Journal Salty Fingers

[Courtneybst]

Flash! Aaaah
​

I finally managed to pick up a frag of Yellow Fiji Leather! They canary of leather corals.


I spotted it at Wildwoods when I visited with @shangman on Monday. Ironically, I had been talking to various people about trying to get one and just that morning I was taking trimmings of macroalgae and I cleared a space and said to myself; "when I get a Fiji leather, that's where it'll go" (thinking this could be weeks/months away). Genuinely did not expect to come across it that same afternoon! This is why Wildwoods is such a gem.


It appears to be around 80% open but not fully, although the polyps are out. I'm giving it some time to adjust to its surroundings and I'm hoping the yellow colour returns!

 

[Courtneybst]

Wait, what?
​

I just realised it's been over 3 months since i updated this journal! A decent amount has changed since then... and a lot of photos have been taken. 😅


This is the difference since the early trials of this tank up to now, a difference of 9 months. I remember looking at that first state and thinking 'well this went well...not'! But turns out the key is patience, just like anything else. You'd never know the tank ever looked like that.

Win some, Lose A Lot
I've tried a few different corals in this tank and after losing a few and the money to go with it, if it's not p*** easy I'm not interested. I'll stick with macroalgae. 😅 My yellow fiji leather... disintegrated. Colt Coral... disintegrated. One good thing did come of all this though. In the search to figure out why those corals reacted the way they did, I discovered that I my alkalinity was rock bottom! At one point it measured 5.4. Considering my salt mix naturally hangs around 9-10, that's quite a drop. I started to increase my water change frequency from never to once a week and then tapering off to once every two weeks, whilst also dosing Tropic Marin All for Reef to help. The alkalinity is now back in range, but I'm not actually sure how much impact it was having on this system because nothing appears to have changed.


I went to Chicago in October and Scotland in December and during this time the feeding of phytoplankton was a bit haphazard. By the beginning of December I had stopped dosing it altogether. Turns out it's important 🙃 I'm pretty sure it's one of reasons my yellow feather duster up and left. It initially dropped it's crown and regrew this small one, but now the whole thing vanished. I lost the big beautiful white one due to it being smothered by macroalgae. So now I'm on the lookout for decent sized healthy feathers. 👀


I battled a short lived aiptasia infestation too. Initially I would smother the ones that popped up or remove them, but then they started appearing in places I couldn't. I didn't want to use chemicals as I prefer to use natural methods where possible and I'd heard mixed results with products for killing aiptasia.

I noticed Advanced Aquarium Consultancy got in a shipment of 'true aiptasia eating peppermint shrimp', so I thought I'd give it a go. My expectation was that this shrimp would graze on the aiptasia and over time they'd slowly disappear. Within the first day of adding the peppermint, it ate 99% of my aiptasia. I was shocked! Happily shocked. I've now not seen any since the shrimp went in some months ago.


My most recent battle was with flatworms aka Red Planaria. Normally I would just let it be, but I have plans to distribute this macroalgae to other hobbyists and institutions and so I wanted to make sure it was clean.

It appeared that the au naturale method wasn't going to cut it this time. From the countless things I read and videos I watched, the best way seems to be just nuking them to high hell! The problem is they release toxins when they die so it was a bit more involved.

To nuke them, it seems you have to overdose the treatment slightly. I had to siphon out as many flatworms as I could myself to reduce the impact of the toxins, remove the fish and inverts and keep them in a bucket overnight, add the Flatworm Exit and wait an hour, add carbon to the filter and then do a large water change before adding everything back in. So far everything's survived the treatment and it's like nothing ever happened, just minus the flatworms. I will need to stay vigilant for eggs and juveniles as I've heard they aren't as affected by it.



Nudis and Newbies!
In this time my friend Hiep over in Texas also set up his FIRST saltwater aquarium, and it's beautiful! I hope he doesn't mind me posting it, but this is the idea I was going for when I set mine up. Not just random rocks here and there but an actual defined scape, and he's pulled it off so well. Go check him out on Instagram; @ultum_hiep.


(Photo Credit: Hiep Hong)

I've also been hit by the seemingly Pokémon-worthy diversity that is Nudibranch. They're such fascinating creatures and the fact that they all look so unique and crazy and eat such specific diets gives them a super hero like quality in my opinion. I enjoy coming across new ones and hopefully I'll be able to keep some at some point.

(Not my picture)

The picture below is of Babakina anadoni which has been spotted off the coast of Cornwall this summer - a first time sighting for this species in British waters. The fact that anything like that lives around us is incredible to me. I hope we discover more!

(Not my picture)

 

[Courtneybst]

On closer inspection it seems what I feared happened; some juvenile flatworms survived the treatment. Over the next week I'll siphon out any that I see every day and then may repeat the Flatworm Exit if necessary.

It seems this is a war rather than a battle!

 

[shangman]

On closer inspection it seems what I feared happened; some juvenile flatworms survived the treatment. Over the next week I'll siphon out any that I see every day and then may repeat the Flatworm Exit if necessary.

It seems this is a war rather than a battle!

If there's anything I've learnt from marine, it's always a battle. Generally 2-3 weeks of battling seems to do it for every problem I've come across so far.

 

[hydrophyte]

This is really nice. Those macros look so happy in there. Well done!

 

[Courtneybst]

This is really nice. Those macros look so happy in there. Well done!

Thank you!

 

[hydrophyte]

Any updates?

 

[Courtneybst]

Any updates?

Oh wow, it hasn't been updated since January 😅

I've been meaning to but I'll post some updates tomorrow!

 

[Courtneybst]

Pretty, Pretty, Pretty... Good​

Thanks @hydrophyte for reminding me to update my journal. 3 months have gone by, undocumented! 😅



The macroalgae seems to be a rocking horse in terms of growth - when some are booming, others are busting! Right now the Caulerpa taxifolia is growing quite readily and the Botryocladia seems to be losing a bit of density and becoming more straggly. The Cryptonemia crenulata is taking over as usual. The only thing that's changed in the last month (since it was last still quite lush) is that I've swapped Tropica Specialised for Premium because the nitrates and phosphates are already at adequate levels from the way I have to feed, and I've slightly lowered my All For Reef dosage because the alkalinity did not need to be 11+.



I have two theories; there's a random micronutrient that is running out and the macroalgae isn't getting it from the things I'm dosing. Although I usually water change every 2-3 weeks so it shouldn't in theory be an issue. My other theory is the lighting! I've noticed that I'm not having to regularly trim and throw out algae as others experience. The corals have also just about grown, which is great for maintenance reasons but I can't help feeling my nutrient levels would be at a more manageable level if things were actively growing. I've got an AI Prime Reef that I've had sitting around for a while and I want to see if that makes any difference to the system. @shangman journal has given me inspiration to jooj the tank and restore former glory haha.



I got some new creatures too!

I think sometime in January I bought a beautiful Anthelia coral which has taken the the rock really well. It just gently waves in the flow and has such a nice texture.



I felt like the tank needed some activity and colour and wanted to try adding mollies after finally mulling over it for so long. I just bought 3 mollies from the freshwater section at one of my LFS and drip acclimated them with saltwater over 24 hours and in they went. They did exactly what it said on the tin although I noticed frequent bickering between them. They are also quite dim and would eat relentlessly and know nothing about personal space. Unfortunately two of them died after a few weeks and I think it was due to a big nitrate spike. I since paid a bit closer attention to the water quality and things have been fine with the last one. Their activity and territoriality makes me think one is actually more appropriate for this space, despite being touted as 'community fish'.

View attachment 363D5D3C-B407-4A67-B3D7-6EC8BE2FFA62.jpeg


As I mentioned in the last update, I also had a flatworm (Red Planaria) infestation that was not responding to manual removal or chemical treatments and so I just stopped doing anything about it. Their numbers did increase and are annoyingly all over the glass. I went to visit Maidenhead Aquatics Ashtead with @LondonAquascaper and saw they had a solo Mandarin Dragonet. I actually had no plans to buy it but after having a final look around I remember seeing anecdotal evidence that they eat flatworms. The manager said they might but there's no guarantee. The other option were some brown and white Dragonets (can't remember their names) but they were a pair and I didn't want to split them up. So I went for it!




Whilst I actually wouldn't recommend a Dragonet for this size tank, I was assured that it was already eating frozen food and had been for the last 3 months. True to his word, my Mandarin (going by the name Julian these days) is a very good eater and accepts pretty much everything I feed him. I feed a range of mysis shrimp, live and frozen copepods, lobster eggs, live bloodworms, live tubifex and live white worms. Weirdly live copepods are what he's least interested in, but he will pick at them. He also cleareeeed the tank of flatworms! Hallelujah. I'm currently feeding this mix 2x a day when I'm working and 3x a day when I'm home. Interestingly there's also still some pods visible in the tank so there's clearly refuge in all that macroalgae.



I hadn't posted about the Mandarin because I wanted to make sure I could keep it alive! It seems that as soon as you mention you have something it decides to pop it's clogs...



My existing creatures seem to be growing in size too 😅 The picture doesn't do it justice how big this thing is.



I've also been watering seeds sown in other hobbyists head who've shown interest in macroalgae. I already know a handful of friends who've started a marine tank now because of it. Still working on the rest... @LondonDragon 😉

 

[Wookii]

Awesome looking tank @Courtneybst - I can't help but wonder if you'll wake up one morning to find your Lambton Worm has eaten the dog! 😂

 

[seedoubleyou]

Definitely kill that thing with fire.

 

[Courtneybst]

Awesome looking tank @Courtneybst - I can't help but wonder if you'll wake up one morning to find your Lambton Worm has eaten the dog! 😂

Thanks Wooki!

I don't have a dog, but I do have some neighbours 😅

Definitely kill that thing with fire.

Haha I don't remove them, they're doing blue collar work!

 

[hydrophyte]

Fascinating! Thanks for sharing this update.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Awesome looking tank @Courtneybst -

Certainly is. The macroalgae looks fantastic.

cheers Darrel

 

[LondonDragon]

Stunning Courtney, you and Rosie really got the knack for these, great work 🙂

I already know a handful of friends who've started a marine tank now because of it. Still working on the rest... @LondonDragon 😉

Haha a little too much for me I am afraid! 🙂

 

[Courtneybst]

Hi all,

Certainly is. The macroalgae looks fantastic.

cheers Darrel

Thank you Darrel!

Stunning Courtney, you and Rosie really got the knack for these, great work 🙂


Haha a little too much for me I am afraid! 🙂

Thanks Paulo! I think macroalgae tanks are fully compatible with my need for tidy chaos in aquariums. Manicured wilderness.

 

[Courtneybst]

Toes? Dipped.​

It's been a minute, and apparently I didn't update this journal for most of 2023. I put that down to 2023 being chaotically busy with events, meetups and moving. As a result this tank became a bit of a messy overgrowth, much to the mandarin's delight! I still managed to get a decent amount of scaping done and was arguably one of my favourite years in the hobby.



So here's the last remaining photo I can find of the tank in decent condition before it had to be torn down, and probably my favourite...



I bagged up all my macroalgae and gave it to someone... The mandarin is still living cosily with @shangman and the pipes went to @LondonAquascaper and have since moved on to a bigger home!



I also found the photos/videos of the cleaning process using citric acid, if you're interested @Sammy I .

Seeing some of @shangman 's updates and some of my Canadian friends diving into saltwater got me really craving it again. My end goal has always been to have at least one saltwater and one freshwater tank but I can't commit to a big saltwater tank right now. So I'm going small...real small. Probably the smallest tank I've owned.

I wanted something that was small, experimental and took up no extra floor space. About 6 weeks ago I setup a pico saltwater in a DOOA Shizuku that I had lying around. I made a basic scape with some lava rock as experience has taught me that the hardscape will be GONE pretty soon lol. I added some Caribsea Arag Alive sand and an AI Nero 3 running on 1% (these things are amazingly versatile) and let it coast. My plan was to let it cook over the holidays and then get busy when I returned so I didn't have to ask anyone to look after it.



I also discovered today that my refractometer needs calibrating. When I tested the salinity, it said 1.025 which is bang on, but took it to my LFS Fragbox Corals and it was actually 1.045! I'm pretty sure even the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean are not that salty. There were nitrates detectable, however, so I know the cycle is working. I might give it some fuel whilst I'm away so it doesn't stall and crash. I've been keeping it in a bucket in the dark whilst all this goes on to 1. test the structural integrity of the Shizuku (it's held up so far), and 2. discourage any nuisance algae growth in the early stages.

When I return, I'll be adding some macroalgae and maybe the easiest soft corals. The one thing I haven't decided on is lighting. I was trying to find a bulb I could retrofit to the desk lamp to maintain the room aesthetic but I've had no luck so far. If I can't use the lamp, I at least want it to be circular to compliment the shape of the Shizuku and also be white yet suitable for the reef like the Chihiros Slim was. Any suggestions welcome.

 

[Sammy I]

Toes? Dipped.​

It's been a minute, and apparently I didn't update this journal for most of 2023. I put that down to 2023 being chaotically busy with events, meetups and moving. As a result this tank became a bit of a messy overgrowth, much to the mandarin's delight! I still managed to get a decent amount of scaping done and was arguably one of my favourite years in the hobby.

View attachment 224844

So here's the last remaining photo I can find of the tank in decent condition before it had to be torn down, and probably my favourite...

View attachment 224845

I bagged up all my macroalgae and gave it to someone... The mandarin is still living cosily with @shangman and the pipes went to @LondonAquascaper and have since moved on to a bigger home!

View attachment 224846

I also found the photos/videos of the cleaning process using citric acid, if you're interested @Sammy I .

Seeing some of @shangman 's updates and some of my Canadian friends diving into saltwater got me really craving it again. My end goal has always been to have at least one saltwater and one freshwater tank but I can't commit to a big saltwater tank right now. So I'm going small...real small. Probably the smallest tank I've owned.

I wanted something that was small, experimental and took up no extra floor space. About 6 weeks ago I setup a pico saltwater in a DOOA Shizuku that I had lying around. I made a basic scape with some lava rock as experience has taught me that the hardscape will be GONE pretty soon lol. I added some Caribsea Arag Alive sand and an AI Nero 3 running on 1% (these things are amazingly versatile) and let it coast. My plan was to let it cook over the holidays and then get busy when I returned so I didn't have to ask anyone to look after it.

View attachment 224847

I also discovered today that my refractometer needs calibrating. When I tested the salinity, it said 1.025 which is bang on, but took it to my LFS Fragbox Corals and it was actually 1.045! I'm pretty sure even the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean are not that salty. There were nitrates detectable, however, so I know the cycle is working. I might give it some fuel whilst I'm away so it doesn't stall and crash. I've been keeping it in a bucket in the dark whilst all this goes on to 1. test the structural integrity of the Shizuku (it's held up so far), and 2. discourage any nuisance algae growth in the early stages.

When I return, I'll be adding some macroalgae and maybe the easiest soft corals. The one thing I haven't decided on is lighting. I was trying to find a bulb I could retrofit to the desk lamp to maintain the room aesthetic but I've had no luck so far. If I can't use the lamp, I at least want it to be circular to compliment the shape of the Shizuku and also be white yet suitable for the reef like the Chihiros Slim was. Any suggestions welcome.

Yes please, PM me 👍

 

[NathanB]

Really lovely scapes! What species are those pipefish? they're beautiful

 

[Courtneybst]

Really lovely scapes! What species are those pipefish? they're beautiful

Thanks Nathan!

They are Doryrhamphus excisus. Would 100% keep again. So chill, hardy and beautiful!