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

[alberthiel]

Hi. I was hoping you could give some advice in regards to my lighting.

I have a 24gal Current Aquapod (I've been told its now discontinued). Im still running the stock PC lighting it came with which was a 32w dual PC daylight and 32w dual actinic. Im having issues finding replacement bulbs for it so recently I had to switch to a 28w dual PC daylight.

In a perfect world I would love to upgrade and retro-fit LED's but I know nothing about electrical wiring and I have been unsuccessful in finding someone local to me that could help with that process. I just don't trust myself to follow a you tube video while spending a couple hundred.

But recently someone told me I could run T5's in it and that was confusing for me... There was a bit of a language barrier so I couldn't understand. Are T5's something I can switch out without having to change anything in my hood? Below I will list everything I have in my tank right now; Is it possible for me to be successful with my tank and a few corals such as zoas, and mushrooms (ricordia?) without changing the lighting Im using right now or do I need to change it.

Currently I have:

Peppermint shrimp
Skunk Cleaner
3 astrea snails
3 bumblebee snails
1 Small zoa colony that has watermelons and dragon eyes
and about 10-15 brown colored mushrooms

Eventually I will be adding a couple fish but Im starting slow this time around and trying to do lots of research to do things the right way.

I rotate feeding Mysis feast, emerald entree & marine cuisine (frozen food from our lfs). Is that sufficient for the zoas and mushrooms I have right now or should I be target feeding them something else to help them reproduce better?

Last question: The colors in my corals are pretty but I hear everyone talking about needing their corals to color up. Is there something I should be adding to help their color pop? Same thing with my coraline?

Water parameters are as follows: Amonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 5ppm, salinity 1.025, cal 440, temp 78
I need to measure my alkalinity and mag but I don't have tests for it yet Im working on it!

Thanks In advance and sorry about the long post! Im sure I'll have many more questions for you in the future. It's a privilege being able to ask questions of someone with such amazing knowledge.

I am not sure what ballasts are in that fixture and a quick search on the Net does not reveal much about them either. I Aquapod 24 no seems to come with either LED's or Metal Halides from what I can find.

The issue with changing to T5 or T5HO is whether the fixture you have now has the right kind of ballasts in it and the correct type of wiring.

I will do some more searching for you later today as I have to leave for a presentation I am making at a store and will not be back till late this afternoon, I will then try to look some more and see what I can come up with for you ...

TTYL and hopefully I can find answers to your question.

 

[alberthiel]

Tomorrow Friday, Saturday and Sunday I will be attending the Bucks County (PA - Phillie area) Convention both as an attendee and as a Speaker on Nano Reefs. I will try to keep up with things from the venue ...

Also we have a new Web Site that was given a soft launch and needs a few more whittles and bells add but you can see it here :
Nano Reef Aquarium Information

You can also order my Book and the Critter Torch and the e-Version of the book via that site .. and look for a special to come up this week end for this launch ... it will be for two days only : Saturday and Sunday ...

I will post the details on the Site in the Blog and News section with instructions on how to take care of the Special Week-End offer ...

 

[spacetime]

I find my tanks alk demands are a fraction of calcium. Is this an issue or should I just continue using much more of the B of the 2 part.

 

[alberthiel]

I find my tanks alk demands are a fraction of calcium. Is this an issue or should I just continue using much more of the B of the 2 part.

You should IME only add as much and what is needed to keep your tank's water at the recommended levels and not go by "add very day" or "so much of A and so much of B", it's what the water quality parameters are that should determine what you need to add. So if alk remains fairly steady then little or no addition is needed, unless your testing shows that what you are adding is not sufficient to keep the levels at their normal recommended ranges.

 

[alvintran]

How much food should I still feed my fallow tank while treating for ich to keep the benifical bacteria alive? Same amount? Smaller? Bigger?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[alberthiel]

How much food should I still feed my fallow tank while treating for ich to keep the benifical bacteria alive? Same amount? Smaller? Bigger?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

The same as what you feed your corals should be sufficient ...

 

[alberthiel]

Check out our new Web Stie if you have not done so yet for info on my new book Nano-Reef Aquariums, 448 pages full of info on Nanos.

Click on the image in my signature to get to the web site or on this link ... http://www.nanoreefs.info

All in color with nearly 290 images ...

 

[alberthiel]

Check out the Critter Torch Red LED light to view your tank at night and really figure out what is in your tank that you never see during the day !

Here is what the output of the Torch looks like in plain day light lying on the of my desk that has glass surface ..

And it does not get anything to back in hiding .. more details on my website (click in the image in my signature). Thanks

 

[alberthiel]

I have a few RED LED Critter Torches left but not many ..... and the price is RIGHT ... check it out in Products on our New Web Site : Nano Reef Aquarium Information by Albert Thiel or click on the image in my signature ... thanks ... and if you wish to get one .... as I said not many left ...

Have a nice Sunday !

 

[alberthiel]

As a SPECIAL for Reef2Reef Members I am offering the Nano-Reef Aquariums Book for $30.00 instead of $ 42.50 + Shipping AND you get a FREE e-Version and you also get a FREE 1 year (25 issue) subscription to the Nano-Reef Aquariums Newsletter.... FREE as well.

You cannot get this through the regular website Nano Reef Aquarium Information by Albert Thiel so you need to make the payment directly to my Paypal account, [email protected] and make sure your address is added.... This is for REEF2REEF members only and is valid thill midnight tonight Sunday July 14th! in honor of Bastille Day ...

If you do not have the book yet, this is a great offer ... and if you do not want to spend $30.00, here is another special : pay only $ 17.50 and get the e-Version rather than the printed, signed and dedicated version ....

 

[LukeG]

I have a few RED LED Critter Torches left but not many ..... and the price is RIGHT ... check it out in Products on our New Web Site : Nano Reef Aquarium Information by Albert Thiel or click on the image in my signature ... thanks ... and if you wish to get one .... as I said not many left ...

Have a nice Sunday !

I just sent the money via PayPal. If you don't have any left just let me know.

 

[alberthiel]

I just sent the money via PayPal. If you don't have any left just let me know.

Luke ... yours is packed and will be shipped out tomorrow ...

 

[alberthiel]

Ricordea florida under Kessil A360W set for Deep Ocean Blue ....

 

[LukeG]

Any idea where soft coral reefs are in Florida. I was hoping to see some Ricordia in the wild in the while I was in the keys but no softies on the reefs.

 

[alberthiel]

Any idea where soft coral reefs are in Florida. I was hoping to see some Ricordia in the wild in the while I was in the keys but no softies on the reefs.

Luke there are plenty but as you know unless you have a permit to collect you cannot take anything from the reefs or the beaches or nearby, not even Mangrove propagules that have started to show growth ... not sure how well this is enforced (mangroves) but on the reefs it is for sure and I would not take a chance to getting caught .... Now higher up the coast in the inland water ways there are a lot of different life forms but to my knowledge not soft corals but shrimp, snails, fish, crabs, and more (e.g. macro-algae) ... off the Florida coast both on the Atlantic side and in the Gulf collecting is not allowed. FWIW

 

[alberthiel]

Thanks Albert and yes prouder by the week. I have been blessed to have great children who are all doing well in life and equaly proud of my grandson and I am sure for those who follow.

Yes ... I can understand that Les ... and do post some pics .... like Paul has done for Greta .... as you may have seen ... and take care ....

 

[alberthiel]

Well if I had indeed invented the Oxydator I think I would have done a far better job of advertising and promoting it :wink:

Yes and after all the time that has gone by since we started talking about it, I have still not seen any changes in their approach to the US and Canadian Markets and I am not even sure how good their promos and ads are in the UK ... in Germany they probably do a good job being a German Company to begin with but mind you I have not seen too much talk about them on the forums there either actually now that I think of it

 

[LukeG]

Luke there are plenty but as you know unless you have a permit to collect you cannot take anything from the reefs or the beaches or nearby, not even Mangrove propagules that have started to show growth ... not sure how well this is enforced (mangroves) but on the reefs it is for sure and I would not take a chance to getting caught .... Now higher up the coast in the inland water ways there are a lot of different life forms but to my knowledge not soft corals but shrimp, snails, fish, crabs, and more (e.g. macro-algae) ... off the Florida coast both on the Atlantic side and in the Gulf collecting is not allowed. FWIW

I know the collection rules but I was hoping to get some pictures with my underwater camera on my snorkeling trips.

I used to go to the reefs a lot before I got into reef keeping. I never remembered seeing anything like Ricordia or Zoas. I thought that was because I just didn't know what to look for. Now I know they aren't there. Maybe they're in mangrove shallows or deep water reefs.

 

[alberthiel]

I know the collection rules but I was hoping to get some pictures with my underwater camera on my snorkeling trips.

I used to go to the reefs a lot before I got into reef keeping. I never remembered seeing anything like Ricordia or Zoas. I thought that was because I just didn't know what to look for. Now I know they aren't there. Maybe they're in mangrove shallows or deep water reefs.

Well if you are only going to take pictures you may want to call the John Pennekamp people and ask them where there might be some that you can photograph ... Just a thought ... The # I have for them is (305) 451-6300 ...

 

[LukeG]

I haven't been the Pennycamp in years. I spent most of my time at Looe Key Reef this trip.