Maeda tells it like it is..

[Thrassian Atoll]

I have a 34g solana that I recently set up as a frag tank and was wondering if I should keep a fish in it rather than going fishless? The only corals will be softies for a long time. Will a fish benefit more than no fish?

 

After it's already cycled and everything of course.

[herranton]

Along with where did SeeDemTails go.

who the hell cares?

 

Didn't she come back with an alt to post in weet's thread?

Wait, that's not actually a question.

[iball1804]

You don't need to 'graduate' to SPS. Just go for it. It's not really as difficult as people make it out to be. The difficult part is the consistency required.

 

Cool! I might actually dive in soon. Thanks for the push!

[Sunar357]

Biocube 14G: I love the looks of Hammers, Frogspawns and Duncans. I read their sweepers can cause problems with other corals. Is this usually a problem? Should I stick with just one of the three? I only have some zoas in my tank now and two Clowns.

 

~Fred

[pheallox]

Holy crap EZ is alive!!!!!

[naeseth]

Maeda,

 

I am planning on doing a small-ish predator tank in a 40gal. I will be stocking it with some of the smaller species of puffer fish like the valentini puffer and the pink spotted puffer.

 

My question is, what would I require in terms of a protein skimmer for a 40 gallon tank with a couple puffers?

[Deleted User 6]

Didn't she come back with an alt to post in weet's thread?

Wait, that's not actually a question.

 

That was someone else's alt. SDT moved to Pittsburgh or something to continue her "modeling career" or to be a hooker. Never did figure that out exactly.

[RayWhisperer]

That was someone else's alt. SDT moved to Pittsburgh or something to continue her "modeling career" or to be a hooker. Never did figure that out exactly.

Oh no, STD came back in Weet's thread. Also in Minidud's thread, I believe.

 

Either way, she was re-banninated.

[ezcompany]

I have a 34g solana that I recently set up as a frag tank and was wondering if I should keep a fish in it rather than going fishless? The only corals will be softies for a long time. Will a fish benefit more than no fish?

 

After it's already cycled and everything of course.

 

a fish is part of the natural ecosystem. a proper amount will benefit the tank as a whole. especially with softies, it should be no problem

 

Biocube 14G: I love the looks of Hammers, Frogspawns and Duncans. I read their sweepers can cause problems with other corals. Is this usually a problem? Should I stick with just one of the three? I only have some zoas in my tank now and two Clowns.

 

~Fred

 

hammers, spawns grow quite fast, and release their sweepers at night. in a 14 gallon, you may run out of space quickly. i would recommend one, and at most two, with a few heads on each. you'll be surprised at how fast they grow, especially if you feed them.

[ezcompany]

Maeda,

 

I am planning on doing a small-ish predator tank in a 40gal. I will be stocking it with some of the smaller species of puffer fish like the valentini puffer and the pink spotted puffer.

 

My question is, what would I require in terms of a protein skimmer for a 40 gallon tank with a couple puffers?

 

http://www.marinedepot.com/Reef_Octopus_Ne...11-FIPS-vi.html size 4 would suit your needs, though maeda will probably have better input in terms of equipment. the size 4 should be able to handle moderate to heavy feeding of the puffers.

[Deleted User 6]

Oh no, STD came back in Weet's thread. Also in Minidud's thread, I believe.

 

Either way, she was re-banninated.

 

trust me, that wasn't STD.

 

also, to my knowledge she was never banned. she just had a falling out with cap'n crunchbilly and disappeared.

[Maeda]

I have a 34g solana that I recently set up as a frag tank and was wondering if I should keep a fish in it rather than going fishless? The only corals will be softies for a long time. Will a fish benefit more than no fish?

 

I would say there is more benefit to not having any fish, but a fish isn't going to kill you either. It allll depends on how good you are with water changes. If you're religious about it, then a fish certainly won't do any harm. I you occasionally forget, then I would do without and save it for the display tank.

 

Biocube 14G: I love the looks of Hammers, Frogspawns and Duncans. I read their sweepers can cause problems with other corals. Is this usually a problem? Should I stick with just one of the three? I only have some zoas in my tank now and two Clowns.

 

~Fred

 

You can keep them all if you're careful. You'll have to place them far away from each other, and make sure to frag them regularly to keep their size down. 14g is not a lot of space. 1 frongspawn can easily grow to the size of a softball and make keeping other corals impossible if left unchecked/unfragged.

 

I'm partial to torch corals.

 

 

I am planning on doing a small-ish predator tank in a 40gal. I will be stocking it with some of the smaller species of puffer fish like the valentini puffer and the pink spotted puffer.

My question is, what would I require in terms of a protein skimmer for a 40 gallon tank with a couple puffers?

 

Good for you. People so rarely go this route, and valentini's are such cool little critters.

I would go with the best skimmer you can afford, and try to spend at least 200$. The RO 4 will work, but there are definitely better skimmers out there(SWC and the SC150 come to mind)... temper that advise with this bit of conflicting advice.

 

Skimmers are for insurance at best. I'm not convinced a well maintained tank needs one. A skimmer will allow you to feed more often, but it won't take the place of regular maintenance. It may also let you extend time between waterchanges, but if you do that you'll be more likely to fail over time.

 

I think you're money is better spent on a good RO/DI unit, a mechanical float shut-off, and a 30g brute trashcan. You can auto-fill the trashcan and have 20-30 gallons of water ready at all times. Bi-monthly 20g water changes will be a cinch, and you'll be able to feed those piggy puffers until they pop(don't actually feed them that much).

[altolamprologus]

Biocube 14G: I love the looks of Hammers, Frogspawns and Duncans. I read their sweepers can cause problems with other corals. Is this usually a problem? Should I stick with just one of the three? I only have some zoas in my tank now and two Clowns.

 

~Fred

 

 

You can keep them all if you're careful. You'll have to place them far away from each other, and make sure to frag them regularly to keep their size down. 14g is not a lot of space. 1 frongspawn can easily grow to the size of a softball and make keeping other corals impossible if left unchecked/unfragged.

 

I'm partial to torch corals.

I just wanted to add something to this. To my knowledge, duncans don't produce sweepers. I have one literally touching a monti digi and am not having any problems with it. Hammers and frogspawn do not sting each other and can be allowed to touch, although you don't want one shading out the other. But they are capable of producing 6 inch sweepers that are deadly to virtually all other corals (especially sps) so make sure to provide a buffer zone between them and other corals. They don't grow rediculously fast and if given ample room to begin with, you could get away with fragging once or twice a year.

[Maeda]

Hammers and frogspawn do not sting each other and can be allowed to touch, although you don't want one shading out the other.

 

Really? I've only had a frogspawn up to a torch, and when I did they were both pissed off so I never put the two near each other again, and when they're close to ANYTHING else they sting it like crazy so I just isolate anything in that family...

 

This is interesting. You learn new stuff all the time! I love this hobby.

 

Thank you altolamposnuffalupogous.

[altolamprologus]

Really? I've only had a frogspawn up to a torch, and when I did they were both pissed off so I never put the two near each other again, and when they're close to ANYTHING else they sting it like crazy so I just isolate anything in that family...

 

This is interesting.

 

Thank you altolamposnuffalupogous.

Torches can't touch other Euphyllias but hammers and frogspawns can touch. They have very potent stings and are very close to being the most agressive corals, so they can't touch other corals but hammers and frogspawns are closely related enough that they don't bother each other.

[Maeda]

Torches can't touch other Euphyllias but hammers and frogspawns can touch. They have very potent stings and are very close to being the most agressive corals, so they can't touch other corals but hammers and frogspawns are closely related enough that they don't bother each other.

 

I'm find that information all over now. Hah!

[Sunar357]

Thanks! =)

 

So it sounds like I can keep a frog and hammer in one corner and nothing else near them...I think I may just wait for a bigger tank for them...we'll see.

 

I picked up a small Duncan frag yesterday w/o sweepers I guess that was a good choice. I like the looks of the 'flowing' tendrils of some LPS.

 

~Fred

[castiel]

Glad I read this, because I was thinking it was hammers and torches that could touch, and not frogspawn. Have something in mind for my new tank that may require them touching ...

[naeseth]

Good for you. People so rarely go this route, and valentini's are such cool little critters.

I would go with the best skimmer you can afford, and try to spend at least 200$. The RO 4 will work, but there are definitely better skimmers out there(SWC and the SC150 come to mind)... temper that advise with this bit of conflicting advice.

 

Skimmers are for insurance at best. I'm not convinced a well maintained tank needs one. A skimmer will allow you to feed more often, but it won't take the place of regular maintenance. It may also let you extend time between waterchanges, but if you do that you'll be more likely to fail over time.

 

I think you're money is better spent on a good RO/DI unit, a mechanical float shut-off, and a 30g brute trashcan. You can auto-fill the trashcan and have 20-30 gallons of water ready at all times. Bi-monthly 20g water changes will be a cinch, and you'll be able to feed those piggy puffers until they pop(don't actually feed them that much).

 

Thanks for the information. Based on your reply, I'll probably get a mid-range skimmer just for peace of mind and make sure I do 50% water changes every other month.

 

Is it necessary to do 25% weekly water changes as well as the bi-monthly 50% changes?

 

http://www.marinedepot.com/Reef_Octopus_Ne...11-FIPS-vi.html size 4 would suit your needs, though maeda will probably have better input in terms of equipment. the size 4 should be able to handle moderate to heavy feeding of the puffers.

 

Thanks for the link!

[East1]

you don't belong in the n00b forum buddy.

 

That being said.

http://www.h2oplusomething.com/index.php?o...g&Itemid=64

 

check that out. Full disclosure. I don't do the vodka thing anymore. I DO dose MB7 though..

 

You have to be EXTREMELY diligent with vodka dosing, and nowadays I setup my tanks to run unattended for as long as possible, so I quit the carbon dosing until I can find a way to do it more easily.

 

 

Biopellets

[Khemikal]

Current tank equipment:

10 gallon standard AGA tank

Modded AC 70 (intake tube is shortest length possible, only 4 of the 6 impeller blades)

K Nano 240 powerhead

Oolite sand

 

My tank has recently been setup and only has water and sand in it. Currently the AC70 has created a hole in the sand at the front edge of the tank. I'm having problems with sand getting into the impeller part of the AC70 motor. If I keep the current sand should I try to lower my flow rate of my AC70, try to filter the sand before it gets into my impeller, or both? If I go the filtering route, what would be the best way? I've been thinking of stuffing some filter floss sponge around the intake tube opening. Would this be fine enough filtration to keep sand out of the intake tube? The other option is changing my sand to something bigger that hopefully won't kick up as much.

[Cintax]

The only thing I have seen which looks like sweepers are from my Acan and they are only a few millimeters long. With regard to the Frogspawn sweepers, I have never seen either of my Frogspawn corals send out sweepers. Is this a good sign?

[naeseth]

Currently the AC70 has created a hole in the sand at the front edge of the tank.

 

That was happening to me on a smaller tank, but then I repositioned the powerhead to blow where the filter drops water back into the tank.

[PinkDamsel]

...Currently the AC70 has created a hole in the sand at the front edge of the tank.

 

My AC50 does the same in my sandbed (which is not as fine as yours). However, this doesn't happen w. the rock in the tank, in fact I needed to add a powerhead to get enough flow. Depending on the rock size, shape, position relative to the AC return & whether your moon is in Leo or Venus, the problem may go away once you get your rocks in.

 

Fair Warning: I'm a n00b and don't know what I'm doing most of the time.

[jrcummins84]

I understand PAR, Kelvin, and everything else, but what is binning with respect to LED lighting?