The start and progress of my 72 bowfront reef tank! - Page 7

FleeVT · 08/11/2007, 09:34 PM

ghstrider, what do you have equipment-wise with regards to temperature control? Florida summers are hellish, and I was wondering if I should be looking for a chiller...

ibmgeek · 08/11/2007, 10:21 PM

I live in south florida as well but the as long as you leave the ac in your house at a good temp you should be fine. Unless you have a really big tank. mine stays at 79-81

ghstrider · 08/11/2007, 11:01 PM

VT, I don't use a chiller as my temp never goes over 80.5 but I have thought about a heater to make sure it doesn't go under 76 which it does every once in a while. I keep my house AC at 68-73 degrees and I run an external pump to keep my temp in range. It all worked out well I guess.

Update on my Ich situation:

Hippo is still infected but hes better than he was a few days ago. Unfortunately my Scopas tang appears to have Ich now...SUCKS! But both are highly active and eat like bears. I am continuing the food w/ garlic and vitachem so time will tell. I thought about Kick-Ich but if they are eating than I will let it run its course. If I see their condition worsen or a change in appetite/activity than I will rethink my strategy.

melev · 08/12/2007, 01:24 AM

Might read this first, just in case.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-12/sp/index.php

Young Frankenstein · 08/12/2007, 04:56 AM

ghstrider sorry to hear about your problem with ick, but I really think you should setup a quarantine 10g tank, don't throw any medications in the reef tank because it could contaminate your rock, take action usually untreated fish with ick just kick the bucket.

ghstrider · 08/12/2007, 11:19 PM

melev/O Agios, thanks for the read and the conclusion i got from that is that it may damage some corals and kill other tank inhabitants so if things take a turn for the worse then my old 20 gal sump that i never used will be made into a QT and ill remove the baffles in it and place the fish in. I am giving it 2 weeks and if i dont see it disappear or a significant change for the better then i will QT my fish and leave my tank empty for a month. I dont see this happenning but if it does then ill be prepared (im gonna remove the baffles tomorrow in the 20g).

I rearranged a few rocks and did a 20% water change today and i forgot to turn off my skimmer (dammit!!!!) and needless to say that the extra water in my sump caused my skimmer to overflow for a few seconds sending a little less than a gallon of water onto the tile, in the stand (around my sump), and behind the stand. No electrical issues due to my drip loops. 20 minutes and a lot of patience later the mess was picked up and luckily the skimmer cup was recently cleaned so no much came out except extra water.

Fish are still doing well and my skunk cleaner is out and about after molting a few days ago. I found another dead snail today ( mex turbo) that brings the death toll up to: 2 mex turbos and 2 blue leg hermits. Cause is unknown.

ghstrider · 08/13/2007, 08:09 PM

Guys... I found a beautiful toadstool today (actually the wife fell in love with it) so we had to get it. The picture doesn't do it justice especially since it is closed up right now but I wanted to post a pic anyway. The pic looks grey but it really looks like a dull purple. I just placed it in the tank and I plan on keeping it where it is but I want to conceal the base of it a bit more so I will shift a few rocks around it to set it in to the stem so the base rock cant be seen.

Heres a few pics...

Sorry if I keep posting but I am really loving this new hobby.

melev · 08/14/2007, 01:14 PM

No need to apologize.

Are you target feeding your gonipora with frozen Cyclop Eeze? If you are, that's good. There was a website dedicated to Gonis some time back, but I think the hobbyist couple stopped paying for the domain. I would have gladly hosted their information on my site had they answered my offer. It really was too bad because they were making great progress with this particular species, even helping sick ones recover and also helping them form new babies.

To feed the goni, I would suggest turning off the pumps so the food falls on that coral and doesn't get whisked away. Just be SURE to turn the pumps back on 15 minutes later (set a timer to remind yourself).

yoboyjdizz · 08/14/2007, 02:04 PM

Your tank is coming around really nicely..

peanut95 · 08/18/2007, 01:18 PM

looks great

Cozzmolot · 08/18/2007, 02:14 PM

Hey man. Your tank is looking really great. I'm glad its all working out for you. I'm actually having issues with my acropora that I bought. Since I purchased it has started to bleach out a little bit, but that I expected. The thing that worries me most is I havn't seen it open up yet. I havn't noticed any tissue recession but it has me worried. Its too bad you are not more local to me I'd love to come check out the tank.

Tank is looking great will talk to you soon.

ghstrider · 08/19/2007, 02:17 AM

Thanks for the kind words guys... I feel like I don't know what the hell im doing but its moving forward everyday. Some updates....

My hippo is looking real good and the ick seems to be nearly gone and his color is getting very vibrant. My scopas is showing more ick cysts now but its still not very bad and he seems very normal as though this is not affecting him.

My purple toadstool would not stay in place and continued to fall over (due to the flow) and now has a few beige/brown edges of dieoff but I think it will make it thru especially since I sewed him onto a rock w/ thin fishing line. Time will tell.

I purchased a 3"x6" rock with orange and green rics for $65 from a new local hotspot I learned about. It looked awesome and I couldn't resist especially since someone else was seriously eyeing it so I jumped on it (has about 11 polyps on one side and 7-8 on the other side all the size of a quarter or larger)

I also received 2 nice pieces of LR from a local reefer who was breaking down an established tank. One rock is small (full of coraline though) and the other is like a canopy type rock with lots of holes...looks sweet! Big props to coralfragger101 for the freebies.

I will post pics tomorrow (hopefully) after my daughters birthday party and after a bit of new aquascaping with my new rocks!

ghstrider · 08/21/2007, 04:36 PM

Well heres a few pics of the updated aquascaping, the new ricordea rock, and the toadstool ( doing much better!)

Heres some little critters in my sump...id please ( i think the 1st is a copepod)

Is this algae normal...should i be worried and can i put a mexican turbo in here to get rid of it (this is a birdseye view of my return/last sump chamber)

Thanks in advance for your views and please throw in some input...

melev · 08/21/2007, 04:44 PM

That growth in the sump is cyano bacteria. You are probably overfeeding your young tank.

The first 'pod' is an amphipod. The second critter is a stomatella. Both are good guys.

ghstrider · 08/21/2007, 04:57 PM

Thanks Marc, should i try some snails in the return section to eat it up ( ihave red cyano in the fuge area and the snails are tearing it up there)? Which ones should i try? I thought larger so they dont get sucked against the pump. Or should i use an algae scrapper or will it get thrown into my main if i do that?

Thanks

Eddy

melev · 08/21/2007, 06:50 PM

Turn off your pumps, then scrape and siphon it out of the system. Some may still get into the display, but with what I'm seeing now, I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't get some in the display soon anyway.

There are cures for the stuff, but being proactive now will help. And try to feed less on a daily basis.

ghstrider · 08/22/2007, 07:13 PM

FTS

Hippo fast asleep in his bed...

poppin_fresh · 08/22/2007, 07:35 PM

coming along good! I wish my 72 looked that clean right now!

ghstrider · 08/25/2007, 08:15 AM

The Ich in my main tank has fallen off the tangs (ill check today when the lights turn on to see if they have any cysts left but i dont think so). I do not plan on stressing them any longer with re-aquascaping or things like that and i plan on leaving the tank alone so they dont go thru another ich cycle.

That said, I stumbled upon Flamehawk's ebay auction for a mated pair of saddleback clownfish (black/white) that were up for auction so i called her up as she is local to me and she said that they are very healthy and a mated pair with a very dominant female. I saw the pic on ebay and wanted'em but with the ich still running its course i was scared to pull the trigger.

Here is the ebay pic (female is the larger one)

I then decided to setup a QT out of a 15 gal w/ some new live sand and a live rock from my tank. I bid on the fish and now they are mine. Here are a few pics (notice the pinkish white stripes on the female... they almost look metallic!)

Heres a FTS of the QT (im getting the biowheel filter free today but just have a small emergency pump on it for now with a heater since the temp dropped to a CRAZY 70 degrees while i was away but the fish are fine now)

I plan on waiting a full month till after i see no signs of ich hosting on any of my fish and then i will introduce my new clowns....

Cozzmolot · 08/25/2007, 03:06 PM

Hey man. Gratz on setting up a QT tank. But I believe you are not supposed to have any Live rock/sand in the tank. I am sure there are many ways of running one but most of the ones I have seen run with no live rock/sand. I got a lot of new coral this weekend. I will have to post a picture of all my new stuff.

Including a show piece birdsnest.

Chibils · 08/25/2007, 05:08 PM

LR and LS are fine in a QT, just keep in mind that if you have to dose it with any medication, you'll need to take the LR and LS out. Since that's annoying, most people opt not to put LR and LS in their QT tank.

ghstrider · 08/25/2007, 06:12 PM

Cozz, hey i checked out your thread and im looking forward to seeing some updated pics man...POST'em already!! As for the QT, I dont plan on dosing but if i do i would remove the live rock and leave the sand and discard it afterwards. I think the rock and sand make the fish feel a bit less stressed and also help with the biological filtration (putting in a biowheel millenium tonite also). Plus, these fish may reside here for more than a month as my blue tang still has about 2-3 cysts remaining so the more at home the clowns are the better. Ive never heard of any negatives for having LS and LR in the QT but maybe someone can chime in...

bteagle93 · 08/25/2007, 07:14 PM

ghstrider, the tank looks awesome! what type of rock is that in the tank? looks great man. good luck!

ghstrider · 08/25/2007, 07:46 PM

I have haitian, fiji, and tonga i think.... i tried to mix it up to get the right look and im happy with it now. Im getting coraline algae on the powerheads and i can tell it is spreading from the rocks i seeded the tank with to those that had none. Cant wait to see it purpled out!!!

thesaent14 · 08/25/2007, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cozzmolot
Hey man. Gratz on setting up a QT tank. But I believe you are not supposed to have any Live rock/sand in the tank. I am sure there are many ways of running one but most of the ones I have seen run with no live rock/sand. I got a lot of new coral this weekend. I will have to post a picture of all my new stuff.

Including a show piece birdsnest.

loco i will like to say i told you so ones more (JK)

btw

the tank and the fishes look grate

08/11/2007, 10:21 PM	#152
ibmgeek Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Miami,FL Posts: 104	I live in south florida as well but the as long as you leave the ac in your house at a good temp you should be fine. Unless you have a really big tank. mine stays at 79-81 __________________ 90g Island style tank

08/22/2007, 07:35 PM	#168
poppin_fresh Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,982	coming along good! I wish my 72 looked that clean right now! __________________ PBITAWA! Current Tank Info: None now. Past- 180g w/ 100g basement sump and 20g 'fuge. H & S skimmer, T'5s & Tunze

08/25/2007, 08:15 AM	#169
ghstrider Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 2,405	Quarantine Time... The Ich in my main tank has fallen off the tangs (ill check today when the lights turn on to see if they have any cysts left but i dont think so). I do not plan on stressing them any longer with re-aquascaping or things like that and i plan on leaving the tank alone so they dont go thru another ich cycle. That said, I stumbled upon Flamehawk's ebay auction for a mated pair of saddleback clownfish (black/white) that were up for auction so i called her up as she is local to me and she said that they are very healthy and a mated pair with a very dominant female. I saw the pic on ebay and wanted'em but with the ich still running its course i was scared to pull the trigger. Here is the ebay pic (female is the larger one) I then decided to setup a QT out of a 15 gal w/ some new live sand and a live rock from my tank. I bid on the fish and now they are mine. Here are a few pics (notice the pinkish white stripes on the female... they almost look metallic!) Heres a FTS of the QT (im getting the biowheel filter free today but just have a small emergency pump on it for now with a heater since the temp dropped to a CRAZY 70 degrees while i was away but the fish are fine now) I plan on waiting a full month till after i see no signs of ich hosting on any of my fish and then i will introduce my new clowns....

08/25/2007, 05:08 PM	#171
Chibils halide loyalist Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Sugar Hill, GA Posts: 2,213	LR and LS are fine in a QT, just keep in mind that if you have to dose it with any medication, you'll need to take the LR and LS out. Since that's annoying, most people opt not to put LR and LS in their QT tank. __________________ always learning Current Tank Info: 75G new world cichlid, 25G reef in planning

08/11/2007, 09:34 PM	#151
FleeVT Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 223	ghstrider, what do you have equipment-wise with regards to temperature control? Florida summers are hellish, and I was wondering if I should be looking for a chiller...

08/11/2007, 11:01 PM	#153
ghstrider Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 2,405	VT, I don't use a chiller as my temp never goes over 80.5 but I have thought about a heater to make sure it doesn't go under 76 which it does every once in a while. I keep my house AC at 68-73 degrees and I run an external pump to keep my temp in range. It all worked out well I guess. Update on my Ich situation: Hippo is still infected but hes better than he was a few days ago. Unfortunately my Scopas tang appears to have Ich now...SUCKS! But both are highly active and eat like bears. I am continuing the food w/ garlic and vitachem so time will tell. I thought about Kick-Ich but if they are eating than I will let it run its course. If I see their condition worsen or a change in appetite/activity than I will rethink my strategy.

08/12/2007, 01:24 AM	#154
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	Might read this first, just in case. http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-12/sp/index.php

08/12/2007, 04:56 AM	#155
Young Frankenstein Moved On Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Miami Florida. Posts: 3,842	ghstrider sorry to hear about your problem with ick, but I really think you should setup a quarantine 10g tank, don't throw any medications in the reef tank because it could contaminate your rock, take action usually untreated fish with ick just kick the bucket.

08/12/2007, 11:19 PM	#156
ghstrider Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 2,405	melev/O Agios, thanks for the read and the conclusion i got from that is that it may damage some corals and kill other tank inhabitants so if things take a turn for the worse then my old 20 gal sump that i never used will be made into a QT and ill remove the baffles in it and place the fish in. I am giving it 2 weeks and if i dont see it disappear or a significant change for the better then i will QT my fish and leave my tank empty for a month. I dont see this happenning but if it does then ill be prepared (im gonna remove the baffles tomorrow in the 20g). I rearranged a few rocks and did a 20% water change today and i forgot to turn off my skimmer (dammit!!!!) and needless to say that the extra water in my sump caused my skimmer to overflow for a few seconds sending a little less than a gallon of water onto the tile, in the stand (around my sump), and behind the stand. No electrical issues due to my drip loops. 20 minutes and a lot of patience later the mess was picked up and luckily the skimmer cup was recently cleaned so no much came out except extra water. Fish are still doing well and my skunk cleaner is out and about after molting a few days ago. I found another dead snail today ( mex turbo) that brings the death toll up to: 2 mex turbos and 2 blue leg hermits. Cause is unknown.

08/13/2007, 08:09 PM	#157
ghstrider Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 2,405	Guys... I found a beautiful toadstool today (actually the wife fell in love with it) so we had to get it. The picture doesn't do it justice especially since it is closed up right now but I wanted to post a pic anyway. The pic looks grey but it really looks like a dull purple. I just placed it in the tank and I plan on keeping it where it is but I want to conceal the base of it a bit more so I will shift a few rocks around it to set it in to the stem so the base rock cant be seen. Heres a few pics... Sorry if I keep posting but I am really loving this new hobby.

08/14/2007, 01:14 PM	#158
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	No need to apologize. Are you target feeding your gonipora with frozen Cyclop Eeze? If you are, that's good. There was a website dedicated to Gonis some time back, but I think the hobbyist couple stopped paying for the domain. I would have gladly hosted their information on my site had they answered my offer. It really was too bad because they were making great progress with this particular species, even helping sick ones recover and also helping them form new babies. To feed the goni, I would suggest turning off the pumps so the food falls on that coral and doesn't get whisked away. Just be SURE to turn the pumps back on 15 minutes later (set a timer to remind yourself).

08/14/2007, 02:04 PM	#159
yoboyjdizz Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Elk Grove, CA Posts: 3,137	Your tank is coming around really nicely..

08/18/2007, 01:18 PM	#160
peanut95 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Wichita KS Posts: 150	looks great

08/18/2007, 02:14 PM	#161
Cozzmolot Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 114	Hey man. Your tank is looking really great. I'm glad its all working out for you. I'm actually having issues with my acropora that I bought. Since I purchased it has started to bleach out a little bit, but that I expected. The thing that worries me most is I havn't seen it open up yet. I havn't noticed any tissue recession but it has me worried. Its too bad you are not more local to me I'd love to come check out the tank. Tank is looking great will talk to you soon.

08/19/2007, 02:17 AM	#162
ghstrider Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 2,405	Thanks for the kind words guys... I feel like I don't know what the hell im doing but its moving forward everyday. Some updates.... My hippo is looking real good and the ick seems to be nearly gone and his color is getting very vibrant. My scopas is showing more ick cysts now but its still not very bad and he seems very normal as though this is not affecting him. My purple toadstool would not stay in place and continued to fall over (due to the flow) and now has a few beige/brown edges of dieoff but I think it will make it thru especially since I sewed him onto a rock w/ thin fishing line. Time will tell. I purchased a 3"x6" rock with orange and green rics for $65 from a new local hotspot I learned about. It looked awesome and I couldn't resist especially since someone else was seriously eyeing it so I jumped on it (has about 11 polyps on one side and 7-8 on the other side all the size of a quarter or larger) I also received 2 nice pieces of LR from a local reefer who was breaking down an established tank. One rock is small (full of coraline though) and the other is like a canopy type rock with lots of holes...looks sweet! Big props to coralfragger101 for the freebies. I will post pics tomorrow (hopefully) after my daughters birthday party and after a bit of new aquascaping with my new rocks!

08/21/2007, 04:36 PM	#163
ghstrider Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 2,405	Well heres a few pics of the updated aquascaping, the new ricordea rock, and the toadstool ( doing much better!) Heres some little critters in my sump...id please ( i think the 1st is a copepod) Is this algae normal...should i be worried and can i put a mexican turbo in here to get rid of it (this is a birdseye view of my return/last sump chamber) Thanks in advance for your views and please throw in some input...

08/21/2007, 04:44 PM	#164
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	That growth in the sump is cyano bacteria. You are probably overfeeding your young tank. The first 'pod' is an amphipod. The second critter is a stomatella. Both are good guys.

08/21/2007, 04:57 PM	#165
ghstrider Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 2,405	Thanks Marc, should i try some snails in the return section to eat it up ( ihave red cyano in the fuge area and the snails are tearing it up there)? Which ones should i try? I thought larger so they dont get sucked against the pump. Or should i use an algae scrapper or will it get thrown into my main if i do that? Thanks Eddy

08/21/2007, 06:50 PM	#166
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	Turn off your pumps, then scrape and siphon it out of the system. Some may still get into the display, but with what I'm seeing now, I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't get some in the display soon anyway. There are cures for the stuff, but being proactive now will help. And try to feed less on a daily basis.

08/22/2007, 07:13 PM	#167
ghstrider Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 2,405	FTS Hippo fast asleep in his bed...

08/25/2007, 03:06 PM	#170
Cozzmolot Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 114	Hey man. Gratz on setting up a QT tank. But I believe you are not supposed to have any Live rock/sand in the tank. I am sure there are many ways of running one but most of the ones I have seen run with no live rock/sand. I got a lot of new coral this weekend. I will have to post a picture of all my new stuff. Including a show piece birdsnest.

08/25/2007, 06:12 PM	#172
ghstrider Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 2,405	Cozz, hey i checked out your thread and im looking forward to seeing some updated pics man...POST'em already!! As for the QT, I dont plan on dosing but if i do i would remove the live rock and leave the sand and discard it afterwards. I think the rock and sand make the fish feel a bit less stressed and also help with the biological filtration (putting in a biowheel millenium tonite also). Plus, these fish may reside here for more than a month as my blue tang still has about 2-3 cysts remaining so the more at home the clowns are the better. Ive never heard of any negatives for having LS and LR in the QT but maybe someone can chime in...

08/25/2007, 07:14 PM	#173
bteagle93 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Hershey, PA Posts: 421	ghstrider, the tank looks awesome! what type of rock is that in the tank? looks great man. good luck!

08/25/2007, 07:46 PM	#174
ghstrider Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 2,405	I have haitian, fiji, and tonga i think.... i tried to mix it up to get the right look and im happy with it now. Im getting coraline algae on the powerheads and i can tell it is spreading from the rocks i seeded the tank with to those that had none. Cant wait to see it purpled out!!!