RC51
Well-Known Member
Welcome to R2R!!!Been out of the hobby for many years after owning a Saltwater only fish store back in the early 90's. I got the bug again when I found an adult Hawaiian Dragon that needed a new home. Poor thing was in a 110 gal mixed reef tank. I dusted off my 500 gal tank that I kept from my store about 6 weeks ago (yes I cycled a tank with a very expensive fish). The technology has changed quite a bit. I've already bought an Apex and 2 Clarisea SX-5000. Love love love the roller filters. So I went through the 2 rolls relatively quick and my LFS was out of replacements. I went online to see if anyone was cleaning the fleece material and much to my surprise NOTHING. I then took the dirty (very dirty) roll spun it off the motor stuffed it in a linen bag and threw it in a front loading washing machine (speed wash, extra spin and rinse) with a half cup of bleach. Before running the cycle I did a rinse cycle to remove soap residue. The roll came out white as snow. I then soaked it in a bucket of RO water with a bunch of Prime then rinse only and spin again. Then sun dried the fleece. Rolled it back on a roll and it's working like a champ. I'll have to figure out how many washes the fleece can handle. I'm just putting it out there to see if anyone else has tried this. If so let me know your experiences. Hoping to get 4 or 5 washes. Nice cost savings.
Tank is stable now I used 20 plus year old equipment to start because I had it. For example a trickle filter. Looking forward to updating it all. Modern equipment I've added so far Apex, ATK, one Wav, 2 ClariSea SK-5000. Decided to just outfit the tank with the Neptune stuff.
Critters so far in order of purchase.
6 Green Chromis (3 dead)
5 Electric Blue Damsels (2 dead)
Hawaiian Dragon
Long Tenticle Anemone
Anemone Crab
Coral Banded Shrimp (evicted to sump)
Dog Face Puffer (Fish only section)
2 Perculas
Halloween Hermit
Hermit Crab with Anemones on shell (evicted then dead)
2 Sebaes (killed)
Chocolate Chip Starfish (in sump was hermit crab food)
Green Hermit
Spiny Boxfish (Fish only section)
Bubble Tip Anemone (unhappy)
Arrow Crab (dead)
Sebae Anemone
Maroon Clown
Harlequin Tusk (fish only section)
Black Spiny Urchin
Flame Hawk
Big Eye Squirrel
Blue Starfish (dead)
6 Green Chromis (3 dead)
Coral Banded Shrimp
Red Hermit
Lots of cleaning crew (snails, reef hermits)
2 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
2 Fire Shrimp
Queen Angel
Cleaner Wrasse
Seabae Anemone (dead)
Starry Blenny
Bubble Tip Anemone
Arrow Crab
Sponge Crab
Goby and Pistol Shrimp combo
Freckled Hawk
Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
Calico Crab
Decorator Crab (missing)
Pencil Urchin
Orange Blenny
Sponge Crab
Black Spiny Urchin
Flashlight Fish (missing possible Dragon food)
Hobby is fun, but hate killing things. I'll keep upgrading equipment to prevent unnecessary death. Long way to go. Started this hobby when I was 6, 54 now. Did it for a living successfully then quit for a long time. Really like the sharing of info/experiences available now. If I could ask everyone to focus on failures so people don't have to unnecessarily kill our finned family members. God knows I have killed so much breaks my heart. Argh
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