DAYS 103-108

I was too lazy to do any updates since the last post. These are the photos I took 2 weeks ago before I do the monthly update. Apparently, lots have changed since then because I moved some corals here and there and discarded some that were dead due to my poor husbandry in maintaining tank 2.

Anyway, the 2nd photo captures the Feather Duster Fan Worm on the right and I felt it looked like fireworks. I moved Felicia the Fire Shrimp over to tank 2 since it seemed to be bullying all the mobile inhabitants in tank 1 when it comes to feeding time. So far, she is still doing alright here. I added a Cleaner Skunk Shrimp that I bought from Sea Life into tank 2 but hours after introduction, I noticed there were black spots and patches developing on its head. The following morning, it moulted successfully but hours later, I found it dead. The Tree Stick Coral that I transferred from tank 1 into tank 2 started to show its fluorescence again and this is apparent that tank 1 did not provide sufficient lighting to it. But I had a serious bout of diatoms and brown algae in tank 2 and I finally discarded the coral when I found that it probably died after being suffocated by the nuisance algae. Camelia, the red Coco Worm in tank 2 also shed its crown when I was at work and I came back to find the discarded crown. I hope it would recover soon. I bought 3 starfishes for tank 2 but 2 slowly died from within.

I am sure the water parameters for tank 2 are very bad with all the nuisance brown algae, diatoms and cyanobacteria. There also seems to be inadequate flow throughout the aquarium, which explains the sudden proliferation of cyanobacteria on the sandy substrate and all corals. Anyway, I finally bought a Eheim 2213 external canister filter to replace the 2 hang-on-back filters and I was astonished to find that I only had a few bio-rings in the filter. I didn't realize that there weren't sufficient media to actually filter and cleanse the aquarium effectively until now and I am really really embarrassed to admit it. Sadly, I am not too pleased with the current flow in the tank too but I guess I have to monitor it for a while before taking further steps. I am happy that Calvin the Clam is doing well.

Separately, I finally installed the Phosban Reactor 150 in my office tank and am running the NP biopellets. I am not sure if it is psychological, but I felt the algae situation is more under control now.