Willow

Could someone take some pics of the tank and post them later? I won't be able to make it to the meeting; but I have been wanting to see that tank for awhile now.

I use the Tek fixtures from Reefgeeks... they don't have a 30" fixture though.

From what I understand about the T5 fixtures; you would need one with individual reflectors to get the light you would need for SPS. I've never used the Nova Extreme... so I can't tell you any more than that.

What is "decapsulating"? I don't feed them. I have some Micro-Tech (or something like that). I tried to put some of that in there, thinking they'd eat it, but the next day the water smelled like a sewer so I gave up. Then I had the nitrate problem and figured uneaten brine wasn't helping, so I haven't hatched out any in the last couple of weeks.

it's removing the hard outer layer of the brine shrimp egg shell so you have a better hatch rate. If you go to the San Francisco Bay's brine shrimp website they have directions there...

here's the link: http://www.sfbb.com/faqs/decapstulation.html

I just follow their directions.

I still do the brine shrimp thing, though not as often as I was (I think that was adding to my nitrate problem). I bought the "shrimpery" at the local big chain pet store along with packets of dried eggs. It's the kit for little kids. It's basically a little plastic black box with a hole in the top. A clear pill bottle with a small hole in it's top fits upside down into the hole in the black box. The idea behind this is the live shrimp will swim up into the clear pill bottle and the eggshells and unhatched eggs stay in the black box.

I pour the clear pill bottle into a brine shrimp net to strain them, then feed them to my tank. I have, however, poured the entire contents of the black box into a clear container, let it settle an hour or so, then siphoned out the "middle" with a turkey baster (leaving the sinking shells on bottom and floating eggs on top).

They seem to die after about 48 hours or so, so I only hatch out a small quantity at a time.

Are you feeding them? They die because they starve to death or because the ammonia levels in the container spike.

I usually hatch out about a teaspoon of the eggs (decapsulating them first). And I use the two liter bottle method. I only feed about a 1/4 cup (give or take a little) of the phyto in that first 24 hours after hatch. After that I feed them every day. Once they really start growing they can go through 2 liters of the phyto in 24 hours with no problem. I also change out their saltwater every few days. I have had them grow to adult size and start reproducing in just a two liter soda bottle.

This is supposed to work, but I really want to hear what willow does.

we just chenged from windows 98 to vista, so my husband doesn't have the camera program loaded back on yet... as soon as he does I'll take a few pics (with my crappy camera) and post them...

I started out using that link Headless, I make mine in one and two liter bottles. I don't worry much about the SG of the water... anywhere between 1.023 and 1.026 .. doesn't seem to make any difference.

I do rinse the bottles out with a diluted bleach solution and then rince with plain tap water, letting the bottles air dry before starting a new culture or bottling it up to give away.

I got my starter culture from FloridaAquaFarms. But I only used it for the first batch. All of the others were started from whatever phyto I have growing. I know some people haven't had any luck with them (FAF), but I have never had a problem. I used only half of one disc and divided it up between two one liter bottles (saving half of the original culture in case mine ever crashes... which knock wood it hasn't). I do need to order a new disc though since our pup managed to get my reserve one and chewed it up on the floor... grrrrrrr...

(You can use a razor blade to cut the culture disc from them in half)

once I added the starter culture to the bottles of saltwater (after letting it soak of course, kind of following FAF's directions on how to activate it) I added 2.5 ml of the microalgae grow and .5 ml essential elements per liter.

I drilled a hole into the bottle cap for the airline, capped the bottle and turned on the air pump.

I let it sit out on my porch... night temps have gotten down into the 40's and since my porch is enclosed (sort of like a sun room) the day temps are anywhere from the 60's to 100's. It was 100 out on the porch yesterday and the algae doesn't seem to care at all.

it's usually ready in about a week... depending on how much phyto I pour into the next bottle to start... and for the record I have let it sit for three months without doing anything to it... just Texas sunshine and air. Mine can get extremely dark (almost black) but I have never tested it to see just what it is density wise. It just depends on how long I leave it.

If you plan on growing your own brine shrimp make sure you have plenty on hand and in production, since they can deplete it pretty fast!

I hope I covered everything... if I didn't let me know!

Does anyone in this club make their own phyto? If so, how did you start your culture? Did you find it to be more trouble than it's worth?

TIA,

Kris

I make my own; have been for a while now. I started with a dry culture. It's no problem at all, never had a culture crash and I keep it out on my porch during the summer right in the hot Texas sun. Lol, after looking at the prices for live phyto; yeah, it's well worth it!

Chaeto should be green... did the chaeto itself turn brown or does it have a brown coating on it (like diatoms, for example)?

I have heard of a red chaeto... however I think it would have been red when you bought it if that were the case...

Those are some really great shots. I especially love the macro of the eye. Is that a limpet?

It looks like my conchs...

#1 - how can you tell when it's bleached? I bought it about 2 months ago because the clown I bought was already attached to it. It was pretty and white. I had just flourescent lights, but it seemed happy. About 3 weeks ago I got my PC lights. The BTA has grown considerably, still seems happy, but now it's taking on a light brownish/pinkish tone. The color is kind of a wide band of color on each little arm, right about the middle. The tip is still white. So was it fine, and now it's not? Or was it bleached and now it's gaining some color?

#2 - Yesterday I picked up some really nice mushrooms (thanks, Cindy!). May favorite one is a blue-purple velvet looking one. Unfortunately while trying to position it, it slipped behind the anemone. The BTA is spread out really wide across the intersection of 3 larger rocks - 2 rocks side by side and one underneath them, about midway in my rockpile. I moved the BTA once and the next morning it was right back. Anyway, the mushroom fell right in the tiny hole between all these rocks that is completely covered by this 6" wide anemone. I can't get to the mushroom from behind, and I tried to "coax" the anemone to move over last night and it's hanging on tight. Should I just write off the mushroom, or what?

white = bleached

try directing a powerhead at the anemone's foot... hopefully it will move over enough for you to get the mushroom out....

I let it sit for a day before adding it to the tank. And it was only 10%. BTW it looks like Xenia is suffering too but not dead. I have like 10 other types of coral in there and they are doing on. Its freaken me out. Maybe I added too much trace elements and the Xenia and Anthelia are the most sensitive to it??

ok.. what is your PH & your DKH?

xenia starts to suffer when the PH drops below 8.3 & starts to melt when the dkh drops below 7...

when you mixed up the water for the water change... how long did you let it sit before using it?...

I did a search for "ocellaris eggs"... found this: http://www.edge-of-reef.com/pomacentridi/P...ocellarisen.htm

A. ocellaris eggs, just laid. The colour changes from orange to silvery-grey as the eggs develop.

The eggs are bright orange on the first day or so, but then turn brown over the next few days. When they turn silvery and the eyes are visible, they are near hatching.

I've never been... looks like I will have to add it to my list of places to go...

thanks for the pics! (which reminds me that need to get a decent camera... mine really is crappy!)...

PM sent...

Everything still available besides the Iwaki pump.

did you get my PM for the shipping?

Hya Capt'n! I have come to the decision that because of our mutual love of lion fish you shall forever be know has the the Fuzzy Pirate!

-Kat

Lol... you forgot the piercings!!!

btw... Welcome Cap'n!

Hi Kat!

One of these days I'll try to make it to Austin and see what ya have in stock...

<-- the other Cindy not to be confused with the other Cindy....

What is still available?

PM sent...

If you still have it in a month or so when I get a couple of my horses sold I would love to have it....

but for now... I've spent my saltwater allowance for July!

I forgot about that fact. I was referring mainly to the brine you can buy live at the LFS.

ok... yeah... they are potato chips!

When brine shrimp are freshly hatch the are super nutritious. When they are bigger, they are more like potato chips.

That all depends on what the brine shrimp are fed....

if someone is willing to host it, i'm willing to show up with some frags and cash. in fact, i might rename my dogs, Frags and Cash. oh ya! lets try and get a time setup for next month. some time in August? or maybe mid july?

Make it for at least August... that will give me some time to get some cash together!

I start out by decapsulating the brine shrimp eggs... once that's done I hatch them out in just plain salt water... then separate out the egg shells...

after about two days I start pouring in the phyto...

the entire time they have air tubing in the bottles... I don't bother with an airstone except during the initial hatching.. once I separate out the shells I just use a regular piece of tubing minus the airstone...

they do eat alot of phyto (so I make sure I always have plenty on hand)...

as far as lighting.. I have them on my front porch in the hot Texas sun! Haven't lost a batch yet due to over heating and I have never had a batch of phyto crash in the sun either.. in the winter they do have to come in cause the porch gets a little too cold at night... I usually keep them on window sills (away from the cats) or add a regular cheap aquarium light (depending on how much I am growing out at the time)...

The shrimp get rather large on their phyto diet and will reproduce in their bottles... depending on how many I have going I will either let the culture reproduce and keep a supply going.. or I will start up a new batch... the main thing is keeping them fed... they do eat a large amount of phyto.. I can add a dark batch of phyto (almost black) and in a day or two depending on how many shrimp are in the culture they have it eaten down to a pale yellow...

I raise my brine in two liter bottles of phyto! The other shrimp will be in several ten gallon tanks once I start culturing them. The pods seem happy (for now) in my fuge...