KeeperOfTheZoo

So sorry to hear about the tang. What a bummer. My yellow tang had a bite taken out of one of his dorsal fins. I was really worried. Hopped online and did some research and came to the conclusion that most fin injuries should heal within a few days. If not, it's time to go to more aggressive treatments for underlying causes. Sure enough, within 2 days my tangs fin had totally healed. Not much help for you now, but maybe something for you to think about in the future. Not to derail this post any further, but what about feeding frozen formula 2 for herbivores? I bought and feed it specifically for my tang and angel and they love it (of course, so do the other fish!). The tang does eat meaty foods but really seems to prefer the formula 2. I do feed nori sheets as well, but only about 1-2 times a week. Of course, still have macro growing on some rocks that the fish munch on... maybe a little green algae isn't such a bad thing! Darn derbesia seems determined to stick around.

Or flex pipe and the elimination of joints as much as possible! My return is all flex hose and barb fittings. So nice. Don't know why I bothered hard plumbing the drain.

Derek what corals are you feeding mysis? I have some candy canes that have a great feeding response so I target feed them mysis. The other corals seem oblivious to feeding time. I've been hesitant to feed filter feeder type foods for fear of adding to an already heavy nutrient load (which is much better but I'm still recovering from the old build up). My fish get mysis and frozen formula 2 (for the tang and angel). Once or twice a week I put a small strip of nori on a clip. The corals hopefully catch left overs.

Good point J! I didn't even think about the less rigid stuff kinking. Do you think the hose with the braided exterior will inhibit light enough to (at least mostly) prevent algae growth? I'm hoping I can avoid having to glue things so I can take everything apart if need be. I plumbed with rigid PVC the first time around and one of my regrets now is that I can't take my overflow and drain lines totally apart to clean everything.

Well, I'm about to replumb my tank. It isn't drilled (add a drilled tank to the list of things I'll do differently next time) and if possible I'd like to pick up supplies locally. I'd like to use flexible pipe this time around. I already have everything I need for my return pump. So, I need to figure out what to use from the overflow down to the sump. I stopped by our local Ace and they have a thinner walled clear plastic drain hosing that says it's not for supply lines. They also have a very thick walled potable water safe flex hose. It's so bulky thick! Would the clear drain tubing be safe to use? I know it sounds silly but I got a little nervous when it said not for supply lines. If Lowes or HD has a better option please share. Went to Ace just because it's closer.

Well, it sure likes 3wpg of PC lighting. Not sure about high Kh. Mine stays pretty consistantly at 9dkh (calcium 420-440). +1 to it growing in low lit fuges. I have 2 grow lights over my fuge and the coraline is growing fast on the rocks. I have pink, purple and blueish coraline in my tank. All the same plus green in the fuge.

Well hmm, I'm going to have to rethink getting an anemone. Some of my rock work gets very high up in the tank. Would a GBT be the best bet under PCs? I have no problem with feeding, already have a few things I hand feed already.

I have cruddy PCs and have coraline growing so fast on the glass I'm having to scrape the front and sides at least once a week just to get it. I'm letting it go on the back glass. It's growing on the rocks but it's really liking the glass.

I didn't think you could keep nems long term under anything less than halides. I have a bit over 3 wpg with PCs on my tank and had totally ruled nems out. Ditto on the fish load, pushing it with those 3! Craigslist is great. I bought my set up for less than the cost of the rock.

I've seen several people keep tangs in smaller tanks when the fish are small. It's hard to say if the fish is happy. I tend to over research things and gkarshens is right. Most reputable online sites will list a 100g+ tank for tangs. I have a little 2" yellow tang in my 125g. It really isn't that active of a fish. I could easily see keeping one that size in a 75g with the understanding that as the fish matures you may need to rehome it. I really want a blue hippo as well but have mixed feelings about whether it would be overstocking my tank. I already have the yellow tang, 2 chromis, a Pygmy angel and an ocellaris clown (planning to add another ocellaris soon)

But she can control the 'goods'. Never mess with the supplier who feeds your habit. Uh-hum, Laura, I need a cleaner shrimp please. You learning here Vash? PS- Welcome Melissa! This is a great group. Lots of help and information.

Ok, well I guess I'll sit on my hands (after putting the scissors away) and see if the darn thing will split on it's own. I swear it's teasing me! Laura this is one I got from you, one of my first corals. It's grown so much and is so pretty! Richie, good to know they will survive cutting if my patience runs out. Right now it appears all parts are stuck on the rock. It looks like a tube instead of a round ric!

My green florida ricordea has been in the process of splitting for over a month. It is HUGE, has two mouths, occasionally ruffles up like it's working on actually splitting then quits. What is its deal? Should I cut it and force the split? How traumatic for it would that be?

Hi Chris, Welcome to the list! It's so nice to see yet another member that's kinda out in my neck of the woods. I live a bit N. East of Lampasas so not real close to Temple, but closer than most of Austin. There are a lot more people in and around Killeen than I imagined there would be when I first joined the forum. I think Versace (in Cove) had macros of different types and he has very neat tanks (worth going to see!). I have chaeto but I just gave a handful to Salt Dreams, it'll be another month or so before it grows out enough for me to give more away. If you haven't found some by then, or still need more, I'd be happy to give you some. Never feel silly about asking questions here. This is a great group of wonderfuly helpful people. Liz

Brat kids... Some of us old 30-somethings were morning people even in our party days! What kind of LPS do you have for sale? Won't be able to make it there this weekend but might by next weekend. Liz

Christian do you have live rock in your tank? The bioballs are acting as surface area for denitrification (biofiltration), right? If you have plenty of live rock in the tank and remove the balls slowly like you plan to I think you'll be fine. If in doubt remove them even slower and see how the tank reacts. I removed a lot of my sand bed (kinda the same concept.. removing a form of biofiltration) and I just did it real slow over a couple months and had no problems. I do have a lot of live rock though. When you get ready to add chaeto post to the list. Many folks give it away free. It was really nice to meet you yesterday by the way. Liz

Pretty tank Richard! I'm impressed that your tank is doing so well and you're just now getting into checking all water parameters. Goes to show you don't have to be totally obsessive to grow out a nice tank. I need to practice that sort of reef keeping! LOL!

Thank you Mooric! I've got nooks and crannies for them to tuck into so how ever they come is great.

I would love some blue mushrooms Mooric! I'll be at the meeting tomorrow. I have a small (3 polyp) frag of yellow polyps. I also have some anthelia if anyone would like a cutting of that. It'll be loose, but it anchors and grows VERY quickly.

Keep resisting Bill unless there's a reason not to. I was fighting a full on phosphate battle and wanted to be fully armed. I'm the kinda gal that shoots a .44 magnum and likes it but has conceded to the fact that if I want to carry concealed I will need something smaller. Darn it. I digress... my phosphates were out of control thanks to the nasty nutrient problem I inherited when I bought my tank. Once everything is totally under control I'll cut back to the bare minimum of chemical stuff necessary to maintain proper params. Ideally I'd like to just rely on biofiltration but I think that's a ways down the road if it's even possible. Until then, I am considering buying stock in the company that makes phosguard!!

I'll second the evils of damsels. I know you got a yellowtail, what was the other damsel you got? Yea... I was checking out your fish. The yellowtails are cute when they are little but they will get mean eventually. I pulled an almost 4" yellowtail out of my tank and had to break down over 100lbs of rock to catch it. Stupid evil fish. Stupid me for not getting a fish trap. That said, if you want to keep an aggressive fish tank then go for it with the damsels. I had the yellowtail, 2 big sgt majors (damsels), 4 huge orbicular cardinals and an 18" snowflake eel. It was very much an agressive/predator tank but everyone got along and they were all pretty reef safe. It really just depends on what you want and what you like. I didn't want those fish because I couldn't add any pretty new ones so I rehomed them all. When you get confident that you won't kill fish, catch the damsels <if you don't want them> and take them to River City Aquatics in Austin. They will give you a little store credit for them and you can put it towards a nicer fish. I really like the folks at RCA. Here's something a little nicer than typical damsels but hardy and low cost (so it's less painful if it dies): http://www.liveaquar...+115&pcatid=115 I was gifted with a couple blue/green chromis and I think they are very pretty fish. Not exotic, but they have a subtle beauty. If you like clowns, they are typically tough little boogers. Some people don't like them. They can cop attitues. Mine bites me when I stick my hand too close to the hairy mushrooms she's hosting in but she's so darn cute I don't mind. Research on the clowns, some species are more agressive than others. I'm sure there are other good starter fish that you can put in your tank and leave in without worry about having to pull them later. Just read up on any fish you want to buy before you get it. Oh, I'm pretty sure if you buy fully cured rock, especially out of a running tank you won't throw yourself into a new cycle. I've added a few decent sized rocks to my tank directly from other tanks with no problems. If you buy uncured rock you will recycle your tank. Liz

Hey Bill, Like Ric said you can get them at Aquatek, I've gotten mine at RCA (I'm kinda an RCA junkie I think). Of the two the polyfilter is the better product in my opinion. It will absorb a variety of things from nitrates/phosphates to chemicals like copper and other metals. The pad will change colors and let you know what it's absorbed. On the bag it has a chart to tell you if it turned this color it absobed 'X'. The pure filters are kinda all in wonder things. Absorb trates and phates, has a layer of activated charcole, basic mechanical filtration. I get those when the polyfilters are out of stock. I keep mine in the baffles of my sump. I spaced the bubble trap/baffles about 1" apart when I built it. On one side I run phosguard in 2 plastic media containers (that I ripped off from a dual biowheel, they fit perfectly) and in the other I put the polyfilter. Doesn't inhibit water flow and all the water in my tank has to go through it so I figure it gets good exposure. I tell ya, the various media sure changes color so I know it's absorbing stuff. Yuck! Interesting point about the flake food and I've read that several times now. During the whole process I got 'real' fish (vs. the big ugle monsters my tank came with) and decided to feed them the good stuff. I've switched to all frozen foods and nori sheets for my tang and angel. Not sure if that helped or not. Forgot to add I also added a good skimmer! I'm constantly amazed at how much nasty stuff the skimmer sucks out. Liz

Eww creepy! I have some big ones but none that size. I'd probably just leave them if they aren't hurting anything. They are supposed to be good scavengers and I've read their populations are self limiting. I have a TON of little ones. I guess that means there's plenty for them to clean up in my tank. My only worry with them is that I'm going to pick up a rock and get stung someday. Liz

Do you have a phosphate test? Others with more experience can chime in but what I've read and experienced is that phosphates really feed cyano/red slime more so than any other nutrient in the tank. Nutrient export seems to be vital for controlling cyano growth combined with limiting import of nutrients into the system (ie- too much feeding, using non filtered water that is high in phosphates or anything else that lets nutrients build up).You need to figure out what the source of your problem is and then fix it, addind more CUC may not be the best fix. I just fought a major cyano battle with my tank due to nutrient build up. After most of it cleared up I had a little bit of a return outbreak and I did a 24 hour black out on the tank and it all disapeared! It's been several days now and there's no cyano at all. It took about 2 months to get rid of all the cyano. For export I used: - fuge with chaeto - phosguard (granular media, primarily absorbs phosphates, changes color when exhausted) - polyfilter (absorbs all kinds of nutrients changes color when exhausted) - pure filter pad (also absorb all kinds of stuff and has carbon with it) - weekly 15-20% water changes - limited feeding for the fish, went to every other day and fed lightly **24 hour black out** only after the problem was already in check. I think I had a slight return because I changed my lighting and started feeding the fish heavier. My tank is adjusting to my new lighting and I eased back on the food for my piggy fish again. I DO NOT think a black out will work long term if you have not already gotten the nutrients feeding the cyano in check. Liz

One toadstool spoken for!