Low Flow, High Bio load, Minimal Mechanical Filtration?

[Wandering Albatross]

Wow so many posts . Sorry for not responding quickly . Ghost shrimp I initially got was from petco . One of the employees that had dealt with SW , told me that they were ordering them and putting them in FW . They always seem to die on him so he popped them in SW and they lived . So I bought some to try . And they did well In SW . So I went to the west bay of Galveston Tx and did some netting around the salt grass . Picked up quite a bit . They all lived in Full strength SW but none of them would carry eggs after being caught . So they may need brackish water to spawn and carry , and release .

So as to answer the remark about them eating aptasia . My aptasia farm was very young with all small aptasia and nothing big . So yes I don’t know if they would eat large ones . So now that the lantern bass has cleaned the shrimp out , I can get back to developing the aptasia farm.

I'm sure there's a use somewhere, but given the damage they're causing me, I can't imagine willingly farming them. If it had stayed as a single specimen I would have left it alone, but they just can't stop spreading. They're hardwired that way.

 

[Louis Z]

I haven’t read if butterflyfish change sex . So you would probably have to pair them up . I may have paired a pair of blackbacked bffish . I saw some in a store and saw some sort of pairing up . But when a net goes into a group of fast moving bf fish , One can easily lose track of which is which . So I had to buy three trying to figure out which two showed pairing . I put them in a 20 long QT tank and they need bigger tank . They showed a lot of pecking . Went on vacay , only two were still alive , by time I got back . Put them in a 125 . With large fish and now they swim together everywhere

 

[Louis Z]

I am growing them for butterflyfish . To have live food in the FOWLR . . I wanted to get copperbands , But wanted to try my hand at easier to acclimate BF fish first before trying to get Copperbands . CBB are difficult to start feeding and acclimate . Now that I have done this, I feel more at ease of trying CBB. . But before I try CBB I want to get a group of white collar BF fish to school with my lone White collar . I am hooked on them now .

 

[Wandering Albatross]

I haven’t read if butterflyfish change sex . So you would probably have to pair them up . I may have paired a pair of blackbacked bffish . I saw some in a store and saw some sort of pairing up . But when a net goes into a group of fast moving bf fish , One can easily lose track of which is which . So I had to buy three trying to figure out which two showed pairing . I put them in a 20 long QT tank and they need bigger tank . They showed a lot of pecking . Went on vacay , only two were still alive , by time I got back . Put them in a 125 . With large fish and now they swim together everywhere

My research says they don't, but who knows for sure. They'd go straight in the 150g so no space risk there, and tons of distractions for them, it's a crowded community, as all healthy reefs are. I will be considering a pair as my big fish in place of the menace tomini that still won't get in his trap. Heard if they are sexed, pairing is safer and generally more effective if the fish are kept separate but visible for a week or so, either with a clear/mesh divider, or one of the fish in an acclimation type box. I just want them to not bully my established tankmates, or harass anyone added after them. Bonus if they help cut back on my aiptasia problem as well without hurting corals.

 

[Wandering Albatross]

I am growing them for butterflyfish . To have live food in the FOWLR . . I wanted to get copperbands , But wanted to try my hand at easier to acclimate BF fish first before trying to get Copperbands . CBB are difficult to start feeding and acclimate . Now that I have done this, I feel more at ease of trying CBB. . But before I try CBB I want to get a group of white collar BF fish to school with my lone White collar . I am hooked on them now .

Oh that makes sense. Going by that logic, my reef should be golden for live food while I get them acclimated to frozen. That could help immensely, the fish, the other tankmates displaced by the aiptasia, and me.

 

[Louis Z]

I don’t know if CBB are completely reef safe . I don’t have corals in this tank . I am willing to try the waving hand anthelia and pulsing Xenia . I have read that BFFish eat Xenia . Don’t know if they all do

 

[Wandering Albatross]

I don’t know if CBB are completely reef safe . I don’t have corals in this tank . I am willing to try the waving hand anthelia and pulsing Xenia . I have read that BFFish eat Xenia . Don’t know if they all do

Seems to depend on who you ask, how they were kept previously, and probably to some degree what they are fed. And of course, that ever-cryptic and totally non-committal, though probably true sometimes, non-answer answer: "it comes down to individual fish personalities"

 

[fish_collector]

I’d agree CBB are not always 100% safe with all corals or clams, they do pick at things. Mine is in my 50g lowboy SPS and clam frag tank and he does zero harm to anything. They don’t get that big, so putting one into a frag tank isn’t that big of a deal at all. However to properly disclose the situation with mine, he was already living in a lowboy for some time when I acquired him, so he was already feeding on frozen food, that’s 3/4 of the battle with a CBB is getting one that will eat enough to maintain his weight. Mine eats like a pig lol. I wouldn’t consider them aggressive at all, maybe the opposite being a little timid. My scopas tang thought he was going to try and intimidate the new CBB for the first few days but that was short lived. They both co-habitate with one another without any aggression. If you can find one that is a proven frozen food eater it’s worth a try. Mine came from a good friend who is winding down his hobby.

 

[Wandering Albatross]

I’d agree CBB are not always 100% safe with all corals or clams, they do pick at things. Mine is in my 50g lowboy SPS and clam frag tank and he does zero harm to anything. They don’t get that big, so putting one into a frag tank isn’t that big of a deal at all. However to properly disclose the situation with mine, he was already living in a lowboy for some time when I acquired him, so he was already feeding on frozen food, that’s 3/4 of the battle with a CBB is getting one that will eat enough to maintain his weight. Mine eats like a pig lol. I wouldn’t consider them aggressive at all, maybe the opposite being a little timid. My scopas tang thought he was going to try and intimidate the new CBB for the first few days but that was short lived. They both co-habituate with one another without any aggression. If you can find one that is a proven frozen food eater it’s worth a try. Mine came from a good friend who is winding down his hobby.

Would a mated pair tolerate a 50g though? Seems like it'd be small for both of them, and I wouldn't want to break up a pair. The 50g is also set to be a semi aggressive, so if they're timid, it may be safer to risk it in the 150g reef, let them pick at aiptasia and get settled, and hopefully learn from the other fish how to eat food properly. I'm unsure how a coral beauty would treat them, but I imagine it wouldn't be pretty. The 50g is a 4 footer that they could run figure-8s or laps in if I had to move them post-work, but still seems kinda snug with the other stock, before accounting for temperament. What are the dimensions of your frag tank?

 

[Louis Z]

As I look for a CBB . I have to offer live foods which is a lot of work . Live black worms , live white worms , I have live clams already and a future aptasia farm . That’s my plan

 

[Wandering Albatross]

As I look for a CBB . I have to offer live foods which is a lot of work . Live black worms , live white worms , I have live clams already and a future aptasia farm . That’s my plan

I have access to frozen worms and live clam, and the vendor I’d use to try for a pair can confirm if they’re eating any frozen food. While it’d be most helpful for them to have the desire to eat the aiptasia first, I’m willing to pay extra if it’s proven they’re already eating some form of frozen food, even if just clam on the half shell.

 

[fish_collector]

I don’t think you’ll find a mated pair of CBB, never seen such a thing. Are they egg layers or pelagic spawners??

I wasn’t aware coral beauties were aggressive. I personally don’t see a problem keeping them together. You may have already discovered that fish do have their own temperaments and individuals may not all behave the same. I have found it convenient to have my frag tank available as well as a QT to keep a problem fish in if it isn’t playing well with others. The scopas tang in my frag tank is there because he just wouldn’t get along with other fish, but he’s a perfect fish where he’s at so I leave him be.

But absolutely find one (CBB) that is regularly eating frozen foods, and in my opinion, if you want a CBB to not pick at your clams, don’t offer it clams on the half shell to snack on lol. Mine will devour mysis, spirulina brine, ocean plankton and blood worms at any time of day.

As far as eating aiptasia I was looking at the tank last night and all of them that were obvious and accessible are for sure gone. My frag tank is a standard 4’x2’x8” lowboy. A buddy of mine that recently put a CBB in his 325 sps dominated mixed reef said that all of his aiptasia have disappeared in the last 45 days, so they do keep them in check (his CBB came from another hobbyist as well so was already trained on frozen).

Keep us posted on whatever you decide to do

 

[Wandering Albatross]

I don’t think you’ll find a mated pair of CBB, never seen such a thing. Are they egg layers or pelagic spawners??

I wasn’t aware coral beauties were aggressive. I personally don’t see a problem keeping them together. You may have already discovered that fish do have their own temperaments and individuals may not all behave the same. I have found it convenient to have my frag tank available as well as a QT to keep a problem fish in if it isn’t playing well with others. The scopas tang in my frag tank is there because he just wouldn’t get along with other fish, but he’s a perfect fish where he’s at so I leave him be.

But absolutely find one (CBB) that is regularly eating frozen foods, and in my opinion, if you want a CBB to not pick at your clams, don’t offer it clams on the half shell to snack on lol. Mine will devour mysis, spirulina brine, ocean plankton and blood worms at any time of day.

As far as eating aiptasia I was looking at the tank last night and all of them that were obvious and accessible are for sure gone. My frag tank is a standard 4’x2’x8” lowboy. A buddy of mine that recently put a CBB in his 325 sps dominated mixed reef said that all of his aiptasia have disappeared in the last 45 days, so they do keep them in check (his CBB came from another hobbyist as well so was already trained on frozen).

Keep us posted on whatever you decide to do

My understanding is that they free-spawn in the water column. I've seen people keep mated pairs, and I have a vendor who is willing to try to get me a male/female set at least, I can attempt pairing myself if needed. Of course, it's not guaranteed, but any attempt is better than nothing at all. I'm willing to take that chance to try to get a pair, every fish deserves a mate if they can coexist in a tank environment.

My 50g is 48"x12"x20", so narrow with good vertical space.

The clam option is more of a last resort, or to be used if he was in the 50g FOWLR for any length of time after helping cut back the aiptasia. I'm planning at least 1 bluespot puffer in the 50g (attempting a breeding project later), and he'll be given clams anyway, so I'll have extra if I needed them. Hope to not need them, and if I do, I can potentially chop them up like I sometimes do for the 150g for a treat and immune boosting.

I'm hoping there's enough aiptasia to ease the transition with distracting treats. Before I can move forward with the butterflies, I still need to catch that tomini. He got smart on my and won't go in the trap, trap has been set up about a week now. 5 other fish swim in and out regularly, but he won't go near it. Doesn't touch nori, won't be baited by his standard frozen or pellets, I was forced to order my secret weapon, masstick. He and a half dozen or so other fish love the stuff. All 4 wrasse, the flametail blenny when he was in there, the dottybacks, and if my pithos crab found it, he'd hog the whole glob and try to drag in under the sand with him.

*And for those who parrot that breeding certain fish in captivity, or even keeping them together long enough to breed is impossible, this hobby is always evolving. There are so many things in this hobby that were 'impossible' just a decade ago. Some of us have to push the boundaries, find ways to make it happen, let's just try shall we? I believe any fish can be captive bred, we just have to find the right setup to safely encourage that behavior. Every species that can be aquacultured helps us with a hardier, better suited to tank life fish, and less strain on wild populations. Win-win.

 

[Louis Z]

I am all about mated pairs so is another on here , Orion N . He has a pair of CBB . I enjoy watching any pairings interact . . I want to repeat that with BFfish .
Some may never raise fry but learning how to pair them up is a first step or a clue for others to follow. So threads of information on how to is a great resource .
I have a pair of flame angels and gold line cardinals . Looking to pair starry blennies and white collare BFFish and yasha gobies . So right now I am focusing on the BFFish but am on the lookout for the others to find a mate for them .
About the worms , nothing better to entice a fish by a wriggling worm that doesn’t just float to the bottom. There are several types from large to tiny that I have used in FW that others have used in SW.,some have high protein and fat content which are desperately need during acclimation of fish that haven’t eaten . So having everything going before purchasing is important to the well being . By the time one tries all the frozen and still no response leads to critical time lost . You would think that fish emaciated and searching for food would eat anything but I have seen plenty of them that just waste away . .
Using clams is now a theme in all my tanks. They are part of the filtration system . Also a paper on how filter feeding oysters can reduce larval parasites simply by filtering thru water. I assume that with clams and sponges too . I am also trying sponges with the clams .

 

[Louis Z]

The one draw back about pairing is that you have to purchase many fish and then house them separately if the pairing doesn’t occur and aggression does . So when you have a vendor willing to do that, it is a plus . They may already have space and the numbers to introduce for trials . A lot of time and money saved .

 

[X-37B]

If you want an aptasia free system get a file fish. I have 4 systems and no aptasia.
I just put one in my 15 that had 30+ and now a week later I can't find any.

Better than anything I have tried in the past 20. I will always have one in every system.

 

[Wandering Albatross]

If you want an aptasia free system get a file fish. I have 4 systems and no aptasia.
I just put one in my 15 that had 30+ and now a week later I can't find any.

Better than anything I have tried in the past 20. I will always have one in every system.

I considered that as well, and it's still an option, but if I can have something that's both pretty and practical, I want to try that first. Might be able to swing a small one in the 50 as a backup option. I know the aiptasia eating filefish say it pretty clear in the name, but do the orange spotted filefile reliably eat them as well, with minimal risk to corals?

 

[TiltedReef]

Can anyone guess my theme?

Please ignore cords, the cord octopus and I are arguing on placement.

Krakatoa

 

[X-37B]

I considered that as well, and it's still an option, but if I can have something that's both pretty and practical, I want to try that first. Might be able to swing a small one in the 50 as a backup option. I know the aiptasia eating filefish say it pretty clear in the name, but do the orange spotted filefile reliably eat them as well, with minimal risk to corals?

I only have them for aptasia control. I don't think any other file fish eat them.

 

[Wandering Albatross]

Krakatoa

Close enough, it was supposed to be Hawaii themed, with black sand, a volcano, and lava colored fish.

I can see how it'd be easy to miss the volcano though, considering the color. I was half tempted to coat the whole thing, instead of just the top, in a thin layer of cement so it was more slate colored at the start, but it would have closed up a lot of those valuable pores for bacteria and pods.