WarDog's Tank Thread : Episodic Trial And Error

[WarDog]

Originally Posted by Ram3500

I think your corals are browning because you are using LEDs

Oh yeah? Want to buy a used pair, cheap? You could have 5 over your tank... perfect for your brown corals!

[gregzz4]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

c'mon, all Greg's weekend posts are "induced" - lol

Not this weekend

Wow, sorry to hear about your fish losses.
Have you considered using Stability or MB7 ? Since your rock is kinda lacking in bacteria ... are you using an Ammo Alert badge and testing ? May have no bearing but doesn't hurt to check/keep an eye on these kinds of things.
NH3, and NO2 and 3 testing is one of my chores whenever I add new fish.
Since you don't currently QT, you have more going on than me with fish additions. Possible infections and feeding are a couple that come to mind.

The Tigger pods, IME, are a one-time addition - add, eaten, gone.
I've not used the Doc's eggs yet ..

You've got a lot on your plate ..
Dead rock, new tank, zeo-vit system, new frags, new lights, new fish ....

Deep breath ...

[Wretch]

Sucks to lose fish. I lost a new wrasse last week. It made it one day, next morning I found it half eaten. After that decided my tank has enough fish.

What happened to taking a break on new things for a while and letting your system settle a bit? Hope everything comes together for you.

[daplatapus]

Sucks to hear, man. Never nice to lose fish. I have to agree with the thoughts already expressed. When I started my first tank (the 77 gal I'm running now and upgrading) I was quick to try and fix things that I perceived were going wrong. And I'm still paying for those actions 3 years later. I'm now in the don't do or add anything into a tank other than new salt water and top up water for at least a year. If corals are not growing... At least they're not dying, lol. Regular water changes will give them all the nutrients they need to stay alive. Keep in mind this is my thinking for people new to the hobby. Until people fully understand the effects of adding agent "a" they really shouldn't be doing it. I thought I new why I added a something as innocuous as an algae turf scrubber.... Still paying for it. I thought I new why I started vodka dosing... Now I believe I'm still paying for it.
I believe the only way to get over my mistakes over the last 3 years is to start over, completely re-starting with almost nothing from my old tank going into the new. It sucks. It's humbling. But, like I've heard before, education is never free.
Resist the temptation to try and fix something unless it's imminently going to kill fish. Work on tweeking colors and corals after a couple years and you can intuitively know how they are reacting when you dose stuff.

[WarDog]

Originally Posted by gregzz4

Not this weekend

Wow, sorry to hear about your fish losses.
Have you considered using Stability or MB7 ? Since your rock is kinda lacking in bacteria ... are you using an Ammo Alert badge and testing ? May have no bearing but doesn't hurt to check/keep an eye on these kinds of things.
NH3, and NO2 and 3 testing is one of my chores whenever I add new fish.
Since you don't currently QT, you have more going on than me with fish additions. Possible infections and feeding are a couple that come to mind.

The Tigger pods, IME, are a one-time addition - add, eaten, gone.
I've not used the Doc's eggs yet ..

You've got a lot on your plate ..
Dead rock, new tank, zeo-vit system, new frags, new lights, new fish ....

Deep breath ...

I have a bottle of MB7 I am using for the 20 gal, but I have resisted using it in my 65 only because I'm using Zeo. I test for NH3, NO3, PO4, Ca, Alk, and Mag twice a week. Salinity once a week with a refractometer, and monitor pH, temp and salinity (apex probe) daily.

Originally Posted by Wretch

Sucks to lose fish. I lost a new wrasse last week. It made it one day, next morning I found it half eaten. After that decided my tank has enough fish.

What happened to taking a break on new things for a while and letting your system settle a bit? Hope everything comes together for you.

Other than adding the Flame, I am taking a break on adding things... until I find more room for frags! Lol. But yeah, that's it for fish for a while. Please, no one offer me any more free fish, lol!

Originally Posted by daplatapus

Sucks to hear, man. Never nice to lose fish. I have to agree with the thoughts already expressed. When I started my first tank (the 77 gal I'm running now and upgrading) I was quick to try and fix things that I perceived were going wrong. And I'm still paying for those actions 3 years later. I'm now in the don't do or add anything into a tank other than new salt water and top up water for at least a year. If corals are not growing... At least they're not dying, lol. Regular water changes will give them all the nutrients they need to stay alive. Keep in mind this is my thinking for people new to the hobby. Until people fully understand the effects of adding agent "a" they really shouldn't be doing it. I thought I new why I added a something as innocuous as an algae turf scrubber.... Still paying for it. I thought I new why I started vodka dosing... Now I believe I'm still paying for it.
I believe the only way to get over my mistakes over the last 3 years is to start over, completely re-starting with almost nothing from my old tank going into the new. It sucks. It's humbling. But, like I've heard before, education is never free.
Resist the temptation to try and fix something unless it's imminently going to kill fish. Work on tweeking colors and corals after a couple years and you can intuitively know how they are reacting when you dose stuff.

I haven't really tried to change anything. I chose ZeoVit for this tank and I'm going to stick with it, hence why I'm not adding MB7. Sure I changed brands of skimmers, but that change should have no effect. My problem is, I went against the grain by using dry rock, knowing full well that it wasn't recommended by ZeoVit. I just have to live with that decision and wait it out. I thought the corals were browning because I wasn't using any specialized amino acids or that sort, but it appears to be the intensity of the Kessils were too low. Like I said, the corals are responding better now that I've increased the intensity and photo period. Ian has been very helpful in sharing his lighting schedule with me and he has no problem getting SPS growth and colours from his Kessils, so I know the lights work just fine.

In the end, this is my first salt tank. Mistakes are bound to be made, hopefully I can learn from them. When I do decide to upgrade, I should have a better understanding of just how things work. Just like you are doing with your upgrade Dom!

[daplatapus]

I hope my first post didn't come of snobbish. I have loved and hated my first tank. But I also wouldn't have chosen to do it any differently. The lessons I've learned, I probably wouldn't have learned any other way. It has brought me many hours of enjoyment and inspired me to try again
I believe I now know what things I've done wrong, but I bet in 5 years, I'll realize I still hadn't a clue, lol.
Good on ya for sticking with your decisions and getting help from those experienced with what you're trying to do.
I'll continue to learn vicariously from those who try things different from me

[WarDog]

Originally Posted by daplatapus

I hope my first post didn't come of snobbish. I have loved and hated my first tank. But I also wouldn't have chosen to do it any differently. The lessons I've learned, I probably wouldn't have learned any other way. It has brought me many hours of enjoyment and inspired me to try again
I believe I now know what things I've done wrong, but I bet in 5 years, I'll realize I still hadn't a clue, lol.
Good on ya for sticking with your decisions and getting help from those experienced with what you're trying to do.
I'll continue to learn vicariously from those who try things different from me

No no, I didn't read that as snobbish at all. I appreciate all your input Dom!

[Myka]

Fwiw, Tigger pods won't colonize in the tank. What is in the Doc's? I can see in the pic it mentions rotifers which won't colonize either, and copepods...what kind of copepods? For pods that will colonize the tank, you're better off using a ball of chaeto from someone else's (clean) system. Adding some clean, cured live rock to the sump might help you out too.

[WarDog]

Originally Posted by Myka

Fwiw, Tigger pods won't colonize in the tank. What is in the Doc's? I can see in the pic it mentions rotifers which won't colonize either, and copepods...what kind of copepods? For pods that will colonize the tank, you're better off using a ball of chaeto from someone else's (clean) system. Adding some clean, cured live rock to the sump might help you out too.

It was a bottle of Doc's Eco Matter. Added last night. Worth a shot. I picked up some cheato from Ian for my 20 gal, but there's aptasia in that tank now, so no way it's getting near the 65. Lol.

[rishu_pepper]

Man, that's a brutal few days. I know how that feels from a couple weeks ago. Hope everything will turn out positively for you soon, buddy!