THE OFFICIAL ASK ALBERT THIEL THREAD

[Paul.b]

Thanks for Mike Paletta's video. He has been an excellent aquarist for quite a number of years and puts a lot of work into his tanks and it shows. He mentioned that all his pairs of fish are spawning, that is because he feeds 7 or 8 times a day. That is what we should do, but of course none of us are going to do that. Fish in the sea eat all the time and that is the best way to get them into excellent health. I usually only feed twice a day as I am not home much but all of my pairs of fish are also spawning.

 

I put in that possum wrasse and I can follow him around through the rocks, I thought for sure he would disappear someplace as I have plenty of fish that I almost never see.

If you casually look at my tank, you may not see any fish. That is because I go for the odder fish and not necessarily the ones that stay out front. My only fish that does that is the copperband. The rest of them hang out in or behind the rocks. I also don't have any tangs or larger fish, I just find them boreing as I have had so many of them.

[atoll]

So it's the same purpose as manually dosing HydPeroxide in a reef tank?

 

Now the light is coming on

 

Hmm well not really as It's a hell of a lot safer that manual dosing peroxide plus by using the peroxide in an Oxydator it releases O2 over a prolonged period of time weeks in fact. The Oxydator does not put peroxide directly into the aquarium water but breaks it down into its component parts of O2 and H2O.

[albertthiel]

What is the root purpose for the use of an Oxydator in a SW environment?

 

I understand using H₂O₂ for pest algae issues but not in conjunction with an Oxydator.

 

You can use the search feature and type in Oxydator and go by the advanced search and by posts so that all of them show up in the search results ...

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

So it's the same purpose as manually dosing HydPeroxide in a reef tank?

 

Now the light is coming on

 

No it is not the same at all actually, as with the Oxydator no peroxide gets into the tank, only O2 and water ...

 

Albert

[Trogdor447]

Sheesh just getting caught up since a long weekend. Ran a 5k+ and a 20mile bike ride.. no less today im noticing a lot of algae that is free floating around the tank. I'm not sure if its starting to die and just float or what the deal is.. but I do have to get another scrubbing in a few... this last weekend left me no time to really tend to the tank. Seeing a few spot patches on 'target' rocks

[albertthiel]

Thanks for Mike Paletta's video. He has been an excellent aquarist for quite a number of years and puts a lot of work into his tanks and it shows. He mentioned that all his pairs of fish are spawning, that is because he feeds 7 or 8 times a day. That is what we should do, but of course none of us are going to do that. Fish in the sea eat all the time and that is the best way to get them into excellent health. I usually only feed twice a day as I am not home much but all of my pairs of fish are also spawning.

 

I put in that possum wrasse and I can follow him around through the rocks, I thought for sure he would disappear someplace as I have plenty of fish that I almost never see.

If you casually look at my tank, you may not see any fish. That is because I go for the odder fish and not necessarily the ones that stay out front. My only fish that does that is the copperband. The rest of them hang out in or behind the rocks. I also don't have any tangs or larger fish, I just find them boreing as I have had so many of them.

 

Oh I more than fully agree with you on that Paul, he has made many many contributions to the Hobby over the years and is one of the authoritative hobbyists that I respect a great deal. Hopefully I will run into him at Macna or before ... He is a very nice man on top of it and very personable.

 

Gee that is nice of the Possum wrasse to stay in the open for you to admire :-o ... guess he likes to show off :-0

 

And yes I know that most of your other fish and like "I come out and disappear ties" ... but that is nice too as you do see them from time to time.

 

Thanks for the post

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

I posted this elsewhere but I figured I would fil this blank slace here also:

 

When I started with salt tanks there was just one type of tank, fish only.

Now they even have manta rays in tanks, but not mine, I wish. We can have a Fish only, or invertabrates only, crustaceans only, corals only, carnivores only LPS, only, SPS only, leathers or any combination of each. Most of us have a combination of a little of everything from every ocean which may not be normal, but we like it.

I think many people start with things like triggerfish, eels, puffers, lionfish and then progress to smaller more interesting creatures, at least I did.

We can have a tank that is a thing of absolute beauty as many of the people's tanks on here are and I am jealous of some of them, or we can have a few rocks haphazardly thrown in there with some large fish.

I think the thing of absolute beauty is what most people go for and as I said, some people get it right. I don't know what to consider my own tank as it was never supposed to be the best looking tank there is (and it certainly is not) it is more of an experiment and has always evolved depending on my whims, or dreams, and if you look closely at things in my tank some of those dreams were nightmares but it is what I want it to be as I am sure everybody's tank is what they want.

I know most people like angelfish and tangs as they are colorful and active, but I tend to go for smaller more interesting fish. Just today I bought a possum wrasse which is a secretive creature but interestingly colored even though it is a fish that hides most of the time.

If you look quickly into my tank you may not see any fish even though there are about 25 fish in there. There are five threadfish cardinals, 4 of which are spawning. Spawning fish tend to stay out of sight so they can deposit their eggs away from predators and my camera. There is another pair of some type of striped cardinals that have the same problem as they are spawning also.

Bluestriped pipefish are active, but they are active under and behind the rocks so even though they are constantly on the move, (and spawning)I rarely see them.

Of course the pair of gobies living with the shrimp are under ground half the time and the pair of fireclowns spawn in a bottle but at least that bottle is in the front so I can see them. I think the clowngobies will spawn any time now but they stay in the branches of the acropora and stick their eggs underneith it.

Many times people seeing the tank for the first time will say, it is such a big tank but there are no fish in it. So I have to have them bend down and look between the rocks, then they may see the watchman gobies, one of which is about 4" and the numerous hermit crabs or arrow crab.

Smaller fish also have a more interesting pool to choose from. Everyone has seen tangs and angelfish but there are so many interesting gobies and bleenies that even though I have been in this for decades I still sometimes see something I never saw before.
Just today I went to a store and seen the mose unusual, beautiful gobies I have ever seen and I never saw anything like them before. I could not get them because they were tiny, like less than a half an inch and very skinny. I can't even describe them. I still may go back and set up a small tank just so I could grow them to put in my tank, but I am not even sure if they do grow as I don't know what they are.

So what is the point of this thread, like many things I post, I have no idea.

[albertthiel]

Sheesh just getting caught up since a long weekend. Ran a 5k+ and a 20mile bike ride.. no less today im noticing a lot of algae that is free floating around the tank. I'm not sure if its starting to die and just float or what the deal is.. but I do have to get another scrubbing in a few... this last weekend left me no time to really tend to the tank. Seeing a few spot patches on 'target' rocks

 

Odd that you have floating ones ... are they hair or macro ones ? I have seem Emerald crabs nibble on Caulerpa runners and make pieces come loose that then float around but if they are a different kind I wonder how that happened ...

 

And wow .. you are an athletic ReefKeeper ... 5k+ running and 20k bike riding ... wish I could still do that but I guess I am a bit too old for that now :-o

 

Guess you have a lot of tank cleaning on your plate right ...

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

I posted this elsewhere but I figured I would fil this blank slace here also:

 

When I started with salt tanks there was just one type of tank, fish only.

Now they even have manta rays in tanks, but not mine, I wish. We can have a Fish only, or invertabrates only, crustaceans only, corals only, carnivores only LPS, only, SPS only, leathers or any combination of each. Most of us have a combination of a little of everything from every ocean which may not be normal, but we like it.

I think many people start with things like triggerfish, eels, puffers, lionfish and then progress to smaller more interesting creatures, at least I did.

We can have a tank that is a thing of absolute beauty as many of the people's tanks on here are and I am jealous of some of them, or we can have a few rocks haphazardly thrown in there with some large fish.

I think the thing of absolute beauty is what most people go for and as I said, some people get it right. I don't know what to consider my own tank as it was never supposed to be the best looking tank there is (and it certainly is not) it is more of an experiment and has always evolved depending on my whims, or dreams, and if you look closely at things in my tank some of those dreams were nightmares but it is what I want it to be as I am sure everybody's tank is what they want.

I know most people like angelfish and tangs as they are colorful and active, but I tend to go for smaller more interesting fish. Just today I bought a possum wrasse which is a secretive creature but interestingly colored even though it is a fish that hides most of the time.

If you look quickly into my tank you may not see any fish even though there are about 25 fish in there. There are five threadfish cardinals, 4 of which are spawning. Spawning fish tend to stay out of sight so they can deposit their eggs away from predators and my camera. There is another pair of some type of striped cardinals that have the same problem as they are spawning also.

Bluestriped pipefish are active, but they are active under and behind the rocks so even though they are constantly on the move, (and spawning)I rarely see them.

Of course the pair of gobies living with the shrimp are under ground half the time and the pair of fireclowns spawn in a bottle but at least that bottle is in the front so I can see them. I think the clowngobies will spawn any time now but they stay in the branches of the acropora and stick their eggs underneith it.

Many times people seeing the tank for the first time will say, it is such a big tank but there are no fish in it. So I have to have them bend down and look between the rocks, then they may see the watchman gobies, one of which is about 4" and the numerous hermit crabs or arrow crab.

Smaller fish also have a more interesting pool to choose from. Everyone has seen tangs and angelfish but there are so many interesting gobies and bleenies that even though I have been in this for decades I still sometimes see something I never saw before.

Just today I went to a store and seen the mose unusual, beautiful gobies I have ever seen and I never saw anything like them before. I could not get them because they were tiny, like less than a half an inch and very skinny. I can't even describe them. I still may go back and set up a small tank just so I could grow them to put in my tank, but I am not even sure if they do grow as I don't know what they are.

So what is the point of this thread, like many things I post, I have no idea.

 

Great update on your way of thinking about your tank and other ones Paul ... and yes you are correct small fish in a big tank are nice but the other side of the coin is that you may not see them that often ... of course you kind of know what their favorite spots are so you can more than likely see them anyway especially if you use those new Google glasses with built in fish locator GPS :-o kidding of course but you know what mean ....

 

And I agree that the choice of fish is unending and that it does not matter how long we have been in the hobby, something will always pop up that we have not seen before ... happens all the time ... and not only for fish. Happens with corals too .. some show up we have not seen or can't identify ... but that is good as it means that the selection and variety of what we can get today versus what we could get when we started is powers of 10 greater ....

 

Thanks for your thoughts and keep posting them ... I always enjoy reading your posts.

 

Albert

[uaiu]

Between the cellphone picture and cloudy post-waterchange water these aren't the best shots, but here's my Pictus Blenny

 

http://s715.photobucket.com/user/xxnevamorexx/media/WP_20130420_003_zpseed3f0ec.jpg.html'>

http://s715.photobucket.com/user/xxnevamorexx/media/WP_20130420_002_zps5a7d4586.jpg.html'>

[atoll]

Been trying to take a couple of half decent photographs of my new Pearl Dartfish this evening but it proved more difficult than I anticipated. Although they are out in the open each time I tried to take a pic they moved or turned away. Why is it some fish love having their photograph taken while others can't even rise a smile for you. Anyway these are the best today just sorry about the quality you can blame them for that.

 

 

[rick12]

I have been asked many times what the dilution rate of 35% peroxide is for use in Oxydator's so here is a simple to use guide.

 

1 part 35% H₂O₂ to 1 part water is 35/2 = 17.5%

1 part 35% H₂O₂ to 2 parts water is 35/3 = 11.7%

1 part 35% H₂O₂ to 3 parts water is 35/4 = 8.75%

1 part 35% H₂O₂ to 4 parts water is 35/5 = 7%

1 part 35% H₂O₂ to 5 parts water is 35/6 = 5.83%

Of course you don't need to be spot on near enough is more than adequate for our needs.

Thanks for this

[atoll]

Thanks for this

 

YVW and it should be of some use to many wanting to use an Oxydator and buy the 35% peroxide solution.

[albertthiel]

Between the cellphone picture and cloudy post-waterchange water these aren't the best shots, but here's my Pictus Blenny

 

uaiu ... thank you for the pics and yes I can see the Pictus although as you say due to the water change it is not as sharp as you probably wanted it to be but I can definitely make out the nice fish you got ...

 

Interestingly enough I talked to my LFS here in Alpharetta today and asked him about them and he said he would call his wholesaler and when he called me back he said that they did not have them ...

 

And that sort of matches what I posted before ... they are not that commonly available apparently ...

 

I tried to find a good video of them but nothing really came up that shows them well and in detail ... which kind of confirms that there are not many around I guess.

 

But .. when you get a chance to get a better pic you may want to post it here ... Thanks uaiu

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Been trying to take a couple of half decent photographs of my new Pearl Dartfish this evening but it proved more difficult than I anticipated. Although they are out in the open each time I tried to take a pic they moved or turned away. Why is it some fish love having their photograph taken while others can't even rise a smile for you. Anyway these are the best today just sorry about the quality you can blame them for that.

 

Thanks Les ... White fish hey ... :-o I know sometimes it is indeed difficult to get good pictures ... fish don't always cooperate as I guess was the case when you tried to take these that you posted but I am sure you'll get some better ones ...

 

Albert

[atoll]

I had to use flash in order to get a reasonable focus on them but in doing so there was a certain amount of washout from their pearly bodies.

Thanks Les ... White fish hey ... :-o I know sometimes it is indeed difficult to get good pictures ... fish don't always cooperate as I guess was the case when you tried to take these that you posted but I am sure you'll get some better ones ...

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

I had to use flash in order to get a reasonable focus on them but in doing so there was a certain amount of washout from their pearly bodies.

 

Yes that is what I figured ... Pearl is not that easy to get a picture of to begin with so with a flash it would really have washed out the colors ... but thanks for the post

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Thanks for this (diluting peroxide)

 

Yes indeed very helpful indeed ... thanks Les

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Tigger Pod Culture Video -- Tigriopus californicus

 

Link :

 

 

Albert

[andi.rahl]

I dont know if I said but it was the hermit. I caught him dragging a coquina.

[albertthiel]

I dont know if I said but it was the hermit. I caught him dragging a coquina.

 

Yes you did point it out in a previous message but it does not hurt to reconfirm so others read it also and know that Hermit Crabs are indeed "touchy" to keep in a reef as IMO they are very unpredictable and can suddenly turn on you, as yours did ...

 

Thanks

 

Albert

[andi.rahl]

Yes you did point it out in a previous message but it does not hurt to reconfirm so others read it also and know that Hermit Crabs are indeed "touchy" to keep in a reef as IMO they are very unpredictable and can suddenly turn on you, as yours did ...

 

Thanks

 

Albert

sorry, hah. well definitely reconfirmation. I got him out, asked if one of the big chain pet stores around here would take him and just give him to a customer, and they said yes. so I brought it there...was only a couple of miles away as opposed to going back to one of the small businessy lfs's that I go to.

 

so no more hermits for me. now I have to replace 2 snails as well, but that's not a big deal right now.

[albertthiel]

sorry, hah. well definitely reconfirmation. I got him out, asked if one of the big chain pet stores around here would take him and just give him to a customer, and they said yes. so I brought it there...was only a couple of miles away as opposed to going back to one of the small businessy lfs's that I go to.

 

so no more hermits for me. now I have to replace 2 snails as well, but that's not a big deal right now.

 

Good for you and that was nice that you did not have to go all that far to return it to a more local pet stores. Someone will appreciate it for sure ... Nice of you to do so too.

 

Albert

[andi.rahl]

Good for you and that was nice that you did not have to go all that far to return it to a more local pet stores. Someone will appreciate it for sure ... Nice of you to do so too.

 

Albert

yeah, the one I'd liked to have gone to is 7 miles away and I don't drive. I didn't want to just get rid of him in the manner I previously mentioned despite it irritating me and all of my corals. Plus being Earth day, I thought I'd celebrate in a nicer fashion.

 

I have one cerith snail I think it is, but I'm thinking I should get a different type for some diversity. Can you recommend any that can right themselves if they fall over, but that don't get too big, please?

[albertthiel]

yeah, the one I'd liked to have gone to is 7 miles away and I don't drive. I didn't want to just get rid of him in the manner I previously mentioned despite it irritating me and all of my corals. Plus being Earth day, I thought I'd celebrate in a nicer fashion.

 

I have one cerith snail I think it is, but I'm thinking I should get a different type for some diversity. Can you recommend any that can right themselves if they fall over, but that don't get too big, please?

 

Well that was very nice of you to do and yes especially on Earth Day .. Good for you ...

 

Rather than recommend specific ones I am giving you a link to a site that sells a whole series of different CUC's and you can read up on all of them and see how large they get etc ... and if you have questions you can email John the owner or you can post your questions here.

 

Here is the link : http://www.reefcleaners.org/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=4&Itemid=58

 

and John gets super reviews for Customer Service ...

 

Albert