DarkXerox Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Well I was wondering who ran nanos without skimmers or any sort of massive nutrient export? I am planning on switching over to SPS, but I do not want any of the brownouts associated with high nutrient levels. I supposed that I could turn my middle chamber into a chaeto area, but I would rather not have macroalgae at this point. I suppose I could get a HOB skimmer, but I am not sure if I want to put down that kind of bank. Also I do not want to make my own either. However if there is a good HOB skimmer that you guys recommend then I will go for it perhaps. Btw I have a 12G JBJ nanocube, but I am going to go topless : and hang a 150w Icecap Flood pendant above it in the next week. Also one last thing, Asterina stars? Bad or good when SPS is around? Link to comment
jmt Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 I like asterinas and have a few in a tank with SPS. Get a small Sanders Piccolo. It *might* fit in the back of a topless NC. Link to comment
ProFlatlander15 Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 i run a fuge...my SPS is happy... of course macro is nutrient export but my macro is small Link to comment
yoshiod9 Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 asterina stars in a sps tank = BAD NEWS! ask mike paletta(famous author and reefkeeper)...he can show you pictures of the damage asterina's can do. Link to comment
DarkXerox Posted March 22, 2005 Author Share Posted March 22, 2005 Is it another one of those situations like bristleworms where there usually is like only a few species that cause issues? Link to comment
yoshiod9 Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 no, i believe it is more dependent upon if the asterina stars are getting enough to eat besides your corals...i've been taking them out whenever i see them! Link to comment
youngandstupid Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 I have been running a 26 gallon SPS tank without any type of mechanical filtration, and all of my acros, montiporas and others have kept their color and continue to grow very nicely. Link to comment
youngandstupid Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 some pics are on my thread at http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/showthread...es&pagenumber=2 Link to comment
Kogut Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 My 20L has no skimmer on it now. And it hasn't for about 3 months... Before that it only had a seaclone 100... It'll be getting a nice Remora in May, but until then, I rely on my chaeto to do the nutrient export for me. And it's only what can fit into the CPR 18" HOB fuge... I think the main thing is really just knowing your tank and how it behaves... Link to comment
DarkXerox Posted March 22, 2005 Author Share Posted March 22, 2005 Yeah, I'm leanin towards the aqua C remora now. I don't need to eat next month right? haha Damn but I guess I'll have to take out the asterinas---to think I added them as detritivores. Link to comment
Sushi Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 just a note... i have the remora and i can't even keep birdsnest alive but then that might just b/c i don't really test for Ca or dose anything really; i only rely on my weekly %10 h2o changes... that might be my downfall one day Link to comment
Steve973 Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 I wouldn't worry about asterinas unless they pose a problem. Unfortunately, garf.org has circulated rumors about these starfish, and they haven't convinced me that these starfish eat coral. Perhaps they eat dead tissue off of the coral, and mike paletta is blaming it on the starfish. I have had these starfish for a year, and they've been splitting and reproducing the entire time, and they don't eat coral in my tank. Link to comment
Withers Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 When you want to set up an SPS tank, you have to try and mimic the environment that they come from, lots of water movement, and very low nutrients. A big ole skimmer helps in keeping nutrients low, but there are other options. Fuges can work, and weekly water changes help. I would think that combining all of the above would be the best alternative. One last thing, if you are just in the planning stages of the setup, I think there are better tanks suited for what you need than a nanocube. A 150 watt HQI pendant could probably light an oceanic 30 cube pretty easily, and you wouldn't have any problem mounting a HOB skimmer on the back. You could also use a 2/3 live rock to base rock ratio and take it slow so the bacteria can have time to spread out to the base rock. Link to comment
yoshiod9 Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Originally posted by Steve973 I wouldn't worry about asterinas unless they pose a problem. Unfortunately, garf.org has circulated rumors about these starfish, and they haven't convinced me that these starfish eat coral. Perhaps they eat dead tissue off of the coral, and mike paletta is blaming it on the starfish. I have had these starfish for a year, and they've been splitting and reproducing the entire time, and they don't eat coral in my tank. call them rumors if you like but they do eat the tissue off sps corals. you're basically playing russian roulette if you're keeping sps and allowing asterina's to multiply like you have been. i've seen pictures of a fully healty colony of stylophora that an asterina got to and there were small sections on one branch that had the flesh stripped to the skeleton. pretty sure that since the rest of the tissue around the dead areas was unaffected that the tissue wasn't dying off thus allowing the asterina's a meal. they ate the live tissue. but whatever, you don't have to believe mike paletta and his experiences. do a search for asterina starfish and see what comes up. Link to comment
onthefly Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 I had some asterinas.......saw one munchin' on my birdnest. Since then, he and his homies have been yanked out and I haven't seen one in over a year! BTW.....skimmerless 5.5 w/o macroalgae, and loaded with SPS! Link to comment
Withers Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Yeah but I bet it also doesn't have a bioload other than a cleanup crew Link to comment
DarkXerox Posted March 22, 2005 Author Share Posted March 22, 2005 Yeah this is an interesting debate since wetwebmedia said that these guys are ok and hobbyists love having something to blame besides themselves haha. I'll ask the guy from the LFS for his opinion about this since he has a huge SPS tank at work. I do have a high bioload (cherub angel, perc, cleaner shrimp, pompom, bunch of hermits, etc.). However I am not in the planning stages since my tank is already set up and has been since nov. A bigger tank is out of the question since there is no room in my dorm (however next year it could very well happen). Uchiha: Hmm well I don't really follow much of a test regimen either, but I do dose kalk and do 10% weekly. Link to comment
Withers Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 I know there have been actual accounts of those stars eating SPS. I think there are lots of different types of asterina stars, and some of them are harmful, and some of them are not. Link to comment
bobioden Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 I have been running my 15g, loaded with SPS, LPS, Softies, and a Clam, for over a year and no skimmer. I keep up with my weekly water changes, have a Fuge w/Cheato, grow a small patch of Xenia, and the Clam. All which are used to keep my nutrients down. I have thought of adding one from time to time, but like they say, if it ain't broke don't fix it. I had always had Asternias and have never seen them munching on anything. My Blackcap basslet loves to play with them. I will see him pick one off the glass, or off the rock and run it back to his cave. He probably has a nice stash of them in there. Bob Link to comment
DarkXerox Posted March 23, 2005 Author Share Posted March 23, 2005 haha nice, well I'll have to keep an eye on em then. If I find a good deal on a skimmer then I'll go for it. Link to comment
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