46 Gallon Bow Front Reef Tank (Retired)

[gutterguy]

SCWD is a type of T that I put between my return pump and return lines to tank. As the water is being pumped up it switches back and forth between outlets about every 8 seconds creating an alternating flow. Neat little item, works off the water pressure not electricity

 

 

Black thing in middle of returns

[FLNanoReefer]

SCWD is a type of T that I put between my return pump and return lines to tank. As the water is being pumped up it switches back and forth between outlets about every 8 seconds creating an alternating flow. Neat little item, works off the water pressure not electricity

 

 

Black thing in middle of returns

I've seen this before but didn't know that is what it is called. That is a very smart idea. How does it work?

 

All of my corals are doing great!! The mushrooms are all HUGE and look awesome. The large one that was free floating is where I left it and it is fully open. The other super small one is still floating around. I'm going to try to fish it out here soon. The GSP are doing fine and I guess that they have grown 1/4 10 1/2 oh an inch already. The fish are also doing fine.

 

It appears that the diatoms are going away. I will take pictures in a few days and post them.

[FLNanoReefer]

The tank is doing great. All of the corals expand fully during the day, especially the Mushrooms. The mushroom that fell off has reattached and is doing great. The GSP have also grown 1/4" to 1/2". I tested the water parameters and they are as follows:

Nitrite- 0 ppm

Nitrate- 20 to 40 ppm

pH- 7.8

Alkalinity- 180

Temperature- 72.7

Specific Gravity- 1.026

 

I also cleaned the glass and fed the clowns pellet food, besides testing the water parameters. I will post pictures soon. The clowns barely ever leave each others side and are eating like little pigs.

 

The diatoms are also going away slowly. This is a good thing as it means my cycle is almost done, correct? The bad thing is that it is revealing the bleached out corraline algae. How do I get the corraline algae to come back?

 

I was also going to go to my LFS this weekend and get a few snails (Turbo, Cerith, and Nassarius) and a new coral. I was either going to get another nice colony of mushrooms except a different color or a colony of zoa's. What do you guys recommend? I thing another colony of mushrooms would look nice, but I want some zoa's. I may also get a Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp. That is a maybe though. What do you guys think about my stocking plans for my next trip to the LFS?

 

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[FLNanoReefer]

What type of frag plugs are best: Boston Aqua Farms Reef Plugs/Disks or Boston Aqua Farms Ceramic Plugs/Disks?

 

I was wondering because when my GSP and other future corals get to large I want to frag them. Input is greatly appreciated!!

 

P.S. I think one of my hermit crabs died. I see the body but can't find the shell.

[nebthet]

Sorry, I didn't respond to your question sooner, I was around but concentrating on writing a novel another friend of mine was giving me trouble for for not finishing because he wanted to read it.

 

I don't have the sun corals in my tank any more. When my tank hit the 6 month stage and Hair algae started growing everywhere, it got in between the skeleton of the sun coral and they just deteriorated from there. They are also not that easy to keep and have to be fed regularly which can muck up your tank a lot if you are not properly prepared.

What I have not are Dendrophyllia, the orange ones, and I find them a heck of a lot easier to take care of than the sun corals. I feed them mysis once a week. If I fed them more they would grow a heck of a lot more than they do, but I want to keep the status quo for now in my tank.

 

What you are probably seeing with your hermit crab is their shed shell. You will see these from time to time in your tank as the hermit grows, they shed their old skin, sort of like a lizard does, but all in one pop rather than patches. The shed shell looks like an identical representation of your hermit, but is usually translucent.

 

As for frag plugs, really they are all the same. I would suggest to get a variety. Some that can sit through egg crate and some that are flat on the bottom. For GSP, I would suggest the flat bottoms as most people put it on the sand bed now to try to segregate it from their live rock.

[Markushka]

What type of frag plugs are best: Boston Aqua Farms Reef Plugs/Disks or Boston Aqua Farms Ceramic Plugs/Disks?

 

I was wondering because when my GSP and other future corals get to large I want to frag them. Input is greatly appreciated!!

 

P.S. I think one of my hermit crabs died. I see the body but can't find the shell.

 

I use the ceramic cylinders (or the more rough textured ones) that come with filtration because I have a lot of them and they have no other use.

[FLNanoReefer]

Sorry, I didn't respond to your question sooner, I was around but concentrating on writing a novel another friend of mine was giving me trouble for for not finishing because he wanted to read it.

 

I don't have the sun corals in my tank any more. When my tank hit the 6 month stage and Hair algae started growing everywhere, it got in between the skeleton of the sun coral and they just deteriorated from there. They are also not that easy to keep and have to be fed regularly which can muck up your tank a lot if you are not properly prepared.

What I have not are Dendrophyllia, the orange ones, and I find them a heck of a lot easier to take care of than the sun corals. I feed them mysis once a week. If I fed them more they would grow a heck of a lot more than they do, but I want to keep the status quo for now in my tank.

 

What you are probably seeing with your hermit crab is their shed shell. You will see these from time to time in your tank as the hermit grows, they shed their old skin, sort of like a lizard does, but all in one pop rather than patches. The shed shell looks like an identical representation of your hermit, but is usually translucent.

 

As for frag plugs, really they are all the same. I would suggest to get a variety. Some that can sit through egg crate and some that are flat on the bottom. For GSP, I would suggest the flat bottoms as most people put it on the sand bed now to try to segregate it from their live rock.

Thanks. I was just wondering about the Sun Coral because of their cool looks. I wasn't going to get one for a very long time, if at all.

 

I have the hermits shed their exoskeleton a bunch of times. This time though it looks like the entire body. I hope it is alive in there somewhere.

 

Thanks for the info about the frag plugs/disks. I like the look of the reef ones, but I hear they can alter the water parameters. Is there any evidence behind this? Also, do people here on NR have any success selling frags? I was hoping to frag my corals once they start growing to big and selling them here.

 

Also nebthet, what do you think about my stocking plans for this weekend?

 

I use the ceramic cylinders (or the more rough textured ones) that come with filtration because I have a lot of them and they have no other use.

Are you talking about the filtration media? I thought they cause high nitrates. That is a very nifty idea if they work!!

[FLNanoReefer]

Here are some pictures that I just took of the fish and corals. Enjoy!!

 

GSP- You can see the new growth in the pictures!!

 

The Red Mushrooms- They have been getting huge.

 

The Clowns- I was finally able to get some decent pictures of them after toying with my settings.

[shiver905]

IMO,

 

I have a large teal acro frag, I tried to put it on one of those cool acrilic frag plugs.. It wa s a fail,

 

Just get the ones with the most weight.

[FLNanoReefer]

IMO,

 

I have a large teal acro frag, I tried to put it on one of those cool acrilic frag plugs.. It wa s a fail,

 

Just get the ones with the most weight.

I was going to try to stay away from the acrylic plugs. I think I'm going to get the Reef Plugs and Reef Disks by Boston Aqua Farms from my LFS. That is what most people seem to use.

 

Also, I am hoping to frag my mushrooms in a few weeks because I want to keep them a relatively small colony. I will be selling the frags here on NR when they are ready. If you are interested in getting a few mushrooms let me know and I will PM you when they are ready. These are not your normal Red Mushrooms. Theses have such better and intense coloration. I will let the buyer choose between overnight or 2 day shipping. I will only offer the Arrive-Live Guarantee on overnight shipping. All corals should be fine with either type of shipping though. Stay tuned for more info!!

 

I was also wondering what you guys think about my feeding schedule. I currently feed the clowns every 2-3 days with New Life Spectrum Pellet Food that I purchased from my LFS. Is this okay to feed for the next couple of weeks?

 

Once I get a few new corals at Christmas I want to start feeding a combination of the Pellet Food and Rod's Food on alternating days. I have heard many good thinks about Rod's Food and my LFS carries the whole line. I was thinking about using the Original Blend. What do you guys think/recommend?

 

Lastly, should I add any "extras" to the food such as Selcon, Vita Chem, Garlic, or Vitamin C? LIve Aquaria recommends all of these their website. Does anyone use any of these and what are the benefits? Thanks for any input!!

[FLNanoReefer]

So I headed over to the LFS today and got a few more goodies. I purchased a Blood Red Fire Shrimp, 3 Nassarius Snails, 7 Cerith Snails, and about 15 polyps of Gorilla Nipple Zoanthid's. I got the Gorilla Nipples from a larger colony and the guy fragged them for me there. They were $60 for 15 polyps. I think that is a decent price ($4 per polyp). I will post pictures once the zoa's open.

[FLNanoReefer]

Future Stocking Plans

 

- Green Star Polyps: I hope to have them spread over these few rocks. I think that it would look very nice. At the rate they are growing it wont take long for them to cover these rocks!!

- Mushroom's: I would like a variety of mushrooms to cover this large rock. I have already moved one red mushroom to this rock and it is doing great. It looks like one of my larger shrooms is getting ready to split!! I want some blue mushrooms, neon green mushrooms, and maybe some green striped mushrooms.

- Zoa's: I love zoa's!! I want to keep some collector zoa's that have awesome coloration. I am interested in Whammin Watermelon, Eagle Eyes, Hot Tamales, Armor of Gods, Candy Apple Pinks, and a ton of others. I think that these rocks would look nice covered in zoa's. P.M. me if you have any of these zoa's for sale!! I may be interested in purchasing them in the near future.

- Candy Cane Coral: Candy Cane Corals are one of my favorite corals. I want to have a large colony of blue candy canes!!

- Ricordia's: I want to keep a variety of Ricordia Floridas on this rock. I love the look of them and my LFS has a ton of them for a pretty good price.

- Pulsing Xenia: I want them to cover this small section of the rock and the large rock behind it. You cannot see the rock in any of my pictures. I love the way their polyps open and close.

- Hammer Coral: I really like the Hammer Coral that is of the non-branching type. I think that it would look awesome. I will leave plenty of space around it for it's sweeper tentacles.

 

There are more corals that I want to keep such as Blue Clove Polyps and other SPS. I really love Blasto's, Acan's, and Plate Corals (both the short and long tentacle types) but do not know if my lighting is strong enough. I also like both types of brain corals. I will be posting a list of fish and inverts that I want to keep in the future soon!! Let me know what you think about the coral stocking list.

 

My hermit crabs/snails have knocked my new zoa's over multiple times since I have added them to the tank. I finally have found a spot where they haven't been bothered so I will take pictures tomorrow. Because of the hermits/snails knocking them over I haven't see good polyp extension. I am going to get some epoxy this week so I can secure the frag where I want it. What type of epoxy do you guys recommend? Any feedback is great!!

[FishOnTheBrainCoral]

I like the plan for coral layout except from experience I would highly recommend against putting GSP anywhere near you main rock work. I would put them on a separate rock at least a few inches away. It will take over in no time. same goes for the xenia. Otherwise It looks good.

 

I also have some AOG zoas and wammin' watermelon. if interested.

[FLNanoReefer]

I like the plan for coral layout except from experience I would highly recommend against putting GSP anywhere near you main rock work. I would put them on a separate rock at least a few inches away. It will take over in no time. same goes for the xenia. Otherwise It looks good.

 

I also have some AOG zoas and wammin' watermelon. if interested.

I know what your saying. I wanted to keep them separate but I don't really have anywhere for them. I would like to keep them off the sandbed as I would like to keep a elegance coral down there. I will frag so that it doesn't take over the whole tank. It has already grown about 1/2" to 1" in only 2 1/2 weeks!! It looks great.

 

I may be interested in some of your zoa's in the future. I will let you know.

[FLNanoReefer]

Here are some pictures of my new Gorilla Nipple Zoanthid's. There are some more polyps on the back but I can't get a picture because of where the frag is positioned.

Notice how only half of the polyps are open. The others open partially and look a little whitish. Why is the coral not fully opening? When I first added it on Saturday the coral looked awesome at the store and looked very healthy. The polyps opened on Sunday and stayed open until it was knocked down by the hermits. The hermits knocked it down 2 more times until I finally put it in the hole it is in now. This is not where I want it and would like like it to be higher up on the rocks on the right side. I hope to pick up some epoxy tomorrow so that I can firmly secure it there. Why do you guys think it isn't opening fully? Any advice is greatly appreciated!!

[FLNanoReefer]

So one of my Black and White False Percula Clownfish passed away on Saturday. It was the darker colored one.

 

Later in the week (Wednesday/Thursday) I noticed that his back tail fin was starting to become split. On Friday I noticed that his fins were clamped and that he was breathing faster than normal. On Saturday the symptoms were worse and he was breathing very heavily. I was scheduled to do a water change that afternoon. A little bit later I saw that he was having trouble swimming, so I turned off all pumps except the canister filter. I netted him and noticed a bit of whitish slime on him. I then checked my specific gravity. It was a bit high (1.027 - 1.028) so I started my water change and added some RO water and then continued my water change but with saltwater (about 5 gallons). By the time I was done with the water change he was dead.

 

I checked the parameters and everything was okay. The nitrites were at 0, the nitrates were between 20 and 40, the pH was around 7.8, and the alkalinity was around 180. The specific gravity was at about 1.024 and the temperature was in the correct range. I know that I brought my specific gravity down fast but I felt it was necessary due to the highness of it. I also added about 5 mL of the remaining Nite-Out II after feeding the remaining clown.

 

All of my corals are doing great. What could have caused his demise? The other clownfish looks fine and is acting normal other than being lonely. I hope to get another clown within the next few months. Will this work?

 

I just cleaned the glass now and fixed my fallen coral. The Gorilla Nipple Zoa's are looking better. I will post pictures soon. The tank is on stand bye for now. I will do another 5 gallon water change later this week. I hope to head to the LFS early next week to get some more water and some chaeto/mangrove for nutrient export. I will then do 2 more 5 gallon water changes throughout next week and then hopefully head to the LFS that weekend to get a coral or 2. Let me know what you think!!

[GiantBen]

I'd try and get yourself to a point where your nitrates are lower and you are not having to try and use chemicals to change your parameters. The clown could have died from stress due to being put in the tank to soon, the high salinity, or any number of things. Fish generally look fine until they don't and then it is too late.

[FLNanoReefer]

I'd try and get yourself to a point where your nitrates are lower and you are not having to try and use chemicals to change your parameters. The clown could have died from stress due to being put in the tank to soon, the high salinity, or any number of things. Fish generally look fine until they don't and then it is too late.

I am working on getting my nitrates lower. I am done using the Nite-Out II. I no longer see a difference using it and I am out anyways. Here is my plan to get my nitrates down:

 

Wednesday 12/22/10- Do a 5 gallon water change; clean filter/powerhead intakes; clean protein skimmer collection cup

 

Monday 12/27/10- Go to LFS and purchase more water, chaeto, and a mangrove; do a 5 gallon water change

 

Friday 12/31/10- Do a 5 gallon water change

 

Sunday 01/02/11- Go to LFS to purchase a coral or two and water

 

What do you guys think? My LFS sells the mangrove sprouts with or without leaves. The ones with leaves are a few dollars more. Which one is better? I was thinking about getting 1 mangrove and a clump of chaeto to put in the pre-filter box (hopefully I will get it for Christmas).

 

I was also thinking about upgrading my power heads after Christmas (I have a lot of detritus on the sand bed that I will be siphoning out when I do the water changes). I was thinking about either getting 2 Hydor Koralia Evolution 750's or 1 Hydor Koralia Evolution 1050. I would probably run the 2 Koralia's on a wave maker. What do you guys think is the better option or is there a option even better than this? What is the difference between the Koralia Evolution's and the Koralia Circulation Pumps? Which one is better? I really want a Vortech but do not have the funds right now. Any input is greatly appreciated!!

[FLNanoReefer]

I headed to the LFS today to get 5 gallons of saltwater and a tube of IC-GEL Frag Glue. I secured my new frag of Gorilla Nipple Zoa's to the rock I wanted it on. It worked very well and cured in very little time at all. I had to use a couple of layers and I can barely see the glue. What a great product!! My question is how should I store it? I currently have it in the garage where I keep my other "fish tank" stuff. I have read that it should be kept in the fridge but the packaging itself doesn't say to. What should I do?

 

One of my mushrooms has appeared to finished sending off a new mushroom. I t was one of the larger ones and there is now a small lump next to it that is no longer attached to the mother mushroom. I plan on doing a 5 gallon water change tomorrow. I will take pictures also. Advice is greatly appreciated!!

[FLNanoReefer]

I have a lot of news both good and bad. On Friday the 24th I did another 5 gallon water change and cleaned the sand a bit. I then noticed a few hours later that the remaining clownfish was having trouble and being eaten alive by the hermit crabs!! I grabbed the net and tried to catch him but in the process I bumped a rock and the GSP got ripped in half. A rock landed on the shrooms a few times but no damage was done. After fixing the corals and rocks my rock scape is a bit different. When I got up on Sunday the 26th the clownfish was dead.

 

On Monday the 27th I did another 5 gallon water change and then headed to Home Depot to get another water jug for RO/DI. I then headed to the LFS where I got 10 gallons of Reef Saltwater, 5 gallons of RO/DI Water (I think it is DI), a handful of chaeto, and a mangrove without leaves.

 

For Christmas I got the pre-filter box for the skimmer, a new book, a Super Spy Coral Viewer, a frag kit, and a frag rack. I will post specifications later. I installed the pre-filter box when I did my water change, so when I got home I put the filter canister filter intake into the skimmer return chamber along with the temperature probe (after dropping the whole unit into the tank but it still works). I put the cheato into the skimmer return chamber and put the mangrove on top of the skimmer pump inside of the skimmer intake chamber. So far the pre-filter box works great.

 

My plans are to do another 5 gallon water change tomorrow and on Sunday while cleaning the sandbed and then going to the LFS on Sunday and getting a Blue Mushroom and possibly a frag of zoa's. The tank will then just run for a few weeks. I would like to get a new pair of Black and White Clowns in a couple of months. I may get a goby before then but we will have to see. I also want to order some new power heads tonight or tomorrow so any input is greatly appreciated. I was thinking about 2 Hydor Koralia 2's. LMK what you think. I will be posting pictures on Sunday or Monday. The zoa's are also looking a lot better. I have seen a few super tiny worm looking things crawling across them and the GSP but I don't think that it anything to be worried about.

[FLNanoReefer]

I just did a 5 gallon water change. I siphoned out a bit of sand and then stirred the sand. I then tested my water parameters and they are as follows:

Nitrite- 0 ppm

Nitrate- 20 ppm (It is steadily going down since adding the mangrove/chaeto)

Temperature- 71.0 F

Specific Gravity- 1.027

 

The tank is quite cloudy so I hope to take pictures tonight. I also hope to order 2 Hydor Koralia Evolution 750 gph form MarineAndReef.com. Has anyone had good experiences with them? Do you think that is enough flow for my tank? I started a thread for this problem and you can find it below:

 

Circulation in a 46 Gallon Bow Front Reef Tank

 

I also hope to do another water change on Sunday and then head to the LFS to get a Blue Mushroom and possibly a frag of zoa's. Any input is greatly appreciated!!

[GiantBen]

Your Nitrates are quite high conisdering you just did a water change.

Temp is way low, should be 78-82, somewhere in there.

Salinity is a bit high, I'd shoot for 1.025, 1.026. 1.027 likley isn't causing any prolems though.

I would not try and siphone out or clean your sand. CUC, flow and clean water are the best ways to keep sand clean imo.

[FLNanoReefer]

Your Nitrates are quite high conisdering you just did a water change.

Temp is way low, should be 78-82, somewhere in there.

Salinity is a bit high, I'd shoot for 1.025, 1.026. 1.027 likley isn't causing any prolems though.

I would not try and siphone out or clean your sand. CUC, flow and clean water are the best ways to keep sand clean imo.

Thanks for the input. The nitrates were at 40 ppm and have steadily been dropping since I have been doing water changes and adding the mangrove/chaeto.

 

The temp has been low because my heater is broken and I have not had a chance to get a new one. I read that the temperature is fine as long as it doesn't go any lower.

 

I know my salinity is a bit high. I added some RO/DI (I think it is DI) water to the tank. I will test the specific gravity soon.

 

I hope to order my new power heads tomorrow. I hope that helps with the dirty sand bed. What do you think about my CUC? What do you think about 2 Hydor Koralia Evolution 750's? I think this is enough flow.

________________________________________________________________________________

 

Today I found 2 mushrooms floating around the tank. I saw the big one had detached yesterday and then I saw a smaller one today. Since they were no longer attached to anything I decided to try fragging them!!

I cut the smaller one into 2 halves and the larger one into 4 quarters. I then placed them into a container with rubble rock form the tank and canister filter and covered with orange mesh and secured with a rubber band. I then placed it on my new frag rack.

 

I also had a very small piece of GSP that ripped off the main colony when I had my mishap on the 24th. I removed the dried up glue form it and then glued it to a acrylic frag plug. I placed it into the frag rack and now I have ventured into the world of fragging!!

 

After the fragging was done the skimmer pump came loose and spewed water everywhere. In the process of me trying to fix it multiple times I re-aaranged the rocks a bit and moved the GSP. I also added a small amount of RO/DI (I think it is DI) water. I also broke one of the legs on my light legs but it still works. I will be posting pictures on Sunday after I do a 5 gallon water change. I may also go to the LFS and get a rock with Blue Mushrooms. Or I may just get a single Blue Mushroom and also get a frag of zoa's. I have yet to decide and will update soon. I also found a small starfish on my GSP and it is now on the glass after I moved it. Is it good or bad? I hope everyone has a fun, safe New Years Eve!!

[GiantBen]

I'd passion the frags and get a new heater. If you buy mushrooms, buy small. They get big fast.

[FLNanoReefer]

I'd passion the frags and get a new heater. If you buy mushrooms, buy small. They get big fast.

Do you mean sell the frags and get a new heater with the money I make? I think that is what you mean by "passion". That is what I was thinking about doing. Could I sell them her on NR? Would anyone buy GSP or Red Mushrooms? These are not your normal Red Mushrooms. My LFS has these and normal ones that have a much duller coloration. Mine have such vivd colors!! Any tips on selling them on NR would be awesome!!

 

I was only going to buy 1 or 2 Blue Mushrooms and maybe a frag of zoa's.