|
Trillian posted:I would really love a reef tank, but something is bugging me. How possible is it to stick to aquacultured livestock? Its much easier now, online retailers like liveaquaria have a huge amount of aquacultured livestock.
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2010 03:15
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 10, 2024 03:02 |
|
|
Realizing that the original coral came off a reef somewhere, a lot of coral farmers can now do some REALLY crazy things in farming, propagating, and generally mixing up coral strains. Aquacultured can be worth the price, and you can feel good about it sticking to AC items. I generally stick to tank-bred or propagated livestock, myself. Except hitchhikers. I love my mantis shrimp. Currently I just put together a BC14 I bought used (with a DIY LED lighting setup) and added a RBTA that was a clone of a local reefer's "big momma" and a pair of bred and tank-raised juvenile onyx percula clowns. edit: in addition to feeling good about going AC, realize that wild-caught fish typically have problems like brooklynella, parasites, etc., whereas if you buy from a reputable local reefer or an established farming operation (through a reputable local LFS with clean facilities, not petco) you'll generally get a hardy, healthy specimen that is already raised on the kinds of foods you'll be feeding. edit 2: that being said, LiveAquaria's Diver's Den and Collector's Corner is great to trawl through every now and then for something just that Extra Special. VAGENDA OF MANOCIDE fucked around with this message at 04:42 on Feb 3, 2010 |
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2010 04:32
|
|
|
streetlamp posted:Its much easier now, online retailers like liveaquaria have a huge amount of aquacultured livestock. That site looks pretty great, although I am tragically Canadian. It is good to know that it's possible, and I will see what I can find that doesn't involve putting fish through customs. I have a new question, while I am at it. I'm pretty blown away by the concept of nano tanks. Are they really hard to manage? I have only had freshwater tanks, and marine is obviously a whole different world, but how much does size make a difference in chemical fluctuations and such? I was thinking I was going to have to go for 60+ gallons, but I'd be happy with less if I am not putting livestock at risk by being a newbie.
|
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2010 06:08
|
|
|
Trillian posted:That site looks pretty great, although I am tragically Canadian. It is good to know that it's possible, and I will see what I can find that doesn't involve putting fish through customs. It's definitely harder to keep water parameters stable in a nano, in terms of work, plus it becomes a lot harder to find equipment that will fit (and be decent at it). On the other hand, it really isn't that much harder to keep a decent sized nano, say of 20g size. Smaller than that (to the so-called "pico" category) and it can get really finicky. For a new reef system I'd just recommend the 40g "breeder" aquarium size and work from there.
|
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2010 06:13
|
|
|
I'd go larger, unless you're really, really interested in conquering the challenges of miniature reef-keeping, namely water quality management and limited livestock choices. Personally, I hate having to worry about my day-to-day water quality, and in small tanks, things can go from "fine" to "OMG my tank is crashing" pretty quickly. A moderately stocked medium-large tank won't require too much input on a daily basis. I screwed up quite a few things with my tanks over the years, but I found that lightly stocking my tanks has saved me more time and hassle than any gadget or piece of advice. Some people enjoy tinkering around in their nanos on a daily basis, but I prefer the the concept of having the tank be a balanced, healthy ecosystem that requires very little from me besides food and topping off the water. I think it comes down to figuring out exactly what sort of enjoyment you get from fishkeeping. Other than having to micromanage water quality, I see properly stocking a nano to be a big pain in the rear end. There are some really cool species of small fish, but I'd rather have a school of them in a large tank rather than just one or two in a nano. I agree that a 40g breeder would be a good starter size, but most people want to upgrade to larger ASAP because you'll quickly realize the limitations of a medium sized tank. Even at a 55g or 60g tank, there are plenty of species that you can't keep because they'd need more space. For example, I'd love to have had a Picasso Triggerfish or Naso Tang, but both species need a larger tank (125g, maybe more).
|
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2010 20:52
|
|
|
Yeah, I dunno. I think I'm just coming from the angle of I'm really not that interested in keeping fish (esp. predatory) as in a fowlr tank or whatever. I'd rather keep a reef system with lots of corals, cool inverts, etc. In that respect, I have to really keep on top of the tank (the micromanaging) and I resign myself to not ever keeping the larger cool fish. But the upside is I don't really care about how big the tank has to be for a certain tang or trigger. I'll probably eventually do a medium-large fowlr tank for crazy stuff, but I figure then I'll do an even larger reef tank (and run it on the same system). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozwm2gKxsII ^ my new tank, just added that anemone and the onyx percs yesterday VAGENDA OF MANOCIDE fucked around with this message at 00:16 on Feb 4, 2010 |
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2010 00:14
|
|
|
Yeah, it definitely comes down to what your priorities are for the tank. Your percs look pretty happy with their anemone.  I can certainly understand why people get so excited about their inverts; my Nassarius snails ended up being my favorite thing to watch in the whole tank.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2010 01:09
|
|
|
I've been slowly working on a little clownfish hatchery. My clowns have been laying for a while and I'm pretty familiar with their cycles now. I've got phyto and rotfiers breeding so I should be ready to try raising this coming batch of fry. The eggs are laid on the broken terracotta pot under the hammer coral. I'll be removing the pot sunday night so they can hatch in a seperate tank. I'll post some pictures of the fry if everything goes as planned. Here's a cool picture of a linckia starfish. I've had it for about 6 months now I think. I was concerned with how well it would survive but so far it seems pretty healthy. 
|
|
#
?
Feb 7, 2010 12:37
|
|
|
I just wanted to tell everyone who's posted pictures here: Windows 7 has this awesome rotating picture thing and I've made a folder filled with just awesome pictures from this thread and have been using them as my desktop. 
|
|
#
?
Feb 7, 2010 20:24
|
|
|
Alright, I figure since this is the general information thread, I'd ask here. If I'm in the wrong spot, then I'll try somewhere else. I've got a little 20gal almost nano reef tank with some Kenya Tree, a Green Bubble-tip and a pair of Maroon Clowns (also with the requisite cleanup crew and such) I'm under 68w of t5 lighting on an 8 on 16 off cycle. Levels show everything is fine except a low Calcium, which I've been dosing once a week with the two part Calcium supplement thing. Temperature is a rock solid 78.6. Everything has been going awesome for about a year now, and then just last month I've started an almost runaway cyanobacteria bloom (the red slimy algae) I've increased flow, cut back on lighting time, and reduced feeding, and nothing seems to help. I just did a 20% water change after mechanically removing all the algae I could and am waiting for everything to calm down. Is there something obvious I'm missing? Is there anything else you recommend?
|
|
#
?
Feb 15, 2010 17:17
|
|
|
Some things I'd check, not necessarily in order: 1) What's your water source? RO? RO/DI? What TDS reading? If you have your own RO/DI system, is it about time for a filter change? 2) What's your salt mix? Is it a relatively high quality mix like Reef Crystals, Tropic Marin, CoraLife? Or is it an inconsistent mix with varying resulting alk/salinity/calc and possibly detectable chemical nutrient levels? 3) Is it about time to change your light bulbs? 4) What's your phosphate export method? Chaeto in a 'fuge?
|
|
#
?
Feb 15, 2010 18:03
|
|
|
a 20g is pretty small for maroons. In what way did you increase flow?
|
|
#
?
Feb 15, 2010 20:41
|
|
|
arioch posted:4) What's your phosphate export method? Chaeto in a 'fuge? Hah it was that. Had I bothered to check on my HOB fuge in the past few weeks, I might've noticed that all my Chaeto was gone. D'oh. I think I know what started the bloom then, and how to fix it. Thanks for reminding me! ludnix: They live in the GBT, and don't stray far from him. Everyone at both the LFS I frequent say the 20 is fine for them so long as they don't have to share with anyone else. They're pretty drat territorial as it is. I increased flow with another head. I'm running two Koralias.
|
|
#
?
Feb 15, 2010 22:19
|
|
|
I started my first fw tank about six months ago, finally worked out all the kinks maybe two months ago. I'm starting to think about what I want to do next, as I'm frankly a little bored with my tank now that I'm not doing constant maintenance/troubleshooting on it. I've got a 20T not doing anything, so I'm tempted to go one of three routes, and I'd love input. I'm still in the early early dreaming stages, so it will be a while before I actually decide on one or another of these ideas. Firstly, I could divide it, make it brackish, and stock it with bumblebee gobies in one side and one or two dwarf puffers in the other. Is there anything special to note about brackish tanks, or should I just treat them like saltwater? I've also heard that puffers need to have their teeth trimmed ocasionally, and I'm honestly not sure I could handle sedating them for it. Other than feeding them a constant stream of pond snails (which I am not adverse to), is there any way to keep their teeth in check naturally? Second, I could stock it with a pile of dwarf seahorses (I have a spare 5g I can use to breed brine shrimp). I am not particularly well-read on these guys yet so I don't have any specific questions, but I'll get there. My third option, and by far the most tempting right now, is to collect live rock/sand from the beach (Oregon coast), stick it in an unheated tank, and see what happens. The coastal waters are ~55*F, my living space ranges from 45* in the winter to 75* in the summer. I have it on good authority that most of the bacteria/microorganisms we have on our coast will survive/thrive in tropical temperatures as well, so if it all works out nicely (over, say, a 4-6 month time period) I could in theory pop in a heater and some tropical LR, and maybe do my seahorse idea, maybe some coral. It is legal to collect rock, sand, and small non-food inverts at most of our beaches, so that won't be an issue, though I mostly want to stick with rock and potential hitch-hikers, and forego any coral/anemonies/shrimp/etc. Barring the ethics of it, are there any glaringly obvious problems with this? The added benefit to this last plan is that, if it doesn't work out, I can still dry/boil the rock/sand and use it for one of the first two options. I also won't feel horrible if everything goes belly-up, since I do not have an emotional attachment to bacteria. Either way I go, I will need a protein skimmer, and will probably set up a refugium. Do I absolutely need to use a tank for the fuge, or could I just use a plastic tub or something? Also, out of curiosity, when calculating gallon size of a tank, do you include the size of the refugium or just the tank? Finally, for whatever it may be worth, I'm currently in a rental situation, which is why I am not going full-force and hopping straight into planning a 55+ gallon setup. Eventually when I move into my own place, I will definitely go that route, though.
|
|
#
?
Feb 20, 2010 01:52
|
|
|
Its been a while since I have posted a bunch of tank pictures so tonight I decided to take a few.         
Hypnotized fucked around with this message at 17:14 on Feb 20, 2010 |
|
#
?
Feb 20, 2010 09:52
|
|
|
 Click here for the full 800x598 image. Bad photography hooray! But this is the goddamn coolest paly I have ever seen. Translucent surface all across, disc, mouth, skirt, you name it. Skirt and rim of the disc are translucent white, there's a splash of fluorescent green (under actinic) across the mouth area, mouth is bright fluorescent green. I got 9-10 polyps of it on a piece of tonga branch.
|
|
#
?
Feb 24, 2010 20:26
|
|
|
I got several new frags today
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2010 08:53
|
|
|
Hypnotized posted:I got several new frags today Holy poo poo that is beautiful. Would you be kind enough to post a stock list (including corals), tank size, information about your filtration, and what lights you're running?
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2010 22:56
|
|
|
Thanks Desert, My tank is a 25G AGA tank with a standard 10G sump. I am running a 150W sunpod with a 14k bulb. For filtration I have an AquaC Urchin skimmer and a carbon reactor running in my sump. For water movement I use Vortech MP20. You can read more about my tank here http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=179289 Here is another view of my tank where you can see the aquascaping better. 
|
|
#
?
Mar 1, 2010 00:45
|
|
|
Hypnotized posted:Thanks Desert, Thanks. I hope I can afford SW someday.
|
|
#
?
Mar 1, 2010 07:23
|
|
|
I'm looking for some book recommendations. I'm trying to do my homework for a tank in the next 12-24 months (I hope). I'm new to fishkeeping, but I've got the budget and energy to spare, so although I realize how much work and time it's going to consume, I believe I'm prepared for it. I think I'm looking at a 90-110g reef aquarium. I'm almost finished reading Saltwater Aquariums for Dummies, which was a pretty good introductory read, but I've got a lot of questions that I'd like to get more information on. I'm looking for something fairly comprehensive that goes into a lot of gory details about why things are done a particular way. In particular I want to know more about :
I'm sure there's more but that's a good start at least. For what it's worth, I'm thinking I'd like to have a large reef with some reef-safe Wrasse, at least one of these guys, maybe a clam, a pair of clowns with anemone, a sea cucumber (the substrate munching variety), and the obvious corals. So if anyone knows of any books that cover one or more of those topics, or that would be a great next step, I'd like to hear about it.
|
|
#
?
Mar 1, 2010 16:34
|
|
|
Hypnotized posted:Here is another view of my tank What camera and settings are you shooting with? I like that look alot.
|
|
#
?
Mar 1, 2010 16:54
|
|
|
SERPUS posted:What camera and settings are you shooting with? I like that look alot. Make: Canon Model: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi Shutter Speed: 1/200 second Aperture: F/5.6 Focal Length: 21 mm ISO Speed: 800 Lens: 18-55 Canon IS This is the only picture I have posted using the kit lens, all the others use a 50mm prime lens. MrFurious posted:I'm looking for something fairly comprehensive that goes into a lot of gory details about why things are done a particular way. In particular I want to know more about : Use the Internet rather then books. Ideas and opinions about what is good or bad in reefing change so frequently that books are often quickly outdated. My favorite online resource is Nano-Reef. The site specializes in smaller tanks, but still has loads of good info and useful DIY sections for larger tanks. Another good place to check is Reef Central. Hypnotized fucked around with this message at 20:02 on Mar 1, 2010 |
|
#
?
Mar 1, 2010 19:55
|
|
|
Hypnotized posted:Make: Canon
|
|
#
?
Mar 1, 2010 22:19
|
|
|
I like Reef Central. It's more stodgy, but I find the ratio of newbie:knowledgeable better. The last time I looked at NanoReef's chemistry forum the most popular question appeared to be "do i need to use ro water????" whereas RC's is more like, "how do i vodka dose???"
|
|
#
?
Mar 1, 2010 23:00
|
|
|
My mom found my pinkbar goby today! In the sump... 16 feet below the tank. My dursos have grating on them. Wtf.
|
|
#
?
Mar 2, 2010 03:40
|
|
|
I snapped a couple more pictures. Here is my Pom Pom crab and the new brain coral I just bought.  fanaglethebagle posted:My mom found my pinkbar goby today! I lost my orange spotted goby for over a month once when it jumped into the back of my 14G biocube. I went to top off some fresh water one day and there he was swimming around in the back chamber.
|
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2010 23:38
|
|
|
I just got a full, baseball-sized colony of a green/blue millepora for my tank today, and also snagged 4 acro crabs (the "Zorro" kind) to attach to various frags and mini-colonies in my tank.
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2010 04:27
|
|
|
acro crabs are my favorite I miss mine
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2010 04:38
|
|
|
They're hilarious and cute
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2010 04:40
|
|
|
Trillian posted:I like Reef Central. It's more stodgy, but I find the ratio of newbie:knowledgeable better. The last time I looked at NanoReef's chemistry forum the most popular question appeared to be "do i need to use ro water????" whereas RC's is more like, "how do i vodka dose???" I noticed you really have to be on the watch for snake oil and groupthink on RC, like the stuff about vitamin C dosing. N-R has its uses, too ... the Lighting subforum is great because I'm running custom LED lighting on my tanks. Also Reef Central has like 6k users on at prime time and the hardware they're using is not anywhere clse to SA level so you really feel it around then. Most of my posting on RC tends to be in our local club subforum, then I venture out in the anemone and inverts subforums. VAGENDA OF MANOCIDE fucked around with this message at 04:55 on Mar 4, 2010 |
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2010 04:44
|
|
|
Hypnotized posted:I snapped a couple more pictures. Here is my Pom Pom crab and the new brain coral I just bought. I love Pom-Pom Crabs. They're almost enough to make me want a small SW tank.
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2010 05:01
|
|
|
What kinds of sea slugs are available in general? Could I have shrimp and sea slugs in one tank? I'm not getting a tank anytime soon at all, I am just daydreaming and I come into this thread to be jealous.
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2010 08:56
|
|
|
Availability can be scarce. You can usually get sea hares (not really what we usually mean by sea slug), Berghia (only eats aiptasia) are cultured by a few aquarists here and there, E. crispata (lettuce slug, eats bryopsis) are uncommonly available (out of stock on the online retailers I check). The problem with most sea slugs in general is that they're obligate SPECIFIC feeders. Like the two I listed, they will starve away without those specific foods. Some slugs are basically pests because all they will eat are zoanthids, or specific SPS coral polyps, etc. So, yes, you can keep sea slugs ... but you better make sure you can and are willing to supply its food. Zoanthids grow like a weed but still not fast enough for nudis chowing down, and SPS grows SLOW.
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2010 14:08
|
|
|
Although there is no issue finding them where I'm from (besides berghia) I agree with him. Sea hares require a lot of food, but if you have enough fresh algae growing for it then it will do fine with shrimp. Sea lettuce doesn't eat so much (in fact it was recently discovered that they steal chloroplasts from their food and are actually semi-photosynthetic animals, one of the only)but they are extremely delicate. Almost all nudibranchs eventually make it into a powerhead and get chopped to shreds. If you are looking for one of the "cool" nudibranchs, they are really hard to find and most often eat nothing but specific coral or sponges. I don't know if I would say it is worth it.
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2010 17:42
|
|
|
fanaglethebagle posted:Almost all nudibranchs eventually make it into a powerhead and get chopped to shreds. Does this hold true for the substrate munching sea-stars and sea cucumbers? Does anyone have experience with these?
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2010 21:00
|
|
|
MrFurious posted:Does this hold true for the substrate munching sea-stars and sea cucumbers? Does anyone have experience with these? My tigertail is great, it's just important that you have enough substrate for them, especially as they get better. As for 'sea apples' I would avoid them as well as any other filter feeding cuke unless you are spot feeding them or have a gorgonian/sponge 'dirty tank'
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2010 21:58
|
|
|
I would avoid large sea stars in general unless you aren't keeping a reef at all. Even if you keep no corals those stars will absolutely eat beneficial inverts in the substrate, like spaghetti worms and mini stars. Those mini stars are GREAT in any tank. (The ones that get to about 1.5" across, long thin arms included, not the asterinas which are hit or miss)
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2010 23:09
|
|
|
arioch posted:Those mini stars are GREAT in any tank. (The ones that get to about 1.5" across, long thin arms included, not the asterinas which are hit or miss) The brittle stars (other than green) are also great tank dwellers - though in truth, you often never get to see that they are starfish, but rather just a collection of spiky arms sticking out from under a rock.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2010 00:18
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 10, 2024 03:02 |
|
|
Psimitry posted:The brittle stars (other than green) are also great tank dwellers - though in truth, you often never get to see that they are starfish, but rather just a collection of spiky arms sticking out from under a rock. They freaked me the gently caress out when I first saw them, to be honest. I got them from some live rock rubble.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2010 00:20
|
|