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My favorite one is too expensive. *looks for an extra $150*

Helfrichi, I suppose?

They look awesome in pictures, I've never seen one in person though.

Copper banded butterflys do a good job, and are a very actractive fish. I just picked one up. Cant wait to move it from the Qtank. As for peppermint shrimp. I suggest getting more then one, and make sure your not gettign a camel shrimp. They look very close.



Dan

Berghia nudi's will take care of the aiptasia, but unless you have friends to swap them with that also have aiptasia, or plan to set up an aiptasia breeding tank then i would pass on them. There are better ways to control aiptasia such as ro/di water, better/heavier skimming, lowering nutrients with water changes, less feeding....plus there are other animals that will eat aiptasia that will accept other foods once the aiptasia is gone such as copper banded butterfly's, true peppermint shrimps, etc.


[hr width='40%']I’m here without you baby, but you're still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby, and I dream about you all the time
I’m here without you baby, but you're still with me in my dreams…

Last edited by DarkRealm Overlord at 22-Feb-2005 14:40

Aiptasia.

I wrote an article on those a while ago, before the board archiving.

You need to obtain Berghia nudibranchs. They eat Aiptasia.

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

okay...



But errr...I work at my LFS keep in mind

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

Nate always likes to brag about how he can get things much cheaper, so Im sure its him

hehe

*grins evil-y*



Due to "connections" when I have the proper tank for one in a couple years, I'll be able to get him for $80 tops.

*jumps up and down like an excited 5 year old*



Last edited by Ferretfish at 09-Feb-2005 14:20

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

$150 would be a deal though.

Liveaquaria.com sells them for $190

Yep Mikey

Didn't want to say it b/c it makes me want it too much

*cries*

I saw one in my Marine Chemistry Barrons book and almost passed out.

Okay, well thats not true. I called Nate to find out about it since I was in a town without internet at the time, and then when he told me I almost passed out.

Whats the topic of this thread again?

[/rant]

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

Well, I've had my SW tank for... wow... well over a year now. Everything's still alive, plus a ton more, but I'm not pleased with it's current state... =/

It came time to clean out the filter again, and I begin thinking to myself "Wow, this tank really doesn't look like any of the ones I've seen pictures of... maybe I should do something..." but then I got scared of ruining the balance it holds, and came here looking for answers. =P

First off, here's the Specs:

Tank/Filter:
49g Bowfront
Magnum 350 Sump Filter
1 Penguin Powerhead
1 Heater (don't remember the details, but it was darn expensive, and is really cool/techy - plus, it's worked for a year so far...)

Inmates:
2 Percula Clowns
1 Yellowtail Damsel
1 Zebra Hermit Crab (huge, about 1in)
OLD PICTURE: http://www.picolio.com/Albums/Saltwater/25Dec03b_ZebraHermitCrab.jpg
1 Black Brittle Starfish (monster, he's got to be close to a foot from leg to leg)
1 Sand Starfish (minus 2 legs after a run-in with the hungry or angry hermit crab)
1 Sand? Crab - Can't remember what's it's called off hand, but it looks like a flat disk and lives under the sand. Has two pointy eyes on top.

A plant of some sort. I'ts rubbery, and I read somewhere that it only has one cell in the entire plant. It's pretty cool, and big. About 10-15in...
PICTURE: http://www.picolio.com/Albums/Saltwater/17Nov03c_MarinePlant.jpg

Some random corals (there's some flat green ones, and a few that look like bubbles on sticks - red) and invertabrates (creepy tiny little "shrimp" things, LOTS of those, as well as some sort of worm that lives in the sand, I've seen a few of them) that "appeared" over time. Lots of feather dusters as well, but teeny-tiny ones.

Lots of live rock, of course. Don't remember the poundage off hand, but at least 60-80lbs.

And a very large number of Apisitas. Probably 15+ and some of them are rather large (about 3in tall, 1/2in wide). I know those are "bad" and I was told to get rid of them, but they've been there almost since the tank was built, they've never caused any problem, and I like the way they look
PICTURE: http://www.picolio.com/Albums/Saltwater/23Nov03a_aiptasia.jpg

So, that all sounds fine and great. But, here's the problem.

The tank looks horrible. There is algea(sp?) and coraline EVERYWHERE. The water is clean, and the random bits and bobs are all where they should (ph, salinity, nutrients, etc).

By techinicality, the tank is perfect. But I almost hate looking at it. My parents really hate it, they are constantly asking why they spent so much money for a nasty looking tank... =/

I guess my point is, I'm afraid to try and "clean it up" because everything is working so well. I don't want to lose my fish, or the other cools things that somehow appeared in my tank. But, I want to be able to be pleased with my tank... =/

So, if you think I should "gut" it and try to make it pretty, let me know, or "if it's not broke don't fix it" ?

Keep in mind that most of the pictures posted above are very old (2003) and the tank looks much... worse now then it did then...

Last edited by Jag at 06-Feb-2005 06:46

Looks like the clean up crew you have will do a good job. If you wish you can add a few blue leg hermits, and a few zebra hermits. A serpent star would be a good idea, they clean up detris real good.




Dan

Firefish!

The regular red ones, or the purple?

My favorite one is too expensive. *looks for an extra $150*

Firefish are great IMO, great colors. Only problem with 'em is they're jumpers. Make sure he won't be able to get out.

Glad to hear your tank is looking better. Keep us updated.

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

Well, I went out to the LFS today and bought the following:

15 Astrea Snails
15 Red leg Hermit Crabs
4 Peppermingt Shrimp
1 Emerald Crab

I also did some manual clean up yesterday, removed a lot of the algea and scraped the Coraline off of the side glass (the back is still covered in it). I'm much more pleased with my tank now - it's looking so nice lately.

If it stys looking like it does now, I'll be very happy

I'm also thinking about picking up a Firefish, I saw one down there today and I really liked it. But I want to wait till everything I added today gets settled in first. Probably give it a month or so before adding any new fish...

They do get about 5" or so. I would suggest upgrading the detris eaters in the tank with this fish. They are great fun to watch, and will change color right in front of your eyes. They blend in with the rock and can be hard to find at times.

Dan

Oh good! I was hoping I was dead on with the lawnmower blenny thing.

I'm contemplating getting one for my tank; I think I will wait until my algae builds up, but I think it'll make a good choice for you. I think they're pretty hardy and not too hard to find either. And they don't get too large.

Sounds like a winner.

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

Lawnmower blennies are great fun, very entertaining fish. They eat a LOT of hair lagea. The problem is they poop a LOT as well. I've had two and both have cleaned the tank up and ended up starving. I suggest getting the smallest one you can find and be ready to suppliment with algea wafers.



Dan

*does her job and fixes all the links*

[link=old picture of zebra hermie]http://www.picolio.com/Albums/Saltwater/25Dec03b_ZebraHermitCrab.jpg" style="COLOR: #f0ddfe[/link]

[link=rubbery plant]http://www.picolio.com/Albums/Saltwater/17Nov03c_MarinePlant.jpg" style="COLOR: #f0ddfe[/link]

[link=the Apisitas]http://www.picolio.com/Albums/Saltwater/23Nov03a_aiptasia.jpg
" style="COLOR: #f0ddfe[/link]

Okay. Phew. Now that that's over with...

I was going to suggest a massive clean up crew as well. More hermies and astrea snails should do the trick. Look around online for cleaner packages to save some $$$. Hows the subsrate looking? Maybe a sand sifting star?

Also...I was *thinking* maybe a lawnmower blenny would chow on the algae for you? Well I mean I know he'll eat algae, I just don't know if it's the right type for him. Someone else will have to confirm on that.

How come you're complaining about the coralline algae?

GL, I can imagine the frusturating situation you're in.

-Ferret

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

Well, a few thoughts.

Get a bunch of small hermits to clean up the algea, you will need to go in a remove most of it by hand. This would be hair algea (if you have it). Then get soem astria snails, this will help clean the glass. I woudl say about 20 or 30 hermits, and 10 or so snails.

Then get perhaps 4 peppermint shrimp to clean up that aptasia.


From the way you describe it, your tank is not really balanced in. The problem is the lack of clean up crew. Once the pests are removed, (aptasia, hair lagea, etc.) the tank will look much better. The coraline algea is not a problem, leave that grow on the back glass and live rock. So in a nut shell, work on your clean up crew. You can also add one or two brittle stars. It will take a month or two before you really start to notice a change in the tank. Let the change happen slowly, to fast means you have to much clean up crew and you will loose part of it when the tank is cleaned up.



Dan