Tank of the Month - March 2005

[Luis Delgado]

Hi Dan:

Your 110 g aquarium and your previous one (30 g) are both an important reference to me.

About the orchid dottybacks, how do you manage to concile this agressive fish with the others? It's an extremelly beatiful fish and I also would like to have it one day.

Did you add the orchid dottybacks in last? What sugestions can you give me to add this fish with the others. At this time, I only have a canary wrasse in my 30 g tank (Most corals I have are SPS and LPS frags bellow 6 X T5 39 W).

Thanks

 

[danano]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7247702#post7247702 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Luis Delgado
Hi Dan:

Your 110 g aquarium and your previous one (30 g) are both an important reference to me.

About the orchid dottybacks, how do you manage to concile this agressive fish with the others? It's an extremelly beatiful fish and I also would like to have it one day.

Did you add the orchid dottybacks in last? What sugestions can you give me to add this fish with the others. At this time, I only have a canary wrasse in my 30 g tank (Most corals I have are SPS and LPS frags bellow 6 X T5 39 W).

Thanks

Luis, the orchid is probably the least aggressive amongst dottybacks. And they are generally peaceful towards its tank mates.

I added my dottybacks in no particular order. In my 30g, I had a pair which I later transferred to my 110g. I then gradually added four more, one at a time over a span of 12 months. I now have 6 in my tank and they all get along. They also spawn regularly, at least once a month.

 

[smbrown15]

Back to lighting! I presently have 130w smartlight PC's on my 55g. I'd love to upgrade but undecided for a long time. I finally think I've decided on T5 (yes you had an influence in this decision). I'm leaning towards 4 icecap retro's since they would fit comfortably inside my hood.
Do you think this is enough?
If so, what bulb configuration would you recommend?

 

[danano]

smbrown, I'm not familiar with icecap retrofits. However, I presume you're intending on keeping sps - if so, try to go for 6 bulbs using narrow parabolic reflectors. Then it's 4 white bulbs and 2 blues to get a crisp white with a tinge of blue effect.

 

[ahchung]

Hi Danano, what is your water flow configuration? And how do you plan your flow pattern?

With a dense SPS garden, how do you eliminate dead spot?

 

[kris137]

very nice tank, T5 Lumimaster is an excellent choice, I use one 4x 54W on my 90 gal tank, I have found your tank on google search engine looking for external OF, my plan is to install Tunze outlet OF box but I don't have any info on it how it is safe and is it noisy. Do you have any idea on Tunze OF, I am not much of DIY guy. Thanks

 

[danano]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7409020#post7409020 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ahchung
Hi Danano, what is your water flow configuration? And how do you plan your flow pattern?

With a dense SPS garden, how do you eliminate dead spot?

3x Tunze 6000's with a multicontroller plus 2 returns do the job for my tank. A 'minimalist' rockscape with caves, caverns and swimthroughs helps.

 

[danano]

@ 32 months

 

[ReefWaters]

danano,

Looking better with every update! I LOVE the stag growth coming up and out from the tighter coral colonies.

I dont know if you have answered this before, but how does your Blue Face behave? Has he killed/eaten, or have you had to remove, any corals because of him? If so, what species?

Keep up the amazing work as usual.

ReefWaters

 

[danano]

ReefWaters, the Blue Face has been a model reef citizen. I haven't had to remove any corals because of it. It eats pellets and grazes on the LR. I've had it for over 8 months and it has grown ever so slightly, no more than a quarter of an inch.

Dan

 

[Luis Delgado]

Hi Danano

Your reef looks great

After talking to you, I've bought two orchid dottybacks and introduced them at the same time in my 30 g system.

They got along with each other and never bothered the other fishes. They make a colourful and fantastic addition to my reef system. Though, when they were introduced they faught a bit and one became dominant, chancing the other a lot during the first days... after that they get along well and the dominant one, doesn't need to chace the other anymore... They keep themselves alot in the open water.

Regarding your system, I don't seem to find any tridacna... I'm missing them or is there some special reason for you not having them?

Best Regards,
Luis.

 

[ReefWaters]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8555790#post8555790 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by danano
ReefWaters, the Blue Face has been a model reef citizen. I haven't had to remove any corals because of it. It eats pellets and grazes on the LR. I've had it for over 8 months and it has grown ever so slightly, no more than a quarter of an inch.

Dan

That's great to hear Dan. I especially like hearing that he has been a model citizen even though you bought him as a sub-adult/adult. Do you know if he came to you straight from the wild or was he in captivity for a notable amount of time before you got him? Also, how often do you feed him and do you ever give him anything other than pellets?

I'm in the process of building a 220+ gallon display and want a large angel. I'm leaning toward the Blue Face but would love a Queen. I hear Queens are a bad Idea though for an SPS tank. Have you ever heard this? Do you have any other large angel suggestions?

 

[danano]

It was kept for a few weeks at the LFS and trained to eat pellets before I got it. There were a few specimens and this one was the most greedy. It took to pellets readily. I feed it pellets once a day.

I know 2 reefers that keep Queens in their SPS tanks without issue. I've also seen King, Emperor, Regal and Majestic angels in SPS tanks.

 

[smbrown15]

This thread was the instigation of converting my 55gal from PC to T5. Installed about 4 months ago. 4x48" (2 actinic+ and 2 60/40 11k) driven by an Icecap 660.

I had been keeping only softies (and a candycane which never did real well) under the PC's but now I've introduced SPS and they're all doing well except the green monti. This was growing well but I think it's too near the lights. Seems washed out. Candy can doing very well now and Leathers are all doing great.

Polyps used to be magnificent and starting to take over my tank but now greatly shrunk. Only the ones way out of direct light look good. Same pretty much for shrooms and they're all at the bottom of my tank.

This would all suggest that my bulbs are too intense?

Anyone have more experience/ideas with the bulbs I'm running?

 

[smbrown15]

This thread was the instigation of converting my 55gal from PC to T5. Installed about 4 months ago. 4x48" (2 actinic+ and 2 60/40 11k) driven by an Icecap 660.

I had been keeping only softies (and a candycane which never did real well) under the PC's but now I've introduced SPS and they're all doing well except the green monti. This was growing well but I think it's too near the lights. Seems washed out. Candy can doing very well now and Leathers are all doing great.

Polyps used to be magnificent and starting to take over my tank but now greatly shrunk. Only the ones way out of direct light look good. Same pretty much for shrooms and they're all at the bottom of my tank.

This would all suggest that my bulbs are too intense?

Anyone have more experience/ideas with the bulbs I'm running?

 

[bbyatv]

My Corals Lack Color

My Corals Lack Color

Dan,

I have a 30g with 4 39w T5 bulbs over it.

The corals grow well and fast.

My problem is color.

I have pink and red corals that look great.

It is the purple ones that turn brown and stay brown.

For bulbs I have:
1 x 10,000 Daylight
1 x Giesmann 6,000K Daylight
1 x 460nm Actinic
1 x Giesmann Pure Actinic

Would you mind giving me your recommendations on bulb selection? I am not as worried about appearance as I am coral color.

Also, I am going to try and start dosiing amino acids to see if that helps.

Thanks in advance,

Bruce

 

[cashman95]

any updates?

 

[reefsahoy]

danano, how often are you changing the bulbs?

 

[reefsahoy]

^

 

[Luis Delgado]

Re: My Corals Lack Color

Re: My Corals Lack Color

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9536309#post9536309 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bbyatv
Dan,

I have a 30g with 4 39w T5 bulbs over it.

The corals grow well and fast.

My problem is color.

I have pink and red corals that look great.

It is the purple ones that turn brown and stay brown.

For bulbs I have:
1 x 10,000 Daylight
1 x Giesmann 6,000K Daylight
1 x 460nm Actinic
1 x Giesmann Pure Actinic

Would you mind giving me your recommendations on bulb selection? I am not as worried about appearance as I am coral color.

Also, I am going to try and start dosiing amino acids to see if that helps.

Thanks in advance,

Bruce

Hi bbyatv,

There are many factores that afect coral color and its not only the lighting side...

To enhance coral color you also need a very low level a dissolved organic compounds and undiserable substances.

For example, high level of phosphates, increase the growth of symbiotic algae in corals, increasing the brown color.

I sugest you try to read about these issues, here in RC and other sources, namely the reefkeeping magazine.

Best Regards
Luis