schudini
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Posts posted by schudini
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Sweet. I have one of those that I'm not using anymore. It's a cube freezer with 2 holes in the bottom, a custom made grey acrylic box insert with lid, and 2 attached pipes for water in and water+food out. I simply used a 1 minute "on" pulse from a controller to pump (maxi-jet 600,iirc) water into the box. The frozen food was made in ice cube trays, and only the very outside of the food cubes would melt and release the food. When the pump shut off, the cubes would re-freeze until the next day.
What animals are you planning to feed with your setup?
Good luck with your build.
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That's too bad. Hope your coral can make a full and speedy recovery.
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I'm following this as well.
My favorite restaurant is RumFish Grill (with massive aquarium wall) on St. Pete Beach in Florida. It would be nice to find something similar locally. :-)
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Just to be clear, are you giving away the shrimp or the coral?
Sorry to hear that happened to your coral.
If a shrimp did that to my coral, I might just break out the cocktail sauce.
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I have a 6" foxface I've had for 2.5 years. I added a new fish about 2 months ago from a recommended dealer that says they qt the fish before sells. Since then my foxface I have not personally seen my foxface eat which it use to devour food. It has to be eating because it's lasted the last 2 months. It seems to show signs of maybe ich or white spots. Also now has scratched up nose and mouth area and really at times almost seems blind. I really have no clue what is going on with it but looking for someone with a setup QT tank as I don't have one. I would be will to give fish away if someone would take the time and try and treat and make fish happy again. Please message me if your interested. Thanks in advance and sorry I will not mention the dealer though.
Yes, more information would help.
What is the new fish? Does it show signs of stress or disease? Has it been fighting with the Foxface?
Have you noticed any other changes in your tank?
hi joe, I'm glad. some more information and photos would be helpful. do you have any photos of the foxface and it's symptoms? it sounds like the new addition has caused some stress in the tank sufficient that the foxface is perhaps injuring itself on rockwork or perhaps a bacterial issue but photos and more detail would greatly help. what size tank is this in? there isn't much reason quarantine and treat that single fish unless you plan on doing so for the entire tank as most issues would just reoccur as the issue stays present in your system. you may try to isolate it your tank with a large acclimation box so that you can ensure it is eating and watch closely and keep stress minimal from other tankmates, as well.
This is an excellent idea if you cant have a QT tank. You can also feed the foxface medicated food to help boost the immune system.
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I like the full tank shot. Those LED's look great.
Were you using digital zoom on your phone for the other pics?
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Yeah, what a deal. Good luck with sale. Too bad you are getting out of the hobby.
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I forgot to mention if you like the look of mushrooms, but with a lot more color, then check out ricordea and yuma.
Would recommend them after a bit more experience though, as they are not "easy" or cheap.
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It's a Lobophyllia brain, I think the name of the color was Insane Green or something similar.
Basslets (pseudochromis) always look mean (cause they are, j/k). Their pupil shape allows them to see straight forward, unlike most fish. They like to hover and watch you even from across the room. Creeeepy
Zoa garden in the main tank...
Nuclear Green palys with Duncan on the right
From top left: Radioactive Dragon Eyes, Eagle Eyes, Rebels, Armor of Gods, and Fireballs.
Mean Greens with LED actinic lighting (450nm)
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Frag tank with a strawberry basslet who was being punished for being naughty.
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Welcome Benjamin
I'm not an expert, but I've had my 20 gallon nano going for over 8 years and through 4 moves. (I've had other nano tanks simultaneously too).
A couple of pointers i have learned:
You can't have too big of a clean up crew. You will need things for stirring the sand bed, picking at algae on the rocks, and especially eating the extra food (that the fish don't eat) before it turns into fertilizer for algae. A mix of reef-safe hermit crabs, lots of snails, and a few other things.
No matter what... ALWAYS closely inspect coral frags for pests BEFORE buying them. If you don't know about the common reef pests, time to start reading. Most things you can't get rid of once you get it. Especially asterina
starfish (they eat zooanthid corals), but including red bugs, flatworms, bubble algae, even mantis shrimp. You can't be overly cautious, so don't be tempted to buy that sketchy looking, "cheap frag" from a swap or a store, cause it could end up costing you a lot more later.Find and stick to a regiment for adding new things to the tank. More than just acclimation, a "dip" is also helpful to prevent introducing pests, algae, and other unwanted things into a tank.
Quarantine tanks are excellent if you can afford the space (even temporarily).
NEVER ever use a copper treatment in a reef tank. Deadly for inverts and coral.
Don't expect the clownfish to reach maturity in a small tank. Probably won't grow over 1.5" and won't spawn. It's best to buy clowns that have already paired up so they don't fight. And they don't need an anemone, they will rub on just about anything.
Understood. I think l the more challenging corals I will save for when the tank matures a bit more. I think I am concerned about getting fasting growing corals that will overtake the whole tank and have trouble fragging them. I was considering making it 1 coral specific only tank, but that might be too boring?
Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkAvoid green star polyps (GSP) and mushrooms then. Once you put either in the tank, they will eventually take over. Mushrooms can also emit chemical signals that will prevent neighbor corals from growing out.
I completely get what you mean Mari. I would probably buy up all the corals too. I just want something easy to care for and maintain for now and still look vibrant to go along with my fishes.
Thanks Rob! Yeah I will be very diligent with water changes. I'm a huge stickler with dirty tanks and can't stand it.
I would really do a sump. I tried doing research in putting together one and my lord... It is a bit overwhelming especially with the in/out pump. I'm afraid of overflowing. My wife would be very angry with me lol.
I think for starters I would go with Zoas and frogspawn? Unlike my freshwater tanks I am very nervous in diving right in with stocking the saltwater tank. This will be a learning experience for me so I will keep you all posted!
I know my setup is nothing much compared to the setups I've seen here, but it's all I have for now and I am so excited about this hobby and meeting local reefers!
Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkZoas are a good starter coral. They actually prefer a little bit dirtier water than some of the difficult corals. They also can tolerate a lot of different lighting, and look great with just the blue LEDs on at night. Start with the cheap ones.
Eventually you can read their behavior and see what flow and light makes them happiest. Some exotic zoas do have neurotoxins (Palytoxin), so be careful when handling.
Frogspawn and other LPS coral (duncan, Acans, etc) are a bit more finicky and need calcium supplements to grow their skeleton. A lot in this family also have sweeper tentacles (to sting their neighbors) and may not be good for a small tank.
With your current light fixture, you should concentrate on corals that don't have a high light requirement.
With regard to equipment, you don't have to go with a sump setup. My 20 gallon nano has all hang-on-back accessories. I have a CPR Bak-Pak 2 protein skimmer (no bio-bale) and I made a custom pipe to output to a Aqua Clear 110 filter that I use as a combination chemical filtration (media bag with carbon/phosguard) and a fuge to grow chaetomorpha (macro algae that provides nutrient export), with a LED fixture on top.
There are other HOB style equipment available depending on what you want to accomplish (and how much space you have to hide it). Various manufactures of canister filters and media reactors too.
Looks like you have a ways to go for your cycle. I don't think I ever saw that much ammonia in my tank during my cycle ever. What method are you using? I used biospira and a shrimp. As for the corals all at once, I did it, but as many people would agree, it's not suggested. Corals add nothing to the bioload but if there's something wrong with the water or the parameters aren't stable you could kill everything. I started with Xenia and GSP but added 17 frags from the PA frag swap at one time. Mine turned out okay. The corals I lost of those 17 were because of poor light acclimation and sickness. I'd start with a few cheap and easy frags to start. Mushrooms are usually always bullet proof. More so than zoas.
Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkYep, mushrooms are bulletproof, which also means you can't kill them when they take over ;-)
Anyway, welcome to the world of saltwater.
Read a lot, ask lots of questions, and have fun!
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Was in to do a water change yesterday and chat with the teacher. I have done 30 gals of water changes since the first post, and the kids have done a good job of cleaning off the algae off back glass. I think a few more snails in there will clean up the algae off the overflow and some of the rocks. Now home to one of Dave Sun's captive bred (CB) Lemon Damsels, a CB Bangaii Cardianals, and a CB Clarkii Clown. Will push the significance of the locally CB fish as well.
Thanks, Doubt I will be able to make it up to MD for adoption any time soon though. Pretty fish, If in VA, let me know.
Well, I could deliver, but to be honest I don't think Nelson would play well with the other damsels or cardinals.
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Nelson has pretty eyes... And really, you can't prove he's not Batman, have you ever seen them in a room together?
Haha, that's a good point!
My favorite joke told to me by my wife:
Sixteen sodium atoms walk into a bar...
... followed by Batman!
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I have an adult Red Honey Damsel (Stegaster mellis) that I am looking to donate.
I posted on Craigslist, so here is the link with pics...
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/for/5560000594.html
Would like to have him adopted within the week.
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I have an adult Red Honey Damsel (Stegaster mellis) that I am looking to donate.
I posted on Craigslist, so here is the link with pics...
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/for/5560000594.html
Would like to have him adopted within the week.
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main question is how big of an area do you have for a sump. Also, are you going to be drilling your tank or running an overflow box?
It has to fit under a 20 gallon. I have a sump already, just not hooked up. I will be using an overflow box.
I was more interested in optimizing the setup, so topics about flow, bubble traps, fuge design, ATO, water levels, securing plumbing, etc.
Will check out Melevsreef right now. Thanks.
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Can anybody recommend a good thread or online article about sump design/setup?
I want to change my tank from HOB everything (which has worked well for over 4.5 years) and make a nice sump setup.
Instead of asking a bunch of questions, I figure there must be a mother-of-all sump thread out there somewhere for me to read.
Thanks.
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Even if you take them out of the housing, you still need a heat sink to dissipate the heat away from the LED's (which is one of the reasons they mount these in aluminum housings).
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A hair dryer in the freezer. Now I have seen everything
I just read that thread. Wow.
I assume with this you need to mount somewhere above the tank to gravity feed down?
Here's how one person did theirs (go to bottom of first page)
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Schudini, are the cubes just placed the box or are they on a tray or something to elevate them? What keeps them from blocking the exit tube?
Just placed in the box. There is a very large mesh over the exit tube.
Also, the cubes are the size of large ice cubes, cause they're made in an ice cube tray. Best with homemade foods.
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I have one. It is a mini freezer with a custom acrylic box inside and pvc pipes through the bottom.
Here is a schematic...
Here are pics...
The timer turns on the pump for a short amount of time, which pushes warm salt water from the sump to the freezer through the taller tube. The warm water then defrosts a small amount of frozen food cubes, which then flows through the shorter tube and into the tank. Any defrosted food that doesn't go down the tube then refreezes and doesn't rot.
Two important points with this system.
#1. You need a very accurate, sub-minute timer/controller. I'm using an Apex. You don't want the feed pump on for more than 20 or 30 seconds, cause that's too much food for the tank (unless it's a big tank).
#2. The frozen food must be in cubes or something similar so that there is exposed surface area for the warm water to thaw. You don't want to use a large brick of food because less surface area means less melted food and the possibility of clogging the drain tube.
Hope this helps.
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They really do best singly. Even when you get an established group their order may be interrupted or change. They really have a lot of character when kept by themselves.
I heard Anthias need to be fed multiple times a day. Is that true? It's the only reason I haven't got one.
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The color is incredible and I'd love to put one in my tank but I've heard they are complete bullies. Anyone got any experience on them? I have a 60 gallon with 2 clowns, 1 6-line wrasse, 1 chromis, 1 yellow watchman goby, and one clown goby. Tank is VERY peaceful other than the clowns scaring the chromis every now and then.
Do you mean a Pseudochromis porphyreus or a Pseudochromis fridmani?
I ask because the temperaments are much different.
If you just like the color, I would highly recommend a Black Cap Basslet (Gramma melacara). Good color and good temper, plus they are intelligent.
I've had two of the three and the basslet is my favorite.
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Did you get to go to the dolphin show too?
I spent an entire half day in front of the whale shark tank.
Good shot of the square back. That guy is so fast it's hard to get a good pic.
Captain Nemo's Escape
in Dedicated Tank (Build) Forum
Yeah, you are a lucky man. My wife vetoed a through wall viewing window with a 90 gallon (plus sump) IN the fish room. Afraid it would hurt the house "resale value"
Would love to see more pics.