AGA92 Corner Reef Tank Build

[HumanIMDB]

Here is the feeding schedule I have devised so far:

30 ml of Phytoplankton - Once Daily - Morning
Varying types (colours) of Seaweed clipped in the tank - Once Daily - Morning
A small cube of <a href="http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1400679" target=_blank>Carnivore Food</a> - Once Daily - Evening
A small cube of <a href="http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1388363" target=_blank>Herbivore Food</a> - Once Daily - Evening
Rotifers or Coral Frenzy - Every other day - Morning
A pinch of Formula 2 Small Pellets in a <a href="http://www.melevsreef.com/mandarin_diner.html" target=_blank>"Mandarin Diner"</a> - Every other day, if the Mandarins will eat it - Evening

Of course we aren't going to feed all of that until the tank is completely stocked. (i.e. we won't put the seaweed in until we have the tangs.)

Comments/suggestions?

 

[naprestsleep]

Looking good, I got my lumenbright and 250w coralvue 250 ballast. I will take some pics when its up so you can see how it does over the 92 gallon tanks.

 

[HumanIMDB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12681685#post12681685 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by naprestsleep
Looking good, I got my lumenbright and 250w coralvue 250 ballast. I will take some pics when its up so you can see how it does over the 92 gallon tanks.

Cool, thank you!

 

[naprestsleep]

Coralvue 250w ballast, 12K Reeflux bulb and a large Lumenbright pendant

 

[HumanIMDB]

Reading the <a href="http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-06/review/index.php" target=_blank>Lumen Bright review</a> in this month's <a href="http://reefkeeping.com" target=_blank>Reefkeeping Magazine</a>, it states that the optimal height for these reflectors is 16"-18" above the water for 400watt bulbs.

We are worried that running with a pendant above the tank will result in way too much light leakage, so I'm working with my dad (master carpenter) to design and build a hood for the tank. We're going to go over the plans this weekend and I will post the final design on Monday.

As for the tank, upped the amount of DT's Live Phytoplankton to 30ml per day with 15ml going directly into the refugium and the other 15ml in the display. I shut the skimmer off for two hours when feeding. The pods seem very happy with the food supply.

Still haven't seen a big algae bloom. I guess that is a good thing but I wonder if adding the cleaner crew in July will make sense. We are only planning on getting 5 of each type of snail to start, but even that might be too much. I guess we will just have to wait and see...

 

[timschmidt]

Looking good. I am no expert but I thought the blood red shrimp was not reef safe.

 

[HumanIMDB]

Following our <a href="http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1430892" target=_blank>Aquarium Tour of Las Vegas</a>, we have decided to remove the Yellow Tang from our stock list and add a Whitecheek Tang (a.k.a. Acanthurus nigricans or Gold Rim Tang, Powder Gray Surgeonfish, Whitecheek Surgeonfish). We both loved the look of that one while we were at the Atlantis Aquarium in the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace.

Any issues keeping a Whitecheek Tang with a Kole Yellow Eye Tang?

They also had a Heniochus Brown Butterflyfish that we liked but know we cannot get for our tank.

Now that we are back from vacation, the plan this week is to perform another complete set of tests on the two tanks
secure the rocks in the AGA92 with epoxy.

Next week we'll order the Clean Up Crew and test the evaporation rate with the cover off so that I can start planning an ATO setup.

Tim: I believe they are, but if you've heard they aren't I will look into it. The reason we're going with the Blood Red Shrimp over a generic Cleaner Shrimp is that we've read the Blood Red ones are less aggressive in their willingness to clean...the cleaner shrimp in the nano chased fish all the time wanting to clean them.

 

[timschmidt]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12945247#post12945247 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by HumanIMDB
Following our <a href="http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1430892" target=_blank>Aquarium Tour of Las Vegas</a>,
Tim: I believe they are, but if you've heard they aren't I will look into it. The reason we're going with the Blood Red Shrimp over a generic Cleaner Shrimp is that we've read the Blood Red ones are less aggressive in their willingness to clean...the cleaner shrimp in the nano chased fish all the time wanting to clean them.

Well I guess I am mistaken I redid some research and appears that I was wrong. Oh well. I have a kole yellow eye and he is a wuss:smokin: I am not positive but I don't think there will be any issue from the Kole. No clue on the other one. I'm sure someone will comment. Tangs seem to be a favorite topic around here. :rollface:

 

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12944718#post12944718 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by timschmidt
Looking good. I am no expert but I thought the blood red shrimp was not reef safe.

They are definitely reef safe. I was planning on them, until I heard that they are known for hiding deep in the rockwork.

My Cleaners are viewable all day, and paired up nicely. Also, the PBT is finally comfortable with them enough to allow them to clean him from time to time. It's pretty neat to watch.

I never see my Coral Banded Shrimp out though.

 

[sandsurfsd]

I love to 92 gallon corner tanks

 

[HumanIMDB]

We're planning on ordering round one of the CUC this week. We do have a couple of quick questions though...

We aren't planning on ordering fish until mid October.

Should we hold off ordering the Blood Red Fire Shrimp until we have some fish or should we allow it to setup its cleaning station before we add fish? Will one be enough? We've read that they are hostile to each other members of the same species so we only planned on getting one.

Also, do you think adding a small pinch of food once a week will keep the Cerith and Nassarius snails feed and happy until we start feeding the tank more often?

 

[Esquare]

My blood doesn't clean the fish at all, he does his own thing and couldn't care less about the fish. My skunk likes to clean and interact with my fish. The shunk and blood get along fine, in my tank. A pinch of food every now and then should be fine for the cuc.

 

[HumanIMDB]

I've heard a few people say that their Bloods aren't good cleaners, perhaps we will have to rethink getting one of those and just get a Cleaner Shrimp instead.

We found that the Cleaner Shrimp that we have in the nano is very aggressive in its willingness to clean so much so that we think it may have been the cause of one or more of our fish suicides (jumping out of the tank). That is why we were going to go with the Blood in the AGA92, less aggressive. But if it's not going to clean at all, no point getting it.

 

[Esquare]

I like mine as he is different and looks cool; I also like to watch his various escapades. He likes to do sideways loop de loops. He also does a good job of cleaning up the tank (uneaten food etc) just not the fish.

 

[kudora]

my cleaner is great to watch, in a 92 gallon i doubt he will be able to harass anything like in the nano.

did you get your CUC yet? i am about to order mine to replenish mine

 

[Pulp Fishin]

Hey HumanIMDB hows things arround Winterpeg?

Did you ever end up ordering a CUC? I still have all my shrimp but lost a good portion of my snails I ordered. In total...
5 of 5 starberry tops hats dead
23/50 Mexican Turbo snails dead
3 /15astrea snails dead
4/20 margarita dead
3-15 cerith snails dead
2/2 green clown gobys dead

but not being overyly negative I did have sucess with shrimp/starfish
2/2 harlequin shrimp made it and are still alive
6/6 sexy shrimp made it and I'm sure at least 5 of them are alive(its hard too see them all at once)
skunk cleaner arrived fine and still going.
2/2 blood shrimp made it and both seem to molt about twice weekly so they are growing boys.
my blue linkia starfish arrived fine and healthy untill I started cutting off arms and them just tossed him in with the harlequin shrimp! They are RAVENOUS 2 harleqiun shrimp went though a full size linkia in 8 days. If I had a camera I'd take pics and post them day to day too show them chewing arms off.


So it seems the larger snails didn't travel well, the fact a 16hr flight turned into 40hr journy to me was probbly the reason for the snails demise. Regardless J&L said I have a store credit for what was lost so no big loss!

Funny you mention the skunk cleaner being agressive.
Mine flys across the tank to clean my hand whenits in the tank and since no fish let him clean them he has gone skitzo and chased a clown or chromis arround the tank for a few laps!
I almost fell out of my chair watching them. The cleaner looked insane like he was ither going to clean or kill the next thing he could catch! :lol:

 

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12990224#post12990224 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by HumanIMDB
Should we hold off ordering the Blood Red Fire Shrimp until we have some fish or should we allow it to setup its cleaning station before we add fish? Will one be enough? We've read that they are hostile to each other members of the same species so we only planned on getting one.

I don't see why you would need to hold off if all your levels are ok.

I would go for a pair of whatever type you ultimitely decide on.

Cleaner Shrimps
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/hippolytidae.htm

Small quote from link:
...the Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp, Blood Shrimp.... Best kept in pairs. Peaceful toward most all aquarium species. Accept all types of foods...

 

[Pulp Fishin]

http://s539.photobucket.com/albums/ff360/Pulp_Fishin/?action=view&current=100_3021.jpg

Here is a pic of 2 cleaners that are hard to make out in the top left, one of my blood cleaners is on the right.

All together I have 2 skunk cleaners,2 Blood, 6 sexy shrimp & 2 harlequin shrimp and because my sump broke on my 135 I have them all in a 23g right now. Its a little shrimp heavy in there right now but untill I get another tank going its what I have.

BTW they all get along just fine!

 

[HumanIMDB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13084966#post13084966 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kudora
my cleaner is great to watch, in a 92 gallon i doubt he will be able to harass anything like in the nano.

did you get your CUC yet? i am about to order mine to replenish mine

Not yet, waiting for the online store to receive more Super Tongan Nassarius snails before we place the order.

 

[HumanIMDB]

Updates (8/21/08)

Updates (8/21/08)

We ordered the Clean Up Crew and a few supplies last night, here is what we should receive on Saturday:
15 - Astrea Snails
15 - Margarita Snails
15 - Cerith Snails
15 - Nassarius Snails
2 - Cleaner Shrimps
2 - Emerald Mithrax Crabs (if they get some in tonight)
2 - Reef Nutrition Tigger-Pods Live Copepods - 6oz Bottle
1 - Reef Nutrition Phyto-Feast Premium Phytoplankton - 32oz Bottle
1 - Ocean Nutrition Formula 1 Marine Pellet Food (Small) - 200 Gram
1 - Ocean Nutrition Formula 2 Marine Pellet Food (Small) - 200 Gram
1 - Hydor Koralia Nano Water Pump

I made them swear that what they have are Nassarius snails and told them about T.J.'s whelk incident. I'm still going to give each one a thorough inspection before it goes into the tank.

The snails will be divided between the display tank, the fuge, and the 10g nano. I figure 10 of each into the display, 2 or 3 in the fuge, and the remaining 2 or 3 in the 10g nano.

The Cleaner Shrimps will be in the display tank and the AGA92 and the nano will each get a Emerald Crab if they come in.

I'm going to pour 1.75 bottles of the Tigger-Pods into the AGA92; 1 bottle into the display and .75 of the other into the fuge. The remaining .25 of the bottle will go into the nano.

I had stopped adding the phytoplankton when I ran out before the madness of summer started and have noticed a decline in the number of pods so I'm going to resume that activity. I'll probably go with 30ml per day again as I want those pods to be happy so that the Mandarin(s) will have lots to eat.

I figure I'll drop in a pinch of the Formula pellets once a week just to give everyone something to eat until the rest of the live stock is added.

Going with T.J.'s plan of increasing the flow inside the fuge, I'm adding the Koralia Nano to the fuge. Hopefully that will get the chaeto tumbling nicely and cut back on the small amount of hair algae in there.

Other items on the "to do" list include:
- Water changes on both systems; I figure 50% on the nano and 30% on the AGA92 as neither have had a water change since June.
- Do a full battery of tests after the water change and before the CUC arrives just to make sure nothing is out of wack.
- Secure the rocks with epoxy.
- Determine the evaporation rate with the lid off so that I can size the ATO setup correctly.

I'll post pics and stats this weekend.