following this thread as im getting backlash from considering this VERY idea for my 225g dedicated clown harem tank. one big question for you mobert, did you do any crazy WEEKLY 50% wcs like the brs team did? not a bad crazy but thats unrealistic if im doing clowns in a 225 lol. can NOT afford to do weekly 110ish gallon wcs... NOOOOOPPPEEE! anything specific you would suggest and emphasize equipment wise? i was going to try and get an entire clutch of domino or same as the brs team (darwin) but i think i might just do regular percs just as a trial run. if everything with them works out ill know for down the road. =]
Any updates?
I don't think you need to do the huge water changes we do, we just have tons of water on hand and it's one of the most reliable methods of keeping the nutrients down. I strongly feel the biggest two keys to our success and is minimizing habitat and food aggression with dozens of RBTA's and very frequent scheduled feedings from the auto feeder.
A skimmer alone just wouldn't keep up with this feeding schedule so if water changes were not an option I would consider a large algae scrubber or carbon dosing like vodka or Po3Po4x . The RBTA's might not like the ultra-low nutrient environment but with this many fish, the food and waste it might be ok.
Tank has been up about 15 years. Several years of neglect. Months of no skimmer water changes nor even feeding. Three days of PG&E power outages. Tank is now cleaned up. LPS 90 % dead but new shoots sprouting from the skeletons. SPS mostly gone. One BTA left. All fish except four clowns and one flame angel left. Ricordias, Paly, and Nepthia dominating tank. Two of the four remaining clowns have started to clean tiles. Hopefully I can re populate. Although I love the many colorful new designer clowns I think maybe Percs are the only clowns that can get along in multiples. I really never witnessed beat up fish or real aggression. I hope my clowns are not too old to lay viable eggs.