just like my local crack dealer, err i mean lfs, first day is free lol

hahaha pretty much I am easily persuaded sometimes lol. I may have to take you up on that.

Awesome offer and very generous. A MP10 is on my list as well however I've never had the opportunity to try one.

My advice to you is.......don't do it........................if you do.................

You WILL buy one. :wink:

I might be safe I put my piggy bank in lockdown lol

Well, now I got the stunner strips from you(thank you) just need to get a transformer(can't wait to take the trip to oa, just a little far from north van) and next purchase is either a mp10 or tunze ATO.

Topping up the 34g is not very flattering so might go ato first than mp10 as I have quite a bit of flow in my tank with the two main pumps and the koralia 1

So I bit the bullet and retired my 5D (it's for sale if anyone is interested lol) I dropped my favorite lens and the camera was about 5 years old so we replaced it with a 7D no idea how any of the buttons work yet so here's a few quick snaps with the P button (hold down P and pray) and the 50 mm

I'd like to take the time to thank Flash,Subman,Wayne and Steve for getting me out of my post fish funk and helping me actually enjoy my tank.
things are growing nicely and I haven't lost any inverts (knock on wood)
as you can see the bandit dr.Craw thinks he's bigger than he is and the sexy shrimp is content to rock back and forth on a bit of zoas.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...00864967_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...55565976_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...97782532_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...24749932_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...13512965_n.jpg

So my significant other loves me lol. He went to pick up some GSP from a member here (I still want more if anyone can spare some ) and came home with 3 little bits of it and a devils hand leather and a pistol shrimp. I have a fondness for shrimp you may have noticed.

Would adding a better skimmer get rid of some of the Cyanobacteria in my tank (red stuff growing all over my gravel) it seems I have to vacuum it all the time to keep it under control. I put a fission skimmer in the sump to take the edge off temporarily.(I paid a whole 15.00 for it just to learn how skimmers work) I use phosphate pads in my media basket with regular filter floss and a bag of charcoal.
using treated tap water at the moment.

Tank is looking good! Did those mushrooms make it?

I had a bad cyan break put when I first got my bc29. I found the best solution was to increase flow. Changed to return pump to a rio 6or 8( a lot of people are also using maxi jet 1200 or 900)
I also use two hydor nano 425.

yep the shroomies made it. :) I have a ton of those now Bear just brought home a fuzzy mushroom today with the other misc coral stuff.

I am using a maxi 900 atm.

Add a goby that pairs with the pistol shrimp and enjoy :)
I love my pair, although they decided to open shop at the back of the tank...

Here is a quick vid of them in action:

lol I think mine set up shop in the back as well...dang critters.
maybe a watchmen goby in the future. I'm a bit of a nerd so the name appeals to me lol. Also they are cute. Bear wanted a Yasha until we saw the price tag.

Yashas are expensive :(

Yellow watchman are pretty and pair with a tiger pistol.

I love the video.
I think I will get one when I can have fish again. :)
thank you for being so helpful I'm starting to fall for this hobby.

also I talked to the LFS ownerwhere I got the CB from and he told me "there is no such thing as salt water velvet it was SAND sticking to his scales and he was healthy here and you should have dumped copper in your tank) Quote. Yes it was that garbled.

Needless to say I was BAFFLED. So now I will only buy fish from Steve.

I now go up to my fiance and tell him in a sing song voice...hunny? did you know there is no such thing as salt water velvet? or when something goes wrong it's "oh. it's just sand stuck to it."
live and learn.

PS I need coral epoxy I can use under water to secure a few small frags to my rock. Which one?
(you may notice I keep all my questions to my tank journal it keeps me organized on this giant forum)

Sorry but I don't agree with that LFS... 1st there is Marine velvet (something he is not aware of at least it seems so) and second there is Marine ICH (again something he is not aware of if he thinks the fish had sand stuck to him). Also don't quote me on this but correct me if I'm wrong... His advice was to dump copper into the tank... this should never happen as copper should only be used into a hospital tank and invertebres and corals do not handle copper well...
As I've said before, stay away from that LFS because the guy doesnt seem to be knowledgeable at all and even gives the wrong advice.

my thoughts exactly.
I was heartbroken when the big guy got sick so I researched and researched. I was going to bring him my copy of the new marine aquarium but I figured that'd go down like a lead zeppelin.

so I went to check on my tank and there is a 3inch pile of sand at the front where my Kenya tree used to be LOL I wonder who is responsible for that ...
those things can DIG HOLY erm COW!!!!:mrgreen:

Don't underestimate the digging power of a tiger pistol shrimp... the little suckers are well oiled machines.

So I just murdered my first aptasia! and nearly got nailed by a hot pink bristle worm in the process! I'm a reef keeper now!

I tried using the aquastick epoxy on my corals and it failed miserably now looking for another option.

Boston coral farm super glue or a bulk reef supply's glue is also good. BTW you are not a true reef keeper until you get a figure full of bristles!:mrgreen:

...and glue your fingers together (or fingers to some other body part lol)

dude you are getting far too intimate with your reef


I've found DD's epoxy my favorite....its the only one Ive used that actually gets schticky

lol I've glued my fingers and figures together hundreds of times I think I've got er nailed (glued?) down to a science...now if only I could use medical grade prosthetic adhesive in my fish tank.....

To properly and easily mount corals to rock, I use the epoxy-putty-epoxy method.

Just try to remember that a little goes a long way. When using epoxy, the more you use, the longer it takes to set and cure.

You should really have gotten a peppermint shrimp to take care of the aptasia problem, especially since you love shrimps :)

I got a peppermint shrimp for my tank thinking that it would not survive a day with a very large coral branded a large cleaner shrimp and a pistol, but the peppermint shrimp is still alive two months later and cleaned my aptasia issue within a day :)

I had one that must have snuck in on a coral as it was on a newer frag. I'll pick up a peppermint next time I'm at the fish place. I was worried el pisto would eat him.

Naa pistol sits under his rocks but obviously if the pepper is dumb enough to enter the pistol's cave some sparks might jump...
I was really afraid of the Coral Branded Shrimp which is huge in my tank along with his cleaner to devour the little pepper but they all good...

I suppose that makes sense my sexy shrimp is still doing his thing all up in the zoas if that didn't get eaten it must be okay. How big of a cleaner crew can I safely have with a few fish?

I got about 4-5 hermits and 4 nassarius snails along with some other few snails which I don't know their name and have the following:
Large coral branded shrimp
Large cleaner skunk shrimp
Peppermint shrimp
Tiger pistol shrimp
Wheelers goby, although it could be some other kind of goby. He paired nicely with the pistol
Cleaner wrasse
Two black clowns with their gigantic sea anemone
Bicolor blenny - a fish with a ton of personality

All this is sitting in a 34g AIO and would like to add another fish, just not sure what so I'm leaving it for now. I had a foxface (I know he didn't belong in a 34g, but a long story) which sadly died about two weeks after it was rescued.

I see nobody remarked about your worm. If it's Red, you may want to get rid of it when you can as it may be a nasty Fire Worm :2gunfire:
But it could also be harmless.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/5/short

TheAmphinomidae- Amphinoids are also known as "fireworms" and have calcareous setae filled with poisonous secretions. When irritated, they erect their sharp setae which break off at a touch releasing their poisonous contents into the wound. Most species are found on corals, rocks and other hard substrata covered with attached organisms. They swim well and can be brilliantly colored. All but one species can be considered harmless and are great scavengers.

http://www.chucksaddiction.com/fireworm.jpg http://www.chucksaddiction.com/fireworm1.jpg http://www.chucksaddiction.com/fireworm2.jpg
http://www.chucksaddiction.com/fireworm3.jpg http://www.chucksaddiction.com/fireworm4.jpg http://www.chucksaddiction.com/fireworm5.jpg
Species shown below : Hermodice carunculata - This is the one species of fireworm that you do not want in your aquarium as it is a known predator of corals.
http://www.chucksaddiction.com/fireworm6.jpg http://www.chucksaddiction.com/fireworm7.jpg
http://www.chucksaddiction.com/fireworm8.jpg http://www.chucksaddiction.com/fireworm9.jpg http://www.chucksaddiction.com/fireworm10.jpg
The below pictured specimen is a Pherecardia striata, also a member of the fireworms and is a scavenger.
http://www.chucksaddiction.com/fireworm11.jpg http://www.chucksaddiction.com/fireworm12.jpg http://www.chucksaddiction.com/fireworm13.jpg
Genus Pareurythoe , which has very small caruncles.
http://www.chucksaddiction.com/fireworm14.jpg http://www.chucksaddiction.com/fireworm15.jpg http://www.chucksaddiction.com/fireworm16.jpg
Eurythoe complanata - Probably the most commonly found worm and is a harmless scavenger, a benefit to our systems.
http://www.chucksaddiction.com/fireworm17.jpg http://www.chucksaddiction.com/fireworm18.jpg http://www.chucksaddiction.com/fireworm19.jpg

Those are some ugly worms... yuck

it was tiny the size of my thumb nail it floated off into the sump when I moved the rock.

I bought a peppermint shrimp last night and found him this morning exploring the rock that I was having troubles with. Good shrimpy! you get a promotion.

I just really like the crabs and shrimp and all the life that this little tank is supporting! their are little bity STASRFISHES! (shut up it's exciting to me)

I can't wait to add fishes again I'd like a ebil angel and a pair of mocha clowns I think.

we are looking at a house in the next few months as well so they may be a housewarming present to me lol.

My tank is looking awesome! thanks again for all your guys help!!!

Anytime and I'm glad your peppermint shrimp got a promotion :) hehe

I told you they will not let you down. I love mine although is not as pretty looking as the CBS or cleaner :(

I wanted a skunk cleaner soooo bad.
but they're kind of more than I want to spend you know?
I don't know if he's worth 10.00 more than any of my other shrimps.

I'd LOVE another sexy but I'm not paying 20.00 for something the size of my thumb nail (although I'm glad I got to adopt the one I have)

No more snails though those things are tanks; always making my coral fall over.... although their algae eating skills do NOT disappoint.

I gotta teach mine somehow to chow down some more algae... they seem to graze where in odd areas in my tank...

Well the pistol ate my peppermint (confirmed) and my sexy is MIA after a series of loud pop pop pop noises coming from my tank he's also managed to cause a near rockslide and bury a ton of coral so I put him up for trade. the bugger is too destructive for my small tank...if anyone wants him in exchange for a skunk cleaner or a pair of sexys maybe? let me know.

Sorry to hear about the pistol going cannibalistic on you...
Just out of curiosity what are you feeding him and do make sure the pistol gets it?

I find it weird that he ate your other shrimp tbh...
In my 34 gallon AIO I have a tiger pistol, coral branded, cleaner shrimp and a small peppermint which I thought would die witin a day but after two months he's still alive and well.

For food i feed them shrimps which I buy in Safeway frozen and chop them up. For my anemone I feed it half a shrimp every week or so. For the pistol shrimp and goby, I make sure they both get their share and sometimes it gets very annoying because the female clown is very aggressive and even though I make sure she has enough food, she will steal the sinking pieces of shrimp and feeds her anemone. The male clown on the other hand is not like that... Guess she's in charge. :)

Now I think I feed a little too much because I want to make sure they all eat and dont starve, so I am fighting a little algae but in the long run I'll get that down as well.

I really hope you get it all figured it as this hobby is very rewarding once everything is dialed in and runs smoothly.

Also I forgot to mention and not sure what your tank looks line in terms of landscape, but they do need a landscape with a lot of caves and crevices so they can hide, escape another invertebrate going after them and also keep in mind they become very vulnerable when molting and right after...

I have quite a bit of rock In my tank placed in a horseshoe and quite talk at the back resting on the back wall; this way they all get enough space to call home.
When the coral branded is awake, the cleaner usually goes behind and sleeps and viceversa. My peppermint is nocturnal as well and he gets chased around often but he gets away easy through the rocks since the other two have a tough time squeezing.
Now anOther thing I find weird is how did the pistol catch the shrimp as the pistol is always under or around his rocks...
In regards to the rockslide, they will cause rockslides if the rocks are not properly secured and with a very deep sandbed.