jimroth said:
Ok, gotcha. Sorry for the confusion. :-[ Now let me go and have some wine since I don't do Vodka.
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It has arrived.............. OMG, this is scary
- Thread starter JerseyWendy
- Start date
Ok, gotcha. Sorry for the confusion. :-[ Now let me go and have some wine since I don't do Vodka.
Nice ! .... what a beautiful tank !! I'm so jealous... but it's a great inspiration....
LOL @ Gene. Believe me, things are far from "right".
Obi, mnat and CoralGarden, THANK YOU very much.
I haven't shown my face much lately, and there's more than one reason behind that. A couple of months ago someone pointed something out to me (which was confirmed 2 minutes later), that made me want to throw the towel and give up. Upon confirmation I literally melted and broke down in front of that person, while my husband couldn't console me in the least.
I have Acro-eating flatworms!
My Garf Bonsai hadn't looked so good for a while, and I couldn't figure out why. Well, when said person was here, and I pointed out the Bonsai, he went on his knees to take a closer look and told me he believed he saw eggs. I immediately grabbed a bowl, threw in some Revive, yanked out the Bonsai and dipped it in the bowl. I can't even begin to describe to you all what I felt when I saw the AEFW coming off. Disbelieve, disgust, despair, and too many tears to count. I was going to be done, finished, no more reef tank - because I always told myself that this was something I was going to be unable to ever deal with. HOW was this even possible? NOTHING had entered my tank in a while, and EVERYTHING that had entered the tank was thoroughly dipped and inspected (at least I thought it was). But the evidence was right there in front of me.
Well, I'm still here, my tank's still up and running, as you can all see by the pictures I have posted not even so long ago. And yes, everything is still thriving and growing, too.
I did not throw the towel - yet.
The weeks that followed the initial diagnosis were tough. Having done extensive research regarding those dreaded AEFW, I knew I was unable to quarantine and treat each and every acro separately for a prolonged period of time, even though that appeared to be the ONLY way to rid your system of those nasty buggers.
I removed what I could, dipped, redipped, cried, inspected, cut, hacked, threw away, cried some more, blasted, dipped again, cut some more and shed more tears.
With the techniques I used/continue to use, I believe to have almost completely wiped out the infestation, but of course there is no way I can now ever guarantee NOT to have AEFW in my tank. I can guarantee I have no red bugs, but I'd take them over these beasties any given day.
As strange as it may seem, I have not lost any acros to them (yet). The initial Bonsai ended up in the garbage, as I was being stupidly and naively hoping that it was the only affected coral. My corals now "enjoy" a storm every other day. I use a turkey baster AND a MJ1200 to blast each and every coral four times a week. It's been over a month since I've seen any AEFW blow off. Those that blew off in the first week, were immediately gobbled up by several wrasses.
So....who wants to buy some corals from me? : :-X (very bad joke!)
Obi, mnat and CoralGarden, THANK YOU very much.
I haven't shown my face much lately, and there's more than one reason behind that. A couple of months ago someone pointed something out to me (which was confirmed 2 minutes later), that made me want to throw the towel and give up. Upon confirmation I literally melted and broke down in front of that person, while my husband couldn't console me in the least.
I have Acro-eating flatworms!
My Garf Bonsai hadn't looked so good for a while, and I couldn't figure out why. Well, when said person was here, and I pointed out the Bonsai, he went on his knees to take a closer look and told me he believed he saw eggs. I immediately grabbed a bowl, threw in some Revive, yanked out the Bonsai and dipped it in the bowl. I can't even begin to describe to you all what I felt when I saw the AEFW coming off. Disbelieve, disgust, despair, and too many tears to count. I was going to be done, finished, no more reef tank - because I always told myself that this was something I was going to be unable to ever deal with. HOW was this even possible? NOTHING had entered my tank in a while, and EVERYTHING that had entered the tank was thoroughly dipped and inspected (at least I thought it was). But the evidence was right there in front of me.
Well, I'm still here, my tank's still up and running, as you can all see by the pictures I have posted not even so long ago. And yes, everything is still thriving and growing, too.
I did not throw the towel - yet.
The weeks that followed the initial diagnosis were tough. Having done extensive research regarding those dreaded AEFW, I knew I was unable to quarantine and treat each and every acro separately for a prolonged period of time, even though that appeared to be the ONLY way to rid your system of those nasty buggers.
I removed what I could, dipped, redipped, cried, inspected, cut, hacked, threw away, cried some more, blasted, dipped again, cut some more and shed more tears.
With the techniques I used/continue to use, I believe to have almost completely wiped out the infestation, but of course there is no way I can now ever guarantee NOT to have AEFW in my tank. I can guarantee I have no red bugs, but I'd take them over these beasties any given day.
As strange as it may seem, I have not lost any acros to them (yet). The initial Bonsai ended up in the garbage, as I was being stupidly and naively hoping that it was the only affected coral. My corals now "enjoy" a storm every other day. I use a turkey baster AND a MJ1200 to blast each and every coral four times a week. It's been over a month since I've seen any AEFW blow off. Those that blew off in the first week, were immediately gobbled up by several wrasses.
So....who wants to buy some corals from me? :
:-X (very bad joke!)wendy i am very sad to hear of your problems!! im glad to hear though that you are not giving up!! being a trooper and sticking it out in this hobby is a feat on its own! especially with a problem like yours! but good to hear your winning the battle! it would be a shame to loose such a masterpeice as your tank!!
good luck!! keep up the great work!!!
good luck!! keep up the great work!!!
JerseyWendy said:So....who wants to buy some corals from me? :
I'd do it in a heartbeat! Obviously I'd take appropriate precautions but everyone knows your tank is fantastic (little tiny buggers notwithstanding).
Anyways - sorry to hear about all the work you've had to put into the tank (vs just enjoying it). I'm glad to hear it's under control and I look forward to more beautiful pics in the future!
Thank you so much for the kind words and encouragement, jerzky, Phil & Bill.
As close as I was to throwing the towel (and a breakdown), my corals (Acroporas) made me change my mind. I had grown them from small, tiny, little babies. They had rewarded me with growth and beauty. Due to MY mistake I introduced a predator to them. They did not/do not deserve to die or to be neglected and left to be eaten alive, so the fight was/is on. Even though I had to cut substantial amounts off some of them, and stressed others out greatly by repeatedly taking them out and dipping them, I truly believe they have returned the favor by continuing to grace me with their beauty. These are living animals that I acquired, and therefore it is my responsibility to care for them to the best of my ability.
As close as I was to throwing the towel (and a breakdown), my corals (Acroporas) made me change my mind. I had grown them from small, tiny, little babies. They had rewarded me with growth and beauty. Due to MY mistake I introduced a predator to them. They did not/do not deserve to die or to be neglected and left to be eaten alive, so the fight was/is on. Even though I had to cut substantial amounts off some of them, and stressed others out greatly by repeatedly taking them out and dipping them, I truly believe they have returned the favor by continuing to grace me with their beauty. These are living animals that I acquired, and therefore it is my responsibility to care for them to the best of my ability.
JerseyWendy said:
Officers, I move that we add the above line to our mission statement. I know it already says that in so many words, but Wendy has done a great job of summarizing the feelings of many members regarding what we are all about. We care for living animals and it is our responsibility to give them the best care we can.
Thanks again Wendy!
Eventually I'll resurrect my tank thread and post some of the goings on that have kept me quiet about the 180. 8)
Bill, I'm thrilled you "resurrected" your thread, and will try and be patient until you tell the "classic equipment related reef chain reaction tale".
Richie, thank you for your encouragement.
I just finished my weekly water change. Since I "accidentally" changed 30 gallons last week (I had lost count of the amount of buckets I had taken out :-[) I only changed 20 gallons this week.
This is the order in which I do my weekly maintenance/water change:
1. Scrape and clean the inside glass as best as I can, trying to avoid to break off pieces of corals
2. Blow off corals and rocks with both turkey baster and MJ1200
3. Shut off skimmer and return pump
4. Suction out as much cyano and/or other nasties as possible. Pluck off any and all reachable bubble algae. Remove a total of between 20-25 gallons of water.
5. Replace water.
6. Pick one or two pieces of equipment and clean them thoroughly. (Today I cleaned the skimmer cup)
7. Turn skimmer and return pump back on.
8. Clean front glass, and cabinet. I use pure vinegar.
Here are some pictures I took during today's ritual:
A most handy little tool
And some coral pics
Richie, thank you for your encouragement.
I just finished my weekly water change. Since I "accidentally" changed 30 gallons last week (I had lost count of the amount of buckets I had taken out :-[) I only changed 20 gallons this week.
This is the order in which I do my weekly maintenance/water change:
1. Scrape and clean the inside glass as best as I can, trying to avoid to break off pieces of corals
2. Blow off corals and rocks with both turkey baster and MJ1200
3. Shut off skimmer and return pump
4. Suction out as much cyano and/or other nasties as possible. Pluck off any and all reachable bubble algae. Remove a total of between 20-25 gallons of water.
5. Replace water.
6. Pick one or two pieces of equipment and clean them thoroughly. (Today I cleaned the skimmer cup)
7. Turn skimmer and return pump back on.
8. Clean front glass, and cabinet. I use pure vinegar.
Here are some pictures I took during today's ritual:
A most handy little tool
And some coral pics
Phil, thank you so much. I feel quite flattered and honored.
Bill, I can't wait to see updated pics of your tank, either. I still want to stop by sometime and see if for myself.
James, yes, there are some fish that are believed to eat those suckers, and I've got some of them (yellow coris wrasse, lubbock's fairy wrasse, and I've seen my Mandarin and Scott's Fairy Wrasse picking at corals, too.)
Ace, what secret? ???
YuYi, you cracked me up with the turkey baster comment. LOL
Bill, I can't wait to see updated pics of your tank, either. I still want to stop by sometime and see if for myself.
James, yes, there are some fish that are believed to eat those suckers, and I've got some of them (yellow coris wrasse, lubbock's fairy wrasse, and I've seen my Mandarin and Scott's Fairy Wrasse picking at corals, too.)
Ace, what secret? ???
YuYi, you cracked me up with the turkey baster comment. LOL