almost 35 year old reef pictures - Page 18

gman52 · 01/09/2007, 08:35 PM

thanks Paul and Graveyardworm.

Paul B · 01/14/2007, 01:27 PM

I have a new cycle in my reef. It's the attack of the brittle stars cycle. This is a new one for this tank. It is loaded with 1/2" brittle stars. Of course they don't bother me or anything else it is just wierd that after all these years they would show up now. There are also quite a few of those other 1/4" fat starfish (I forgot the name) some people feel they are predatory, I really don't know. But the brittle's are very reefy looking and I am happy that at least this cycle is a good one. Usually it's hair algae, cyanobacteria or Agent Orange

I am sure the starfish explosion is the direct result of having to feed a moorish Idol so much.
Have a great day.
Paul

Micki · 01/14/2007, 01:40 PM

PICS PLEASE...

graveyardworm · 01/14/2007, 02:04 PM

Quote:

There are also quite a few of those other 1/4" fat starfish

Asterina?

Micro stars are pretty cool. I've been trying to get a hold of some for quite awhile. I think I finally got some with a few new pieces of LR I just purchased.

Paul B · 01/14/2007, 03:25 PM

Micki, I can't take a picture of them, they're too small. Look at a big brittle star and make believe it is tiny.

I also have a load of those micro stars. Whatever starfish need to reproduce, I must have it.

The joys of reefing

nanorfj · 01/14/2007, 03:27 PM

Hey Paul, how long do you leave your tank lights on every day?

Swanwillow · 01/14/2007, 04:04 PM

so, how do we purchase these stars from ya?

keep up the thread, its great!

Paul B · 01/14/2007, 05:44 PM

Nanorfj, My lights are on for about 12 hours a day.
Swanwillow, you want to buy starfish?
They grow like weeds. I am sure that if you go to an LFS and look under some rocks you will find some. I have no problem giving you some for free but the shipping would be a lot more than you could buy them for. If you could drive here I would give you some. Just go south east and make a left at the Statue of Liberty

Micki · 01/14/2007, 07:38 PM

I wonder if (when its warmer weather) you could send them in a thermos like when I've sent zoas?

Paul B · 01/15/2007, 05:25 AM

Micki, are you talking about these tiny brittlestars?

Micki · 01/15/2007, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul B
Micki, are you talking about these tiny brittlestars?

Yes, I would think you could turkey baster some water with the stars and send it in a thermos. That's if someone REALLY wanted them and you REALLY wanted to take the time to do it.

Paul B · 01/15/2007, 05:40 PM

Well If I really wanted to catch them I guess I would have to set a trap. Most of them are in cracks in the rock.
I could catch them if I thought I could ship them alive. The last time I sent anything live was to Bob Goemans in Arizona. He called to thank me for the boiled shrimp

Paul

Micki · 01/15/2007, 08:29 PM

LOL LOL LOL... Maybe it's better left alone.

Pacific Reefs · 01/15/2007, 08:39 PM

Hi Paul,

Happy New Year. I see you have collected some nice gorgonians. What is your favorite one?

thanks
Tom

Airman · 01/15/2007, 10:43 PM

I have lots of the mico stars. If you pick up a rock there will be lots on the bottem of the rock but they will move quickly to find a crack in the rock to hide in. Once you get them in your tank you will have they for a long time.

saltman123 · 01/15/2007, 11:23 PM

Awesome Tank!

Paul B · 01/16/2007, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Happy New Year. I see you have collected some nice gorgonians. What is your favorite one?

This one behind the butterfly is the oldest and my favorite. It trippled in size in about 8 years.

This is it again to the right

Saltman, Thanks.
Paul

jvetter · 01/17/2007, 01:10 PM

Paul,

Very nice gorgonians. Those are really beautiful.

At the facility that I worked at in New Orleans, we target fed gorgonians newly hatched brine shrimp with a syringe. The hatching and maintaining of brine shrimp nauplii cultures is very labor intensive-- not something I would like to try at home. I would like to try keeping something like those that you have in my tank.

What if anything are you feeding your gorgonians?

Any gorgonian husbandry techniques that you would like to share would be appreciated.

Jim

Paul B · 01/17/2007, 02:30 PM

Jim I also hatch brine shrimp every day. I built a hatchery that seperates the shrimp from the shells with no help from me. I doubt the gorgonians actually eat the shrimp though except for the gorgonian in the above picture. That one has large polyps, the rest of them have too small mouths to eat shrimp. Those I don't feed at all.

jvetter · 01/17/2007, 04:22 PM

Paul,

Thanks for the response.

Can you describe the hatchery that you built and your method of maintaining a brine shrimp culture?

Paul B · 01/17/2007, 04:39 PM

jvetter I don't maintain a brine shrimp cultures, I buy the eggs. $5.00 worth of eggs lasts for a couple of months.
The hatchery is a rectangular container. Mine is about 8" long 4" wide and 4" high but any size will work. The container needs to have a barrier that splits it in half. The barrier needs to come all the way to the top edge of the container. Mine is a piece of black plexiglass. There needs to be a hole in the center of the barrier of about 3/8" and the hole needs a means of closing. I built a sliding door that covers the hole. It doesen't need to be totally watertight. One side of the container should be black and the other side clear or white. The outside of one side could be painted black or it could be made from black plexiglass.
(A one gallon tank could be used for this, but smaller would be better)
The last thing you need is a black cover that will completely cover the black side. You don't want light coming into that side.
Put some shrimp eggs in the black side (with salt water). A little airation helps. In about 36 hours the eggs will hatch (depending on temp which should be about 78-80.)
After they hatch, remove the door over the hole between the sections, stop the airation and put the black cover on the side with the shrimps. Put the thing in a lighted area or put a small light over the clear side and in about an hour all the shrimp will swim to the lighted side and all the eggs will be on the black side. Put the door back over the hole and siphon all the shrimp out. You can then strain the water and start over again. After two hatchings, change the water.
Have fun.
Paul

graveyardworm · 01/17/2007, 04:56 PM

Paul, I remember seeing pics of your BS hatchery somewhere, maybe in this thread. Perhaps it would be convenient to post them again.

Paul B · 01/17/2007, 06:08 PM

OK, you twisted my arm.

jvetter · 01/18/2007, 07:12 AM

Thanks Paul.

Your hatchery is great. I will have to put something like that together. Any reef would benefit from feeding newly hatched brine shrimp.

Paul B · 01/19/2007, 02:54 PM

An update on how fish and corals do not mix. (OK they do but it causes problems)
The last time I really cleaned my reef properly was two years ago, the time before that was 27 years ago. It is due for a good cleaning again and it is all because of a fish that grew too large. (moorish Idol) I figured I would do this on the tank's 36th birthday.
The last cleaning I removed all the rock and corals so I could stir up the gravel and clean it well. It is very hard to sustain a large fish that needs to eat three or four times a day and corals in the same tank which is too small.
I will try to accomplish this this weekend if I have the time.
I have been changing 5 gallons of water every other day to try to hold off on cleaning but the time has come. My bubble coral has shrunk and a couple of gorgonians lost some branches. I also have too much rock and the longer the tank is set up, the more rock collapses on itself thereby creating pockets of stagnant water which just collects wastes and makes it very hard to maintain water conditions.
Luckilly, I don't see this as a chore. Just part of my hobby. I am also interested at what I will find slithering around under the rock. The last time I found some fairly large crabs and a 6" worm. In some places the gravel seemed to be made out of tiny red tube worms.
Have a great day.
Paul

01/14/2007, 01:40 PM	#428
Micki Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 7,163	PICS PLEASE... __________________ Micki... Western Ohio Reef Club Click the red house for my 125 progress! Current Tank Info: 125 gal. reef, 90 gal. sump, 10 gal. fuge, 40 gallon. 150 gallon fish only.

01/14/2007, 04:04 PM	#432
Swanwillow goby girl Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bemidji MN Posts: 2,025	so, how do we purchase these stars from ya? keep up the thread, its great! __________________ my advice:walk away. do nothing. til tomorrow. if its still alive, it will hopefully be fine. If you do not see it, do not try to find it. it may be hiding. just LEAVE it alone Current Tank Info: starting over! 125 gallon. Soon to be home to Blackfoot clowns, A. nigripes

01/14/2007, 07:38 PM	#434
Micki Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 7,163	I wonder if (when its warmer weather) you could send them in a thermos like when I've sent zoas? __________________ Micki... Western Ohio Reef Club Click the red house for my 125 progress! Current Tank Info: 125 gal. reef, 90 gal. sump, 10 gal. fuge, 40 gallon. 150 gallon fish only.

01/15/2007, 05:25 AM	#435
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	Micki, are you talking about these tiny brittlestars? __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

01/15/2007, 08:29 PM	#438
Micki Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 7,163	LOL LOL LOL... Maybe it's better left alone. __________________ Micki... Western Ohio Reef Club Click the red house for my 125 progress! Current Tank Info: 125 gal. reef, 90 gal. sump, 10 gal. fuge, 40 gallon. 150 gallon fish only.

01/09/2007, 08:35 PM	#426
gman52 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 21	thanks Paul and Graveyardworm.

01/14/2007, 01:27 PM	#427
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	I have a new cycle in my reef. It's the attack of the brittle stars cycle. This is a new one for this tank. It is loaded with 1/2" brittle stars. Of course they don't bother me or anything else it is just wierd that after all these years they would show up now. There are also quite a few of those other 1/4" fat starfish (I forgot the name) some people feel they are predatory, I really don't know. But the brittle's are very reefy looking and I am happy that at least this cycle is a good one. Usually it's hair algae, cyanobacteria or Agent Orange I am sure the starfish explosion is the direct result of having to feed a moorish Idol so much. Have a great day. Paul

01/14/2007, 03:25 PM	#430
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	Micki, I can't take a picture of them, they're too small. Look at a big brittle star and make believe it is tiny. I also have a load of those micro stars. Whatever starfish need to reproduce, I must have it. The joys of reefing

01/14/2007, 03:27 PM	#431
nanorfj Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Austin Posts: 286	Hey Paul, how long do you leave your tank lights on every day?

01/14/2007, 05:44 PM	#433
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	Nanorfj, My lights are on for about 12 hours a day. Swanwillow, you want to buy starfish? They grow like weeds. I am sure that if you go to an LFS and look under some rocks you will find some. I have no problem giving you some for free but the shipping would be a lot more than you could buy them for. If you could drive here I would give you some. Just go south east and make a left at the Statue of Liberty

01/15/2007, 05:40 PM	#437
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	Well If I really wanted to catch them I guess I would have to set a trap. Most of them are in cracks in the rock. I could catch them if I thought I could ship them alive. The last time I sent anything live was to Bob Goemans in Arizona. He called to thank me for the boiled shrimp Paul

01/15/2007, 08:39 PM	#439
Pacific Reefs Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 2,768	Hi Paul, Happy New Year. I see you have collected some nice gorgonians. What is your favorite one? thanks Tom

01/15/2007, 10:43 PM	#440
Airman Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 643	I have lots of the mico stars. If you pick up a rock there will be lots on the bottem of the rock but they will move quickly to find a crack in the rock to hide in. Once you get them in your tank you will have they for a long time. __________________ What is man, that thou art mindful of him?...:) Current Tank Info: 55 Gal, DSB, protein skimmer, UV light, Sump/Refugium

01/15/2007, 11:23 PM	#441
saltman123 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: CT Posts: 1,048	Awesome Tank! __________________ 12 Gallon Aquapod. 4 Gallon Pico-Coming Soon Current Tank Info: 12 Gallon Aquapod

01/17/2007, 01:10 PM	#443
jvetter Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Springdale, AR Posts: 198	Paul, Very nice gorgonians. Those are really beautiful. At the facility that I worked at in New Orleans, we target fed gorgonians newly hatched brine shrimp with a syringe. The hatching and maintaining of brine shrimp nauplii cultures is very labor intensive-- not something I would like to try at home. I would like to try keeping something like those that you have in my tank. What if anything are you feeding your gorgonians? Any gorgonian husbandry techniques that you would like to share would be appreciated. Jim

01/17/2007, 02:30 PM	#444
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	Jim I also hatch brine shrimp every day. I built a hatchery that seperates the shrimp from the shells with no help from me. I doubt the gorgonians actually eat the shrimp though except for the gorgonian in the above picture. That one has large polyps, the rest of them have too small mouths to eat shrimp. Those I don't feed at all.

01/17/2007, 04:22 PM	#445
jvetter Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Springdale, AR Posts: 198	Paul, Thanks for the response. Can you describe the hatchery that you built and your method of maintaining a brine shrimp culture?

01/17/2007, 04:39 PM	#446
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	jvetter I don't maintain a brine shrimp cultures, I buy the eggs. $5.00 worth of eggs lasts for a couple of months. The hatchery is a rectangular container. Mine is about 8" long 4" wide and 4" high but any size will work. The container needs to have a barrier that splits it in half. The barrier needs to come all the way to the top edge of the container. Mine is a piece of black plexiglass. There needs to be a hole in the center of the barrier of about 3/8" and the hole needs a means of closing. I built a sliding door that covers the hole. It doesen't need to be totally watertight. One side of the container should be black and the other side clear or white. The outside of one side could be painted black or it could be made from black plexiglass. (A one gallon tank could be used for this, but smaller would be better) The last thing you need is a black cover that will completely cover the black side. You don't want light coming into that side. Put some shrimp eggs in the black side (with salt water). A little airation helps. In about 36 hours the eggs will hatch (depending on temp which should be about 78-80.) After they hatch, remove the door over the hole between the sections, stop the airation and put the black cover on the side with the shrimps. Put the thing in a lighted area or put a small light over the clear side and in about an hour all the shrimp will swim to the lighted side and all the eggs will be on the black side. Put the door back over the hole and siphon all the shrimp out. You can then strain the water and start over again. After two hatchings, change the water. Have fun. Paul __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

01/17/2007, 04:56 PM	#447
graveyardworm Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Nottingham, NH Posts: 7,251	Paul, I remember seeing pics of your BS hatchery somewhere, maybe in this thread. Perhaps it would be convenient to post them again. __________________ -David- President - New Hampshire Reef Club There’ll be no one to save, with the world in a grave Current Tank Info: 100 gal lagoon/seagrass, 100 gal sump, Lifereef 72" skimmer, 180 inwall, 125 inwall seagrass/lagoon in progress

01/17/2007, 06:08 PM	#448
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	OK, you twisted my arm.

01/18/2007, 07:12 AM	#449
jvetter Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Springdale, AR Posts: 198	Thanks Paul. Your hatchery is great. I will have to put something like that together. Any reef would benefit from feeding newly hatched brine shrimp.

01/19/2007, 02:54 PM	#450
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	An update on how fish and corals do not mix. (OK they do but it causes problems) The last time I really cleaned my reef properly was two years ago, the time before that was 27 years ago. It is due for a good cleaning again and it is all because of a fish that grew too large. (moorish Idol) I figured I would do this on the tank's 36th birthday. The last cleaning I removed all the rock and corals so I could stir up the gravel and clean it well. It is very hard to sustain a large fish that needs to eat three or four times a day and corals in the same tank which is too small. I will try to accomplish this this weekend if I have the time. I have been changing 5 gallons of water every other day to try to hold off on cleaning but the time has come. My bubble coral has shrunk and a couple of gorgonians lost some branches. I also have too much rock and the longer the tank is set up, the more rock collapses on itself thereby creating pockets of stagnant water which just collects wastes and makes it very hard to maintain water conditions. Luckilly, I don't see this as a chore. Just part of my hobby. I am also interested at what I will find slithering around under the rock. The last time I found some fairly large crabs and a 6" worm. In some places the gravel seemed to be made out of tiny red tube worms. Have a great day. Paul