kimura Posted February 19, 2003 Share Posted February 19, 2003 Mannnnn......I messed up! I listened to my wife and she was asking for a carnation coral, cause it's pink. I ask the guy what they need and he said just light and some feeding for DT's. Well I go home do some research and find out that they need to be feed constanly!!!!!!!!!! Now I'm feeding DT's twice a day, it's a good thing that I have a skimmer, i'm noticing a lot of dark green/ brown skimate. This sucks!!!!! Link to comment
Crakeur Posted February 19, 2003 Share Posted February 19, 2003 aren't they also a low light species? night feeding, what a *****. Link to comment
DeskJockey Posted February 19, 2003 Share Posted February 19, 2003 I would turn off the skimmer for a few hours after feeding DT's. This way it has more time to be taken up by your corals instead of your skimmer. Remember DT's is alive so it can remain in the tank for a while. Some people believe it can remain in the tank until its either digested by your corals or removed via water change or skimmer. BTW it does need low light Link to comment
kimura Posted February 19, 2003 Author Share Posted February 19, 2003 Well, I do turn off the skimmer for a hour, but i'll increase the duration to allow the carnation to feed. I've also read that lighting doesn't matter, many have noticed that it will feed with or without light. So far it rises up when feeding, that I notice this throughout the day. This is a prime example not to buy any animal by looks alone. I hate to think that I'm gonna be responsible for it IF it dies. Link to comment
Korbin Posted February 20, 2003 Share Posted February 20, 2003 QUICK! Trade it for something worthwhile! Link to comment
sjpresley Posted February 21, 2003 Share Posted February 21, 2003 Well, as long as you are going to be feeding....get more aposymbiotic corals or filter feeder type animals. I have a Tubastrea faulkneri, hitch-hiker Cladocora, a boxing crab, some feather dusters, a bunch of very small ophiuroids, a basket star (special free bonus with my Muricea), a cool funky sponge with tunicates attached....just a whole community that I feed a couple hours after the lights go out about 4-5 days a week. I thaw a cube of 5 or so different frozen foods, mix it all up, refreeze, and then use it to feed the fish, corals and everything. This winds up creating a great deal of very small particles for the corals and other filter feeders Doing this I have even seen growth in a small purple tunicate I was given by an LFS (from what I have read they usually don't make it). It really adds dimension to your tank to have all these guys running out to get fed at night. Link to comment
Crakeur Posted February 21, 2003 Share Posted February 21, 2003 you can also try black powder. sprinkle some on the water's surface about 30 minutes before the lights go out. This allows feeding to both daylight and nocturnal animals. The powder slowly submerges and gets whirled around the tank via the powerheads and does an excellent job of feeding the tank. Link to comment
Mnesarchus Posted February 21, 2003 Share Posted February 21, 2003 Carnations are very beautiful, but not worth the hassle IMO. Borneman has them listed as "Extraordinarily difficult to keep." Link to comment
DeskJockey Posted February 21, 2003 Share Posted February 21, 2003 Do me a favor Kimura! Go to Aquatic and ask Brian about Cyclop-Eze. Tell him your interested in it and if they will carry it. Why? Well Ive been trying to get them to carry it, as it is a very good zooplankton. Phyto works but many corals can benifit from a "meaty" plankton. And this of course would be great for that carnation. Im just hoping they'll try it out if enough people show interest. p.s. Dont worry Im not some sales rep! Link to comment
kimura Posted February 24, 2003 Author Share Posted February 24, 2003 Thanks guys for your input. sjpresley: I was considering get more filter feeders since I'll be be almost heavily with the carnation. I think my systems mature enough for some starfish and other sandbed feeders. Crakeur: So is that the Marc weiss's Black Powder? If so I'd consider that if that would help reduce feedings. I'd like to keep it to 3 light feedings a week. Mnesarchus: Well one thing's for sure they are very difficult. I try to watch as see when it's up and feeding. And if it's close enough to feeding time then I prepare a phyto mix and feed it directly. It's becoming a hassle. DeskJockey: That sounds pretty intresting. I'd like to learn more about that. That sounds like something I could use. I've read that they like phyto but it also mentions that they filter a more meaty substance in the wild. Plus it would add varity to the feeding. Man, this is getting difficult trying to support it. I thought that my sun corals were hard but now I have to watch for this thing. But so far my efforts seem to be improving the condition of the carnation. It's a bit larger from when I first got it. It's almost alway up and feeding, and it doesn't seem to be losing anymore of it's little white & yellow spikes. On the Down side.......hair algae's starting to grow. And I've noticed some cyano. Time to start scrubing........ Link to comment
Crakeur Posted February 24, 2003 Share Posted February 24, 2003 yes, that's the black powder I was referring to. Not sure if it will help but it might make feedings easier. Hell, give it a shot and if it don't work, at least ya tried. Link to comment
kimura Posted February 24, 2003 Author Share Posted February 24, 2003 well thank you Crakeur, It's worth a shot......I'll let you know how it goes. Link to comment
Crakeur Posted February 24, 2003 Share Posted February 24, 2003 I always liked the look of those chilli corals and the sun polyps but I just don't have the stones (or the patience) to deal with the difficult feeding techniques needed. If the black powder works, I might go and give it a shot. Link to comment
kimura Posted February 24, 2003 Author Share Posted February 24, 2003 Hey DeskJockey, is this the one you are referring to? http://www.jehmco.com/PRODUCTS_/FISH_FOODS...yclop-eeze.html Link to comment
DeskJockey Posted February 24, 2003 Share Posted February 24, 2003 Kimura- Thats the freeze dried version. The link I sent you was regarding the frozen bar. They both would work but I would prefer the frozen bar myself. Freeze dried stuff floats and is difficult to feed as it wont remain in suspension like the other. That place does sell the bar though http://www.jehmco.com/PRODUCTS_/FISH_FOODS...eze_frozen.html They are really pricey if you only buy one bar though. If you are interested and if we can find a few others we could pitch in for a bulk order. Link to comment
kimura Posted February 24, 2003 Author Share Posted February 24, 2003 Sounds good! I just read some reviews/articles and what others have said about it on RC. I like it:) I'm interested......everyone here should check it out. It's another great way to alternate the types of food we feed to our reefs. Link to comment
DeskJockey Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 Hey kimura!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and anyone else in diego) They FINALY ordered a box of cyclop-eeze over at aquatic!!! Yeah, see what pestering, probing, and crying like a ninny will get ya! I walk in there and Brian points at me and with this crazy ass look on his face yells "Dooooood". And there I am like a deer in headlights, yeah it was funny. Anyway go get some its only $10 bucks a bar! Link to comment
Crakeur Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 desk, the idea behind the freeze dried black powder is that it will slowly sink so that it gradually feeds the tank. By adding little bit about an hour or so before lights out, the fish will try and eat it and bring some down, then, as the night progresses, more will sink and enter the water flow, thus feeding the tank. Does it work? Couldn't tell you as I don't use it enough to see any drastic results but I can say that when I first started using it I suddenly had an insane sponge growth (overtaken by algae in the past couple of months) and I noticed feather dusters sprouting out of the rock so it wasn't detrimental to the tank. I feed very little now as I am still battling the algae and I am so damned lazy. Maybe I'll get back to feeding with it again. Link to comment
DeskJockey Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 crak- I wasnt referring to the black powder. Actually Ive never seen it myself so I didnt even know it was freeze dried but I guess "powder" would make you think it was =) sponge growth does sound promising though. Link to comment
Crakeur Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 sponge growth is only promising within the tank. I hate when I go to wash a dish and the sponge has grown to double it's size. Link to comment
kimura Posted February 26, 2003 Author Share Posted February 26, 2003 SWEET!!!!!! I'm there. Thanks DeskJockey. Oh and Crakeur, they have a combination of the black powder and something else, I think i'll try that one. I'll let you know. Link to comment
Crakeur Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 might be a red powder - something vital. I have that too but don't really use it as it sounds to me like it works best when cycling a new tank with live rock in it. Link to comment
kimura Posted February 27, 2003 Author Share Posted February 27, 2003 If that's the case then the cheaper Blackpowder will do. So far I haven't heard anything bad about the product. I'll get next payday(you know how that goes, family first...hehehe). Link to comment
kimura Posted February 28, 2003 Author Share Posted February 28, 2003 Well I just got the Cyclop-Eze. My wife got it for me and let me tell you, the stuff is AWESOME! My carnation totally came up to feed AND........the sun corals came out in full force. They usually come out one at a time and just partially. This time almost all of them were out! Now I'm gonna try the black powder between feedings to see if that helps out. I'm really excited about it. I'll keep you posted on how the black powder goes. Link to comment
Crakeur Posted February 28, 2003 Share Posted February 28, 2003 sounds good. Cycop-eze might be on my list of things to buy. Link to comment
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