Paul B's thread

[neptune]

Feeding my homegrown pods!

 

[Paul B]

I am playing with my new I Phone.

 

[neptune]

....my blue tang does have ich he is worse today then yesterday and the day before. No other fish are affected. I need a plan. Good food. I wish I could find live black worms but until then I will feed live clams and nori.

What do you think about a UV Sterilizer? (very expensive ugh) I want to help my tank fight off ich but I don't want to kill all the bacteria b/c bacteria is good? Do uou run a UV Sterilizer?

Other ideas to save this blue tang and not hurt my tank? He has been with me since 2015 I did do TT with him and every fish in my 180 until 2 weeks ago. NO MEDS tho... Just TT.

Thanks!

 

[neptune]

Hi Paul, I just watched your interview on "rappin w/ reefbum" and I agree re: dead rock!

My 180 reef was made from a 20 year old 48 gallon reef w/ live rock flown into logan airport from figi/tonga. Then I was trying to be enviromentally conscious so I purchased dead rock that would seed from my existing liverock. What a bad idea that was! I agree with you that dead rock is horrible... Interesting observation... My BTAs keep splitting and over ran my tank BUT all the BTAs are hosting on the OLDER rock from figi/tonga. CRAZY... Even the BTAs can tell the difference in the rock and it has been seeded for 4 years now!

 

[Paul B]

I don't like a UV sterilizer but I like a diatom filter much better.



This one is in a bucket because it leaks so much.

 

[neptune]

Paul,

Why the diatom filter vs the UV sterilizer?

Does a UV sterilizer kill all the copods and bacteria that keep your tank healthy?

I am changing from an ich free tank (10 years) to ich management... and want to help the fish I have with the transition... Do you think the Diatom filter helps remove the free swimming ich? OTHERS have said that your method works for you b/c your tank has more rock, a UV Sterilizer, and run Ozone. I am debating a UV Sterilizer or a diatom filter? would appreciate your input?

As I make this transition to ich management... what are your thoughts on me going to the beach and getting some live sand and adding that to my system? I cant help but think your use of live sea water and sand is part of your success???? OR I want to take some of your sand and water to seed my tank!

My blue tang doesn't look bad but he has ich.... I don't know if he will make it.... I am betting he does.

Thanks!!
Neptune

 

[Paul B]

Neptune I haven't used UV since the 70s. I don't like them because they kill bacteria which is needed in a healthy tank. A diatom filter will only remove particles like parasites and will make your water disappear.

It will drastically reduce parasites which will help fish acclimatize to ich management or immunity.

I would go and collect water and sand if you could. I always do. I doubt that has anything to do with success but everything helps.

 

[Paul B]

This morning walk in front of my house.

 

[Paul B]

I am "kind of" winning the battle with the invasive sponge in my tank. I built this "injecting thing" so I can remotely inject vinegar into the sponge and it is having a pretty big impact.

Sponges hate vinegar, who knew? (I did read it on one of these forums but I forgot which one)

It takes a week or so but the spots I inject die about 3" around the injection spot. I do inject it multiple times in multiple places and I killed about a 6X6" sponge so far.

I am improving the injecting tool so it will last forever (hopefully) because now it is a bit delicate.

I will cut out the large projecting pieces of sponge and remove it but the part that is encrusting all over the rock is easier to inject because the rock prevents the needle from going completely through the thing.

This will take quite a while.

 

[Paul B]

This is the injector.

Here is the sponge after one application. You can see the surface deteriorating.

 

[Paul B]

I just went to my favorite, but dirty LFS where I brought Humble. I picked up 4 fish for the same price another LFS on the same block (but 5 miles away) for the same price he charges for one fish.

I got a red waspfish, 2 hectors gobies and a female ruby red dragonette.

I got there just as the order came in which is my favorite way to buy fish. Right from the sea before they went into the stores tanks, still in the blue water.

 

[Paul B]

Playing with new I Phone

 

[Paul B]

Now I am making a little progress eliminating this invasive sponge so maybe I can plant it and more corals on some bare rock, something that I don't have now as it is all covered in sponge which covered my corals.

I can't put in any hard corals because they get covered pretty fast and the toxins when I kill the sponge kills them right away so before I can do much I need to keep at this devil sponge. If I let it go, my tank will be nothing but sponge which it almost is now.

 

[Chlorinated]

Looks like you found something that works. Too bad it's so invasive, it's a neat looking sponge

 

[Pat02026]

Paul, what is the white piece towards the center of the tank in that last photo? Some type of Nem or coral?

 

[Paul B]

Thats an elegance coral. It is having problems thriving because the sponge toxins are affecting it.

Good morning. Nothing happened on my cold morning walk today but now I have to be careful because I noticed evidence that Bigfoot may live near here. I can tell because Bigfoot usually breaks trees when he goes for his breakfast.

 

[Paul B]

Making progress killing invasive sponge.

This is last week.

And this is today. Now the zoa's are overgrowing the sponge.

 

[Paul B]

My walk this morning was wet, windy and cold. Like my Mother used to say, the cold goes right through you.. I would imagine as long as it doesn't pass through anything important like your Gall Bladder, you will be fine. (well, I used to say that last part)

My Grand Mother also used to have a saying.......Unfortunately, the Woman didn't speak a word of English, so I never knew what it was.

 

[Paul B]

 

[Paul B]

My morning walk was uneventful but beautiful even though the sunrise was blah.