Henry Colf
New member
Looks great Scott, again I had a nice time was great to finally check out the tank in person. Your doing a great job and good luck with the next phase...:beer:
The OFFICIAL Classroom Reef Build Thread!
- Thread starter Conesus_Kid
- Start date
Conesus_Kid
Premium Member
Honestly, Kat, nobody was more surprised than me!
I thought the little guy was way too young for this, and time will tell if the eggs are fertile. He's tending them like a cagey veteran, so I'm hopeful.
I thought the little guy was way too young for this, and time will tell if the eggs are fertile. He's tending them like a cagey veteran, so I'm hopeful.
Conesus_Kid
Premium Member
More happenings...
More happenings...
As if the clownfish eggs weren't enough excitement for one week, I arrived this morning to see that the rose bubble tip anemone has split.
Both sides look amazingly healthy, and so far, they're staying in close proximity to one another.
The clowns are still guarding their eggs like crazy (biting me yesterday), but they'll each retire to an anemone periodically.
These events have caused quite a stir this week!
More happenings...
As if the clownfish eggs weren't enough excitement for one week, I arrived this morning to see that the rose bubble tip anemone has split.
Both sides look amazingly healthy, and so far, they're staying in close proximity to one another.
The clowns are still guarding their eggs like crazy (biting me yesterday), but they'll each retire to an anemone periodically.
These events have caused quite a stir this week!
dreaminmel
New member
'Gratz on the split Scott! :beer:
Scott,
Are the eggs fertile? Do you need the snagger this week? If you don't save all the babies all the time, you are as the kids will let you know " a murderer". Whats with the split. Did the open house cause undue stress to the anem? I have the relative to that one, as you know, and it has never split. Not fair.
Are the eggs fertile? Do you need the snagger this week? If you don't save all the babies all the time, you are as the kids will let you know " a murderer". Whats with the split. Did the open house cause undue stress to the anem? I have the relative to that one, as you know, and it has never split. Not fair.
Conesus_Kid
Premium Member
Paul-
The eggs are definitely fertile, since they've been getting darker and changing a bit over the past couple of days. I'm going to "murder" this batch, since it's their first, and hopefully they'll start laying regularly.
I need to get my rotifer culture going, since it hasn't taken off yet. I don't think I'm going to need the snagger, since I'm going to try to remove the eggs a day or so before they hatch. I found a really cool method on the marinebreeder website that folks have had good luck with.
Although the snagger is a thing of beauty, it's better suited to a tank like yours where you wouldn't be able to reach the eggs.
I have no idea what's up with the split. It freaked me out this AM. I can't think of anything that would have triggered it.
Weird.
The eggs are definitely fertile, since they've been getting darker and changing a bit over the past couple of days. I'm going to "murder" this batch, since it's their first, and hopefully they'll start laying regularly.
I need to get my rotifer culture going, since it hasn't taken off yet. I don't think I'm going to need the snagger, since I'm going to try to remove the eggs a day or so before they hatch. I found a really cool method on the marinebreeder website that folks have had good luck with.
Although the snagger is a thing of beauty, it's better suited to a tank like yours where you wouldn't be able to reach the eggs.
I have no idea what's up with the split. It freaked me out this AM. I can't think of anything that would have triggered it.
Weird.
Conesus_Kid
Premium Member
Jumped the gun...
Jumped the gun...
False alarm on the 'nem split.
Somehow, this thing contorted itself enough where one half of the anemone pushed through a small tunnel in the live rock and was expanding its tentacles above the tunnel entrance.
This morning, it appears as if it's back to its normal position.
Awesome stuff to watch!!:bigeyes:
Jumped the gun...
False alarm on the 'nem split.
Somehow, this thing contorted itself enough where one half of the anemone pushed through a small tunnel in the live rock and was expanding its tentacles above the tunnel entrance.
This morning, it appears as if it's back to its normal position.
Awesome stuff to watch!!:bigeyes:
Conesus_Kid
Premium Member
Lest you think I'm (even more of) an idiot...
Lest you think I'm (even more of) an idiot...
The RBTA is doing its funky tunnel dance again, where it gives the appearance of having split.
Check it out:
Looks like it split, doesn't it?:hammer:
Most of the clownfish eggs must have hatched last night. I may try to snag a couple this afternoon and see what they look like under the microscope.:bounce3:
Lest you think I'm (even more of) an idiot...
The RBTA is doing its funky tunnel dance again, where it gives the appearance of having split.
Check it out:
Looks like it split, doesn't it?:hammer:
Most of the clownfish eggs must have hatched last night. I may try to snag a couple this afternoon and see what they look like under the microscope.:bounce3:
Conesus_Kid
Premium Member
Clownfish breeding attmept
Clownfish breeding attmept
After letting the Clarkii's have a couple of spawns and hatches, I decided to collect the most recent batch of eggs to attempt raising them.
Since I'm not here at night, snagging the larvae at lights out isn't an option for me. That leaves the use of the larval snagger, or, siphoning the eggs before they hatch as documented in this thread: http://www.marinebreeder.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=140&t=2213
I harvested the eggs on Friday afternoon, (the Clarkii's were none to happy with me!), thinking that they may hatch over the weekend. I put them in the egg tumbler with a drop of methylene blue.
Here is my ghetto egg tumbler:
I turned off the air to the tumbler this morning to throw an egg under the microscope to see what was going on. (There are a few silver eggs left in the clown's nest under the RBTA.) When I got it under the scope, I found a dead larvae!
Upon closer inspection, I saw about 10 little larvae darting around the egg tumbler. I also noticed that the majority of the eggs haven't hatched.
I put the larvae into a BRT (black round tub) and have been dripping phyto and rotifers in there for the past couple of hours. I restarted the tumbler and will add any new larvae tomorrow morning.
My hopes aren't too high for this batch, since they totally caught be by surprise, but I thought I would work on process and finding trouble spots in my setup.
Here's a couple of shots of the setup. I'll post with any new developments.
Clownfish breeding attmept
After letting the Clarkii's have a couple of spawns and hatches, I decided to collect the most recent batch of eggs to attempt raising them.
Since I'm not here at night, snagging the larvae at lights out isn't an option for me. That leaves the use of the larval snagger, or, siphoning the eggs before they hatch as documented in this thread: http://www.marinebreeder.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=140&t=2213
I harvested the eggs on Friday afternoon, (the Clarkii's were none to happy with me!), thinking that they may hatch over the weekend. I put them in the egg tumbler with a drop of methylene blue.
Here is my ghetto egg tumbler:
I turned off the air to the tumbler this morning to throw an egg under the microscope to see what was going on. (There are a few silver eggs left in the clown's nest under the RBTA.) When I got it under the scope, I found a dead larvae!
Upon closer inspection, I saw about 10 little larvae darting around the egg tumbler. I also noticed that the majority of the eggs haven't hatched.
I put the larvae into a BRT (black round tub) and have been dripping phyto and rotifers in there for the past couple of hours. I restarted the tumbler and will add any new larvae tomorrow morning.
My hopes aren't too high for this batch, since they totally caught be by surprise, but I thought I would work on process and finding trouble spots in my setup.
Here's a couple of shots of the setup. I'll post with any new developments.
Conesus_Kid
Premium Member
New toys!
New toys!
I managed to save a nice chunk of change from the last mini-grant, and was able to get a couple of new toys that should make this summer go a bit better than last.
First, I purchased the Aquariumplants.com electronic CO2 regulator. It doesn't use a needle valve, but an electronic solenoid to dispense CO2. It's highly controllable, accurate, and plays nicely with the AC3:
The next purchase was the AquaC RX-1 calcium reactor. I'm going to re-vamp my sump situation, and wanted a reactor that doesn't leak that I could keep outside the sump:
I'll be selling the old Korralin reactor and regulator at a rock-bottom price, along with some other goodies, so stay tuned!
New toys!
I managed to save a nice chunk of change from the last mini-grant, and was able to get a couple of new toys that should make this summer go a bit better than last.
First, I purchased the Aquariumplants.com electronic CO2 regulator. It doesn't use a needle valve, but an electronic solenoid to dispense CO2. It's highly controllable, accurate, and plays nicely with the AC3:
The next purchase was the AquaC RX-1 calcium reactor. I'm going to re-vamp my sump situation, and wanted a reactor that doesn't leak that I could keep outside the sump:
I'll be selling the old Korralin reactor and regulator at a rock-bottom price, along with some other goodies, so stay tuned!
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
I'm jonezin :strange: for that regulator!
Capt_Cully
Active member
Kalkwasser anywhere in the equation Scott?
Conesus_Kid
Premium Member
All the topoff water goes through a kalk reactor.
I'm amazed at how I am still constantly learning and refining/tweaking different aspects of the system. For example, the topoff water used to flow via gravity from the 55 gallon drum reservoir, through the kalk reactor and into the sump via a float valve. On more than one occassion, the valve would either clog, or get stuck in the closed position.
I finally realized that this arrangement was a disaster waiting to happen. I removed the float valve, and added an additional shutoff valve so that I could fine-tune the drip through the kalk reactor to match the rate of evaporation.
So far, so good. If the sump gets a little too full, I can just shut off the drip for a day or two.
Another plan I have is to elevate the skimmer above the sump in a rubbermaid tote. This will allow me to always keep the skimmer in the same depth of water (for consistency), and will also allow me to have it drain into the sink (instead of a salt bucket). With this arrangement, I'll be able to implement the "wet-skim" water change.
Gary- That regulator is oh-so-sweet. I've got that baby dialed in like a laser, especially since I'm using it in conjunction with the AC3. Too many times the old needle valve would get clogged, then suddenly burp way too much CO2 into the reactor. I dodged a bullet about a month ago over a weekend where I could tell from my internet connection on the AC3 that the needle valve was gummed up. (The effluent pH matched the display pH.) Then on Sunday, I could only helplessly watch (via the AC3 graphs) the display pH drop to 7.6 and the effluent pH hit 5.3. The solenoid on the regulator was stuck open! :fun5:
The building was locked, so I couldn't go in to stop it. I was constantly watching the webcam, waiting for the inevitable crash. I lucked out and things were fine by Monday morning, but I pooped a little in my pants.
Basically, any changes I make to the system will be to implement failsafes and/or improve the safety and reliability of the system components. The webcam and AC3 combo are really going to help with peace of mind this summer!
aquadonkey
New member
I was in CF today and I heard a kid say excitedly to his dad (presumably) - "That's a duncan. We have one in the reef. Teach says I can have a frag."
I'm assuming this "Teach" is you.....
So - way to go! What a great teaching tool you have!
(and congrats on the new equipment
)
I'm assuming this "Teach" is you.....
So - way to go! What a great teaching tool you have!
(and congrats on the new equipment
)
Conesus_Kid
Premium Member
Actually, I don't have a duncan, but I know for a fact that there's other teachers in the Rochester area with classroom reefs.
Good stuff!
Good stuff!
aquadonkey
New member
It was pretty cute - the kind of cute only a teenage boy can manage.
Well - still good for you - and good for the other teachers that are doing it as well
Well - still good for you - and good for the other teachers that are doing it as well
