The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread

[shilala]

I'm pretty sure you're the one who turned me on to the gel stuff in the first place. It was either you or Steve (fissure).

Rhodactis are becoming my new weed. They are very hard to get off a surface. They keep splitting.
Penelope has to ham it up for the camera.

[shilala]

I so miss our sail fin tang. I wonder if a new one would get along with our yellow tank? They're so mellow, I can't even imagine them fighting.

[shilala]

Last night after lights out I fed my corals in the dark. I dumped a bunch of Phyto and some brine shrimp in there. I figured that'd also benefit my copepods which seem non-existant aside from tons of bristle worms (assuming they qualify as copepods).
I did it because I already had another 20 gallon water change ready, and I'm feeding pretty agressively as stuff is really getting a foothold and responding well.
I had been feeding frozen food and phyto every other day, and had completely stopped flake. Then I eased way back on feeding and the fish helped with the brown hair. Now I ramped the food and am continuing water changes.
I've replaced 60 gallons of water now in a very short time, and still plan to do regular 20 gallon changes until the brown hair is completely managed. It's almost completely under control already, but I still hair a little green algae growth on the glass that I'm okay with. It's a very small amount.
I've moved some corals up in the water column and they're doing well with the light. I glued some fast, and a couple are ready to be glued.
Friday we go to Washington and we'll probably go to my fish store down in Pittsburgh and get some corals. Just a few simple carpeting things. Mainly I want to snag some pulsing xenia's, yellow polyps, and maybe some other easy cheap stuff that catches my eye.
I'd love to grab a couple fish, but they'd have to be super special and super small to make me consider it. Mostly I'd like to find a couple cool shrimp and reef stars.
I should probably just stay home.

[Wolfgang]

yellow tangs can be territorial. Not nearly as bad as the purple or black tangs but is let the new guy float for quite a while.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang

yellow tangs can be territorial. Not nearly as bad as the purple or black tangs but is let the new guy float for quite a while.

Believe it or not, black are more docile. Mine is a nice guy.
Purple is the worst.

For acclamation, what I always did for customers and myself is use a large enough plastic container, with holes drilled all over it, with a lid.
Place the new fish in the bottle as it sits in the tank (as otherwise you won't have water in it with the holes).
Place the container in a corner or behind a rock where the fish is less stressed.
Aggressors will see him and think he is free and about to beat up on and they will stare him down a while.
Leave him in there overnight or until you no longer see aggression towards him but best at least one overnight.

[Wolfgang]

Diddnt you have to put your black tang in the time out container to allow another fist to become acclimated?

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang

Diddnt you have to put your black tang in the time out container to allow another fist to become acclimated?

I may have had to perhaps once. Don't recall. Certainly not more than that. Then agsin, he was much smaller the last time I added any fish, which is years now.
He is actually one of the most peaceful tangs I ever recall. I only have two in the tank with the other being a very large Red Sea Blonde Naso.

99% of the time, the new one did the time in the container.
Seems to have always worked well with a rare exception.

I was hoping you would chime in, Carlos. I remember that procedure from somewhere earlier in this thread.

[Blueface]

Also, what always goes a long way is to also shuffle some rocks around if possible.
Difficult to do with well established reefs but if possible, what it does is confuse the current inhabitants and they spend their quality time finding a new home rather than bothering the new inhabitant.
This clearly works much better with non reef tanks with bleached corals as my tank as easier to shift things around.

[Wolfgang]

I feel the need to add some more fishies to my 90 now

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang

I feel the need to add some more fishies to my 90 now

Just like condoms for sex, Quarantine is a must if adding new fish.
What a freaking analogy.

I just traded some rhodactis and other frags for a frogspawn. Bought a few more hermit crabs and snails while I was there. I saw a candy coral called kryptonite that was extremely bright fluorescent green. My tank is too full right now.
I think the frogspawn will be able to fight back the rhodactis. This will be easier than trying to kill it.

[Wolfgang]

Originally Posted by Blueface

Just like condoms for sex, Quarantine is a must if adding new fish.
What a freaking analogy.

Very nice!

Originally Posted by BC-Axeman

I just traded some rhodactis and other frags for a frogspawn. Bought a few more hermit crabs and snails while I was there. I saw a candy coral called kryptonite that was extremely bright fluorescent green. My tank is too full right now.
I think the frogspawn will be able to fight back the rhodactis. This will be easier than trying to kill it.

Sounds like a green nepthea (sp?) in the picture the polyps are closed.

Originally Posted by Wolfgang

Very nice!



Sounds like a green nepthea (sp?) in the picture the polyps are closed.

Same color but it was large polyp. Looked just like candy coral.

[shilala]

Another $50.00 down the reef chute.
I broke a canopy the other day. I went to the pet store here and picked one up, it's too short so I have to take it back. I found the exact replacement at Foster & Smith.
Why I don't just shop there in the first place, I'll never know. I absolutely love that outfit.
I was gonna get new t5 bulbs too, but I don't know if I'm ready for them yet. If the critters are any indication of whether they're okay or not, they're great. The ends of the tubes look good, too.
I think I just changed them when I moved here because I had an extra brand new set.

Brings me to a question...
Where can I get t5 bulbs on the cheap, or do I just order them from Foster and Smith? I have this light. It's the 48" model. Everyone tells me these lights last 8 months, but Foster Smith says 18 months to two years. What should I think?

[shilala]

My fixture is actually a 432 watt 8 lamp fixture, but it's the same one shown in the link I put up there. Not sure why it's different, I got it quite a few years ago.
I just looked at the tubes, they definately need replaced. I am not excited about paying $170.00 for lightbulbs. Really. *barf*

[Wolfgang]

Unfortunately thats what I pay for bulbs too. Hopefully somone will have a better source. I m stuck using 6 54 watt t5's

[OLS]

I am not sure there IS a cheap lamp place that I would trust to actually sell what they claim to be selling.
While it has no crushing effect on the corals per se, it will encourage algal growth which no one wants.
So Foster and Smith are telling you about the "lifetime' of the lamp, you want to stay focused on the actual
spectral-accuracy life of the lamp. Which is about half of the actual life of the lamp. If it was just for room light,
who would care? But of course it's not. And of course, you KNOW this, I am just reminding you. How was
that last algae outbreak, lol. You KNOW reef-keeping is ridiculously expensive. Pouring perfectly good salty water
down the drain, lamps, replacement corals and fish for all the ones we kill. It's hell,

Sadly it's just about time for me to have to change out lamps, too. I save them though, in case I ever need to
grow weed.

Originally Posted by OLS

I am not sure there IS a cheap lamp place that I would trust to actually sell what they claim to be selling.
While it has no crushing effect on the corals per se, it will encourage algal growth which no one wants.
So Foster and Smith are telling you about the "lifetime' of the lamp, you want to stay focused on the actual
spectral-accuracy life of the lamp. Which is about half of the actual life of the lamp. If it was just for room light,
who would care? But of course it's not. And of course, you KNOW this, I am just reminding you. How was
that last algae outbreak, lol. You KNOW reef-keeping is ridiculously expensive. Pouring perfectly good salty water
down the drain, lamps, replacement corals and fish for all the ones we kill. It's hell,

Sadly it's just about time for me to have to change out lamps, too. I save them though, in case I ever need to
grow weed.

What he said!

Time for new lamps here too. I haven't found a better place than Drs. Foster & Smith yet.