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You should get a Gumdrop Goby (Gobiodon okinawae). They are one of the most outgoing gobies in my experience, and they are extremely cute as well.

And they only get about 4cm long...

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

I have been wantign to start up a 10 gallon sw tank myself. You have made me feel better abotu it. A few people have told me not to do it, but i am always up for a challenge! I will try to do a post on it as well when I get ready to start it. In the meantime I will jsut have to envy yours I guess.



Chrstina

So how's the tank doing Jorge?

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

I JUST (mid post) went and got this picture of it: anemone thing

*squints* The anemone thing looks kinda like aptasia to me or maybe mojano. If so it may be stinging your polyps. I've used Joe's Juice with success at my store to kill aptasia and/or mojano anemones.

Last edited by mattyboombatty at 08-Oct-2005 16:58

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I went with the balance blocks because of co-workers recomendations. Three of the serious reefers use them, and between two of them, its the only thing they agree on

on it's label:

HBH
BALANCE
BLOCKS
Calcium and Trace Mineral Replenisher

-Contains Chelated Minerals
-Adds Calcium
-Adds 71 Trace Minerals
-Buffers pH to 8.2 - 8.3
-Assists in Coral Growth

[on the back side]

Balance Blocks replenish and add calcium and a total of 71 vital trace elements to saltwater and reef aquariums, while stabilizing the pH at an ocean stable 8.2 - 8.3. Balance Blocks contain calcium and trace minerals in a chelated form to make them more bio-available to all forms of aquatic life for improved development, health, and vitality.

Balance Blocks are compatilbe with either synthetic marine and/or natural seawater. They are compatible with all coventional filtering materials such as blah blah blah

DOSAGE: One Balance Blocks per 20 gallon tank capacity is adequate, but Balance Blocks may be used safely in tanks as small as 10 gallons. Place block in an area of good water circulation, but not in the direct path of water pump outlets to avoid permature dissolving. When a block has dissolved, another block may be added.




Because my tank is ten gallons, every time a block disolves, I'm going to wait a day or two before adding another. That way, everything can be used up, and my tank won't get so overdosed.

We sell those Balance Blocks at work, but I've never used them nor heard of anybody else using them. What are they really meant for? Do they have trace elements or something in them?

As long as you keep up with fragging the xenia I dont think it will go out of control and take over your tank. Better to have it healthy and growing than just suriviving but staying the size you want it to IMO.

Kent Marine: Lugol's Solution
Kent Lugol's solution is a very strong source of iodine, and must be dosed carefully, according to the directions. Lugol's solution is very useful for xenia, soft and stoney corals, and other polyp cnidarians. This product is best applied to an aquarium by adding it to a srong current of water where it can be circulated into the aquarium for a prolonged period of time. Lugol's solution can also be diluted at a ratio of 1 drop to 4 oz. aquarium water in a seperate cup, and targeted directly upcurrrent from xenia colonies or soft corals. [Be careful when using!]

That's what it says on part of my bottle. I use it as a coral dip, but I've heard its benefits for xenia are great. You'd just have to be ultra careful in such a tiny tank.


-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

Well, I'm using Balance blocks. I've heard great things about them and they say they can be used in tanks as small as mine.

I've read some horror storys about xenia taking over the aquarium, so if it doesn't do so well, I'm not too disappointed (not to mention I only paid 2.85 for it ).

Also, my yellow star polyps are starting to grow. well... only one new polyp, but the other ones seem to be getting bigger as well.

Jorge,

Are you dosing iodine?

Some reef keepers consider it essential for the health of pulsing xenias and whatnot.

In a smallish tank like yours, the argument can be made that water changes are frequent enough to not use iodine, but I think I would anyway.

Do they sell Lugol's around you? Kent's has special instructions just for xenia.

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

I took that picture of the first freebie to some people on reef central, and most people said it was some type of good polyp.

HOWEVER. There is a second creature of some type anemone-ish like thing growing on the same rock near my yellow stars. I really looks like a miniature rock flower anemone (the good kind you buy from the store, not the bad pest one). I wouldn't mind having it, except it is near my star polyps and is touching it. The polyp that it is touchings stays retracted a lot, so I think it is getting stung.

I JUST (mid post) went and got this picture of it: anemone thing

Also, my xenia has been acting odd lately. It has been staying curled up a lot (happened to come out today) and I just noticed this yellow thing on or in it...

EDIT: The yellow on the xenia is at the base of the xenia.

Last edited by Racso at 03-Oct-2005 07:27

considering Rasco is looked into his 10gal and he knows how difacult they are to keep i would say go and get another fish but this is MO

your doing very well and the first 'freebie' polyp looks like a pest anemone to me . IF it is then it could turn innto a pest. the other freebie is clove polyps looks very nice when it starts to spread and is one of my fav soft corals.

Coming on well mate keep us up-dated

Ok. Suprisingly, I have had VERY LITTLE water loss...

I've been checking my tank salinity every day, and from Saturday to Friday, the salanity went from lower 1.022ish to upper 1.022! Over the course of a week, that how little of water had evaporatated. I went a did a water change, and went I tested it today, it was 1.0235ish, which is what I expected.

So thus far, I've had no problems with salinity. Nitrates were up to about 30ppm, so I did a 30ish per cent water change. Tomorrow, I might do another water change, but not so much this time.

I wouldn't get another fish, considering how difficult it is to keep a ten gallon tank's parameters stable. In a reef tank, having unchanging water conditions is paramount. Taking into consideration that Racso will probably add more invertebrates, I would not put any other fish in the tank.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Well, I went ahead and got 10 lbs of cured Fiji live rock. My tank is currently at 1.022, and I need to go get some more salt.

Anyway, I had the LR for about 6 and a half hours before I could put them in the tank (store closes at 6, I had to leave at 4, yadda yadda). Anyway, I got it in the tank and turns out that the 10 lbs is a lot LESS than I thought it would be. I figure, at that weight, it will be about another 10 lbs of smaller rocks to get what I want.

Well, about an hour after adding, I decided to check on the LR to see if I got any friends to come along with the rock, and I saw about 6 or 7 little feather dusters coming out!!! I'm taking that as a sign that I'm doing SOMETHING right!!

here it is

Last edited by Racso at 29-Sep-2005 11:32

SW stocking is a little different...

anywho...

I GOT LIVE STUFF
some xenia
yellow star polyps
with the polyps come some hang ons]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Racso/Reef/DSCF0233.jpg[/link],and [link=even more

and my favorite out of the group:
RED BANDED HIGH FIN GOBYhe's still shy

on top of that, just from the little rocks that the corals are attached to, a BUNCH of amphipods and copepods came out, along with some (at least two) bristle worms.

Last edited by Racso at 29-Sep-2005 20:47

I'm confused.....
This is a 10 gallon tank right? Would that be extremely overstocking?

The longfin fairy wrasse is Cirrhilabrus rubriventralis

When I googled it, i found out that the more common name is Social wrasse, but many of them do not have the "longfin-ness" of when I google longfin fairy.

What's the sci name for the long fin fairy wrasse Jorge?

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

ok, how does this sound for stocking:

Hi Fin Red Banded Goby (1)
MAYBE Pistol Shrimp of some type (1)
Longfin Fairy Wrasse (1)

Sand Sifting Star (1)
Nassarius Snails (~3)
Margarita Snail (1-3)
Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab (2-3)
Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab (2-3)
MAYBE and emerald crab later on (1)

Thin Finger Leather Coral
1 or 2 different Zoanthus
Some Xenia

Thats about it. Any ideas/questions/comments/whatever? Please post. I really want to make this tank a success!

Tiger prawn shrimp are the best thts what i have with my goby

pistol shrimp have a good relationship with gobies.

www.responsiblethrashers.com