Ryan S

http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/cu...nk-of-the-month wow...

Nate, your tanks are amazing. I wish I had half the DIY skills that you have. How would you say the T5 vs MH lights compare for coral growth and coloration? I was thinking of setting up a 40g breeder, with a single MH over it, maybe a 400w 20k? I am thinking of copying a lot of your setup, but having 1 frag tank instead of the 2. Is there anything you'd change with your build, or are you happy with everything? How do you like the pvc spray bar you made, is it still working well?

Bob can you go to 1:27-1:37 in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zBNLrpGmq0 Do they look like the dangerous ones? At 1:37-1:45 you'll notice the green paly's next to them have no skirts showing at all. Makes me thing the brownish ones could totally be the cause of that? I think the green ones used to have skirts until I moved them next to the brown ones... Removing all of those brown ones is really going to suck... There are a TON of them.

My Alk is around 8. I just started increasing the Alk daily dose to get it up again. It was 10 6 months ago, been slowly going down as my SPS started to grow is what I figured? Iodine is something I don't add yet, but was wondering if it will help. I will get some. And those zoas are def. not purple hornets , but sort of similar. I can't remember the name of any of them anymore. So many names for the darn things. I will look for spiders at night. There must be something doing it. I want to cut one of the zoas open and see if I can see anything inside too. Thank you all for your help. It's very appreciated.

I would remove all paly's if I could keep zoas. Those brownish paly's by the large sps piece have spread like mad, and those green ones that are curled on the edges, I'd remove them all if it might help. I can tell you that those green ones won't always curled like that on the edges, just maybe the last 6 months or so? I haven't dissected a colony of zoas, but I would. I wouldn't know how to/what to look for though. Just cut them up and see if I can see any worms or anything?

I would remove all paly's if I could keep zoas. Those brownish paly's by the large sps piece have spread like mad, and those green ones that are curled on the edges, I'd remove them all if it might help. I can tell you that those green ones won't always curled like that on the edges, just maybe the last 6 months or so? I haven't dissected a colony of zoas, but I would. I wouldn't know how to/what to look for though. Just cut them up and see if I can see any worms or anything?

Here's a video of the zoa situation in my tank: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zBNLrpGmq0 Jan, do you have a photo of what that snail looks like? I have seen some flat looking snails in my tank, without shells, but they've always been on the glass, I've never seen them on the actual zoas?

I want to buy or build a frag tank. I was hoping to see what frag tanks you all had to get some ideas. I was thinking something smaller in the 10-40g range with a single halide over the top and white plastic egg crate inside for the frags. Do any of you have pics of your frag tank that you could post please? Thanks, Ryan

I can take some pics tonight. I have a Blue Hippo Tang, Yellow Tang, Green Mandarin, Bellus Angel, and Percula Clown. None of which I've ever seen pick at any corals or the zoas. I've also looked at the zoas up close to see if I could see any worms or anything eating them, but didn't see anything. Based on how very slow it's been taking place, as my sps have started to slowly grow more and more, I think it could very well be the SPS simply taking over the chemistry in the tank. I have 3 different paly's, and they're doing fine though, they have grown and spread quite a bit. I will take pics of the zoas tonight when I get home, then put them into our FOWLR tank for the time being before they all die and trade them away for sps or something.

http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?show...bbyatv&st=0 I think I may try this myself. I have the same exact spot available in my sump. I could just hang another light there and it should work pretty easily. Looks like it was very successful for Bruce.

I always assumed the warfare was a close contact sort of thing. Could it take place over a distance in the tank, through the water? If so, that might be it. I assumed most of us kept a mix of SPS and zoas in our tanks, is that not true? I will soon be SPS only, but not by choice I suppose. I wish I could keep zoas still...?

I am not sure why, but over the past couple of years, almost all of my zoas have slowly closed up and melted away. I don't see anything eating them. My tank parameters are fine. I have plenty of SPS that are flourishing in the tank. Does anyone know what might cause zoas to disappear? I'd say I had 15 different zoas over the past couple of years, and now maybe 3 or 4 are left, but also closing up and going to disappear soon enough... Very frustrating. Maybe there is some chemical in the tank they don't like, or require, that I don't add for them? (Cal, Mag, Alk are all good...)?

This might help: http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=31237

the milli's are doing great. they grow fast too. the pc actinics are on 12pm-12am, and the 250w halides are on 1pm-11pm. -Ryan

I just made a video of my tank and I wanted to share it with everyone. My 135g tank is 2 years old and the equipment is in my signature. I hope you enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I24PEe3LZOQ...feature=channel

I think anthias make a great schooling fish as well. I'd love to a school of 7-9 of these:

I went from a 75g to a 135g tank. I often used to think my next tank would be 300g range, but lately I've been thinking my 135g is more than enough size for me to handle, especially financially. I think my next tank will be a cube, and downsized from what I have. Maybe a 90g cube or something. Just my 2cents.

chromis are tough. from my experience, they do die off (or disappear off I should say). I've had 7 at once, that dwindled to 0, then I tried again with 5, which also dwindled to 0 over time. I suppose they are cheap enough that you can just add a new school after they're all gone? I've read online that they like to be fed at least 3 times a day, and if you did that, it would lower their aggression and maybe prevent the disappearing problem? I've never tried it, (and I only fed mine once per day). FWIW.

my heater is in my sump, however, I was told you shouldn't lay your heater directly on the glass bottom in your sump, because heaters can crack the glass... it's never happened to me, but I believe it could happen, so my heater is propped up about an inch from the glass bottom of my sump...

they are sold used on RC quite regularly as well.

lol. priceless.

very true! I would recommend the Octopus Skimmer line. For 100g, I would recommend the Octopus NW200 skimmer. It's what I use on my 135g tank, and it's awesome.

no gloves here.

I'd love to see your tank again Jan!

I wonder how the powerbrites compare to these: http://www.marineandreef.com/Moon_White_Lu..._p/rcu01650.htm I was going to get these b/c they are cheaper, but I could get the powerbrites instead...