Lightsluvr's 340G Upgrade

Lightsluvr said:
The post regarding the smoked ribs is found here:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1638966&page=13

However, no secret recipes were disclosed...just a photo of some smokin' ribs... if you want the recipe for the "secret sauce" (ala the movie Fried Green Tomatoes), send me a PM.

LL
Click to expand...

Oh... OK Thanks, I actually saw that post before. I thought I was gonna actually see your smoker i action!;)

So you have the "Smokin' Tex" brand, but have heard good things about the "Cook Shack"? I'd love to get one, but I'm usually only cookin' for 2 adults and 2 kids. Is it kinda ridiculous to use it for that small of a group? I suppose you can cook 2 or 3 meals worth of meat at a time... hmmm. It would be great for a party for sure!
 
stealle said:
Oh... OK Thanks, I actually saw that post before. I thought I was gonna actually see your smoker i action!;)

So you have the "Smokin' Tex" brand, but have heard good things about the "Cook Shack"? I'd love to get one, but I'm usually only cookin' for 2 adults and 2 kids. Is it kinda ridiculous to use it for that small of a group? I suppose you can cook 2 or 3 meals worth of meat at a time... hmmm. It would be great for a party for sure!
Click to expand...

Smokin' Tex is made in China; Cook Shack is made in Oklahoma. When I smoke, I usually smoke a brisket or pork butt plus a slab or two of ribs. That's enough food for a week! Enjoy ribs fresh out of the smoker. Divide the other meats by meal size and freeze. Brisket and pulled pork freeze very nicely, retaining the original taste and texture; pork ribs - not so much... JMHO.

We'd better get back on topic or the mods will move the thread over to the lounge... ;)

LL
 
stealle said:
This is Lighsluvr's thread! You rule here!!!:hammer:

Thanks for the info!;)
Click to expand...

LOL... I'll be glad to answer any questions about smoking meat in a PM or e-mail. I have some links I could send you, if interested.

I've been cookin' with an electric smoker for 20 years and have developed a pretty good result. With the price of meat these days, I'd rather pay $2.00 /lb. or less for the tough cuts and then smoke'm into a beautiful thing... :thumbsup:

LL
 
Blonde Naso has arrived!

Blonde Naso has arrived!

The blond Naso arrived at 10:15 a.m. - thanks FedEx.

"Her" bag is floating in the sump at this time.

Blue Zoo includes an acclimation kit and very detailed instructions, which I plan to follow to the letter. They also provide a pipette of Seachem Stress Guard to dose the fish. The instructions suggest you remove the fish from the shipping bag into the styrofoam box...that's a new one for me. I will use the provided drip line to complete the acclimation over a two hour period.

Photos to follow...

LL
 
i just got a bartlett anthias from blue zoo really great colors!
mine also came with a mixed food sample did you get the same?
im going to try it out and see how the fish and coral all like it "all in one"
 
MrineLfRlz said:
i just got a bartlett anthias from blue zoo really great colors!
mine also came with a mixed food sample did you get the same?
im going to try it out and see how the fish and coral all like it "all in one"
Click to expand...

Yes I did get the mixed food sample. We'll toss it in the tank - my fish are like "Mikey" - they'll eat anything!

I also ordered (3) dispar anthias from Blue Zoo. I have tried for months to get the anthias from my LFS, but they keep getting cancellations or the wrong fish from their suppliers. I finally just gave up. I had hoped Blue Zoo would have shipped them together, but my anthias order was too late... I guess they will be here next week...

Just placed the Blond Naso in the DT. He immediately found Charley the Vlamingi, and they appear to be getting along. He seems a little too "interested" in our Magnificent Foxface, possibly becasue they are similar in appaearance and body shape. The tank will remain dark for a few hours, then I'll bring up the lights and take a few pictures.

LL
 
Last edited:
this was my 1st purchase from them and from what ive seen so far i will make another purchase in the future
they seem to really care with the extras they put in with them:thumbsup:
 
2,4,6,8 Who we goin' to acclimate?

2,4,6,8 Who we goin' to acclimate?

Blue Zoo packed the Naso in a sturdy styrofoam lined cardboard box. Their instructions suggest acclimation in the "styro", but I elected to keep the fish in the inner two of four plastic bags that were holding it. I felt there was no need to move the fish from bag to box and then from box to tank.

Here is the drip acclimation setup with the provided drip line:
naso1.jpg


Detail of the knot used to control flow of tank water into the shipping bag:
naso2.jpg


Water was doubled in the shipping bag, drained to previous level and doubled again. Then water was drained to minimal amount to allow a sliding transfer into the tank. No net, no hands, no scratches or scrapes...

Here is the (included) pipette of Seachem Stress Guard that I used to dose the bag during acclimation:
Naso3.jpg


The Blue Zoo acclimation care manual:
Naso4.jpg


LL
 
He be in de bag!

He be in de bag!

Hookup said:
where da fish be at?
Click to expand...

Playing peek-a-boo during acclimation:
Naso5.jpg


naso6.jpg


naso7.jpg


He's been in the tank with the lights off for a few hours... I am now ramping up the lights. The new guy has shown no aggression, but has been the recipient of a little fin nipping from our Magnificent Foxface and some chasing from the sailfin. Everybody is displaying in the tank, but feeding heped simmer things a great deal...

When the full lights are on, I'll get some pictures.

LL
 
Tang-y

Tang-y

Well here's the new guy...

Swimming on the closed loop current at the back of the tank... (spots in the water is floating food):
tangy2.jpg


Here he is dodging a "swim by" charge from our DesJardin Sailfin tang:
tangy1.jpg


And here is the poster child photo - that's a krpytonite candy cane coral colony glowing on the rock:
tangy3.jpg


LL
 
stealle said:
Beautiful fish. No quarantine?
Click to expand...

Regrettably I don't have a QT tank for a fish this large. By putting the guy in a small tank for several weeks' QT, I run a high risk of stressing him, so that he does become to susceptible to disease... I recognize the risks...

I will be adding several dispar anthias in the coming week and they will be QT'd outside of the display tank...

LL
 
I'm not trying to flame. I'm just trying to plan my tank for next spring. Quarantine is the part I'm struggling with the most. I guess you are suppose to quarantine each fish separately (unless they are a school of fish). That means I'd have to have multiple quarantine tanks setup in order to introduce fish in a descent amount of time. Or, I'd have to quarantine one fish at a time and take a year or more to stock the tank. That sounds exhausting to me. Maintaining a quarantine tank isn't a really easy task (not for a year anyway). I just see so many people adding fish, corals, or whatever without quarantine... it makes me want to go a little lax on the idea as well. Oh well, maybe I can start a thread in the "Reef Discussion" or "Responsible Reefkeeping" section. I don't want to turn your thread into a quarantine discussion.
 
stealle said:
I'm not trying to flame. I'm just trying to plan my tank for next spring. Quarantine is the part I'm struggling with the most. I guess you are suppose to quarantine each fish separately (unless they are a school of fish). That means I'd have to have multiple quarantine tanks setup in order to introduce fish in a descent amount of time. Or, I'd have to quarantine one fish at a time and take a year or more to stock the tank. That sounds exhausting to me. Maintaining a quarantine tank isn't a really easy task (not for a year anyway). I just see so many people adding fish, corals, or whatever without quarantine... it makes me want to go a little lax on the idea as well. Oh well, maybe I can start a thread in the "Reef Discussion" or "Responsible Reefkeeping" section. I don't want to turn your thread into a quarantine discussion.
Click to expand...

No problem. In a perfect world, you would QT each fish (or school of fish) separately... but if you look at successful tanks in this thread, dozens of fish seem to "appear" overnight - so there are other impatient aquarists beside you and me... ;)

It's a roll of the dice, a crap shoot, a turn of the card... you get the idea. Hoepfully I'll remain a winner.

LL
 
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