Shaun's 2000 Litre (530 USG) Living Reef & Red Sea Max S 650 LED Design & Build

SPR

Well-Known Member
I'm only asking because I currently have three tangs and five wrasse, and I'm looking to add another tang and a wrasse. I'm just wondering about how many I can have in the tank, that's all :)
I will get a Yellow Wrasse, as I need another yellow fish to help the colour balance. I'm not sure which tang to get yet. It depends on what is available.
I think personally there is a lot of the 'old ways' thinking on how many fish per inch etc and i certainly haven't had any problems with fighting or anything else, and my fish are all fat happy and healthy.

You just need to make sure your biological filtration is good enough for the extra nutrients being put into the system.

If it isn't then you need to think about that ready for when things start increasing, and there are a few different options, more live rock, marine pure, Brightwell No3 bricks, Nopox etc etc.
 
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Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
I think I have plenty of space still available. In total I have twenty six fish of various sizes, but even the 'bigger' fish are still not that big.....I'd better pop down to a LFS pretty soon methinks :)
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
The Asterina starfish are still present and munching their way through my green star polyps!

You can see the piece missing from the picture below and there is now a very big hole.

I added a second harlequin shrimp a few days ago so it’s getting under control (I hope!)

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SPR

Well-Known Member
I’ve not seen the Bicolour angel fish since I put him in, but I’m hoping he’s still in hiding, although he was being harassed by the usual bully the Coral Beauty so we will have to wait and see.

The Mandarin is doing ok and just hanging around the rocks at the moment

I’ve added frozen copepods to the feeding schedule ever few days, but I think there are enough in the tank anyway.

I’m currently on a once a month water change schedule at around 18% of total volume.

Apart from that and the hot weather here in the UK, I haven’t really got much else to say or do other than gazing at the tank.

So another picture of the unknown name pinkish coral! Lol

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Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
You ought to have a go at your own Copepod culturing. I did it a couple of years ago. It's very interesting to do something like that however, I found that it wasn't the long term solution in that it just gave me something else to fiddle/worry about......but it was still interesting to do it for a short while.
You don't need much. Two smallish tuppaware boxes with lids. Cut two small holes in the lid, one for the tube and the other just for some air exchange. Get a very cheap air-pump and some tubing. Run the tubing from the air pump into the tuppaware box and attach an air stone on the end. Add water from the DT, a bag of Copepods, and a few drops of Photoplankton to feed them. Place the tuppaware boxes on a windowsill somewhere, and let them breed ! Only costs a few quid and it's very easy to set up.
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
You ought to have a go at your own Copepod culturing. I did it a couple of years ago. It's very interesting to do something like that however, I found that it wasn't the long term solution in that it just gave me something else to fiddle/worry about......but it was still interesting to do it for a short while.
You don't need much. Two smallish tuppaware boxes with lids. Cut two small holes in the lid, one for the tube and the other just for some air exchange. Get a very cheap air-pump and some tubing. Run the tubing from the air pump into the tuppaware box and attach an air stone on the end. Add water from the DT, a bag of Copepods, and a few drops of Photoplankton to feed them. Place the tuppaware boxes on a windowsill somewhere, and let them breed ! Only costs a few quid and it's very easy to set up.
The alternative way to this is to just reach in the freezer and pop out a frozen copepod cube and throw it it the tank

That’s even easier!
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Well it’s been raining here in the UK so I’ve taken the time to do a water change of around 18% which took know time at all really.

I’ve also changed the Purigen I run in ‘the bag’ with another 250g. It’s just a little of something else to keep things in check.

I’ve also made around 80 pints of fine English ale which is another one of my hobbies. I’ve got around 160 pints ageing in kegs, but I quiver at the thought of running out! Lol

Here’s a picture of several corals including a ‘reddish one’!

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SPR

Well-Known Member
What's not to like about free beer! What night are we all invited round?

Anytime you want my friend, I’ve already started! Lol

This is a fine strong Suffolk Ale....

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Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
Shaun - As you are the Photographic Guru for the forum, do you know anything about the Polyplab Coral View Lens, and is it any good?
I'm looking to maybe buy a set and use it on my brand new all-singing, all-dancing, bells & whistles Galaxy S9+.
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Shaun - As you are the Photographic Guru for the forum, do you know anything about the Polyplab Coral View Lens, and is it any good?
I'm looking to maybe buy a set and use it on my brand new all-singing, all-dancing, bells & whistles Galaxy S9+.
In a word no..... I don’t know anything about it.

I use a Canon EOS 750D and Canon macro lens for some shots and although phone pictures are ok they will never be as good as proper camera equipment but can still take some good shots.

I told myself I purchased it for my trip to the Galápagos Islands next year and not just to take pictures of my fish tank !! Lol
 
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Pancho75

Well-Known Member
Shaun - As you are the Photographic Guru for the forum, do you know anything about the Polyplab Coral View Lens, and is it any good?
I'm looking to maybe buy a set and use it on my brand new all-singing, all-dancing, bells & whistles Galaxy S9+.
I bought those lens last week, the last couple of pictures I published are using the lens. They do a decent job filtering the light and easy to use.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
I’ve just ordered 2 litres of Seachem Matrix and the Seachem zip bag times 2, as a bit of additional bio filtration to go in the sump area.

I was going to get some more Marine Pure, but I thought I’d try something different and I like Seachem having already used Purigen.

I tested my nitrate levels last week and they were higher than I like at over 18ppm so I’ve increased the Nopox dose by 1ml, and then another 2ml per day yesterday, so I’m currently at 22ml per day and we will see what that does.

I’ve been as high as 24ml but you just need to watch out for bacterial blooms and monitor it carefully and then back off if need be. I’ve got a small power head in the return chamber of the sump to prevent bacterial slime building up which usually occurs there with the higher Nopox doses.

I have been feeding the fish a lot more which is the reason for the nitrate increase and also only doing 18% water changes every 2-4 weeks. It’s not being lazy, it’s just I don’t think it needs it as much now the system has matured.

I’m running Purigen in a bag at 250ml and I changed it a few days ago (after 6 months!) and the water went crystal clear. It’s very clear anyway, but there was a noticeable difference when I put the new bag in so I’ll change it more often in future. If you haven’t tried it give it a go. I just have it in the Seachem ‘The Bag’ nothing fancy.
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Where have you placed the bag? Would it fit in a Filter Media Cup with a bit of floss on top of it?

That's a lot of NOPOX. I think I dose about 8ml a day.
I never thought of using the media cups actually, but they wont be big enough for the Matrix as im going to put 2 bags of 1 litres in I think, or maybe start with 1 litre. The matrix from what Ive seen is like grey stones.

Im going to put them in the bottom of the sump on the left hand side. You can just let it sit on the bottom of the sump, but i thought it would be much neater if its in the bags rather than it being all over for when I do a water change etc.

Ive been dosing 18ml of Nopox for well over a year, so its fine at that level. You just have to keep an eye on it for any bacterial blooms, but the worst I have seen was in the return chamber of the sump, but ive dealt with that with the power head that's just ripples the surface water. When I was at 24ml per day i tended to get the white 'haze' on the glass much sooner but when that happens I just back off a ml or so.

Its all just a balancing act. I'll cut down on the feeding slightly as well until the Matrix hopefully kicks in.
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Mother is guarding her baby’s........

The Trigger fish were spawning again last night and the video below is just after the main event we’re they went ‘swimming’ through the sand together

The female stayed in position throughout the night on guard from the nasty crabs I assume!

 
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