Come with me on my Custom 77 Gallon setup

[Avast Marine]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7962347#post7962347 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Stile2
I'm thinking about getting an Emerald Crab to help with getting rid of bubble algae. Any body have an opinion? Good, bad, indifferent?

do they really eat bubble algae?

Keith

I put 4 in my tank and I have never seen more than 2 at a time so I don't know if I still have 4. They rearange a little and knock unglued frags around in their search for food. They ate all the bubble algae I had rather quick and have not seen any since. I was a little nervous when I saw one picking at my frogspawn but, after a few days realized that he was cleaning it and now lives under it. The other one lives under my lobophyllia.

 

[rdmpe]

I think they are really cool critters to watch. At one time I had seven. Now I don't see them at all. I'm not sure what would have killed them in my tank but I never even found a body...

 

[Stile2]

The sailfin had his fins up most of the time for the first two days, I think he was nervous in a new environment. Today, his third in the tank, he had them about half way down. Looks like he is getting comfortable.

I have come to believe that the RK2 problem was a heat issue. I had put it on top of one of the MH ballasts and when it failed it was super hot to the touch. I have since moved it to a cooler location and no problems.

I think I will start looking for an emerald just to see it that helps.

It seems a lot of things we get for our tanks are to keep the system in balance. Pretty soon I'll have one of everything in the ocean.:lol:

keith

 

[rdmpe]

Heat is definitely an issue with electronics. I used to be into overclocking and heat is one of the main factors in how far you can push a cpu. More heat increases resistance and lowers signal quality among other things. Whenever I start getting errors or no bootup, I'd have to either slow it down a bit or cool it better...

 

[Stile2]

Now that I think about it, it was my own dumb mistake putting the unit on top off of the MH ballast.

The Reefkeeper 2 has the ability the do firmware updates.

this is what is in store.

"Firmware Update

There has been a lot of interest in what our next firmware release will include and when it will be released. We wanted to let all of you know that we will be releasing the following features in mid August:

- Programmable delay for skimmer/sump when leaving standby

- Adding temperature cutoff to the Multi-timers

- Seperate day-mode and night-mode brightness setting

- Shifted temp and pH readouts left one position to optimized LCD realestate and improved readability of screen

We will also follow that realease with a data logging feature in September. We are working on the details of that and will update this page when we have more to share."

I just hope that the data logging is going to use ethernet and not serial port.

Keith

 

[rdmpe]

Yeah that is one thing about the AC Jr that I am not too excited about - only a serial port. I'd really like to have the higher end model with ethernet... But I think it was big $$$.

 

[bklynmet]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7962347#post7962347 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Stile2
I'm thinking about getting an Emerald Crab to help with getting rid of bubble algae. Any body have an opinion? Good, bad, indifferent?

do they really eat bubble algae?

Keith

I had three. They all removed the bubble algae in a matter of days. Then it appeared that they scraped the rocks clean of all but the coralline algae. They were constantly picking - which was great. Until they started eating leftover food (my fault I guess from overfeeding the fish - this is when I was FOWLR). One got huge (possible out competed the others for food) and possibly killed the other two (cannot confirm it but their shells were each opened up). He appeared to get more and more aggressive at feeding time. He'd wave his claws at the fish as they went by him (which although funny was beginning to get me nervous).

So, since I no longer had bubble algae in the tank, I brought him back to the LFS. Side note: He had also began losing the green color after a molt - possibly from not getting enough proper algae in his diet. Had him for almost a year though.

I've heard mixed comments about them here on RC. My experience with them was relatively positive until that one emerald got too big. Hope this helps.

-Joe

 

[jdm01]

My experience is similar in a 29g tank that had a bubble algae outbreak. It took a few days for the emerald to find the bubble and then it went to town. I only put one in the tank so no competition. I see it once every 2 or 3 weeks and the bubble algae stays gone. I have a little bit right now, but he will take it out soon enough. Mine basically stays under the rockwork 95% of the time.

 

[Stile2]

I got an emerald crab and while I only see him every once in a while, when I do he is definately going after the bubble algae.

I also got what is probably going to be my last fish. A Bi-colored Angel. Beautiful fish. I'll try and get a picture later.

the Maroon Clown, who has never picked on anyone before, is making sure this little guy is not coming out of a cave. Its been three days and he is coming a little bit. Hopefully the Clown will get used to him. I have seen him eating, so that's a good sign.

Keith

 

[Stile2]

does any know why the Maroon Clown would be going after the Angel? The Maroon has been completely peaceful in the past and still swims side by side with the Tang, Royal Gramma, Six-Line. But he goes after the Angel anytime he even sees him out of the corner of his eye.

any suggestions?

Comments?
Keith

 

[gkarshens]

I have heard that Maroons can be very aggressive. Was it in after the others?

 

[Stile2]

That is the thing he has never been agressive even when a little fish (gone now, I took him out) was beating him up. The Maroon has always been completely peaceful. All of a sudden he is on a rampage after just one fish. He leaves all the others alone.

Yes, he was the first in my 29 gallon when I set up around November 2004.

 

[reefarchitect]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7962347#post7962347 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Stile2
I'm thinking about getting an Emerald Crab to help with getting rid of bubble algae. Any body have an opinion? Good, bad, indifferent?

do they really eat bubble algae?

Keith

I know a few have comented, but I would like to share my experience. I had a 58-gallon tank prior to the upgrade and it was riddled with valona (green bubble algae), when I made the swap, My wife and I painstakingly (sp?) plucked and removed every last one. This was a three hour process in itself. Needless to say, a few weeks later, it was all back! I added 12 emeralds of varying size and not one bubble has surfaced since.

The only aggression witnessed was between the two larger (I beleive) males. Once one ripped a claw from the other, the agression dissapeared. They are aggresive feeders, but also diligent workers. All in all, over the years, they have been great additions to my systems.

 

[Stile2]

Reef,
Good to hear. Depending on how fast the bubble algae disappears I wil think about getting a couple more emerald crabs. They are actually really cool to watch working away.

Keith

 

[Stile2]

I did another Alk test tonight.

Since 8/6 at 6.9 dKh I have moved it up to 7.8dKh. So a bit more to go, but its getting there.

Keith

 

[Stile2]

I noticed yesterday that my hammerhead threw off a baby. I think, I hope at any rate. Do they do that?

I will get a picture as soon as the MH come on this morning. But a small group of tentacles on the ground right under the coral.

My main question is can I just glue it to a piece of rubble? Or is there a special way of dealing with it?

Thanks
Keith

 

[rdmpe]

Cool - does it have any hard base to it? Mine haven't done that so I don't know if it's normal or not...

 

[Stile2]

I haven't picked it up yet, but it doesn't look like it has a hard base. I'll pick it up and examine it tomorrow.

Students come back Monday and my classroom is not ready yet, so I have to go to work today.

 

[Stile2]

So I picked up the hammerhead baby and it doesn't look like it has a hard base.

Any clues as to what to do with it?
Glue to a piece of rubble? What?

Keith

 

[Stile2]

Anyone? Anything?