pipefish, algae, and daily life

So I told myself I was going to make an effort to actually update this thing every day if I could.  After quite a long... long... loooong day I am finally here at home and settling down to do a quick update before I jump into my daily maintenance of tank and cultures.

The new pipefish have settled in nicely and seem to hang out along the same side of the tank as my banded pipefish, perhaps because it's void of rock and has little else other than a massive gorgonian and a lot of sand.  Nice environment for them, I shall call it pipes cove for now (until I forget or come up with a better name).

A few weeks ago I ordered in some new algae cultures to photodocument and hopefully create a good primer on algae culture for the masses... I've plenty of photos to work with now but have not been able to scrape the time together to kick a primer out.  Keep watching, it will come.  In any event I pulled two very common species in the hobby, Isochrysis and Nannochloropsis.  I could wax poetically for hours on how important it is to diversify your feeds and remember a few distinct conversations regarding why use more than Nannochloropsis or just Isochrysis in cultures but that is beyond the point for tonight.... the point is thus... even advanced idiots are still idiots!

Both cultures started well, however in my haste I threw separation and cleanliness to the wind!  My isochrysis has now been tainted with Nannochloropsis (at least this culture has) and of course with my rushed splits I've managed last night to tank a Nannochloropsis culture.

Early on when I first started I was used to culture crashes, it happened often.  As I stepped up my game I found myself in a great place with very stable cultures and a strict habit to keep them that way.  I must say I am extremely pissed at myself for violating my own rules in regards to cleanliness and handling and not being in a rush on these guys.  It's been a while since I've crashed a culture, ugh.

Never fear oh 3 loyal readers, I have plenty of cultures running and a ton of side methods to hold me over, I did not really need these two starters but instead set them up to instruct and document.  I am just frustrated at myself for making "early" mistakes out of haste.

In any case, I have to go purge a gallon of dead algae off the rack, figure out whether to keep the new nanno culture that killed off my iso going, and of course split all my other cultures.

Pelagicly yours,

~J