Jocco's Tank Phase 2

[DWhatley]

Probably one of the best internet inventions for communication has been the advent of the smilies to help give the tone of our short (I do TRY - often unsuccessfully - to make mine short ), written communications

The more I read (especially the latest and greatest on the ocean), the more it is clear that there are no absolutes and pretty much every statement needs to be qualified. Until the last couple of years, it was believed that ALL octopuses had only one set of offspring and then died. @Neogonodactylus and @Thales have proven this is not the case with at least 2 (related) species. You will also see some pretty crazy things written that were never "true" and simply do not exist but keep being propagated by people claiming to have studied them (the most recent - chapping my hide - is the totally incorrect statement by a journalist who had a column (followed by a book) in a once venerable magazine stating that octopuses have two siphons ). Soooo, forgive me if I get on a soap box when I try to guide from what I think I know (ever changing).

 

[ekocak]

I've noticed in the reptile/amphibian hobby that people tend to take a bit of (often well intentioned, partially true) bit of advice and then treat it as absolute gospel fact. It's probably true in a lot of things, and with the internet being what it is, information, even erroneous can spread virally.

*Also, sorry for the thread-jacking here. Back to Jocco.

 

[DWhatley]

LOL, your thread so you can't really hijack it

 

[Jocco]

I enjoy playful banter

My field deals with human biology, the big s-e-x ... you would be amazed how many people flunk at basic anatomy and physiology.
I can better understand qualifying happenings in the ocean to be honest.

I'm finding within my own tank, you all have been better with the advice than my LFS, which is incredibly irritating (for them). I cannot stand when a client comes into my shop thinking they know it all because of the internet (they are usually wrong - most advice on the internet is HORRID). I've been as polite as I can be with the LFS, lol. I know the internet isn't creed - but uh - this IS a specialized forum.

One snail has survived, a Trochus.
Maybe next time I will ask for Trochus instead of Turbo.
It is making a dent on the little bit of algae I have on the back tank wall... it needs to find a rock and have at the purple stuff that is starting to take over. I reeeeeeeeeeeally would rather a creature work than baby bottle scrub brush it off... but oh well... I suppose.
I graduated from Green Mountain College in '07, I'm all about creating a good natural environment. I'm reading along with all the blogs on here; they sound less like a foreign language I still have a way to go... I'm still very glad for a hobby.
Foodie-ness and being slightly famous with my job/work was getting even more boring than a fish-less tank... lol.

*I Jackie, have been doing the blogging so far.

 

[DWhatley]

Jackie, if you want to keep the coraline (light purple algae that is very hard and thin - other purple is something else) under control a pencil urchin loves the stuff. Be warned that you may lose all of it it over time but I keep these guys in my tanks just for this reason and eventually, it is controlled enough to stay mostly OFF the glass and just enough to add a bit of color to the rock.

If what you are looking at is soft, slimy and dark maroon then you are likely looking at cyno bacteria. Nothing eats this (that I know of) Vacuuming it up, lowering the temp, reducing the amount of lighting time (which will also help with temperature) and more frequent/larger water changes are the best methods to eliminate it. There are chemical solutions but, unless the coverage is severe additional clean up is the best method to eradicate it.

If you are looking at an almost brown spongy mat, the it could be an encrusting sponge that is relatively harmless (totally harmless to mobile creatures but can cause problems with corals) and can be lifted off rather easily (no brushing required) but be sure to remove all the pieces or it will spread.

Photos would be helpful to clarify. In all cases, if you use a bottle brush to remove it, siphon as you scrub to avoid additional proliferation.

I had to laugh out loud when you mentioned that your clients argue with you about your toys because of what they read on the internet. You must share some hilarious stories if you go to the annual purchasing mart conventions.

 

[Jocco]

The shiny flat looking purple algae is my problem, its starting to cover other algae. It isn't the dull red/purple fuzzier looking algae that covers most of our tank. I would rather a creature help, but if not, in the tank we go.

Is it possible for my pistol shrimp, Sir Stewart, to be killing critters, besides pods?
Half a hermit body rolled out of under the rock it has called home today. After we played tetris, er, aquascaped last week... we think it got mad and moved to more stable spot. Rocco think the killer is Whiskers, the blood shrimp.

 

[Jocco]

And as for client stories... we are full of them. Get a new one or two a day - many of them are the same. Feel free to ask any time lol. Does Tonmo do PMs? lol

 

[DWhatley]

The software offers a nice messaging system. At the top right of the page click on "Inbox" to go to the conversations page. Click the "start a new conversation" button and enter the tonmo name(s) in the participants box. You can allow the people you list to include others if you check the "Allow anyone in the conversation to invite others" box otherwise the conversation will be limited the listed participant(s). If the TONMO member has an email address and their profile allows emailing, they will be notified that there is "mail" in their inbox. When the member signs in, there will be a message count next to the inbox notation.

 

[Jocco]

Just did a head count, claw count... All 4 of my hermits are alive and well. I guess this is my first shedding/molting sighting. Not a death. Looks like a death to me.
When Whiskers shed the first time, we thought with the reflection off the glass, it was another animal for a sec. See the body segment next to the rock?

I peeled some of the purple algea off... Looked like a more solid yet similar to 'blood and lining in the water' thing that we women experience. Or the 'plastic bag floating in air' from American Beauty.

 

[DWhatley]

Not coraline algae (you do seem to have some on the rock but it is the red embedded stuff that adds a little color and is not a problem except when it gets on the glass - requires a fingernail or scraper to remove). From your description, I would guess cynobacteria. Looking at the previous picture, the color looks more like coraline but the air holes and texture either sponge (I've not had any that color but marine stuff comes in a wide variety) or cycno (that is the reddish brown color you mention).

I'm not much of a movie watcher but I found a video clip of the floating bag. Still could be either cycno or sponge but I am leaning toward cynobacteria.

 

[Jocco]

Spot where I peeled some up... The edges are torn and see waving in the current.
Looks like I can peel it off, like bubble gum stuck to a kid's face. Or peeled skin from a sun tan/burn.

Damn cyno.

 

[DWhatley]

Definitely not coraline. It tends to crumble but not sheet and it is not flexible.

 

[ekocak]

It looks like Cyanobacteria to me as well. I used to get that stuff a lot when I first started doing SW and didn't know not to use tap water (d'oh). Cyano loves something in tap water.

 

[Jocco]

<sigh> ok. I'll have to wait until Rocco gets back from the Champs convention... time to get materials to mix our own SW.
Woke up to our chromis m.i.a and 2 clown fish acting weird, no one really came out for food. This is incredibly discouraging.
Needed to get to work, this is going to be a long day... I just want to get home and investigate.

 

[tonmo]

Oh boy. Good luck!