THE OFFICIAL ASK ALBERT THIEL THREAD

[albertthiel]

I have been experimenting with this little anemone crab for a couple of months by giving him a live blackworm every day. At first he just looked at me like I was crazy and continued filter feeding. But now he comes out for the worm as soon as he sees the feeder and grabs the worm. He also gave up living on corals and prefers to stay in this spot on the rock. He doesn't seem to filter feed any more which is good because these crabs don't usually live long in a tank. I assume they don't usually get enough food. But I will see how long he will live on worms. I want to get a few more of them so they will mate.

This is him when I got him.

 

 

Very interesting indeed Paul

 

Albert

This is a galvanized piece of "Kindorf" which we use in the construction trade for just about everything. It is one of 4 that has been holding up my reef for almost 40 years. I added that leg next to it to hold up the weight because I was afraid to remove it. I did this to two of the legs so far.

 

 

Wow that should be good even if there were a nuclear attack

 

Albert

Had my nem crab about 3 months now so far so good but we will have to see how long he lives.

 

 

Hopefully a healthy and satisfying LONG life Les

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

SEA BUNNIES

 

 

http://www.boredpanda.com/cute-bunny-sea-slug-jorunna-parva/

 

 

Albert

[atoll]

Another job completed today. I decided 2 would be better than one as one 4.5' long would be a bit unwieldy ah d how often would you need to lift the whole thing off anyway.2X DIY framed net covers made and installed on acrylic supports.

 

[albertthiel]

Another job completed today. I decided 2 would be better than one as one 4.5' long would be a bit unwieldy ah d how often would you need to lift the whole thing off anyway.2X DIY framed net covers made and installed on acrylic supports.

 

Nice job done Les

 

Albert

[StinkyBunny]

I wonder what they eat? I recently found a small nudibranch about 1cm in length in the QT system that had an affinity for leather corals. Unfortunately for him, the melanurus wrasse has an affinity for slugs and snails, he must be French.

[albertthiel]

I wonder what they eat? I recently found a small nudibranch about 1cm in length in the QT system that had an affinity for leather corals. Unfortunately for him, the melanurus wrasse has an affinity for slugs and snails, he must be French.

French indeed

 

??

[albertthiel]

I wonder what they eat? I recently found a small nudibranch about 1cm in length in the QT system that had an affinity for leather corals. Unfortunately for him, the melanurus wrasse has an affinity for slugs and snails, he must be French.

 

 

Sponges apparently

 

Here is another link on them

 

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/150723-sea-slug-nudibranch-sea-bunny-ocean-animals-science/

 

 

Albert

[StinkyBunny]

French indeed

 

 

I love Escargot. I grew up on a farm and there was a French family that lived behind us. I got to sample quite a few things growing up. If the folks in Minnesota could learn to cook them all would be good, but they seem to think that drowning them in garlic is the way to cook them.

[albertthiel]

 

I love Escargot. I grew up on a farm and there was a French family that lived behind us. I got to sample quite a few things growing up. If the folks in Minnesota could learn to cook them all would be good, but they seem to think that drowning them in garlic is the way to cook them.

 

Yes indeed ... lots and lots of garlic

 

Albert

[atoll]

Job for today install 2 X 8 trailing sockets plus another 4 making 20 electrical sockets. Will that be enough? Hmmmm.

 

[atoll]

I found this mug in a charity shop quite some time ago and forgot all about it. I recently rediscovered it in the back of a cupboard.

 

 

[albertthiel]

Job for today install 2 X 8 trailing sockets plus another 4 making 20 electrical sockets. Will that be enough? Hmmmm.

 

 

That should be plenty I think but only you really know

 

Albert

 

PS Nice MUG

[atoll]

 

That should be plenty I think but only you really know

 

Albert

 

PS Nice MUG

 

Thanks Albert. Well it's good to have a few spare but if I do there won't be many

[Hammerstone]

I just purchased two RFAs. Do you have any pointers? ?

[albertthiel]

 

Thanks Albert. Well it's good to have a few spare but if I do there won't be many

That is for sure

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

I actually use more sockets than that. But mine are not so neat even though I was an electrician for 40 years.

[atoll]

Many of you will have a framed net cover on your tanks (very wise) however if your lazy like me and don't want to lift the cover off every time you want to feed then this could be the answer. I glued the sealing ring from an RO filter cartridge to the netting and when dry simply snip out the center netting. I have used a large rubber sucker to act as a cover.

 

 

[albertthiel]

I actually use more sockets than that. But mine are not so neat even though I was an electrician for 40 years.

????

[albertthiel]

Many of you will have a framed net cover on your tanks (very wise) however if your lazy like me and don't want to lift the cover off every time you want to feed then this could be the answer. I glued the sealing ring from an RO filter cartridge to the netting and when dry simply snip out the center netting. I have used a large rubber sucker to act as a cover.

 

 

Nice. I like it

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

Taking pictures.

It's almost impossible to get a picture of this guy, the fish, not the crab

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[albertthiel]

Taking pictures.

It's almost impossible to get a picture of this guy, the fish, not the crab

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Yes hard to get indeed

 

Albert

[atoll]

There are 2 things many people constantly fight in their tanks, the main 2 pollutants, nitrate and phosphates. There are of course various ways of reducing them ranging from chemical absorption to biological ways of dealing with them. However IMO you can't beat mother nature's way of dealing with these pollutants in our aquarium and done in a natural way and that is with the use of algae (nature also has other ways of course).

 

IMO the best way to cultivate algae is with an algae scrubber for the reasons stated below. Algae use nitrates and phosphates as a food source as it does in the oceans. Since making and using my ATS I have no need for Rowaphos, pellets or Nopox etc etc. Many years ago our algae scrubbers were simply to grow the likes of Caulerpa in our tanks later in our sumps but the method was not the most efficient. Now we have the much more efficient ATS either DIY or off the shelf units. I have 2 ATS's on my current reef tank a DIY waterfall scrubber and a Santa Monica HOG2 both work very well and are cleaned in rotation.

 

What better way to reduce nitrate and phosphates using mother nature's way of dealing with them after all mother nature has had many millions of years to perfect her ways and with great success of course. She has a way of dealing with just about everything but not always all the man made pollutants and issues we throw at it. She has done many years of research,trial and error and always arrives at the perfect solution for any given problem.

 

My philosophy with reefkeeping is try and mimic nature as much as is possible and you won't go far wrong. This philosophy and stood me in good stead for around 30 plus years of my 36 years in reefkeeping. I still do the odd water change but not as much as I used to and maintenance of my ATS's is minimal. I also retain my skimmer but not sure I really need to but it still pulls out skimmate even though it's lighter and not producing quite as much as before I employed my ATS. I have just completed my new A4 sized waterfall ATS which is going on my new 100gallon reeftank. and expect it to give me the same success as the A5 one I currently have on my70 gallon reeftank.

[albertthiel]

There are 2 things many people constantly fight in their tanks, the main 2 pollutants, nitrate and phosphates. There are of course various ways of reducing them ranging from chemical absorption to biological ways of dealing with them. However IMO you can't beat mother nature's way of dealing with these pollutants in our aquarium and done in a natural way and that is with the use of algae (nature also has other ways of course).

 

IMO the best way to cultivate algae is with an algae scrubber for the reasons stated below. Algae use nitrates and phosphates as a food source as it does in the oceans. Since making and using my ATS I have no need for Rowaphos, pellets or Nopox etc etc. Many years ago our algae scrubbers were simply to grow the likes of Caulerpa in our tanks later in our sumps but the method was not the most efficient. Now we have the much more efficient ATS either DIY or off the shelf units. I have 2 ATS's on my current reef tank a DIY waterfall scrubber and a Santa Monica HOG2 both work very well and are cleaned in rotation.

 

What better way to reduce nitrate and phosphates using mother nature's way of dealing with them after all mother nature has had many millions of years to perfect her ways and with great success of course. She has a way of dealing with just about everything but not always all the man made pollutants and issues we throw at it. She has done many years of research,trial and error and always arrives at the perfect solution for any given problem.

 

My philosophy with reefkeeping is try and mimic nature as much as is possible and you won't go far wrong. This philosophy and stood me in good stead for around 30 plus years of my 36 years in reefkeeping. I still do the odd water change but not as much as I used to and maintenance of my ATS's is minimal. I also retain my skimmer but not sure I really need to but it still pulls out skimmate even though it's lighter and not producing quite as much as before I employed my ATS. I have just completed my new A4 sized waterfall ATS which is going on my new 100gallon reeftank. and expect it to give me the same success as the A5 one I currently have on my70 gallon reeftank.

 

Looks like you are making some real good progress in running a far more "natural" system

 

That is the ticket indeed

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

My method to control nitrates and phosphates are to never test for them. Problem solved.

 

( and use an algae scrubber)

[albertthiel]

My method to control nitrates and phosphates are to never test for them. Problem solved.

 

( and use an algae scrubber)

? ?