QT Tanks

[Depth]

I am a member of the Broklyn Society. But it is kinda far for me and they don't meet during the summer. I've found manhattanreef.com. Researching it now....
2) somebody is offering $12 chaetob bags beeming with pods (Nick: pufferpoison). I wonder if I shall buy it in order to have some pods. I am worried that they won'tlike my sand, as per your warning. I do not know whether to put the dry non-live sand, add more Aragionite, or try and find small-grained sand (that is their first preference, right?)

thinking hard and not finding an answer in my thinking, depth

 

[Steven Pro]

Pods tend to prefer a woven-type matrix. Intertwined Chaetomorpha is an excellent substrate for them.

 

[Depth]

I'll get it then... ;-) How fast do pods multiply? I am afraid I first have to install a fuge. Otherwise the'll all be eaten soon.

 

[Depth]

The LFS person gave me some pods from PETCO's reef tank. Taht was great!!
I have a sudden problem - turns out, most tank thermometers are very inaccurate. Do you happen to know where can one find a lab grade tank thermometer?
I bought a Ranco temp. controller ($129) and it does not seem very accurate either ;-(

 

[Steven Pro]

Why do you think your thermometer is inaccurate?

 

[Depth]

Steven, this thread was supposed to be devoted to QT only, right? It became a mumbo-jumbo of things, because of my all-over-the-spectrum questions. I feel bad... Do you prefer to be asked questions only relating to QT? BTW, I am re-reading a few of your articles and will have specific questions on them soon.

In the meantime, (till I'm told the opposite) I'd consider myself allowed to keep the mumbo-jumbo going:

1) THERMOMETERS "INDIVIDUALISTS"
I have four thermometers at present - 2 classical ones with mercury, 1 digital, and one "Big Time and Temp" thermometer-alarm. With the Ranco controller, 5.
They all show different temperatures!! I asked around and was told by diff. folks that tank thermometers are notorious for not being properly calibrated - so they are rarely accurate. I did the test with ice water (if put in a glass full of ice and water, a correct thermometer would show 32-33 F). All thermometers were 5-6 degrees off, including the Ranco ($129!), and all gave different readings. Ranco's makers are trying to convince me that Ranco is extremely accurate. I see no evidence to believe this.
One day it got much cooler than the previous, one could clearly feel that the heat was down. All thermometers dropped down 2 degrees (although still showed diff. readings) - Ranco did not move at all!

Exhausted and disappointed, searching for a reliable (lab grade?) therometer ;-<
*
2) SAND-SIFTER: I got a sand-sifting sea star and put it in my QT. She is an ultimate joy! I am afraid, however, that there isn't enough food for her in the QT. So I am trying to feed her as I've read - trying to put little pieces of seafood under her. It is... IMPOSSIBLE! Whatever I try to put next to her, she perceives as a threat and starts to avoid it. I am worried.

 

[Depth]

This is my 51st post, which marks a kind of a divide for a newbie.

In it I want to thank you for being so reliably here, showing up every new day, to patiently listen to all kinds of misguided, ignorant, sometimes outright crazy questions in my first months of this hobby. It is so very important!
P.S. And I am sure your wife hates the sight of an (even virtual) newbie on whom questions grow like Ich spots!... But this is an issue with no answer :beachbum:

Depth

 

[Steven Pro]

1.) I am not convinced that a glass of ice water would necessarily be 32-33*F. So, I really can't comment on the accuracy of any of your thermometers. And, I really can't think of a good way to test them.

2.) You can cut the quarantine time short if you must to two weeks or you could place inert silica sand in the quarantine to aid in the comfort for the seastar as well as providing a place to bury food items.

 

[Depth]

Thank you for the silica sand recommendation. I personally agree that the star does not need much longer Quarantine - it looks healthy and is very active. The delay is bcs of my intention to put some more sand into the main tank. Or may be instead of live sand I should just buy some of those Detritivore Kits.
I read about countless varieties of micro life you could seed your sand with...
For example, the STARTER KITS from Inland Aquatics include culturing animals like:

Nanochloropsus Disk 9.99
Isocrysis Disk 12.99
Rotifer Cysts 1,000 9.99
Rotifer Cysts 1,000 s-strain 19.99
Micro Algae Grow 6oz 6.99
Roti-Rich Liguid 2oz 4.99
Live Cultures also available Phytoplankton and Rotifers 19.99/Qt
Addison's Larval Feed C-QUEST's first food!!!! 13
Inland Green Goo Breeders' Conditioning Formula 5.99/oz
Spirulina/Kelp/Krill Powder (2 oz) 4.99
Copepod Starter Culture 15
Beta Meal 5.99

(http://www.inlandaquatics.com/prod/prod_detrit.html)

Question is, WHICH ONES does a person really need? (esp. for a FOWLR tank...). They are pricey, too, so a good selection won't hurt...

2) Can sifters climb? I just read in Drs. Foster catalog that they CAN'T. Mine does climb - I now doubt that it is a sifter at all (although it looks like one). ??

3) Researched Bio-Spira... It seems that this product is only for cycling new tanks, and not for weekly use (maintenance of the bacterial population)?

4) a QT question - why do people use mostly sponge filters in QTs?

P.S. i read a puffer dentisty article on WWM site. There was a pic. of yours there, of AC and KJ with a puffer. That was so nice!!!

back to work, Depth

 

[Steven Pro]

1.) I don't think you need any of that, especially for a FOWLR. Most of it is for culturing larval fishes.

2.) They can climb but usually don't.

3.) Correct

4.) They are cheap and effective.

 

[Depth]

I read that copepods can use stars as a parasite host. My tank is "seeded" with copepods. Does this present danger to the sea star?
Thank you,
Depth

 

[Steven Pro]

While there are some parasitic copepods, the ones we normally see in aquariums are not those and as such pose no risk.

 

[Depth]

Steven,


Emerging and ready to come out of my fishless 30 days... I send a few numbered questions that have been plaguing me for days. Your tips are eagerly anticipated, as always.

1. Would you use distilled water in a tank and if not, why? I don't have RO/DI capability where I live and distilled is the only alternative of "Britta" tap.
2. Star Feeding: The Sand-sifter seems to be doing well but I have no idea what it eats. I cannot derive any enjoyment from watching it as long as don't know if it's eating. Could you please tell me how long can this star survive without food? (this way I'd know when I can calm down, and rest assured that, if it's not dead, it must be eating, although I don't see).
I bought a live scallop from the grocery for the Star. Surprisingly, the scallop was alive and well for 4 whole days, but the star did not touch it. After the death of the scallop, I buried pieces of it in the sand, but the star did not eat it. I have no idea how could I feed this guy.
Thirdly, does the hermit Crab COMPETE for food with the star? Should I remove the crab?
3. Does a sea star need adding CALCIUM additives?
4. I never quite understood the concept of aeration for saltwater. Till now I thought that pumps are being used in FW only, but today I read somewhere that tangs needed "bubble bars". Beside the powerhead, would I need some add'l "bubble" aeration for the star and fish?
6. On the topic of aeration, I got a fish corral by Kordon.
Here is the link to the product : http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...x=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&pc=1&N=2004&Nty=1
It is EXCELLENT for fish catching (I lended it to a friend, and he caught all his fush ;-). It also claims to be useful for temporarily housing aggressive fish. However, s.o. told me it could not provide enough aeration for any fish to stay there any considerable length of time. What do you think?
7. What do you think of the combination of a flame hawkfish, filefish (Pervagor Melanocephalus) and a Yellow Watchman Goby for 72 Gal?


Thank you for your time.

 

[bad351stang]

Advertising removed...

Ryan
RC Staff

 

[Steven Pro]

1.) I would trust neither distilled or Brita water.

2.) These sea stars prey upon various worms, crustaceans, and other things living in the sand bed. They generlaly need fairly large aquaria with a mature sand bed to find enough to survive.

3.) I am sure they use some calcium.

4.) Dissolved oxygen is important, but airstones in tanks can easily create a mess with salt creep everywhere. And the idea that tangs require a bubble bar is bunk.

5.) Appears to have been skipped.

6.) Looks good. Glad to hear it worked so well.

7.) Seems fine to me.

 

[Depth]

Ryan,

Your diligence in removing my "advertising" inescapably reminds the countless robots of the Federation in Star Wars that were shooting on everything that moves.
I would deeply appreciate if next time you first try to fathom the context in which something is being said, and then remove text from people's writing. The first is a property of a human being, the second - of a mindless machine.
Because neither am I a vendor, nor was I advertising. For my question to be understood, the link was needed. Fortunately, Steven Pro must have gotten to the link before you have faithfully removed it.
(Not) sorry to be angry at you - you destroyed my evening after a 7-day work week.
"Bad" in your nick is accurate.

Depth

 

[Depth]

Steven,

In your article on quarantine, you mention "aquacultured" rock. What does it mean? Here is the exact occurrence: "While I very much approve of aquacultured rock because of the abundance and diversity of creatures that come with it, as well as for conservation reasons, there are common issues with this substrate."

2. In the same article, you also mention a deep sand bed. What is a DSB and when do we need it?

thank you much, Depth

 

[Steven Pro]

Aquacultured liverock is simply mined rock or rock produced from concrete that has been transported out to reef areas, permitted to become encrusted with various organisms (making it live), and then sold.

There are dozens of articles available online on the deep sand bed methodology. Particularly look for things written by Dr. Ron Shimek.