lanman
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Posts posted by lanman
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I was at a LFS store today (Is it customary to name names?) Anyway they sold me a very nice looking "GSP" for the standard soft coral price even though what I really was getting was this goniopora:
I didn't realize the mistake until I got home and looked for some pictures of GSP online.
The coral is beautiful and knowing the risks I'd probably like to keep it (although I have not made up my mind yet).
Any advice if I do keep it or any strong feelings about taking it back.
Thanks for the help!
Peter
Considering it doesnt' often live long in captivity - it is almost certainly taken from the ocean. I hate to encourage stores or producers to take from the ocean corals that are going to die. However - the damage would seem to already be done in this case; so read up, feed it well, and hope it gives you many years of pleasure. Maybe yours will be the one that acclimates well, propagates well, and survives well enough to become 'captive-grown' Goniopora.
I'm afraid if you take it back, someone that hasn't a clue will get it - not feed it properly, and it will be gone in a month.
Oh - and by the way, I'm new to the hobby, but I love star polyps; I have about 5 different varieties growing. Give me a few months, and I should be able to supply you with some nice frags. One of them (I got from Jacob?) - has fat, fluorescent green 'leaves' that almost glow in the dark (and do glow very brightly under blue light). Unfortunately, so far it is one of the slower growing GSP's. I also like encrusting gorgonians - I have a pink that seems to be growing like crazy. GSP's and encrusting gorgonians need their own rocks, or they will spread over everything
bob
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Whatever you choose, be sure to get one with individual reflectors, to increase the light output. Many folks seem to like the TEK fixtures.
I like my TEK.
bob
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I'd say keep the powerheads but add a wave maker. This will lower the flow overall, not raise or even lower the deadspots and may give you better PE.
Tell me about wavemakers... I just want something to kind of break up the flow, move more water through some dead spots. Right now I just have a little powerhead on a timer that runs 15 mins on, 30 mins off, pointing in the general area of slow flow. I know there are set-ups that move around - are oscillating pumps like the zoo-med powersweep any good?
http://www.desertcoralaquatics.com/powerhe...76199e978b3ffb7
Other suggestions, without getting into 6 powerheads and an electronic controller? I just have a 45-gallon tank, after all.
bob
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A little history on the sacro.
I got it from Quazi back in 2003 sometime. It was roughly 6-7 inches and in a 55 gallon. He can jump on here and let everyone know how long he had it for. Once I put it into my tank, it grew uncontrollably to a wopping 2.5 by 2 foot diameter and a stock roughly a foot. I sold it to a local reefer and was considering donating it to the Baltimore aquarium or somewhere in DC if I could not sell it. It was a showcase of all showcases in my book.
I am already missing the hobby. The house sounds empty now that the tank is down. I miss the background noise and that ambient glow of the tank. Someone buy this setup from me!!!
Do you know if that 'local reefer' is a member here? You might suggest it to him
We're all going to want to see pictures of it at 60 pounds a year from now...bob
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Sorry for the bad pic, but is it good enough to tell if my Blue Neon Cleaner Goby is sick, pregnant, or fat?? its tummy actually looks like it might be slighlt lumpy, unless it's just the lighting.
I have a mated pair, and they get along well. They are the fastest fish in the tank, so I think they can eat as much food as they want to as I try to feed the jawfish, etc.
Are there any telltail signs? A special behavoir to look for?
Should I put it in a breeder net, or the eggs after she lays, or try to scoop up fry?
'Ric
Quotes from various sites on the internet:
"The parents are small and may be maintained easily in a twenty gallon system. They pair and spawn readily and regularly, with demersal (bottom) eggs, and parental care. "
"Commercial breeders use short section of small diameter plastic pipe as spawning sites and raise the eggs separate from their parents, but they will spawn and rear their young on most anything solid. The fry are raised on unicellular plankton (Euplotes & Brachionus are recommended). The young are fully developed in a month; which seems fast until you realize their full lifespan is but a year or two. Please see the references below if you are intent on breeding Gobiosoma. "
"most Neon Gobies will lay their eggs onto almost any solid surface at the bottom of the aquarium. Although fry are often raised separately from the parents, Neon Gobies do show parental care and will raise their own young if their eggs remain in their aquarium. Unicellular plankton is the diet of the fry; often, Euplotes and Brachionus are used. "
" If you do have a mated pair and good water conditions you may be able to breed them in your tank. Both parents will guard the nest and protect the eggs from the other fish in the aquarium. It may be a good idea to separate the parents and eggs into their own tank if this happens. Because they are relatively easy to bred, many places are now offering tank raised gobies for sale. "
Sounds do-able, either way!
bob
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Holy crap that looks nice. I'm walking the dog and typing my 1st post via blackberry right now (the very thing I used to give gadgets crap about)
Need any financing? You already know business - and now you have an awesome product line, and I already count half a dozen pre-orders - without an established price. Winner!
bob
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That sugar magnolia may not post alot...but sure is smart!
AND she only lives about 20 minutes down route 28
In case I need emergency hydroid identification services. bob
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In another thought - after looking at my tank - in every school there will be an underdog ( underfish, I mean) everybody pick on.
I personally tried to solve problem like this with my FW barbs, tetras etc and no matter what I did - one would be picked at all the time and another will be a ring leader.
Just MHO
The little one that gets picked on has a small wound on her side, now - she spends a lot of time letting the skunk cleaner shrimp pick at it. I reckon the others chased her into a rock or something. The other two don't even like to let her do THAT - they chase her away when they spot her getting cleaned. But she's getting quicker - they don't often bump her anymore. And I always make sure she gets plenty of shrimp; the only thing she's willing to fight for. She gets around well, and stays away from them most of the time - but it's obvious she wants to be part of the 'gang'. I'm tempted to put her in her own tank until she's bigger and stronger. But then she would be a 'newcomer' - and probably picked on even more. I guess I'll let nature take its course - with just a little help.
bob
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I am looking for a fish/invertebrae that could control some algae growth in my tank. I have 3 blue hippo and 1 sohal ... None of those is eating the algae. Of course a yellow tank may help ... but problems may arise with the sohal and the 3 blue hippos.
Thanks for any advice.
Eric
I controlled some algae last night. Pulled my hair-algae-covered rock out of the tank, and took a brand new wire brush to it. Rinsed it off, put it back in - and the hair algae was GONE!
bob
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Post it for free. I'd certainly have taken it. The bubble flow on the sea clone gets set by adjusting the airflow into the pump. There was a little air value that you tighten and untightened to add more or less bubbles to the stream.
The trash can is still sitting here if you want it. I'll go try to dig out the pieces. Although I might never find that foam filter.
bob
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Here's the thing about skimmers, When you first start out, you don't know any better, and you get the cheapest thing you can find, (I did) They all work to one degree or another, it's just a question of how well they work. On a beginner's tank with a light to normal fish load, without a large amount of expensive coral, it will suffice until you are ready to upgrade. Lots of people are going to tell you things ranging from "oh my God that one sucks!" to "that is the best model on the planet!" I went through this myself recently. I started with a 75G tank and a coralife 125 superskimmer. it worked ok for what I was doing, but once I started wanting to get into the fancy corals (read expensive), I realized that I had to graduate to the next level to keep them alive. I then bought a Euro-reef which was a good skimmer. Then I upgraded my tank, and needed a bigger skimmer, and decided that enough was enough with buying skimmer after skimmer. I got tired of farting around and went for the biggest baddest skimmer I could find. I bought a Deltec 851. I have since learned 3 things about skimmers;
1 - Based on my own experience, Recirc skimmers are more efficient than regular skimmers
2 - You can't have too large of a skimmer, so buy the biggest one you can fit under your stand/afford.
3 - To me, Deltec skimmers really are worth the ridiculous price they charge.
When you are ready for an Upgrade, talk to Dandy7200 about his new line of skimmer' which are modeled after Deltec.
John
Well, I'll be darned... skimmers work. In my 24-gallon tank, I have never seen ZERO nitrate. 5... 10... never zero.
In the last two weeks I've added a skimmer - and three fish to my 45-gallon tank, which is much newer than the 24. Tonight, I measured ZERO nitrates. I thought the test kit was broken, and would read minimum of 5... Cool beans! Everything is doing great in the 24-gallon tank, but I wonder if the coral would grow faster at ZERO? They do make a skimmer that fits in the back of that aquapod.
bob
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Yeah, if people buy puppies for a grant why not a fish?
Not the fish for someone who can barely keep a goldfish alive...
But it sure is purty!
bob
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I have to keep an eye on that toadstool. It's growing FAST. It is the offspring of Tang-away's 45 lb monster.
Dibs on the first baby!
I like that toadstool. Although - unless I get a bigger tank, I'll have to lop it's head off once in a while and everybody ends up with one. Tang-away's would have nearly filled my 45.Why does the LFS never have any nicely colored sarcophyton's?
bob
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Do you have a table or miter saw? I have a heat gun and can get some acrylic for cheap. At ACME Plastics in Alexandria you can get scrap acrylic by the pound. Including thick/thin, clear/black/reflective, and larger pieces.
I used a miter saw and a heat gun to make an overflow in my tank. If you have the tools we can find a way.
Luciano
I used my radial-arm saw to cut my acrylic with - worked very nicely.
bob
I used my radial-arm saw to cut my acrylic with - worked very nicely.
Oh - I could lend you a table saw if you would bring it back. It's 'portable' (not that bad - I've loaned it out before). In fact, I go to a friend's house in Fairfax every Saturday - could bring it that far.
bob
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DITTO
L I B ... I just googled hydroid jellyfish and found a picture of my little animalcules. You guys are way too smart.
bob
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i had the same problem. i am going to get 5 more lyretails tomorrow which will bring it to 8. one is turning into a male and there is one other female that he/she doesnt bother but the third female can only come out at feeding it seems. it will be great to see them get along as i had the same theory about putting several in the tank as opposed to a few to spread the aggression
Bleah! :( My tank isn't big enough for a whole school of them. I'm just glad they don't cost $80 apiece. One MORE reason to get a bigger tank... They really are pretty in the tank, though.
bob
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I have been feeding mysis late evenings for one feeding - she does seem to do better, although the other two still get a lot more of it...
The other feedings are Dainichi Marine Veggie FX and Reef FX- with Cyclopeeze baby sinking pellets.
bob
The fish in question is the smallest of the three - and the other two 'bully' her. She even has a little spot on her side, where I think they bumped her into one of the rocks or something. I've been taking extra care that she gets fed, but she mostly just hides down in a corner unless the other two venture to the other end of the tank. I thought anthias were supposed to like one another...
Any suggestions?
bob
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I noticed this evening (along with the first little plate of coralite on my acrylic) while cleaning my tank, that I have some tiny tiny little things (about a dozen here and there) on the 'glass' inside the tank. They are about the size of a period ( . ), and almost transparent (a speck of white) - and when I catch the light just right, it appears they have 5 tiny appendages. Could these be baby starfish of some sort? I can't seem to find a magnifying glass, and I don't think I have a microscope anymore.
Thanks,
bob
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Wow - talk about overreaction. I used mine for 2 years and it was adequate for my starter system. It worked fine for live rock, fish, and some basic corals. I'm still using it for a temporary house for some fish in a 29 gallon while my live rock finishes curing for my next tank. So, as a beginner, I wouldn't throw it out. It may not be the greatest ever, but it suffices.
I threw it out... I could never get it to make the kind of bubbles that looked like they would actually skim proteins. I got it really cheap - it was no great loss.
bob
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That "anenome" you guys are talking about is actually a huge sacrophyton (toadstool). It weighed around 45 pounds when we took it out. It was massive.
Update on whats sold
loa sold
backpak sold
Does that sarcophyton have a name? Like Fred?
bob
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bump...
May I assume bringing a guest is okay?
We would like to make a day of it - and visit all three.
bob
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Species of Dendrophyllia are often differentiated from Tubastrea on the basis of the smaller size of their calyces and by a greater tendency for branching and forming arborescent colonies. The two genera can be differentiated from the structure of the septa of their cleaned skeletons. In Dendrophyllia,the calyces follow the Pourtales Plan wherein the septa fuse in groups of three together at the center of the calyx. Tubastrea conversely shows no central fusion of the septa.
You forgot the part where you have to kill it and examine the skeleton in order to actually make a differentiation.
bob
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what kind of anemone is that?
I haven't the faintest idea - just your run of the mill little anemone. When it's open, it has a pink spot in the middle kind of like a zoanthid. It's been in the tank since it was pretty new - and hasn't grown much, if any. It just sits there looking pretty. And occasionally wanders a bit. Or hitchikes. Today it is sitting about where it was before it took a ride on the hermit.
bob
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How about:
All equipment has been purchased, you stopped testing paramaters because there has been no change over the years, there is no more room for corals or fish, your fragging frags of frags, you have painted around the tank (twice now > wife re-decorated) or replaced the floor around the tank, etc. You get the point.
My 24-gallon tank has reached what I would call 'stability'. The water is always clear, the numbers are always good on tests, everything is growing and happy, nothing is growing that shouldn't be, and coraline is busting out all over. There have been days when I did nothing to it but enjoy it. 2.5 months. I would say it has 'reached its maturity' - i.e., the equivalent of a 21-year-old. Lots of growing to do, but an adult nonetheless.
My 45-gallon tank, on the other hand, is in its early teens... rambunctious, rebellious, capable of taking care of itself for short periods of time, but not yet ready to drive on its own. Capable of holding down a job - such as growing a few corals, but not yet ready for anything complex or demanding. A little brown algae, a little hair algae, some young frags and a couple of more mature corals that probably wish they didn't have to deal with it, but can handle it. I have a feeling this rather rebellious youngster won't turn 21 for quite a while, yet. It takes a village - the WAMAS village has been very helpful to me in raising this one, but I think I still have some rough times ahead. Definitely not mature.
bob
Hitchhiker ID
in General Discussion
· Edited by lanman
Need a ruler in the picture - how big are those ugly things? Are they as slow-moving as they look? They look like dust mites on steroids.
bob