The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread

[shilala]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang

Thank you, its a bit sparse currently.

Do you know what kind of clam you got? Corsea, Dersea, Maximus, gigas, squamosa?
Pictures when they are all happy and extended.

Yeah, it's a blue one. It's about 1 1/2" long, white on the outside and blue on the inside.
He only opens a little bit in the bowl. I've decided to call it a Harv Clam until we figure out what it is, then Lisa will probably name it. It's hers, she picked it out.
I have no idea what any of my stuff is. I take that back, we have a big Kenya tree. I know what my fish are, too.

[shilala]

I finally got my salinity up and my lights backed down, and my tank is just hanging in there. It really took a shock from moving here in January. Lots of die-back of algae and live rock.
Right now it's cycling again, to some extent. The hair algae is back despite absolute zero phosphate. I'm pretty sure I'm dealing with silicates for two reasons...
1.) My ro/di unit is desperately overdue for a filters/membrane changeout.
2.) I scrub my water with a diatom filter.
Once I get my new cartridges in the ro/di, water changes should solve that in short order, and I'll clean up the diatom filter and put it away for a long nap.
I'm really happy to be at the "sit and wait" period. I'm gonna let the green and brown algae grow till it peters out and the skimmers will clean that up.
I'm looking forward to the break, this has been 3 grueling months of reef beatings.

[Wolfgang]

IT could actually be both. Phosphates will not show up on a test if you have algae growing. The Algae eats up the Po4 and to some extent the Nitrate too. Either way you are on the right track. Looking forward to seeing photos.

[shilala]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang

IT could actually be both. Phosphates will not show up on a test if you have algae growing. The Algae eats up the Po4 and to some extent the Nitrate too. Either way you are on the right track. Looking forward to seeing photos.

Thanks for that, brother. I did not know that at all. I hardly have any algae in there at all right now, I think I'll test the phosphate just for the hell of it.
If I can find my little camera, I'll take some pics as soon as I can.

[fissure]

If anyone is interested, I have some little things left over from my tear down that might be of use. Trades for a few sticks?? I'll look in the next few days but I know these off the top of my head.

Clear Filter housing with refillable DI cart
DI Resin ~5 pounds or so
Bulk reef supply feric oxide media (phosphate remover)
Inline digital TDS meter

[OLS]

I think I am going to snap a photo tonight, because as bad as the switchover from 40 down to 20 could have
gone, all I really got was a diatom bloom, and a small one at that. My two snails mowed that down and had a ball
doing it. I really like this setup better, the green chromis being the only two fish works better than trying to
feed a yellow tang that would not come out if I was in the room. Now everything is blown out and huge,
and although it is not a glamourous tank, there are no freaking aiptasia anymore, and that was the goal.
The two I had that managed to not be seen did not survive a face full of kalk paste. A LITTLE Valonia problem
persists, but it's pretty common on reefs & I am going to let it work itself out. I am not looking for another
emerald crab. My old one used to knock EVERYTHING over all the time. But all in all the tank looks pretty good
actually, for a ghetto, anyway.

[OLS]

Scott, I think I am going to pick up a small HOB skimmer this week. The only reason I restarted my tank,
and this is sadly hilarious, was that I had an old Berlin skimmer which requires a massive pump to aerate,
and some dead live rock. Everything else had to be bought. That junk wasn't worth 80 bucks, so I spent
probably 2000 to build a tank around 80 bucks. Ludicrous. But I did it anyway. But now I know I can
get by with a small HOB, although I do like the homemade overflow I made. I need a pic of that tonight, too.

[shilala]

Originally Posted by OLS

Scott, I think I am going to pick up a small HOB skimmer this week. The only reason I restarted my tank,
and this is sadly hilarious, was that I had an old Berlin skimmer which requires a massive pump to aerate,
and some dead live rock. Everything else had to be bought. That junk wasn't worth 80 bucks, so I spent
probably 2000 to build a tank around 80 bucks. Ludicrous. But I did it anyway. But now I know I can
get by with a small HOB, although I do like the homemade overflow I made. I need a pic of that tonight, too.

I'd suggest you get two, if they'll fit. There's little Coralife's that are real cheap. That way when one quits, the other will keep chugging until you realize the venturi tube is plugged with salt.
The other stuff...
You're preaching to the choir. You, by no means, have a monopoly on stupid, my friend.

I have been toying with getting a small, 10-20 gal, tank. I am still in a bit of shock! I had a 90 gal that had a pump in the bottom go bad....which destroyed the hardwoods downstairs. Any suggestions?

[shilala]

Originally Posted by Christiel49

I have been toying with getting a small, 10-20 gal, tank. I am still in a bit of shock! I had a 90 gal that had a pump in the bottom go bad....which destroyed the hardwoods downstairs. Any suggestions?

Try a nano-cube like Lance has. The pic is just up there a few posts.
I always thought they were cool, and they seem to do a great job at keeping the water nice.

[OLS]

Setting the whole thing up inside a baby pool.

[OLS]

OK, here is the 20 gallon as it looks 5 minutes ago. This tank was a junk tank for years, and is scratched up and seems to have some
diatoms on the glass that I missed, but you get the idea. My favorite fauna have to be the purple mushrooms, they are the sole reason
I did not chunk the whole lot. TOO fine to let go for free to some Ahole fish store. BUT also there is the purple gorgonian. These used
to be everywhere, now you can't find em. They frag so easy and grow superfast. They also clean the tank water with the thousands
of individuals that make up the colony. A few zoanthus species. Maybe more pics as I see stuff you would enjoy. Also note in the top
left corner, the upturned plastic bottle. The top has notched teeth that strain the top film from the water the way an overflow does.
The water that goes into it is piped directly to the waterfall filter. Imperfect system, but pretty dang effective til I get a HOB skimmer.
If it seems a bit undergrown, remember that the entire tank was stripped down and mostly all new structural live rock added only a few
weekends ago. You can't imagine the life that perished when I burned my live rock in fresh water for a few days, then pressure washed
it and put it on a rack to dry. SAD. This tank at 40 gals was CRAWLING with scuds and copepods and amphipods...crawling.

[Ahbroody]

Purtty.

[Wolfgang]

ill be trading some of my Green Montipora Cap for some Green star polyps and some eagle eyes zoanthids this weekend. Im excited.

[OLS]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang

ill be trading some of my Green Montipora Cap for some Green star polyps and some eagle eyes zoanthids this weekend. Im excited.

haha, I wish I lived closer to you, I got freaking star polyps coming out of my star polyps.
Keep em on the sand! Or sit em on a piece of junk rock on the sand. Anything they get within an inch of will
soon have star polyps growing on it.

[Wolfgang]

Originally Posted by OLS

haha, I wish I lived closer to you, I got freaking star polyps coming out of my star polyps.
Keep em on the sand! Or sit em on a piece of junk rock on the sand. Anything they get within an inch of will
soon have star polyps growing on it.

My goal is to have them cover the back glass of my tank. sure beats algae.

Side note. I was talking to my friend last night and he was telling me about someone who was asking if star polyps were hard to keep. His response was "You could scrape them off with a paint scraper, put them in your back pocket, and drive home and they will still be fine."

[OLS]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang

asking if star polyps were hard to keep. His response was "You could scrape them off with a paint scraper, put them in your back pocket, and drive home and they will still be fine."

You will cringe when you hear this, Wolfie, but last night I took a toothbrush to
some that had gotten into my Palythoa, and after reading your warnings about seamat in general,
I had to re-read an article describing the paly and protopalythoa as the most toxic of all, haha.
The purple base was easy to peel off of the polyps of seamat, but on porous rock it can be tougher.
Hopefully a toothbrush is more damaging than a back pocket, haha.



http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/2/inverts

[shilala]

Originally Posted by OLS

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/2/inverts

Excellent article, Brad. I started reading but I'm suffering zero retention right now. I saved it to my iPad home screen, I'll read it tonight when I can't sleep, or at coffee tomorrow morning.
It looks awesome, thank you!!!

[shilala]

Originally Posted by OLS

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/2/inverts

I finished up that article late last night, Brad. I very much enjoyed it, thank you!!!

Very nice OLS!! I love the mushrooms the best, too. I just like to watch for the little stuff