KeeperOfTheZoo

Thank you Cindy! Little fishy is doing great and so far is leaving all my corals alone, even the couple SPS frags I have. If she wants to eat them she can knock herself out, I'd rather have the angel than the SPS. She's putting my tang to shame with the amount and the rate at which she is consuming algae. She eats everything really well. Chowed down on the mysis and frozen formula 2 that I feed. I glued the pink zoas onto a rock, just waiting to see if they open up. Once they do and look like they'll survive I'll get them to you. They look just like the bright pink colony polyps here, so maybe they are palys and not zoas? I have some of the silver palys on there too. Hmm, the red palys and orange skirts too. Also have light blue palys and some sort of purple polyp that is starting to color up really pretty. Now to just convince them all to grow faster!!!! http://www.aquacon.com/polyps.html Liz

Ok, Y'all wanna shoot for around the 5th or 19th of Feb? Either date works good for me so what ever will get the majority. Muddybluewater, thank you! I'll see which location works out best. Maybe we can narrow down a few drop off points. Liz

Wow! Thank you so much for all the ideas!! Offroaddodge... That fixture is *perfect*! Thank you for finding the link!! So with 8x 39w of T5ho what level of lighting would that give me? It's lower wpg than my pc lighting, but again, I know that doesn't translate over that way. Would that be enough light for softies and moderate light LPS? I know most folks seem to aspire to SPS, but years ago I fell in love with the look of a tank loaded with soft corals and I've wanted one ever since. I think the idea of a floating fixture suspended on wire sounds awesome. I like the open top tanks a lot. Thanks again! I ordered the ballast for my current fixture, gotta limp it along through the spring rush. I'm about to be so busy with farm stuff I won't be able to tinker with the tank as much. I just need my current fixture to work until I can get the next one planned out and set up. Hmm, I like the idea of a slim line floating canopy too... Grr! Gotta narrow down my options. Liz

Hey Vash if you have blue ones I want a couple please! Where are you located? I live way north so coordinating pickup is a little bit of a pain. I really want some blue mushrooms though!! Liz

I can show you lots of pictures of what happens when you use tap water long term in a saltwater tank! Oh boy I got this one covered!!! It *very* successfully grows the most beautiful, lush, healthy and dense amounts of algae one could ever hope to NOT have in their tank. Hmm, unless of course that's what you are going for in which case go for it. Eventually I will have the flip side to those pictures along with the complete saga of how to rehab a neglected reef...someday. I won't put words in Bill's mouth, but I don't think it's so much the 'facts' involved as it is the tone in which they are presented. As a newbie to this hobby it can be very overwhelming to figure everything out even when you are trying very hard to stay ahead of the curve and not screw up. Sometimes the 'Well duh you idiot' tone in response to simple questions can be very off putting when you didn't even realize you were asking something about a <supposedly> obvious subject. I have a tough skin, have been on the net long enough and have enough other hobbies where I'm the old hand helping the new folks to not take offense when some of the gruffer folks snap like old dogs at a pup. Not everyone does though. Overall I've found the folks here to be wonderfully helpful and really great about answering even the most simplistic questions. Some perhaps more so than others... but overall I think it's wonderful how so many people are willing to help those of us who are very new avoid making disasters of our tanks. Tizzite, I started out using my tap water because it's what I've always used without problems for my freshwater tanks and it's what the folks that I bought my saltwater tank from were doing. I inherited a hell of a nutrient problem from them that I've been fighting a battle against for the last 3 months, primarily in the form of algae and cyano bacteria. I had no idea that things like phosphates and nitrates in tap water could lead to huge problems in a saltwater tank. I didn't even switch to DI water for that reason. I switched because a few months back our water company finally switched from straight chlorine to using chloramine and it has made our water horrible, spiked the free ammonia in the water and it smells horrible. My research on nuisance algae and the problems associated with making water treated with chloramines safe for saltwater tanks is what led to me changing to all filtered water. I've since learned that the issues with tap water extend even further beyond nitrates, phosphates, chloramines, ammonia, etc. It's just not safe to use such a variable substance in a contained system that is as sensitive as our saltwater tanks can be. I think some people do use tap water and get away with it because they keep things in their tanks that are hardy, or when things die off they attribute it to something else. The folks I got my tank from had killed all kinda of things. I was amazed at the amount of money they had spent on livestock only to have it die! I can't afford to do that. It's easier and cheaper for me to make sure the water going in my tank is 'clean'. There's enough to worry about without having to worry about water quality. If you want to chance it, test your water yourself and see where you stand. I tested my tap water for phosphates, nitrates, free ammonia and free chlorine. All the results came back at levels to high to be healthy for a reef tank. If you are still trying to figure out what water parameters you should shoot for in your reef check out this web site: www.wetwebmedia.com. I really, really have learned a lot there. Liz

Ah, Ok... makes sense. I've never changed bulbs before so didn't have any idea what to expect. It would very much make sense that the caps had adjusted to the pins in place, they had been there a very long time! In retrospect perhaps I should just be pleased that I didn't loose connectors and that the caps did go on. I do have 4x96w. I'm confused about cords... I have 3 right now. One runs the back two lights, one runs the front two lights & a fan, one runs 6 moon lights that are dead and I'm not even going to mess with right now. Why would replacing the one dead ballast lead to a 4th cord? The ballast are wired in a row along the back of the unit and it seems like I could replace the one that is blown and be good to go. I'm just not sure how to do it or how complex a process it is. Is it as simple as unplugging all the cords leading to it (looks like the connectors just snap in and out), unscrewing the ballast and doing it in reverse with the new one? I honestly can't provide any feedback on Coralife quality except to say that this unit is 6+ years old and this is the first time a ballast has had to be replaced since the previous owner did no upkeep, hadn't even changed the bulbs. I got the light with the tank and got the tank, stand and a lot of other stuff for far less than what the tank alone runs used. Overall I'm still ahead even if I have to work on the light fixture. I guess the bummer thing is that I'm having to play catch up now and I'm doing a lot of it in an effort to repair/upgrade the faulty aspects of the last owners system. Some of it is very enjoyable since I like to tinker with stuff and I like to work on things. Some of it is frustrating because my budget is far from limitless and unexpected expenses hurt! I have to take everything apart tomorrow to get the model number on the ballast. Coralife changed ballasts at some point and I'm not sure if I have the old ones that are not compatible with the replacements being sold or the newer ones. Thank you for the info on installing new ballasts. Honestly, I just want to get this fixture running as cheaply as I can for right now because I'm going to go to T5s as soon as I can. Hopefully I can replace one cheap ballast and be good to go for a bit longer until I can continue on my path of scheduled tank upgrades! Liz

Ok, got the whining out of my system, now I need some constructive input on lighting solutions. I have been looking online today at lighting fixtures and I'm seeing a real lack of them in the 6' range. The ones I have found are more than double the cost of 2 - 3' fixtures. I do not have a canopy on my tank and I'm not really looking to add one. I actually like the totally open top and would either like to hang fixtures or mount them on the tank (depends on how the studs run in the ceiling above the tank and if I want to run braces between them if things don't line up right) and keep the top of the tank open. I guess I could try and build a suspended canopy and use a kit to install lights... but right now that's just sounding complicated. Wiring is not my thing. With that in mind, how have y'all lit or seen in practice a standard 6' 125g tank be lit if you don't have one 6' fixture? I was debating using 2 36" fixtures, but I'm not sure if that would just look to messy/cramped. I've seen one picture where someone had a 2-3' fixture <couldn't tell size from pic> standing on the center brace and two smaller tank mounted lights on either end and it really didn't look bad. I have a large glass center brace so could do something like that. I just want to keep it as simple as possible. My other question is about T5 lighting. I'm going to upgrade from PC when I buy new fixtures. I do not quite understand how the lower wattage of T5's translates into more usable light (PAR?) for tank inhabitants. I know the whole watt per gallon measurement is flawed, but it seems to be the standard guideline used. I understand wattage for PC lighting. All I am finding online when I search for info on T5 lighting is that you can't use the PC watts per gallon method. So great, what do I use? How do I know how many watts of T5 lighting I need to achieve good solid 'moderate' lighting? I do not want to keep SPS. I primarily want to keep softies and some of the lower light LPS. Thanks so much! Liz

Thanks for the commiseration. I would have thought one ballast for 2 bulbs as well, but there are 4 ballasts in the fixture. I've been looking around online today as we've done our running around and errands and I'm having a hard time finding 72" fixtures and the ones I've found are more than twice as expensive as getting 2 - 36" fixtures. I'm really kinda stumped as to how to light my tank if I ditch my current fixture. I really am liking the new bulbs though. I can't get over what a difference it has made. The colors in the tank are so different and a few of my corals (especially the candy canes) have opened up like they never have before. Liz

Grr! I got 2 of the 4 new bulbs I need from Prof last night. Got up this morning all excited to install them. I figured it'd be easy... Take out old bulbs, plug in new ones, enjoy amazing change in lighting. I shoulda known better. I have an older Coralife fixture. The pins on the SPS bulbs are a little shorter than the Coralife bulbs and spaced just a little differently. They didn't want to plug into the end caps. I ended up taking my whole fixture apart so I could fiddle with each connector and make sure it was connecting with the pins so the bulbs would light. The connection still isn't great, but the bulbs are working. I think I've also discovered that what I thought was a burned out bulb is actually a burned out balast. I have 4 PC bulbs, 3 light and the 4th won't no matter what I do (or what bulb is in that spot). Is that the balast out. How do I replace a balast? After an hour of fiddling I have the new bulbs working across the front of the fixture and one bulb in the back working & one out. The new bulbs do look great! I'm disapointed that I wont be able to get all 4 working until I figure out the balast issue. I'm also worried about the loose connections to the bulbs. Short of just using Coralife bulbs I'm not sure what to do. Anyone have a T5 fixture for a 6ft tank they'd like to lend me until tax return time when I can buy it? I'm pretty put out with my current fixture at the moment. Liz

No prob, 2 weeks or so works good for me. Gonzo, thank you for the offer to hold stuff for me. My hubby works in RR and could pick up so that would actually work really good. I read through the basic directions for doing a group buy and it looks simple enough. I'll repost next week and we can see if we can get enough folks together to get 'er done. Liz

Where is the fish bowl? I've never heard of that one. I swing by Aquapets in Killeen sometimes. They have a limited selection of fish (usually really itty bitty babies) and dry goods. Their live rock is $6 a lb, not very 'alive' but no pests either. I bought sone rubble for frags. Liz I got

I have yet to participate in the whole group buy deal. I realize I just missed a reef cleaners group buy. Grr! Anyone gonna set another one up soon? There are a few things I'd like to order, if shipping could be avoided that'd be great. Only problems is I live very far N. of Austin. Not sure if there is enough interest out where I am to do an order for locals (Kempner, which is outside of Killeen), or would someone in Austin be willing to hold my shipment for me next time a group buy is done? Liz

Hey Ric, If you wanna bemoan algae with me we can talk at the meeting. Heck, I'll even bring pictures of my tank. Misery loves company! How does one go about using a filter sock? I know, I know... but I keep hearing references made to them and as simple as it sounds I'm not sure how to implement their usage. What are they made out of? Could I make one? Liz

Wow 1' mushrooms? Now that I can see eating something. I keep looking at my hairy mushrooms (the biggest is about 4" across) and wondering how it would even be possible for them to consume a 2"+ clown. Sundra, you do have some awesome hairy mushrooms and I just read you have a mandarin as well. I was quite worried about the possibility of my slow, docile little mandarin getting eaten too. I think I'll just keep all parties involved and only pull the mushrooms if they get monster sized. Crazy J, not getting rid of my clown! Was considering getting rid of the mushrooms but wanted input first. As long as the mushrooms don't act like they are going to eat anything I'm going to keep them, my clown loves them. Liz

Not sure if I really count but I'm closer than most. I'm in Kempner out towards Lampasas. Still a ways from Belton. I've met (and saw the beautiful huge tank) of another reef club member in Kempner. Met another gal that I'm not sure has joined the list, but she and her husband are setting up a new tank and they live in Killeen. So, there are a few of us out here. Sure wish there were some better LFSs around here! We go to Fins & Flowes in Cove all the time because we buy our ball python's feeder rats there. I bought a very healthy banded serpent star from them. I get a huge kick out of the ladies that work there (and all the birds)! They'll happily special order fish and inverts if you want them too. Not always the best price available (mostly because they are so low volume), but I just like the store. Seems like one of the biggest gripes of everyone I talk to out this direction is the lack of a good, big, well stocked LFS. Liz

Oh... the dreaded super glue! I am so horrible with that stuff y'all. I had to fix my daughter's barbie doll bed a while back and I was peeling glue off my fingers for days! I checked again today and a few of the yellow polyps have attached to the rock rubble. Not exactly where I would have put them, but they are on there. Many are still loose though The zoas aren't even opening, let alone attaching to anything. I'll have to just try the glue. At least I have some disposable gloves now. Might keep me from gluing my fingers together. Bill, my mushrooms have obviously all been male. I told them to stay, gave them *the look* and not a one has budged from where I initially put it. Helps that I have 3 sons and a husband, I am well versed in subtle raised eye brow communication of threats. Which by the way don't phase my daughter one darn bit. Liz

Hmmm... lizard skinned puffers.... wonder if anyone has ever considered making puffer skin boots...

I'm glad the eel is doing so well! Yep, he was a horrible beggar. We always thought it was really neat when he'd come out of hiding and swim the length of the tank looking for food. Very beautiful to watch him in motion. I got him some baby octopus once. He refused to eat shrimp for several days until I forked over the octopus. I found it very amusing that he could be so selective. He really liked scallops too. My husband started accusing me of feeding the eel better than him! Liz

Yep, I'd second the start of cyano especially the red growth on the rock in the upper left. That is how my nightmare outbreak started. Red growth on rocks, bubbles... now it's all over my substrate. It seems like it's getting better the last couple days but I'm almost afraid to say that and jinx myself. Gotta go knock on wood, throw salt... Liz

Gotcha Wayne. Well, I'll happily take as many as you'd care to unload. I'll bring something to put them in. I had a damsel that like to pick at zoas. What I found is that if they got knocked over/picked on too much they stopped opening. After that, it seems like they were a free for all for anything that wanted them. I watched that stupid damsel eat most of a frag. Made me SO mad. Liz

Oh, hmm.... I thought you meant your frags got knocked over. What kind of snails are these? I had a zoa eating yellow tail damsel. They are just so cute when they are little... then they turn into big, mean, ugly rotten fish. It's living at Aquatek now. If you go, check out the holding tank with the odd assoreted big fish. That giant blue damsel? Yep, used to be mine. I haven't had snails eat zoas. Laura gave me a neat giant snail. It's an algae eating machine. It's a little clumsy but hasn't knocked anything over yet, probably a good 1"+. Liz

Is there magic to the water entering at the bottom and working it's way up through a reactor? The baffles in my sump perfectly hold the two plastic media containers (side by side) that used to be in my big double bio-wheel filter. All the water in the tank has to flow through those baffles! Of course the water enters from the top then goes to the bottom. Ric, read through the links on that website and if you decide to reduce your CC let me know how it works for you. I wish I knew if it was coincidence or a direct connection between the shallower CC bed and the nitrates. It sure looks nicer if nothing else. I did remove it slowly so I didn't release too much nasty stuff into the water at once. When it was real deep I'd scoop about 1/2" worth of CC out on one side of the tank at a time being very careful not to stir it up too much. Then I'd do my water change and siphon the CC. I never had any problems with toxins being released. I took it from a pretty deep bed.... 4-5"+ down to 1/2-1" deep right now. I think I'm going to mix some sand into it eventually, just not sure how to do it without making a mess of the tank. Still gonna keep the bed 1"- 1 1/2" or so deep overall. Liz

LOL!! Ah, the mystery of the missing zoas... How large is large? If there are more after Ric is done making his selection and they are under the size of a key lime I'll take what you have left. I have plenty of algae for them to work on.... Liz

How do I go about securing loose zoas and yellow polyps? I bought a rock of pink zoas and yellow polyps from peeperkeeper (they are doing great and my daughter loves the pink zoas!). The yellow polyps had started to encroach upon the zoas and one part of the zoa colony was no longer opening. Sundra had tried to inject the yellow polyps with a hyper saline solution to kill them and it didn't work. So, I got brave (or insert other adjective) and decided to just cut some of the polyps off. Armed with gloves, goggles and a very sharp small knife I set to work on the colonies. It was a great success! No problems and now the pink zoas are all opening up beautifully since the yellow polyps aren't all over them. Which leads to my question... how do I get all the loose polyps I cut off attached to something? The first polyps I cut off I placed in a small container of rubble rock, covered with net for 24 hours in a low flow part of my tank. Took the netting off and some looked attached to rock, but they weren't so I repeated and have since just left them in the cup. No idea if they are attaching to the rock or not. The second bunch I trimmed off the parent rock included a few of the pink zoas. These I placed them in a small cup with crushed coral. My thought was that if I could get them to attach to anything at all I could then glue the little bits of CC with attached zoa to a bigger rock and away we'd go. Is there a better way to do this? I know the safer method to propagate zoas is to place a rock next to the colony and let them grow onto it. But, since I needed to thin the colony that wasn't really an option. Now I have all these loose polyps and I'd really like to get them secured where I want them instead of where they want to be, or where my urchin has decided they should be after picking up a few that escaped the cups. The only other loose 'corals' I've worked with are mushrooms and xenia, both of which happily secured themselves where I wanted them within 24 hours. Thanks! Liz

Hey Ric, No great advice, but I feel your pain. I'm basically in the same boat, err...tank? I've got what I think might be bryopsis taking over a couple rocks and cyano decorating my crushed coral. It's very.... festive. I've been using the DI water from RCA and I'm very happy with it. It always tests well. I started with nitrates at 60+ and phosphates at 5+ back the end of September. The main things I have changed with my tank are: - No more tap water, all DI now - 10-15% water changes every week - reduced my CC to less than 1" and saw my nitrates drop significantly (I read a lot about CC on www.wetwebmedia.com in their substrate FAQs) - added a 10g fuge with chaeto & live rock rubble and a 20g sump w/ a chunk of live rock and a hermit that can't behave in the main tank My chaeto is under cheap-o grow lights from Walmart! I have 2 strip lights on a reverse cycle. I've already had to thin the chaeto as it had grown so much in 2 months that it was getting compacted - bought a good skimmer - Have been running phosphate reducing granulated media as well as polyfilter pads My nitrates are reading 0 (though they are not gone, no telling how much the algae is using up. At least I'm not getting high readings in addition to tons of algae now) and the phosphates are at .5. I'm frustrated because I'm still battling all the junk even though my tank is so much healthier and my nutrient export systems are working. I'm hoping that I'm on the final leg of the nutrient battle and that within the next 6 months or so all the nuisance stuff will die off. Heck, I'd be happy if the cyano alone would just go away. The macro algae doesn't bug me so much and my little tang snacks on it all day long. My tank was neglected before I bought it and had a lot of nutrient build up. I have yet to find a concise plan for rehabbing a reef tank where that's happened. I'm muddling through. Hope you find a solution for your tank! If you do, please share. I too have had moments where I just want to rip everything out of mine and start over. However, it's a little on the cost prohibitive side! Replacing all the rock alone would be painful. Liz