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Aquarist In China Dear Scott, <Hi there!> Thanx for the mail. I've recently purchased the chiller. It's a 1/2 HP made by the joint venture between Aquamedic and Hailea. It looks just like the Aquamedic TITAN 1/2 HP and has the titanium lines. It only cost $336 USD in total including a little 2000 LPH pump. Not bad huh. <I'll say!> I'm still not settled on the lamp yet. I have the feeling I'd really like the look of a mixed 6500K and 20,000K setup but it's rather troublesome. So I'm still considering the pendant made by Atmann, only thing is they seem to just have 150W and no 250W model which I'd really like. Perhaps I could just take out the 150W wiring and put in a 250W holder and then order some electronic ballasts for outside. <I've seen people do that. DO be careful with any electrical modifications, however!> By the way do you think that there is any good business to be done exporting Chinese made aquarium products to overseas? <I'm not sure, actually- but I know that it's being done more and more all the time> Oh I've just got 3 peppermint shrimp (I think that's what they are) and a little blue sea star. Do you think that it may clear up some of my hair algae? <Not really...Utilize the "nutrient control" techniques that we outline on the site!> By the way I know that sea stars should eat clams but I've heard the thin fingered ones (such as my little blue) do not. Is this correct? GW <Umm.. hard to say, without seeing a picture...I'd err on the side of caution if you have any doubts. Good luck! Regards, Scott F.> Slowing Down For Success... Hi Guys, I am writing to you yet again because I need your help over something that I did out of ignorance. Let me start by saying that when I got into this hobby I had more money than I do now, so I have to try to cut costs whenever I can on doing certain things to try to keep my tank going. <We can all relate to that!> I am on a very limited budget considering the costs involved in running a pristine marine tank here in Toronto, ON CAN. So I will give you an idea about my set-up and inhabitants. READINGS Ammonia is 1.0 ppm - this sucks I know - and it is part of the reason I am emailing you <Yeah...gotta deal with that...> Nitrite - 0ppm Nitrate 0.2ppm Salinity - 36 ppt pH 8.4 calcium is 460 Phosphate = 15 <Too high if you intend to keep corals...Also- a major contributor to nuisance algae problems at that level!> Temp = 76-78 alk 3.2 temp is 80-82 - have problem with lighting heat - yet have insufficient lighting lighting - 1-20 watt -actinic "marine glow" + 40 watt - full spectrum fluorescent tank age - 2 months water is changed 10-20% weekly <dial back to 10% a week. I think that 20%, particularly in a newly-established tank, can be too disruptive to beneficial biological processes...> copper - 0 Water is premixed and stored weekly TANK 75 G Oceanic Systems Bowfront Fluval 404 X2 802 "Quickfilter" power heads 2 Ebo Jager - 100 watt heaters Berlin "Turbo" Hang On Tank Skimmer 60 lbs Fiji live rock crushed coral substrate INHABITANTS Raccoon Butterfly - juvenile - 2 inches Yellow Tang - juvenile - 2 inches Crimson Horned Sea Star - 4" 2 Rose Bubble Tip Anemones - 1 big one became 2-so cool! Clarks Clownfish - 3.5" - symbiotic with Anemones 1 Colon Goby Turbo Snails & Astraea Snails - I don't know how many Various Scarlet Reef Hermits & Blue Legged hermits 6 Emerald Crabs <Nice animal mix- but you are pretty close to full capacity after just two months...And, even though your anemone split (which IS cool)- you'll need much stronger lighting for long-term success with the animal> Okay with that out of the way, (whew..) I wanted to address the problem. I had in the past used "Erythromycin" n the advice of some guy that worked at an LFS. I blindly trusted the guy and bought a few caplets from him for 50 cents each to try and rid my tank of this Cyanobacteria that had been plaguing my tank for a couple of months. <There's the ammonia problem...Kill your nitrifying bacteria and...whew!> I thought this would be a cheaper solution than trying to purchase an RO unit or all this Phosphate remover media. <didn't turn out that way, huh? It's all part of the learning curve, and you sharing this with other WWM readers will help other people avoid the same mistake. Nothing is ever wasted in this hobby!> I used the caplets and they totally worked great with no adverse affects to my anemones or anything. I thought this is great, when this stuff gets out of hand I can just dose a couple pills into the tank and all is well. This was not the case at all the last time I did this. <Yep- only use this stuff under the most dire of circumstances, and even then- after you have exhausted all other "standard" techniques at Cyano eradication...> I used some of my own Erythromycin caplets figuring they were the same thing as before. <Yikes!> I put them in and a couple of days later my anemone's looked like crap - all withdrawn and that. I figured out that I had killed beneficial bacteria as well as Cyano. <Yep> I know Anti-biotic means anti-life but I thought because they were fine the first time (about 2 months previous) that they would be fine the second time around. Not the case at all, I am really worried about them and my ammonia is spiked. I have already done a partial water change, and I am executing a massive water change tonight. <Okay...What you really need to do is get some beneficial bacteria in there-fast! Even though water changes can alleviate some of the ammonia, it may be better to leave things alone for a while, and utilize one of the commercial "bacteria cultures" available at the LFS. At the very least, this can help "kick start" the population again. Other recommendations would be to utilize activated carbon and/or Poly Filter, as they excel at removing toxic organics...> I have also added "Ammo-Lock" but I am also concerned about my new Starfish "Sticker". He is now at the top of the glass and is sticking one arm kind of out of the water, I just acquired him yesterday as well as the Butterfly and the Tang. I had to get them yesterday because I do not have a car and I had arranged to do a trade off for 2 full grown Mono's that were too big for my tank. <Obviously a bad move...I understand that there was a reason, but with measurable ammonia- not good...and adding this much life to a new tank with spiking ammonia is a recipe for disaster...Do learn from this. I'd arrange to get these animals to someone who can properly house them, at least until your tank stabilizes...> So here's the deal... how do I get my tank's water conditions back to pristine without shocking these new arrivals? I would like to act quickly because I have a bad feeling about the Butterfly being so delicate and the Star not adjusting to the move well. Any advice you can give would help me out a great deal, I have to mention that I am fanatical about my "Kids" safety as any parent would be. So I would like to do whatever I can to ensure the survival of all of them. Jason <Well, Jason- I think that all of your moves were done out of your love for the animals, so I certainly respect you for that! Your intentions were good! We just have to work on the execution (Ohh- bad choice of words here!). The very best thing that you can do is to let the tank stabilize. It must cycle again, meaning that the ammonia and nitrite must peak and return to undetectable levels as your bacteria population adjusts. Unfortunately, with a relatively full tank, you may lose some or all of the animals in the process. if it were me, I'd try to find a temporary home for some or all of the animals while this process occurs. Yes, the fish may make it through, but the stress could open them up to all sorts of secondary problems, such as disease. You need to slow down and be patient. Back off on the H20 changes for now until the tank is cycled. Also, remember that a Cyanobacteria bloom, awful as it may be- is a relatively common event in new systems, which do not have mature "nutrient export" systems to cope with the high levels of organics accumulating. Nope more "knee jerk" reactions, okay? Ride out he Cyano with aggressive nutrient export processes, such as protein skimming, use of the aforementioned chemical filtration media, water changes with quality source water (after the tank has cycled), and a healthy dose of patience. Remember, good things come to those who wait. You have the right ideas and many of the techniques. Just remember that shortcuts in this hobby usually have associated downsides to them that may not be worth the tradeoff. Take your time, utilize the many resources here on the WWM site, and continue to learn and share with others! Given time and your continued dedication, your tank will achieve a level of splendor that you have not even envisioned yet! Good luck, and hang in there! Regards, Scott F> Reef tank invader? 1/4/03 My friend from a petstore and I have come to challenge ourselves with making simplistic reef aquariums, using merely live rock (much cheaper than buying sensitive anemones), and seeing what will grow under nothing more than a 50/50 reef light. We were told it couldn't be done, but my friend who got the head start on me already has a good deal of life growing on her live rock in only a 5 gallon mini aquarium. <A great experiment! As you have seen, good quality live rock can have plenty of interesting critters waiting to come out. Many of us don't get to enjoy them because of the predators we add (fish, hermit crabs, etc.)> When it comes to my own, first off, I'd like to know about this invader that i have in it. Aside from all the problems that i have with identifying an eel in my main 55 gallon fresh/brackish water aquarium, i somehow brought in this little worm/caterpillar looking thing that fell out of my liverock that i bought for my experiment. Well, the experiment is inside of a 10 gallon. Assuming it at first to be some sort of lifeless or dead matter, i grabbed it to toss it out of the aquarium, and then felt this horrible sting. My hand went numb and now I'm taking a very long time to type this email one handed since my other hand is a blimp, and by time i had come back from rinsing and cleaning my hand, the little thing was gone. I was told by the people at the store that i picked up a fireworm, but i cant find anything about pictures on your website for the time being. <It certainly sounds like some kind of bristle worm. True "fire worms" are Caribbean endemics, so unless you got your rock from Florida, it is just a generic bristle worm. I would suggest getting medical attention. The bristles on the worm penetrate your skin and break off. Sometimes they contain a mild toxin. The bristles can cause an infection or you could be hypersensitive to the toxin. In the future, handling live rock and such critters with gloves is highly recommended!> Will i ever see this wretch again so i can mutilate him with a tweezers in vengeance before throwing him away? <It really is kind of harsh to seek vengeance on a critter that has been dragged from it's home, sent around the world and defending itself in the only way it knows how.> Aside from that, I had a question about my saltwater setup. When it comes to reef aquariums, I'm aware that any waste contaminants can bother the organisms, and i only have a 10 gallon set up. Inside of this 10 gallon there is a Tetraodon nigroviridis puffer acclimated to saltwater who still only measures about an inch, and to make sure that i don't overfeed and break the sensitive system, i give him only a single fish food flake in the morning, in the evening, and a small snail a day for supplement. <Regardless of how sparingly you feed, you will have to balance the import with some kind of export. That could come in the form of water changes, skimming, algae harvest, etc.> What actually worries me is the brown algae growing on my live rock. I started with a few crumbles first to see if life would sprout out of them in saltwater, and so far i have actually cultivated three microscopic anemones so far, but the rest of the rock has grown a full cover of algae. Are there any tips or safe chemicals that i can use to prevent this algae from growing on the new chunks of live rock? <There are no such chemicals that can be recommended for salt water. My suggestion is to add a snail or two that are too large for your puffer to kill. Also, start occasional water changes.> My idea is that the light is on for too long every day, although I'm not really the best at controlling algae in the first place. Any help. <You really need the light to support the critters that you are hoping to culture from the rock, so try the snails and some water changes and see if that helps.> Adam An Observant Hobbyist! Hi! <Hi there! Scott F. with you today!> My name is Jonathan, and I have had a 46 gal bow front for about a year and a half, and I have been having trouble with coral lately. I have always been getting coral from the same place. I don't know if you know the place-its called the Warrenton Pet Shop- and I found out that their pH was 8.6, and mine was 8.2, so I've recently have been increasing the pH of the tank and the parts that had died have suddenly come off, and what looks like new polyps were coming in and I thought that this was interesting, and that you would like to know, becuase I have never had that happen to any of my other coral. <An interesting observation- one that will interest many of our readers. As we often stress, stable pH is always a good idea. Try to shoot for a pH between 8.2-8.4, if possible. It can fluctuate a bit from day to night, but you want to keep it in a fairly narrow range. I think that 8.6 is really about as high as you'd want to see...> I would also like to know if it's normal for a Damsel fish to make a hole in the sand. Reason I'm asking is that my damsel fish made a big hole in the sand and crushed coral. I first noticed when a bunch of the crushed coral was all over the tank. <Yep- all part of the wonderful world of damselfish! They do tend to dig up areas of the sand. Unfortunately, it's an aspect of their behavior that you just have to tolerate...> I was also wondering if the Giant clams or their smaller cousins had any other special needs, or if they have the same requirements as coral would have. <Well, at the risk of oversimplifying, they do have requirements similar to those of demanding SPS corals- among them, intense lighting, high calcium levels, and stable environmental parameters. Do a little research on the WWM site and throughout the 'net on clams, and you'll find a ton of information on these animals.> I was thinking about getting a small one in a few months once I get some more coral and establish the tank some more. I was wondering if its true that damsel fish help keep certain parasites off of the clams. <Well, usually it's certain wrasses that exhibit this behavior- but it would not surprise me if damsels engage in this behavior as well...> If so that would be good since I have a damsel <It would be neat! I have not personally observed this behavior, so I can't assure you that they perform this "function". Keep a close eye on them...> I would also like to say that I really like your site and that I think you do a good job. <Thanks for the kind words! We enjoy being here for you!> I'm thinking of buying a bamboo shark shirt and the clownfish shirt. <Cool! They are definitely serious fashion for SERIOUS fish geeks like us! LOL. Enjoy! Regards, Scott F.> Phosphate and Lamp life 12/17/03 Thanks for responding to my prior note so quickly - it amazes me how fast you guys respond (and its always with the best level of advice)! <thanks kindly> I had a few more questions that I was hoping you could answer: 1) When quarantining snails/hermits, what and how much should you feed the snails? (The hermits are easy to feed). Phytoplankton? (how much)? I'd like to qt snails/hermits before adding to my tank, but don't want to starve the snails. <no phyto here bub... they do not eat unicellular/suspended algae. Curse the marketing that leads people to believe bottled phyto will save the world. Please use such products sparingly... most corals are zooplankton feeders rest assured. Feed your snails sheet nori (dried seaweed) for example> 2) Phosphates. I've read (wetwebmedia and in books by you guys) that most tests only measure inorganic phosphate. <correct> This raises several questions: a) Is inorganic phosphate the only type readily available for uptake by organisms (like Cyanobacteria - in other words, does organic phosphate need to decompose to inorganic before organisms can use it? <not to my knowledge> b) what type of test - if any - can measure organic and inorganic phosphate (colorimeters, others?). <seek products from high end test kit mfgs like LaMotte or Hach for this> c) Is it correct to assume that TDS meters measure all dissolved solids (if there are 3ppm of phosphate in water, then the TDS must be at or above 3ppm)? <I'm not sure that I understand the angle/intent of your question here? Especially in light of a marine aquarium with several hundred ppm of TDS> 3) Are some of the generic PC bulbs from Asia of lower quality than the original PC that came from Panasonic/custom sea life? <I'm sure some exist... the market for these bulbs is quite large> I've always had Panasonic/custom sea life PC bulbs last a good 12 months before drops in lumens. However, I've recently purchased PC bulbs that were unbranded (mail order said they came from Asia) that had a major drop in lumens (and I suspect spectral shift) in less than 6 months. Have you heard of any problems with the cheaper generic PC bulbs coming from the new producers in Asia? Thanks again! <the problem is not just Asian lamps mate... aquarists have had similar troubles with other mfgs (including US) of various fluorescent lamps. You are correct/best to use a PAR or Lux meter to track these lamps for your needs. Anthony> Reef Questions 12/14/03 love the site and books thanks and cant wait for part 2 on the natural inverts!!! <hmmm... reef fishes are next. Exciting :) And I'm visiting Bob as we speak doing slide scans for the new book. Hoping to release it this summer!> for starters I have a 90gallon (4" sand) with a 55 (3"sand) gallon refugium and 50 gallon sump !! I have just bought an Kent Maxxima ro/di unit which has cut down on the diatoms greatly :-) but hair algae is now growing !! as far as a clean up crew only thing I have right now are like 12 hermits !! which im wanting to order some snails in the next day or two and looking to get the following from Reeftopia : 100 golden Astrea snails,5 star snails,1 fighting conch,24 nerite,12 ivory cerith,24 nassarius,12 bumble bees !! now was wondering if adding any to the fuge is that a bad idea?? <the hair algae at large is due to excess ind/or inadequate water flow. Has the skimmer been working well? Are you straining the solids away from thawed frozen foods and discarding the pack juice? (not adding frozen cubes into the aquarium?). Else - rocket fuel for algae!> I have a few algae's growing in the refugium including a few mangroves and reds and of course Caulerpa which I`ve had the lights on 24/7 with good luck considering I only have 4 no tubes over it!! <I really think your refugium would perform better with a single macroalgae like Chaetomorpha, rather than multiple species competing with each other. You can keep the mangrove... but do think bout thinning the others> 2nd ? after spending ton of cash on diff chems and reading your books I've switched to changing 5 gallons of water every night out of the reef tank which I then switch every other day adding the 5 gallons reef water I just pulled out to my fish only tanks one being a 55 and 70 (all huge waste fish puffers/panther grouper/eels) knowing that the water quality is a lot better in the reef than the fish only mainly nitrates of course !! and all seams well and happy !! but with the reef tank total volume being around 150 gallons is 5 gallons a day enough to not to add any chems at all?? using coral life salt !! <it is hard to say for sure... testing some compounds will help track this... monitoring growth and vigor of animals will be an indicator for others> also in the 5 gallons replacement water I add nightly 1 gallon of kalk mix which I add 2 Tbs of kalk !! <too much kalk used here... not all dissolves in 2 gall (notice precip)> my ca is right at 400 but alk is at 3.4 (was told was way, way to low) which is natural sea water right?? ph is always at 8.2 !! <all 3 params are fine... no worries> like not adding chems and things seem to be doing great but also worried about iodine !! was using Kent tech1 as directed but never shows in test but shrimps/crab molt regularly !! I was told to buy the Kent Lugol's and after reading the bottle is says that my xenias will love it but have been maybe adding a few drops every other week do to my fear of it I guess !! <no fear needed... and all iodine is best dosed in very small daily doses as it only stays in solution for mere hours (rapidly depleted as you have noticed on your test kit)> will reg 5 gallon water changes be good enough to not to add anything?? <not likely... less frequent but much larger changes likely needed here> my xenias are splitting more and more everyday so id have to guess it ok !! and what to do with all the chems I bought now hehe sell on ebay maybe hehehe sell anything on there LOLOL your thought would be great am I on the right track or am I missing something ?? thanks <do consider finding or starting a local aquarium society for fellowship to discuss such issues at length. You likely have a hometown or regional club if you are remotely close to a big(ger) city. Anthony> Pleasing A Picky Client I'm working with an accountant for this. Yes and he is good at questioning needs vs. wants. He is also acquainted with ocean reefs. <An interesting combination of skills!> I've told him we are far from a standard reef setup without the inline filtration and skimming. He sees that as only increasing costs in electrical power consumption, additives and food since skimming does a good job at removing those things not to mention salt. <Well, it's hard to argue with the increased power consumption argument, but the skimmer is a rational necessity. As far as additives are concerned- you're better off just performing frequent small water changes as your "additives!"> He sees the coral in our system doing quite well with a few exceptions (Xenia but that maybe temperature-related we are 79- 80 deg). <Well, that's one of a million theories about xenia in captive systems> He sees no discoloration in the water. <Good> He sees we have great oxygenation where the kalk reactor is dripping. <Okay> He has also noticed that we are not going through additives anymore. <Excellent...Just salt mix!> With the star polyps, anthelia, anemones (button variety), Colt, and woods polyps need those organics to flourish, but some of those organics may not be beneficial. Even the Sarco's, Brain, ridge and torch look good. <Sounds nice> Only one tank has a lot of the cyano-bacteria which may disappear with the increased light intensity. <Well, cyano is really related to nutrient control issues...Protein skimming, water changes, and other nutrient export techniques will do the trick> I will need a little more help with the cost benefit here. Can you provide some. <Well, I'm no CPA, but my thinking is this: Time spent on maintenance, plus the cost of better-quality equipment from the start equals a more successful long-term reef. That means less money spent on "re-doing" the system at a later date, and using costly additives, remedies, and other things...Long-term success...It makes sense to me. I hope it will to your client! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.> Reef Rescue? Hello Everybody: <Hello! Scott F. at your service> This is my first post to you nice folks. I hope you can help me out. I tried looking through the previous posts, but couldn't really find the answers I am looking for. Here goes... I have a 75 gallon reef tank. I purchased a 150 gallon tank that was running for 2 years and cherry picked the pieces/parts I wanted from that tank to place into my 75 gallon. I have live rock (not all was used), torch corals, a leather mushroom, small pulsing xenia, bicolor angel, coral beauty, 4 large green Chromis, small desjardini Sailfin, arrow crab, 7 turbo snails, 4 small & 1 large hermit. I plan on trading in all the Chromis for a pair of chocolate clownfish. Will I be overstocked? <Well, the two surgeonfish will need a lot of room not far down the line; keep an eye on them. As long as you have lots of hiding places to form "territories", the angels should be able to co-exist for a while, but keep an eye on them- it could be an uneasy "peace". all in all, I'd say the tank is too overstocked to be successful in the long run...> I know I need more of a "cleanup crew." Any suggestions? <Well, I like Trochus, Strombus, and Turbo snails, myself> As you can imagine, I have more live rock than I know what to do with and I am also curing another 40 pounds in a 20 gallon tank. I was TOLD by my LFS that I needed to get an undergravel filter, but that was not an option as I already had the substrate from the 150 gallon in my 75. Plus it seemed like old technology. <I wonder why they are recommending a UGF...So many easier and more reliable long-term techniques and systems available...Weird> The original setup from the 150 was a wet/dry and the water had 40-60ppm nitrates and lots of green hair algae. The bioballs were really disgusting looking! <Yuck...Can you say "enhanced nutrient export systems"? This will be your mantra...> The guy was using a Berlin Turbo with a limewood airstone for I don't know how long! He said his pump died and didn't have time (or care) to replace it. <Not a good candidate for a reef tank!> I felt like when I purchased the tank, it was more of a humane thing to save the livestock. <Yep!> The guy obviously didn't care anymore about maintaining the tank properly (pH 8.8). <Glad he sold it to you!> At the beginning, I was running an aquaclear 500 with a bakpak2 in my 75 gallon. I know I was gimping along with this setup. I plopped down some serious cash for the AMiracle SL-150 wet/dry and a Turboflotor Multi upon recommendations from my LFS. <Good products> First, I am beginning to rethink the wet/dry with bioballs in favor of the "Berlin method" with a refugium. <That's the ticket, baby!> Any thoughts on how to modify the SL-150 to use a micron sock and use a refugium? <You may have to literally hang the sock under the standpipe(s) in the sump, or work out some other creative technique...Just trial and error, I guess. A refugium can be as simple as a plastic container over the sump, into which water is pumped from a small powerhead, then returns to the sump...Experimentation is the key!> I had the TF running as a hang-on in my tank for over a day. That did produce a light tea colored skimmate. When my wet/dry filter came, I moved the TF to the sump with a Mag 7. At any rate, I've had the TF Multi running in the sump for over a week with absolutely NO results. Everything is set up as specified in the instructions right down to the 5 degree lean. When I had my bakpak2 on the 75 gallon, it was pulling out VERY WEAK colored skimmate, but at least it was doing SOMETHING. <The Turboflotor is a great skimmer, but it can be very finicky to adjust...You may want to put a post on the WWM Forum to see what fellow TF users have done to get good results with their units> My first choice was to get a Euroreef, but I got talked into the Turboflotor by an adamant salesperson from Custom Aquatic. He told me skimmer parts were always breaking down and it was much harder to obtain replacement parts for the Euroreef than for the TF. <Well, they both have parts that are prone to wear, but they are usually available on-line from a variety of sources> I am new to all this equipment and it sounded good at the time. Now when I call them back saying I want to switch to the Euroreef, they won't take it back and tell me I have to contact the manufacture directly. ("Thanks for your money, don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out..") What creeps and what kind of a return policy is that??? <Well, it seems like customer satisfaction is not the number one priority, huh? Do try to talk to a manager or the owner and explain your situation- perhaps they can work something out? The tank has been running almost a month now. I never really saw a spike in my cycling time because of using the live rock from the 150 gallon. The last time I tested the tank, 3 days ago, the ammonia was around 0-0.25ppm, 0 nitrite, 10-20ppm nitrate. Both the wet/dry filter and the TF have been in "operation" for about a week and a half or so. <Keep testing...Ammonia should always be undetectable...> Any help would be seriously APPRECIATED! My xenia is not pulsing and I think it's because the water quality is taking a serious dive. The bakpak2 is in my 20 gallon for curing of LR. Should I move that back to the 75 gallon? <I'd do whatever it takes to achieve optimum water quality. At this point, I think that your system still needs to cycle. Measurable ammonia is a sign that something is up...> Thanks again. Sunny <Sunny, Think that you are on the right track! Just slow down and keep an eye on things...Given time and careful husbandry, things should be just fine! Good luck! Regards. Scott F> Tired Arms Hello, Do you guys sell or know of any equipment I could use to remove large decorative rocks from a 3 foot deep custom aquarium for routine bleaching? <Not really specific-duty or aquarium items, but perhaps some that are meant for other work - there are large grabbers for picking up trash, etc. that could be used for this... pull the rock from the bottom, bring to surface and then remove by hand... not sure anything short of an articulated, mechanical hand could move heavy rocks out of the water. But still... not sure about 'routine bleaching' - isn't this like a yearly event? Personally, I'd just have some friends over and use their arms too, perhaps with some of those Tunze long-sleeved gloves.> Al Clearwater Aquariums <Cheers, J -- > Whole Bunch of Marine/Reef Aquarium Questions: OK, I've compiled a larger list of questions that still ponder me (marine/reef aquarium) :-) - What do you think about Marc Weiss products? The marketing for them paints them as this huge breakthroughs in reef keeping, but are they really worth it?<I am not familiar with his products... SORRY :-( try forums and talk with people who use the product> I mean for instance, one of their products claims that besides being great for corals, it will prevent Crypto from adhering to fish, do you think it's true? <If its a reef-safe "ICH" remedy I would be very skeptical, I have never encountered a product that "cures ICH" that works without killing inverts... I suggest using copper sulfate (to treat ICH) in a QT aquarium> The two aquarium dealers in my city really recommend the products, but what is your take on that? <Honestly I have never used his products -- try reefs.org... chat forums or the one on the WWM site> BTW, are those products only fancy names for things offered by Kent Marine or Seachem, or is Marc Weiss really spending tons of money on research and patenting the technology? <don't know, but probably the first of the two possibilities> - Is Strontium and Molybdenum supplementation really necessary in a tank with corals? What about fish only tanks? <Strontium is not needed... just do a 20-30% water change every 2 to 3 weeks. It enhances coralline algae growth though. This is from a previous FAQ (do read these from time to time): "Well, Scott, the use of strontium in reef systems is a hotly debated topic, really. A lot of reefers feel that strontium is required by corals to help grow and reinforce their skeletons. Strontium does tend to get depleted from the water in aquariums, and finding the correct dosage is somewhat of a guessing game, quite frankly. It can be toxic to animals if overdoses I really don't see the need to dose Strontium, or many other "essential elements" in reef systems unless there is a specific need. Regular water changes (which everyone should be doing anyways!) will replenish many of the trace elements that are used up by the growing animals or removed by protein skimming. Keep it simple, in my opinion, and just do those water changes! Thanks for stopping by! Regards, Scott F" that is what fellow crew member ScottF wrote :)...and again Molybdenum can be replenished by performing a water change every other week> - On one of the 'bristle worm' traps product it said that bristle worms will eat corals. I have bristle worms and hard/soft corals. Should I try to get rid of bristle worms? Will those traps be effective? - What is the best way to export/decrease phosphates in the water? I don't have RO and my tap water has a bit of them. I don't have any real problem with algae, but the phosphates are somewhat high. What are my options? Will Maxima clams suck up the phosphates? Any species of corals? How about any of the commercial resins, which one would you recommend?< I recommend purchasing an RO unit!! and reading our FAQ's http://www.wetwebmedia.com/po4faqs.htm > - Is Powder Blue tang ok in the same tank with Yellow Tang and Hippo/Regal tang? <I would not try this mix unless I had a really large aquarium 300+ gallons. Some people get away with it but most of the time it doesn't work out... try it at your own risk!!!> - What would you use for internal bacterial infection? Any antibiotic that could be mixed with food and fed to fish in reef tank? < http://www.wetwebmedia.com/treatmen.htm, take a look at this page. Food should be soaked in Zoe or Zoecon, when fish are being treated> Thanks again, Luke <good luck, IanB> - Dealing with Problem Algae - To the Wet Web Media crew: My name is Lucas and this is the first time that I have written to you. Before I present my problem, perhaps some background information on the tank itself would be appropriate. The tank is a fifty five gallon with standard dimensions (20x13x48). Lighting is provided by a JBJ 2004 model Formosa light fixture with 4x65 watt bulbs (2 10,000k, 1 actinic blue and 1 6500k). Lights are on for about 10-11 hours per day. I do not have any sophisticated dawn/dusk or nighttime cycles but would like to look into them should I clear up these basic problems first. Filtration is provided by a Bak Pak 2 skimmer (I am thinking of upgrading to a Remora from Aqua C) which is equipped with the bubble catcher to prevent any micro bubbles from entering the tank. Instead of the blue bio-bale, I hang a mesh bag filled with foam and Phosphate/Silicate magnet from Marc Weiss (this is the ONLY Weiss product that I use, for I have not been too impressed with the performance of their products, although I might try their Moonshine moonlight in the future). I make sure that the mechanical media is cleaned weekly at the least and the phosphate media is replaced regularly. Circulation is provided by two Marineland Penguin 660 powerheads placed in the back corners and aimed to the center front with their output breaking the surface of the water and one AquaClear 300 power filter. There is no media in the AquaClear, I just use it for circulation. The tank is located near a window, but there are no noticeable drafts that affect the tank (the window is well sealed and remains closed) and I blocked out any light that may enter through the window and shine upon the tank. Substrate consists of 1inch of Florida Crushed Coral topped by another inch of Nature's Ocean Aragonite live sand. There is no plenum; substrate lies directly on the bottom of the tank. There is enough live rock to fill about one-fourth to one-third of the tank volume, and I make sure that adequate water movement is present around and through the rock. I am trying to replicate a sort of Caribbean biotype within my tank, and the inhabitants as such try to reflect this niche. Organisms are: Two green Chromis, one mimic tang, blue leg hermits and Astrea snails, one Diadema Urchin, one cleaner shrimp, three ball sponges, one finger sponge, Caulerpa algae, one fire coral, button polyps, feather duster worms (solitary and colonial), and various copepods and amphipods. Now, finally, to my question/problem: the tank is in the midst of a severe Bryopsis algae bloom that has persisted for some time now. The tank itself has been set up for about ten months now and went through the other algae stages (diatom and Cyanobacteria) before this infestation arose. Also, Aiptasia anemones are multiplying like crazy, and I am at a loss to try and stop them. Am I doing anything wrong? Water changes are performed weekly at about five gallons per change using Instant Ocean salt, and the specific gravity is kept at 1.025. The only additives that I use (besides the weekly water changes) are DT's phytoplankton, which is dosed according to the recommended dosage on the bottle, and "balance blocks" from HBH Enterprises. I put a block in with filter medium and phosphate magnet and let it dissolve as needed. Bak Pak puts out lots of gunk daily, and I take very good care of the tank (in regards to the daily maintenance and monitoring). Please help, as I am not sure how much longer I can stand to see my tank suffer like this. <I I don't know if I would characterize this problem as 'suffering' - almost all tanks go through similar issues, it is part of a system of natural progression. Two things come to mind that you can do to deal with this algae - first, increase flow within the tank; add more powerheads, randomize the flow. Next, start removing this algae by hand, perhaps with a toothbrush... but never the less, manual removal is the best way to get the upper hand. Also, give this article a read, should provide some background: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/algaeasfriend.htm > Any help and/or suggestions would be deeply appreciated. Sincerely, Lucas <Cheers, J -- > - Dealing with Problem Algae, Follow-up - To Wet Web Media crew: Lucas again. Forgot to mention that only RO water is used for water changes and evaporation top-off, nothing less. <Sounds good. Cheers, J -- > On The Cutting Edge (Or The Edge Of Madness?) As you may have
guessed this is an evolving system. Lots of logistics to be worked out
yet. Your opinions have been invaluable Thanks. <Glad to hear that.
Keep in mind, of course, that these are exactly that- my opinions- and
there are as many ways to "do it right" as there are
hobbyists!> So leave the lithified plenum in place. Aiptasia is OK
for the sumps. How do you keep them contained?? <I'd chip away
the rock that they are attached to, and secure it (epoxy or glue) to
the "raceway" that you are constructing. Make sure that
nutrient-laden water passes through this area, and you're a
state-of the art, cutting-edge, lean, mean aiptasia-filtering
machine!> What is Chaetomorpha linum? I don't recall this one.
<Chaetomorpha is a green macro algae that looks just like one of
those green pot scrubbing pads. It almost seems like it's made from
plastic! But it is a fantastically prolific, hardy, and effective
consumer of nutrients, if harvested regularly.> Not bubble algae I
have enough of that already. <Nope- not even close! You WANT this
stuff!> I'm interested in getting some. Where??? <I'd
start with a post on the WWM Forum. I am sure that a lot of your fellow
WWM readers could hook you up. Or check another one of the message
boards, like Reef Central, etc....You're bound to find someone who
has this stuff!> I perused quite a few of your articles and you
frequently mention skimming like its inherent with reef setups. I was
hoping to keep this simple. <Well, in my opinion, protein skimming
is simply a basic component of any reef system. Sure, there are
hobbyists who have yanked their skimmers in some sort of bizarre fit of
exploratory madness, but for the most of us- protein skimming is a
rational necessity> With the corner overflows in the tanks which
have been modified to 1 inch plus opening size to allow the necessary
volume to pass which is about an inch deep at the nap (breakpoint where
acceleration picks up). Yes, I do occasionally get snails and fish
going down the overflow. But this has dropped off substantially. When
things are good in the tanks they are not so apt to leave. These
overflows have 1in stand pipes which go into the sump with the Kalk
reactor. There are a lot of bubbles generated by the overflow, many
fine very fine and not so fine. Or should I say bubble cloud. And the
outlets are at different depths and orientated different directions. In
this sump I have the large variety simple leafed Caulerpa (smooth cigar
shaped leaves with short stalks connecting to a long smooth runner).
<This will change when you get a hold of some "Chaeto", my
friend!> This sump also contains about 500+ Aiptasia. OK I used to
feed with the Liquid zoo plankton. Aiptasia just love that stuff. (More
Marine Zoo, Marine Snow please!) <Yep- you've discovered the
magic ingredients to develop a plague population of Aiptasia!
Seriously, though- this is the "heart" of one of your new
cutting edge "filter components". Do this right and
you'll make us proud! I know that Anthony is weeping right now!
Seriously, you could really test this concept. I'm stoked for
you!> I have a screen in this sump from top to bottom mounted on
plastic egg crate which the water needs to get through before exiting
the first sump. This goes a pretty decent job at screening the bubbles.
<Good idea> The outflow from the first sump is about 4"
below the surface 3in PVC with a bell on it so the water sees a bigger
5" exit. This flows into the second sump where it leaves the pipe
not going straight into the sump but up and at an angle this breaks the
surface with about a 3/4 in hydraulic jump. This tank doesn't have
much algae growth at present. I recently reduced the height in both
sumps from 24" to 19" to gain more clearance. I
estimate capacity dropped about 15 Gal/sump. This sump has a lot of
man-made structures and some live rock. There is another top
to bottom screen mounted on egg crate in this sump before it can enter
the inlets for the return pumps. <Sounds quite good> As you may
have guessed there is a lot of crud that accumulates at or just above
the waterline in the first sump. In short I may already be skimming
without a skimmer. Comments?? <Get a skimmer. Really!> I am
considering using a two phase inline filter to deal with suspended
solids and remaining nutrients before it cycles back to the actual
reef. This may cause more head loss and reduce the flow rate to the
tanks so this upgrade would include going to a different higher output
pump. <Quite possibly, but not a bad concept. Or, perhaps you could
rig a micron filter "sock" somewhere to contain fine
particulate? Clean/change it often> With the Mag drives I get about
1800 GPH at 5.5' ft of head 900 GPH /tank turn over rate 10time/hr.
and I have powerheads rate at 300 GPH 3times/hr. Total turn over for
tanks 13/hr. The sumps are much higher 4 times as high.
<Cool...> Yes I do get quite a bit of evaporation 4-6 gal/day
depending on humidity. Salinity 1.022-025 doesn't move much even if
I wait three days between top-offs. Total Gal. 92 minus
overflow and solids say 85 galx4= 340 plus 80 gal/sumpx2 = 500 Gal.
Evaporation rate 1% I appreciate your insight about water changes 5%
twice a week = 25 Gal 2 times a week. <You'll love the results,
your animals will love you, and the salt mix manufacturers will throw a
parade in your honor. One time, I'll remember to post a picture of
the pyramid I made with empty Tropic Marine 200gal buckets in my back
yard...Well- maybe not!> Currently I get salt from the store. I
would have most favored customer status by the end of the year.
<Yeah, baby!> Know a good source for Instant Ocean?? This amounts
to a 40% water change every month. The seven gal pails would last 1
month. <I'd start with our sponsor, Drs. Foster & Smith-
they have a good price on buckets. Or, perhaps you could cut a deal
with your local store, now that you plan on becoming a full-on water
change geek like me..> About the water, that was what I thought, at
best a quarter of the expected life from the filters. <I figured...
You have enough solids in that water to make a sidewalk!> Currently
my make up water sits in a old 40 Gal long which I used to aerate until
the pump froze from the carbonate buildup. But I feel this is
necessary. So I'll be buying a pump for that. <Buy a
few! LOL> It significantly reduces iron and overall hardness to
normal levels and the water appears clear blue when you pull it out of
there not stained, not to mention that its supposed to reduce
significantly chloramine and chlorine. By the way I have not been using
a conditioner for that purpose. So I've been getting
lucky. <Yep...in a word!> But for my 60 Gal water
changes I didn't have enough stored water to do that so 30 gal
would be straight from the tap but well aerated due to the pressure the
water exits the faucet at. Things do seem to diminish a little when I
do this but not with the expected lethal results. <That's
reassuring!> Regardless I do feel it is necessary to store more
aerated water. I would buy 2 of those 100 Gal tubs and mount them on
dollies, aerate the water for 4 days. That water would fill the second
tank which would be used for water changes and makeup water. This may
also serve as a pre-treat if DI/RO is used. I could expect longer life
from the filters that way. <Smart> Optimally a third 100 gal tub
would store aerated salt water which would last 2 weeks with 5% water
changes twice a week. <There you go> Next Purchase:
The tubs are $65 ea. at fleet farm. Components for the dollies $30
ea.?? <Sounds about right...> Powerheads $65 ea. All x3.
<Mo' money....> Did I mention this set appears to be very
stable. I say appears because I do not have the actual probes to tell
me otherwise. I am going off of tank and life appearance. <Dude! You
are a madman, and I'm sure that our fellow WWM readers will be
inspired by your creative ideas! Good luck, and have fun! Regards,
Scott F> - More Reef Questions - OK, I've compiled a larger list of questions that still ponder me (marine/reef aquarium) :-) - What do you think about Marc Weiss products? <Not much.> The marketing for them paints them as this huge breakthroughs in reef keeping, but are they really worth it? <I don't think so and wouldn't use them for free, but perhaps you should try for yourself and see...> I mean for instance, one of their products claims that besides being great for corals, it will prevent Crypto from adhering to fish, do you think it's true? <Nope.> The two aquarium dealers in my city really recommend the products, but what is your take on that? <Everyone is different - your two fish stores need to make a profit, so perhaps that influences their recommendations. I personally don't go for products that make amazing claims - includes products that slice, dice, and make Julienne fries.> BTW, are those products only fancy names for things offered by Kent Marine or Seachem, or is Marc Weiss really spending tons of money on research and patenting the technology? <Have to ask Mark Weiss that question, along with Kent, et al.> - Is Strontium and Molybdenum supplementation really necessary? <In some tanks, yes - in most, no.> - On one of the 'bristle worm' traps product it said that bristle worms will eat corals. I have bristle worms and hard/soft corals. Should I try to get rid of bristle worms? Will those traps be effective? <I wouldn't worry about the bristle worms - there are both good and bad types, but luckily for you, the good types predominate. It's a rare occurrence that you will get a predatory bristle worm - and for those, yes, the trap will work.> - What is the best way to export/decrease phosphates in the water? <Don't overfeed. Second route to go is to use phosphate absorbents.> I don't have RO and my tap water has a bit of them. I don't have any real problem with algae, but the phosphates are somewhat high. What are my options? Will Maxima clams suck up the phosphates? <No.> Any species of corals? <Only slightly.> How about any of the commercial resins, which one would you recommend? <Polyfilter.> - Is Powder Blue tang ok in the same tank with Yellow Tang and Hippo/Regal tang? <Powder blue tang isn't the wisest choice for any tank - they don't ship well and are prone to bouts with ich.> - What would you use for internal bacterial infection? Any antibiotic that could be mixed with food and fed to fish in reef tank? <I might try the new Spectrum foods.> Thanks again, Luke <Cheers, J -- > As The Tank Cycles... Hi guys, <Hi there! Scott F. here today!> Thanks for the fast response. I took your advice and My damsel's eye seems to have gotten better. As for the Naso tang/tank size problem, it was brought to my attention a little while ago, and I intend to take him back to my LFS as soon as possible. I also have two more questions (last ones for a while, I promise). <No problem!> As I said, I have a 36 gallon tank (36"x16"x12") with a Naso tang (soon to be returned), two blue velvet damsels, and two percula clowns. It also has 45 pounds of mostly cured live rock, a Hagen Fluval 204 filter, and a CPR BakPak protein skimmer. It has been about 5 weeks now, and my water quality measurements are still ph 8.2, ammonia 0.25ppm, and nitrite and nitrate at 0 (the same as they were a month ago). I have tried adding a brand made cycling bacteria product (I forget the name) and I went for about a week without the protein skimmer but nothing seems to help. Any advice would be appreciated. <Honestly, what you need is just more time and a little patience. I ma concerned for the animals, particularly the tang. Detectible ammonia levels are a sign that either the tank has not completed cycling, or that something is very amiss with your husbandry techniques. Given the time that the tank has been set up, I'd suggest that you leave everything alone for a while, run regular water tests, and let the tank finish cycling> Also, I just purchased 2x96 watt Custom SeaLife Power Compact/Moon Lite Lighting and I was wondering if this would be adequate for keeping anemones. <Power compact lighting is sufficient for many animals, and anemones can be kept under this lighting, provided other environmental conditions are acceptable. Quite honestly, I'd forgo the anemone in this tank for some time. Environmental stability and a larger tank, specifically set up to meet the demanding needs of anemones are very important. Anemones have a dismal record of survival in captivity, and we need to give careful consideration to their needs...> Thanks, Rem <My pleasure, Rem. Just be patient, hang in there, and you'll be successful! Regards, Scott F> -Air bubbles and some other stuff- Hello again! <Hi! Kevin here> Today I received your book "Reef Invertebrates" . I hope that after reading it many of my questions will be answered, so I will not have to bother you so often! <Excellent, it's truly one of the best books out there, you'll learn a ton!> Question 1: I realized that there are a few small air-bubbles on my LR and once in a while some of them are released to the surface of water. From what I have read this can be the end-result of the denitrification process. Is this so, or is it something else? <I doubt that they're nitrogen bubbles (not to say that there isn't any denitrification going on in the tank), they're likely either air bubbles from the skimmer or other source or they're co2 bubbles from algae.> Question 2 :I have a Tetra UV-sterilizer. Is it better to attach it to my reef or to my quarantine tank? <Quarantine, run only when needed.> Question 3: I have B-Ionic for Ca and Alk. I have also bought a product named CombiSan by "Two Little Fishies" after the advice of a friend who uses it regularly. <Do a search on reefs.org or reefcentral for this product, there was some controversy about this product a year or two ago, should be an interesting read.> I also have some additives: Strontium. Magnesium, Iodine. I have not used them yet (I just got them yesterday). At the moment all I have in my reef is Live Rock with some sorts of Caulerpa growing on it, some fan worms, some Sycon Sponges (maybe) some sponges and a lot of micro algae (green and red). <Are the bubbles appearing on the surface of the red "microalgae"? If so, you've probably got Cyanobacteria.> My reef is just 15 days old , the LR has cured and I intend to leave it as it is for another month, in order to let every possible organism grow freely. <Excellent> I use a Poly-filter and some activated carbon and my Remora skimmer is still getting a lot of staff out. <I bet the remora is the source of the bubbles since it just probably broke in.> What do you recommend to use as supplements in this phase ? <You should regularly test and adjust your calcium and alkalinity. As a rule, you really shouldn't be adding anything to your tank w/out testing for it and noting a lack thereof. Following the directions of all of those chemicals you bought will not likely result in disaster, but it's debatable (holy geez, I can't spell, I think...) whether or not it's worth spending your money on them. Good luck! -Kevin> Thanks, Thanassis Cyano, Surface Scum, and Unhappy Polyps >Dear WWM Crew, It's been a while since my last inquiry, and I've since encountered a couple of problems. Here are my tank specs: 45 Gallon tank (36"x 12" x 24") Aqua C Remora w/Maxijet 1200 Whisper 3 powerfilter (for carbon / water movement) 1 x 250 gph powerhead 1 x 80 gph powerhead 75 lbs live rock (50/50 Tonga/Florida Gulf) 4+ inch DSB (sugar fine aragonite) 4 x 55 W power compacts (2x10K / 2 actinic) Current inhabitants: 1 yellow tang (3") 1 coral beauty (2.5") 1 solar fairy wrasse Cirrhilabrus solorensis (3") 3 Mexican Turbos 7 blue leg hermits 7 scarlet reef hermits 1 small colony of green polyps The tank has been running about 10 months. Nitrates, Nitrites, Ammonia = 0 pH is a little low at around 8.0 - 8.1 KH - 9 About 2 months ago I began to notice some cyano growing on my DSB. My water change regiment is 5 gallons (11%) weekly and I have always been very careful about not overfeeding. The foods I use are Formula 1 and 2 as well as some marine flakes/pellets and nori for the tang and angel. I alternate between these. I had been using tap water for water changes aged/aerated 1 week and decided that since all or most other factors were ruled out (overfeeding, under skimming, infrequent water changes, inadequate water flow) that it must be the tap water. So I purchased a 6 stage RO/DI unit and have since used this water for all top off and changes. About the same time I got the RO/DI unit, I began to add as per manufacturers recommended dosage some Seachem reef calcium for my coralline algae growth, and Iodine for the inverts. These are the only supplements I have ever used in my tank and am pretty sure that they are not a contributing factor to my algae problems (I have discontinued their use for 2 weeks to confirm). >>I agree, but you have yet to mention any phosphate/phosphorous testing. >Well the coralline is growing beautifully, however the cyano is getting worse. If I stir the surface it is back the next day. I realize that my tank is tall, and that this is not necessarily ideal for nutrient export in that there is more vertical space in the water column before the debris and detritus can reach my mechanical filtration, however by placing one powerhead on the bottom left front about 2 inches above the sand bed and one in the middle right rear of the tank I believe I am getting decent water movement. With the skimmer and Whisper in addition to my 2 powerheads I have about 15X turnover. >>I generally agree, but let's say your change water is phosphate-free, then I would tend to lean towards insufficient water changes when compared to your bioload. >I am considering the purchase of some Nassarius snails an Archaster starfish, or an Amblygobius phalaena goby as I'm not quite sure what else to do. >>I will encourage the sea star, along with a serpent (Ophioderma squamosium.. sp?) sea star for detritus cleanup. I'd also try making some large water changes, but first test at least for phosphates and nitrates before adding to the tank. (Yep! The cyano may be "fixing" what's in the tank.) >This stuff is very irritating, and as far as I know I'm doing everything right. >>Indeed, my only other suggestion would be to add a refugium to the setup. I'd also like to note that the yellow tang will quite soon outgrow that tank. Woefully. >My next issue is the clear/whitish film on the top of my water. This too is a reoccurring problem which I cannot seem to shake and would seem to indicate water flow issues as well, but as per above I think this can't be the problem. I have tried placing a powerhead near the top of the tank pointing up to disrupt the surface, but this simply pushes the scum to the other side. I purchased the surface skimmer box for the Remora, however this design is poor in that the evaporation in a day is enough to disrupt the supply of water to the intake pump and needs constant adjusting in order to function properly, so I removed this in fear of burning out my pump. >>Ah, yes, unless you set up an automatic top off system. However, a surface skimmer box is the ONLY way I know of to actually remove this very common occurrence. >I also remove the scum manually on a daily basis with a net but the next day it's back. >>Yes, I wouldn't spend the time, myself. This stuff is very unsightly and I'm concerned it is disrupting my gas exchange and light penetration. >>Doubtful it's significant. >Finally, my green polyps which I purchased knowing are a very hardy are not opening fully and seem to be less than flourishing. I have them placed about 6 inches below the surface and my lights are about 2.5 inches above the surface, so I do believe I have plenty of light. The strange thing is that at night they seem to fully open and look much happier. Could they be too close to the light? >>Not so strange, listen to what they're telling you. Try moving them lower in the tank, or towards the ends of the lights/tank (assuming fluorescents are being used). >I don't feed them anything directly, however when I feed the fish flakes and the Formula foods small bits of food settle on the polyps. >>I don't think it would hurt them to be target fed every once in a while at LEAST. I would find a good coral food, do a search on feeding polyps on our site. >All my other inhabitants are in excellent condition. Hopefully you have some answers for me, as I have worked very hard and patiently to set up a successful aquarium and am not getting the results I expected. I have researched endlessly, and have tried most all the recommendations I have come across to no avail. >>And thus you learn that it's not all science, but often an art. >Best Regards, Jesse Canizio >>Try the testing, etc. mentioned, and hopefully you'll find some answers with the results. Marina Tuning the reef aquarium 9/13/03 Anthony- Thanks for your advice and I will use it. <quite welcome mate> It made me feel good that you took a very polite "dig" at the Berlin skimmer. It has been driving me nuts and I can not get more than about a 1/4 cup of skimmate every week or so. And the pump is wide open. <your experience is very common... we get a remarkable number of questions/concerns about this brand (and several others)> I mention all of this because I just purchased a Precision Marine Bullet 1 skimmer 2 days ago. After shopping around it seemed like a great deal since it included the gate valve and a Sedra 9000 pump. I am planning on running it inline and getting it out of the sump. <all good... and any skimmer that produces a good and reliable (several times weekly or better) skimmate is a good skimmer to me <G>> I am excited about getting the submersible pump out of the sump with the Berlin because I have an ongoing battle with high temps in the summer. It is expensive running fans and bumping the air in the house down all of the time in the summer. I am in Atlanta, GA. Sweet tea, grits and 100% humidity with 95 deg. <understood and agreed!> I will leave the Kenya Tree Coral (Kenny) where he is and wait another week or so. Thanks for you advice and time. Hope the weekend is good for you Dennis <best regards, Anthony> Water changes 9/4/03 Anthony- What % of water can be change in a reef tank every day. RGibson <there is no minimum % if it is done safely. Some wholesalers with heavy fish loads do 100% daily. For very good aquarium health, however, 10-20% daily would be very fine. Anthony> Minor Adjustments (Running A Modest-Sized Tank) Hey there guys. <Scott F. your guy tonight> This is the first time I have asked a question, as all my prior ones have already been answered. What a great site! All my Australian friends are now hooked as well! <Cool! Glad to hear that our friends from Down Under are enjoying the site!> Ok my tank as it is right now: 120L tank Ak's overflow box feeding to…. 40L sump with a rather large skimmer in it (rated to 1500L aquarium) http://www.aks.net.au/protein.html.. (its the 2nd one from the top.) Producing around a cup of dark smelly brown gunk a day. <Excellent! dark and smelly is what we like to hear! Er- at least as far as skimmate is concerned...LOL> Filtration a via an Eheim 2213 canister filter (running mechanical, biological, and chemical {carbon}) with a 15W UV in the return (inlet and outlet both in main tank for canister) 150w 10000k MH sitting about 10 inches off the waterline (tank open top)… runs for 8 hours a day, has a UV glass filter on light unit 2 X 20W "marine-glo" (blue) tubes… runs for 10 hours a day, overlapping the MH <Sounds great...> 20kg's life rock 1" dead crushed shell grit bed full of soft and stony corals… all doing great 2 clams a pair of red and white coral banded shrimps 1 abalone 1 hermit crab 2 star fish and a few snails water changed 25% every 2-3 weeks <If you really want to be a serious reef geek, you'll try more frequent changes, like once or twice a week (5% per change)...You'll be amazed at the difference in your tank. And it's not that labor-intensive...!> fresh water top offs done so with RO water Does all this sound alright to you… im open for ANY suggestions is an airstone a bad idea in the main tank with corals? <Supplemental aeration is okay, although not always necessary with good circulation and gas exchange> I've been told not to, is the corals will not like it? Is this true? <Well, lots of microbubbles forming on coral tissue could be a problem> NO fish as yet in main tank.. had a bad white spot drama and lost yellow tang, blue tang, and a clown. <Yuck! No sense in rushing things...Take your time!> Display tank has now been sitting with no fish for around 2 months now. Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 6 ppm Salinity 1.023 Temp 26 deg. C calcium 550-600ppm (does it matter it is that high?) <Well, 450 would be better, IMO...> KH: 250ppm Phosphate: 0 Ph 8.4 <Sounds great!> Now for the last 3 weeks I have had a pair (well they are trying to pair) of ocellaris (1" each) and a bi colour Dottyback (1")in QT. QT 18" tank with the small Ak's skimmer running, and some matrix as bio filter all levels good <Excellent! Glad to hear that you're using a quarantine tank!> A few days ago a caught the Dottyback scratching into things every now and then (no visible spots), so I took ALL fish out of QT and gave them all a separate F/W bath for around 6-7 mins, then put them back in the QT tank. All done well. And brought the copper levels up in the tank as per instructions. No scratching.. no nothing… all seems happy now. How long should these guys spend in QT before I can put them in the display tank? <I quarantine all new fishes for at least 3 weeks before introducing them into the main tank. I'd give them a full 3 weeks post-cure before introduction...Better safe than sorry!> After these guys are in and all seems well I would like to add some more fish.. one by one.. and in this order: (of course after their stay in the QT tank <Love to hear that!> 1) Nemateleotris decora (purple Firefish) x1 <Could be a problem with the Dottyback, which can be a really rough customer with fishes of similar size and shape> 2) Zebrasoma flavescens (yellow tang) x1 <A great fish, but I think that your tank is a bit too small...> 3) Centropyge loricula (flame angel) x1 <Another great fish...A better choice might be one of the "dwarf dwarf" angels, like C. acanthops or C, fisheri...> Does this sound like too many fish? <Not too many- but too many fishes that need more room...Make some compromises and substitutions and I think that you'll be fine!> Will these fish get along? <With enough room and territories> Will I require another canister filter? <I don't think so. I'd utilize more frequent water changes, use of chemical filtration media (carbon, Poly Filter, etc.) and keep things simple. Keep getting good production from that skimmer!> If I still have any room for an extra fish or two.. any suggestions for something interesting? <I like small gobies and wrasses, like the sixline wrasse, which is a peaceful and colorful addition that I'm sure you'll enjoy> Again, all comments, are welcome and appreciated. Thank you, very much for you help. I would not be here enjoying my tank with my family if it were not for you guys and girls! Keep up the good work Garth Thanks again <Well Garth, thanks so much for the kind words! It's a lot of fun bringing the site to you! Sounds like you're on your way to a cool tank. Your practices and procedures are excellent. You just need to make a few different fish selections and I'm sure that things will work out perfectly! Good luck! Regards, Scott F> - Running out of Patience - This tank is driving me nuts now, since it went cloudy after the water changes I thought I would wait it out and it took about 2-3 weeks and the tank started to clear up, but guess what, just when it almost clear, it went cloudy again, just as bad, if not worse, it has been cloudy for like a month now and I have no idea how to clear it up, if I can not get it clear soon, I will give up and drain it, because its starting to really bug me, it looks like crap, the water is a slimy green and still tests ok, any Ideas? <Well... just going on your previous email, I think there might be an issue with your tap water. Have you ever tried RO or the very least distilled? It seems to me that your cyano problems are coming in as passengers in your tap water. Likewise, in your previous email it was mentioned... patience is a virtue, and one you should have in spades for this hobby. If you are admittedly not a patient person, and not willing to become more patient, then this hobby may not be for you. Only bad things happen fast in reefkeeping, and you've been changing water like it was going out of style... especially when it could be your water that is causing the problems. Similarly, if you are adding anything else to the water - iodine, fish solution, calcium, buffers, or anything like that, you need to stop... let the tank come into its own. My last question/statement would be this... what type of substrate are you using? Could be you've selected something too fine which is ending up in suspension all the time... I've seen this happen with Southdown for instance, and the solution is to put a layer of larger, heavier crushed coral on top to keep the sand where it's supposed to be and not floating all over your tank. I'd love to discuss this more, but don't know enough about your methodology, the tank, and what you're putting in it. Do let me know. Cheers, J -- > One Tank- Two Owners! (And A Whole Lot of Fun!) Dear Scott,
<Hi there! Good to hear from you again!> Here's an update...
I was able to remove 11 blennies (10 of which went to the
"expert". I wonder if he QTed them?), and the male tomato
clown, but not the yellow tail or the ich infested female tomato clown.
She saw me get the male, and even though she had seen several blennies
caught and been completely in the net the day before (eating, but I had
no hospital tank) she won't come near it now. She has me stumped.
In defeat I bought a scarlet cleaner shrimp and the two
"hang" together. (I may invest in a few more, but they
aren't cheap. What do you think?) The shrimp has been grooming her,
which is good, but now what? <Well- two options...Get a "fish
trap" (which essentially is an acrylic tube with a "trap
door" in front. you bait the fish into it with it's favorite
food and wait for the frustration that will inevitably follow! Or- you
can try to wait a few more days until the fish "settles down"
a bit, and try to tempt it out into the open and then net it...Breaking
down a reef is not fun...> My husband can't or won't remove
the live rock (which is a fish playground, full of caves and tunnels).
<I understand completely!> She still has the same spots as before
and a few extra, not as horrible as some pictures I've seen, but I
am concerned about those on her gill line. Meanwhile the male is having
a bit of fun in the hospital tank with his PVC bends and tees, and
picking on his only roommate, an unknown blenny (not a Molly Miller,
but slimmer with two small fan-like dorsal fins, plainer [if you can
believe that], changes colors a bit, and swims more- what is it?). My
hospital now has a heater, filter, and copper treatment. <Sounds
great! I'm sure that he'll make a full recovery. It is really
rewarding when you cure a sick fish!> Too bad it doesn't have
the fish that needs it most! After X amount of time passes and for some
reason I am able to reunite this pair, will they still be a pair? <I
would think so...Might take a while to "rekindle the flame",
as they say- but should be a storybook ending!> I confess that I am
not fond of this adult female at all. She acts bi-polar! <I could
make a lot of comments here, but I won't!> I know the yellow
tail has no intention of being netted, although I can hand-feed him.
Luckily, he is the picture of health. <Keep those fingers
crossed...> The anemone is doing fine, or at least it is eating
nearly every day. I don't think it has much sting as the shrimp
stands right next to it and sleeps under it. <Well, many shrimp
develop some degree of "immunity" from the anemone's
sting, so this may be what you're witnessing here> It hasn't
moved and I think the color is improving slightly. I will say that some
button polyps are growing at the same level, so perhaps there is enough
light. Speaking of light, two of the bulbs were replaced about two
weeks ago and the other two are less than two months old. Should the
blue lights be on the same switch? <Switch as in- changing? Yep-
I'd change the bulbs all at the same time, myself, although
everyone has a different opinion on this matter...With regards to
"switch" meaning "on/off" cycle...Doesn't
really matter, IMO> We have one of each on each switch, staggered by
twenty minutes each way. <Sheesh- I shoulda kept reading! LOL> I
have a question about the green or blue/green Chromis. I have read that
they are relatively short-lived. Is that because they are used to cycle
a tank for beginners, <Yeah- probably! LOL> which leads to health
problems? Or, is there something congenital like early blindness?
<To be honest, I have not heard this...> We are also concerned
about our yellow tail sharing his coral, which I assume they will also
want to share. Since our tank situation is bad, ich-wise (everything
else is testing perfect), it will be a while before we really have to
worry about it. I just want to settle on what "schooling"
fish to look for. When the time is right, my husband is taking your
advice and getting the Blue Hippo Tang. We will probably get the Coral
Beauty Angel at the same time, as (near as I can figure) the most
aggressive fish already live in the tank! <Well, blue Chromis are
really a great choice for schooling fishes, IMO> Oh, and we settled
on soft corals for this tank (he is enchanted with colt coral), so he
gets the Tang and I get the soft coral. Ah-h-h-h-h, compromise!
<That's what makes the world go around! See- you can both enjoy
this tank together...Makes the whole project a lot more fun!> Your
faithful mentee, Crystal <A pleasure, Crystal! Sounds like things
are on a more positive note! Keep up the good work, and write us back
soon! Regards, Scott F!> - New Aquarist Confusion! Ahhh! - Well... I recently started a saltwater aquarium, and unfortunately I have been fed so many conflicting opinions that I currently don't know up from down. <Hehe, unfortunately that happens sometimes> I was hoping someone could walk me through the proper way to maintain my tank. I have already been through 2 different types of filters, two different skimmers, a UV sterilizer, and now I am told I should have a sump instead. Ack! <I suppose I should start out by saying that there is really no one way to go about it...> My goal: I currently live in an apartment and am looking to purchase a house within the next 2 years, so I was told that it would be fine to start with a 30 gal tank and move up to a 75 when I finally make the move. Now I am told that a 30 gal was much too small to try and I should have started at with at least 40 gal. <That's splitting hairs. Although tanks larger than 30g will be much more stable and forgiving of water quality woes, you can absolutely be successful your first time around w/ a 30> Well, that damage already being done....can someone give me tips on the proper way to maintain a standard 30 gal long tank? <Let's see whatcha got...> I currently have and Eheim Ecco canister filter, a Seaclone venturi skimmer, a 9 watt UV sterilizer (do not have turned on, was told to use after an unmanageable green algae bloom in the 3rd week after I started the tank... <Hmmm...>) .. and lighting is the CoralLife 36" 96 watt 50/50 compact fluorescent (10,000K daylight and 50% actinic 03 blue) That is all the equipment I have and was told that I would need for a small reef tank. ( I have recently been told that the canister was unnecessary. ...and Ebo-Jager heater. <For starters, you definitely need a heater unless you keep the room at a constant 78-81 degrees! The canister filter is unnecessary provided you have ample live rock in the tank. The protein skimmer was a good idea, but the reasoning for the UV is off. It seems you have been guaranteed an algae problem, and unless it's greenwater, that sterilizer won't do a thing. Do check out the following link: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/algaeconMar.htm for the ins and outs of preventing problem algae growth. In your case it will pretty much boil down to purifying your incoming water and limiting other incoming nutrients.> In the tank I have 30lbs cured live rock, and 40lbs of live sand, a green Chromis, yellow tail damsel, painted parrot wrasse, and scooter blenny. Inverts I have 2 emerald crabs, 10 red legged hermits, a serpent star, and a feather duster. Corals I have a pulsing xenia, green mushroom, fox, and gonipora (yes, I know, found out after it was given to me by a friend)..... <In the near future, I would suggest adding an additional 96w power compact to this setup to keep these corals happy long term> Water is at 78 F.. salinity 1.023 ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 5 calcium 450 ph 8.2-8.3 supplements = c-balance & sea elements by Julian sprung = 1x per week <Since you're adding a calcium and alk product, you should test your alkalinity (aka carbonate hardness) and determine whether or not it is at an acceptable level.> coral food = Bioplankton = 1 drop every other day light on 12 am- 12 pm new salt water = tap treated w/ Seachem declorinator, Kent saltmix, ph 8.2 <I would suggest purifying your tap water by reverse osmosis or deionization (preferably both!) means. Check out: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/water4maruse.htm> mix = 10% change 1x every other week, was not enough so now once a week.... I would really like to maintain a healthy 30 gal reef until I move into a larger place....is there any equipment I should change...things I don't have that I need....water parameters I should fix/ look to maintain......any suggestions? <I would suggest doubling the lighting, removing all but the activated carbon from the canister filter (and then only use monthly for a week), and working on getting a water purification unit. You may also want to perform a phosphate check and until the incoming nutrients have ceased and the stuff is out of the tank, you may need to run phosphate removing resin.> I have been given a hodge-podge of info between two reef keepers and the "Conscientious Marine Aquarist" book and was hoping for one straight answer..... <Hah! You'll never get a strait answer in this hobby! Good luck! -Kevin> -Aiptasia and other stuff- Thanks for all the great advice so far. <Kevin here today> I've got a new 165gal that has been running for 2 months. According to what I have read on this site, it has gone through the typical progression and is now at the stage where micro algae is waning and coralline growth is starting to gather momentum. <Good!> Not many critters yet, just a few small Chromis, one 4" Sailfin, 2 LPS, one leather coral and 50+ each snails and hermit crabs. Before I start adding more livestock, I have some housekeeping to do. I now have about 8 Aiptasia from very small to medium and a good-sized bristleworm. I've read the FAQ's and I thought I would take out the infested rock, put it in a water-filled tub and kill Aiptasia with boiling water from a turkey baster. If I shoot them several times, is that likely to do the job or should I also cover the spots with epoxy? <Some can find their away out even with the blob of epoxy there. I'd suggest injecting with boiling water and then covering with a kalkwasser paste.> It looks to me that the Aiptasia are confined to just a couple of rocks so I may not need to remove and inspect everything. Does that sound reasonable or should I remove and closely inspect everything? <I'd nail the infested rocks, then you can inject others that pop-up right in the tank. Have you tried some peppermint shrimp as a biological control?> I thought I would try and trap out the bristleworm since it is in an apparently Free-free rock that is at the bottom of the pile. I could break everything down and remove it if I had to but would prefer to be more selective. What would you do? <The overwhelming majority of bristleworms are harmless to coral (although they pack a punch if you touch them!). I do understand that they're not the most pleasant things to look at. If you don't like the looks of it, trap it.> Finally, a word on feeding. I understand the importance of low nutrients and good circulation and have not been supplementing the water with anything except effluent from a calcium reactor. Water chemistry is good but as you would expect, things like iodine and strontium are low. <You've been testing?> Total food added to the system is just one cube of Mysid shrimp or algae per day, 1/2 at mid day and the other in the evening. Does that sound like a little or a lot? <Sounds appropriate for the critter-load. I'd be concerned that the 50+ hermits aren't getting enough to eat though.> Doesn't seem like enough to me but I am reluctant to feed more. I also stir up what has settled in the tank with a powerhead once every week or two to re-suspend particulates. <I'd toss in some seaweed on a clip several times per week for the tang in addition to what's being fed now. Good luck! -Kevin> Cheers, George. The Sandbed-Shaken- Not Stirred? I've created a DSB in my marine tank. <Good for you! An excellent technique to reduce or eliminate nitrate continuously and naturally!> I wonder if I should add any sand shifting (if so which ones? I need some reef safe ones) organisms. <Personally, I am against the heavy "stirring" of sand, by both the aquarist and sand-dwelling animals. I like to disturb the sand as little as possible. IMO, It's okay to stir the very top layers (no deeper than 1/2"-3/4" or so, just to keep the sand from clumping, but it may not really be necessary if the system is well-maintained. If you are inclined to use "sand-sifting" creatures, I'd limit your "crew" to a few brittle stars. They do a great job at scavenging uneaten food and detritus, and do not overly disturb beneficial processes occurring in the sand bed.> But then, if they shift sand will that not provide oxygen to the lower layers of sand, so no anaerobic bacteria will grow and therefore no nitrate reduction will occur? Thank you. <Well, the argument for as little disturbance to the sand bed as possible holds well here! Over-zealous "maintenance" practices can interrupt the very processes that you are trying so hard to foster! Read a lot more on sand beds in Anthony and Bob's new "Reef Invertebrates" book! God luck and enjoy your system! Regards, Scott F>> Fish Stories... Dear piscatorial friends: How do you do? <Great! And how 'bout you? Scott F. at the keyboard tonight!> [I am re-sending this email as I have not received a reply for the past 21/2 days. - may have slipped thru the cracks] <Yikes! It can happen...Sorry about that!> Was hoping to see at least one of you guys at the Beach Volleyball tournament in San Diego over the weekend (on TV - and I would have only recognized Bob and Anthony). <Yep- and I would have been in the water, so I guess you'd have to look for Bob or Anthony in their regulation-issue fluorescent pink WWM speedos...> Right, a few questions: -------------------------------- 1. How much is too much - I've a 46 G Oceanic Bowfront F.O. tank. For circulation, I am using 2 powerheads on opposite ends. One delivers (Rio 1700) 642 gph and the other (Rio 600) 200 gph. I ordered an the AquaC Remora and is scheduled for installation tomorrow. And not to forget the flow that comes from my dual spill-way power filter. Is the sum of it all supererogatory? <Well, it all depends on the types of animals that you are keeping. SPS corals require very strong water flow ("chaotic" is the term used the most), so, as Billy Idol used to say, "Too much is never enough..." Obviously, some animals cannot tolerate high-flow environments with laminar flow, such as Bubble Corals, which will simply be blasted apart over time under these conditions. It all points to careful study on your part to assemble a community of animals that are adapted to your conditions> 2.Noticed signs of Cryptocaryon irritans on my 3-inch Rhinecanthus Aculeatus and 2-inch Parupeneus barberinoides. Added some Malachite Green/Formalin based medication hoping to ameliorate/eradicate the situation. And it the helped the trigger but persists on the goat. Question: How do medications like copper/garlic et. al work? I've heard that when you feed garlic, the fish eventually exudes the garlic via "perspiration" and these ciliate protozoan desist from attaching itself. <Essentially correct. The prevailing theory about garlic as a "therapy" for Cryptocaryon is that it emits a partially sulphurous chemical signature, which essentially "masks" the receptor mechanisms of the causative parasites. In my opinion, garlic is probably better used as a preventative, rather than as a "treatment". Copper is highly effective, but not all fishes can tolerate it...As Ananda frequently advises WWM readers, fishes like puffers have great difficulty with copper, so other medications are better suited for them. Copper, however, works very well for many fishes, particularly if used in conjunction with a "fallow period" in the display tank (which addresses the parasite's life cycle and deprives them of their host fishes) And Malachite Green/Formalin is supposed to increase mucous production to which the crypt can no longer "grip" to the fishes body. Is this true? <Well, copper and these other treatments do function in that manner. And, of course, copper is highly toxic to many parasites, making it a very effective cure if used carefully> 3. There are no exacting directions as to the removal/discontinuation of treatment for the product I used. What is the standard? 25% water change after a week's treatment augmented with Poly-bio marine filter pads? <I like that idea...I think that regularly changing the water in smaller quantities is important...> Can I continue putting this solution in the water over the next 2 months (at a decreasing dosage) to completely decimate the ick population? Will this in turn destroy the beneficial/nitrifying bacteria in my tank? I understand that this should be done in a quarantine system but since it's a F.O. system, I did not think that there would be anything adverse. This is where you clobber me.] <Well, I'd contact the manufacturer for an exact treatment duration- it can vary from product to product. I do feel that 2 months of continuous medication can basically wipe out the infection, but may cause significant "collateral damage" to the beneficial life in the tank. That's why I like running an infected tank without fishes for a month or more. This deprives the parasites of their intended hosts (your fishes) and causes their population to "crash", without any lingering side effects.> The other inhabitants include damsels, a hawkfish and cardinalfish, all very hardy individuals/species. 4. With the arrival of the AquaC skimmer, on a F.O.tank, how often would I need to perform water changes. Present regimen is 10%/weekly using RO/DI water and Instant Ocean Synthetic Salt mix. My thoughts are 10%/bi-monthly since the skimmer is suited for tanks up to 75 Gallons and there is access capacity here. <I disagree! The skimmer is a great help, but so are the water changes...Why not keep them up and really create great water quality? It's such a good habit to engage in!> Furthermore, Jason Kim (the big-cheese @ AquaC) told me that I can safely upgrade to a Rio 1100. That's 335gph compared to the default Rio 800 pump which outputs 211gph. Does this mean that I can further prolong my water change if I upgraded the pump? <Nope. It just means that your skimmer will be that much more productive! And I know that Jason will agree with me on that point!> 5. Feeding - I feed my fish a mixed fare - S.F. bay brine shrimp in the mornings, and OSI Marine flakes or Hikari freeze-dried brine b4 lights-off. I do add Zoecon to the brine shrimp once a week. Occasionally, they get chopped shrimp/scallops/clam. Question: I "dilute" the frozen block's of live food in RO/DI water and pour the mixture into the tank. Is this deleterious to my water quality? <Personally, I think that it can be, in the long run. Lots of phosphate and nitrate accumulate as a result of the regular addition of these "packing juices"...Better to rinse the food in fresh water and feed it with a toothpick or other implement, so as not to let the liquid from the food get into the tank> Or will the skimmer take care of it? <Well, a skimmer will certainly remove some of these substances, but why use sloppy husbandry practices and rely on the skimmer as a "crutch"? Keep up the careful husbandry procedures and really let the skimmer do its job!> 6.More livestock? - I noticed at light-off that not a single fish is in sight and that there is sufficient hiding-space/room for my livestock. Can I maybe squeeze in one or two more fish in here? Here's what I have in mind: a. Canthigaster Solandri or b. Forcipiger Flavissimus or c. Chaetodon Collare or d. Pseudochromis Paccagnellae/Diadema and e. Centropyge loricula Please advice and thanks in advance. Best, BC <Well, BC, I think that in this sized tank, the most that you'd want to place in there would be the P. paccagnellae of P. diadema. The Trigger that you have will need lots of space, and will outgrow this tank in a surprisingly short time...Think about the long run and the fishes' requirements...I think that you need to limit your additions at this point, and consider moving up to a larger tank for optimum long-term fish health> PS: The Remora is indeed an excellent skimmer. As of today, it has made my water look crystal clear. It puts the CRRR in CRISP! Thanks for the recommendation! <And you put the "D" in "dedicated"! Keep up your learning and diligent husbandry practices, and you'll continue to enjoy much success! Good luck! Regards, Scott F> New reef tank 07/25/03 <Well not Bob, but PF> Dear Bob; I just found your site today. Wonderful stuff! My husband has a 150 gal reef tank. It has around 140 lb of live rock. He has been working on it for about a month and it is doing well. So far we have about twenty snails, several blue-legged crabs, a sally lightfoot crab (whom I adore), a sea cucumber (goldfish brown with dark brown/black "points"- it is a great worker), and a red serpent star (Rudy). New this week we added more snails, two emerald crabs, a red brittle star, and a yellow tailed damsel (for fun). Although this is my husband's project, I have become fascinated with the whole process and have lots of questions. First: I have been reading a lot of negative things about starfish. Neither of ours is green and they seem to get along with the other critters. Are they okay? Supposedly the only thing we need to feed (at this point) is the damsel. Is that right? This tank is not going to have a lot of fish in it, so I have to choose carefully. What would you recommend when the cycling is done? Last question for now: We still have a problem with green algae on the sand, especially in the front. What do we need to add to our cleaning crew and how many? We never planned on such a big tank, but got a tremendous deal on it…so here we go. Oh, and could you recommend a "must have" book? I appreciate your insights. Thanks! Crystal <Hi Crystal, as to the first, the notorious green brittle star (more info here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brittlestars.htm ) are notorious for a reason. The ones you have should be fine. Your other animals will most likely eat the left overs from the fish. Be aware, that the damsel will become extremely aggressive. If the tank is to be primarily coral with only the damsel as it piscine occupant, that's not a problem. I would hold off adding any more clean up critters, they could eat all the available food, then starve. Come up with a stocking plan, people either here or on the board will be happy to advise you. The algae problem should go away, you are running a skimmer, correct? If it's still there in a few months, then you need to worry. As for must have books, I would of course recommend Bob's Conscientious Marine Aquarium as a second book. The first book I would recommend would be Mike Paletta's New Marine Aquarium, a very good starter book. Have a good night, PF> Testing And Tweaking A New Tank! I have a few questions regarding my setup and the cycling process for my 50g reef tank. My system includes 50g tank, Euro-Reef CS 6-1 skimmer, one 250w 10000k halide light, Mag 7 return pump, and Maxijet 1200 powerhead. I have 40lbs of live sand, 60lbs cured live rock, 20lbs of base rock, 10 turbo snails (5 large), 5 crabs, and 2 clownfish. I also use RO water. After 3 1/2 weeks everything looks fine except I've noticed my water is turning hazy. The haze is a sort of white smoke. <Hmm...Could be anything from excessive detritus, to bacteria, or even some additives, like Kalkwasser, "falling out of solution"> My Ph is at 8.0, Alk is 5.5, Nitrites-0, Free Ammonia-0, Total Ammonia-.05 <should be undetectable> , and Nitrates-2. I've been told several different answers on how long I should expect to be cycled. 1 week to 6 weeks. I've been told several answers on when I could add corals. 4 weeks to 6 months. <Well, no set answers, as far as time is concerned. Every tank cycles at a different rate, depending on a myriad of factors...You can add corals and other inverts after water parameters have stabilized at acceptable levels> So here are my questions: - Does my setup sound o.k.? <It does. I really like your choice in protein skimmers!> - How long should I realistically wait? <Well, you should wait until environmental parameters stabilize at acceptable levels...hard to say when that will happen...You just have to be patient...it will happen!> - What is the haze? <As above- lots of possibilities...Think about recent activities, such as additions of additives, Kalkwasser, sandbed disturbances, etc...the answer is out there!> - Do I have too many snails (It looks like a ton.) <Nah- it seems okay to me...> - Is my Ph too low? <Check it at day and night to see what the readings are...You'll probably find some fluctuation...If this is the daytime reading, it is a bit on the low side, but within a normal range> - Do I have enough live rock? <It depends on the goals of your tank, and the aesthetic effect that you are trying to achieve...It sounds fine to me!> - How should I have my skimmer set? <Place it where it receives a regular flow of the most nutrient rich water from the tank> Your help is very much appreciated. It's nice to talk to someone who's not trying to sell me something. <I just try to sell people on the idea of regular frequent water changes, and to share what they've learned with others!> Thanks, Chris <Your quite welcome, Chris! best of luck with your system. Sounds like you're on the way to success! Regards, Scott F> -Dying, dying, everywhere- Great Reef Invert book. Got, read it, it's very good. <Will pass along!> I'm looking forward to volume 2. But...need some help please. My soft corals in my tank is not doing very well right now, so I'm hoping you can help. It is 75 gallon and 1.5 yrs old w/about 125 lbs live rock. The tank is a sea clear system 2. Nitrates, Nitrites, Ammonia are all good at 0. The PH is 8.3/8.4 or so. My fish which are a Yellow Tang, Coral Beauty, 2 Green Chromis, and Mandarin Goby (had him over a year) are all very fine. The coral beauty was added a month ago, all the rest are over a year in the tank. The brittle stars are the tiny white ones and look fine. My newer pulsing xenia (had it about a month) is the only thing that is doing well and the star polyps are fine. I add a bit of Iodide a couple times a week for the xenia. I had 7-8 colonies of purple, green, hairy, etc. mushroom coral and they are almost gone. I had some that have split and were huge and beautiful. They've fallen off the rock, torn and disintegrated/melted all with the last month or so. I had some other pretty little purple palm tree looking soft coral type things all over the live rock and they seem to be gone, as well. My zoanthids are almost dead. My toadstool leather isn't opening like it used to. Some thoughts I have on what is wrong...I had a 96 watt power compact on the tank with 90 watts of regular fluorescents with a combo of newer and older bulbs. I changed about 6 weeks ago to new 2x65 watt PC's and 2x55 watt PC's. 2 10,000k's and 2 actinic. I added the new lighting over the course of a week or two not all at once. But could this kill my corals in my tank? <Doubtful> If so do I go back to the old lighting that is now disassembled or will that be another shock to the tank? Or does it matter because everything is about gone. <I'd leave the new light on> I have a fairly bad skimmer- works but not great. But my water levels are all good through wkly water changes. I have some mild red cyano outbreaks but scrub that off weekly from the live rock and it's not that bad. Also there are some bubbles in the system that are on some of the live rock. I'm trying to figure out where that comes from but haven't been too successful. Is any of this the problem? Do I get some powerheads for more water circulation? Finally the heat on the tank is a bit more by maybe 1-2 degrees w/the new light, as San Diego gets kind of hot. It gets up to 82-84 degrees, but it was 80-82 before. The lights have fans in them. Is this it? <This is a strong possibility, could the tank get hotter without you knowing it?> I feed my fish frozen mysis 2x/week and marine flake food. I use the green freezer bottle of gooey stuff 3x/week for the coral (phytoplankton or something LFS said I needed but don't remember exactly what it's called.) Should I change what I'm feeding? <Hehe, sounds like phytoplankton alright. FWIW, if you're going to dump it in your tank, you should at least know what it is! :) > I'm not sure quite what I should fix yet and don't want to try to change everything listed for fear that it'll get worse. So what do I do? I'm really sad because I'm basically starting over on the coral because most every one of the corals is not well. Some of them I've had for over a year and watched them grow and split and was rather fond of them. They were also very expensive. I don't want to add anything new until I am reasonable sure it should live. I've read quite a bit on your site/net/books over the last year about care of these but as all was well for over a year am perplexed right now...almost ready to give up the reef hobby which I really have enjoyed. <I'd try getting the temperature back down with a fan on the surface of the water first and see if things perk up. If not, suspect that something has contaminated your tank water, either from using tap water high in heavy metals, something that was on your skin, etc. As a precaution, it wouldn't hurt to throw in a poly-filter (to remove heavy metals and all sorts of other nasties). Hope this helps! -Kevin> Thanks, Sad about my Tank Bubble Algae And Pod Population Explosion Hi Scott, <Hi there again!> Thanks for the quick reply. <My pleasure!> It is indeed bubble algae in our 55 gallon reef. We looked up pictures etc. Perfect match. <Thought so!> Now, is this good or bad? <Well, it is indeed an interesting algae. Tends to appear in areas of higher nutrient concentration. They are not in and of themselves harmful. The problem with them is that they can spread throughout the tank, and overrun more desired species. What should we do with it? <Well, step one is to maintain aggressive nutrient export practices, helping to eliminate the "fuel" that these algae need. You can manually extract them with a tweezers or a slow siphon, taking care not to pop them (the theory is that they can multiply throughout the tank if they are popped...). Again- I would not be overly alarmed, as they are only an annoyance, IMO, and are not "hazardous" to the tank's overall health. Some people think that Mithrax or emerald crabs eat them, but I have not seen any creature that reliably preys on Valonia. I'd opt for the nutrient export processes, manual extraction, and your continued good husbandry!> Also, we have a population of copepods. Should we be worried? Should we have a fish that would keep their numbers from getting out of control? <Not to worry...Many fish eat "pods" and/or their planktonic larvae as a natural food supplement. Some bottom dwelling fishes, such as mandarins, tend to eat them regularly as a significant part of their diet. I consider their presence a very desirable "plus" for your tank!> Thank You for all the good advice! David and Christy Evans <And thank you so much for stopping by again! Write us any time! Regards, Scott F> David W. Evans - Reefing Questions - Hello marine friends, who have been so helpful in the past...I have two brief questions. <Good morning, JasonC here...> First a description of my system: I have a 90g reef tank with a 20g refugium and a 10g sump, established December 2002. About 115lb live rock, 1/2" aragonite in the display tank and 4" in the refugium (which has grape Caulerpa and a sea cucumber to keep the substrate surface stirred). My last water readings were zero Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, Ph is 8.5, Kh is 9.5 -10, calcium is 300 -350, phosphate is .1, SG is 1.023 - 1.024. (The system is working so well I admit these readings are dated by a few months, I simply don't take readings often since the system is so clearly thriving) Weekly regimen is 1tsp kalkwasser/1g freshwater to top off evaporation, 1 tsp Kent superbuffer dKH and a 5g water change. Lights are 270 watts power compacts, tank has 2 strong powerheads; Berlin skimmer runs 24/7, HOT magnum sometimes used to polish water or treat with carbon once in a while (less in recent months because it seems to be working so well naturally). Purple/pink coralline algae is everywhere! Fish are one each royal gramma, percula clown, hippo tang, yellow tang, mandarin, flame angel, anthias, red spotted goby and 2 scissor gobies. Food is mostly varied frozen and a handful of fresh Caulerpa daily (from the refugium); flakes on occasion when time is short. Invertebrates are 12 corals and polyps, 1 anemone, 2 brittle stars, 2 cleaner shrimp, a banded shrimp and a feather duster. Fish and invertebrates without exception are thriving and growing. Question one: My coralline algae is growing so fast that I must razor blade the front of the tank 2 or 3 times a week to keep it clear of purple dots. While I presume this is good, not bad, it is annoying... any way I can slow down its growth or just keep the front glass clean? <Not really without affecting your corals [hold off on calcium additions] but I'd just get used to keeping the glass clean.> Question two: After months of producing half inch of gunk per week at the bottom of my collection container, in the past 2 months my Berlin skimmer has stopped producing anything. Should I be alarmed? <No, have heard of this... probably due to stabilizing of micro/macro-fauna colonies in the system which process much of the organics that were once removed by the skimmer.> Thank you very much, Jeff <Cheers, J -- > New to Reefs First of all thank you in advance. <Well thanks! Ryan with you today!> My daughter and I have entered into the reef tank world. <Great!> We have a 45 gallon tank , which we set-up on 6/02/03. 20lbs of live sand, 80lbs of live rock. After 10 days the LFS suggested we add 4 damsels (big mistake, when we tried to catch them) to help cycle the tank. Ph stayed around 8.2, ammonia and nitrates stayed at 0. 1 damsel died after 2 days, the other 3 were very active. Oh in the live rock was a crab( I believe a Sally light foot?) who is doing well. <A good hitchhiker- a great algae eater!> 3 weeks after initial setup brown algae developed on rocks and glass, cleaned glass and it seems to be under control. All tanks readings were still good , just a slight trace of ammonia. 7 weeks during the cycling process we added 10 hermit crabs, 2 feather duster worms, and 1 star polyp, the next day we decided to return the 3 damsels and add a hippo tank( 3.5 "). Unfortunately we didn't find your web site till after the purchased, we now know the hippo will out grow this tank, but then we need a bigger set- up , YES! Well we took apart the tank to capture the damsels , what a project, and added the hippo tang. <Great> Oh by the way we have not done any water changes as per the LFS, just topping off. <Ahh! I knew this was coming- please read up: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/scottsh2ochgart.htm> That's the history of the tank, here is my questions, at the LFS that I bought the tank and coral at , suggested that I start adding Kent Liquid Calcium, Iodine, Strontium & Molybdenum, and Coral- Vite on a monthly basis. Should I? <Yes, but very carefully. Follow the directions to the word, and don't forget that a 55 gallon tank with live rock like yours doesn't have 55 gallons of water. This little tool should help you figure out how much to dose: http://www.garf.org/calculators/TankVolumeCalculator.asp> 2nd questions : We have a Smart light that has a blue and white light that comes on together, we are using timers the lights come on for 2 hours in the am and 2 hours at night. Is that sufficient? <No. You need 12 hours of light each day on your corals! These are animals that rely on photosynthesis for survival- I suggest you research the specific lighting requirements of your coral.> I see that people leave their lights on 9 -12 hours. Also do I need to change the light so that the blue and white lights come on separately? <Would be nice if you could have your actinic bulb start an hour earlier, and go off an hour later. It helps simulate the rising and setting of the sun.> Sorry for the lengthily e-mail, we are active divers and want to have a safe environment for the creatures in our tank. <Great! You're asking all the right questions! Keep it up.>
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