THE OFFICIAL ASK ALBERT THIEL THREAD

[Nano sapiens]

You can reach CORAL magazine to subscribe at 802 985 9977 or 570 567 0424. The Editor is Daniel Knop btw and the mag is of real high quality and always has great articles, every issue. It comes out every 2 months.

 

I always look forward to getting my next issue as it is so full of good material by respected authors that it is a good source of reliable info.

 

Albert

 

Thanks Albert. I'd imagine with Daniel Knop as editor it should be great.

[albertthiel]

Thanks Albert. I'd imagine with Daniel Knop as editor it should be great.

 

Yes indeed ... and most of the other contributors are of the same caliber.

 

The current issue Nov/Dec 2012 has some great articles e.g. on Giant Clams, Zebra Mantis Shrimp, Kreisel tanks for rearing larvae and fry, Mud filters, Phosphate binders, an article on Randall's Watchman Goby, and a lot more.

 

I am sure you will enjoy it and btw if there is a Barnes and Noble in your area they do carry it but I don't think they get a lot of copies as the are often sold out of them.

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

The current issue Nov/Dec 2012 has some great articles e.g. on Giant Clams,

 

See the "rocks" in the lower picture. They are giant clams. I took that off a tiny Island very close to Bora Bora and there are so many of them you have to watch where you walk in shallow water.

 

[albertthiel]

See the "rocks" in the lower picture. They are giant clams. I took that off a tiny Island very close to Bora Bora and there are so many of them you have to watch where you walk in shallow water.

Paul ... love those invisible Clams ... - Guess that pic did not make it somehow ...

 

Good to see you back and posting !

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Fish catch Birds to Feed ... Video

 

And didn't we all think it was just the opposite !

 

© The Huffington Post

 

Link: http://tinyurl.com/b84g7pm

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

I set up a new tank, you guys have Nano's and Pico's so I set up an Inco tank.

Water volume -1 oz

live rock -150% of tank volume

clean up crew- 1 copepod

substrait- glass bare bottom

Water change schedule- when I am thirsty I take a sip.

Lighting- 739 watts to the gallon

 

In this inco tank I run bioballs, skimmer/ozone 150mg/hr and I dose calcium through a doser.

I can't test because the test kit uses more water than the tank capacity.

For livestock I would like to have at least 1 copperband, I would get 2 but I am afraid they will fight.

Food is supplied 3 times a day through an automatic feeder. I use Rods food and strips of halibut.

My goal is to breed but I may raise the fry in a seperate tank or just put in a barrier to seperate them from the adults.

I hope one day to be tank of the month.

 

Edited December 10, 2012 by Paul.b

[Paul.b]

Guess that pic did not make it somehow

 

Do you see the picture of the dock? They are the "rocks" under there.

[albertthiel]

I set up a new tank, you guys have Nano's and Pico's so I set up an Inco tank.

Water volume -1 oz

live rock -150% of tank volume

clean up crew- 1 copepod

substrait- glass bare bottom

Water change schedule- when I am thirsty I take a sip.

Lighting- 739 watts to the gallon

 

In this inco tank I run bioballs, skimmer/ozone 150mg/hr and I dose calcium through a doser.

I can't test because the test kit uses more water than the tank capacity.

For livestock I would like to have at least 1 copperband, I would get 2 but I am afraid they will fight.

Food is supplied 3 times a day through an automatic feeder. I use Rods food and strips of halibut.

My goal is to breed but I may raise the fry in a seperate tank or just put in a barrier to seperate them from the adults.

I hope one day to be tank of the month.

 

Paul you crack me up ! But laughing is good for one's health they say ..

 

Oh gee I see green algae on that rock already ! But .. they are out of the water .. airborne algae I guess!

 

Albert

 

 

 

Do you see the picture of the dock? They are the "rocks" under there.

 

The ones next to the dock that are not that easy to see I guess but now that you pointed it out I notice that they are there indeed and I guess not alive ... unfortunately.

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

... Guess you know what this is all about ...

 

Gee do I wish I had Starphire glass so I would not get that Green tint all over the place when I zoom in a little with my iPhone !

 

 

 

 

Albert

Edited December 10, 2012 by albertthiel

[Paul.b]

I want to keep SPS in this tank, especially elkhorn coral so I decided to increase the circulation a bit.

I have a teaspoon sump and I will drill the bottom tomorrow.

I will do a tank build thread.

 

[albertthiel]

I want to keep SPS in this tank, especially elkhorn coral so I decided to increase the circulation a bit.

I have a teaspoon sump and I will drill the bottom tomorrow.

I will do a tank build thread.

 

 

Yes with a tank like that you are going to need it, but I see bubbles at the top of the water so your DOC must be high and you need a water change and a skimmer to lower the dissolved organics ... also I suggest using some GFO as SPS need real low nutrient water :-)

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Caulerpa peltata growing in my Tank

 

Below is a picture taken a few minutes ago of what the growth of the C. peltata looks like today, a few days after I first discovered it in my tank.

 

Growth is real slow, and the runner has not extended itself very much as this is not known to be a fast grower for the most part. Of course as with anything in this hobby, there are always exceptions. The number of "Parasols" has not really increased a lot, in fact maybe only by 2. Their size is about 1/8", and when I look at the runner it seems to have lost a lot of its deep green and is becoming more transparent, meaning that the alga may not continue to grow but we'll have to see.

 

Nutrient levels in the tank are low (PO4: 0.00 and NO3: 0.00, well not measurable by my test kits - Salifert).

 

 

C. peltata is not know to be invasive although a variant of it C. racemosa spreads a lot faster.

 

These algae are considered part of the Grape group of Caulerpa algae of which there are a number of others, besides the non-Caulerpa grape or bubble looking ones.

 

Below is a link that shows all the Grape looking macro-algae identified by the author of that page:

 

Sea grapes compared: http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/pla...ta/cfgrapes.htm

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Link to a Site with TONS of Information on LED's

 

A Comprehensive and Detailed Look at LED's and variations on the basic ones we normally think about.

 

Also covers OLED's which are, for instance, the ones used in the high definition cellphone screens amongst other applications. If you want to learn more about LED's you owe it to yourself to read this.

 

• LED types

• LED technology

• LED history

• LED characteristics

• LED specifications & parameters

• LED configurations & packages

• LED structure & fabrication

• OLED basics (Organic Light Emitting Diode)

• OLED technology & operation

• PMOLED - Passive Matrix OLED

• AMOLED - Active Matrix OLED

• High Brightness, HBLED

• LED life expectancy and what shortens the life of an LED

 

One area that I did not see covered was LED "droop", or loss of efficiency as the current is increased, but also shortening it's life. Indeed as this article explains the efficiency of LED's can diminish quite a bit due to a number of reasons.

 

Link : http://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/op...s-dark-secret/0

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

also I suggest using some GFO as SPS need real low nutrient water :-)

 

Albert, thanks for your income, I will add those modifications along with a ground probe, GFCI and a good heater.

[albertthiel]

Albert, thanks for your input, I will add those modifications along with a ground probe, GFCI and a good heater.

 

That sounds like a plan Paul (and I corrected income to input, although I'll take any income i can get as long as it is legal).

 

I think with all that added you are going to have a problem though ... there will be so much equipment you won't see your "tank" anymore.

 

And as another suggestion: can you make it a Philippine Biotope one :-)

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Video on a 450 Gallon Super Reef with a Huge Sump

 

 

 

Albert

[atoll]

I want to keep SPS in this tank, especially elkhorn coral so I decided to increase the circulation a bit.

I have a teaspoon sump and I will drill the bottom tomorrow.

I will do a tank build thread.

 

 

Wot no chiller? without one I can't see your tank lasting long. Also it could do with skimmer in that sump IMO.

Edited December 11, 2012 by atoll

[albertthiel]

Wot no chiller? without one I can't see your tank lasting long. Also it could do with skimmer in that sump IMO.

Off course the other problem is going to be that if Paul puts 3 Bloodworms in there the tank will overflow :-)

 

I also do not see the algae scrubber and the ATO.

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Tubastrea Coral - Care and Information

 

© Eric Borneman & reefs.org

 

 

 

 

Link : http://www.reefs.org/library/aquarium_net/0797/0797_3.html

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Sunflower Coral - Tubastrea spp. on Melev's Reef

 

© Melev's Reef

 

 

Link : http://www.melevsreef.com/suncoral.html

 

Albert

[Hans Dorn]

That thing won't last...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

... unless you put a RUGF in it.

[Nano sapiens]

Fish catch Birds to Feed ... Video

 

And didn't we all think it was just the opposite !

 

© The Huffington Post

 

Link: http://tinyurl.com/b84g7pm

 

Albert

 

I used to be an avid fisherman and I have seen local catfish take small ducks close to shore. Interesting to see the behavior on video.

 

 

That thing won't last...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

... unless you put a RUGF in it.

 

And an algae scrubber...

 

 

I love this shot!!!! Your reef is looking marvelous

 

Aha, so that's your tank (I hadn't seen a full spread). Nice softty tank...coming along!

[albertthiel]

I used to be an avid fisherman and I have seen local catfish take small ducks close to shore. Interesting to see the behavior on video.

 

And an algae scrubber...

 

Aha, so that's your tank (I hadn't seen a full spread). Nice softty tank...coming along!

Yes that was really interesting behavior to watch indeed. Gee small ducks. Must have been some sight

 

That scrubber he needs for sure and a sump too!

 

On the tank: that is the middle and left actually.

 

Did you read that article on LED's I posted? Really a lot of info!

 

Albert

 

That thing won't last...

 

... unless you put a RUGF in it.

Very true indeed

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

Fish catch Birds to Feed

 

While feeding sting rays in Tahiti, we had to throw fish away from us to keep the sharks away while we were feeding the stingrays. A bird came in for a fish and a shark ate the fish and the bird.

[Nano sapiens]

Did you read that article on LED's I posted? Really a lot of info!

 

Yes, there's a lot of info there to ponder. My little LED strips are only putting out 1/4 W each and I haven't yet read a post of anyone losing one as sometimes happens in the higher wattage LEDs. Time will tell, I guess, if they do well and don't degrade too much over time.

 

The two links you posted to ULNS systems (especially the first link) were very interesting. This was the first system I've seen in detail using this system (ZEOvit or something similar?) and the corals, while colorful, looked somewhat artificial to me. I couldn't help but think this was like creating a 'designer look', instead of striving for the natural, rich coloration I've seen corals display naturally on the reef. But, hey, to each his/her own...