:smile: I've checked all the parameters and here's the results:

PH- 8.2
Nitrates- 0
Nitrites- 0
Copper- (yes, i tested it) None. (I gots me some chocolate chip stars and i read somewhere that all inverts. are sensitive to copper. So i figure i must not have any since they still alive.)
Ammonia- 0.0

Are these parameters good for my octopus?


*If this is in wrong forum, Please move it*

-=ant=-

Hi ant,

These parameters look good. How about your specific gravity? - should be about 1.026.

Nancy

All seems to be in the pipe, 5x5 !!!
congrats!
greg

..and water temperature depending on species....

There's Colin chirping in with a wrench...hadn't thought of that one ! Yeah, he is totally correct...temp?

Cthulhu, were you just watching Aliens?

Dan

LOL Greg, wasnt meant to be a wrench....

Dan, nice space pope!

temp-72
salinity-1.023--Ill add some salt






Ughhhh, I just got back from a trip to tennessee and I now have a outbreak of black algea stuff. The dude at the pet store said theres methane under this and we sucked some up before we left (4 days ago)
What is it and how do i get rid of it!!!!!!!!! I am putting a timer on the lights but i dont know how i should time it. I'm gonna set it to turn off at mid-day. Please tell me if this is not good.


-=Ant=-

Ant, i have my fishtank lights set to be on when i am in looking at the fish... so what that means is that my fishtank has a 12 hour cycle with the flurorescent light coming on at 12pm, then metal halides at 2pm, then metal halides off at 10pm then fluros off at 12AM, i use two timers which are built it.

what is your light cycle just now?

Any chance of a pic of the black stuff?

i sucked alot of it out with a pump we got and that was like 2:00am yesterday. Its already reforming on the sand again :( Its only on the sand and rocks but not on the walls.Any info on this would be great. I circled the black algae. I think it may be diatoms? :confused: Also i was wondering if i changed alot of the water (10 or so gallons) would this take it away?



-=ant=-

So...when do you anticipate arrival? Is the algea that much of an issue? How bout a creature that eats it, say a snail?

yeah, that is diatoms, just let it take its course, but i also think i see one of those nasty Bryopsis algaes in there, the really hairy tufty ones. I am guessing that there has to be high nitrate and maybe too much food going in the tank?

http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/algaecontrol/a/aa033001.htm

Well, I used to feed them 2 or 3 times a day but now i only feed them once. What kind of snails might eat it Carol? I am still sucking small amounts out; they are patches ranging in size from 1 to 2 inches. :hmm: My Nitrate test comes out at zero. Maybe its wrong but ive tested it a few times. I would like to order him in the next few weeks if at all possible.Is that bushy stuff harmful? its been in there a while (the wvy green)
P.S. The black stuff will eventually dissappear?

..........is there a algeacide i can use? or should i just do 2 water changes 15% each week? Colin are you sure its not cyano algea?








Very Confused -=Ant=-

*A reply might be nice*

What's the status of your tank now? Any change? Did you do the water changes.

Removing by hand is probably the best way to get rid of nuisance algae quickly, but other methods work, too.

The link Colin gave you is a good one, full of suggestions. Of course, if you want to keep an octo, those algae-eating fish are not a good idea!

Nancy

*A reply might be nice** :roll:

Get yourself a snail, hermit crab...uh no wait, scratch the hermit crab... :mrgreen: ...and the snail might not be safe either! You can try though ;)...and a brittle star. They all eat detrius and help keep nitrates down. Brittle stars in particular are omnivores and will eat the mess the octopus makes. Octos usually leave them alone too.

Go here and pick some things out, hopefully your local store has these in stock:

http://www.aquacon.com/saltwater-fish-index.html

Here's a quote from their site:

The Atlantic Astrea snail loves to graze on algae. A very active cleaner, it cleans both algae and diatoms. According to Julian Sprung's Reef Aquarium Manual , Volume One, Atlantic Turbo snails are the ideal snail to be placed in your aquarium as soon as ammonia and nitrite levels reach acceptable levels (less than 1 ppm). One of the best snails for controlling Diatom's (light brown/red algae), Green Algae Blooms and Dark Purple/Red Slime algae . Introduced as soon as possible to new aquarium, these snails effectively limit the development of all microalgae.

And about Bumble Bee snails:

Totally Reef Safe, they are about 3/8" and look like Bumble Bee's. A great scavenger, cleaning up both your sand bed, rocks, glass, and they take care of diatoms, hair algae, and red slime too!!

And on green brittle stars:

A good garbage cleaner for your tank. Brittle stars are one of the best detritus removers for the aquarium. (Detritus causes high nitrates). Keeping the detritus (garbage) down in your system, promotes cleaner water, lower nitrates, and healthier animals. Totally reef safe.They are also interesting to watch.

The diatoms keep coming back and sometimes is very dark black and almost in a mound. It has moved from just on the sand and rocks in small amounts to big amounts coming back rapidly and even on the glass a little. I suck it out with a small tube for an air pump and it works fine its just that it keeps coming back. I havent done the water changes but i will start doing them. Would a biowheel help with my problem? Would a brittle star hurt chocolate stars? Our LFS has near 4 every time i go there. Also, one of my starfish has....ummm....fallen apart. It scared me when i pulled him out. One of his arms was just dangleing there. I dont know why i didnt notice it before. Could this be the source the algea came from? I beleive they are green brittle stars at the LFS. *A reply might be nice* <- My appologies... Just got a little frustrated. I dont mean to be mean. :sad:

The diatoms keep coming back and sometimes is very dark black and almost in a mound. It has moved from just on the sand and rocks in small amounts to big amounts coming back rapidly and even on the glass a little. I suck it out with a small tube for an air pump and it works fine its just that it keeps coming back. I havent done the water changes but i will start doing them. Would a biowheel help with my problem? Would a brittle star hurt chocolate stars? Our LFS has near 4 every time i go there. Also, one of my starfish has....ummm....fallen apart. It scared me when i pulled him out. One of his arms was just dangleing there. I dont know why i didnt notice it before. Could this be the source the algea came from? I beleive they are green brittle stars at the LFS. <- My appologies... Just got a little frustrated. I dont mean to be mean. :sad:

1. No water changes = high nitrates, hence the diatom/algae bloom. There's nothing to get rid of the nitrate left in the water unless you have a large refugium/sump with many macro algae/plants to eat the nitrate, and/or a deep sand bed of at least 5-6 inches to create an anerobic (no oxygen) location for nitrate-eating bacteria to live.

If you're reading 0 nitrates then that test is incorrect unless you have a fuge/deep sand bed setup as described above. You will always have nitrates that will just continually increase as time goes on without water changes or something to eat/get rid of the nitrates. This is a result of the natural bacteria process that converts harmful ammonia to slightly less harmful nitrite to much less harmful nitrate.

2. A biowheel will not help, it will make things worse. They're great at getting rid of ammonia and nitrite and oxygenating the water with their constant wet/dry state changes, but the resulting by-product is nitrate output. If you have enough live rock, you won't need a bio-wheel.

I have mine running because an octopus is a high waste output organism, so live rock plus a bio-wheel will ensure 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite levels. I plan on using macro-algae and water changes to keep the nitrates at low levels. If I can get enough live rock in the tank and still give the octo enough room I may remove the bio-wheel altogether in the future.

3. A brittle star will not hurt a chocolate chip star. Keep in mind a brittle is a true omnivore while a chocolate is more of a carnivore. A green brittle star, though, when big enough, can catch fish when they are sleeping by pouncing on them from above, much like an octo sometimes does!

4. Not sure why the starfish was falling apart. Perhaps it had been dead awhile and was starting to disintegrate?

Hi Black96WS6,

I was reading your #1 above and had a few questions. I currently have a 37 gallon tank connected to a refugium thats about 15 gallons. I was looking to buy some chaetomorpha to help with the nitrates. I didn't know about the deep sand bed option. In your opinion, which is better? I currently have about 1.5" of sand in the refugium, but I could increase it to 6. Or, would the chaetomorpha be a better option? Thanks!

Hi Black96WS6,

I was reading your #1 above and had a few questions. I currently have a 37 gallon tank connected to a refugium thats about 15 gallons. I was looking to buy some chaetomorpha to help with the nitrates. I didn't know about the deep sand bed option. In your opinion, which is better? I currently have about 1.5" of sand in the refugium, but I could increase it to 6. Or, would the chaetomorpha be a better option? Thanks!

Hi, you may have to experiment to find out which way works better. There's a great article on Deep Sand Beds (DSB for short) here:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/deepsandbeds.htm

Here's a tidbit from the article:

One of the principal benefits to deep sand bed methodologies is the potential for natural nitrate reduction (NNR). The speed and extent to which a DSB can reduce nitrate in an aquarium amazes many aquarists… especially those that have struggled with nitrate control for any length of time through other means. The benefits to an established tank with the upgrade to a DSB are apparent in just a few weeks with potential for complete nitrate reduction (to “zero”)!
Here's a great pic of a refugium behind the main aquarium that has both!:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/SystemPIX/Refugium-Hang-on_IMG_5567-ChristinaGonzalez.JPG

I think that DSBs have got their place in aquariums but like suggested in the last post they should be external to an octo tank... an octo will disturb it all too much. Would be fine in a refugium.

Even the 'experts' on DSBs now also agree that they have a shelf life before they stop functioning properly...

In a 37 gal tank i'd suggest that water changes with RO water and a stringent feeding programme may be a better (easier) solution.

Also, be sure to get the corrrect grade of sand for the DSB.

Until you've kept an octo, you don't realize how much they disturb their tank environment - moving shells, rocks (even large ones) and equpment (changing the direction of the outflow). They are also fond of taking equipment apart, such as powerheads.

Bimacs like to stick their arms down in the sand and wiggle them to see what they can stir up (they're hoping for crabs!). Another favorite thing is to dig in the sand, right down to the glass bottom when making their den.

Nancy

They are also fond of taking equipment apart, such as powerheads.



...I thought that you shouldnt have the power head in the tank... :hmm: Also another question, What should the flow rate for my sump to tank pump be? I was thinking 1000GPM. So i shouldnt get a biowheel Or should i? I was planning on getting a wet/dry filter (is this the same as a biowheel?) and another canister filter as the one im using now is only a micron filter. Ive noticed something about my powerhead line connected to the overflow box. If i take it off, the siphon stops. SO i bought the long air tubing to put the powerhead in the sump so the octo couldnt hurt it. Should i order some macro algea for my sump? (the last question)What in the world are amphipods? !

Hi Ant

Any powerheads used in the tank should be safe... ie they should have no way for the octopus to stick arms into the impeller. Most powerheads come with a grill to prevent this sort of thing or a sponge attachment.

1000GPM would blast a hole in your ceiling and carry the water a few hundred feet into the air ;) if you mean GPH, then that will be fine, just make sure that the exit for the water into the sump from your tank can handle it. Is the hole big enough?

A wet dry filter is infinitly better than a biowheel as the biowheels can get clogged and stop trurning. Just make sure that there is a prefilter to prevent the bioballs getting clogged with dirt.

I dont quite get what you mean about the powerhead and sump overflow??? can you explain?

macro algae is a good idea

amphipods are small shrimp species which normally come into a tank with live rock...

http://www.google.co.uk/search?num=100&hl=en&q=aquarium+amphipods&spell=1

they are great for tanks as they help clean up after a messy octo and good food for a baby octo

1000GPM would blast a hole in your ceiling and carry the water a few hundred feet into the air ;)


Haha, yeah i meant gph.

OK. I have a small airline tube from my powerhead to my overflowbox top. It makes the siphon start back up i guess but when i take it off the top of the box, the siphon stops after a few minutes. I know that the powerhead
is sucking air from the overflow box and pushing it into the water b/c i see little air bubbles.






I now have 10 red leg hermit crabs in my tank to clean up the diatoms and i think i have a bit of cyeano algea too. I got a big bucket of salt again as i found out i was out today :(








-=Ant=-

Ant has your tank been cycling for a wile? my tank had a blum like that only it consumed the bottom of the tank but after my tank was empty for a wile it went away. Also try mixing the sand.