So, I managed to get my Biocube down to the basement and started to cycle it about 3 weekish ago. Its been cycled! I know I know I should have said something. I just didn't want to just incase of something went wrong. I have already moved the tank. I am going to stock in a week. I am making sure moving it is going to hold the cycle. The currents plans are 2* O. Clownfish Neon Goby Cleaner Shrimp HiFin Goby Pistol Shrimp Pom Pom Crabs Hammer Coral Zoas Elegance Corals Frogspawn
Awesome! Sounds like you're almost there. Stocking looks good, just be sure to take it slow and easy. CUC should come first, so perhaps you could get them along with the goby to start? As for the clowns, I'd suggest getting them after the goby has settled in. It's best that they're young and from a tank they've already been sharing. This will increase the chances of them getting along and possibly pairing.
Okay! I am most definitely taking it slowly. I want to have my goby in within 7-8 days. After a week of just him I will add my Pistol Shrimp. Within every new addition I will add MicroBacter7. I also have a question, Can I add Pom Pom Crabs?
@stella1979 @Nart @Culprit So, I've found one of these on my live rock I had bought yesterday. I pulled it out and then just threw it in some bleach. What is it? should I be worried? EDIT: I used tweezers
Sure you can have a Pom Pom. I don't have any experience with them personally, but I have done some reading. The large majority of people report that they are completely harmless, but there's a chance of them going rogue. A few have reported that their Pom Pom started eating coral. This may happen if the crab somehow loses it's anemone 'hands' or it may just get a taste for softies... idk. Anyhow, this means that it may be reef safe, but you'll definitely want to keep an eye on things. I find this to be true with just about every crab available to us, but don't let it deter you. Plenty of folks keep crabs... I don't. Not sure. It kind of looks like an arm from a brittle star with the striping and the way it tapers. Brittle stars are harmless and great detritivores... meaning that they'll help keep the tank clean. Of course, I could be wrong. There are so many critters that I find it impossible to remember them all. I find LionFish Lair and Melev's Reef to be good sites for identification purposes.
@stella1979 I forgot about the whole toxins in zoas, they are off my list. This is what Im thinking about doing
It does look like part of a brittle star to me too. I love mine, super cool to watch and great for the tank. Looks good! Honestly you don't have to worry about it. Just put carbon in the tank after you frag them, make sure you have good ventilation and wear gloves, long sleeve shirt and pants, and face protection. I know @Nanologist was fragging all kinds of zoas and palys all day and wore nothing but goggles I think
hmmm, Im going to discuss with my family. anyways, Im very excited to let the goby in next week, pictures soon!
I get it, my Dad freaked out after that news thing where the guy poisoned his whole family, they said it was cause of pulsing xenia well pulsing xenia doesn't have palytoxin... that guy was more then likely being a total idiot and scrubbing his rocks out of the tank, pulverising and aeraeting any palys, or boiling them. Some people are just stupid.
You can't help what you didn't yet know. It's all a learning experience. It's a personal choice, but I feel ok about zoas because I've researched and take the proper precautions. There is a ton of info available on the net on how to take care, but these horror stories in the news don't often share the details. Details which I believe would show that proper precaution wasn't taken. Just my opinion. Scape plans look good.
My family and I have discussed it and we are going to get them. we are going to have the frags isolated though. Meaning it will not be attached to rock of any sort.
@stella1979 @Culprit I also saw some little red shrimp looking things on the LR darting around. I mean it could be measured in Millimeters. What could it be? Edit: How should I feed? Since my tank has the builtin Sump the floating NLS pellets just go right into the sump. Should I finds some sinking pellets?
I usually turn the flow off during feeding. Also, yes to sinking foods as your average reef inhabitant eats from either the water column, the reef structure, or the bottom. I prefer frozen foods as a staple because pellets are loaded with nutrients, which isn't bad for your fish, but can make for a dirty system. Nitrates and phosphates tend to stay much lower when pellets aren't fed as a staple. I'm unsure about your red dudes, but I hope it isn't red bugs.
Well, that's good. Hmmm, idk but here's another reference I use. Perhaps it's just copepods, which is a good thing. I didn't know they could be red, but right here on the Hitchhiker's Guide, they show an image of a red pod.
That's really cool! Never heard of red copepods. You can soak those foods, and then feed them when they're stuck. However, quality frozen food is far better, as pellet and flake foods are full of extra nutrients that don't belong in a reef. Also, one packet of say frozen mysis shrimp will last a very long time. Mysis shrimp is my go-to frozen food. Nutrituios and everyone loves it.
