Step-by-step account of my first reef (with lots of pics)

[melev]

Yes, once the frogspawn has grown more skeleton, you can cut it off at its base to relocate or frag it further. Personally, I find that once a coral likes a spot, I try to leave it there at all costs to avoid possibly losing it due to my own personal preferences.

The pH controller really is an unnecessary expense. It is not portable, and it needs a plug of its own. The pH meter is so much more useful, as you can set it in your sump or tank, and remove it when you need to test other water on occasion. I use a 9v battery that is good for 6 to 9 months, because sometimes the electrical cord (optional upgrade) causes interference and incorrect readings.

Until you need a reactor, don't spend the money on the controller. And you can find a controller pretty cheap (SMS122 on CustomAquatics.com) - more like $120 I think. Just get what you need now.

Matter of fact, if you get the controller with the goal of running a Ca Reactor, then the day you do install one, you'll no longer have a way to test pH in your tank any longer because that probe will be dedicated to the reactor only. So you'll need a monitor after all.

 

[KingfishJohn]

I'll expand on the lovely castrophic event that followed an anemone wandering.

I'd like to first say that in my snorkel experience, and the same advice from other reefers, anemones are not naturally located in reef flats. That being said, I took the chance anyway and bought a red bubble tip anemone and paired it with two juvenile percula clowns.

All went swimmingly for three months! The anemone found its place, the clowns hosted in the anemone in minutes, and the tank looked good. That's about the time disaster struck.

Came home to see the anemone not in its normal spot, but sucked into a tunze 7040 grate. Ugghhh, knowing that this sometimes isn't the end of the world, I turned the pump off and let the anemone remove itself, should it have enough strength to do so. Well it did, but had approximately 75% loss and died within the next two days releasing all kinds of stuff into my small tank. My skimmer went nuts, my carbon was changed, and my water went cloudy.

A week of 10g water changes followed and all went back to normal except that I no longer had any love for my beautiful percula pair. I'd now had them for three months, both ate like PIGS, I mean chewing my fingers style, and both had no noticeable malidies. Well I take that back, as Mike described it, the larger female looked like she has a piece of squid stuck in her gill, but it had been there for so long, I took it as simply a mutation of her gill.

The rest is Mike's tank history I suppose. And Mike, although that frogspawn frag is small, who did find you an even larger one :smokin:


And a useful tip of the day I'd like to jot down here. After noticing that my overflow accumulated tons of nasty stringy algae (calfo style aka horizontal), I believe I've found the answer. Our stagnant topoff water is, you guessed it, low on oxygen and high on carbon dioxide. The simple release of CO2 into my overflow caused all this nasty mess and more work for me. The problem is a simple solution however, have the topoff drain into a small cup, then overflow the sides. This simple extra step reoxygenates the water and this algae has since dissapeared.

Interesting idea about the PH monitor Marc, I never thought of the fact that I'd actually need to test the tank PH and not just the effluent (doh!).

 

[gary faulkner]

Dudster,

Thanks for all your effort. This is a great read and I am learning so much from your thread. Keep up the good work.

Thanks again

Gary

 

[bcoons]

Until you need a reactor, don't spend the money on the controller. And you can find a controller pretty cheap (SMS122 on CustomAquatics.com) - more like $120 I think. Just get what you need now.

Matter of fact, if you get the controller with the goal of running a Ca Reactor, then the day you do install one, you'll no longer have a way to test pH in your tank any longer because that probe will be dedicated to the reactor only. So you'll need a monitor after all.

OK, I'm convinced.

I just want you and Dudester to know that I spent all afternoon digging out old ham radio stuff, taking pics, and doing write-ups to sell the stuff on Ebay, just so I can help finance the pH monitor you 've convinced me I need. And maybe a Salinity monitor. (I always did like meters.) It's all your fault!

 

[melev]

You know, I need to start digging stuff up and putting it on Ebay as well, to pay for some bills as well.

 

[Dudester]

Not much time today for a big update so I'll just address what's been asked/said since my last post.

melev and Bax - Yep, it's gonna be a pH MONITOR for me. I agree that a controller is unnecessary at this time.

thedude15810 - Thanks for updating everyone on that poor anemone's demise. I know it must have been painful for you (on many levels).

Interesting comment about the CO2 from topoff water. Quite honestly, though, I have a difficult time believing it . Since my topoff water falls about 2" from the tubing to my tank water surface, then strikes the water with enough force to generate a few bubbles, I would think that this would be enough to dissipate the CO2? I guess the proof is in the pudding and if you're no longer battling hair algae in your overflow, then it's working for you :thumbsup:. Do you suggest a small powerhead or airstone placed into the topoff reservoir as an option instead of the small cup under the topoff drain tubing? My fan's already ugly enough --- don't think I want a little medicine cup in full view as well .

gary faulkner - It's "Dudester," not "Dudster." The latter sounds so degrading . I'm actually interested in changing my username. I picked it during a time in my life when I was watching The Big Lebowski on nonstop repeat mode, and since "The Dude" was already taken here on RC, I went with "Dudester." In retrospect, I should have gone with "His Dudeness." At any rate, I'm glad this thread is helping you. It's already helped me a ton!

bcoons - Don't waste your time with ham radios. Sell the big ticket items, like your car, and get yourself one bad$@# monitoring CENTER!


Earlier I posed a question that hasn't been answered so I went ahead and posted it in another thread. Here's the question and here's what I got in response, for anyone interested:

Here's something I was wondering ... what if a fish is in quarantine for 4-6 weeks, then is added to the display without ever needing medications. Is it OK to immediately add a new fish to the QT without breaking it down? I would think it would be OK as long as the filter sponge and carbon were discarded and replaced (?).

WaterKeeper responded:

Sure, that is fine. If the previous Q-tanked fish had no illnesses, then the Q-tank itself should be safe for new arrivals as soon as it is vacant

 

[KingfishJohn]

Yeah I imagine a powerhead bubbling in your autotopoff reservoir would accomplish the same thing (and I say probably easier as well). The bubbler would also help if any ammonia was still present in the water for whatever reason.

 

[gary faulkner]

Hey Dud. Ahhhhh I mean DUDESTER, sorry bout that, u know M AIR southern boys CAINT SPEEL, don't u?

 

[bcoons]

Patiently (?) awaiting the next installment (tap,tap, tap,.....)

Not trying to put pressure on or anything. :lol:

 

[Dudester]

gary :beer:

bcoons - Thanks for being patient. As many have said in other threads (and I need that banner) "this thread is useless without pics." I have to upload some images onto Photobucket, then I'll be able to continue the saga that is my tank. Hopefully I'll make it worth the wait .

 

[Bax]

why not resize and upload to your RC gallery?

 

[Dudester]

Didn't mean to blow you off, Bax, I didn't get an e-mail notification from RC that there was any activity on this thread. That's a good idea about my gallery, but fortunately I HAVE updated my images on Photobucket and I'm prepared to update (finally) this thread!

 

[Dudester]

quarantine tank

quarantine tank

OK, I think I left off a while ago mentioning that I had gotten a quarantine tank. This was prompted by my losing a goby and a female percula clownfish that were put directly into my display tank. Even though my tank is only 30 gallons and I could have easily gotten away with a 10 gallon QT (based on the fish I plan to put in my system) I chose to use a 20 gallon long tank for the QT for several reasons. First, in the world of salt, bigger is better! Since my work prevents me from siphoning out the detritus and uneaten food on a daily basis I wanted more volume in the tank to buffer these pollutants. Second, I plan to have a much larger tank in the future, and I figured a 20g would be large enough to accomodate essentially anything I'd be interested in adding to that tank. And lastly, I just liked the look of the 20L. It looks like a great tank dimension to make into a small reef, but I'll resist the urge and keep it for its intended purpose - quarantine and potential hospital facility.

This is a plain-'ol glass aquarium that I got at PetSmart. I spray painted the back surface black in order to reduce the stimulation of its occupant. I considered painting the sides as well but instead decided to keep them open to improve viewing.

From left-to-right you can see my equipment for this tank:

1. digital thermometer
2. MaxiJet 900 powerhead for circulation
3. PVC fittings for hiding places
4. 50W Hydor heater
5. Nemo
6. intake tubing for AquaClear HOB filter
7. blue painter's tape to mark my fill line, which reminded me to topoff with RO/DI and keep salinity stable
8. Ammonia alert badge - this little doohickie has a color indicator that changes when ammonia levels become detectable. This was helpful in that when I was in a hurry and didn't want to test the water, I'd just give this a glance and was reassured when it was yellow. This is not meant to replace performing tests, but it can clue you in if/when you've been complacent and there's a problem.
9. regular old room lamp that I hooked up to a timer
10. the top was covered with eggcrate to inhibit any high-jumping activities

I set this tank up in a separate, quiet room to reduce stress on the fish. I transferred the filter sponge from my sump into the HOB filter of the quarantine tank and let it run for a couple of days before placing my fish in this tank. Oh, here's something else I did. I read that you can use a powerhead OR an airstone for both circulation and oxygenation of the water. I favored the powerhead, since my tank has a fair amount of flow and I wanted my fish to become acclimated to this as well. In order to get the benefits of the oxygen from an airstone (stabilizes pH) I used the venturi attachment that comes with the MaxiJet powerhead. You can see the air intake tubing extending up above the eggcrate on the left side of the above image. This worked quite well, I believe, in that my pH remained at about 8.2 the entire time my fish was in quarantine, with only a few water changes.

Here's another view of the QT with the eggcrate off, looking in from the top.

Pretty sterile-looking, eh? If anyone has any criticisms or comments about this QT setup please let me know. The only things I'd change would be to get a different heater, and maybe a more appropriate aquarium light. This heater proved to be very unreliable. I had an extremely difficult time calibrating it to my desired temperature and even when I thought I had it dialed in, the temperature in this tank fluctuated by about 5 degrees in any given day. Fortunately this didn't hurt my fish but I was very uncomfortable with this. I thought a 50W heater would be plenty for a 20g tank. Maybe next time I'll put in 2 50W heaters, or just junk the Hydor for a Jager?

 

[Dudester]

Here's the 2nd fish that I put in the QT. The first one was a BEAUTIFUL, mostly black true percula clownfish that died in less than 24 hours in my quarantine tank :eek2:. Man, this really freaked me out! I felt like I was incapable of keeping any fish alive at this point. I tested my water and everything was perfect (temp 81.2, pH 8.2, salinity 1.019 which is the same as the LFS kept the fish in, ammonia <0.25, nitrate 0). If you recall earlier in the thread, John (thedude15810) mentioned that the LFS where he worked had been getting ill clownfish, and perhaps this wasn't my fault. I took the deceased fish and a water sample to the LFS and they offered me store credit after testing my water (it passed their tests, too!). Instead of taking the credit I figured I better jump back on the horse, so I got a new juvenile percula clownfish. This one didn't have the nice black coloration of the previous one but I was able to notice how much healthier this fish was. It swam with strength in the tank despite all of the flow of my powerhead and it ate very aggressively. Here are some pics of this fish.

As you can see, he didn't skip too many meals

I kept this fish in quarantine for 3 weeks and just 2 nights ago I added him to my display. I should have waited 4 weeks but he never showed any signs of ick or any other disease. More importantly, I'm leaving town for the holidays and I wanted plenty of time to observe him in my main tank with his soon-to-be lover. Before adding him to my display tank, I raised the pH of the QT by about 0.02 each day until it got to 1.026. At that point it was just a matter of acclimating him from a pH of 8.2 to 8.4 before dropping him into my tank :celeb1:.

There was some immediate hostility from the larger established clownfish. By the way, my 2 year old daughter demanded that the fish be named Nemo and Dori. I realize this is inaccurate since Dori is a hippo tang but cut me some slack - she's two. The fish in my display was named Nemo but after the female died, he has become Dori and the new guy will be called Nemo. They might need psychological counselling after all of this is said and done. At any rate, "Nemo" tried to join "Dori" in her frogspawn home and this was, let's say, looked upon unfavorably. She nipped at him pretty aggressively and guarded her home, but fortunately he's as quick as a mongoose and he's been able to avoid the majority of her attacks. She did nip a small chunk out of his ventral (belly) fin but there's been no flesh wounds and this should grow back pretty soon. Last night I actually saw them swim together over the frogspawn for a few seconds so I'm hoping that my plan for them hooking-up will remain intact :love1:.

 

[Dudester]

Dori

Dori

Here's Dori (soon to be, if not already, a "she"). This fish has been difficult to photograph well, since she's always in motion. I'll work on my photography skills and probably just focus in on one spot until she swims to it, since she hangs out in her frogspawn 95% of the time. The day I got her (when she was a he) there was a small white lesion on her gill. This grew and actually spread multiple additional lesions on the dorsal fin, flank and tail. After investigating this I came to the conclusion that this was lymphocystis, a viral illness that's usually self-limiting and resolves with proper nutrition and excellent water quality. I ensured that this fish was fed copiously, and I increased my 10 gallon water changes from every other week to every week. I'm happy to report that in the past month this fish went from white-spot-city to almost no detectable lesions. The lymphocystis never got her down. She always ate, never had labored respirations, and never "looked" ill, but I'm glad she's almost cured. Anyway, here she is, mostly out of focus but here nonetheless.

By the way, can anyone out there confirm that "Dori" will in fact become female, and "Nemo" will assume a male sex? Based on what I read in Wilkerson's book "Clownfishes," I believe this should occur. As I understand it, mature females are unable to convert to males, but males can grow and assume a female sex. A juvenile placed into this environment (with a larger female) will then develop into a male and remain smaller than the female.

 

[Bax]

Nice QT, the 20 was the way to go.

Good look'n clown too.

 

[Dudester]

Thanks Bax, which one?

By this time in the establishment of my system (9-10 weeks), the coralline was starting to take off, my fuge was heavily populated with pods (mostly isopods), and my chaetomorpha ball filled about half of the refugium. Happily, my blastomussa colony was showing excellent regeneration of tissue.

Here's how it looked after the sand damage

And here it is 2 weeks ago, all fleshed out. You can see that the polyp that took most of the damage has nearly completely grown back, mouth and all, although it will be about half of its original size.

Pretty, hu?

 

[Dudester]

I didn't notice it until just now (since I can see the pics side-by-side), but check out how the skeleton of the left side polyp has been covered with coralline algae.

 

[Bax]

Nice

 

[melev]

Very nice pictures, and beautiful clownfish. Yes, you are correct about the sexing of the clowns. They start off as "its", the largest becomes female and the next smaller is a male. If the female dies, the male becomes female and the next it becomes male.

There is another good book by Daphne Fautin about anemonefish that you might like.