THE OFFICIAL ASK ALBERT THIEL THREAD

[atoll]

WOW! That's a turn up for the books. Both newly introduced Royal Gramma;s were out at the front of the tank as if they have been in there months.they were put in my tank just 3 hours before . Could I get a pic or would they bolt before I could approach them to take a pic? well here is my answer, Both RGs out swimming together and never flinched as I took this pic.

 

[Hammerstone]

Are they a sexed pair? Or is your tank so big it doesn't matter? They look awesome together!!? Maybe it's because they have each other it has made them bolder.

[atoll]

Are they a sexed pair? Or is your tank so big it doesn't matter? They look awesome together!! Maybe it's because they have each other it has made them bolder.

 

It was a simple matter of observing 6 each in a different holding tank and picking 2 so fingers crossed. I have been successful in pairing 3 pairs before in the past. RGs get on together anyway so little risk.

[albertthiel]

WOW! That's a turn up for the books. Both newly introduced Royal Gramma;s were out at the front of the tank as if they have been in there months.they were put in my tank just 3 hours before . Could I get a pic or would they bolt before I could approach them to take a pic? well here is my answer, Both RGs out swimming together and never flinched as I took this pic.

 

 

That is indeed great .... and after only 3 hours ... super Les

 

Albert

 

It was a simple matter of observing 6 each in a different holding tank and picking 2 so fingers crossed. I have been successful in pairing 3 pairs before in the past. RGs get on together anyway so little risk.

 

Yes great way to do it indeed

 

Albert

[atoll]

Here is my current fish stock, you will note that not all are pairs etc as it's not always possible to buy them as such nor to pair them in the tank.

1/ Pair of common Clowns. Spawning Confirmed

2/ Pair of Royal Gramma's (hopefully)

3/ 3 Purple Firefish inc1 pair. Spawning confirmed.

4/ 5 Blue Star Damsels. Spawning confirmed.

5/ 3 Red Scooter Blennies.

6/ 1 Starry Algae Blenny

7/ Par of Pinstriped Wrasses.(hopefully)

8/Pair of Talbots Damsels. Spawning confirmed.

9/ A Midas Blenny.

10/ A Pinkbar Goby with partner pistol shrimp.

11/ A Yellow watchman goby with partner pistol shrimp.

Total fish 23

[albertthiel]

 

Here is my current fish stock, you will note that not all are pairs etc as it's not always possible to buy them as such nor to pair them in the tank.

 

1/ Pair of common Clowns. Spawning Confirmed

2/ Pair of Royal Gramma's (hopefully)

3/ 3 Purple Firefish inc1 pair. Spawning confirmed.

4/ 5 Blue Star Damsels. Spawning confirmed.

5/ 3 Red Scooter Blennies.

6/ 1 Starry Algae Blenny

7/ Par of Pinstriped Wrasses.(hopefully)

8/Pair of Talbots Damsels. Spawning confirmed.

9/ A Midas Blenny.

10/ A Pinkbar Goby with partner pistol shrimp.

11/ A Yellow watchman goby with partner pistol shrimp.

 

Total fish 23

Wow. Lots of fishes !!!

 

Albert

[atoll]

Wow. Lots of fishes !!!

 

Albert

 

Yes Albert but all small and as we know 4 x 1" fish is less of a load than 1 x large fish. They all keep one another entertained

[albertthiel]

 

Yes Albert but all small and as we know 4 x 1" fish is less of a load than 1 x large fish. They all keep one another entertained

 

Good idea to stick with small ones indeed Les but then you knew that

 

Albert

[atoll]

Feeding time. A short vid taken earlier today.

[albertthiel]

Very nice

 

What were you feeding Les ?

 

Albert

[atoll]

Very nice

 

What were you feeding Les ?

 

Albert

 

It would be easier to tell you what I wasn;t feeding Albert. A concoction if about 12 different (maybe more) foods. From mysis to powdered foods with added fish oil, I don't target feed at all I just squirt it into the tank and lt the current do the rest

[albertthiel]

 

It would be easier to tell you what I wasn;t feeding Albert. A concoction if about 12 different (maybe more) foods. From mysis to powdered foods with added fish oil, I don't target feed at all I just squirt it into the tank and lt the current do the rest

 

Oh yes I remember now ... you have your own preparation .... sorry about that I forgot

[atoll]

 

Oh yes I remember now ... you have your own preparation .... sorry about that I forgot

Well in truth it's different each time I make a 3 day feed up, I have so many ingredients to choose from

[Paul B]

I am glad that I found a new reliable source for clams to feed my tank. They sell clams all over the place here on Long Island but sometimes the larger ones are hard to find.
I ran out of them for a week and my fish were carving Human Racial Slurs at me on the glass. But now they are happy.

[albertthiel]

I am glad that I found a new reliable source for clams to feed my tank. They sell clams all over the place here on Long Island but sometimes the larger ones are hard to find.

I ran out of them for a week and my fish were carving Human Racial Slurs at me on the glass. But now they are happy.

 

So glad for them that you find some real nice large ones Paul

 

Albert

[Paul B]

Yes and when I make clam chowder I know exactly where to look.

 

I have been looking for this little pipe for weeks and couldn't find him. I figured he croaked. But he came out all smiling and happy looking. Who would have thought?

[albertthiel]

Yes and when I make clam chowder I know exactly where to look.

 

I have been looking for this little pipe for weeks and couldn't find him. I figured he croaked. But he came out all smiling and happy looking. Who would have thought?

 

Yes some fish are odd indeed as you have experienced and well know Paul ... at times they either behave oddly or disappear or both and then suddenly they are back and behaving totally normally

 

I have seen it happen just as you have and I am sure many others

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

The craziest Jellyfish tank I have yet seen ! And the price .......... insane

 

 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/815660157/the-darwin-tank-an-original-jellyfish-tank?ref=discovery

 

 

Albert

 

PS click on the links to the videos for full details

[Paul B]

I think one of the most important, and least understood or mentioned things in a reef tank is "mulm". That stuff that grows in the dark portions of a tank if it is set up long enough. "Mulm" is a combination of algae, sponges, bacteria, pods, worms, detritus, poop and any thing else that can be propagated or grown in the dark. I realize most people would immediately get out the sponge, razor blade or grenade to remove it but there is a word I like to use to describe those people. That word is "wrong". Mulm is a natural product that you will find in the sea all over the world. Our tanks run on bacteria, algae and a food chain. Bacteria and a food chain are dependent on having a place to reproduce. Mulm is the perfect place. Rocks and glass are flat surfaces that are only two dimensional. Mulm makes these places three dimensional allowing much more space for bacteria and microscopic organisms to grow and do the macarana. (Then love to dance) Pods, which are needed for any small fish also need to eat and their numbers are directly related to how much food they can get their hands on (or whatever pods use to eat with) The more food, the more pods, the more pods, the easier to keep smaller fish. Larger fish such as copperbands and angels also eat pods.
Many people try to keep fish such as pipefish, mandarins or other dragonettes in a sterile tank and while feeding them a couple of times a day with tiger pods or some other expensive food. Those types of fish will not live for long in such a tank and they certainly won't spawn which I consider the "only" criteria to determine the state of health for any paired fish.
Mulm (after a while, maybe a few years) should grow on the back and sides of glass as well as under rocks.
Here in this picture of my clingfish, the mulm appears green. It is really brownish and that fish is on the side of my tank. I brightened up the picture and turned it sideways because it was in the dark and the fish was hard to see.
There is a thick layer of it on the back of my tank where my mandarins and pipefish like to hunt. My long spined urchin also grazes there most of the time as there is not much algae in my tank for him to eat. He is many years old as are the mandarins and pipefish and they are dependent on this food source.
A sterile tank IMO is the biggest problem we have keeping certain fish healthy.
Sterile is good in an operating room but very bad in a tank.

I recently took this off Kauai Hawaii. The rocks are covered in Mulm. You can see a spotted moray eel in the center.

This was in the Caribbean. The mulm provides food for those fry.

This is off a mangrove Island in Key Largo Florida. Notice the growth on the roots.

I know many people will disagree with me. That is fine. But everything I propose I post pictures to back up my theories. None of my ideas come from re-hashed, inside the box rumors.

[albertthiel]

So very true Paul

 

Excellent overview about the necessity of "mulm"

 

 

Albert

[Paul B]

Thank you Albert. I am trying to get some of it to grow on top of my head

[albertthiel]

Thank you Albert. I am trying to get some of it to grow on top of my head

The hell with Rogaine. Mulm is it !!!!

Thank you Albert. I am trying to get some of it to grow on top of my head

The hell with Rogaine. Mulm is it !!!!

[atoll]

Pick taken yesterday looking end to end of my DT through 4' 6" of water. Not bad clarity at all.

 

 

Angled shot just taken.

 

[CronicReefer]

Pick taken yesterday looking end to end of my DT through 4' 6" of water. Not bad clarity at all.

 

 

Angled shot just taken.

 

Such a beautiful tank. The gorgonians mixed in with all the SPS looks great. That anemone looks pretty dangerous too .

[atoll]

Such a beautiful tank. The gorgonians mixed in with all the SPS looks great. That anemone looks pretty dangerous too .

 

I think gorgonians are pretty underrated. The nem has its trunk buried into a hole in a rock and is a good distance from corals at least for now. It has split twice in recent months.