OK Two new 75 Starfire tanks on the way and lots of possibilities and money.
- Thread starter Basile
- Start date
Wolffman64
Active Member
Looking good!
What are those two spare tanks for?
What are those two spare tanks for?
Basile
Well-Known Member
Thank you ; Those are the QT or hospital tanks.
Basile
Well-Known Member
Love it mate!
Some sps would do brilliantly in your system! I'm a bit bias though LOL But it would be equally amazing if you stuck with softies and lps tooI do thoroughly enjoy your updates!
Thanks i'll have some SPS but only those that are going to do well with softies parameters, not the finicky ones.
Montipora and birdsnest acropora are a great place to start
Simple to keep (in terms of sps LOL) and come in grouse colour variety!
Basile
Well-Known Member
Montipora and birdsnest acropora are a great place to start
Thanks much appreciated.
Basile
Well-Known Member
Catwalk 2
I haven't a catwalk in a while
[video=youtube;VCLxJd1d84s]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCLxJd1d84s[/video]
I gave him a job, just one
Oh ya not 5 minutes in ...........no heart attack in that species...
MEGA RUB start the video....
OH YAAAA
TO THE LEFT, TO THE LEFT
YES YES YES
AHHHHHWWWW
I'LL BE IN THE SMOKE ROOM
[video=youtube;VCLxJd1d84s]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCLxJd1d84s[/video]
I gave him a job, just one
Oh ya not 5 minutes in ...........no heart attack in that species...
MEGA RUB start the video....
OH YAAAA
TO THE LEFT, TO THE LEFT
YES YES YES
AHHHHHWWWW
I'LL BE IN THE SMOKE ROOM
Basile
Well-Known Member
hahaha that's fantastic!
Its like that every morning when i answer you guys he's here now as i'm writing now , for his morning rub, rolling and pushing my keyboard full of hair now.... lol
Basile
Well-Known Member
Inspirations
Some of you have asked me where did i get the idea for the cats stairs well here it is, lol enjoy......
This is not my house, its where i took the idea
I mean i love my cats but in every room and every corner, specially the kitchen, no . I need a life too, lol i don't know where is this house but the fur must be awfull. I gave my cats a room thats enough lol.
Some of you have asked me where did i get the idea for the cats stairs well here it is, lol enjoy......
This is not my house, its where i took the idea
I mean i love my cats but in every room and every corner, specially the kitchen, no . I need a life too, lol i don't know where is this house but the fur must be awfull. I gave my cats a room thats enough lol.
Basile
Well-Known Member
Over due socks an experiment
I've changed my socks today they were clogged , and i mean clogged so much that the water was going over the lip directly to the skimmer side and the RO, top off system was being disrupted. But all that was by design. I was doing it to see how many days it took to clogged my socks entirely to disrupt the system; a controlled experiment to see how comfortable i can be with my system . So what does it mean if it takes more than a week to clog my sock and for some it only takes two days , thats a question i'm asking at large because on that i have no idea. i usually change them every 4-5 days when i start seeing the level rise in that chamber it means the water is not getting through the socks as it should. How does your sock fair compare to mine. i have no idea. My tank is softies and LPS , with a huge refugium . 2 socks. For a 150 G Reef and a 75 G refugium full of macro algeas. And i'm dosing.
So anybody tried that.
i invite everybody to try this experiment. Its a good way to learn about your system health and whats in it. Every system is different, different bioloads, different waterflows, feeding method, dosing, some have fuge some don't. its a good way to gage the nutrient and particule traveling in your system and how long you can stretch it without being in trouble. Mine was 8 days before the ATO system was disturbing the gravity , since the flow was interupted and the ato was compensating too much, it reduced my gravity by 0.02 . It only take about a week of your time. Have fun, and don't forget to test your parameters before and after the experiment . You'd be surprise at the result, i was.
The thing is does it influence your gravity, does your flow is reduced enough that your ATO over compensates to create problems for you. this is also good to know when you go on vacation and you have someone look after your tank... its a plus info on your system .
By the way guy i forgot to mention i use felt sock those using mesh would have a very different result. As mesh leaves more water flow go through and don't clog as easely. Big difference here, of material.
I did this experiment for my benefice, lol and asked if anyone else had done a similar one. But i wanted to find out how long i could go without changing the socks before it became a problem. Like i said it was a controlled experiment. Each system is wired differently with its own connections, baffles and sections. You can't compare systems. I'm learning about mine now. Plus it'll change if i add other fish too right now i only have 2 big fish, but if i add 2 more herbies who produce like cows, thats going to play as well with the discharge, change the data.
So any thoughts on that experiemnt and have you tried something like it and would you consider it?
So anybody tried that.
i invite everybody to try this experiment. Its a good way to learn about your system health and whats in it. Every system is different, different bioloads, different waterflows, feeding method, dosing, some have fuge some don't. its a good way to gage the nutrient and particule traveling in your system and how long you can stretch it without being in trouble. Mine was 8 days before the ATO system was disturbing the gravity , since the flow was interupted and the ato was compensating too much, it reduced my gravity by 0.02 . It only take about a week of your time. Have fun, and don't forget to test your parameters before and after the experiment . You'd be surprise at the result, i was.
The thing is does it influence your gravity, does your flow is reduced enough that your ATO over compensates to create problems for you. this is also good to know when you go on vacation and you have someone look after your tank... its a plus info on your system .
By the way guy i forgot to mention i use felt sock those using mesh would have a very different result. As mesh leaves more water flow go through and don't clog as easely. Big difference here, of material.
I did this experiment for my benefice, lol and asked if anyone else had done a similar one. But i wanted to find out how long i could go without changing the socks before it became a problem. Like i said it was a controlled experiment. Each system is wired differently with its own connections, baffles and sections. You can't compare systems. I'm learning about mine now. Plus it'll change if i add other fish too right now i only have 2 big fish, but if i add 2 more herbies who produce like cows, thats going to play as well with the discharge, change the data.
So any thoughts on that experiemnt and have you tried something like it and would you consider it?
I love my cat as well but I don't think I could give her that much, she already thinks that she owns and dictates the house LOL I do enjoy people's reactions when you tell them your animal loves comprise of reef keeping (fish keeping) and cat's haha having a catwalk would be awesome though
StirCrayzy
Well-Known Member
I've done this with my sump also, but differences are that my overflowing goes over a short lip, straight into the sock chamber before the Return/A TO monitored chamber. I run 2 mesh socks 4" diameter x7" length.
I have felt socks, but haven't used them yet, because some particulate floating around doesn't bother me much.
Im Pushing maybe 800gph through the sump, and the result is 7-9 days before a sock change is mandatory.
Complicating the results...
Some of the unfiltered flow (50gph) bypasses the socks and goes through the ATS into the fuge.
I have felt socks, but haven't used them yet, because some particulate floating around doesn't bother me much.
Im Pushing maybe 800gph through the sump, and the result is 7-9 days before a sock change is mandatory.
Complicating the results...
Some of the unfiltered flow (50gph) bypasses the socks and goes through the ATS into the fuge.
Basile
Well-Known Member
Do you have any nitrate or phosphate spike in that period. By the way using felt will clog much faster since its more dense , sure your aware of it. Also what kind of bioload , as an example i only have 2 big herbivore fish, a yellow Tang and a Foxface which is the main discharge compare to my 6 chromis and the rest . If i had let say 4 or 6 more herbivores, like cows they produce lots of discharges, so i can imagine . For me the interest is accademic really cause every system will deal with it in a diffent way and for me its info i need to know when i go on vacation to tell the person who's watching over for me. Learning about ones system is i guess part of are success and failiure if not done . I'm getting all kinds of signals lately and you have to stay on top cause things can go south real quick. I have flatworms now. Some say its part of my pods population demography and they'll subside as soon as the pods have gone down, in my fuge. Other say if they start multiplying by fusion it could become serious. So on edge about that too. They're contained in the fuge right now. I've bough a mandarin to put in my fuge with the seahorses, good company and one for the big tank as well, it full of pods in there, haven't seen flatworms there yet, but i'm sure they'll migrate soon enough.
Basile
Well-Known Member
New arrivals
This is actually not a new arrival but a lost one for almost 2 months now she's been hidding in the fuge lol. I thought both of them had been eaten by the seahorses. The other one who know but saw this one yesterday all grown too , she was about half that size when i got her.
A bit of polution occur in my rich environment, and i happen to drop my conch there, surprise who knew, anyone asking what eats cyanobacteria, CONCH do lol , he didn't do it all but its a start.
This guy is a Diodogorgia nodulifera,aka pain in the B. NPS Non photosynthetic gorgonians, light is actually a risk. Microalgaes can grow on them specially cyanobacteria which will kill it.
They have to be fed many times a day to make the white tentacles open and then at least 3 times a day to keep them open.
Nutramar ogo, tigrio live pods, live nauplii, marine snow, Zooplankton suspension, Phytoplankton suspension, and other filter feeder foods like microvore.
Cyclopeeze works well and elicits an opening of the polyps. Fauna Marin also do a special gorg food I also use a range of Fauna Marin and other particulate foods. D. nodulifera are a little easier than other azoo corals because they have quite large polyps and IME are capable of taking a range of particle sizes.
If you have algae problems keep it in a shaded area or the branches will quickly become covered in algae. IME like uhuru stated unless they have a constant supply of food in the water they tend to close up.
The longer they stay closed the more they starve. Then you end up seeing the tips of the branches and base start to recede after time. Algae starts to creep in and the coral ends up wasting away.
If you take a look at the branches, mostly you will see the red tissue with dots, where polyps retracted. In case of starvation (and a low flow, together) the part of the branch becomes twice thinner - the ragged surface and no dots of contracted polyps.
If you don't have this - very good, just start feeding, at least trice daily - morning, after return from the work, before the night.
Small pinch of the 250-800 micron food, variety counts, mostly zooplankton.
My criteria is seeing the polyps actually catching food:
From normal state:
to this:
if the coral is close to the glass, you can see the food, moving down the polyps.
The flow should be up to slightly bending polyps, otherwise it will be difficult for them to feed.
It the coral is not opening for a feeding, continue to add food into the water, in smaller quantities: at start should appear the polyps or two on duty - watching for the food coming, then all eventually should open.
If you see the ragged central core, without polyps, there are two option: frag it (should be no problems here) or leave as is (if mo microalgae or dirt settled on it), feed and watch, if regeneration starts.
This is my diet for it and my sponges as well;
Polyps should open sooner or later, they react on the presence food in the water. Cyclop eeze or similar size zooplankton or substitutes.
The skeleton, protruding from the soft tissue, can be cut off by the stainless scissors, without removing the coral from the tank. If it is on the edge of disintegration - you will sense like cutting through dry sponge, if in good condition - as a stem of a woody weed.
This is actually not a new arrival but a lost one for almost 2 months now she's been hidding in the fuge lol. I thought both of them had been eaten by the seahorses. The other one who know but saw this one yesterday all grown too , she was about half that size when i got her.
A bit of polution occur in my rich environment, and i happen to drop my conch there, surprise who knew, anyone asking what eats cyanobacteria, CONCH do lol , he didn't do it all but its a start.
This guy is a Diodogorgia nodulifera,aka pain in the B. NPS Non photosynthetic gorgonians, light is actually a risk. Microalgaes can grow on them specially cyanobacteria which will kill it.
They have to be fed many times a day to make the white tentacles open and then at least 3 times a day to keep them open.
Nutramar ogo, tigrio live pods, live nauplii, marine snow, Zooplankton suspension, Phytoplankton suspension, and other filter feeder foods like microvore.
Cyclopeeze works well and elicits an opening of the polyps. Fauna Marin also do a special gorg food I also use a range of Fauna Marin and other particulate foods. D. nodulifera are a little easier than other azoo corals because they have quite large polyps and IME are capable of taking a range of particle sizes.
If you have algae problems keep it in a shaded area or the branches will quickly become covered in algae. IME like uhuru stated unless they have a constant supply of food in the water they tend to close up.
The longer they stay closed the more they starve. Then you end up seeing the tips of the branches and base start to recede after time. Algae starts to creep in and the coral ends up wasting away.
If you take a look at the branches, mostly you will see the red tissue with dots, where polyps retracted. In case of starvation (and a low flow, together) the part of the branch becomes twice thinner - the ragged surface and no dots of contracted polyps.
If you don't have this - very good, just start feeding, at least trice daily - morning, after return from the work, before the night.
Small pinch of the 250-800 micron food, variety counts, mostly zooplankton.
My criteria is seeing the polyps actually catching food:
From normal state:
to this:
if the coral is close to the glass, you can see the food, moving down the polyps.
The flow should be up to slightly bending polyps, otherwise it will be difficult for them to feed.
It the coral is not opening for a feeding, continue to add food into the water, in smaller quantities: at start should appear the polyps or two on duty - watching for the food coming, then all eventually should open.
If you see the ragged central core, without polyps, there are two option: frag it (should be no problems here) or leave as is (if mo microalgae or dirt settled on it), feed and watch, if regeneration starts.
This is my diet for it and my sponges as well;
Polyps should open sooner or later, they react on the presence food in the water. Cyclop eeze or similar size zooplankton or substitutes.
The skeleton, protruding from the soft tissue, can be cut off by the stainless scissors, without removing the coral from the tank. If it is on the edge of disintegration - you will sense like cutting through dry sponge, if in good condition - as a stem of a woody weed.
StirCrayzy
Well-Known Member
I've read nitrate below 10, &phosphate results of ZERO (LFS confirmed with red Sea kit) since tank was upgraded from my old 40g. There was no cycle, but I am getting hair algae in the display now, so I know phosphate is present, just doesn't register on hobby kits.
Still hoping a couple more ATS cleanings will get me a functional scrubber that will suck up that extra phosphate.
Also, I've not seen any higher nitrate or other readings as socks get full.
Great pics again as always ! Keep up the good work.
Still hoping a couple more ATS cleanings will get me a functional scrubber that will suck up that extra phosphate.
Also, I've not seen any higher nitrate or other readings as socks get full.
Great pics again as always ! Keep up the good work.
Basile
Well-Known Member
I've read nitrate below 10, &phosphate results of ZERO (LFS confirmed with red Sea kit) since tank was upgraded from my old 40g. There was no cycle, but I am getting hair algae in the display now, so I know phosphate is present, just doesn't register on hobby kits.
Still hoping a couple more ATS cleanings will get me a functional scrubber that will suck up that extra phosphate.
Also, I've not seen any higher nitrate or other readings as socks get full.
Great pics again as always ! Keep up the good work.
For phosphate the perfect algae is Ulva. Ulva is to phosphate what Cheato is to nitrates, its explodes in the fuge with high phosphate, mine quadrupled in a week..
Basile
Well-Known Member
Trick or treat
Trick; i put one bristleworm in my overflows to take care of food that falls in before its eaten. they get the stuff before they cause nitrate spikes. A little trick i've devised. i"m thinking , maybe one of those bad crabs too , let him roam in there and get what ever falls in; he'll have plenty , everyday something get in there.
Treat; Someone got pricked on the finger by a coral and got a Panaris(infection) where you can loose the nail; becarefull although they say don't wash with soap before going in a tank..... look what happens, this is a panaris.
Trick; i put one bristleworm in my overflows to take care of food that falls in before its eaten. they get the stuff before they cause nitrate spikes. A little trick i've devised. i"m thinking , maybe one of those bad crabs too , let him roam in there and get what ever falls in; he'll have plenty , everyday something get in there.
Treat; Someone got pricked on the finger by a coral and got a Panaris(infection) where you can loose the nail; becarefull although they say don't wash with soap before going in a tank..... look what happens, this is a panaris.
Basile
Well-Known Member
More research gave me these for my sponges. It didn't fail; since i got these 4 sponges my water has cleared up like crazy. These guys pump up so much water . During the day i can feed them but at night they litteraly clean out all particules out of the water. The result in the morning my tank is so cristal clear... No wonder so many people looses them from malnutrition. As a matter a fact 1 cubic cm or roughly about half a cubic inch,of sponge will filter 20 Litre or 4 gallons of water a day, so if you have a sponge in your tank you can size up about how much its will clean out your tank per day. Here are a few videos on the subject that could be interesting for you.
[video=youtube;8ueKlShb9Ls]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ueKlShb9Ls&list=PLk_Pw-jAYdFcprRYjkQ_x265XyqcEtnHs[/video]
Can be done only once a day to a few times a day depending how many you have in your tank. The more you have the bigger you have, the more you have to feed, goes without saying as it feeds 24/7.
[video=youtube;8ueKlShb9Ls]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ueKlShb9Ls&list=PLk_Pw-jAYdFcprRYjkQ_x265XyqcEtnHs[/video]
Can be done only once a day to a few times a day depending how many you have in your tank. The more you have the bigger you have, the more you have to feed, goes without saying as it feeds 24/7.
Basile
Well-Known Member
New arrivals and tank mates.
Yes a few tank mates but sadly they're very shy i can't zoom on them fast enough or properly. Two new spoted manderin ; one in the fuge and the other in the Reef.
Got a new cabbage coral ; Sinularia sp.
Euphyllia glabrescens Purple Torch
Euphyllia ....... Blue Hammer lol , sorry but the lighting doesn't give justice to the real colors i haven't found the right filter yet, for my lens.
Tour of the tank.
Yes a few tank mates but sadly they're very shy i can't zoom on them fast enough or properly. Two new spoted manderin ; one in the fuge and the other in the Reef.
Got a new cabbage coral ; Sinularia sp.
Euphyllia glabrescens Purple Torch
Euphyllia ....... Blue Hammer lol , sorry but the lighting doesn't give justice to the real colors i haven't found the right filter yet, for my lens.
Tour of the tank.