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

[steve the plumb]

J did you see the tank of the month.1600 gal tank.Wow his tank is awesome.

 

[Elliott]

I have mine mounted on a small rock so I can remove it with the clam if need be

 

[jnarowe]

yeah, I have been following energy's tank for a couple of years.

 

[steve the plumb]

He has a nice system.I wonder how people can afford such large systems.Here I am with a 300 and hardly any corals and I have spent so much.My system isn't fancy.Its just a tank with a sump.

 

[jnarowe]

some people live for their tanks, others define wealth differently.

He and I have a lot of reef keeping philosophy in common. I love the PHAT skimmer. Too bad it uses so much electricity! :lol:

 

[mrcrab]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11540623#post11540623 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
the clams do react to motion.

I know that's a good sign...just don't know anymore than that.

 

[jnarowe]

So I recalibrated my probes and did a full battery of tests with a couple of surprises.

I found my temp. probe to be caked and my pH probe off by about .30. Salinity was also much lower than I normally keep it.

Salinity: 1.023 (refractometer)
Ca: 425 ppm (Seachem)
Alk: 9.0 ppm (Salifert)
NO2: Undetectable (Seachem)
NO3: Undetectable (Seachem)
pH: 7.93 (Probe)
Temp.: 77.5F (Probe)
Mg: 1410 (Salifert)

I do not have any tests for heavy metals, but it seems to that the likelihood of there being a heavy metal problem is extremely low, unless it is coming in my salt. I take great pains to mix salt with very pure water. Well, except for the gold ring I lost in the tank a year ago!

So the question is, are the low pH and salinity inclined to lower the clam health? I am slowly bumping both back up.

 

[michika]

Hopefully its just related to pH and salinity. Its a good sign they are still reacting to movement etc.

 

[gkarshens]

If you do decide to remove them I have heard using a turkey baster with very cold water shot at their foot will make them let go.

 

[jnarowe]

Well the one I am screwing around with is not reacting entirely well. It does retract its tube when it senses me, but does not close up. If I tap on its shell, it doesn't react until about the 4th time, and then it will squirt at me and close but not all the way.

The guys that hang in the clam forum have suggested that there may be a heavy metal problem, but I find that hard to believe. I will get poly filters and see what happens there, and maybe some heavy metal tests.

I had a coral STN on me so maybe that is related.

 

[steve the plumb]

I hope you can fix the problem.Even in a tank as large as your its amazing how other animals can be affected by something that you can't understand.Your ph is a little low.I prefer to keep the tank at 80 degrees.My friend keeps his 125 at 82 degrees.

 

[chris wright]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11542706#post11542706 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
Well the one I am screwing around with is not reacting entirely well. It does retract its tube when it senses me, but does not close up. If I tap on its shell, it doesn't react until about the 4th time, and then it will squirt at me and close but not all the way.

The guys that hang in the clam forum have suggested that there may be a heavy metal problem, but I find that hard to believe. I will get poly filters and see what happens there, and maybe some heavy metal tests.

I had a coral STN on me so maybe that is related.

That's not sounding real good at all mate. Unfortunately I've found jack diddley. I searched the local and pommie's site with no luck. I'll post a question and see what I come up with based on your figures. Maybe someone may know. I'll have a look in Steve's backyard later and see if I can find something there.

I'm a member every where or so it would seem :lol:

 

[jnarowe]

Well, I now have two 8" teardrops in the QT and they are looking better. My water params are good so we are down to two possibilities as I see it:

1. harassment;
2. heavy metals?

Poly Filters on the way and I'll try to figure out the harassment issue.

 

[steve the plumb]

did you add any new fish besides the cleaner wrasse.

 

[jnarowe]

well yes, one retarded sebae clown.

 

[steve the plumb]

why do you say he is retarded?Just because he likes to steal his hosts food.Maybe he was raised in captivity.He has never seen a anemone before.Maybe the fish is selfish.

 

[jnarowe]

:lol: As we say on that other forum, "NO @#$%"

 

[steve the plumb]

You don't have that many fish considering the size of your system.Why don't you get more fish?

 

[jnarowe]

I don't want too many. Keep in mind that this is my first reef tank and I want to keep my bio-load down. I am also picky about the fish I put in (except for rescues) and will probably add a large school of very small fish later this year.

 

[michika]

What kind of small fish?