goldenmean
Well-Known Member
Thank you CharlieHustle.
I need to post some update photos
I need to post some update photos
2(+) Year Retrospective of a 12g Nano
- Thread starter goldenmean
- Start date
goldenmean
Well-Known Member
Its long past time for an update to this tank.
Its now over 4 years old.
but it has been a battle.
I'm not sure when it first appeared - Winter or spring `09
It is red bubble algae.
It was just a few and they were rather cute looking.
I liked it and I let it be.
That was a big mistake and I should have know better.
Red Bubble algae has taken over my nano.
As you can see the leather has taken over the tank too!
Its now over 4 years old.
but it has been a battle.
I'm not sure when it first appeared - Winter or spring `09
It is red bubble algae.
It was just a few and they were rather cute looking.
I liked it and I let it be.
That was a big mistake and I should have know better.
Red Bubble algae has taken over my nano.
As you can see the leather has taken over the tank too!
Attachments
goldenmean
Well-Known Member
One day last fall (October `09) While I was doing a routine water change I started to take out a piece of rock and manually remove the algae. I remove all the rock on the left side of the tank and put them in the bucket. All the mushrooms and rics on the bottom I put in a separate container of tank water. I then took my syphon to the sand and removed a ton of gunk. At this point I have probably removed about 6g of water. I add a couple of gallons of new salt water to cover the remaining rock and leathers. I caught Bimbo (barnacle blenny) and decide to transfer him to the 55g so I acclimated him to that tank. Then one by one I took the bubble covered rocks from the bucket and with scissors, knife, tweezer and toothbrush I removed all the bubbles I could. Id rinse with salt water then return to the tank.
Then I did the same to the right side. The rock on the right side is one big rock covered with a toadstool leather that multiplies almost as quickly as the RBA does.
When I had all the rock out of the tank I took the WC syphon hose to the substrate. I let the hose go all the way through the 2 inch sand bed and really clean the sand. I tried to make sure all the crap went into the bucket and not get the tank all cloudy. I was concerned with what toxic pocket I might expose but I did it anyway. That is why I went through 17g of water for a 12g tank. The clowns survived the night so If I had any toxic pockets in the sand bed I must have cleaned it out.
Then I cleaned the mushrooms and ricks. Some of them were loose so I attached them to some small rocks from the 55g and now they are in the 55g tank. The mushrooms and rics that were attached to rock and empty snail shell stayed in the nano but I cleaned all RBA from their rocks.
6 hours of non stop work and 17g of new salt water later I now have a new nano.
Then I did the same to the right side. The rock on the right side is one big rock covered with a toadstool leather that multiplies almost as quickly as the RBA does.
When I had all the rock out of the tank I took the WC syphon hose to the substrate. I let the hose go all the way through the 2 inch sand bed and really clean the sand. I tried to make sure all the crap went into the bucket and not get the tank all cloudy. I was concerned with what toxic pocket I might expose but I did it anyway. That is why I went through 17g of water for a 12g tank. The clowns survived the night so If I had any toxic pockets in the sand bed I must have cleaned it out.
Then I cleaned the mushrooms and ricks. Some of them were loose so I attached them to some small rocks from the 55g and now they are in the 55g tank. The mushrooms and rics that were attached to rock and empty snail shell stayed in the nano but I cleaned all RBA from their rocks.
6 hours of non stop work and 17g of new salt water later I now have a new nano.
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goldenmean
Well-Known Member
Too Little Too Late
The bubble algae came back. There was no way for me to get all of it out of my porous LR. I even added an emerald crab but IF he ate any of the RBA he could not keep up. Over the next several months whenever I did a WC I would manually remove a rock or two and scrub the bubbles off. But I knew there was no defeating it.
This weekend I started a new plan of attack
A plan I had been thinking of for nearly a year.
I emptied the nano and put all inhabitants (rock and all) in the 10g QT tank. I will scrub out the nano today and all Pumps and powerheads are being replace by new ones. Tomorrow I have a 15g Package coming from Tampa Bay Saltwater. Live Rock - Tampa Bay Saltwater Aquacultured Live Rock
My 55g tank is a TBS tank too. I would rebuild the nano with new TBS LR as well as some of the smaller TBS LR from the 55g. Some of the new LR would go into the 55g
I am geting both Part 1 and Part 2 at the same time since I am splitting the rock up between the two tanks and using some of my establish mature from the big tank in the nano. All Critters and goodies (sponges, gorgonians, and corals) will go into the 55g tank for a week or two then they will get moved
into the nano.
Last night while cleaning out the old sand I came across this critter.
I used to have a tone of brittle worms. So many that I started culling the babies. This guy is just too big for my taste and will not be going back into a tank.
The bubble algae came back. There was no way for me to get all of it out of my porous LR. I even added an emerald crab but IF he ate any of the RBA he could not keep up. Over the next several months whenever I did a WC I would manually remove a rock or two and scrub the bubbles off. But I knew there was no defeating it.
This weekend I started a new plan of attack
A plan I had been thinking of for nearly a year.
I emptied the nano and put all inhabitants (rock and all) in the 10g QT tank. I will scrub out the nano today and all Pumps and powerheads are being replace by new ones. Tomorrow I have a 15g Package coming from Tampa Bay Saltwater. Live Rock - Tampa Bay Saltwater Aquacultured Live Rock
My 55g tank is a TBS tank too. I would rebuild the nano with new TBS LR as well as some of the smaller TBS LR from the 55g. Some of the new LR would go into the 55g
I am geting both Part 1 and Part 2 at the same time since I am splitting the rock up between the two tanks and using some of my establish mature from the big tank in the nano. All Critters and goodies (sponges, gorgonians, and corals) will go into the 55g tank for a week or two then they will get moved
into the nano.
Last night while cleaning out the old sand I came across this critter.
I used to have a tone of brittle worms. So many that I started culling the babies. This guy is just too big for my taste and will not be going back into a tank.
Attachments
goldenmean
Well-Known Member
Your welcome Val.
So when I got the nano emptied last night
I filled it with vinegar and hot water and left it running in the reef room (formerly called the dining room).
I did not want the bedroom to smell like vinegar all night long.
In the photo you can see the skimmer getting cleaned too. It is normally in the back compartment. This afternoon I am going to scrub out the nano so it is like new.
Just for fun I added a photog of the 55g and the QT tank which is housing the nanos inhabitants.
So when I got the nano emptied last night
I filled it with vinegar and hot water and left it running in the reef room (formerly called the dining room).
I did not want the bedroom to smell like vinegar all night long.
In the photo you can see the skimmer getting cleaned too. It is normally in the back compartment. This afternoon I am going to scrub out the nano so it is like new.
Just for fun I added a photog of the 55g and the QT tank which is housing the nanos inhabitants.
Attachments
long time no see, :time: nice to see you are back.
goldenmean
Well-Known Member
Its always great to see you Heinz.
Thanks for stopping by.
I have been cleaning the nano this afternoon and since the tank is out of the bedroom it was time to do some major spring cleaning.
Thanks for stopping by.
I have been cleaning the nano this afternoon and since the tank is out of the bedroom it was time to do some major spring cleaning.
goldenmean
Well-Known Member
Its Christmas in May!
My package from TBS is on the plane, making a stop in DC then on to Chicago around 3pm. Getting TBS really feels like Christmas. You dont know what you are getting but you know it is going to be good!
For those of you that are not familiar with TBS they ship their LR and LS completely in water. I will pick it up at the airport which minimizes the time it is in the box. Both things minimize die off.
My package from TBS is on the plane, making a stop in DC then on to Chicago around 3pm. Getting TBS really feels like Christmas. You dont know what you are getting but you know it is going to be good!
For those of you that are not familiar with TBS they ship their LR and LS completely in water. I will pick it up at the airport which minimizes the time it is in the box. Both things minimize die off.
goldenmean
Well-Known Member
I guess it is time to start a new "reborn" thread
but in the mean time here a few photos.
The rock in the first pic is from my 55g tank. It is going into the nano to help with the cycle.
The second photo is with the TBS live sand. The clouding of the water has cleared as of this morning but photos will have to wait until this eve.
The last photo is of a gorilla crab. He is now living in the 55g's sump.
but in the mean time here a few photos.
The rock in the first pic is from my 55g tank. It is going into the nano to help with the cycle.
The second photo is with the TBS live sand. The clouding of the water has cleared as of this morning but photos will have to wait until this eve.
The last photo is of a gorilla crab. He is now living in the 55g's sump.
