Two Cats and a Reef

[thecoralbeauty]

If you figure out a way, let us know . Mine are finally all visible and haven't moved for about a month LOL.

Did you just get lucky??

[thecoralbeauty]

Not exactly FTS, but it's something:

 

 

[gena]

Did you just get lucky??

For sure .

 

Those turquoise palys are so pretty .

[cnseekatz]

If you figure out a way, let us know . Mine are finally all visible and haven't moved for about a month LOL.

 

Never had RFA's but my BTAs like to mosey around. I find a good pokin' with a stick is motivation enough for them to keep moving.

[gena]

Never had RFA's but my BTAs like to mosey around. I find a good pokin' with a stick is motivation enough for them to keep moving.

I bet it'd work with RFAs too! I'll try that next time I have an issue .

[thecoralbeauty]

I bet it'd work with RFAs too! I'll try that next time I have an issue .

I'll start poking tonight!!

[MFChop]

You may have mentioned it somewhere but what intensity did you end up with on your Radion? Gorgeous tank btw

[thecoralbeauty]

You may have mentioned it somewhere but what intensity did you end up with on your Radion? Gorgeous tank btw

Thank you!! I moved more stuff around, and I may end up messing with the plumbing to include an overflow/refugium in the near future, so stay tuned! Also, there's a big frag swap coming up week after next so hopefully I'll find some good additions then too.

 

Currently I have my Radion set on this schedule: I'm taking 3 weeks to acclimate to 65% intensity. I'm running 14k spectrum, hoping to get color AND growth, so we'll see. So far, everything is super happy- especially all the SPS frags i got and have never tried before.

 

[hypostatic]

My piece started to look like that a few days after we put it in the tank. Shortly after, my fish got ich and died... curious. I wonder if it was related somehow? That was several years ago though, so I could just be remembering wrong. maybe if i find a nice piece i'll try again. Ive got a couple low-flow spots near the bottom of my tank, thanks to my rock scape. the issue now is that it's just expensive.

 

 

Hmmm, well, corals can't get ich, but it's possible there was some in the water that the coral came from, which could have gotten the fish sick

[thecoralbeauty]

 

Hmmm, well, corals can't get ich, but it's possible there was some in the water that the coral came from, which could have gotten the fish sick

 

 

Exactly.

[DocReef]

Not exactly FTS, but it's something:

 

 

Looking good. I hope the rainbow Monti is doing better. Those Palys are Rad.

[thecoralbeauty]

Thank you thank you! Those paly's are actually pretty awesome- they came from the tank's previous owner (my best friend)- so, I was pleased to inherit them.

The Rainbow monti is doing well- has his polyps out, and color isn't quite as pale (unless I'm just imagining)

 

In other news, heres the goby/pistol combo again. I noticed the goby's right (on our left) eye is clouded and swollen. That's new. Wonder if he got scratched. He ate just fine and is otherwise acting normal. These aren't the best shots of them, but thought I'd share.

 

 

[Sk8n Reefer]

I got some corals there, and my wrasse. I noticed some discoloration and strange swimming from the wrasse over the first few days i had him, but he seems to have kicked whatever it was.

 

keys is off santa-fe on oxford (just south of the chick fil-a/costco). the person i'm close with no longer works there though, but had done an amazing job of keeping up with the frag tanks (that were ridiculously cheap) and the fish he cared for were very healthy. however, keys has a long-standing reputation of having pests like aptasia, etc, and sick fish. i'm not sure how often i'll be shopping there now that my person isn't there, because i trusted him to thoroughly inspect and only sell me stuff that will work out well for me. the shop has kind of gone downhill lately. not much to look at, and kind of messy.

aquatic art is new to me, but apparently he used to work for/with the owner of key's before striking out on his own. my only complaint with aquatic art would be that they're only open on fri/sat.

 

are you going to the swap on the 16th?

 

 

Ya , that's a bummer on their hrs. But you can call and make an appointment- I've do that all the time. Their usually there after 4 on week days. Their expanding with some new frag tanks so that's gonna be really good. Have you talked with Chris the owner- super nice and knowledgable guy ?. Do you mean the ReefEd show- I am bummed- I have to be in Chicago that weekend for work. It was a great show last year- tons of good frags- enjoy! Chris is helping me desing out my sump for my upgrade- exciting stuff! Ck out my build- most everything is from Chris and grew from a 1" frag! Healthy frags is the key!

[FlowerMama]

Sometimes they just move, don't know why. A little touch here & there w/ your finger maybe it'll decide it doesn't like that spot after all.

[thecoralbeauty]

Sometimes they just move, don't know why. A little touch here & there w/ your finger maybe it'll decide it doesn't like that spot after all.

I've been poking it. It's moved towards the SPS. grrrrr!!

[thecoralbeauty]

 

Ya , that's a bummer on their hrs. But you can call and make an appointment- I've do that all the time. Their usually there after 4 on week days. Their expanding with some new frag tanks so that's gonna be really good. Have you talked with Chris the owner- super nice and knowledgable guy . Do you mean the ReefEd show- I am bummed- I have to be in Chicago that weekend for work. It was a great show last year- tons of good frags- enjoy! Chris is helping me desing out my sump for my upgrade- exciting stuff! Ck out my build- most everything is from Chris and grew from a 1" frag! Healthy frags is the key!

i hope i will be able to go! I've spoken with chris a little bit, he is really nice. yea i've checked our your thread. very impressive!

[Sk8n Reefer]

i hope i will be able to go! I've spoken with chris a little bit, he is really nice. yea i've checked our your thread. very impressive!

 

Cool! Thx- Ya make it if you can- the raffles are always fun too. If you go check out Gonzo's he always has some nice healthy pieces- I think he is up in Ft.Collins.

[thecoralbeauty]

Cool! Thx- Ya make it if you can- the raffles are always fun too. If you go check out Gonzo's he always has some nice healthy pieces- I think he is up in Ft.Collins.

 

Will do!

 

so, rough night. had some emotional stuff to deal with, and then my RFA just wouldn't stay put, its moved under the milipora and really made it slime. it's funny because most people report that they don't sting corals much, or move much... but they do. mili is moved safely away. RFA has been poked. hopefully he'll move. in the meantime, I'm tired but can't sleep, and being smothered in cats. puuuurfect.

[thecoralbeauty]

After a much-needed night's sleep, my RFA has actually continued to move in the wrong direction. I'm continuing the poking. Will update with results.

 

I've also been considering adding a sump/refugium. The person I had been dating had offered to install an HOB overflow/refugium, but that relationship unexpectedly fell apart, so I'm not hoping for much. But, I still like the idea of doing that for my tank so I'm seriously considering just making it my own project. Trouble is, I have no idea how those things work other than the most basic concept. Half of me is considering just starting up a new tank that's AIO with a sump/overflow built in to avoid the potential leaks/floods of doing a HOB, but the other half kind of likes the idea of taking ownership and doing it all myself. Any thoughts? Is it worth doing a fuge on this tank?

[righttirefire]

I'll fill you in this evening on my sump build. I'm using a 20 tall the tank my reef started in and had a 20 long drilled. My reef Is currently in the 20 long but building a refuge in the 20 tall

[gena]

After a much-needed night's sleep, my RFA has actually continued to move in the wrong direction. I'm continuing the poking. Will update with results.

 

I've also been considering adding a sump/refugium. The person I had been dating had offered to install an HOB overflow/refugium, but that relationship unexpectedly fell apart, so I'm not hoping for much. But, I still like the idea of doing that for my tank so I'm seriously considering just making it my own project. Trouble is, I have no idea how those things work other than the most basic concept. Half of me is considering just starting up a new tank that's AIO with a sump/overflow built in to avoid the potential leaks/floods of doing a HOB, but the other half kind of likes the idea of taking ownership and doing it all myself. Any thoughts? Is it worth doing a fuge on this tank?

Were you thinking a side-by-side setup? I know eitallent (I probably spelled that wrong) has a setup like that and it looks pretty fool-proof. Seems like there'd be less chance of a disaster going that route than having the fuge down below. I'll have to look for her thread if that is something you'd be interested in? (side-by-side).

 

As far as being worth it...I've heard no fuge is really doing anything unless it's a bazillion times larger than your DT . But, if you want to grow a pretty garden of macros and soft corals that will "possibly" benefit your main tank, why not? It will also be a great place for the pods to multiply and then feed your tank .

[DocReef]

I didn't find much benefit from my fuge in my 20 gal. I tore it down cause it was just causing a red algae bloom and I have more pods than before.

[thecoralbeauty]

Were you thinking a side-by-side setup? I know eitallent (I probably spelled that wrong) has a setup like that and it looks pretty fool-proof. Seems like there'd be less chance of a disaster going that route than having the fuge down below. I'll have to look for her thread if that is something you'd be interested in? (side-by-side).

 

As far as being worth it...I've heard no fuge is really doing anything unless it's a bazillion times larger than your DT . But, if you want to grow a pretty garden of macros and soft corals that will "possibly" benefit your main tank, why not? It will also be a great place for the pods to multiply and then feed your tank .

 

I'll fill you in this evening on my sump build. I'm using a 20 tall the tank my reef started in and had a 20 long drilled. My reef Is currently in the 20 long but building a refuge in the 20 tall

I would be interested in all of the above- like I said, i've never had a sump or fuge before. I would appreciate the overflow, because it would constantly be skimming the surface film off my display (Currently battling that by agitating the water with powerbeads) and the setup of a sump would improve my gas exchange. Since I have the cats, the glass lid is pretty tight-fitting (also because i have a wrasse and a jawfish that might go carpet surfing) and i worry about the limited gas exchange and it's effects on my parameters such as pH.

Also, the pods and macro algae seems pretty awesome, and I could also expand my xenia collection down there too (i love pulsing xenia, even though they're considered pests. i think they're beautiful). I just have never done this before and don't know what would be best.

 

currently, my tank is on a filing cabinet, and i worry as it is because that contains all of my important documents (closing stuff from my house, marriage and death certificates, VA schpeel as a surviving spouse, etc) and would hate to have them ruined by water! I have an old stand from target that would fit the display tank on top, and has two smaller drawers, and an open lower level that I could set the sump on (but it isn't enclosed). does it need to be enclosed? I was planning on moving the display onto that or something similar to avoid ruining my files, and moving that filing cabinet into the closet or something, but if I do a side-by-side, I would need a different stand anyway right, so i could set both tanks on top?

I didn't find much benefit from my fuge in my 20 gal. I tore it down cause it was just causing a red algae bloom and I have more pods than before.

red algae? the only red-algae i've seen is cyano. that's really interesting. so, it might not actually make that much of a difference? I was also thinking that the increased net volume of the water might lend itself to greater stability, but i watch my tank like a hawk anyway so perhaps it wouldn't be worth it.

[DocReef]

 

I would be interested in all of the above- like I said, i've never had a sump or fuge before. I would appreciate the overflow, because it would constantly be skimming the surface film off my display (Currently battling that by agitating the water with powerbeads) and the setup of a sump would improve my gas exchange. Since I have the cats, the glass lid is pretty tight-fitting (also because i have a wrasse and a jawfish that might go carpet surfing) and i worry about the limited gas exchange and it's effects on my parameters such as pH.

Also, the pods and macro algae seems pretty awesome, and I could also expand my xenia collection down there too (i love pulsing xenia, even though they're considered pests. i think they're beautiful). I just have never done this before and don't know what would be best.

 

currently, my tank is on a filing cabinet, and i worry as it is because that contains all of my important documents (closing stuff from my house, marriage and death certificates, VA schpeel as a surviving spouse, etc) and would hate to have them ruined by water! I have an old stand from target that would fit the display tank on top, and has two smaller drawers, and an open lower level that I could set the sump on (but it isn't enclosed). does it need to be enclosed? I was planning on moving the display onto that or something similar to avoid ruining my files, and moving that filing cabinet into the closet or something, but if I do a side-by-side, I would need a different stand anyway right, so i could set both tanks on top?

 

red algae? the only red-algae i've seen is cyano. that's really interesting. so, it might not actually make that much of a difference? I was also thinking that the increased net volume of the water might lend itself to greater stability, but i watch my tank like a hawk anyway so perhaps it wouldn't be worth it.

Yes, Cyano was growing in my back chamber because that's where most of the nutrients were and my Chaeto was not growing like I wanted it to. I tore it down before I had Cyano in my main tank. Like Gena said, it helps with stability if it's much bigger than your tank, otherwise it's just cool for macros or invertebrates.

[thecoralbeauty]

Yes, Cyano was growing in my back chamber because that's where most of the nutrients were and my Chaeto was not growing like I wanted it to. I tore it down before I had Cyano in my main tank. Like Gena said, it helps with stability if it's much bigger than your tank, otherwise it's just cool for macros or invertebrates.

well, how much bigger would it need to be? i was thinking 20 gallon DT with a 20 gal fuge would at lest double my net volume and hence double the stability, but i could be totally wrong. i have no idea about these things lol