Let's Play 20 Questions

[tonyh67]

Pretty slow here on the TBS group, so a few questions that have been going through my mind.


How often should I feed my serpent star?

I only have a 29 gallon, got two cukes...one is about 6" and the other 2.5". Should I put the little one in the HOB fuge? If so, how do I handle it...just basically pick it up?

How much of a temp. fluctuation should I be really concerned about?

The package contents are the only thing in my tank, parameters...
PH-7.8
NO2-0
NO3-20
AM-0
Sp.Gr.-1.024

How often should I be putting DTs in, and how much?

The whole additive and dosing thing...I do not want to add anything I do not have to, but what does everyone recommend? What else or when should I be adding and/or testing for...?

I am getting a little anxious about adding livestock, just one thing for now...a coral, mushroom, Ricordia, etc. I am not interested in adding any fish yet though. Any advice, something inexpensive and simple? I do have some Chaeto coming for the fuge, I don't think that should count though.

Speaking of the fuge again, what other critters should I put in there? I put a couple snails in there, the green hair algae was about 2" long...they are doing a good job. It is the 24" HOB.

Before I add anything, should I try and get all the gorilla crabs out...most(and there are several) are fairly tiny ones. But, one is almost the size of a dime, he concerns me...I think he killed my 3 light bulb anemones. All three disappeared within a couple days, and he was hanging out in that area. I would like to catch him alive, so he can be banished for life to the mantis tank. Not really much room for a bottle trap, and he hangs out mid to upper levels. He is also in an area I really really do not want to pull the rock(s). Any other suggestions for his capture?

Lighting...I have (2) 24" VHO on for 6.5 hours and (1) 175W MH on for 4.5 hours. I have been increasing their duration by a half-hour every couple days.

Did I get 20 questions in there...not quite I guess?

 

[tonyh67]

Those pink hairless worms that come out of the rock and have shells, rock, and whatever else they can find stuck together...what are they? Dangerous to the tank, I saw one trying to take a bite out of button coral? Huge mouth they have.

 

[hdtran]

Re: Let's Play 20 Questions

Pretty slow here on the TBS group, so a few questions that have been going through my mind.


How often should I feed my serpent star?

Depends on how often you feed the fish. I would let the serpent stars scavenge, with maybe a weekly or every two week target feeding.

I only have a 29 gallon, got two cukes...one is about 6" and the other 2.5". Should I put the little one in the HOB fuge? If so, how do I handle it...just basically pick it up?

Net the cuke into a cup; pick up the cup & submerge contents into HOB fuge. Subject the cuke with minimum handling & trauma.

How much of a temp. fluctuation should I be really concerned about?

A slow 'couple' of degrees over the course of a day is of no concern.

The package contents are the only thing in my tank, parameters...
PH-7.8
NO2-0
NO3-20
AM-0
Sp.Gr.-1.024

The pH is on the low side. If you can kick that up (slowly) to 8.1, I would feel more comfortable. If you're trying to make this a reef setup, also test alkalinity & calcium.

How often should I be putting DTs in, and how much?

Read the bottle. If I remember, for your size tank, on the order of 1.5 tsp every other day. Skipping a few times won't hurt.

The whole additive and dosing thing...I do not want to add anything I do not have to, but what does everyone recommend? What else or when should I be adding and/or testing for...?

Now that I see the bottom of your post... Do get an alkalinity & calcium test kit, and test. You want your alk. to be about 3 meq/L and calcium about 400ppm. Baking soda in your make up water will help if you don't want to shell out for fancy chemicals. Check out Randy Holmes-Farley's articles in Adv. Aqu. Online for a homemade additive that costs less than LFS brand.

I am getting a little anxious about adding livestock, just one thing for now...a coral, mushroom, Ricordia, etc. I am not interested in adding any fish yet though. Any advice, something inexpensive and simple? I do have some Chaeto coming for the fuge, I don't think that should count though.

Speaking of the fuge again, what other critters should I put in there? I put a couple snails in there, the green hair algae was about 2" long...they are doing a good job. It is the 24" HOB.

The whole point of the 'fuge (as some pedants would put it, more properly an algae scrubber) is to allow macroalgae to grow and export nutrients. You then harvest the macroalgae & toss in the trash...

Before I add anything, should I try and get all the gorilla crabs out...most(and there are several) are fairly tiny ones. But, one is almost the size of a dime, he concerns me...I think he killed my 3 light bulb anemones. All three disappeared within a couple days, and he was hanging out in that area. I would like to catch him alive, so he can be banished for life to the mantis tank. Not really much room for a bottle trap, and he hangs out mid to upper levels. He is also in an area I really really do not want to pull the rock(s). Any other suggestions for his capture?

I've found that if you put some shrimp/fish/etc in the tank, you can get the larger gorilla crabs to wander away from the rock towards the food (but you have to fight off your serpent stars). Then, you just net the crab!

Lighting...I have (2) 24" VHO on for 6.5 hours and (1) 175W MH on for 4.5 hours. I have been increasing their duration by a half-hour every couple days.

Did I get 20 questions in there...not quite I guess?

Sounds good to me on lighting. Up to a total of 10-12 hrs lighting period w/ VHO, and 2-4 hrs less with the MH to simulate sunup, midday, sundown.

I'm much happier answering 20 q's as 20 posts as opposed to 20 q's in 1 post, as my attention span is pretty challenged...

 

[hdtran]

Those pink hairless worms that come out of the rock and have shells, rock, and whatever else they can find stuck together...what are they? Dangerous to the tank, I saw one trying to take a bite out of button coral? Huge mouth they have.

I'm going to speculate that it's a peanut worm.

I don't think anything (well, almost anything) predates (is that a verb?) on button polyps.

 

[tonyh67]

Thanks Hy, I knew I could count on you for some input.

I am in the process of purchasing a CA and Alk test kits. I have been checking out Randy's posts, the limewater and baking soda thing. I have been concerned about the PH, but have read in many places as long it stays above 7.8...?

So you recommend no critters in the fuge then, let the cuke be?

I have no intentions of adding fish, so there probably are not a lot of scraps for the star.

I have been putting 1tsp. every other day or so on the DTs...are the feeding guidelines pretty much the same whether you have a tank of fresh TBS liverock or a tank full of corals?

 

[hdtran]

Hi, Tony,

Yes, Randy H-F recommends baking soda (actually, washing soda, which can be obtained by baking baking soda) + Dowflake deicer. Kalkwasser will both increase your calcium and raise your pH.

A pH of 7.8 is at the very low end of the generally accepted range. I would feel more comfort if you could kick up your pH to 8 or 8.1 (generally accepted range is 7.8 to 8.4, if my memory serves me right). Most folks try to be at the high end of the accepted pH range.

I have a single snail in my HOB fuge to keep film algae from taking over, and the usual pods, bristleworms, and accidental critters. I'd say a small cuke would be fine, but no hermits, macro-shrimp, fish, urchins, etc.

I think the feeding guidelines for DT's are aimed at making sales of DT's Seriously, the phyto will feed the sponges, tunicates, clams, and other microplankton feeders. It may feed some corals, but most corals require larger plankton than what DT's have. Coral polyps feed on things which are near the size of the feeding cavity; most of the hitchhiking corals (and store corals) have a mouth that's visible in size, so I would expect them to eat pin-head (and larger) planktonic food.

I would target feed the corals & serpent stars (or mass feed the tank) once or twice a week, and keep an eye on the chemistry.

Hy

 

[tonyh67]

What I was hoping to do, after a little more research...is Mrs. Wages pickling lime mixed with the top off water to bring the PH and CA up...