Ask Nano Questions and Find Information (Nano Expert Albert Thiel)

alberthiel · Jan 1, 2013

Pods and more Pods and even more Pods

Link : You Can't Tell Your "Pods" Without A Program by Ronald L. Shimek, Ph.D. - Reefkeeping.com

alberthiel · Jan 1, 2013

Stony Coral Parasites by Dana Riddle (I) Copepods and there are over 200 Parasitic ones known at this point ...

Link : Aquarium Corals: Stony Coral Parasites: Part One: Copepods, Not Just Red Bugs — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

alberthiel · Jan 1, 2013

Stony Coral Parasites ( II ) Black and Red Bugs

Link : Aquarium Corals: Stony Coral Parasites: Red and Black Bugs: Identification Guide, Preventive Measures, and a Review of Treatment Protocols — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

alberthiel · Jan 1, 2013

Stony Coral Parasites : Copepod II - Xarifiidae

A most unusual parasite of several stony corals that can release a substance that makes the coral open its feeding mouth after which the parasite enters the mouth and infects the coral.

Link : Aquarium Corals: Stony Coral Parasites, Part Two: Copepods: Family Xarifiidae — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

alberthiel · Jan 1, 2013

Parasitic Copepods ( III ) - Soft Corals Enemies including Zoanthids and Anemones and More

Link Feature Article: Parasitic Copepods: Enemies of Soft Corals, False Corals, Gorgonians, Anemones, Zoanthids, and Tridacna Clams — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

alberthiel · Jan 1, 2013

A Hobbyist's experience with an Acropora species Parasite: Tegastes ?

Link : Feature Article: An Aquarist's Experiences With A Species Of Acropora Parasites — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

And a link to an article by Dr. Shimek on Tegastes and other coral parasites

Bitty Bugs: Copepods in the Reef Aquarium by Ronald L. Shimek, Ph.D. - Reefkeeping.com

alberthiel · Jan 1, 2013

On the Use of Interceptor against Tegastus Acropora Red Bugs

Â© Melev's Reef

The drug used in the treatment is Interceptor which needs to be obtained from a Vet. Use at your own risk if you decide to try this method

Link : Melevsreef.com - Interceptor | Red Bug treatment

LukeG · Jan 1, 2013

I'm surprised you aren't getting a lot of questions. I haven't had a reef tank set up since the late 90s. I've decided a couple of months ago to jump back in. Needless to say, a lot has changed in that time.

I'm setting up a 20 gallon tall with a DIY refugium/sump to house my skimmer, macro algae and return pump. I'm planning on setting up a mixed reef with maybe a small goby and a shrimp or two. I'd like to be able to keep all types of corals without my lights hindering my selections. Here are my questions.

1. What lighting to do you use on your 20 gallon and what light would you recommend? I'm leaning towards a DIY LED but I can get the basic reef breeders light for about the same cost.

2. I plan on running a filter sock for mechanical filtration. Any drawbacks or better alternatives?

3. What return pump would you recommend? I used to swear by the mag drives but I need something quiet with enough flow to T off to a future reactor or 2 if necessary.

4. What do you think of Miracle Mud? Would I be better off with live rock rubble? I plan on having macro algae and run the refugium light 24/7.

5. I have a used skimmer,power head and heater. Is there anything else I'm missing?

Thank you in advance.

Luke

alberthiel · Jan 1, 2013

LukeG said:
I'm surprised you aren't getting a lot of questions. I haven't had a reef tank set up since the late 90s. I've decided a couple of months ago to jump back in. Needless to say, a lot has changed in that time.

I'm setting up a 20 gallon tall with a DIY refugium/sump to house my skimmer, macro algae and return pump. I'm planning on setting up a mixed reef with maybe a small goby and a shrimp or two. I'd like to be able to keep all types of corals without my lights hindering my selections. Here are my questions.

1. What lighting to do you use on your 20 gallon and what light would you recommend? I'm leaning towards a DIY LED but I can get the basic reef breeders light for about the same cost.

2. I plan on running a filter sock for mechanical filtration. Any drawbacks or better alternatives?

3. What return pump would you recommend? I used to swear by the mag drives but I need something quiet with enough flow to T off to a future reactor or 2 if necessary.

4. What do you think of Miracle Mud? Would I be better off with live rock rubble? I plan on having macro algae and run the refugium light 24/7.

5. I have a used skimmer,power head and heater. Is there anything else I'm missing?

Thank you in advance.

Luke

Yes I am kind of surprised too but I think it has to do with the time of the year, and feel that in a week or two things will start to pick up when everyone is over the Holidays and their focus on that ... I see a good deal of views of the thread though as I have posted many links to articles of interest and have started putting a few articles in the Library. I have a thread on another forum where there are not all that many questions either but there are over 88.000 views in the six months that thread has been running.

But to answer your questions :

1. I use 6500 K CFT/CFL bulbs 100 watt equivalent over the 20 High I run but except for the Pavona and the 4 frags from it I do not have any SPS corals in the tank so that light is sufficient and the spectrum is good and those bulbs have a good PAR as well.

For your tank if you are going to set up a mixed tank and do not want to be limited then I think going with a DIY LED set up would be the better way to go with a 50/50 mix of white and blue, dimmable and with space left in the canopy so you can add more LED's when needed.

2. Yes a filter sock is fine of course. Just remember that the finer it is the more it will trap, and the more often you will need to clean it. Do not go too fine as you do not want to filter out the plankton that some of your corals will feed on. In fact I just use filter floss and in a rather loose way so it only traps the larger detritus especially when I blow off the live rock twice a week.

3. I think one of those Eheim Compact Plus pumps with suction cups at the bottom would be good as they are quite silent and the suction cups will not only keep it in place but only reduce the noise even further. They make several sizes so get one with a high output as if you want to branch it off to reactors you will need a real powerful ones, especially since you will have a few feet of head as well. The model 5000 is rated at over 1300 gallons but with a few feet of head you will not get that, and if I remember correctly you can adjust the flow on that one. Alternatively the Sicce Syncra ones come in several sizes with even more output.

4. In the refugium put some live sand and a little rock but not too much but put a lot of macro algae e.g. Cheato and the like and even a few red mangroves if you wish and run a slow flow rate through it. Seed it with some pods and you will have a good supply of them all the time as they'll keep multiplying and can stay in the Chaeto for the most part until you need some for the aquarium at which point shaking the chaeto a little will allow you to scoop some out for the tank. I would not use the Miracle Mud but just real live sand or inert sand and see it with a little live sand and put sand stirrers in the refugium (brittle stars etc ..and anytime you see Bristle worms that you can grab out of the tank dump them in the fuge. Cerith snails can go in there as well. Of course in the tank you will need a CUC too. I do not suggest Hermit crabs as IMO they are too unpredictable and can turn on your for no apparent reason and instead of feasting on algae and the like they suddenly decide to go after Zoas and corals.

A small Urchin would be fine too in the tank, but a 3 inch type one ... I recently saw one that I had not seen for a long time: the Armadillo one, Colobocentrotus atratus at my local LFS, but there are other small ones.

5. You will need a real good skimmer if you are going to keep a lot of corals so make sure it is an oversized one for your tank (venturi would be best)

Of course no need to mention really but you need chemical filtration media, say GAC and GFO or Al. oxide, and maybe even a Poly Filter from Poly Bio Marine. I use GAC, GFO and the Poly Filter cut up and use 1/3 of it at a time after rinsing it well.

Yes a good PH is needed but to get more turbulent flow 2 would be better, one on the short side blowing towards the other short side and one on the back long side blowing toward the front should keep the circulation pretty well turbulent enough. Of course you can go Vortech with the regulators but I am not sure you want to go for that much as their cost is IMO far too high for what they do.

Other than that, the right valves etc .. for the water going down and back up to the tank so you cannot have a siphon effect that could empty the tank.

As additives you can go with Kalkwasser or a two part additive to keep calcium and alk at the right level.

Of course do not forget all the test kits you need including Magnesium.

Anyway I think I covered what you asked about but if you have other questions go ahead and post them and I'll see them in the morning as I am signing off for the evening

alberthiel · Jan 2, 2013

Plerogryra and Physogyra corals : The Bubble Corals ...

Link to a detailed article on them and needed care: Aquarium Corals: The Bubble Corals: Species of the Genera Plerogyra and Physogyra — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

alberthiel · Jan 2, 2013

Wired Science gets the scoop on how the elaborate coral exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences was created, and how the museum introduced the coral into it's new environment.

Link to the Video : http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/5/video

LukeG · Jan 2, 2013

Thanks for the quick responses. Here are a couple more.

1. How many CFL bulbs do you run?

2. Would it be cost effective to use several bulbs in place of LEDs? If so, how many?

I would guess you'd have to run 6 or 8 to have SPS.

Albie23 · Jan 2, 2013

I have a small question.

I have a 29g oceanic bio cube and the last few days the water has been cloudy for a few days. I did a water change around the 21st of Dec. Did about 12 gals. And i just run the filter under water and put it back in. I didn't have new one to replace. The tank as been fine(clear) about 3 days ago it started.
Its there something I can do. Or just let it cycle?

Thanks

alberthiel · Jan 2, 2013

LukeG said:
Thanks for the quick responses. Here are a couple more.

1. How many CFL bulbs do you run?

2. Would it be cost effective to use several bulbs in place of LEDs? If so, how many?

I would guess you'd have to run 6 or 8 to have SPS.

I run two 6500 K on a 20 gallon (but due to rock displacement it probably holds 17 gals).

1 per 10 gallons and use the 23 watt - 100 watt equivalent ... Cost of running them is low but LED is lower still but CFL is very cost efficient IME. Running too many is going to take up a lot of space though so LED may be better if you need many.

For SPS you may need to go to higher K degree lighting depending on what SPS you keep ... you may need to go up to 14 K with LED's, and there are no CFT's with that kind of rating.

I have not tried running that many to keep SPS but it would be more efficient and better lighting to run LED's ... what SPS are you thinking of keeping ? Let me know and I can make addl recs

alberthiel · Jan 2, 2013

Albie23 said:
I have a small question.

I have a 29g oceanic bio cube and the last few days the water has been cloudy for a few days. I did a water change around the 21st of Dec. Did about 12 gals. And i just run the filter under water and put it back in. I didn't have new one to replace. The tank as been fine(clear) about 3 days ago it started.
Its there something I can do. Or just let it cycle?

Thanks

If the tank is new and you are still in the cycling period then all you are seeing is a bacterial bloom which is normal and nothing to worry about, just let the tank cycle. The cloudiness will go away but you will have more things happening during the cycle such as diatoms showing up ... just siphon those out. After a while they will not come back. Also PO$ remover Aluminum oxide removes silicates which is what the diatoms feed on.

So just let it cycle and if you have more questions feel free to post them here.

alberthiel · Jan 2, 2013

Using Tap Water for your Nano Reef ... what are the dangers .. what could it contain? What about Chloramine ?

Link : Aquarium Chemistry: Tap Water in Reef Aquaria — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

alberthiel · Jan 2, 2013

LukeG said:
I would guess you'd have to run 6 or 8 to have SPS.

ON SPS ... I would need to know which ones you are intending to keep to make some suggestions on Lighting for those types of corals ... Do let me know which ones you have in mind .. Thanks

alberthiel · Jan 2, 2013

What is an acceptable pH range for your Nano-Reef - Alkalinity and lower pH levels - Impact on Calcification

Link : Aquarium Chemistry: Measuring pH with a Meter — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

Albie23 · Jan 2, 2013

alberthiel said:
If the tank is new and you are still in the cycling period then all you are seeing is a bacterial bloom which is normal and nothing to worry about, just let the tank cycle. The cloudiness will go away but you will have more things happening during the cycle such as diatoms showing up ... just siphon those out. After a while they will not come back. Also PO$ remover Aluminum oxide removes silicates which is what the diatoms feed on.

So just let it cycle and if you have more questions feel free to post them here.

Thanks for the quick replay..

My bio cube has been up and running since Sept 9th. Almost 2.5 weeks of cycle and then I started putting fish in..
I have in the tank a 3 inch clown. crab, turbo snail and a chrome.