it........If fed more live food instead of flake/frozen etc, their immune systems are kept up to scratch....or something like that ;) An interesting read.

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?threads/a-discussion-on-immunity.95269/

Yes, I was going to mention to you that my LFS, which is of very high quality, actually recommends against setting up hospital tanks and instead relying on immunity and quality feeding to help fish fight off marine ich.

They aren't promising it will be successful, I imagine, but hospital tanks come with a huge amount of downsides and aren't guaranteed to work at all with issues such as added stress on the fish, the possibility it doesn't really eradicate the marine ich, and the difficulty of properly doing copper dosing . So, they think the harm you do with a hospital tank is so high risk that you are better off trying to help the fish deal with the disease through immunity and actually are pretty optimistic it can work.

They did recommend adding Vita chem to their food to help as one specific course of action.
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
What happened to the tank while I was away?
The Mother-In-Law looked after it, but she is 75 and hasn't got a clue. Her job is basically just to lob some food in every day, and phone me if she thinks something is wrong.
I had a 40 liter container set-up next to the tank with a Tunze ATO unit. This was to supplement the ATO and should easily last the week. However, at some point (and God knows why) the Tunze ATO unit 'got displaced'. I suspect the MIL snagged the cable somehow, and this resulted it moving the sensor which then dumped the 40 liters into the Sump. This caused the Skimmer to over react. Bless Her, she then decided (without ringing me) to switch something off. She thought she was switching off the Skimmer, but in fact she switched off the main Return Pump. Apparently she only did this for five minutes, and then re-started it! Luckily, there was no overflow from the Sump, but it was probably a bit too close for comfort.
The bottom line is that there was no damage, and in fact, the corals look fantastic. There is growth everywhere! The only drawback I can see is the first showing of Apstasia. I've tried everything I can think of to avoid this stuff, apart from quarantining the corals. All new Frags get a 'dip' before going into the tank. Now, do I attempt using something like Apstasia-X from Red Sea, or should I just gently remove the rock it is growing on and replace it with a new piece of rock?

It’s funny because I flew to spain golfing for 7 days yesterday leaving the tank with my wife and within an hour of me leaving we had a power cut for exactly an hour. This is the first time and bless her while I was on my jet (ok,it has Ryanair on the side so what! ...), she was on the phone to the power company threatening them with fish murder! And she didn’t have a clue who the power company was but got it spot on.
Also whenever I leave it for 7days it always looks better when I get back, unless it’s because I’ve missed it. Perhaps that says something about our ‘overbearing care’! Lol

Aiptasia X works. I also found that peppermint Shrimps work. One day you add them (I added 2)and you have aiptasia and then you forget about it because over 4-6 weeks you don’t have any and don’t actually notice. I’ve got to replace my Shrimps as they have all disappeared but I don’t think they live that long and you don’t know how old they are when you get them. I’ve had aiptasia start to reappear last week. Infact all my Shrimps have gone so I have an excuse to go to the LFS!

Have you got the Tunze feeding the inbuilt ATO? I’ve got mine in the return chamber with the level slightly above the inbuilt float so that now only acts as backup. Mine will last about 2 1/2 weeks all in.
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
I've tried using Apstasia-X in the past in my smaller tank, but it only made things worse as the bloody Aps then appeared everywhere ! The rock it has appeared on only has some Florida Ricordia growing on it, so I think I'll gently remove the rock, transfer the Ricordia, and then have a go at zapping the rock! Burn the bugger out with a soldering iron ! Taking the rock out will not result in any upheaval as it is pretty easy to get to.
I've had success in the past with a Filefish, but once the Aps are gone they start to munch on any other softies in the tank!
You’ve got to zap it before it spots you! Lurk about an inch away with your syringe and then quickly spray it and move in as per the instructions. And just make sure you turn off all of the rear circulation pumps or it with send the stuff everywhere.
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Here is an interesting thread about Fish Immunity, and the possible reasons of why we get things like Itch in our tanks. The bottom line is that there is a theory that after quarantining the fish, and keeping the tank relatively sterile, that the fish lose their immunity, and once something bad happens, all the fish have no in-built defense against it........If fed more live food instead of flake/frozen etc, their immune systems are kept up to scratch....or something like that ;) An interesting read.

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?threads/a-discussion-on-immunity.95269/

Yes I’ve read all of that and it makes complete sense to me as well. I feed ‘Gamma’ frozen cubes every day (2), and it was alive once, with about 6 different variations over the weeks, and then dry pellets of mixed algea/meat in the evening and then some seaweed a few times a week to give them a varied diet.
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
Yes, I was going to mention to you that my LFS, which is of very high quality, actually recommends against setting up hospital tanks and instead relying on immunity and quality feeding to help fish fight off marine ich.

They aren't promising it will be successful, I imagine, but hospital tanks come with a huge amount of downsides and aren't guaranteed to work at all with issues such as added stress on the fish, the possibility it doesn't really eradicate the marine ich, and the difficulty of properly doing copper dosing . So, they think the harm you do with a hospital tank is so high risk that you are better off trying to help the fish deal with the disease through immunity and actually are pretty optimistic it can work.

They did recommend adding Vita chem to their food to help as one specific course of action.
Yes, my experience of a hospital tank was not a good one. I personally felt as though it actually weakened the fish even more, and led to probably more deaths than was necessary. Basically, with Copper, you are poisoning the fish, and even the slightest overdose can be fatal. Thanks for the Vita Chem link. I'll have a peek at that.
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
It’s funny because I flew to spain golfing for 7 days yesterday leaving the tank with my wife and within an hour of me leaving we had a power cut for exactly an hour. This is the first time and bless her while I was on my jet (ok,it has Ryanair on the side so what! ...), she was on the phone to the power company threatening them with fish murder! And she didn’t have a clue who the power company was but got it spot on.
Also whenever I leave it for 7days it always looks better when I get back, unless it’s because I’ve missed it. Perhaps that says something about our ‘overbearing care’! Lol

Aiptasia X works. I also found that peppermint Shrimps work. One day you add them (I added 2)and you have aiptasia and then you forget about it because over 4-6 weeks you don’t have any and don’t actually notice. I’ve got to replace my Shrimps as they have all disappeared but I don’t think they live that long and you don’t know how old they are when you get them. I’ve had aiptasia start to reappear last week. Infact all my Shrimps have gone so I have an excuse to go to the LFS!

Have you got the Tunze feeding the inbuilt ATO? I’ve got mine in the return chamber with the level slightly above the inbuilt float so that now only acts as backup. Mine will last about 2 1/2 weeks all in.
Peps work, to a point, and so does Apstasia X, to a point. With the X though, one small mistake and the Ap gives a 'splurt' and releases hundreds of spores, which will grow in time. Pep Shrimps never seem to last very long.
My solution this one time will be to remove the rock, and basically hammer off the side with the Ap on it. Split the rock if you like. This will avoid any unpleasant stuff happening with a new piece of rock going into the tank.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SPR

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
It’s funny because I flew to spain golfing for 7 days yesterday leaving the tank with my wife and within an hour of me leaving we had a power cut for exactly an hour. This is the first time and bless her while I was on my jet (ok,it has Ryanair on the side so what! ...), she was on the phone to the power company threatening them with fish murder! And she didn’t have a clue who the power company was but got it spot on.
Also whenever I leave it for 7days it always looks better when I get back, unless it’s because I’ve missed it. Perhaps that says something about our ‘overbearing care’! Lol

Aiptasia X works. I also found that peppermint Shrimps work. One day you add them (I added 2)and you have aiptasia and then you forget about it because over 4-6 weeks you don’t have any and don’t actually notice. I’ve got to replace my Shrimps as they have all disappeared but I don’t think they live that long and you don’t know how old they are when you get them. I’ve had aiptasia start to reappear last week. Infact all my Shrimps have gone so I have an excuse to go to the LFS!

Have you got the Tunze feeding the inbuilt ATO? I’ve got mine in the return chamber with the level slightly above the inbuilt float so that now only acts as backup. Mine will last about 2 1/2 weeks all in.
Ha, ha, so you are also a Golfer. I'm not a bad player myself, although my swing, pitching and putting need a lot of work. Apart from those things, I'm ok :)

My spare ATO is just a plastic bin with a capacity of about 40 liters with a Tunze ATO unit. It's only to supplement the main ATO when I am away. I position the sensor so it is just below the normal water level, so it should only kicks in when the main ATO is used up........However, this time the sensor moved somehow, so the temporary ATO was used up first.
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
Yes I’ve read all of that and it makes complete sense to me as well. I feed ‘Gamma’ frozen cubes every day (2), and it was alive once, with about 6 different variations over the weeks, and then dry pellets of mixed algea/meat in the evening and then some seaweed a few times a week to give them a varied diet.
I also feed a mixture of frozen stuff, dry flakes, pellets and Seaweed but after reading that thread I may just have a look at growing my own food as a supplement. I've grown copods in the past, and that is pretty easy.
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
It's been over six weeks now. The three fish in the tank are still there and appear to be healthy. So, yesterday I had to pop down to the LFS to get some Salt, and decided to purchase a couple of Clowns. They are relatively cheap, and so they were chosen to be the 'cannon fodder'. Will they live, or will they croak it? Let's wait and see............and I don't like doing this.
It would be fantastic if there was somewhere where I could send a water sample for testing to see if any 'disease' is present. However, the only thing to do is to introduce a few new livestock, and just see if they survive. It's not nice but I don't see any other way to be honest.
 

Pat24601

Well-Known Member
It's been over six weeks now. The three fish in the tank are still there and appear to be healthy. So, yesterday I had to pop down to the LFS to get some Salt, and decided to purchase a couple of Clowns. They are relatively cheap, and so they were chosen to be the 'cannon fodder'. Will they live, or will they croak it? Let's wait and see............and I don't like doing this.
It would be fantastic if there was somewhere where I could send a water sample for testing to see if any 'disease' is present. However, the only thing to do is to introduce a few new livestock, and just see if they survive. It's not nice but I don't see any other way to be honest.

I hope all goes well!!!
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
Ok, let's talk about the 'plugs' that your Frags arrive on. Sometimes the Frags have nice neat small pointy bits of plug, and they are really easy to drop/push into small holes in the rock. Once I have decided their final destination, it's no problem to put a small amount of adhesive on them to stick them in. Jobs a good 'un.
But what about those Frags that arrive with a bloody gert big piece of plug attached to the bottom. Y'know, those big circular bits! No matter how hard you try, they will just not balance on any rock and continually fall over (or is that just me?). Do you 'chip' the plug away from the Frag with a hammer/chisel when the final destination is decided? Or do you just stick the big plug down?

PS - The Clowns are still alive :)
 

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
I just stick the frag plug in the crevices in the rocks and let the coral over take it in time... have also used Two Little Fishies Aquastik Red Coralline Underwater Epoxy Putty mixed with some SuperGlue to attached. The red my favorite...

Two-Little-Fishies-Aquastik-Red-Coralline-2-oz.-99.jpg
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Ok, let's talk about the 'plugs' that your Frags arrive on. Sometimes the Frags have nice neat small pointy bits of plug, and they are really easy to drop/push into small holes in the rock. Once I have decided their final destination, it's no problem to put a small amount of adhesive on them to stick them in. Jobs a good 'un.
But what about those Frags that arrive with a bloody gert big piece of plug attached to the bottom. Y'know, those big circular bits! No matter how hard you try, they will just not balance on any rock and continually fall over (or is that just me?). Do you 'chip' the plug away from the Frag with a hammer/chisel when the final destination is decided? Or do you just stick the big plug down?

PS - The Clowns are still alive :)
Sharp screwdriver and a hammer on the joint and it should pop off.

I used to leave them on but they just spoil the natural look.

PS I sent you a message
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
I've managed to get rid of the single Aiptasia. I lifted the rock out and chiseled off the bit where it lived. Hopefully that's the last of it.....(for now!).

The two Clowns that were bought as a trial are both still ok and looking healthy. Can I now assume that the 'disease' has burnt itself out?
I have found another LFS that isn't too far away from me. I'll pop down down sometime this week to have a look, but they have Green Chromis in stock. My re-stocking plan is to buy the main 'population' first ie. Chromis, Anthias etc before I introduce the individual Tangs.

Going back to the Clowns, but these two display a characteristic I've never seen before in Clowns. In the past, any Clowns I've had always slept in the corner of the tank. Usually they are the only fish that do not 'hide' at night. These two are different though. One of them sleeps dead still next to the RTA, and the other finds a crevice on the top of the flattish plate rock, and sleeps down in there, not moving.
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
So, how do you catch a monster crab?
This story goes back to before the wipeout, and in fact could have been the cause of it initially.
One of my deceased Blue Chromis appeared one day with a very large chunk bitten out of it's back between the tail fin and the dorsal fin. It wasn't just a nip, but a bloody gert big chunk taken out.This fish was one of the first to die, and it could very well have been the start of the problem.
I did wonder who, or what, had taken the bite..................but I've now seen something.
I have a few Red Legged Hermits that wander around the tank. A couple are quite large, but nothing that is scary. However, out of the corner of my eye yesterday, I saw something move in the rocks. When I moved closer to have a look, it promptly disappeared at a rapid rate of knots back into the rock. So, I stayed very still and continued to watch, and eventually I saw a couple of huge claws come out of the rock. They are massive claws and nothing like the Red Legged Hermits. This is in the same group of rocks where the Chromis used to sleep, so I'm wondering if this monster took a bite out of the Chromis as it was sleeping in those rocks. This 'thing' will not reveal itself and hides at the first sign of movement from me, so it obviously has a guilty conscience, and is a bad boy ! I have no idea where it came from as I always dip all coral frags before they go into the tank. I haven't bought a single colony, only frags. For the size of him it must have come into the tank at an early stage, and grown at a frightening rate !

The next question is, how do I catch/trap a monster crab? Any ideas anyone?
 
  • Like
Reactions: SPR

SPR

Well-Known Member
So, how do you catch a monster crab?
This story goes back to before the wipeout, and in fact could have been the cause of it initially.
One of my deceased Blue Chromis appeared one day with a very large chunk bitten out of it's back between the tail fin and the dorsal fin. It wasn't just a nip, but a bloody gert big chunk taken out.This fish was one of the first to die, and it could very well have been the start of the problem.
I did wonder who, or what, had taken the bite..................but I've now seen something.
I have a few Red Legged Hermits that wander around the tank. A couple are quite large, but nothing that is scary. However, out of the corner of my eye yesterday, I saw something move in the rocks. When I moved closer to have a look, it promptly disappeared at a rapid rate of knots back into the rock. So, I stayed very still and continued to watch, and eventually I saw a couple of huge claws come out of the rock. They are massive claws and nothing like the Red Legged Hermits. This is in the same group of rocks where the Chromis used to sleep, so I'm wondering if this monster took a bite out of the Chromis as it was sleeping in those rocks. This 'thing' will not reveal itself and hides at the first sign of movement from me, so it obviously has a guilty conscience, and is a bad boy ! I have no idea where it came from as I always dip all coral frags before they go into the tank. I haven't bought a single colony, only frags. For the size of him it must have come into the tank at an early stage, and grown at a frightening rate !

The next question is, how do I catch/trap a monster crab? Any ideas anyone?
Get a crab line! Lol

Or just leave him alone. He’s just part of the clean up crew and will be very useful to dispose of any fatalities you get and can’t reach.

Just be careful when your in the tank with your hands and maybe tie your feet to something !
 
Top