Rookie's first issues...some questions!

[ShelbyJK500]

Hey all. Well, I've had the Nano up and running for about 2 months or so now. It was already an established setup with rock and a few corals. I've slowly added fish, more CUC and corals of course! So on to the issues and question/suggestion time!

1) A couple of weeks ago I had a bryopsis outbreak that had started small probably about a month ago and then took off. I manually trimmed it down and bought a sea hare. I programmed my timer to cut my light cycle to 8 hours from 12 hours. And lastly, cut down feeding a bit to lower nutrients. Bryposis/hair algae seems to be under control for the past week with no signs of new growth. I never saw the sea hare touch any but who knows while I was sleeping.

2) Added 4 frags and a large clam from Reefkoi's sale on Sunday after pickup!! My lady got them all in and set up while I was at work and she last saw everything good a few hours before I got home. CRISIS>>>came home, tank was cloudy. Very quickly realized the sea hare was toast and had apparently begun to nuke the tank! Got it out immediately and checked ammonia. Ammonia was at 1ppm. Has always been at 0 with VERY frequent testing. Used some emergency ammonia "remover" and did a 15-20% water change. Ammonia didn't seem to come down. Fish still okay, didn't seem distressed. Also should mention I got a few snails and hermits along with two peppermints at the same time the corals got picked up.

I've done a 15-20% water change every day since Sunday with ammonia still showing between .5 and 1ppm, doesn't seem to be subsiding to 0?? Haven't lost anything else thankfully, except one peppermint.

3) While keeping a close eye on everything this week, I noticed today one of my pulsing xenias was looking like it was dying. I had a suspicion and sure enough, I caught my big emerald crab feasting on it?!?

Questions: I figured the bryopsis was a combination of things, but now I'm wondering if my lack of feeding as much has led to my CUC starving...hence the emeralds taste for xenia!?!? I also didn't want to start feeding more even though my bryopsis had subsided because of the new ammonia issue...don't want to add to the problem with more food!! Anything I can do besides continuing with daily water changes and ammonia remover to get myself back to 0??

Any and all experienced feedback is welcome!! Trying to learn as I go here, but mitigate disasters! Thanks

 

[Wicked Color]

Nano's are hard, thats all there is to it.
Keep up the WC's and maybe try to get a little more established sand and rock (bacteria).
The bryopsis is a consumer of nutrients, if its growing quickly the is a good amount of nitrate, even if it tests -0-.
Xenia, are you running carbon? Dosing any phyto? Phyto would also be good for the clam, but is going to be another organic adding to the nutrient cycle.

 

[Dr.DiSilicate]

Prime will help to convert the ammonia to a less harmful form of it. I would get some and put it in the tank with the water change water till things calm down.

Nano's are hard! They change so quickly. Keep going and things will work out. Everyone makes mistakes and has things happen from time to time in thus hobby.

 

[B-Willz]

The amonia will keep going as long as the seahair is decaing. You may want to vaccum the gravel to help get it out. I have a vac that you can borrow if you would like. Do stay on top of water changes to keep things under control. Lower light and lower nutrients is the fix like you have done. Bryopsis is most likely to come from bad RO/DI water, check your TDS. I wouls think that the emerald crab may have only been eating the dead part off the xenia and not the cause for the death. I have never seen mine go after the healthy stuff. Xenia is strange, it seems to thrive or die for no apparent reason, not that I have been able to find at least.

 

[Git_r_done2x]

Not sure about the ammonia but as afar as the emerald goes, I have to put a small piece of sea veggies or something in there for them about twice a week for them so they will leave things alone..

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

 

[djkms]

Also, just a side note. Using a ammonia locker like amquel does not remove the ammonia from the water, it only converts it to a less harmful form. It will still show up as ammonia on a test kit.

 

[KhensuRa]

I have a biocube 29 gallons and all I can say is, "water change water change water change", when a issue arises. Just like everyone has said, smaller tanks crash much faster than a large tank.

 

[Zoalander]

What fish do you have in there?

 

[ShelbyJK500]

Xenia, are you running carbon? Dosing any phyto? Phyto would also be good for the clam, but is going to be another organic adding to the nutrient cycle.

I have carbon in a bag in the back/sump. It needs changing though. I have only dosed pods for my spotted mandarin, just to be on the safe side though he seems to be doing awesome.

Prime will help to convert the ammonia to a less harmful form of it. I would get some and put it in the tank with the water change water till things calm down.

I used Prime the first night, then my lady got a big bottle of something else (basically the same stuff).

The amonia will keep going as long as the seahair is decaing. You may want to vaccum the gravel to help get it out. I have a vac that you can borrow if you would like. Do stay on top of water changes to keep things under control. Lower light and lower nutrients is the fix like you have done. Bryopsis is most likely to come from bad RO/DI water, check your TDS. I wouls think that the emerald crab may have only been eating the dead part off the xenia and not the cause for the death. I have never seen mine go after the healthy stuff. Xenia is strange, it seems to thrive or die for no apparent reason, not that I have been able to find at least.

Thanks for that input/experience. The sea hare came out within probably 2-3 hours of dying. So it didn't have much decay time, but it had enough apparently! I was honestly shocked that none of the clean up crew or anything were touching it?? Are they that toxic? The RO/DI water I make is usually at 0 and the highest I've seen and actually used was 2ppm. I guess the Xenia could have started to die? It's only one branch on a larger piece though? And it looked like it was "pinched" where it started to discolor?? The rest of it appears fine?? I dunno, I just started target feeding the big emerald for now to keep him stuffed. Pics to follow...

 

[ShelbyJK500]

Not sure about the ammonia but as afar as the emerald goes, I have to put a small piece of sea veggies or something in there for them about twice a week for them so they will leave things alone.

Yup, target feeding for now...we'll see if it starts up again after things get back to "normal".

Also, just a side note. Using a ammonia locker like amquel does not remove the ammonia from the water, it only converts it to a less harmful form. It will still show up as ammonia on a test kit.

That's great info! I was curious about that since the products actually mention that it is a locker, not a true remover of ammonia. Great to know that it still shows on tests, maybe that's why I'm still showing signs even though everything appears normal and happy?!? This begs the question though, how long does it take for it to stop showing on the tests?? I don't want to continue daily water changes if they aren't needed.

What fish do you have in there?

Paired clowns, spotted mandy, and a Coral Beauty.

 

[ShelbyJK500]

 

[projectx]

I fought with Bryopsis too, had to dose mag *has to be kent marine mag* to get it up to 1600 to get rid of it. I think The_Fish_man was fighting it and still might be. Ill see if I can find the post lots of info in there about it.

Nothing really eats it, i got a lettuce nudi in hopes it would do some damage, but never saw it again, either found the pump or the overflow.

here is the thread http://www.marinecolorado.org/forums/showthread.php?8231-Ugh-another-algae-war&highlight=bryopsis

 

[ShelbyJK500]

I fought with Bryopsis too, had to dose mag *has to be kent marine mag* to get it up to 1600 to get rid of it. I think The_Fish_man was fighting it and still might be. Ill see if I can find the post lots of info in there about it.

Nothing really eats it, i got a lettuce nudi in hopes it would do some damage, but never saw it again, either found the pump or the overflow.

here is the thread http://www.marinecolorado.org/forums/showthread.php?8231-Ugh-another-algae-war&highlight=bryopsis

Thanks for the link and info. I was about to dose Kent M, but found the sea hare at a reasonable price and figured I'd give the guy a shot! I will say this for the little guy, he took to the red algae I had starting to cover my sand bed and tore it up the first day! It seems as though my bryopsis issue has subsided or stopped. Quite possibly because of my shortened light cycle and lower feeding levels. We'll see, if it starts up again I think I'll try the Kent M route.

 

[ShelbyJK500]

Oh, anyone think a good skimmer would help with nutrient control?? If so, any recommendations for a 28g JBJ Nano?? I'm using the POS Biocube skimmer and it SUCKS!!

 

[Wicked Color]

I have a skimmer for that tank, fits in the back chamber, supposed to be pretty good. $10.

 

[katyttt]

Great deal on that skimmer from wicked, yes a better skimmer would help, and yes the biocube skimmer sucks. I would not recommend a sea hare in such a small tank they are voracious eaters and most likely starved (they are toxic). Better to keep up with frequent water changes to remove the excess nutrients than remove the product of them.
Good luck and good job with the damage control.

 

[ShelbyJK500]

I have a skimmer for that tank, fits in the back chamber, supposed to be pretty good. $10.

Aaron...what brand/model is it?? It works with the JBJ 28g? Almost anything would be better than this BC garbage. Does it take up the whole "refugium" chamber? I was hoping to run macro at some point. Either way, interested!

 

[ShelbyJK500]

Great deal on that skimmer from wicked, yes a better skimmer would help, and yes the biocube skimmer sucks. I would not recommend a sea hare in such a small tank they are voracious eaters and most likely starved (they are toxic). Better to keep up with frequent water changes to remove the excess nutrients than remove the product of them.
Good luck and good job with the damage control.

I didn't plan on keeping the sea hare in there for any extended period of time. I was going to keep him for my big tank build or DBTC him. I HIGHLY doubt he starved. I only had him for 3 days I think and he never even got on the rock really to touch any bryopsis, etc. Thanks for the support! Learning curve is somewhat steep at the beginning I'm thinking.

 

[katyttt]

No worries shelby, if you stay in the hobby for any length of time there will be losses, learning from your mistakes and the advice of others will help reduce the stress on your tank and wallet as well as your sanity.
BEWARE though, one tank no problem, two tanks your on the edge, three or more salt tanks and you are a lost cause. Utter and total addiction is unavoidable at this point.

Good luck and remember to take care of those who are helping you and give back to the noobs down the road,

 

[ShelbyJK500]

LOL...yeah I hear that, it's like that in pretty much any hobby. Sometimes they can suck the life and money out of ya! I've definitely entered into the "utter and total addiction" point I believe. Looking to add a fish only to my current build which would total three in the house, and now my better half wants a sea horse tank to herself! Yikes!

It's getting even more crazy...now my Coral Beauty is picking at my Xenia where it was injured and I think she is liking the taste. I'm not stoked about that! We'll see what happens. I think I'm most disappointed because the Xenia were the only corals I got from the Denver Aquarium at ERF.