My 75G starfire display refugium feeding by gravity my 150G starfire reef tank build up

[basile]

Looks great!

Thanks had fun too doing it. lol

 

[basile]

The cat walk

The time tunnel CAT STYLE;

Now they have access to the whole upper room level.

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[basile]

A few updates part 1

Got the brow jelly syndrome which i treated with Furan-2 from API after loosing 8 corals i was ready to try anything. It seem to have stopped for now.


I used on pack in one gallos of water; usually its one pack per 10 gallons, but i used it as a dippy dooda so for 30 min all my corals were in a yellow solution and then in clear salt water to rince for another 30 min and back to the tank.




Zoos, bubble coral, gorgonian, the whole thing whent in and they all opened up 10 min back into the tank and sang kumbaya.


Here's a few updated picture of the tank in its 7 months;

I've got more gorgonians comming for the NPS zone, now that i know i can keep them alive lol.

Trying to put more stuff on the stalactite is tuff.

A new comer

I transfered some caulerpa profilata in the main tank for the urchins see if they go for it. Plus i've got some new macro's going into the refugium later in the week, need some room. The tangs should also enjoy some too, we'll see.

The nem is behaving, just lost one fish and hopping its the last........i know , i know.....

Somme gorgonians and kenya trees .

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[basile]

A few updates part 2

Brown jelly article you might find interesting since i whent through it;


Brown Jelly Treatment




Ciliates and coral disease

Some dammage done by the jelly on the top

This is all taken after the dipping in Furan-2 from API

Of course those on the rocks??? can't do anything about that.

Oh yes buddy that i usually can't see during the day , we talked about him earlier; he came to say hi at noon the other day. Its a Dendrochirus barberi thanks to a good buddy of mine, :beer: lol, we've been able to ID him finally after 5 months. He survived on pods all that time , because he never ever took any food i gave him, gosh shrimps, just one molly and when on hiding for 4 months after that.

She keeps falling from the ledge and at the other end my clarkii keep pushing her.

One of my night crawlers day time rare .....

My seahare

Flower nem

This is API furan-2 i used , the instruction is one pack per 10 gallons,to be used in your tank, but i used it as a dip. So i've put one pack in one gallon; 10 times the strenght for a 30min dip in a bucket and a 30 min rince in a bucket of salt water and then return to the tank.


It contains an active ingredient to kill bacteria ; an anti-biotic . Thats why i didn't put it in the tank. I used it as a dip instead. You don't want to nuke your bacterial count in your tank do you lol.

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[basile]

It was time for some new stuff stuff

Yep it was time for new macroalgaes and gorgonians, let start with the refugium;

Caulerpa Mexicana ,

Botryocladia sp

Caulerpa sertularioides

Caulerpa Cupressoide

Caulerpa Mexicana

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[basile]

new stuff the main tank

Ok this time i got myself some new NPS stuff ; new Gorgonians.




A Diodogorgia nodulifera

I haven't decided of her permanent place yet until i know she's happy.

Species Name: Diodogorgia nodulifera


Authority: Hargitt, 1901


Common Name: Orange/Red/Yellow Tree Gorgonian


Range: Western Atlantic Ocean: Southern Florida, Bahamas, Caribbean


Natural Environment: Inhabits moderate depths under overhangs


General Husbandry: Common names also include Yellow Finger Sea Rod/Gorgonian, Red Finger Sea Rod/Gorgonian, Orange Finger Sea Rod/Gorgonian, or Tree (whatever color) Gorgonian. Lacks symbiotic algae. Has a temperature range of 68 to 75°F (23.89°C) (20 - 24°C). Requires a shaded area and daily feedings with plankton-like foodstuffs.


Aquarium Suitability: Difficult to maintain long term.


This my yellow one from before 5 months old now;

Muricea laxa

Species Name: Muricea laxa


Authority: Verrill, 1864


Common Name: Silver Sea Whip


Range: Western Atlantic Ocean: Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean


Natural Environment: Found at various depths on coral fragments and rocky rubble


General Husbandry: Has a temperature range of 68 to 79°F (26.11°C) (20 - 26°C). Requires moderate light, very good water quality, (no algae) and moderate water movement. Seen here in my aquarium where it was maintained for two years.

very bad shipper got dammaged she was fine in the bag but during the night in the tank she did loose some spots the flow , i don't think anything ate her because it stopped , its the shipment that affected her most.

Leptogorgia virgulata

Muricea muricata

I got a Acalycigorgia sp but so small one of the urchin pick it up and God knows where it is now....... $14 gone grrrrrr they advertised a 1" speciment i'm not even sure it was that. Reef2Go they also substituted some caulerpa for Codium i've ordered twice now.....not happy.






This is a mystery can't find the name and it doesn't corespond to any of their pictures..... go figure.

Got a new yellow sponge

And a nice red one too

OOps upside down

They still have nice items but you get surprises sometimes.


Not sure what this one is doing there, and you try to get explanation or contact them its a waste of time.

Makes a cool looking area i think

From the fuge point of view

from the top of the fuge

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[basile]

The presto chalenge

Well tried to clean my powerheads specially my bubblemaster on my octopus skimmer with vinegar and baking soda.......what a waste of my time!!!!!!!!!!!




The good old fashion way;




Hot water , soap and javex!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the time this coffee pot was empty i had all my powerheads (6) done and clean and repositioned, 45 min.

While one was brewing in soap in the presto, the other was rincing in the toperware for 2 min, thats it, you brush wipe all the cracks take out the empellers and rinse, then make it run in the clean water before puting it back in the tank. Plastic don't absorb soap or javex.

here a few tank shots taken today, i've permanently position them now, since they've seem to open and be happy right away where i've put them almost at the same place as before.

Same type of gorgone but yellow

Such a nice current there i decided to put them both there side by side ; their polyps opens up right away. The waterflow more than the nutrient count seem to mater most from my observations, i got that from the day i've cleaned my powerhead one time. having not dosed phytoplacton for a week the polyps extended anyway because the powerhead that i was attempting to put back in place slipped and got into their area by accident and flushed directly at them, for a few seconds. that was an eye opener.

The dark side of the cave

Chrismass tree

The top of the stalactite, i've got a favia there it doing so so.

A new Blue Xenia

Maximes on the right......

Funny it looks like 2 pictures but only one; its the way the rocks are cut and the cave gives a look behind and the corals distribution, now i know how camera trick are done lol.

He was directing me the whole time.........

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[basile]

My 6 month report on the tank




Ok well let see what's what and where i am right now.


- The system works as anticipated with very few ajustments


- I couldn't clean up my wires better thats seem impossible for me.


-The prodibiotic method to start a tank worked very well, 24h after i've put the water in i was able to put my first fish in and corals.


- The sexy LED's lights bought from Ebay for the mixing drum and sump lasted one month only.


- The fuge is a huge success , both with my club , selling the extras and general appeal.


- My iron depletion is unreal who knew that so much iron was consume by macroalgaes, i guess i know now.i have to dose every 3 days to keep it at low levels. Of course i have a huge stock of algaes......


- The seperation in the fuge can be overcomed by both the inverts and fishes, where's the hole , no idea, how do they do it no idea, did i build it i'm starting to wonder.


- The seahorses feeding box works great and no problem feeding them, no pregnent ones so far, not sure why maybe a moon cycle is missing?


- Flat worm problem still there in the fuge , but in the main tank its gone, thanks to the wrasse.


- My ALK problem is still a problem now i`m dosing 2ml per hour, i have no idea why its still at 6.1 after a month of dosing.


- All my corals are doing good except the hamers i lost 90% due to brown jelly 12 hammers worth $ 700 .


- I lost only one fish to my carpet nem so far, thank God.


- Exchanged my picasso clowns for clowns that hosted my nem i rather have that symbiotic relationship than those two idiots who swam only in the top corner.


-My undisturbed sand is full of critters at night , but i had a pod crash due to my wrass in the fuge. The same wrasse that was suppose to get those worms under control but didn`t. i may have to use a chemical solution, but fear for the seahorses.


- In my maintenance i found that 2 months for cleaning the powerheads was a bit soon , practically no particule accumulation other than outside the casing.


- The Apex controller is a charm


- The Tunze powerheads are extremely silent and the best , and i've used the MP's before.


- Little fishies reactor so simple to use no problem.


- My Super Reef Octopus 3000 Internal Protein Skimmer , sooooo good and silent, easy to clean , even a bit too efficient; if i dose my phytoplancton i have to take it OFF line otherwise he syphon`s it out of the tank and i waste it down the drain. I wait 6 h at least.


- Tunze ATO is Good , but its one of those you have to pay and keep a close eye on. Clean that optic eye when doing your WC.


- Lighting period, very important, its the difference between having an algae bloom, cyano bacteria or having no issue at al. Specially if your running a high nutrient tank like i do, because of my Gorgonians , sponges , clams, (phytoplancton dosage) and my display refugium that requires a bit more nitrates actually and uses phosphates of the water columb. So adding one too many hours started an algae bloom for weeks at one point. So 7 h of white is enough for my refugium at 100% , 11 h total.


-The lighting for my main tank is less intensive for many reason, but still only 8h white and 12 h total. Its enough for my corals and no algaes bloom. They also get the natural light all morning since the lights don't come on till 11am.


- My clean up crew selection process worked like a charm and i have no problem what so ever with the results and i haven't bought a single extra cleaner since because of that plan. It worked perfectly as predicted. I fraken love science!!!! LOL.





Well that about i really enjoy my project and my tank system thanks for watching, please if you have any suggestions or questions.

 

[basile]

Its been a while

Ok well its been a while ; the brown jelly did finally stopped, with 12 casualty;
$700 worth of corals, i've learned from a LFS that you siphon each affected heads before you cut them and then you can dip them if you want. Crushing the tissues is what causes the necrosis and eventually the brown jelly.

So when moving your coral its you who usually causes it or me..... not enough flow also causes it, or too much, go figure, its bruises the tissues. Quite the info after the fact but still useful. In any case i've replace the corals because a big hole was left on my rock.

I found a nice Glove polyp, something i never had or actually saw, easy they say, I love easy, don't you? Easy,Lazy nice rhyme, their's so much hard stuff in are hobby if i can find beautiful and easy coral i'll take it!!

And i found this nice sarcophyton sp to be perfect to become a show piece on the ledge with his nice shape.

Some Alveopora Coral

My carpet nem started to move and she ate my second yellow tang

The whole tank is being disturbed by this the clowns territory has shifted and everybody is mad.

She use to be at the far end of the tank now she's in the middle right in the Foxface garage

Every bodie's running away from the feuding foxface clowns and tang the tux are in hiding mode

These have grown really good

I got these buttons to decorate my stalactite.

I had trouble finding stuff to put on the stalactite and someone suggested theses button polyps.

While moving around the nem is stigning everything on its way grrrrr

She's so sticky unreal

The killer

One that suffered the most was my clam she was attacked several time by the clowns because she was in their territory, but she's fine now that i moved her away from harm.

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[basile]

Its been a while

The rest of the cast are also doing fine.

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[DrugMonkeyRX]

Nice tank...that Nem seems like a PIA.

 

[basile]

Nice tank...that Nem seems like a PIA.

Thanks; All nems are Queen of any tank, lol . She stayed put for months now she's on the move.

A good article on carpet nem here;

The Carpet Anemones | Details | Articles | TFH Magazine®

 

[basile]

The man in the moon.

Well i'm in the moon for love.....LOL dada..dee deedahhh ddadeedade:dance:

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[fishroomlady]

tank looks really good basile! it's awesome how you had your plan, executed it, and things have really come together for you!

 

[basile]

tank looks really good basile! it's awesome how you had your plan, executed it, and things have really come together for you!

Thank you. It was quite the project yes lol. But fun to do. Now its mostly keeping up lol.

 

[basile]

A few new videos updates

Feeding my fish with the home made fish food, lost of particule in that food mix make every coral expand as well, i rub the frozen piece on many on them and they catch pieces of the food and its really something. The camera unfortunately doesn't catch all that ; its not close and precise enough for that. And i'm not a pro at this like i said before i'm also awkward at doing videos even clumsy , specially since i'm french and i have to do this all at the same time , not at all easy for me, but i hope i give enough info so you can make your own foods and start saving. Hey Its better than bad music, LOL.






[video=youtube;i6qH0o4WArw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6qH0o4WArw&list=PLk_Pw-jAYdFfzK1jNhN7rAilGwHaEzvH5&index=9[/video]








The refugium update, New species , i lost a few but not too many, i've sold a lot , enough to finance this new batch and put some in a smaller tank, for now. I've experimented with food for plant and algaes , made observations every day, took notes in my log book and measurements, time and samples. i found out a few thing about most of my algaes, and like i said lost just a few 5 in all really in the second batch, i lost the first batch almost completely to snails eating algaes, so no snails in this fuge except stomatella and nassarius for detritus, a few hermits , but most of all my seahare; just that he ate all the ulva, lol. As for hermith goes, no halloween, or big ones they grab seahorses , but the seahorses by the way kick their butts lol. Seastars are good specially because seahorses can be messy , however if you have a little feeder box like mine it doesn't really matter , its stays in the box and they don't waste too much. By the way the new food the seahorses loves it. If you have any question specially about the dosing, of the iron which is paramount in this case for big complex refugium like this one , please don't hesitate , because this is how i lost my algaes in the first place(this has nothing to do with caulerpa or chaeto) i'm talking about the more savy speciments , in a complex refugium, not a 6X6 under the tank refugium.










[video=youtube;ffHvjmrf35Q]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffHvjmrf35Q&list=PLk_Pw-jAYdFfzK1jNhN7rAilGwHaEzvH5&index=10[/video]








My main reef tank lots of changes, i had an brown jelly outbreak, lost 12 hammers, saved 2, but for the most par the tank is well and progressing nicely. My gorgonian collection is very healthy for now, By the way i made a mistake in my presentation i named one of my corals acropora, when its goniopora, which i use to call it gonorrhea so i wouldn't forget, lol.Sorry about that; i always mix these two up don't know why.

[video=youtube;Fytg_L4ijUc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fytg_L4ijUc&list=PLk_Pw-jAYdFfzK1jNhN7rAilGwHaEzvH5&index=11[/video]










A bit of gore lol a dying sponge someone gave me , i had one previously and i did the same as this video. After research on how to propagate sponge and how this animal is constituted. University biology projects are at the base of this experiment or method of doing things.

[video=youtube;epEAflON1QY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epEAflON1QY&index=12&list=PLk_Pw-jAYdFfzK1jNhN7rAilGwHaEzvH5[/video]

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[spspirate]

WOW! Thanks for all the pics. I like the diversity.............and the cat! Looking good! How long have you had the blue sponge?

 

[basile]

WOW! Thanks for all the pics. I like the diversity.............and the cat! Looking good! How long have you had the blue sponge?

Thanks, yes i'm visual and talk is cheap lol , i like to comunicate my ideas with drawings or pictures, videos, and so on. And all this is in the cats room so they had to compromise their space lol. The blue sponge are 4 months old now. To keep one or two sponge is easy but 12 is really hard, because they can starve. One cubic cm of sponge matter pump one gallon of water every 24 hours.

I have enough to pump all 230G of my system in 24 hours which means i have to supplement or they'll starve and die. i sometime turn OFF the skimmer to help, because they filter so well, my water in the morning is so clear, because i haven't dosed yet or fed, so no particule or microalgae formation due to the light yet. Keeps the water very clean, too much in fact. it's one advantage that you have to manage.

 

[basile]

High iron dosing for my refugium facts.

Here some of my data i've colllected to base my course of action regarding my iron dosing for my refugium, their are others but its one that after i had started confirmed i was in the right direction.






Article Citation:
Y. Suzuki, K. Kuma, I. Kudo, and K. Matsunaga (1995) Iron requirement of the brown macroalgae Laminaria japonica, Undaria pinnatifida (Phaeophyta) and the crustose coralline alga Lithophyllum yessoense (Rhodophyta), and their competition in the northern Japan Sea. Phycologia: May 1995, Vol. 34, No. 3, pp. 201-205.
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.2216/i0031-8884-34-3-201.1
Iron requirement of the brown macroalgae Laminaria japonica, Undaria pinnatifida (Phaeophyta) and the crustose coralline alga Lithophyllum yessoense (Rhodophyta), and their competition in the northern Japan Sea


Y. Suzuki*, K. Kuma, I. Kudo, and K. Matsunaga
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Fisheries, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, 041 Japan
Abstract
The iron uptake rates of the brown macroalga Laminaria japonica Areschoug and the coralline alga Lithophyllum yessoense Foslie were determined using 59F (15°C)e as a tracer. The uptake rates of Laminaria were saturated at a higher level of iron than Lithophyllum. Furthermore, the saturated uptake rate of Laminaria was approximately 50 times higher than that of Lithophyllum. The growth of Laminaria, the brown macroalga Undaria pinnatifidaHarvey (Suringar) and Lithophyllum was compared in iron-rich and iron-limited media. A medium enriched with iron promotes the growth of Laminaria and Undaria. In contrast, Lithophyllum grew even in an iron-limited medium <1 nM Fe). The iron concentration in coastal seawater collected from the Japan Sea, where rocks or rock beds are covered with coralline algae, is extremely low <2 nM Fe). This may explain why coralline algae (Lithophyllum) dominate, whereas growth of brown macroalgae is severely limited.


Accepted: November 10, 1994 ;Published Online: May 1995


* Present address: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Miyazaki University, Miyazaki, 889-21 Japan.


Source;


http://www.phycologia.org/doi/abs/10.2216/i0031-8884-34-3-201.1


Chemistry And The Aquarium: Iron In A Reef Tank ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog


Undaria pinnatifida

Laminaria japonica Areschoug

Lithophyllum yessoense Foslie

I'll say this however iron dosing applies only if you have a big refugium that contain other algaes than Caulerpa and chaeto. Its not for a 6X6 under the tank for a ball of cheato that will grow anyway, I have a 75 G tank refugium with now 37 diffrent species all which have different needs and consume at various rates. I dose every second day and i can't keep up. I need to keep my nitrates at 5ppm and phosphates at 0.4ppm for the tank to survive. If i don't maintain this i'll loose the tank i did once, $195 worth of macro algaes gone, they starved and died. They basically sucked up all nutrients and rot because they didn't have enough to eat. The bigger the ball gets; the faster it extract the nitrates... it goes exponentially and with 37 species you have to suppliment other things for those different and rare ones.


I started with this small refugium

to this


[video=youtube;ffHvjmrf35Q]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffHvjmrf35Q&amp;list=PLk_Pw-jAYdFfzK1jNhN7rAilGwHaEzvH5&amp;index=10[/video]


I write big for my iphone friends











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[fishroomlady]

where did you put that sponge bag in your system?