Randy's Tank and Learn Thread

[dwest]

Did they all come from one original?

Yes. The three I have appear to be the original plus two fragments. Yours was a budding type of reproduction.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Where it is positioned, I cannot see the skeleton to see if it has increased in size, but it will be happy to know that it is part of a family with such impressive members. :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Routine Maintenance

I carried out some routine maintenance today, including cleaning the skimmer and skimmate, and replacing the GAC in the outflow of the skimmer.

I think I replaced the GAC a couple of weeks ago, but am not sure. I use about 1/2 -3/4 cup of ROX 0.8, prerinsed in tap water. The Tunze skimmer has a mesh bag fitting for this purpose.

The Tunze long term collection apparatus continues to work well, diverting the skimmate into a mostly closed salt bucket. The neck and tubing of the collection device had organic deposits that I wiped out in a sink.

I collected 831 g of skimmate since last collection (which may have been 6 weeks ago unless I didn’t mention a
more recent cleaning here in this thread). Enough to fill a large yogurt container:

 

[LiquidSpace]

Eggs?

One of the plastic overflows has new additions of what may be eggs. Might be one of the new CUC snails, and probably a big type since these are each about 2 mm across.

Anyone know what they are?

Do you have Nerite Snails?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Cooling System Upgrade

I’m remembering back to my last tank and problems I had with high quality temp sensors placed in water long term. Even those intended for long term immersion eventually failed, presumably due to water penetration.

I solved it last time by running a new, dry sensor down into airline tubing, doubling it back on itself, and putting the sensor end into the water. Those never failed.

In reading a thread on the stainless end of an INKBIRD recently, I followed up and read that the manufacturer suggested the plastic ends for saltwater aquarium use. Not sure if corrosion is an actual problem, but the two I use for the cooling system are metal tipped.

I’m also worried about water penetrating at the metal/plastic connection. So I decided to do the same thing with these sensors that I did last time. The INKBIRD sensors are larger diameter than I used before, which means bigger tubing, and slower response time. However, I have never thought response time was important in a several hundred gallon system that only moves up or down in temp slowly.

This is what they look like. Cooling system uses two for redundancy, so there are two different tubing sensor combinations.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Do you have Nerite Snails?

I don’t think they are intentionally there, but there are these:

Trochus, turbos, Astraeas, Dwarf Ceriths, Florida Ceriths, and Nassarius snails

 

[FishLvR]

If you usually keep urchins this may be why. They may be eating it before it really gets to take off or you notice. I have heard people say this before though. I dont know how its possible tbh.

I have always had urchins. You are probably right.

 

[FishLvR]

This is why I use bayite. If you order their controller and tell them it's for saltwater they send the coated probe with instructions on how to calibrate because the coated read different. That is why I always buy Bayite. Plus they look nicer. Also, they just released their bluetooth version.

 

[twentyleagues]

Eggs?

One of the plastic overflows has new additions of what may be eggs. Might be one of the new CUC snails, and probably a big type since these are each about 2 mm across.

Anyone know what they are?

Do you have Nerite Snails?

This is my thought as well. I could be wrong but isnt that a Nerite in the pic? If they are Nerite eggs they will not hatch in saltwater, they need brackish water to be viable. One reason I dont like Nerite snails the eggs get everywhere and never hatch in both freshwater and saltwater. Put these creatures in brackish water to get a breeding project going and they stop laying eggs.....lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

What do folks think of duncan corals?

There's a fairly large, all green one available locally. I've read a number of threads about them growing well, then having problems.

Thoughts?

The one for sale:

https://bostonreefers.org/forums/index.php?attachments/img_5251-jpeg.221981/

 

[XtraKargo]

What do folks think of duncan corals?

There's a fairly large, all green one available locally. I've read a number of threads about them growing well, then having problems.

Thoughts?

The one for sale:

https://bostonreefers.org/forums/index.php?attachments/img_5251-jpeg.221981/

They have been one of my hardiest corals, easy to keep and not very aggressive that don't grow crazy quick. (I have only seen them sting a few softies and such)

Very active feeding response as well, and look cool in the flow.

 

[rishma]

What do folks think of duncan corals?

There's a fairly large, all green one available locally. I've read a number of threads about them growing well, then having problems.

Thoughts?

The one for sale:

https://bostonreefers.org/forums/index.php?attachments/img_5251-jpeg.221981/

I find them very hardy and somewhat fast growers relative to other LPS. I’ve never had one get huge so I cannot comment on them having issues.

 

[Miami Reef]

What do folks think of duncan corals?

There's a fairly large, all green one available locally. I've read a number of threads about them growing well, then having problems.

Thoughts?

The one for sale:

https://bostonreefers.org/forums/index.php?attachments/img_5251-jpeg.221981/

Love ‘em. The reasons some folks have trouble is unclear and not universal. I used to grow a massive one that I kept fragging.

I say yes. They look pretty good under whites and add a lot of movement and flow.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

This is my thought as well. I could be wrong but isnt that a Nerite in the pic? If they are Nerite eggs they will not hatch in saltwater, they need brackish water to be viable. One reason I dont like Nerite snails the eggs get everywhere and never hatch in both freshwater and saltwater. Put these creatures in brackish water to get a breeding project going and they stop laying eggs.....lol

I was wrong. Looking back at my stocking list, I did get 7 nerites in the package from Reef Cleaners.

Thanks guys!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Updated Stocking List

Stocking List
Organism	Date Added	Source	Date Lost
Live Rock	4/16 and 5/15/2025	TBS*
Live Sand	4/16/2025	TBS*
Fish
Yellow Tang (tank raised)	5/21/2025	Dr Reef*
Green Chromis (5)	5/21/2025	Dr Reef*
Mandarin Pair (tank raised)	5/21/2025	Dr Reef*	one disappeared 5/2025
One spot foxface	6/27/2025	Dr Reef*
Coral
Cali Tort	5/20/2025	dwest*	DOA
Green leather	5/20/2025	dwest*	disappeared 6/2025
Aussie Elegance	5/20/2025	dwest*
Fiji Yellow Leather	5/20/2025	DIYreefer*
Large milka stylophora	6/3/2025	CNDReef
Digitata (bubblegum or forest fire)	6/3/2025	CNDReef*
WWC slimeball anacopora	6/3/2025	CNDReef*
Koji Wada Nephthea (2)	6/11/2025	Thunderstrick34
weeping willow leather	6/11/2025	Thunderstrick34*
ORA Cherry Red Goniopora	6/11/2025	Top Shelf
Oregon Blue Tort	6/11/2025	Top Shelf
Red Setosa Montipora	6/11/2025	Top Shelf
Blood simple leptoseris	6/11/2025	Top Shelf
Other Inverts
Astrea snails	5/15/2025	TBS*
Florida hermits	5/15/2025	TBS*
sea cucumbers (2)	5/15/2025	TBS*
peppermint shrimp (2)	5/15/2025	TBS*
Brittle stars (2)	5/15/2025	TBS*
Trochus snails (7)	6/11/2025	Top Shelf
Yellow Ball Sponges (2)	6/11/2025	Gulf Coast Ecosystems
Red Tree Sponge (2)	6/11/2025	Gulf Coast Ecosystems
Purple Sea Fan	6/11/2025	Gulf Coast Ecosystems
Laurencia iridescens macroalgae	6/11/2025	Gulf Coast Ecosystems
Botryocladia macroalgae	6/11/2025	Gulf Coast Ecosystems
Ulva macroalgae	6/11/2025	Gulf Coast Ecosystems
gracilaria macroalgae	6/11/2025	Gulf Coast Ecosystems
Trochus snails (5)	6/13/2025	Reef Cleaners
turbo snails (5)	6/13/2025	Reef Cleaners
Florida cerith snails (32)	6/13/2025	Reef Cleaners
nassarius vibex snails (19)	6/13/2025	Reef Cleaners
astraea snails (7)	6/13/2025	Reef Cleaners
nerite snails (7)	6/13/2025	Reef Cleaners
assorted hermits (7)	6/13/2025	Reef Cleaners
dwarf cerith snails (72)	6/13/2025	Reef Cleaners
emerald crabs (2) to sumps	6/13/2025	Reef Cleaners
* donated or purchased at reduced price

 

[X-37B]

Metal blade on the Tunze worked much better. Only place that did not get fully clean is the rough patch I tried (and failed) to polish before filling the tank. I can still see green on it. A razor might not be better there since it may be embedded in tiny depressions.

Try a medium toothbrush. They work well on those type of areas.
I use them on rockwork if needed also.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Try a medium toothbrush. They work well on those type of areas.
I use them on rockwork if needed also.

Thanks, I will. :)

 

[X-37B]

Limpits of some sort. IdK why they are not usually included in cuc packages. I see some places carry them from time to time. I think a lot of them are more of a temperate creature not faring well in most warm water reef tanks. Seems yours are doing well maybe you can breed enough to sell to the world!

I have limits that just spawned in my 150. They came in on the GLR.
I saw 3-4 over the last year. When spawning I saw over 30 of them and the water was milky.

 

[twentyleagues]

Duncans are great. They can Be acclimated to a wide range of tank conditions higher flow lower flow higher light (think high torch lighting) and lower light. I think a lot of the issues people see is from detritus accumulating between the polyps. Most Duncans have fairly close polyps unlike a hammer or torch or frogspawn, there are branching versions also I got one in feb and its doing well. They really dont sting other corals but most others will sting them. I cant see the pics its asking for a log in. But in any case keeping the detritus out of it will help.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Duncans are great. They can Be acclimated to a wide range of tank conditions higher flow lower flow higher light (think high torch lighting) and lower light. I think a lot of the issues people see is from detritus accumulating between the polyps. Most Duncans have fairly close polyps unlike a hammer or torch or frogspawn, there are branching versions also I got one in feb and its doing well. They really dont sting other corals but most others will sting them. I cant see the pics its asking for a log in. But in any case keeping the detritus out of it will help.

Yes, sorry on the picture. I don't feel comfortable pasting the pic here since It may have a BRS copyright.