Pictures

Hello all-once again. I've put up some pics of my tank on my profile. Would love to hear your comments. I've made a few statements and questions on the descriptions. . .
Cheers,

Nick

 

How long has the tank been running and what are your parameters?

 

Tank has been up four months. Water Parameters are good. Keep it at 78 degrees and 1.023. Have not tested for Calcium or magnesium just the basic ph, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and some times alkalinity. All within tolerable specs.

 

Hey Nick,

Welcome to 3reef!

Tank looks nice. The brown stuff you reference in your profile pictures look like they might be diatoms. The green is too small for me to see well. I'd guess green hair algae. Both are very common and part of getting a new tank going. Just make sure you keep your nitrates, etc at zero.

The only comment I'd ask is about the gravel you reference. I think most folks steer clear of using gravel in reef tanks.

M

 

M,
The bag I bought said live sand but it's more of a crushed shell material than fine sand. I've tried to make sure all rock is sitting on glass as opposed to the sand. I have worms moving throughout it. It's sorta shocking to see it moving and then a black worm poke out and hide back under it!

 

Really? Wow... You might want to post a few pictures of the worms and the substrate. What exactly did you buy?

Mark

 

Mark, I will post more pics of the substrate. It was purchased at my LFS Said live sand, it was wet. I just thought it would be more fine and grainy like beach sand. But it is crushed coral/shell it appears. The worms I can't take a pic right now can't find them. One usually lives in the same hole in a LR piece. He hangs half out and digs through the substrate. Then comes back into the rock. He's skinny two inches in length hangs out the rock at the most. Black with small white bands. Will post a pic when he's out. I've also seen tiny white worms on the glass after I clean the substrate. Also recently lots of white eggs of some sort on the glass-perhaps worms as well...

 

Do you have snails?? My snail lay eggs on the glass.

The Black/White worm is what interests me... I'd want an id on that. I'd want some more experienced folks to comment on all that black sponge as well.

Cleaning the substrate?? Have you read up on sand beds and clean up crews??? I rarely if ever clean the sand bed area of my tank.

M

 

Mark,
The substrate collects orange -ish algae on it after a week or so. I usually try to vacuum it slowly and gently during water changes. I've recently just cut back from every other week to once a month on the water changes. The black sponges came with the rock from the LFS, it appears to be healthy just perhaps unsightly! I do have a few snails and I've heard the eggs could either be from the snails or the worms. I will keep an eye on it. I think for either about 6-8 wks before they "hatch". I also have 4 red legged hermits and them with the sally light foot my substrate is picked through regularly.