AGA92 Corner Reef Tank Build

[timschmidt]

Adding in "pod" piles now will help keep the mandarin from obliterating the population too. Melevs site explains them very nicely.

 

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13372351#post13372351 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by HumanIMDB
I haven't tried to keep any so I don't have any personal experience with them, that's just what I've read many times on here from people who "should" know.

May pick up a seahare tonight, we'll see.

It all depends where you get them from. The ones I have in my tank have held up well. Although I had 3 in my other tank that kicked within a few days.

 

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13375973#post13375973 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by HumanIMDB
I didn't get to the LFS until 15 minutes before closing so I just picked up the bucket of salt I needed to do a water change this week.

I had a quick look around and saw what I believe is a huge seahare. If that is the size of them, I don't think I'll be able to keep one for too long as it will consume everything in the tank in less than a day.

If I get time, I'll go back and have a better look at them.

Some of them can get rather large. I believe I saw today that the Dwarf variety will get to 4"

Also, when I was browsing around today, I saw that lettuce nudibranches are supposed to eat algae. Although I was more interested in adding a few because of their color.

 

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13376780#post13376780 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pulp Fishin
Hey HumanIMDB
You may want too look for a dwarf sea hare so they don't go though all your HA in short order and then starve to death.
Even the dwarf may get it all in a few weeks so be sure to have a LFS that you can take it back to after its gone though your HA!

Cheers

Or you can feed them nori

 

[HumanIMDB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13384446#post13384446 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by timschmidt
Adding in "pod" piles now will help keep the mandarin from obliterating the population too. Melevs site explains them very nicely.

I have between 10-20 pounds of rock in the refugium and I'm able to see more pods in there than in the display. It could just be the difference in volume though; same pod density, just easier to see in the refugium.

There shouldn't be anything eating them now, just the normal population swings until they stabilize. I'm feeding 10ml of Reef Nutrition Phyto Feast daily and will up that to 20ml next week and run at that level for a while. If I notice they are keeping up with that amount, I'll go up to the 30ml max that they suggest and see how that goes.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13384453#post13384453 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty8
It all depends where you get them from. The ones I have in my tank have held up well. Although I had 3 in my other tank that kicked within a few days.

I may add some in the next CUC phase.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13384461#post13384461 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty8
Some of them can get rather large. I believe I saw today that the Dwarf variety will get to 4"

Also, when I was browsing around today, I saw that lettuce nudibranches are supposed to eat algae. Although I was more interested in adding a few because of their color.

Thanks for the info. I think I'll hold off on getting either for now. If the GHA comes back in force, I'll either cut back on the phytoplankton feedings, add more CUC, and/or add one of the above.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13384470#post13384470 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty8
Or you can feed them nori

Yep, either of those options will work...return to the LFS for a credit or feed it nori. The LFS we go to is good about "renting" cleaners.

 

[HumanIMDB]

Temperature Spike

Temperature Spike

I woke up at around 3:00 am this morning to a very hot apartment. We had left the windows open but the temperature rose overnight instead of cooling off. I turned on the air conditioner and went back to bed.

When I got up 3 hours later, I noticed that the tank was reading 85°F. I turned on the fan over the sump and lifted the lid.

Hopefully the fan and a/c will get the temperature down and that we don't lose too many of the snails.

 

[raen]

Hopefully they just think it is jus a hot day at sea.

 

[HumanIMDB]

No loses so far after the heat spike. I've been leaving the fan over the sump on 24x7 and turning the air conditioner on if the outside temperature climbs above 20°C (68°F). The system temperature has been stable at 82°F.

I still don't see as many pods as I would like. I'm feeding the tank 15ml of Reef Nutrition Phyto Feast daily now and if I see an increase in the number of pods, I will increase that by 5ml every couple of weeks until I reach the maximum recommended dosage of 30ml.

We have approximately 170 pounds of Live Rock in the system with around 30 of that in the refugium.

Both the refugium and the display were crawling with pods when I was feeding the tank DT's Live Phytoplankton but then summer came and I was busy with work, studying, and vacation.

So far I haven't noticed too much of an increase in the pod population. I may switch back to DT's Live Phytoplankton or Reef Nutrition's Phyto Feast Live if the "stabilized" stuff doesn't seem to have much of an effect.

Anyone know how quickly pods breed? i.e Should I expect to see an increase in the number of pods I can see in a week, two weeks, a month, etc.?

I'm also trying to find out how easy it will be to find a mated pair of mandarins or which gender to add first if we only add one now and maybe add another one in the future. (<a href="http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=13414644" target=_blank>Mated pair of Mandarin Dragonets</a>)

 

[Tswifty]

You can culture pods:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1286158

 

[HumanIMDB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13414699#post13414699 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty8
You can culture pods:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1286158

Thanks TJ.

My problem is room... Kara barely tolerates it when I have the RO/DI Unit on the counter when making top off water let alone when I have the two Rubbermaid Brutes out when doing a water change. I don't know where I could possibly keep a "mother" tank and four 20oz bottles setup all the time but this might be something I will have to do.

That thread also answered my question about how quickly pods reproduce, "It takes 10-20 days for the pod population to regrow."

I've only been feeding phytoplankton for 9 days so perhaps it's too early to worry about it. I may also cut back on the amount I'm adding; back down to 10ml until I see a noticeable increase in the number of pods.

 

[Rustylugnuts]

I just got caught up and thought I say hi. I really like the setup so far.
Happy reefing!
Ryan

 

[HumanIMDB]

Copepods and Phytoplankton

Copepods and Phytoplankton

I did a little research into feeding phytoplankton and culturing copepods today.

It looks like I might as well throw out the Reef Nutrition Phyto Feast and go back to using DT's Phytoplankton:
<a href="http://somas.stonybrook.edu/~MADL/pubspdf/Emma-clamgrowth.pdf" target=_blank>Comparative Growth and Survival of Juvenile Hard Clams, Mercenaria mercenaria, Fed Commercially Available Diets</a>
<a href="http://www.dtplankton.com/mgw2/main.html" target=_blank>DT's or Phyto-Feastâ"žÂ¢ - Claiming "live" Does it matter?</a>

The above is the likely answer as to why I am not seeing an increase in the number of copepods in our system even though I am feeding phytoplankton. When I was using DT's before, I saw tons of pods...

I've also read the following on culturing copepods:
<a href="http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1286158" target=_blank>Copepods</a>
<a href="http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/breeder2.htm" target=_blank>The Breeder's Net</a>
<a href="http://www.oceanpods.com/faq.html#tips" target=_blank>Tips on culturing copepods</a>

I also found another source for copepods in Canada:
<a href="http://www.bionomicsolutions.com/cms/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=7&Itemid=30" target=_blank>Reef Crew Live Marine Food</a>

So, I think I'll give culturing copepods a try.

 

[kudora]

at the first of this month i picked up some kent marine phyto, after 5 days(only dosed twice) i had cyno growing on the glass something i have never had before and in the fug glass. i quit and did a water change and its has been slowly been going away. i can say 100% it was the phyto but i am not taking the chances.

 

[HumanIMDB]

I added a seahare on the weekend. It's huge but the owner of the LFS said that if it eats all the GHA I can return it for store credit.

I put it in the refugium first as it had the most GHA; it's even growing <b>ON</b> the chaeto now.

Since I added it on Saturday, it has powered through most of the GHA in the refugium and everything looks great! Once it has taken care of the refugium I will put it in the display to tackle the one rock with GHA growing on it there. And then back to the LFS...

I've also seen an increase in the number of viable pods in both tanks.

The LFS has a few small mandarins and I was very tempted but want to have both tanks teaming with pods and/or the pod culturing station running before we purchase one.

That's it for now...more to come.

 

[Tswifty]

Any pictures of the Sea Hare?

 

[HumanIMDB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13463196#post13463196 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty8
Any pictures of the Sea Hare?

It is pretty elusive but I will try to snap one later. It will be easier to get a picture of it once it's in the display tank.

 

[Michael]

ive had a look through your thread, unfortunately its had a lot of replies now and i just cant read it all right now, so my question is what are you going to do about a sump, or are you going to have a hang on?

 

[HumanIMDB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13463247#post13463247 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Michael
ive had a look through your thread, unfortunately its had a lot of replies now and i just cant read it all right now, so my question is what are you going to do about a sump, or are you going to have a hang on?

We went with the LifeReef HOB Overflow, Sump, and Refugium.

CFL1 Sump, LifeRefugium, and Slimline Prefilter Box:
<a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/IMG_0180.JPG" target="blank"><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/IMG_0180-1.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/IMG_0181.JPG" target="blank"><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/IMG_0181-1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/IMG_0182.JPG" target="blank"><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/IMG_0182-1.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/IMG_0188.JPG" target="blank"><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/IMG_0188-1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br><i>(Click for larger image)</i>

 

[Michael]

oh- right well i havent heard of that particular set up, it looks good, i had problems with my sump, because corners are unusual, especially when there is a middle support, so i had 1 made specially for my tank, best thing i did, it made the tank look more asthetically pleasing as all equipment is hidden, your looks good as well, i think you guys have more choice than us english, its design and make it yourself over here, heres what i had to do

 

[HumanIMDB]

Very nice...yes I can see how that center brace would make things difficult.