My 65G Shallow Reef Tank

trout · Mar 23, 2021

Continuing from my previous post about marine velvet, I could not get any new fish simply because I was not sure whether or not the pathogens were still in the water column, even though the two fish that survived the velvet outbreak did not show any signs of ailment after being introduced back into the display tank. I waited for at least six months to ensure that the fish did not become ill again. This is because I read that fish that recover from marine velvet gain temporary immunity for up to six months. There was also another consideration: what if the cause of fish deaths was white spot. All these thoughts and questions prevented me from getting another fish for nearly a year.

A friend of mine broke the deadlock by offering me a kole tang in November 2019, which he quarantined by himself with CP and PraziPro in his quarantine facility.

After observing that the fish remained healthy in my tank, I finally decided to make a move to expand my fish stock.

Lou Ekus · Mar 23, 2021

trout said:
@Lou Ekus I am going to beg to differ in the sense that Reef Actif is not a product that can specifically be used to control nutrients in a reef tank. In fact, I experimented with this product for many months to observe its impact on my corals and the water parameters. I did not observe any appreciable reduction in NO3 and PO4. However, there was an appreciable increase in coral growth. Increase in coral growth is due to the fact that Reef Actif is a very clever transport mechanism that changes the state of nutrients from unusable (i.e. inorganic) to useable (i.e. organic) by corals and filter feeders by allowing symbiotic bacteria to decompose bio-polymers which lock inorganic nutrients. Perhaps, the reduction in inorganic nutrients was so low that my test kits did not notice any difference.

I posed specific questions to @Hans-Werner about Reef Actif, which he kindly answered. His answers led me to the conclusion that Reef Actif does not target heterotrophic bacteria, which are responsible for reducing NO3 and PO4, providing that there is sufficient nitrogen, phosphorus and organic carbon in the water column. Instead, it does target symbiotic bacteria, which live in corals as well as in fish.

Readers can refer to my FB note to read all the questions I posed to Herr Hans-Werner and his answers. I think it is worth reading the frequently asked questions. Beware that the details of the experiment with Reef Actif may bore you to death.

I wholeheartedly recommend this product as long as you have the correct expectations from it top avoid disappointment.

There are many reasons that my explanation of Reef Actif and NP BACTO Pellets are stated the way I state them. While what you say is not technically incorrect, there are other influencing factors that you are not taking into consideration. I read through your experiment and your discussion with Hans-Werner. I'll just leave it at letting the very fine points of the discussion lie in slight disagreement in relation to the best, most effective, and most translatable way to explain those two products. I always defer to Hans-Werner. His knowledge in this area not only dwarfs mine. I have literally learned much of what I know from him. It is the translation of his knowledge, both in language and in common lay person reference, that sometimes gets lost in the mix.

By the way, thanks for your efforts in your experiment. It seems very well thought out and executed with much work and precision. A very difficult task in testing out a new reef product.

trout · Mar 24, 2021

Lou Ekus said:
There are many reasons that my explanation of Reef Actif and NP BACTO Pellets are stated the way I state them. While what you say is not technically incorrect, there are other influencing factors that you are not taking into consideration. I read through your experiment and your discussion with Hans-Werner. I'll just leave it at letting the very fine points of the discussion lie in slight disagreement in relation to the best, most effective, and most translatable way to explain those two products. I always defer to Hans-Werner. His knowledge in this area not only dwarfs mine. I have literally learned much of what I know from him. It is the translation of his knowledge, both in language and in common lay person reference, that sometimes gets lost in the mix.

By the way, thanks for your efforts in your experiment. It seems very well thought out and executed with much work and precision. A very difficult task in testing out a new reef product.

@Lou Ekus Thank you for your kind words. I would like to learn about "other influencing factors". Would you mind explaining what they are please?

Lou Ekus · Mar 24, 2021

trout said:
@Lou Ekus Thank you for your kind words. I would like to learn about "other influencing factors". Would you mind explaining what they are please?

@trout I am in the office during USA East Coast office hours. If you would like to have a more in depth conversation about this, then please give me a call at 413-367-0101 and I will be very happy to chat with you about it.

I just noticed that you are in the UK. This makes the time difference a difficult factor. Maybe we can have a ZOOM conversation about this at some time that might work for both of us?

trout · Mar 24, 2021

My quarantine set up is quite simple. It comprises of two identical tanks with lids, heater, air diffuser and an internal pump without sponge. The net volume of each tank is 45L. The small volume of water means that I can only quarantine one or two fish at a time.

According to Humblefish, a quarantine tank is supposed to be situated at least 10 feet away from a display tank to avoid cross contamination of pathogen through aerosol transmission. Sadly, due to lack of space, I cannot observe this rule. However, lids minimise this risk, even though it cannot eliminate it completely.

I use Chloroquine phosphate (CP) and Prazipro to ensure that most nasties, if not all, are eliminated. Once a fish starts to eat, I medicate the tank with CP (10.33 mg/L) over a 10-day period (Ref: Protocol 1 by Humblefish). During this time, I regularly test ammonia using Seachem Multitest Ammonia and regularly dose Seachem Prime to ensure that ammonia does not reach toxic levels. Unfortunately, CP is a very potent drug, meaning not all fish tolerate it. For this reason, I do not buy certain fish, such as anthias. Even those fish that are regarded as CP-tolerant may not sail through the treatment. I will be honest here. I have questioned ethical aspects of quarantining in this way, but for the sake of the healthy fish that are in my display tank, I have felt that I have no option but to protect them.

Once a fish sails through the CP stage, I transfer it to the second QT tank with fresh salt water mix. The first tank is then sterilised in strong bleached solution over a 24-hour period after which I drain the tank, rinse it and rub the inner surfaces of the tank with isopropanol alcohol to ensure that no bacteria remain on its surfaces. The rationale is that if bacteria remain on glass surfaces, they will consume CP during treatment, thereby reducing its efficacy (source: Humblefish).

Fish are treated with Prazipro twice in the second quarantine tank. I keep the water temperate in this tank at 26C. So, PraziPro is administered on Day 1 and Day 7. I do not dose Seachem Prime during the first three days of each dose as PraziPro reacts to the active ingredients of Seachem prime. For this reason, I reduce feeding to a minimum.

Once the fish sails through this stage, a large water change is carried out and the fish is observed over a period of two weeks to make sure that both treatments have worked. So far only on one occasion fish has exhibited symptoms of Praziquantal-resistant flukes and have been treated with different medication all over again. If the medications have worked, then the fish is finally released into the display tank.

In the follow up post, I will share video recordings of some of my fish during CP treatment.

trout · Mar 24, 2021

Captive-bred majestic angelfish (Pomacanthus navarchus) in QT

trout · Mar 24, 2021

Pyramid butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys polylepis) after CP treatment:

trout · Mar 24, 2021

Bellus anglefish and yellow longnose butterflyfish in QT. Despite having a good appetite, the yellow longnose butterflyfish contracted bacterial infection and sadly died.

Two months later, I was able to quarantine another yellow longnose successfully. The video below was recorded on the last day of CP treatment:

trout · Mar 24, 2021

Since its release to the display tank on 1st December 2020, the majestic angelfish has settled in nicely. It was initially quite shy, but it is now quite competitive during feeding and has started to spend more time out in the open.

JCM · Mar 24, 2021

Wow that Regal Angelfish is thick!

trout · Mar 24, 2021

JCM said:
Wow that Regal Angelfish is thick!

Thanks. Yes, it is quite chunky.

JCM · Mar 24, 2021

trout said:
Thanks. Yes, it is quite chunky.

Beautiful tank!

trout · Mar 25, 2021

JCM said:
Beautiful tank!

Thank you.

trout · Mar 26, 2021

Some more recent top-down photos:

Acropora microclados (wild-collected)

Acropora microclados

Acropora efflorescence

trout · Mar 27, 2021

I bought a red dragon morph as a small frag on 8th March 2020 and photographed it on 3rd April 2020. Today, it measures 5" X 5". While cutting a few frags for fellow reefers (this was the first time I attempted to frag the colony), the whole colony dislodged from the live rock.

Putting the colony back to where it was is now impossible. It is currently sitting on the Montipora setosa.