OK! Enough chat...Starting a 1000g+ Reef

[Hop]

That is where I get my Co2 filled. It usually winds up being a half day adventure as when I first started taking my tanks there it spiked his interest. The owner used to have small 10 gallon FW tanks and now he's addicted and has a 75 gallon planted. Now he has apparently begun asking about salt water so I expect even longer visits when I get my tank back up and running:lol:

 

[jnarowe]

Unfortunately he wants $40 for a 20 lb. tank!!! I usually pay about $14.

I just sent another shipment to Brian at Project DIBS which included 57 Columbellids, 150+ Dibs Turbo sp., and 3 stomatella. To be honest, I could have easily collected 1000 DIBS Turbo sp. between the grow out tank and just the overflow on my display. I really have a crazy amount of them and I wish I could export a bunch more!

 

[jnarowe]

So here's a pic of a couple anemones. The PLTA is the one that I have been having problems with. It has settled here for the time being which is nice because I can observe it and feed it.

It often is gone for a week or two under the rocks only to appear wrapped around a coral. It is not very sticky and the polyps it is resting against don't appear to be getting stung by it. I have started hand feeding it smaller pieces like has been recommended, and the color has improved slightly, but its feeding response seems to be zero. It will hold onto the smaller pieces unlike when I fed it half and whole silvesides.

It is smaller than when I got it, and there is less coloration.

Here is a comparison shot from about 4+ months ago:

Any further suggestions on husbandry for this PLTA would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Bax]

Jon

JME, but my RBTA was a real roamer. Then my o. clowns finally started hosting it and it hasn't moved since. Been attached to the same rock through two tank moves and sits where I put it?

I also stopped feeding it just feed the clowns with a blast form the turkey baster and the RBTA gets what it gets.

It has never looked better

 

[melev]

Try feeding it raw shrimp. Cut up one from the deli into 5 equal sized pieces, around the size of a lima bean. Every three days, feed it one piece of meat. I used to buy a few shrimp for $1, and keep them frozen. When I needed to feed a chunk, I thawed it in tank water, and once ready fed the anemone.

 

[jnarowe]

SOmeone else suggested shrimp also. Seems strange that it would eat that and not the cleaner shrimp that are always trying to jack it. I will try it this weekend.

I have been seeing the Female maroon in it recently so maybe I will have a turn-around.

 

[Bax]

When I did feed the RBTA I feed 1/2" to 3/4" cubes of scallop or shrimp once or twice a week. It gobbled em up!

 

[jnarowe]

Well I finally got the Aqua Medic T5 array hung:

Got it from Sherman...I have it a little high for the first 48 hours so as not to shock the system or boil the water! This unit currently has 6 x 10K and 2 x Actinic T5 lamps. It is really extremely brite in person and puts out a lot of heat. I think this should boost the algal growth enough that the snails will have plenty to eat.

Also, here is a shot of the MJ400 Mod by World Famous Don Nguyen:

Interestingly enough, although these are supposed to use less electrical energy than the stock pump, this one is using about 50% more at 7W. The pumps specs. are for 5W. Not sure why that is, but let me tell you, I don't care. This thing puts out really good flow and snails don't get caught inside.

 

[jnarowe]

Well, it looks like RC has done it again...thanks for all the suggestions guys!

I tried the shrimp for feeding the PLTA and it had a fairly agressive eating response. Yay!! I cut it up in fairly small pieces and popped a blob right in the center. I also tossed around some pieces for the cleaners and an adjacent GBTA.

When I went out front to take a look, one cleaner was trying to steal but it appeared that the PLTA had folded enough tentacles over the food to keep from losing it.

I am having a hard time reconciling why it wants shrimp and yet doesn't eat the shrimp that climb all over it. And how do they eat shrimp in the wild?

So I will report back on its progress...

Alk is down to 10.2 dKh so that is looking good. Took a long time to bleed it off. I am using a different timer sequence on top-off and stirring so we'll see how that works out. As of tonight I have reconnected the kalk stirrer but it will only stir for a couple minutes twice/day and there will be no top-off happening during or for an hour following the stir. Got to thank Steve Weast for his help in figuring this out.

I am getting ready for a week out-of-town and had Sherman over last night for feeding training. Have to clean up a few things and do a water change but other than a few small tasks I think I am in good shape.

Still having STN on my favorite coral, the blue/purple polyped encrusting monti. I just can't seem to stabilize it and I am really bummed about that. Unfortunately I don't think I can do anything more than what I am already doing, by cutting away the STN and dipping in Tech D and Lugol's. I have one healthy frag, and one frag that has shown some STN as well. The healthy frag was taken off quite a while before this incident so I am hopeful that if I lose the parent colony I will still have this beautiful coral in my system. Why is it always our favorite coral that bites the dust?? AND why is it always the most expensive one??

I am still struggling with my RO membranes and cannot figure out why they are underperforming. I am getting ticked off enough to trash the whole deal and start over. :eek2:

 

[cbui2]

finally got to see your snail tank, great looking setup jnarowe

 

[jnarowe]

Thank you much!

 

[Zoos]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9507397#post9507397 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
Well I finally got the Aqua Medic T5 array hung:

Got it from Sherman...I have it a little high for the first 48 hours so as not to shock the system or boil the water! This unit currently has 6 x 10K and 2 x Actinic T5 lamps. It is really extremely brite in person and puts out a lot of heat. I think this should boost the algal growth enough that the snails will have plenty to eat.

Also, here is a shot of the MJ400 Mod by World Famous Don Nguyen:

Interestingly enough, although these are supposed to use less electrical energy than the stock pump, this one is using about 50% more at 7W. The pumps specs. are for 5W. Not sure why that is, but let me tell you, I don't care. This thing puts out really good flow and snails don't get caught inside.

 

[Zoos]

That's a sexy looking light

 

[Enderrea]

And Again, Did i tell you i hated you? That is the light i have been looking for. think it would work great on my 80 gallon. if it comes up missing..... i didn't do it

 

[jnarowe]

Thanks guys!

yeah James, you wouldn't want this on your tank. There are no legs made for it so it has to be hung, and it puts out some serious heat. There are no fans inside it at all.

I am going to lower an inch or two today...

 

[jnarowe]

Just got back from my trip and eveything is great. Sherman (sherm71tank) took care of my system and no mishaps. Got home and the floor was dry, and just a couple of normal minor adjustments.

BTW, I measure the temp. of the glass of that fixture and it was 178F+...yikes a Momma!

Got to visit Hop's place and check his progress too. He is doing some really smart stuff for his re-build.

 

[gkarshens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9592702#post9592702 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
Just got back from my trip and eveything is great. Sherman (sherm71tank) took care of my system and no mishaps. Got home and the floor was dry

Maybe Sherman should watch your tank all the time. :lol:

 

[Enderrea]

178 on the T-5 fixture? damn! time to fry some eggs and bacon! my house would be cooking in the summer that hot!

 

[KingfishJohn]

Jonathan,

If you installed some fans in that T5 fixture and actively cooled it you might increase it's output by as much as 50%.

John

 

[jnarowe]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9592719#post9592719 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gkarshens
Maybe Sherman should watch your tank all the time. :lol:

OK...so that F'n hurts! I was laughing about that and I hear from my son's room, "What an evil laugh!"

James, yeah, I think I am going to remove the glass shield so it doesn't retain the heat. The lamp is high up enough that it won't get splashed on anyway. Not sure how much if any UV is put out by these T5 lamps though.