Rainer's 55!

[Rainer]

well ive done one water change so far, not entirely on purpose but more by my fuge overflowing a bit :)

and i think with my cannister going, a koralia 3 and 4 and my return coming in ive got plenty of flow. I havent been running the lights at all but ill get em going at least 6 hours a day from now on. The only problem ive got at the moment is the traces of ammonia and nitrite and my PH is a little low. But i plan to test again on friday and get some PH buffer from my lfs.

 

[fatman]

Unless the pH is below 8, or has been low since the day after mixing, I would not worry to much about the pH. How low is a little low? Do you have any nitrate reading at all, yet? I do not remember. Did you have the live rock, dry base rock, or live rock without coralline? With good live rock and no additional nutrient input it is possible to have temporary elevation of ammonia and nitrite without ever getting a nitrate reading, but the rock has to be exceptional and usually from a fully mature tank to denitrify that well. I have seen it happen more often with lots of deep live sand (5 inches or more) and really good circulation (20X to 40X) than with live rock.

 

[Rainer]

just ran a quick test:

ph: 7.8 :(
ammonia: 0.5
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 0
alk: 180

 

[yote]

Keep in mind that your PH will be a little low untill your lights have been on a few hours.And a lot of ammonia kits will show you having 0.5 ammonia when its actually 0.But just in case,have your LFS double check it.

 

[Rainer]

you mean it will temporarily go down like at night when the lights are off, then come back up a few hours after lights have been turned on on a daily basis?


also heading to my LFS tomorrow to grab my first bit of livestock! WooTah! any awesome suggestions? Im prolly gonna grab a couple Chromis, since I want to hold off on getting a clown and get a TRU! percula later on (unless they happen to have a decently priced one). Also you think it would be ok to get any type of softie or invert this early on?

 

[Bifferwine]

pH drops at night, unless you are running the lights on a refugium with macroalgae. This is because during the day time when there's light, plants and algae are photosynthesizing and taking up carbon dioxide. When the lights go out, they stop photosynthesizing and the carbon dioxide accumulates, turns into carbonic acid, and drops the pH of the tank. When the lights go on in the morning, the plants and algae start photosynthesizing again, take up the carbon dioxide, and bring the pH up again. That's why most people run their fuge lights on an opposite schedule than the main tank lights, to stabilize pH swings that occur in the 24 hour period.

If your tank is done cycling (ammonia, nitrites at 0), then you can go ahead and add inverts. Get your ammonia double checked by your LFS first though, to make sure that the .5 was a false reading. Stay away from starfish and shrimp for now, they require a more stable, mature tank (usually a month or two old).

 

[fatman]

I agree with Biffer, but I also would add an opinion that unless something has changed in the method your running the tank, such as going from light usage to no lights, or unplugging your heater, or turning off your pumps, there should be no reason for an ammonia reading and no nitrite, so an erroneous ammonia reading is likely. Otherwise, with out changes, here would have had to of been something recently died or organically added to provide the source for the ammonia.

 

[Rainer]

Additions :)

question....

I got that little mushroom for next to nothing, but im not sure how these things work. Should they attach themselves to a rock somewhere? to sand? I had to turn a powerhead off just so he wouldnt fly around the tank and get sucked up....Im not sure how to handle a shroom! HELP!

 

[fatman]

They will attach on there own if you don't pick a place for them and affix them. Usually where you do not want them or they will attach to a large piece of gravel where the current drops them. Go to the GARF site for a lot of good information on attaching mushrooms. You can attach them as if they were a cutting from an affixed mushroom. I like bridal veil myself for holding to a rock. Other people like rubber bands, string, tooth picks, pins and needles. Bridal vale attachment means cutting a little rectangular strip out of 1/8" to 1/4" bridal vale about 3/4" wide by 1 1/2" long. Glue one edge of veil to rock with super glue lay mushroom on rock and pull vale over mushroom and glue other end to rock. Read the GARF section on mushroom propagation as the directions are clearer than mine. GARF is the Geothermal Aquatic Research Foundation, in Boise, Idaho.
Geothermal Aquaculture Research Foundation Home Page

 

[Rainer]

heh i just want it to attach to something! It will be a while before i get the courage up to start wacking away at my stuff :shock:


though i do appreciate it and it loooks like an awesome way to grow my mushrooms :D

 

[fatman]

Can not glue it. The attachment method is the same whether you cut it up or leave it hole. If you do not attach it you have to deal with possible problems in regards to where it attachés. The netting method with bridal veil fabric is the least damaging to the mushroom and usually promotes the quickest attachment. It will grow right through the netting and usually always develop a large enough base to cover the entire netting. If not, or if you get tired of waiting just cut off all exposed netting you can after it has attached. When attached it will look just like it is growing out of the rock. If you cut it while cutting away netting it will be OK. They have tendency to come loose when pins, needles or toothpicks are used, and rubber bands will cut right through them in short order if too tight. Netting is safe and quick. Some people do set it on top of a rock between two other rocks, but you take the chance of it attaching to two or even all three of the rocks. Some people put some rocks in a bowl and put the mushroom on the rocks, the sides of the bowl keep the water current from blowing the mushroom out of the bowl. Sit the bowl all the way on the bottom on the substrate/gravel/sand and usually against a side wall where the circulations current is lightest and the lights are not overly bright. Slowly move it to increased current and light after it attachés. I am not advocating that you section it up for propogation at this time. Now in 4 to 6 months if it is going well but has not split, makin babiy mushrooms, on its own, then cutting it's top off and starting some new mushrooms would be a good idea. Building up a trading stock in mushroom rocks is not a bad way to start propagation, and the value of your mushroom(s) and the small live rocks goes up a whole lot over one mushroom and plain live rock. Meaning a $1 live rock can become a $10 to $25 mushroom live rock. Then you'll really start getting into reefing. Fragging!

 

[Bifferwine]

I have always glued my mushrooms and ricordeas. I use super glue gel, put a glob on their base, and stick it too a rock. I've never had any problems with this method.

 

[Rainer]

well as of now I found a nice spot for both my little shrooms and just turned off the powerhead above them. I think i still have enough flow with my fuge return and the powerhead on the other end until they attach.

Tho i may try just putting them in a little cup on some rubble if this doesnt work

 

[fatman]

I usually just deal with pieces and parts for propagation and not whole shrooms and have never had good look gluing freshly cut shroom cap segments. It has been a long time since I have seen hole shroom that wasn't attached to something. I will try gel glue next time the situation arises. Seems pretty caustic though. Super glue on tissue. At least with SPS your gluing calcium skeleton, not tissue.