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Here's a pic of my tank. Click here for the full 1095x688 image. And here is the mystery item I was asking about before.  Click here for the full 987x819 image. Anybody know what that thing is?
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May 17, 2010 23:02
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Juice Box Hero posted:And here is the mystery item I was asking about before. It looks like a zoanthid dying for some light if you ask me. If it is, it looks like a pretty cool morph if you can save it. I had some red people eaters do that when they started getting smothered by Xenia -- ie. stretching /way/ thin and extending >2" trying to find light.
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May 17, 2010 23:10
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optikalus posted:It looks like a zoanthid dying for some light if you ask me. If it is, it looks like a pretty cool morph if you can save it. I had some red people eaters do that when they started getting smothered by Xenia -- ie. stretching /way/ thin and extending >2" trying to find light. Thanks for the thought. It is butting up against some baby ricordea, maybe that's bugging it. The light level is actually very nice, the whole tank is brilliant. It didn't come through that way on camera, though. I'll keep an eye on it and move it up in the tank if it starts to look worse, maybe scrape off that tiny ricordea and see what happens with Mr. Blue. Did your zoo turn see-through when it was stressed? e: I scraped off the baby ricordea and pumped some diluted phytes into the blue thing's top. Hopefully it won't turn white and fall off. I'll post in here if I figure out what it is. theres a will theres moe fucked around with this message at 02:55 on May 18, 2010 |
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May 17, 2010 23:49
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A stretching paly/zoo polyp would not be entirely opaque but it wouldn't be translucent
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May 18, 2010 00:11
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Juice Box Hero posted:And here is the mystery item I was asking about before. I'm a marine biologist specializing in invertebrates, so I might be of some assistance. Ironically, corals are my weak suit, as I have no interest in them. Would it be possible to get a sharper picture? It would be a lot easier to make a judgement if everything was clear and in focus. That being said, if it's translucent and has those hollow bulbs there's a good chance it's an Ascidian. The electric colours are certainly something commonly seen in that group.   so yeah, I'm not going to stake my career on it anything, but get me a better photo and I'll be more definitive.
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May 19, 2010 12:53
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Grumio posted:Would it be possible to get a sharper picture? It would be a lot easier to make a judgement if everything was clear and in focus. Sorry about the photo quality. The hitchhiker is pretty small, I took a dozen careful pictures, and I think that's as good as I can do with an auto-focus camera. Thank you very much for your expert opinion! One of the dudes at wet web media corroborates your suspicion: WetWebMedia.com posted:This is almost assuredly an Ascidian... a Sea Squirt... Not harmful... indeed, testament to the good care all have lavished on the Ricordea over time. Read here re: http://wetwebmedia.com/ascidfaqs.htm Thanks again and thanks for the awesome pics. I love the surprises that come with having a reef tank.
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May 19, 2010 22:03
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No problem, glad to be of service  If any of you guys have questions about stuff in your tanks (especially identification or biology questions) drop me a PM and I'll do my best to help out.
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May 20, 2010 00:03
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Hi there, I'm looking to start up a 5 gallon nano after a seven year haitus on fish-keeping. I'm not too interested in building an actual reef, really, and am more curious what my options are as far as livestock in the tank. This was kinda what I had planned out, and I'd love for someone to critique it and maybe offer some alternatives if necessary - -5 lbs live sand -5 lbs live rock -1 clown goby (yellow or green, preferably?) -1 neon goby -1 false perc -1 small anemone (??) -handful of cleaning crew (turbo snails, hermits, etc) The question marks by the anemone are because I'm very unfamiliar with inverts, and really don't know what (if anything) is possible in a 5 gallon beginner tank anemone-wise. The false percula had been suggested to me by a few people, but I'm a little apprehensive because it seems that a majority of sites suggest larger tanks for even one of those fish. Again, any advice is appreciated, I'd really like to do something fun with this little tank without overcrowding it. This is my first tiny tank, everything I used to keep was 55-150 gallons, and very predator-heavy.
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May 23, 2010 08:28
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BeepBoopBatman posted:Hi there, I'm looking to start up a 5 gallon nano after a seven year haitus on fish-keeping. Way too many fish for such a small tank
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May 23, 2010 09:57
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Anemone will not do well in that size tank. I would leave it at the clown goby stop there.
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May 23, 2010 10:23
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Yeah, definitely don't put the ocellaris in there. I think the neon and goby would be fine though.
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May 23, 2010 15:16
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Awesome, thanks guys Edit: Actually, let me ask ya'll a few more things. While looking through livestock options for nano tanks, clown gobies have really grown on me. I like the markings on green clown gobies the most so far, followed secondly by panda gobies, and was wondering if there were any other tiny, hardy fish like this with interesting markings I could maybe consider. Suggestions? BeepBoopBatman fucked around with this message at 15:34 on May 23, 2010 |
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May 23, 2010 15:26
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Not really hardy, but if you want an absolutely beautiful fish for a 5 gallon a yasha hashe goby with a shrimp is always entertaining.
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May 23, 2010 16:12
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Hey everyone -- I have a few concerns with my tank. If you click the ? under my username you can find the one or two previous posts I've made in this thread. Since we added a bubble anemone, there has been a large growing of this purplish/reddish stuff all over the tank. It is often stuck on rocks and there are long strands of it floating but anchored to the rocks. It looks a lot like the poop we see when the anemone decides he needs to go. 25 Gallon tank Inhabitants: 2 emerald crabs, 5 hermits, 4 of those big snails that sit under the sand until you put food in the tank, 1 green chromis (1 died a while ago right after cycling, the other one actually just disappeared today...might be hiding, but I'm guessing there is a dead body in the tank somewhere or the crabs ate him), and 1 bubble anemone. Stats: pH 8.3 Ammonia between 0 and .25 ppm (was 0 before... maybe the anemone? maybe the hidden dead chromis?) Nitrites 0 ppm Nitrates 10-20 ppm (higher than they used to be, going to do a partial water change) Here are some lovely cell phone pics of the stuff we have all over: http://yfrog.com/08hairixj http://yfrog.com/jdtankkj Any ideas? Do we need more cleanup crew? Everything seemed to be fine until we added the anemone - do they really produce that much waste? That could just be a coincidence in timing, though. Do we need more cleaners?
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Jun 5, 2010 03:37
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That's cyanobacteria. I don't know of anything that eats it. I would do a couple small water changes over the next couple of days & make sure you have sufficient flow in your tank. Nutrient export & flow are the key to keeping that crap in check. edit: and for more content, here's a picture of my new tank. Started cycling it a week ago. 
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Jun 5, 2010 04:05
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khysanth posted:Any ideas? Do we need more cleanup crew? Everything seemed to be fine until we added the anemone - do they really produce that much waste? That could just be a coincidence in timing, though. Do we need more cleaners? I agree that the stuff in your tank looks like cyanobacteria, but it doesn't look like there's very much of it, so that is good. Remember to check and clean/change your filters. What, how much, and how often are you feeding the tank? And how long do you run your lights? What kind of water do you use? If it's from the tap or a shady pet store, it may contain phosphates. Phosphates can feed cyano. Regular water changes usually help to solve the cyano problem, if the water you're adding is pristine. Have you found your fish yet?
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Jun 5, 2010 05:02
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If something dies in your tank you are almost always going to see an algae bloom of some type, especially if you dont have a skimmer. I dont think it was the anemone that caused the problems. Regular water changes with ro/di water and it should be gone in a few months as long as nothing else dies. ^^these are good questions whenever I lose something in the tank I cut back my feeding to an absolute minimum until the algae is gone, since I tend to feed heavy in general.
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Jun 5, 2010 21:14
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Juice Box Hero posted:I agree that the stuff in your tank looks like cyanobacteria, but it doesn't look like there's very much of it, so that is good. Feeding just some brine shrimp right now, 1/2 of a "cube" (smaller than an ice cube) a day. Lights are on 12 off 12 (just realized after talking to someone that it should be down to 10 on or even as low as 8 on). What should I change it to? The water is from a local place. I live in Long Beach, CA and it comes from Catalina Island. Never found the fish. I'm guessing the emerald crabs or the anemone got it.
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Jun 6, 2010 04:31
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khysanth posted:Feeding just some brine shrimp right now, 1/2 of a "cube" (smaller than an ice cube) a day. So you're out of fish for now? You might want to pick up another cheap one to generate some poop for your detrivores to eat. Until then, you might consider getting some of the small sinking pellets and toss in very few per day. Your hermits and snails probably have a hard time catching floating brine shrimp if your tank has any flow at all. If it's getting stuck in the rockwork, that's good, but half a cube is probably too much for the livestock you currently have. You can feed like three small fish on half a cube, and they're actually able to catch the stuff. Have you checked your filters to see how much extra food ends up in there? Food decaying in your filter can create ammonia and ruin yo' poo poo. But to answer your question, you can probably go a couple days without feeding if all you have is your cleaner crew and you're trying to kill the cyano. I would definitely cut back on the lights. Everybody has their own recommendation, but I say 7.5 or 8 hours. It's not a big deal to leave them on too long unless you're afraid of bleaching a coral or something, but Cyano is photosynthetic, so if it weren't for your anemone I'd recommend leaving the lights off for a couple days. Sounds like your water source is pretty legitimate! And exotic! In the end, cyano doesn't really matter all that much. It's just an indicator that your water conditions aren't ideal, and can't really hurt anything other than the aesthetics of your tank (as far as i know). So don't freak out about it or anything, just consider it part of the fishkeeping adventure. SIDE NOTE: chromis are schooling fish. You'd ideally have a nice group of them to keep them from stressing out, so in a small tank you might consider getting something else like a gramma/blenny/goby/hawk/whatever. I would also recommend avoiding pretty much any damselfish. They are cheap, pretty, and hardy, but most damsels seem to turn into territorial, coral-nipping assholes when they mature. theres a will theres moe fucked around with this message at 23:16 on Jun 6, 2010 |
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Jun 6, 2010 22:44
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Juice Box Hero posted:So you're out of fish for now? You might want to pick up another cheap one to generate some poop for your detrivores to eat. Until then, you might consider getting some of the small sinking pellets and toss in very few per day. Your hermits and snails probably have a hard time catching floating brine shrimp if your tank has any flow at all. If it's getting stuck in the rockwork, that's good, but half a cube is probably too much for the livestock you currently have. You can feed like three small fish on half a cube, and they're actually able to catch the stuff. Have you checked your filters to see how much extra food ends up in there? Food decaying in your filter can create ammonia and ruin yo' poo poo. But to answer your question, you can probably go a couple days without feeding if all you have is your cleaner crew and you're trying to kill the cyano. Thanks for all of the advice! We do still have one chromis left, and I'll probably pick another up so he isn't lonely. I'll also probably add a clown soon. Since it's only a 25 gal., two chromis should be fine, right? I think I heard that it's better to keep them at 3+ but with such a small tank I don't have a lot to work with. khysanth fucked around with this message at 17:55 on Jun 7, 2010 |
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Jun 7, 2010 03:23
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khysanth posted:Thanks for all of the advice! No problem! I've made tons of minor blunders with my tank, returning damsels and a wrasse, and I've had to figure out how to get rid of a huge pad of cyano in my own 29 gallon biocube, so I have learned from plenty of mistakes. I also understand your fish selection problem. I've never kept chromis myself, but from what I understand they're pretty hardy. Clownfish and chromis are considered compatible and easy to keep, but three medium-sized fish might be close to the limit for a healthy reef tank of your size, so take time to research and choose stuff you really like. 2 Chromis will probably do fine together. You're probably okay with only one, if you don't want to get another. I'm sure plenty of folks have kept a single chromis. Edit: next time you buy frozen food, consider picking up the mysis blend, as brine shrimp is considered a sort of junk-food for most fish. And if you really wanna get crazy, drop some pellets and cyclop-eeze in there once in a while, too. And if you want a clown to pair with a wide selection of anemones, look for a Clarkii. theres a will theres moe fucked around with this message at 04:12 on Jun 7, 2010 |
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Jun 7, 2010 03:50
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There is no reason to keep chromis in a large group unless you have predators. They do perfectly fine on their own, and often will end up killing each other until there's only a single chromis left if there is no predator to keep them shoaling together. I originally started with 5 in my 120g, but it worked it's way down to 1 over the course of a year. It's been on it's own for another year after that and doesn't seem to mind.
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Jun 11, 2010 00:10
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 Click here for the full 480x648 image. New tank in progress. 1) Welded ..... check 2) Water tested ..... check 3) Stand constructed ..... check 4) Stand sealed and painted (amateurishly) ..... check 5) Holes drilled ..... check 6) Plumbing ..... in progress (eta: tomorrow) 7) Lighting fixture holder-upper ..... in progress (eta: tomorrow) 8) ??? x) Enjoy Stats: Dimensions: 34x22x11" Stand height: approx. 40" Sump size: 20L standard, ~9Gal of fuge Equipment: Return: Mag5 pump Lighting: Tek T5, 6x39W, 36" VAGENDA OF MANOCIDE fucked around with this message at 01:17 on Jun 11, 2010 |
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Jun 11, 2010 01:15
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I have a cleaner shrimp of which all my fish are mortally fearful. The shrimp is getting pretty big, and he's been chasing a new clarkii around so much that the clown stays way up at the waterline all day. Is there a solution short of selling the shrimp? I really like him.arioch posted:
Why'd you go for the central-drain? theres a will theres moe fucked around with this message at 04:55 on Jun 12, 2010 |
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Jun 12, 2010 04:53
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Juice Box Hero posted:I have a cleaner shrimp of which all my fish are mortally fearful. The shrimp is getting pretty big, and he's been chasing a new clarkii around so much that the clown stays way up at the waterline all day. Is there a solution short of selling the shrimp? I really like him. I wanted all 4 sides to be essentially viewable. The only equipment that will mar any side of a tank (so no overflow boxes, plumbing, etc.) will be the rear end-end of an in-tank wavemaker. edit: progress!  Click here for the full 480x648 image. VAGENDA OF MANOCIDE fucked around with this message at 05:47 on Jun 12, 2010 |
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Jun 12, 2010 05:44
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I'll have pictures of this later on, but my lone mini carpet 'nem (S. tapetum) did a 4-way split this past couple of days.
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Jun 12, 2010 06:02
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 Click here for the full 648x484 image. So close, except the closer return bulkhead is leaking where it's connected under the tank to the plumbing 
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Jun 16, 2010 03:38
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 Click here for the full 480x648 image. Getting closer. The loop is now watertight. Just need more DI water to fill it up to some reasonable amount, then mix salt in it (using the newfangled D&D H2O salt, which is basically dehydrated ocean, instead of some synthetic mix), and then dump in: a) the bucket I've been running with a bubbler since forever that has a shitload of mud in it plus LOTS of macros: chaeto, ulva, a quart of multiple gracillaria species, some halimeda, 3 mangrove propagules b) the sand (caribsea "special grade", the fine pink stuff) c) the rocks (multiple sources, some ancient dry stuff and some from my running tanks) d) livestock! I also managed to break a couple of my T5 tubes, I've got replacements coming in via UPS tomorrow. Can't wait to power all this up. (I'll have some loc-line modular tube poo poo for the returns, which right now has a slip reducer from 1" to 3/4" at the end of each...)
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Jun 16, 2010 05:33
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 Click here for the full 480x648 image. Just 2 out of 6 tubes on at the moment.
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Jun 17, 2010 04:17
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How much total wattage are you aiming for?
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Jun 17, 2010 11:46
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SERPUS posted:How much total wattage are you aiming for? 39W per tube, x6, so 234 total.
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Jun 17, 2010 12:29
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My friend and I are planning to get some pet crabs soon, and I was just wondering whether anyone here has experience on keeping pet crabs? So far, here are the things we know: 1. Brackish water is important, it's best to purchase a hydrometer to attain a gravity of 1.005 - 1.010. Aquarium salt only, of course. 2. The tank should AT LEAST be 12 gallons. 3. Apparently most crabs burrow, so it's best for the substrate to be mud or sand. 4. I think part of the habitat needs to be elevated above water, though I'm not sure about this. I'm not sure whether I've gotten everything important, and all these information are clobbered together from various websites, so I'm not sure if I got anything wrong. The main problem is food. I've no idea at all what I should actually feed to them, since some websites recommend algae disks, others recommend shrimp, and some also recommend hermit crab food. Thanks in advance for the advise! My friend has also thought of keeping lobsters as well, but those don't really seem to be popular pets, but I'll just ask here to be safe. Apparently the pH level should be around 7.2 and 8.4, substrate should be gravel and rocks for them in cave like formations, and fish flakes for baby lobsters, shrimp pellets for adults. At least a 10 gallon tank (suspicious about this, seems a little too small). So, is there anything else we should know specifically about keeping lobsters or crabs as pets? My friend also wants to keep his pet lobsters and crabs together, though I suppose that might not be that much of a good idea. We still have a long time to prepare and correct any wrong knowledge, since he needs money and I need space, anyway. Thanks in advance for the information! EDIT: Oh yes, also what type of filter is more suitable for crabs and lobsters? EDIT2: Oh god, the more I read the more things I find out that I didn't know about.  I've read that it's good to cycle the tank when you first fill it with water. Since the best way to start off is to put in about two inexpensive and hardy fish, I wonder, what type of fish of that descriptions can live harmoniously together with crabs/lobsters? Or maybe I should just drop ammonia into an empty tank, I don't know. I feel like I'm asking too many questions, so I shall stop for now. Deadly Chlorine fucked around with this message at 07:16 on Jun 18, 2010 |
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Jun 18, 2010 06:18
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My fiancee and I have a neat little crabitat going. We have a wraught-iron stand that holds two 10G tanks, one above the other. The top tank was a half-full brackish tank filtered by a ZooMed 501, with two hermit crabs, two fiddler crabs, and a red-claw crab. The bottom tank was a freshwater guppy tank providing food for other aquariums. The guppies were changed out for mollies, which are brackish-tolerant. The top tank was then drilled for an overflow (on a 10G!), which drains into the bottom tank. Both tanks have undergravel filters. The top tank uses 1 inch of crushed limestone on top of the UGF. The bottom tank uses 1.5 inches on top of the UGF. I plumbed a "T" of PVC from the normal air "outlet" pipes on the bottom UGF, and have it siphoning into a trash can. Inside the trash can is a big fuckoff pump that moves the water up to the top tank. The outlet from the pump goes into one of the exhaust tubes for the top UGF, making it a reverse flow. This ensures nothing gets trapped up top (since the water is constantly percolating up from the substrate), and since I have two layers of rock, there is a metric holyton of biological filtration. The bottom tank has a small UV sterilizer, a powerful bubble sponge filter, a 50W heater, and lots of java moss & java fern. The total amount of water in the loop is around 15G. For the scape on the top, it's a mixture of slate rocks and driftwood, in a gnarled twisty pattern. The crabs love running around in it, including the hermits. I haven't had a molt in this setup yet (it's only been running maybe two weeks), but I couldn't deal with sand-heavy ones going anaerobic as often as they did  . I use two 10G hoods, one with a 10000k/actinic mix bulb, and the other a standard dual-bulb incandescent. The yellow up through actinic spectrum gives the most beautiful white color I've ever seen in a tank. I'd grab pictures, but it's pretty late right now. If you want to see, I'll try to remember this weekend.For actually answering your questions: 1) Brackish water is best. That salinity is pretty easy to hit, just remember to refill with RO water as it evaporates! 2) I'd agree. More water = fewer fluctuations. 3) The only crabs of ours I've seen burrow were the hermits, and they only dig down to the water line. Ours seem happy enough with no sand. 4) Give them lots of above-water surface area. If you fail to, they will drown. 5) Lobsters will be territorial and may attack the crabs. Keep an eye on them.
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Jun 18, 2010 07:46
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Alright, I'm getting a little frustrated trying to replace a light bulb in an Eclipse 3. I snagged this little tank at a discount the other day to compliment the other nano, the fluorescent bulb seems to be burnt out, and I cannot for the life of me find the replacement. Is there an alternative I can purchase? Does anything else appropriate for saltwater fit in an Eclipse 3 housing?
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Jun 18, 2010 16:42
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I can't exactly remember the bulb in the eclipse 3, but I think it was a 9" T5 bulb or something? I have seen them for sale at my local hardware stores. I think you can use this one: http://www.petsmart.com/product/ind...r:referralID=NA Or just do a search for 9" T5 bulbs. I had to replace one of the bulbs in my eclipse 3, but eventually the ballast just burned out.
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Jun 18, 2010 21:07
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ludnix posted:I can't exactly remember the bulb in the eclipse 3, but I think it was a 9" T5 bulb or something? I have seen them for sale at my local hardware stores. Yeah that's exactly what it is, awesome, thanks!
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Jun 19, 2010 07:22
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8STuUL_ji8 Note that this video was taken before I ran a micron filter in the recently mixed tank, so it's no longer quite as cloudy--and in fact it should be clear by tonight. That's a Vortech MP40W ES running in the Nutrient Transport Mode--first a period of standing wave generation, then a wall of water mode. Bonus shot of the refugium:  Click here for the full 648x484 image. That's 1 gallon of Caribsea(?) mineral mud, 2 containers of Walt Smith Fiji Mud booster, 2 pounds each of Premium Aquatics' crude mud and live sand, 1 quart of gracilaria (at least 4 different subspecies), ulva, chaeto, and even a clump of halimeda. And 3 red mangrove propagules. VAGENDA OF MANOCIDE fucked around with this message at 21:04 on Jun 21, 2010 |
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Jun 21, 2010 21:00
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Latest update: Click here for the full 648x484 image.
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Jun 22, 2010 01:34
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arioch posted:Latest update: Interesting to see a tank set up like this. it appears your sandbed is kind of shallow. Do you have plans to hide the plumbing? I like it. I have never seen a tank like yours before. What are you going to put in it? Sorry if i missed that. e: man, nothing is as exciting as a brand new clean tank. You have so many possibilities ahead. I envy you. also, what is that port on the far right side of the photo, top of the tank? Also, where is that fancy powerhead you were talking about? theres a will theres moe fucked around with this message at 02:36 on Jun 23, 2010 |
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Jun 23, 2010 02:23
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Intake strainer for the drain pipe. I took it out because I'm cutting out every other guard before putting it back on. The powerhead is off at the moment. That's just half of the sand I am adding. I'm transferring most of the stock of my two initial tanks over into this tank, and that includes most of the rockwork and the great majority of the established sand. What you're looking at in this tank at the moment is dry rock and dry sand. There will be some attempt at disguising the plumbing, but not too much. I'm going to cut about half an inch off the top of the return pipes as well.
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Jun 23, 2010 07:22
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