Summer break is over – a quick update
Kids started a new school year and rains are here so I guess it is time for me to start blogging more frequently… I can only hope that the coming autumn will bring better luck with it as the last couple of weeks have been very difficult for me and for my tank. Some highlights:
- The pump in my 1st gen ATI Bubble Master broke. The pump is a special hand modified version of the common 1262 pump. I contacted ATI in order to get a replacement pump but only got an arrogant answer – no replacement pump available.
- Tried to modify stock 1262 myself, only managed to break the volute. Now I have a pump that produces about 70% of air and water compared to original and leaks micro bubbles
- Myrionema hydroids are once again spreading like there’s no tomorrow
- I have a huge Aiptasia population (not unexpected, I feed heavily). So I bought Acreichthys tomentosus. Haven’t touched the Aipatasias yet
- Killing large number of Aiptasia has only helped to pollute the water. And I’ve been battling high nitrates for a long time
- Some unknown creature is munching my new tunicates. I’ve wanted to have these animals for many years
- Those %”&%%# Pomacentrus simils just keep digging The water is semi constantly full of detritus and sand particles. I’ve tried to trap them, they don’t understand there’s food inside the trap
And 100 other smaller problems
I do have some good news also but I’ll post about them later…
Arrrg! The pains of our tanks seem to show their heads as a group! I hope your tank settles down and you are able to get back on track. For me, things are finally starting to look nice. Algae is slowly coming down, corals are gaining color and growing and everything looks happy. I am waiting for the temps to drop here as we a few days of 38 deg C coming up with probably an average of 32 deg C the next month before we start hitting our cool temps. I am hoping this will let me get my temperature swing stabilized and get the algae under control.