OrionN's 320 Reboot

Mark

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I really don't do much. I got a huge number of fish. Automatic feeder. I added Nori in AM on clips, and frozen food, usually Mysis and flakes mixed togeter.
When I am home I added frozen oyster or large clam on the 1/2 shell.
I have Kalk and Ca reactors. Check level about 1 a month, just Ca Alkalinity and Salinity.
I have to follow salinity because I run a wet skim-mate skimmer and add Salt water as I see the water level lower manually. I have an automated pump that feed fresh water to the tank at a constant rate via Kalk reactor for elaborated water. I don't do water change any more because I do the wet skim-mate as water change, about 4 gal a day, 2 in AM and 2 in PM. As the water lower the skimmer stop produce wet skim-mate so additional water not needed.
Essentially, any water I added will result in wet skim-mate and I do it twice a day. I hook up the skimmer drain to the sink drain so I don't have to empty the skimmer cup.

Thanks! I just like hearing how folks approach their tanks, especially those that are in my opinion more natural in appearance and function.
 

TexasTodd

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Nice Minh, there's a decent article in this month's National Geographic on how giant clams pull pathogenic bacteria out of tank water! Pretty cool. I've always felt they helped a tank overall.
I skim wet and do my topoff with a constant kalk drip too.
 

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Hi minh,
Is there a post where you explain how you think about fish diseases in terms of sourcing fish and conditioning new fish? What diseases do you treat for/not treat for? Do you see evidence of diseases in your tank? Just curious and want to learn.
 
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OrionN

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Hi minh,
Is there a post where you explain how you think about fish diseases in terms of sourcing fish and conditioning new fish? What diseases do you treat for/not treat for? Do you see evidence of diseases in your tank? Just curious and want to learn.
I posted about how I keep and maintain my aquarium from time to time, but never just a thread on what I do or anything like that. There are many ways to skin a cat. Many reefer successfully keep beautiful reef aquarium. The only common things about successful aquarium long term are consistency. Reefers choose a way to keep their reefs and continue and diligently do it.

For me, I like a natural reef with a lot of fauna. Flora not so much in the DT, just in the large lighted sump.

I QT my corals, clams and anemones in isolated system. I have a 40 gal breeder reef that I use to QT. I find that corals especially SPS can come with nasty communicable disease, parasite that is impossible to treat other than in isolated HT. So are clams and anemones. That is the reason for QT for these invertebrates.

Fishes, not so much. I find that my fish can overcome petty much all the disease, if they are healthy. I have never treat any of my fish for internal parasites. Not that I don't thing there are no fish parasites, just that my fish rarely have visible problem with them. I don't add obvious sick fish to my tank other than those with ich to my tank. I find that Ich does not post a thread to my tank. I find that even if I add a fish full of ich to my tank, the infestation will disappear in a few week. Rarely a few spots would appears on my resident fish. I do have PBT, which many reefer consider a ich magnet, in my DT. He is the absolute king of my tank.
I don't keep cleaner wrasse in my tank, but often have cleaner shrimp pair. They produce free live food for my tank. One of the two always with eggs. Right now, I don't have any, but like to get a pair soon.

For fish, I don't really QT for disease. I just keep them separate, either in my sump or in my QT system. Mainly to get them use to eating captive food and gain weight before I release them into the competition with my other fishes in my DT. I only treat any disease that I diagnose, never prophylactic treat a fish. I have not treat any fish, for a few years. I do have a 20 gal HT with everything ready for treatment of any animal. Light, PH, Heater ect.. all ready to go if needed.

The last sick fish I added to my 65 gal DT (my office tank) a few years ago at less than 2 inches. Here he is now, in my 320 DT at home. He was a MO fish come in sight unseen, emaciated and full of ich as you can see. He is 7 inches king of my tank at this time.

There are many ways to keep a tank, mine is certainly not the only way, but it works for me.

I cannot find the original picture (will add later) when I fish added him but here are the pictures from 4/18 and 4/19/2020
PowderBlueTang2020041802.jpg
PowderBlueTang2020041901.jpg


Initial picture 04/2018
pbt2018042201-jpg.1072152
 
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OrionN

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I often don't have the time to look at my tank in the late afternoon. It is the best time in my tank. All these wrasse strutting around the tank courting the females. I took out my camera and got a few pictures. I don't do anyting special for picture, so please excuse the sand storms and dirty glass. Enjoy.
My Male China Wrasse. Normal coloration and when he is courting the female:

Normal coloration
ChinaWrasse2020090501Male.jpg
ChinaWrasse2020090503Male.jpg
ChinaWrasse2020090504Male.jpg
ChinaWrasse2020090505Male.jpg


Nuptial coloration
ChinaWrasse2020090507MaleNuptial.jpg
ChinaWrasse2020090508MaleNuptial.jpg
ChinaWrasse2020090509MaleNuptial.jpg
ChinaWrasse2020090510MaleNuptial.jpg
 
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OrionN

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My Meleagris Leopards today. Female and Male, normal coloration and nuptial coloration

Female
meleagrisleopard2020090501female-jpg.1768588


Male, normal coloration with burn orange base color, near face and dark bluish base color on body
meleagrisleopard2020090504male-jpg.1768592


Nuptial Coloration. a lot of the base color turn bright blue. The fish become much brighter blue color in general swimming vertical and follow the female.


meleagrisleopard2020090505male-jpg.1768593

meleagrisleopard2020090506malenuptial-jpg.1768595

meleagrisleopard2020090507male-jpg.1768600

meleagrisleopard2020090508malenuptial-jpg.1768601
 
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OrionN

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My Purple Haddoni today:
Haddoni2020090702Purple.jpg


My 3 Crocea. I tried to put them in my DT, but my angels would have none of this. Got several chunks out of the mantels so back they go to the Sump/Refugium. I may have to get the Regals out of DT.
Crocea2020090701AttackedRegalAngel.jpg

Crocea2020090702AttackedRegalAngel.jpg

Crocea2020090703AttackedRegalAngel.jpg
 
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OrionN

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Do you have a canopy or screen top?
I do have a screen top on my tank. Wrasses, especially Fairies and Flashers love to jump. Multiple times a day my wrasse would hit the screen.
 
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OrionN

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What light are you running over your "sump"?
I got an old Kessil 350 and 3 Home Depot LED daylight spot lights. These are either 90 or 100 W equivalent.
they grow corals very well and give great colors.
The stem of the Kessil is really robust. I am thinking of adding a 4th spot light to accomodate my Purple Gigantea with, IMO, does not get enough light on the edge. The clips are a little flimsy so I zip tied them to the rod thus there is no accidental fallen off. These light are all on the same timer on a GFCI outlet. I need to tied up the cord. It is in my fish room so I was not too concern with the look. just to keep it out of the way, and away from the water.
Picture just now, before the light turn on.
The fish line is a suspended GARF Bonsai. Growing well and with good color. The Gigas grew of 2 inches to almost 7 inches under this set up since 7/2019. The long axis of the container he is in is 7.5 inches.
1C639550-C017-49CF-BA87-C85FD12951C8.jpeg
 
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OrionN

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Nice, link to the Home Depot bulbs? Or pm me, thanks!
Sorry it took me a while to collect these information. I bought them several years ago.
Ecosmart LED Lamps from China :(
They were on sale at Home Depot ~3 years ago. I used them daily without fail for the last 3 years. 12 hrs per day
19 Watts 120 watts equivalent
Plectrum 5000 Kelvin
2F352C41-7C39-4528-8402-5880A785624A.jpeg
4C62CF24-CC3E-48E7-B7C9-44FAD5AC3BF3.jpeg
F6365C72-D9EE-4305-A100-5365D381A187.jpeg
50AF830F-3002-4BBF-BB4C-B4A84C449DCE.jpeg
035999CE-6C7D-45BD-8F9F-2D269562A8BF.jpeg
0C066DF6-CDF3-4DE9-900A-7DD097468006.jpeg
 
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OrionN

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@TexasTodd
I tried but not able to find this same bulb anymore. However, I would not hesitate to use this bulb. Mainly get one that is rated for our door, wet location, and 5000K+. These are so cheap, only about $10 or so per bulb. Mine lasted for ever.
 
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OrionN

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Thanks @OrionN I've used older similar for algae but not corals and clams!
I used these as spot lights for my DT in addition to the 8 Radions over my 6 foot tank. I have had 10 of these lights spot on my Gigantea, Magnifica and clams before. The clams and anemone love the high light I provided for them.
 
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OrionN

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What is your feeding schedule/what do you feed? You have some nice fat looking fish!
I feed my tank with Nori clips, ad automatic pellets with two automated feeders. 8 times a day, in small amount. I also feed in AM with a mixture of frozen mysis and flakes food, a heaping teaspoon mixture of a variety of flakes and 1/2 cubic inch mysis. In the afternoons and weekend when I am home I crack open a frozen oyster and drop it in the tank, or a large frozen clam. I often bring a rock full of algae and put it in the DT for the fish to eat and remove it when almost all the algae is gone. Regrown in my QT until fill again.
 

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