E-A-G-L-E-S
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Are you using Randy's Two-Part DIY or a store bought mix?
Slakkers 58RR - Continued
- Thread starter sslak
- Start date
sslak
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I'm using the BRS 2-part. I got a great deal on it from a local reefer getting out of the hobby.
sslak
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Update! I was at the LFS on Saturday and picked up a new addition to the tank. :bounce3:
It may be entirely ill advised given the fact that I've started collecting some SPS, but I found an Eibli Angel in perfect condition that was on sale for half the price of the Flame I was looking at. The flame was returned due to agression and he was chasing blue damsels around his tank at the LFS...yikes!
I got the Eibli on sale for the same price listed online, and didn't have to pay shipping! :beer:
He was at the store for a month, so I brought him home and he's in my 14g BioQuarantineCube right now! I got him 2 days ago, so I feel ok taking pictures tonight. He was a bit stressed at first. In 30 days I roll the dice to see what kind of corals he likes to eat...lol.
Stay tuned for pictures!
It may be entirely ill advised given the fact that I've started collecting some SPS, but I found an Eibli Angel in perfect condition that was on sale for half the price of the Flame I was looking at. The flame was returned due to agression and he was chasing blue damsels around his tank at the LFS...yikes!
I got the Eibli on sale for the same price listed online, and didn't have to pay shipping! :beer:
He was at the store for a month, so I brought him home and he's in my 14g BioQuarantineCube right now! I got him 2 days ago, so I feel ok taking pictures tonight. He was a bit stressed at first. In 30 days I roll the dice to see what kind of corals he likes to eat...lol.
Stay tuned for pictures!
sslak
New member
Phyto/Pod Culturing
Phyto/Pod Culturing
So I've decided that I'm going to take a whack at culturing copepods and phyto. I found a fish store in the area that stocks both, I originally thought about just culturing pods using store bought Phyto, but that seems like it could get expensive. If i can culture my own Phyto too, I could in theory sustain the pod population with a one time investment. Here we go!!!:bounce3:
I followed the instructions on Mark Levenson's website for phyto culturing, with the exception of my starter culture. I took a gamble and I tried using DT's Phyto because I had some in the fridge that I purchased to culture pods.
I'll give a quick recap here of what I did for the Phyto culture.
1. Mix up one two liter soda bottle to SG of 2.019 using tap water as recommended by Mark Levenson
2. Mix up one two liter soda bottle to SG of 2.019 using RO/DI water (experimentation is fun)
3. Added 5ml of Miracle Gro all purpose liquid plant food to each bottle
4. Added enough Phyto to give each bottle a pale yellow tint
5. Insert air-line into each bottle after drilling the caps
I'm trying to save the Phyto as I want to have enough to continue to feed my pod culture (explained later), as well as enough to start two new two liter bottle cultures if these original two crash. I'm hoping I haven't shot myself in the foot by not pouring enough in to make the bottles green to start with.
I also couldn't find any rigid airline to keep the bubbles in the center of the bottle, so for now I just fed the flex tube into the bottles.
Here's the culture bottles, RO on the left, Tap water on the right. We'll see which one grows better!
Phyto/Pod Culturing
So I've decided that I'm going to take a whack at culturing copepods and phyto. I found a fish store in the area that stocks both, I originally thought about just culturing pods using store bought Phyto, but that seems like it could get expensive. If i can culture my own Phyto too, I could in theory sustain the pod population with a one time investment. Here we go!!!:bounce3:
I followed the instructions on Mark Levenson's website for phyto culturing, with the exception of my starter culture. I took a gamble and I tried using DT's Phyto because I had some in the fridge that I purchased to culture pods.
I'll give a quick recap here of what I did for the Phyto culture.
1. Mix up one two liter soda bottle to SG of 2.019 using tap water as recommended by Mark Levenson
2. Mix up one two liter soda bottle to SG of 2.019 using RO/DI water (experimentation is fun)
3. Added 5ml of Miracle Gro all purpose liquid plant food to each bottle
4. Added enough Phyto to give each bottle a pale yellow tint
5. Insert air-line into each bottle after drilling the caps
I'm trying to save the Phyto as I want to have enough to continue to feed my pod culture (explained later), as well as enough to start two new two liter bottle cultures if these original two crash. I'm hoping I haven't shot myself in the foot by not pouring enough in to make the bottles green to start with.
I also couldn't find any rigid airline to keep the bubbles in the center of the bottle, so for now I just fed the flex tube into the bottles.
Here's the culture bottles, RO on the left, Tap water on the right. We'll see which one grows better!
sslak
New member
Pod Culturing
Pod Culturing
Ok, so now that I used 1/3 of the bottle of DT's Phyto in an attempt to start my own cultures, it's time to use the rest for what I bought it for!
I followed a mixture of instructions here, I took the basic plan from the Advanced Aquarist magazine article about culturing pods, and also a method I found on a different reef forum.
I took a Ziploc sandwich container, and cleaned it really well with RO water. I drilled a hole in the lid, fed some airline tubing through the hole.
Using fresh saltwater mixed to 1.025 I added a third of a bottle of Tigger Pods:
While I had the return pump off to feed, I took the opportunity to pour a bit of Tigger Pods directly into the ball of Chaeto in my sump. I'm hoping I get some breeding there too, but the dedicated culture should produce substantially more.
I added about 1/4th of the bottle of DT's to feed the Tigger Pods, and started the airline bubbling.
Here's the whole culture station setup inside my closet in my fish tank room!
I checked the pod culture this morning, about 8 hours into the process and they're still swimming around in there like crazy so it looks good so far!:dance:
I'm pretty confident about the pod culture process, I just hope I can avoid having to constantly buy Phyto to feed them!
Pod Culturing
Ok, so now that I used 1/3 of the bottle of DT's Phyto in an attempt to start my own cultures, it's time to use the rest for what I bought it for!
I followed a mixture of instructions here, I took the basic plan from the Advanced Aquarist magazine article about culturing pods, and also a method I found on a different reef forum.
I took a Ziploc sandwich container, and cleaned it really well with RO water. I drilled a hole in the lid, fed some airline tubing through the hole.
Using fresh saltwater mixed to 1.025 I added a third of a bottle of Tigger Pods:
While I had the return pump off to feed, I took the opportunity to pour a bit of Tigger Pods directly into the ball of Chaeto in my sump. I'm hoping I get some breeding there too, but the dedicated culture should produce substantially more.
I added about 1/4th of the bottle of DT's to feed the Tigger Pods, and started the airline bubbling.
Here's the whole culture station setup inside my closet in my fish tank room!
I checked the pod culture this morning, about 8 hours into the process and they're still swimming around in there like crazy so it looks good so far!:dance:
I'm pretty confident about the pod culture process, I just hope I can avoid having to constantly buy Phyto to feed them!
sslak
New member
After doing a bit more research it appears that DT's phyto is multiple strains and what I will most likely end up culturing is the dominant strain that won't be much good to my pods as food.
Well, I'm glad I didn't use the whole bottle for cultures! This bottle should get me through the first pod culture, and allow me to test out my Phyto culture, even if I am making a useless micro algae.
I ordered 3 disks from Flordia Aqua Farms so I should be able to start 3 seperate cultures of different algae that the pods will like. I'll have to be very careful about contamination so I don't mix the samples. Cleaning the airhoses after this test run and not mixing them up from now on will be very important!
Well, I'm glad I didn't use the whole bottle for cultures! This bottle should get me through the first pod culture, and allow me to test out my Phyto culture, even if I am making a useless micro algae.
I ordered 3 disks from Flordia Aqua Farms so I should be able to start 3 seperate cultures of different algae that the pods will like. I'll have to be very careful about contamination so I don't mix the samples. Cleaning the airhoses after this test run and not mixing them up from now on will be very important!
sslak
New member
Ran my water tests last night, 6 weeks into having this tank at my house:
Ph: 8.2
Ca: 440
dKH: 9
NO3: 0
PO4: 0
It looks like I need to reduce my daily 2-part dose by just a smidge, although I threw a 5g water change in there (skipped my dose that day).
I'm going to go from 30ml of each down to 15ml of each and see how it holds up!
Ph: 8.2
Ca: 440
dKH: 9
NO3: 0
PO4: 0
It looks like I need to reduce my daily 2-part dose by just a smidge, although I threw a 5g water change in there (skipped my dose that day).
I'm going to go from 30ml of each down to 15ml of each and see how it holds up!
Wow! You jumped right in and took off! Your brother would be very proud of you. 
Congrats on your success!
Congrats on your success!
sslak
New member
****Culture Project Update****
Well the Phyto culture in the tap-water crashed immediately. My tapwater here sucks, 660ppm on the TDS meter. I suspected this, but according to melevesreef he used tapwater to mix his phyto SW so I wanted to give it a shot!
The Phyto culture in the RO/DI mix bottle is still going, it's hard to tell if it's getting greener or not.
The pod culture I started on 4/26 still has living pods, the water is still tinted green, but there is a sludge pile developing on the bottom of the container. This is expected and should be a good thing. I saw at least one pod swimming around with eggs attached to it's hind end! :bounce3:
I started a new pod culture yesterday with the remainder of the Tigger Pods, and I plan on feeding the DT's to this culture.
Still waiting on my disks of pure Phyto strains to be delivered.
Sorry these last few updates lack pictures....I'm mostly typing it out to keep track for myself.
Well the Phyto culture in the tap-water crashed immediately. My tapwater here sucks, 660ppm on the TDS meter. I suspected this, but according to melevesreef he used tapwater to mix his phyto SW so I wanted to give it a shot!
The Phyto culture in the RO/DI mix bottle is still going, it's hard to tell if it's getting greener or not.
The pod culture I started on 4/26 still has living pods, the water is still tinted green, but there is a sludge pile developing on the bottom of the container. This is expected and should be a good thing. I saw at least one pod swimming around with eggs attached to it's hind end! :bounce3:
I started a new pod culture yesterday with the remainder of the Tigger Pods, and I plan on feeding the DT's to this culture.
Still waiting on my disks of pure Phyto strains to be delivered.
Sorry these last few updates lack pictures....I'm mostly typing it out to keep track for myself.
sslak
New member
Wow! You jumped right in and took off! Your brother would be very proud of you.
Thanks!
cecilturtle
Premium Member
sslak
New member
A little...I haven't seen him pick at the green button polyps that are on the rock he's in QT with, or the Kenya tree. I hear they mostly go for LPS, which I have only one blasto colony. Supposedly open brains, acans and clams are the most likely to be snacked on.
I have some SPS frags, but nothing expensive. I'm hoping he's selective on his coral eating. I'll just keep what he doesn't have a taste for, hopefully he leaves the frogspawn alone, although I think the clowns will chase him away, they live there and big momma clown can be fiesty!
Angelfish are my favorite, so I've got my fingers crossed hoping he behaves! :lol:
sslak
New member
Update, the Ebili Angel is eating like a PIG! The first two days I was a little worried because he didn't eat, but I knew the LFS had him for a month and figured he must have been eating.
Well he's officially scarfing down spirulina/mysis/brine frozen mix like a champ. He pecks at the turkey baster trying to get more out of the tube...haha!
Well he's officially scarfing down spirulina/mysis/brine frozen mix like a champ. He pecks at the turkey baster trying to get more out of the tube...haha!
Last edited:
sslak
New member
And I suppose some of you may have been wondering, why is this guy culturing pods and phyto? Clownfish are pretty easy to feed....
Well, I've been a bit reluctant to let the cat out of the bag because I know it's a hot topic around here. This was not an impulse purchase, I've been researching Dragonettes since I started my Biocube 4+ years ago. I never purchased one, knowing I didn't have the system to support one. Well, now I believe that I do. This tank is 2 years running with no pod eating competitors, sand and chaeto in the fuge are from my 4 year old Biocube.
I began culturing Tigger Pods and culturing Phyto in preparation for this little lady:
She's been hopping around the rocks and sandbed pecking and presumably eating things I can't see, but I'm not one to leave this to chance. I wouldn't have tried this fish if I didn't believe I could take care of it.
I've been using the methods described on several other boards...primarily one by SeeDemTails over on nano reef forums. I've been using an eyedropper with a piece of flex air line just long enough to attach about a 12" piece of clear rigid airline. I hatched up some baby brine and have been target feeding the mandarin that to get her intersted.
I turn the return off, and shut down all the powerheads so the tank goes completely still. The current is far too strong for her to catch food from the water column, she's just too slow. She has been slightly interested by the baby brine because they wiggle, and she can see them through the tube, slowly she was becoming less afraid of the clear tube.
Tonight I had my first breakthrough, she got really interested in the clear tube with the baby brine, she was hovering under it and looking right at it instead of shying away.
Soo....I sucked up some spirulina/mysis/brine mix that I had been feeding the clowns/angel and she sucked up 2 or 3 pieces of mysis right out of the tube!:dance:
I'm hoping this trend continues, it's an incredible fish.
Well, I've been a bit reluctant to let the cat out of the bag because I know it's a hot topic around here. This was not an impulse purchase, I've been researching Dragonettes since I started my Biocube 4+ years ago. I never purchased one, knowing I didn't have the system to support one. Well, now I believe that I do. This tank is 2 years running with no pod eating competitors, sand and chaeto in the fuge are from my 4 year old Biocube.
I began culturing Tigger Pods and culturing Phyto in preparation for this little lady:
She's been hopping around the rocks and sandbed pecking and presumably eating things I can't see, but I'm not one to leave this to chance. I wouldn't have tried this fish if I didn't believe I could take care of it.
I've been using the methods described on several other boards...primarily one by SeeDemTails over on nano reef forums. I've been using an eyedropper with a piece of flex air line just long enough to attach about a 12" piece of clear rigid airline. I hatched up some baby brine and have been target feeding the mandarin that to get her intersted.
I turn the return off, and shut down all the powerheads so the tank goes completely still. The current is far too strong for her to catch food from the water column, she's just too slow. She has been slightly interested by the baby brine because they wiggle, and she can see them through the tube, slowly she was becoming less afraid of the clear tube.
Tonight I had my first breakthrough, she got really interested in the clear tube with the baby brine, she was hovering under it and looking right at it instead of shying away.
Soo....I sucked up some spirulina/mysis/brine mix that I had been feeding the clowns/angel and she sucked up 2 or 3 pieces of mysis right out of the tube!:dance:
I'm hoping this trend continues, it's an incredible fish.
HHIreefer843
New member
awesome thread man, def tagging along, good luck with it all!!!!
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