75g Lurking danger and Leafy Seadragons

[vlangel]

The skimmer can run normally and will pull some, but the fine filter traps the most. The LC (like brightwell phosphate RX) binds phosphate creating a floculent (cloudy water) which is trapped in a fine filter, for me that’s a sock. The sock collects the floculent and then is removed that way.

I think less change is always better, so I like the idea of doing nothing.

Ok, IF I use the LC, I will add my polishing filter into the canister and that should do it but not the plan right now.

 

[Uncle99]

Ok, IF I use the LC, I will add my polishing filter into the canister and that should do it but not the plan right now.

It’s a last resort product for me. I assume over time phosphate binds to the rock and it seems to exhaust GFO very fast.
You can certainly pull just with GFO, I just found it get very expensive.

I think my 10% weekly change and 10% evaporation add back has been very helpful in keeping nutrients in a stable position. Much safer at the least.

I never understood why people have this 0.05ppm target for phosphate. I’ve run .1 to as high as .5ppm and except for the number, I see no difference at all, regardless of talking sticks or LPS. Softies do well in higher nutrients systems.

When I look at your display, everything looks great. I’d hate to touch anything but let Mother Nature do her part. She makes the difference.

When I judge action on phosphate is needed, it’s more because it’s rising, week over week. If it’s holding steady, these days, doing nothing at all. I want to find the reason that .3 or .6ppm is ‘top high”.

 

[vlangel]

It’s a last resort product for me. I assume over time phosphate binds to the rock and it seems to exhaust GFO very fast.
You can certainly pull just with GFO, I just found it get very expensive.

I think my 10% weekly change and 10% evaporation add back has been very helpful in keeping nutrients in a stable position. Much safer at the least.

I never understood why people have this 0.05ppm target for phosphate. I’ve run .1 to as high as .5ppm and except for the number, I see no difference at all, regardless of talking sticks or LPS. Softies do well in higher nutrients systems.

When I look at your display, everything looks great. I’d hate to touch anything but let Mother Nature do her part. She makes the difference.

When I judge action on phosphate is needed, it’s more because it’s rising, week over week. If it’s holding steady, these days, doing nothing at all. I want to find the reason that .3 or .6ppm is ‘top high”.

I like your reasoning and it makes sense to me. I have gone years without even testing PO4 because everything looked good and I use tap water that I now know is high in phosphates. The only reason I started to stress on it is because of the uglies on the sandbed but that is probably just a newish tank that hasn't fully settled yet. I was told that high phosphates will make the coral all turn brown but I am very happy with the color of my coral. I am going to just watch the trend of my phosphates and let the tank do its thing.

 

[vlangel]

Last night and this morning I worked on making a DIY surface skimmer from an old nano HOB overflow box. It was very easy, I just took the wet side of the overflow box got a magnet and attached it in the corner where the intake tubing to the canister is. I had to cut the intake tubing since the wet side of the overflow box is an Eshopps nano but that is OK. It looks tidy since that area has a dark backround and works. I do have to run the water a little higher and I will need to watch evaporation closer so the box doesnt run empty.

Someday when Rice Krispies, the murderous pistol shrimp passes on, I may use his 2 and a half gallon tank as a FW reservoir for an ATO. It sits on a rustic crate (that holds my towels for the tank) in the right hand back corner of the 75g. That's a perfect spot for an ATO because there is already a small opening in the glass top so the mangroves can grow there.

 

[griss]

Nice work.

 

[vlangel]

Today I was getting my tank and 20g QT ready for new fish. My hubby wants to get me fish for mother's day at a new lfs an hour away.
I would really like a butterfly since I have never had one. Different folks seems to have varying ideas about what butterfly's are suitable for a 75g aquarium. It seems Kleins, Pyramid, Pearlscale, Raccoon, Auriga, and some even say a Copperband. I don't want a fairly difficult fish so definitely ruling out a CBB. I will be on the lookout out for one of the first three I mentioned (since they are more reef safe) with the Pearlscale being my top choice.
The tank looks so nice except the sand. I am still dosing live bacteria and stirring/siphoning the sand every several days. I just need to remind myself that this is not a quick fix.

 

[Uncle99]

Today I was getting my tank and 20g QT ready for new fish. My hubby wants to get me fish for mother's day at a new lfs an hour away.
I would really like a butterfly since I have never had one. Different folks seems to have varying ideas about what butterfly's are suitable for a 75g aquarium. It seems Kleins, Pyramid, Pearlscale, Raccoon, Auriga, and some even say a Copperband. I don't want a fairly difficult fish so definitely ruling out a CBB. I will be on the lookout out for one of the first three I mentioned (since they are more reef safe) with the Pearlscale being my top choice.
The tank looks so nice except the sand. I am still dosing live bacteria and stirring/siphoning the sand every several days. I just need to remind myself that this is not a quick fix.

My copperband turned out to be the easiest addition of all.
He was a pick up at LFS, watched him eat PE mysis. Most problems are shipping and not eating related.
Put him in and nobody even cared, Except Aptasia which was 100% eliminated, a good fringe benefit.
Superb colour and attitude. Caution may nip at some clams, worms, or meaty type corals, like Acans.
Enjoy your new friend!
Best wishes…

 

[griss]

The Klein's I picked up last week eats all manner of frozen food. He's a pig but, very peaceful. Not the most colorful butterfly but, I really like him.

 

[vlangel]

My copperband turned out to be the easiest addition of all.
He was a pick up at LFS, watched him eat PE mysis. Most problems are shipping and not eating related.
Put him in and nobody even cared, Except Aptasia which was 100% eliminated, a good fringe benefit.
Superb colour and attitude. Caution may nip at some clams, worms, or meaty type corals, like Acans.
Enjoy your new friend!
Best wishes…

I forgot about butterflies nipping clams, since I just got a new clam. Hhmmm,,,

 

[griss]

I forgot about butterflies nipping clams, since I just got a new clam. Hhmmm,,,

IMO, copperbands are the least likely to nip at the clam. @Nanook has had Klein’s for years and I don’t recall him ever saying they nipped at clams either.

 

[vlangel]

IMO, copperbands are the least likely to nip at the clam. @Nanook has had Klein’s for years and I don’t recall him ever saying they nipped at clams either.

I am so nervous about feeding a Copperband. I read some of them will eat shaved clam, or mysis right off but some of them need live food which I don't really have access to.
I wonder about covering my clam's cradle shell with a piece of netting like what potatoes come in? That netting is open enough to still let light in and if I made it large enough around the clam's cradle, then a butterfly would not be able to reach it unless they pushed on the netting. What do you all think?

 

[griss]

I’m sure you already do this so I don’t know why I’m typing to but, just make sure the fish is eating at the store. Then, there should be no concern.

 

[vlangel]

I’m sure you already do this so I don’t know why I’m typing to but, just make sure the fish is eating at the store. Then, there should be no concern.

Yep, I always feel that is the most important telltale sign of a fish's health.
Also I've decided against the netting idea afraid a fish's fins could get caught and injure the fish.

 

[Uncle99]

I think this fish gets a bad rap as many are “shipped” and can be extra stressful. A lot are shipped in lower salinity water.

A pick-up at LFS allows us to see behaviour, see it eat, go home with exact same food, and get out of the bag quickly.


But….it can take “meaty” type coral friends or clams, or least that’s what mine done over a year. I have some suspicion it harassed my BTA, but didn’t kill it, maybe just tasted….and didn’t like it.

You can try to cover the clam but the Copperband can easily defeat most netting.

It nips a red Trachy, (but never green). I think also Acans but can’t prove that.

Also, tube worms, any type of worm is toast.

Great fish in some settings, not in others.

 

[vlangel]

I think this fish gets a bad rap as many are “shipped” and can be extra stressful. A lot are shipped in lower salinity water.

A pick-up at LFS allows us to see behaviour, see it eat, go home with exact same food, and get out of the bag quickly.


But….it can take “meaty” type coral friends or clams, or least that’s what mine done over a year. I have some suspicion it harassed my BTA, but didn’t kill it, maybe just tasted….and didn’t like it.

You can try to cover the clam but the Copperband can easily defeat most netting.

It nips a red Trachy, (but never green). I think also Acans but can’t prove that.

Also, tube worms, any type of worm is toast.

Great fish in some settings, not in others.

Oh my, I never even thought of my feather duster worm garden! I think I better rethink getting a butterfly fish.

 

[vlangel]

Yesterday's excursion to the new lfs was a lot of fun. It's a nice store with wonderful looking fish that they QT before putting out to sell. The prices were better than the other lfs that I have been buying from that do not QT the fish prior to selling.
I came home with a beautiful Coral Beauty, 2 yellow tail damsels and a bangaii cardinal. I also stopped at the other lfs since it was on the way and bought a black tube anemone which is quite striking. I will take pics soon. I would say my hubby really took good care of me for Mother's Day plus we ate at a quaint little sandwich bar with a medieval theme that was very enjoyable.

 

[vlangel]

The damsels are definitely eating, the Coral Beauty and Bangaii are interested but I didn't actually see them eat. The QT has been up and running as long as the 75g so there are probably pods to pick at so I am not worried yet.

 

[ironwill723]

Yesterday's excursion to the new lfs was a lot of fun. It's a nice store with wonderful looking fish that they QT before putting out to sell. The prices were better than the other lfs that I have been buying from that do not QT the fish prior to selling.
I came home with a beautiful Coral Beauty, 2 yellow tail damsels and a bangaii cardinal. I also stopped at the other lfs since it was on the way and bought a black tube anemone which is quite striking. I will take pics soon. I would say my hubby really took good care of me for Mother's Day plus we ate at a quaint little sandwich bar with a medieval theme that was very enjoyable.

Looking good Dawn. What lfs were the qt'd fish from?

 

[vlangel]

Looking good Dawn. What lfs were the qt'd fish from?

From R&B Aquariums in Greensburg. I saw them at the 3RMAS coral show in April and hung one of their flyers on our fridge. Its a nice clean store, (of course its fairly new) and their fish looked amazing! They had a wall of marine fish so not as much as some stores but enough to make it worth the trip.

 

[vlangel]

I took my scroll coral to a friend's so he could frag it. He has a coral saw so he kept the round cupped shape and cut around the perimeter. I kept 1 frag and the original scroll and gave the rest to him. I also came home with some beautiful frags from his grow-out tanks. The added movement, colors and textures are amazing!