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Next Steps? (Research) - 08/21/05 Hi
Crew! <<Good morning>> Thanks for the great
site! I am relatively new to this hobby and have found SO
MUCH wonderful information- a big help so far. <<Is why we are
here...>> Sorry in advance for this long email, but this is my
one question to make sure I am doing okay and finalize (if that ever
occurs with a marine tank) my system for now. <<Alrighty>>
I have a 50 g (30-in L) marine FOWLR set-up that was started about 2
months ago with 40 lb live sand. It now has 30 lb live rock
as well (added with about 20 lbs at start and then a few 5 lb-each
additions). Some of the initial live rock and a scoop of
sand came from my nephew's tank that is over 2-years old and quite
healthy, so I think I had a pretty good start. <<Always a good
way to go.>> Also, one of his rocks had a nice colony of polyps
on it, as well as some light green sponge (he says he had that
identified as such) that are both doing well. <<Ahh, freebies
<G> >> I also am noting some tube worms and other live rock
critters. Quite cool! <<Yes! All good...>> I
have a canister pump (Cascade 1000), compact fluorescent it's
(30-in, 1-65W actinic 03 blue and 1-65W 10,000 K daylight with
reflectors). As a former chemist, I have been testing,
testing, testing! <<Good on ya!>> My readings have been:
Nitrite- always 0, no spike ever; ammonia- ditto; nitrate- 0 for the
first month, and now a small bit, < 5 mg/L; alkalinity (KH)- 180 to
300 ppm (I have been adding some buffer of late due to the calcium,
which I read about on your site) <<Mmm, would work to
keep alkalinity in the 150-180 ppm range>>; calcium- started out
okay, but after adding cleaning crew and protein skimmer at the 1-month
time point, it began to drop, so I am supplementing and keeping it
>330 ppm, aiming for at least 375 ppm. <<In this system,
anything above 330 will do just fine.>> Ditto, iodine (protein
skimmer, I think) that I have just started testing, was quite low, so I
am adding some now and will watch that. <<Iodine can be/is very
beneficial, and very easy to abuse. Please follow directions
carefully.>> The pH seems to vary depending on the test type. I
have 3 different manufacturers' test kits and get 3 different
answers on the same sample, so, with extrapolation, it started out
around 7.8 to 8.0 and I have been slowing raising to about 8.1 to 8.3.
It's difficult with these variations in test kits to give a sure
number, but all I can say here is that the pH has been stable overall.
<<Stability is key...I would choose one kit and stay with it for
that reason. Better yet, purchase an electronic pH
meter. Small expense compared to what you have spent/will
spend on this system.>> As noted, I added 14 Astrea, about 20
Cerith snails, and a dozen blue-legged (tiny guys) <<won't
stay "tiny">> hermit crabs (over several weeks'
time as the algae began to bloom). Early on (probably too
early, only about 1-week in <<yikes>>, but then, I
hadn't found your site yet), I added 4 green Chromis (sp. Viridis;
1 at 1.5 in, the other 3 at ~1 or smaller in). The fish did
very well and I tested every day and no change was noted in the
readings so, after several weeks, I added two clown fishes that I got
from different stores (1 at 1.5 in, 1 considerably smaller) and they
have also done well, with no changes in water conditions. <<Very
well...but I hope this isn't leading up to an anemone
purchase?>> Also, several weeks ago, I added a cleaner shrimp and
2 peppermint shrimp, and just added a sand sifting goby
(orange-striped). I like him a lot! <<Very cool/interesting to
watch, aren't they.>> My questions are about the next steps
and optimizing my system. I plan to get some mushrooms and a
xenia and then the fish. <<Careful, you're about "full
up" on fish in this tank.>> First, how much more live rock
should I add? Some sites have said 1-1.5 lb per g live rock AND live
sand, while some only seem to calculate based on the rock and I hear
people say "the more the merrier". <<Have to say
I've come to disagree with the rock calculations/most
opinions. I don't think you (or anybody) needs to fill
your tank with rock to be successful. Quite the reverse
actually, as too much rock inhibits water flow and traps/hides
detritus. I find less rock arranged in a very
"open" fashion looks better, serves the system better (as
just mentioned), and gives those wonderful fishes (and corals too) some
room to swim and grow! At 40lbs. you probably already have
plenty of rock in this tank, probably even too much (depending on the
rock), in my opinion.>> And, with respect to my
Chromis, I got the 4 because I initially read that they should be in a
group of 4 or more, and this was a group that was together at the LFS;
but, now I am reading that 3 would be a better school size
(odd-numbered). I do see some chasing, but now signs of
anything serious like appetite problems or nipped fins. For
other fish, I have really taken to the pajama fish, but I have read
that they should be in a group of 3 or as a mated pair.
<<Sphaeramia nematoptera (Pajama Cardinal) generally do very well
in groups. But in this size system, with the fish you
already have, I would probably keep it to two.>> The LFS has a
single one, and now, since doing my reading, I am sad every time I see
this guy alone. But, in my system, I am thinking that 2
pajama fish would be the max, so I need to get a mated pair?
<<Ahh, great minds, eh... A mated pair would be nice
if you can find such, but two of any gender will likely do
fine.>> And, would they work well with the Chromis, or would it
be too many fish (or the Chromis too active for them) and should I take
the Chromis back to the LFS? <<I've kept both species
together in the past (though not in quite as small a tank) with no
problem. The Chromis can tend to out compete the cardinals
for food, but any direct aggression is usually
conspecific. But even so, unless you really like the Chromis
I would remove at least two (if not all) and return them to the
LFS. Then you could easily go with three cardinals
<G>.>> If I were to take the Chromis back, what other fish
would you recommend. I am looking to put in fish that play
different roles in the over all system and, knowing that the Chromis
and clowns are both damsels, I have wondered if I should keep both
anyway (the clowns win, sorry guys). <<Yes, and the clowns can
become very aggressive. If you take the Chromis out and get
two or three cardinals to go with the clowns and the goby, I might
consider one of the dart fish for a bit of
color/diversity. Do be aware though, your clowns will
eventually determine what fish you can have in this
tank. Don't underestimate their ability to become
bullies, and I would expect them to eventually "rule" this
entire system.>> The only down side is that the large Chromis
keeps the cleaner shrimp busy and I would want a fish that would visit
my shrimp. Any other suggestions? <<Ahh...ok...remove all the
Chromis, add only two cardinals, and look in to one of the Centropyge
angel species.>> Well, that's it for now. Thanks
to Bob and Anthony for the great books! DeAnn
New Tank Replacement/Addition of LR >Greetings & Salutations, >>Hello to you as well! >I've stumbled upon your site - similar to stumbling into my husband's hobby. Recently our saltwater aquarium developed a small leak. We decided to replace the tank before a disaster occurred (I think we just created a new one!?). Our old system consisted of a 42 gallon tank, 4 VHO lamps, 1 wet/dry filter with pre-filter, a 3" x 21" protein skimmer, Mag 350 filter, and a ?" Quiet One pump. What a mess. Anyhow, we now have a new 55 gallon tank and have transferred our existing LR and residents, and decided to add additional LR. So, not being the sharpest knives in the drawer, we purchased and "added" 32 lbs of pre-cured LR. >>Uh oh... >Well, needless to say, we have been dealing with some ammonia spikes. Currently, my husband is doing a 20% water change daily. Would purchasing a cleaner kit consisting of hermit crabs, snails, etc. be of help? Or should we wait? >>Wait to add the inverts, they won't do the kind of cleaning you're thinking of. They'll surely suffer for the ammonia, which is going to lead to nitrite and nitrate spikes, as well. I would do several 50% water changes, you're in the process of inadvertently curing your live rock in your main system. >I've also read some of your articles regarding Aiptasia and peppermint shrimp. I have thought of adding 4-5 of these in the near future as we have some glass anemones on our old rock. I've also read that Copper Banded Butterfly fish are natural predators for Aiptasia. >>Generally, but not always a given. Wait for the nitrification cycle to settle back down before adding more inverts, though. Oh! Is your skimmer producing really nasty skimmate? This is what we want, for it to be absolutely foul, this way you can be certain it's doing its job. >Cleaner kits are also available for the substrate. Wow! I'm so amazed at all the information available. Your site is awesome. I'm dumbfounded that we have stumbled along for years (seven years with old tank) with a few books and information obtained from LFS. >>Well...so am I! ;) >Our local family residents consist of: 2 yellow-tailed damsels, 1 goby, mushrooms, bubble anemone, couple of hermit crabs and George (boxfish/cowfish). I'm really worried about losing our small community, especially George. What a neat fish! He comes to visit whenever your near the aquarium and I can practically hand feed him. I transgress - sorry. So, will adding a "cleaner kit" help with the LR situation? >>Read above. What might be of long-term help would be to set up a refugium. I say get that old tank repaired (do it yourself if you like, it's a bit of a pain in terms of labor but it's easy-peasy to figure out) and make it a refugium in which you can set up a deep sand bed (DSB) and establish some macroalgae to help with nutrient export. Everyone will be happier for it. However, for NOW, do those big water changes to get a handle on the curing issues--this will go a long way towards ensuring everyone in the family can weather this little storm. >If not, how long do I need to wait before adding the various tank cleaners (substrate, algae, and Aiptasia)? >>Are you saying you're going to *add* Aiptasia? If so, please don't. There are other things that will do whatever it is you want the Aiptasia to do. I would strongly recommend that you add nothing else to the tank until you get all readings down to zero, nitrates TRACE at most (a DSB will denitrify, thus bringing nitrates to zero readings, but it takes a while for a DSB to become well established). >Any feedback will be greatly appreciated, in hopes that this old rusty blade can be sharpened. Thanks in advance :-) Rmac >>LOL!! Reminds me of a really good Soundgarden song that Johnny Cash covered, "Rusty Cage". anyway, that's what I would do--lots of bigger water changes, ensure the skimmer is giving the foulest skimmate possible, create the refugium (lots of info on site as well), and add your clean-up crew once everything else is sorted. Good luck! Marina Miscellaneous Marine questions 3/27/03 Anthony, thanks for the thorough response. <always welcome Joe> Just to follow up. With my quarantine tank I have my fish in there with copper due to an ich outbreak. It has been 3 weeks and I have 3 to go ( 6 week fallow period in main tank). I have no fish left in the tank, if I was to crank the heat to say 90 would this kill off the ich parasites quicker, <no guarantee and likely to kill far more good things than bad> I'd love to move the fish back sooner as these are cramped quarters in my quarantine??? I thought I had read somewhere on your site that one should rinse out all nets in a special chemical if treating copper/ich and using same net for main tank. Do I need like 6 different nets for different applications or if I just rinse in fresh water and let them dry off does this work ok??? <mild bleach solution, a good rinse and then air dry is sufficient/better> I have been putting in kalkwasser recently and just wanted to check that what I'm doing is ok. I mix 1/2 a teaspoon of calcium hydroxide in a gallon of water, stir it and put a lid on it. At night before I go to bed and lights are off I dump the water (not the excess powder) into the sump, <all good to this point... but do test to know your daily need for calcium (evidenced by a drop over x days without) and calculate how much Kalk solution it takes to meet that demand> I then refill it with freshwater (don't add anymore powder - until its all dissolved) <mistake here if using tap water. Impurities are precipitated in Kalk solution and remain in residue. Refine your technique/amount of Kalk to a minimum and discard the small precipitate after every use. Using purified water for this is better> and let it sit till next night. 1) Sound ok??? 2) Once I get it to 400 level, should it stay there for a while (this system is a bit of a pain). <not sure what you mean by "stay"... the system is always in flux... the demand for minerals like calcium is ever present. It will drop slowly daily... hence the need to dose small amounts of supplements daily or several times weekly (regular water changes too). Consistency is crucial to finesse a beautiful tank>> Last question, is a colt coral for a beginner, int., or advanced aquarist, anything special they need??? <reasonably hardy... but rather aggressive and fares better if introduced into a mature tank that has healthy diatom and algae growth (eats some phyto). Deep sand beds and refugiums bode well for this coral... but bare-bottomed Berlin style tanks do not. Best regards, Anthony> Reef tank husbandry and new corals 3/22/03 Good day WWMCrew. <cheers> I have purchased some corals from FFExpress that are to arrive this Saturday. I have read many faqs and articles on WWM, so I do know some things about corals. This will be my first attempt at them. Here are the specs on my tank: 75 Gallons 75 lbs Fiji live rock 75 lbs Aragonite 20% water change monthly Aqua Clear Aquatics wet/dry with built in venturi/downdraft skimmer and overflow (bioballs removed) 260 watt JBJ Power Compact (4 65 watt bulbs, 2 10,000K daylight and 2 7,100 K Blue) Sander model ozonizer (25mg/h) with air dryer connected to the venturi line, injecting ozone directly into the skimmer activated carbon in the sump (changed monthly) 1 Powersweep 228 powerhead ( placed in back corner ) 2 Aqua Clear 4000 powerheads ( facing each other ) I have a power strip that is also a wave timer (can't remember name) so that the two Aqua Clears create alternating currents ( and to provide a random current ) <your hardware is fine... you may need more live rock if you expect to have a moderate bio-load of fed fishes and corals... and the water change % is modest even with an awesome skimmer. To be honest... its rather weak. Weekly water changes are better than monthly... but if you prefer monthly... you'll likely need to do a bigger exchange. Stocking levels will have a strong influence on this as well as feeding regime> Ammonia - 0 Nitrite - 0 Nitrate - 5 ppm alkalinity - 3.5 mEq ph - 8.4 temp - 82 calcium - 450 ppm <all great... and be mindful not to push the Ca any/too much higher. A 400ppm ballpark is stable and good/safe enough> I currently have the following tank inhabitants: Hawaiian Sailfin Tang Pair of Tomato clowns Scooter Blenny Banggai Cardinal many blue leg hermits and scarlet reef hermits 4 fighting conchs many Turbos and Astrea snails Green Serpent <Yikes... a beautiful starfish, but if it is indeed Ophioderma incrassata (Green Brittle Starfish), then it is a fish and invertebrate predator in time. One of the only non-reef safe serpent stars!> Feather Duster Here are the corals I have ordered: Toadstool Mushroom Leather (Sarcophyton sp.) Tree Coral ( Paralemnalia sp.) Thin Finger Leather ( Sinularia sp.) Green Fluorescent Mushroom ( Actinodiscus sp.) Green Button Polyps ( Palythoa sp.) Do you see any potential chemical warfare between these species? <there is always chemical warfare between cnidarians. You have done a very good job of focusing on one group (soft corals) and will have a much easier time with husbandry for it. All good choices. Quite reasonable> Should I keep them at a good distance? <6-10" apart minimum> Do you see any potential compatibility issues with the present livestock and the future? <nothing out of the ordinary> I appreciate any insight. P.S. I really find this sight as a great tool for all aquarists. Anyone who cares about their aquatic life should really visit. <thanks kindly... do tell friends/other aquarists about us :)> I know I have saved myself a lot of time, money , and effort by reading the faqs and articles here. I'm sure my current livestock and future livestock will appreciate it too. Thanks, Charlie <best regards, Anthony> Parasite Identification and mud 3/19/03 First, I want to say thank you for all of the invaluable information I have found in your archives. <thanks kindly> I am relatively new to the hobby (a little over a year) and have been extremely frustrated at times with my "trouble-free" EcoSystem Aquarium. I've gotten a lot more answers from your website than from my dealer or the people at Ecosystem. <I personally am not a big fan of the system for most applications... but it can be very useful> Two things: I have a purple Firefish that has a bizarre parasite that I can't identify. At first I thought it was coming out of his gill, but it is directly behind the gill, coming out of the fish's body. It looks almost like an extra fin (transparent), or a fly's wing, and it has a distinct curly pattern, almost like a stretched-out telephone cord. <odd... and doesn't sound like a large parasite (without seeing a pic/fish), rather a growth> It doesn't seem to bother him, and since I have been treating my tank with Chem-Marin's Stop Parasite the curly pattern has lightened from its original brown, but it still won't fall off. <I personally think that product is weak at best> Any idea what that is? <catch the fish (early morning perhaps for better chance) and isolate it in a QT tank. A freshwater dip will easily drop this "thing" if it is even a parasite. Else, we can use the isolation period to treat it as a growth> Also, in researching wetwebmedia.com to figure out what that thing is, I have identified something else in my tank as "spaghetti worms". I have tons of them. Are they harmful, and if so how do I get rid of them? <please encourage them! They are wonderful detritivores (scavengers)... harmless too. Fish love to eat them as well. They are completely safe> Thank you so much. Rebecca L. Dishman <kind regards, my friend. Anthony> Re: Do I need to start over again? Thanks for the reply...
>>Glad I could help you, Cindy. The reason I bought the mega
lights is because I had a lighting problem with the 35 g tank. I wanted
to "buy once" and hopefully in the future include some
mushrooms or moderate light corals. Guess I didn't think about it
causing other problems. >>If we can get your nutrient export
issues under control, and at least get some macro-algae in there to
help (either in a refugium or in the main display) then the lights will
serve you that purpose well. The tomato clown and hawk fish were the
only livestock transferred over from the 35 g. The others have been
additions once I felt the tank had cycled. (this is when I got the ick
problem) and then I bought the cleaner shrimp. >>Ok, they should
be no problem in a 75gal tank. However, as I understand it
you didn't quarantine them before adding to the
display. There's your problem, and once you get all
fishes out of the display and into q/t, thus allowing the tank that
fallow time we talked about, you should be golden. I've been
keeping the temp at 82 because all the info I could find was that it
need to be high to help with the protozoan problem, I couldn't find
anything that said "bring it down to normal after "x"
amount of days. So I will bring it down before I move the fish back
from the QT. >>You're on the right track, keep the
temperature up to speed up the protozoan life cycle (which allows you
to shorten fallow time), but not so high as to stress your
inverts. Then, when you bring the fish back into the system,
80F isn't terribly warm, but my own preference is to keep it below
80F, as I'd mentioned earlier. I've tested the well water for
nitrates and it is zero. That' why I was thinking it might have
some phosphates. >>You wouldn't be doing an injustice by at
least ruling phosphates out. You can also get a pad of
Phosguard into your canister, but my own method would be to first
determine whether or not they are indeed an issue. My plan now is to
purchase cured live rock from Marine Depot or Live Aquaria, how about
two shipments of 45 lb about a month apart? >>It may be sold as
cured, but I always (read: religiously) do my own curing, just to be
sure. Think I can put in one batch into the main tank and then wait a
month and add another? I'll add more live sand with the first
shipment of LR. >>I really prefer curing/quarantining outside of
the main display--especially if you already have stock in
there. Live sand only needs be seeded, there is no
"curing" time, per se. Otherwise, be sure to cure
all subsequent additions, and use that curing time to ensure you're
not introducing noxious pests into your carefully crafted
system. You will then be able to add specimens such as
leather corals (Sarcophyton IIRC), corallimorphs such as the myriad
mushroom species, and maybe even some large polyp stony
corals. However, you did mention having an anemone in the
tank, and in my mind that would preclude the addition of most other
sessile invertebrates. On the QT tank, should I start with a sp 1.020
(that matches the main tank) and then with water changes bring it to
1.010? I've got a Vis-Jet skimmer that was used on the
35g tank, would that be adequate? Do I need to include another
powerhead for circulation? How and how often should I plan
water changes on the QT? Thanks again, Cindy >>I would
start with the specific gravity at 1020 (though your inverts will be
happier if you bump it up to 1024-25), then bring it down over the next
day to 1010. I would not use copper while using
hyposalinity. The powerhead will be good on its own, you may
want to add a sponge filter (yep, one of those), but it's not at
all a necessity. Typically, quarantine systems for the
hobbyist are set up and used only for new additions, they're not
left running and ready-cycled (as we see in public aquariums, for
instance). Therefore, I would make small, frequent water changes, even
though you're not using the copper (I'm making an assumption
here on that). You should be able to deal with ammonia and
its oxidized brothers by making 10%-20% water changes
daily. I would also feed very lightly during this time, but
not so much that the fish end up losing weight. Also, be
sure to offer as many fresh or fresh-frozen foods during this time as
you can (but not brine shrimp), and if possible make use of quality
vitamin supplements. Nutrition is a very important part of
the whole that keeps your specimens healthy. >>Before I forget,
be sure to watch your wrasse (I couldn't find a definitive I.D. as
"picture wrasse"--if you can photograph we can sort it out)
with the shrimps, snails, and, if you decide to add them, any hermit
crabs. Marina Yikes! No room left for water! Hey guys, great site, the! I would like to know what you think would be the next step in upgrading my aquarium! I know you'll probably say that a bigger one is better, but I live in a small apartment, so space is premium. This is what I've got: 16 g bowfront glass 36w PC 1/2n1/2 day/actinic CPR BakPak Minijet 606 powerhead x2 75 watt heater 16lbs LS 32lbs LR LS and LR are amazing stuff from Tampa bay saltwater. Cheap and awesome. Initial cycling of tank took only two days, and Ammonia never went over 5ppm. Livestock: 32 Astrea snails 16 Turbos 32 Blue Leg hermits 2 emerald crabs 2 peppermint shrimp red brittle star 2 (1big, 1small) mantis shrimp (both uninvited, but not pests, yet) The rock has many cup corals, star polyps, tunicates, clams, oysters, scallops, encrusting sponges, macroalgae, small brittle stars, and those pest anemones that I can't find in any of the books. Also 1 true percula 2 3stripe damsels 1 bicolor blenny. I also had a Florida Condy anemone that was getting really huge (4-5 "disk) that disappeared. I have added recently (2mos) a green Galaxea coral, octopus (or frogspawn), green star polyps, Lobophyllia, colt, lobed leather, mushrooms, and a disc coral. I add Aragamilk 1x daily, 1drop per gallon, 1hour before lights out. Feedings are live brine 1hr before lights on, flake at mid-day, frozen Marine Cuisine 2hrs before lights out. Everyone is very happy, growing, and multiplying. Ammonia 0 Nitrites 0 Nitrates 0 Phosphates ~0 (unreadable)(thanks to sponge and store bought water) pH 8.2 alk norm-high (according to red sea kit) SG 1.022 temp 75 I'm sorry to have been so long winded, I want you to know that this is the happiest and healthiest micro-mini-reef I have ever seen. It's only 4 months old, I have never had slime algae problems, and the back wall, power cords, and skimmer return are well encrusted with coralline algae. Basically I want to know what the next step would be so that I can increase the bioload (I want to add a coral beauty and an LT anemone-clown), more LPS and soft corals, as well as start some SPS and see how they do. More light? what kind? a refugium? with what, reverse light cycle? other additives? I apologize for the length of this email, but I am really proud of my tank, and want to make it better. Thanks for your help!! <Wow, your kidding right? The only recommendation I have is to return 1/2 to 2/3 of these animals to the LFS or someone who has the space for them. Don> Allan M. Moss Help With a 55g Reef Tank 3/14/03 I've had a saltwater tank for approx. three years lately I`ve switched over to a Reef tank I know I don't have good enough lighting to have Corals so im starting out with some mushrooms a flame scallop three anenomes a yellow tang, two clown fish a Mandarin,<OH NO!! This is sounding really bad!! Please tell me you have read some good books on reef tanks and marine tanks in general.> two worm globes that are about a foot long,<A foot, that's rather big...> about ten turbo snails, six blue leg hermit crabs and now have about seventy Lbs. of live rock my tank is a 55 with a Fluval 404 coupled up with an Eheim top water skimmer plus a Berlin protein skimmer my lighting is an 48' inch Aqualight with two 65 watt 50/5os my anemones are doing a lot of shrinking the man in the fish shop told me that my anemones are very hardy. but at times they look real healthy and other times they shrivel up.<Wow, you don't have enough lights, what are you feeding?> Am I doing something wrong<Please find a new fish store, and pick up a copy of Bob Fenner's wonderful book "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist"> My Phosphate has ben off the scale but now it seems to be dropping a bit. Please give me any suggestions you have.<I need more info on your tank's water quality levels... You need more lights, anemones are just like corals. They need lots of light.. in the hundreds of watts. Please get back w/ me! Phil> Going From a 7g to a 55g! 3/10/03 I like the new Link set up first off.<Thanks, it's going to help people find the info they need faster! BTW, Phil here on morning patrol.> I always try and find what I am looking for through the search, and usually (about 85% of the time) I find an answer. I have seen similar ideas here, but not specific to my situation, and nothing close enough so here goes. Not sure if you remember, but I (unknowingly at the time) set up a 7 gallon Bow front tank as a reef about 4 months ago.<I think I remember reading about that.> I have been VERY lucky about loss of livestock, and I do realize that I need to upgrade soon.<Very good!> Presently I have yet to have a problem with water Quality other than High Calcium (about 485 ppm), I have a 3 1/2" DSB, Lighting is a 36W PC SmartLite. Filtration is an Emperor 280, (400GPH) now don't go ballistic on the livestock; I know I made some mistakes, but again all have been in the tank for at least 3 months and I have yet to lose anything. 1 Mandarin, 2 small false Percula's, 1 Blood shrimp, 1 Peppermint shrimp, assorted snails and Hermits, maybe 5 of each and one LT anemone approximately 15lbs of LR, all covered in Coralline, reds, green, pink, purple. I also have 1 zoanthid, 1 xenia, 1 blue Mush, all small frags. I have begun to set up a 10 gallon Fuge, for nutrient support, it's been running for about 3 weeks, without plants (I live in California and its hard to get these here) What can I do or where can I go to get plants other than Caulerpa, LFS within 50 mile radius don't carry, there are no reef clubs in town and LFS will not order for me.<Try mail-order… www.inlandreef.com... www.liveaquaria.com etc..> Is it possible to get enough Nutrients without a lot of Plants?<Sure, but the more plants/microalgae you have the more nutrient control you will have!> and what about mangroves, I don't want to be adding a bunch of additives like it says to with them.<I've never used mangroves, try using the google search or our chat forum… www.wetwebfotos.com/talk > I will be "attaching" the Fuge soon, like within a week.<Good good good> I know this probably will not be enough nutrient support for the mandarin, but what about the others?<It will help, just don't overfeed and keep up on those water changes!> I do plan in the next month or so to buy a 55 gallon tank and will more than likely move the mandarin, anemone, and fish to it once set up.<Possible problem here! Mandarins and anemones don't mix! It has been recorded that some Mandarins wonder too close to the anemone and are eaten. Just a word of advice.> I know I have made some mistakes, all were made before I found you guys, but I am trying my best to keep things going,<That's good! I admire your strive to make things better!!! You made mistakes as have I, and I probably will make more. It's life and the best thing we can do is live, learn, and pass it on!> and think so far I have done ok. one last question, is there harm in lighting an aquarium longer than 12 hours per day? Like maybe 14-5 if the extra hours are low level fluorescent only.. like basic?<It should be fine, just make sure the bulbs are new/newer, it's proven that old fluorescents emit a wavelength of light that "feeds" algae. Note: Thanks Ananda for filling me in on that one!> my tank is in an area that is usually inhabited by people 14-15 hours a day.. not a big deal... I would turn the low light on for about 1 1/2 hours before the others and same for after I turn off the others,<No need to do this. One this is that your running 36w, getting you 5.17 watts per gallon. FYI, you're going to want to get around this amount in the 55. So around 275-300w. Maybe a 250 metal halide and some actinics.> sorry this got long..<IMO< it's better that you get all your questions answered and setup the tank right than have you not know what to do and setup wrong.> and thank you again.<Aaron it sounds like you have a plan! Good luck and please send some pictures along when it's all setup! Phil> A "Total" Eclipse! First, congrats for a great site (I just found it on a Google search), great service, and great bedside manner ;-> <Yeah- but I make lousy coffee! Scott F. with you today!> I'll ask about my "large" SW tank today, then hit you up for the other tanks another day :-) <Go for it, braddah!> Tank 1, 37g "All-glass", salt, fish & inverts, 2-3 yrs old. Tank & equip:- 37g 30 x 12 x 22high Marineland Eclipse 3 hood with standard foam/carbon filter and bio-wheel; 1 x 24" Power-Glo, 1 x 24" Marine-Glo (actinic), 11 - 12 hrs/day, typ; 200W immersed heater; 35lbs LR approx (as much as I can safely stack while not hitting the sides), plenty of hard purple and deep red algae; black "sand", about 1 3/4", (not sure I like this stuff); 1 x Magnum 350 Convertible canister filter, run whenever I can tolerate the incessant chirping!; 1 x TetraTec UV5 UV clarifier on output of Mag 350; population: 1 x Koran Angel; 1 x Yellow Tang; 1 x Coral Banded Shrimp; 1 x 5 1/2" "gosh-knows" long tentacle anemone - white with pink & purple coloration; 1x tomato clown - bonded with the anemone; 1 x feisty "humbug" (black & white) damsel; 1 x huge brittle star (12" dia). Stats: T=77F, SG=1.023, pH=8.3, KH="hard", per Tetra test; NO2=0;NO3= 50-100 mg/l. (OK, so I should change water more often ...) <Yep- and consider a deeper bed of fine sand for a more complete denitrification capability...you'll see a positive impact on nitrate levels... Also- the Koran and the tang are a bit too much for this tank...you'll need to upgrade substantially fairly soon in order to maintain these guys in a healthy condition for anything close to their natural life span!> Water: street water is hard, but chemically fairly clean here in MN; I take it after my domestic water softener, then through an Omnifilter OT32 2-stage filter. Evap replacement done mostly with that water, occasionally with kalkwasser. I run the Magnum 350 with foam sleeve & carbon when I clean the tank, then with the paper filter for a while after that, but not continuously. Q1: Is it helpful to have the bio wheel running or should I leave bio-filt to the LR ? Presumably I still need the Eclipse's mechanical filter. <I like the Biowheel, but personally- I'd let the live rock do most of the work!> Q2: Is the magnum 350 helping me here? I rarely run it - usually only during/after tank cleaning, etc. <Mechanical filtration, such as that provided by the Magnum- is very useful, provided that the filter media are rotated out and/or cleaned on a very regular basis. Mechanical filtration can become notorious "nutrient traps", which can lead to nuisance algae outbreaks- if attention is not paid to maintenance> Q3: I haven't installed a protein filter - tough under the Eclipse hood. Should I? <Yes! If you can figure out a way to retrofit one- I absolutely would. A skimmer is the single most important piece of equipment you can obtain for a marine system! I have seen posts on various discussion boards, such as Reef Central, about adapting a skimmer to an Eclipse system> Q4: After adding and running the UV5 my Eclipse filter never clogs, even though I run it rarely. Does this mean the LR is happy? Perhaps I outgrew my over-feeding phase? <Well, I'm not sure if the UV has anything to do with a well-functioning mechanical filtration system...I'd chalk up your success in avoiding clogging with good husbandry habits and attention to the basics...And not overfeeding!> Q5: what else should I be testing, and what kits would you advise to do so? <I'd test for phosphate, and maybe calcium> Q6: what do you think about corner units (54 or 92 are available) for SW? They're cute, but lighting is tough. Anything else? Or should I go with a standard 75 rectangular if I can get spousal approval? <Well- there are lots of cool lighting options for these kinds of tanks now... HQI halide pendants, PC retrofits, and others. I'd go for the largest tank that you could get spousal approval on! You need a 100+ for that Koran, bro!> Q7: open ended question - anything you'd change or advise? Many Thanks! Julian <Well, Julian- sounds like the system is basically working well. I'd work on getting those nitrate levels down...Going with a 3-4 inch layer of live sand would really help. I'd figure out a way to get some chemical filtration media (activated carbon and/or Poly Filter) in the system on a regular basis...These can have a great impact on organic (read: "nitrate" again!) levels in the tank. Also, be consistent with those water changes...Small (5% of tank volume), twice weekly water changes will have an amazing beneficial effect on your tank- I guarantee it! Give it a try- we're talking about 2 gallons twice a week in this tank...Easy! Finally, you'll need that larger tank to keep the tang happy- they really need a lot of room to live long, healthy lives...Keep reading. learning, experimenting, and sharing- you're doing great! Good luck! Regards, Scott F> Julian A. Opificius Expanding A New Setup I just set up 180 reef 5"dsb about a 35 gallon sump has bio balls in it now going to remove in 3 or 4 weeks. <A good idea, IMO...No sense having a "nitrate factory" and a superior nitrate export mechanism together...seems counterproductive.> 150lbs lr. My question is, I can not really do a DSB in the sump- no baffles. Plus, my Euro Reef TS8 skimmer is pretty large. Also have a calcium reactor on the way, and well-I'm out of room in the cabinet. My wife did not seem to like the idea of cutting a hole in the wall and converting her closet to a refuge etc <I cannot imagine why! LOL> ...so can I just do lr in the sump, no DSB, some lights and macro algae? <Well, sure- lots of people do this...However, you won't get the same benefits that you would from a DSB...I'd just go for the DSB in the display tank> Or am I better off just leaving the sump empty.. poly filter maybe carbon every so often? <That works fine, too- regardless of whether or not you're using rock, sand, etc. in the sump. You could light the sump and grow/harvest some macroalgae, such as Chaetomorpha or Gracilaria (my personal favorites!)...This is an easy way to enjoy another means of nutrient export...> ..also now that the lr is in the tank (cured it in tubs for a couple of weeks), what critters would you add 1st? Types of snails hermits stars cucumbers? and how many? <I'd add some Trochus, Strombus, Nerita and Astrea snails, maybe a brittle star or two. Most of the etailers that sell these creatures have them sized in "packages", with appropriate numbers of these animals to suit various tank sizes...> Last question: My MH lights get really hot. I have a fan, but still gets too hot? Maybe a dumb question, but should I just add another fan, or is there a better one out there? Have a 3" fan now.... <I am a big fan (no pun intended!) of the Ice Cap variable speed fans- they move a lot of air, and are available in 4" and 3" sizes...They are not cheap- but they are high-quality units, IMO. Other hobbyists will use less expensive clip-on fans (like the kinds designed for desktops, etc.). Most of them work pretty well...You may have to do some experimenting to see how many fans, and in what configuration- are needed to do the job in your system...Have some fun with this--It can be really interesting experimenting> Thanks for all your help...Scott Mutter <My pleasure, Scott! Regards, Scott F.> Working His Plan! Hopefully I'm on the right track, but I have just a few questions before I go and purchase any of this equipment. I'm planning on a FOWLR with an invert cleanup crew. Eventually planning on corals and other types of inverts. <Sounds like a nice plan!> What I have planned so far: 75 gal glass w/ 2 returns top rear corners and 1 overflow box 20 gal sump 2 Ebo-Jager 250wt heaters in sump Aqua C EV-180 Protein Skimmer w/ Mag 7 pump Mag 18 return pump w/ ~6' head at 1125 gph (15x water turnover) ~96 lbs of Fiji, Tonga, and Caribbean uncured live rock to preserve diversity (will use to cure tank) ~100 lbs live sand ~2" bed ~6 watts per gal lighting (175wt 10K MH, 110wt Actinic White VHO, 110wt Actinic 100% blue VHO, 40wt NO Actinic White misc - testing kits, DI unit, thermometer, etc. Ok now for the questions... Have I left out any major components? <I think that you did fine...I'd increase the sand bed to at least three- four inches...better for denitrification and nutrient export processes...two inches is too shallow, IMO> How large should the overflow be 1 1/2" - >2" w/ 15x water turnover? <I'd use two 1.5 inch standpipes...2 inch standpipes would be better, though> Is that lighting too much? <Depends on what you intend to keep...Should be fine for most corals that require moderate to bright lighting...still might not be enough(!) for some really demanding species...> Any assistance will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jeremy <I think that you're on the right path, Jeremy...Just study carefully the species that you intend to keep. You're off to a good start! Regards, Scott F> Sand beds, lighting, livestock for 29G Hello, I have a 29gal. aquarium with 45lbs or so of live rock. I was wondering if a deep sand bed can cause problems? I've heard that they cause problems after a while. Right now my sand bed is almost 3in. I was planning on making it deeper but I'm not sure if I should. Would it be better to lower it to less than an in.? if it is gonna cause problems then I don't want it I've heard bad / good about it so I'm not sure. <IMO the 4"+ sandbed has many more benefits than negatives. I would go another 1" or more> The link on deep sand beds on wetwebmedia.com doesn't work there's no words. <Yes my friend it does work. Click on the blue links at the top of the page to read info about substrates/DSBs> What corals can I keep under a 1x55watt and a 36watt pc? I know mushrooms and polyps but what else? (maybe a colt coral or finger leather or something??) <Mushrooms and polyps are something, aren't they? I would stick to these> ...and how often do the pc's need to be changed? <9-12 months> I have about 15 turbo snails they do a god job on algae but only on the glass and rocks...not the sand that has most of the algae, so what should I get to clean that up? <See here and the links at the top of the page for more http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marscavfaqs.htm> Here's what I plan for fish..... 1percula clown fish 1 royal gramma 1 Firefish goby 2 Banggai cardinals and another small fish maybe a sixline wrasse? any problems there? <I would stop at 1 percula, 1 gramma, 1 Firefish, and MAYBE one Banggai. More than that is too much for this small volume of water.> thank you very much, <Your welcome, Don> Fish Stories... Hi Bob, <Scott F. in today> I hope you're doing well. I have a few questions... 1. I'm going to be showing a tank in a fish show in May and I don't feel like dismantling all the rock in my tank. What is the best way to get real or fake coralline algae on dead rock? Dye? Soak in coralline algae soup? <Well, in addition to providing proper conditions for its development (calcium, magnesium levels, etc), I'd consider some coralline algae "starts" that companies like Indo Pacific Sea Farms and others offer, which will help "seed" you system with initial growth...> 2. I have a lovely canary blenny that is hard to feed. I've given him spirulina, frozen food, pellets, plankton, baby brine shrimp... nada. He only has a taste for whatever occurs naturally in my tank and live adult brine shrimp. I don't mind buying brine shrimp, but is there anything else with which I may supplement his diet? <I feed mine frozen mysis...They really seem to like them, once they acquire a taste...Also, you could enrich your live brine shrimp with a preparation such as Selcon, to add a bit more nutritional value. I'd keep trying various frozen foods until the fish finds something that interests him...hang in there!> 3. Do flower anemones need much food other than lighting? I have a pretty purple-mouthed/green tipped one that loves its spot under the metal halide. <Well, "flower anemones" unfortunately can describe many possible species, some that may be entirely autotrophic/photosynthetic, or others that need regular feedings...Best bet- when in doubt- try feeding and note the results...> I hand feed it about once a week and do Dt's every other day. Anything else I should do? <Sounds good to me...> Also, I know that anemones are long lived, do you know what the lifespan for flower anemones is? <Well, for most of the cnidarians, the lifespans can be very, very long...some scientists postulate potential life spans of hundreds of years for anemones!!! Much research still remains to be done on them to answer this question...> 4. What makes black caps (fish) delicate? What are their dietary needs? <They are generally found in deeper water, and require careful acclimation and collection procedures in order for the fish to thrive in captivity. Handling is very important with these guys...Often times, a fish like the Blackcap Basslet has its fate decided before it ever reaches the LFS...Observe the fish carefully before purchase, acclimate them carefully and slowly, and don't neglect quarantine. They are basically plankton eaters, so a diet rich in mysis and other frozen plankton should work well> The reason I ask is I want to put one more fish in my 58, but I'm afraid that a chevron tang or a rusty angel won't have enough room in my current setup. <I agree- you really need a much larger tank for the tang, and somewhat larger quarters for the Rusty...Maybe a C. argi would be a better choice if you want an angelfish> Right now I have my bi-color blenny, canary blenny, and Japanese wrasse. Can you recommend a suitable addition that won't need to compete with the others for food? <I like blennies, gobies, and Basslets. Maybe a Royal Gramma? Perhaps a peaceful, calm fish, like a Cardinal fish...lots of possibilities here...Just go small!> 5.Do you know of any good way to treat algae that invades dead spots on a Lobophyllia? <Just careful physical removal, IMO> For future reference if you need it: You may treat dead spots on open brains by brushing away the algae (w/ toothbrush) and applying waterproof glue. Here its called Future glue, we use it to glue coral frags also. I did this with one of my open brains and it healed over completely. The Lobophyllia is different so it didn't work. <Interesting information- thanks for sharing! BTW- Anthony wrote a piece not too long ago about brain corals "coming back" after what appeared to be a loss of tissue...It pays not to give up too quickly...recovery is possible under the right conditions!> Yes, its the smoking jacket and kimono question again.... Can you sex any of these fish: canary blenny, Japanese wrasse, chevron tang, and rusty angel. <Maybe the angelfish might exhibit some external differences: brighter colors, more pointed fins in the males...but this is not 100%...I'm afraid that the best way to tell the boys from the girls is by using a dissection kit...yuck!> I'm not talking about an orgy either. ;] <Perhaps just an intimate interlude, huh?> Do you think anemones are emotional? ;] <I'll ask mine!> Thanks for everything and have a great weekend! Morgan ps: If you or anyone you know will be in Miami during May please come check out the Florida Marine Aquarists Society show being held at the Ft Lauderdale IGFA fishing hall of fame. It should be a very good show this year. Take care! <Wow! Sounds like a good time! Anyone....? Take Care! Scott F> Re: REEF HELP Hello Mr. Fenner, <Craig here tonight> I hope you will reply, I need help. <We always reply!> I have a 30 gallon reef with a magnum 350 pro, a BakPak 2r skimmer, 1 powersweep zoomed 228, JBJ lightning, no sump or plenum, and an 1" crushed coral gravel. Parameters are; ammonia= 0, nitrite=0, nitrate=10ppm, phosphate is high. I have a couple of mushrooms , 1 button polyp, 3 peppermint shrimp, 1 maroon clownfish, and lots of snails[ Ceriths, Astrea, Nassarius]. All my other corals died summer 2002-too hot, no chiller. In about 2 weeks I'll be getting some corals and fish from a friend, and I want to get the system running well before that. I'm also getting a little extra algae, I guess due to the nitrate and phosphate. I recently put a denitrator-carbon-PhosGuard mix to canister to lower the numbers. <Check source water, increase water changes, change filter media in canister before it produces nitrates. Re-evaluate feeding in addition to testing source water for phosphates.> I don't think there is any denitrification going on in the gravel cause it looks dirty below with algae and red brownish stuff. <No, exactly the opposite, it is going wild with all the waste trapped in the crushed coral producing nitrates. Trapping food and phosphates as well. This isn't the best substrate.> I know its probably because of the 1 inch that's not enough. <And too coarse, allowing food/wastes to be trapped. Needs regular maintenance.> My friend also offered me some live sand, can I add the sand on top of the gravel or should I remove all gravel altogether. <Remove the crushed coral all-together.> I would like to just add about 2 inches of live sand on top of the gravel, but don't know if this is beneficial for the tank. <Nope, you entrap the problem wastes.> Please help, eventually I would like to get rid of canister filter. Any advice. Thanks, Andre <No need to get rid of it, it is useful for carbon and chemical filtration like you are using now. Best of luck! Craig> Foam on The Macro I have yet another question for the experts! I have a refugium with various macro algae's mostly grape and feather Caulerpa , I harvest weekly and the lights are on 24/7. <Good nutrient export if you harvest weekly!> I have noticed that on the water surface in the refugium a white foam that collects around the algae, the surface is agitated by the water flow from the main tank. Any idea on what this is and what needs to be done if anything. As always your opinions are appreciated. Mike Winston <Hey, Mike- I know exactly what you're talking about here...I've seen it too. Sounds like some organic foam, possibly analogous to "skimmate" from protein skimmer effluent (but not as concentrated). I'd remove it by using a net, or a piece of paper towel placed on the surface of the water in the refugium, then quickly removed. Hope this helps! regards, Scott F.> Re: Reef Tank Hi. I have a 75 gallon tank with 75 lbs of live rock and 75 lbs of aragonite. I am using a wet/dry with built in venturi skimmer and overflow made by Aqua Clear Aquatics in Jacksonville, FL. I have a few questions. 1) I currently have a 260 watt Power Compact (4 65 watt bulbs), 2 10,000K Daylights and 2 Actinic Blue. I want to stock some soft corals, mushroom corals, colony polyps, and perhaps a sebae anemone and some clams. I was wondering if my lights are sufficient for these species. <I would skip the anemone, at least for now. Your lighting should be fine for a mix of the rest listed. Please see here re anemones: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm and the related FAQs (linked, in blue, above)> 2) Should I remove the bio media from the sump? I have read about wet/dry's being nitrate factories. <I would... please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bioballfaqs.htm> 3) I have purchased a Sander's model ozonizer (25 mg/h) in hopes to make my skimmer more efficient and better water quality and good Redox potential. I was advised by my LFS to get a small air pump to pump air through the ozonizer and then hook up the airline from the venturi to the ozonizer. <I would try just using the venturi first. Likely the pump is unnecessary> The effluent will pass over activated carbon. With such a small unit, should I get a ORP controller? <I would wait here... instead measure Redox or pH change... see if the unit is capable of too much ozone effect at maximum output... You likely don't need a controller> Is drying the air before the air enters the ozonizer really necessary? If so, how can I accomplish this? <Not necessary, but advisable in some cases (where the humidity is high, the efficiency of the unit important). Simple drying mechanisms can be had, built... Once again, I would try the unit "as is" first.> Ammonia - 0 Nitrite - 0 Nitrates - 10 ppm Alkalinity - 3.5 milliequivalents PH - 8.4 Temp - 82 Not sure on Calcium, as I don't have a test kit yet, but I have been daily dosing Kent Marine Calcium along with Kent Marine Super dKH buffer once every two weeks, Kent Marine Iodine once a week, and Kent Marine Strontium and Molybdenum every four days. <It is strongly advised that you not dose/add anything you don't test for... too likely to cause self-induced troubles otherwise> Will ozone be more beneficial, or more trouble than it's worth? <Very likely beneficial> I know I have a lot of questions, but I am striving to be the conscious marine aquarist. ( Love the book) <Me too> Thanks in advance. <You're welcome. Bob Fenner> "U" Tube air bubble, mandarin, pods, etc Hi guys, My tank is a 55g w/20g sump and I have had it set up in my apartment since July. Things have been going pretty well. My Naso, "Pootie", is really cool and he loves attention and seaweed selects. Corals have been doing pretty well- I have an Alveopora that has been growing steadily (but slowly) that I am particularly proud of. 130w smart lights and 64w of actinic and 10k fluorescent. I was wondering if this is enough light for a squamosa? Also, I bought a pair of mandarins in November, but they didn't get along and the male didn't make it. The female though seems to be doing well and has apparently changed sexes. I was wondering if this was perhaps a sign of good health? I have a growing crop of copepods in my sump- will these go through the pump into the main tank, or how else can I feed them? and finally- I built my overflow box myself, and it worked well for about a month until the air bubble at the top of the "U" tube got too big. Any advice on how to prevent this? Thanks so much, Hunter Leber <Hi Hunter, You may be able to keep a squamosa close to the surface/light. As you are aware, clams need high intensity lighting. A good sign of health in Mandarins is being fat and well fed, sometimes hard with this fish without enough well established live rock and pod populations. Syringe them with a baster from the sump and squirt them into the main. To fix your "U" tube forever, drill a hole in the very top where the bubble forms, glue a piece of rigid air tube and attach it to a powerhead with a venturi feature. This will pull the air out while running and in power outages when the powerhead comes back on. Have fun! Craig> Refugiums, skimming, additives, etc. I have a well established 110 gallon reef tank that is heavily stocked with fish, corals (sps, lps, and soft corals), corallimorpharians, zoanthids, and a few shrimp. The system runs an Excalibur in-sump skimmer which, now that it is broken in, works very well. This morning I plumbed in an EcoSytem 2140 refugium (the smallest one, maybe 10 gallons of water). I realize that this size refugium is small for a 110 gallon tank, but I added it to help with nutrient export and to act as a nursery for copepods and other small beneficial life forms. My questions are: <This size refugium is really too small to do what you think it may....fun to play with and it will produce pods, use some nutrient, etc. but you won't be shutting down the skimmer, losing your carbon or not dosing needed supplements (when determined by testing). A refugium needs to be at least one third the size of the main to really perform as advertised.> 1. The bio balls that came with refugium are so less than efficient at breaking up the air bubbles that it is laughable. Any suggestions for stopping the air bubbles? <I would consult Ecosystem. See the link at the marine pages of WWM.> 2. Is the Miracle Mud the way to go or should I use some other substrate such as fine sand or Aragonite? <I like a mixed grain substrate and it is less than the price of gold and miracle mud. The price of miracle mud is the miracle!> 3. I do not want to discontinue using my skimmer. Is there a problem if I continue operating it in conjunction with the refugium? <Nope. I suggest 24/7/365!> 4. I use 1 cup of carbon, changed every 4 weeks in my sump. Should this practice be discontinued? <Is this passive or in a powerfilter? If it is passive it probably doesn't do much and should be more than a cup! I would continue to use carbon.> 5. The only additives I use are ESV Iodine and Strontium, once per week, and make up water is kalkwasser. Should I continue the Iodine and strontium? <Yep, per test/use.> The irony, of course, is that I actually believed I completely thought out what was involved with adding this refugium before I purchased it and again before I plumbed it. Anyway, any help you can offer is much appreciated. Thank you for your anticipated response. Michael Jacobs <Join the club dude, we all have done something like this. Enjoy it for what it is and learn from it. It will contribute, certainly with pods, etc absent predation, but it won't be a huge impact like a refugium of 30-50 gallons. Best Wishes, Craig> 2/6/03 - A few issues Hello everyone, <Sorry for the delay. Not sure how this one was passed up. Paulo, wiping the sleep out of his eyes.> I could use some advice. My reef is an 18 month old sumpless and skimmerless 65g w/ a 20g upstream refugium. The main tank has 80# live rock. 6" DSB, 400w m/h 10k Ushio. The livestock consists of 4 green Chromis, 2 false percs, 1 lawnmower blenny. 12 assorted Montipora and Acropora frags all below 4" tall, 1 Sinularia, 1 small patch (3" round) of xenia and anthelia all separate from the sps frags and 1 green BTA. The refugium has a 4" DSB, 65w pc lights, 1 small piece of live rock. The refugium "was" full of Caulerpa Prolifera but has all been removed and replaced with Gracilaria and Ulva. The water parameters check out okay, temp 82.f , calc 400 - 425, alk 3.5, sg 1.024, ph 8.2 . I add Kalk through a peristaltic pump set on a float switch. <Sounds like a nice setup overall. Should use a skimmer though> Until 2 weeks ago everything was in good shape. I had been running the tank skimmerless for the past 6 months. After hearing about the potential problems with Caulerpa at the last Boston Reefers meeting I had decided to pull all my Caulerpa. <Understood> This is where things seem to have gone wrong. I had pulled 95% of the Caulerpa at one time and replaced it with the new macro algae. <Good intention but maybe should have been less drastic and slowly removed some algae and replaced with the macro. Step by step process> I removed as much of the leftover debris from the Caulerpa forest as possible which still left a quite a bit of detritus in the refugium. <The reef hobby in general is becoming more aware of the release of growth inhibitive as well as the release of some of the nutrients that they are purported to ingest when Caulerpa are disturbed by breaking or grazing etc.> Since then I have been fighting mats of the black/brown/maroon cyano blooms on the sandbed in both tank and on the glass in the refugium. <Maybe related to the above theory?> The polyps on some of my sps have not returned to there former glory. A hairy Acro frag has not extended its hairy polyps since and the blue tips are not as bright as before. It seems none of the colors are as bright as before. The pod population does not seem to have shrunk but the amount of bristle worms seems to have gone down quite a bit. <Keep the water changes coming. I believe you stated you now have the skimmer running. Very good idea!> To remedy the problems I am experiencing I have done 3 x 10g water changes and put my hob skimmer back in service. <More water changes would not hurt.> I remove the cyano when possible and the debris in the refugium. The refugium debris smells pretty bad. Instead of me asking a bunch of questions could you explain where I went wrong and the best way to remedy the situation.<Well, there are many possibilities here. Water changes with skimming will definitely help. Time will tell. Continue scrubbing and siphoning off with your water change regime. Running some carbon somehow would not be a bad idea either. There are many links available here on wetwebmedia try this: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/refugium.htm. See if there is not something that I may not have covered.> I hope I explained everything well enough but if you should have any questions please ask. Thanks in advance. <Good Luck. Pablo out> Tom G. Malden, Ma. LFS advice in doubt for Reefing Hi there, I just spent the last hour perusing your site and found a great new source of info. Thank you. <our great pleasure, my friend> Now, my turn to pick your brains. <ahhh yes... with Fava beans> First the facts: 55 gallon, 6 month old tank. I have a PM skimmer and a Fluval 404. All my chemicals have been steady for the last 3 months except phosphates which are off the wall. <hmm... do examine your foods and feeding (the likely cause). A common mistake is to thaw frozen food and forget to strain the meat away. Pack juice poured in to the aquarium is a horrifying source of nutrients> I've had LR for about 2 months and used RO/DI for about 2 months. I have 2 Clarkiis, 1 anemone, 1 fire shrimp and 4 snails. About 3 days ago, I bought 1 Yellow Tang, 2 Firefish and 1 purple Firefish and a green hairy mushroom. I know that is a lot, but my LFS suggested that the numerous new inhabitants would prevent the Clarkiis from being to aggressive. <the bio-load is not the problem so much as they were all added too fast. The rationale by the LFS was complete bunk if not dangerous advice> True enough they are all fine. <not true, bud... just coincidental and lucky> BTW, the back of my tank is about 70% covered with hairy algae but very little is one LRs or anywhere else. <indeed not a surprise with your high nutrient levels. I am quite certain that your skimmer is not giving you a full cup daily like a tuned and tweaked model should. In fact, with that much hair algae an high phosphates I'll guess that you barely get a coffee colored cup even once weekly. And if my psychic abilities <G> are really attuned, I'll venture to say that the LFS clerk that gave you that previous advice on husbandry also sold you a difficult skimmer (Prism, Red Sea, Seaclone?)> Enough with the history, now the questions: Will the Tang eat the algae? <heck ya... but not rasped clean... just cropped> I tried broccoli, didn't jive. I'll try lettuce tomorrow, <Ack! no land plants please! No spinach... no broccoli... no lettuce. They are grown with concentrated fertilizers (nitrate and phosphate) that pollute your tank with concentrations of ppt (thousands!) not ppm (millions)> but I want to know if I can put Caulerpa straight in the tank to grow? <wow... please do not use the Caulerpa my friend until you have spent some time in the WWM archives reading on this topic. You may very well be going from the frying pan into the fire> If I feed the phytoplankton to the mushrooms on a weekly basis, will it be enough for the Firefish? <neither creature mentioned eats phyto. In fact... if you don't have a bunch of sea fans or Neptheids in your tank, I'm wondering what the bottled phyto is going to do besides grow more algae. More bad advice dude. Most all corals and your Firefish are dedicated zooplankton feeders. Try Frozen mysis, Pacifica plankton, jar Sweetwater plankton, etc> What else, do I feed them? I currently am feeding the Clarkiis pellets and adding frozen brine shrimp every 3rd day and half a frozen fish for the anemone once a week. Is this alright? <the pellets are very fine but the brine shrimp is a hollow food (see nutritional analysis on package... moisture content). Fish can literally starve to death on brine shrimp. Most any other frozen food is better (see list above)> My LFS is knowledgeable but it seems that you guys are better. Sure could use some advice. <I am very skeptical about most all of the advice you have been given so far. We truly want you to succeed. Please do spend some more time reading in the archives too about topics that interest you. Do review nutrient control, algae, protein skimmer FAQs, etc> Thanks a lot. Bobbie <best regards, Anthony> Re: Course of action on a neglected tank? Hello again!... <"Hello...just called... to say... Hello" Neil Diamond fan? Hmmm... never mind> I have recently started implementing your advise on getting my tank back from limbo. I agree totally with you on the lack of performance on the skimmer. As a result, I replaced the original venturi cone on the Berlin Classic with a Kent 3/4" venturi ($25, LFS) powered by the original Mag 7. What an amazing difference in bubble production!! <excellent to hear!> Even after cleaning the skimmer with a bleach solution and rinsing, it started producing dry foam immediately. I am convinced that there is no such thing as a break-in period... The skimmer is either a good design or not. <HOW TRUE THIS IS!!!! "Break-in periods are excuses made by manufacturers of poor skimmers for the most part <G>. We have seen skimmers pull out cups of excessive bio-mineral (chalky milk) from raw new seawater that had no life in it! Its either a good skimmer or its a wheel-chuck> Hopefully this improvement will start reversing the growth of BGA and hair algae. <agreed> My next attack point is in increasing the water flow. I plan on redesigning the PVC plumbing to include two surface return spouts, getting rid of the spray bar behind the rocks, and reducing head loss by minimizing pipe bends. <agreed> I have a Dolphin Tankmaster 800 as a dedicated return pump and hope this will be strong enough for decent flow. <agreed likely> In a few weeks I will be purchasing a 4-stage RO/DI filter and using it for water changes and evaporation replacement as well as mail-ordering a cleanup crew of some snails. I have also started (again) to use Kalkwasser for a Calcium source. <yes! Many benefits here outlined in the WWM archives> Is the Kent Marine - Liquid Calcium product I have been using OK? <nope.. thanks for asking. Its Calcium chloride.> You mention some additives containing chlorides that interfere with the calcium levels over time. <calcium chloride products like Kent Marine's Liquid Calcium are excellent for temporary fixes of Ca deficiency. They lack numerous benefits that the hydroxyl Ca has and they impart Chloride ions which accumulate in time and ca skew chemistry> I need to focus on a balanced calcium/buffer regimen. I do need your opinion on one other matter. The main tank is a 50gal with 3" sand and 50lbs LR and a 10gal sump/refugium, divided 30/70 respectively. The refugium area has 2" of sand where I have been trying to grow some Caulerpas, when they aren't covered by hair or BGA. <I would say that here the weak sand depths (under 3") is hindering do and your algae problem as it is likely a nutrient sink unless you stir it often. It would be better deeper (4") and may not even need stirred then> Lighting is 24/7 by a NO 50/50 bulb. <weak light indeed... especially if the lamp is over 6 months old (useless over 10 months by some estimates)> The actual water volume is about 5gal and I keep a bag of carbon in the pump section. Do you think the sand has any effect in it or should I remove it? <a benefit over 4", a liability between 1-3" and no harm under 1" IMO> I can't fit a bigger sump under the cabinet so I am forced to use this size, but I want to make it as efficient as possible. What would be the best way to utilize a sump/refugium of this size? <that depends on what you want the refugium to do. Deep sand for NNR. Dense Chaetomorpha or Gracilaria for nutrient export and plankters instead. Any will do all to some extent but focus on a primary goal and address it, bud> After a period of accepting mediocre tank conditions, your advice has sparked up my determination to have a great system again. <awesome to hear!> Your help is greatly appreciated. Regards, Glenn Koenig <thanks kindly, Anthony> Reef and Fish troubles Awesome site!!! I find many many answers here. It, for me, is the most knowledgeable site I have ever been to. <thanks kindly... it warms the heart to hear fellow aquarists tell us that we are really full of it. Just full of it. The biggest pile of it they have come across on the net. <G>> I find myself reading for hours and hours and learning more than I thought I could ever know. <you don't have a computer in the lavatory do you?> Thank you! <our pleasure my friend> I have been in the saltwater hobby for 17 years. <awesome!> I have all levels in the correct parameters. One thing I want to ask is my friend uses a Ocean clear canister filter that he cleans once every 10 months to a year. Is this a good filter or by leaving it in the system for a year only traps waste product and keeps it in the system? <they are old and worthy bastions in the industry. They (like any mechanical filter) can be a serious problem for nitrate sensitive fishes and inverts... but then again, even that can be skirted with DSB methodologies, light bio-load, etc. Ultimately, I love these filters but generally don't recommend them. Simple and better systems can be had with merely live rock and sand... water changes and skimmers. Large fishless refugiums too> He also uses a Eheim canister filter and doesn't do many water changes, <there's always these rare knucklehead friends of ours that are the exceptions... cleans filters once yearly, rarely does water changes... I'd really like to smack him> but he is able to keep a Powder Blue Tang <sure... its alive but being forced to live in its own (daily) accumulating and dissolved feces. It doesn't make it right... just makes your friend lucky. Water quality is assuredly miserable and DOC levels must be through the roof. When the ASPCA starts to regulate cruelty to fishes... your friend is screwed <G>. Do that fish a favor and cc this message to your bud please.> (which seem to die in my system) his Nitrate levels are totally off the board, 200ppm, <actually... his actual nitrates are 4.4 X 200 (if the test can even read this high end accurately. Nitrate as an ion versus nitrate-nitrogen). His actual nitrates are literally around 1000ppm or more. He could probably distill his water and sell the concentrated nitrate to the government for military applications> and yet his Tang is living fine for over a year. <living but not thriving and I guarantee it will not see a full lifespan if it even sees another year> Can you tell me why mine keep dieing and I am only at 40ppm. <many reasons... lets assume that you are buying the exact same fish from the exact same source... your buddy either has a longer tank (6'plus) and/or has much better water flow than you. PB tangs are VERY strict about large long tanks and massive water flow. These are the two most common obstacles. Many other possibilities including one that his tang is actually a damsel in disguise> It is not that I don't take care of my tank, <understood> I have a Flame Angle and a Flameback Angle that I have had in this system for 4 years now. (yes, they are living together and not killing each other) <good to hear> I use a EBB-N-FLOW filter (Algae filter) I am not really happy with this technology and feel it is not working well. <not harmful... just insignificant and weakly effective. A large refugium would serve you much better... just no Caulerpa. Gracilaria or Chaetomorpha algae instead.> Could this be the reason many aquarists have totally abandoned the Algae filters and gone to "MUDD" filters. <ahhh...no. I don't think mud filters are that extraordinary either. Helpful... but they do not save tanks, stop jock itch or grow hair. They are simply a convenient means of nutrient export and that's a good thing> Would I be better trying to convert my filter to a Mangrove filter <mangroves are cool but grow too slow to be a good vegetable filter. We cover all of these topics BTW at great length in our new book coming out this spring called "Reef Invertebrates". Lots of information on the site here too as you know :) > Or just buy a few canister filters and let my Nitrates go through the roof like my friend (haha just kidding). <I'd recommend a deep sand bed refugium instead on a RDP cycle with either of the two above mentioned algae> Second question - I have bubble algae and this stuff is hard to get rid of. <do you mean Valonia type algae or slime algae with bubbles in it?> My pet store said it is a bacterial algae and if I treat my tank with Maracyn it will take care of my problem. <Please DO NOT do that!!!!! Your LFS is misinformed. Even if this growth was/is Cyanobacteria... drugs treat the symptom and not the problem (nutrient control... leaching from the algal filter or just a lack of good skimming (daily) likely). Maracyn will also kills massive amounts of desirable fauna> I need the truth, so I come to ask your crew for advice. <if it is a slime algae with bubbles it is also a sign of poor water flow (you need say 20X per hour here) and supports part of my theory for why your PD tangs don't fare well> I don't want to lose my whole tank because it crashed by bad advice from a 16 year old at the store. <good to hear of an educated consumer doing homework!> Final question - 4 line wrasse - I have had a 6 line wrasse live in my smaller reef tank (75 gallon) and It lived great. I moved it to my (150 gallon fish only tank) and put a 4 line wrasse in the reef tank. It died! I have since killed two more. They just don't seem to live. <hmmm... antibiotics as advice for algae... numerous dying PB tangs and wrasses... ya, know... I'm starting to wonder about the LFS you shop at <G>? Also... putting good money on a bet that you don't QT fishes either bud. Critical to do so!> Are they more sensitive than the 6 line, or am I just getting bad fish? <bad fish and or bad husbandry (lack of QT to stabilize and strengthen new fish)> Thanks so much for your time, Paul
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