Randy's Tank and Learn Thread

[jonelder68]

How’s the rest of the tank doing Randy!?!? Sorry to hear about the troubles with the nem! Love to see some of the progress/updates on the DT and fuge

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Good update. The treatment seems to be working if the anemone remains extended.

What was the biggest struggle throughout this entire experience? Which part was especially difficult, challenging, or labor intensive?

I think I’ll hold off on claiming what was the hardest challenge with the magnifica until it is safely back in the main tank and thriving. lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

How’s the rest of the tank doing Randy!?!? Sorry to hear about the troubles with the nem! Love to see some of the progress/updates on the DT and fuge

The rest of the tank seems to be doing fine, with the exception of the soft coral challenges I mentioned a few days ago. The hard corals are either growing or at worst unchanged since adding them. The “dino” concern seems fully gone (for now at least lol). The fish are all thriving and seem to get along fine. Coralline continues to grow on surfaces like rocks, the back glass, and overflows. Copepods seems to be thriving in numbers suitable for the mandarin that I never otherwise feed.

Systems are all working like they should, including the cooling system that has been getting a decent workout the past few weeks. Tank overflow gurgles more often than I’d prefer, but I just turn down the return pump flow as needed. Lights are slowly being ramped up to higher levels.

Refugium grows ulva surprisingly fast. At some point I may reduce the time of lighting of it, although if I add clownfish when the anemone stabilizes, nutrients from them may offset the current export.

 

[jonelder68]

Refugium grows ulva surprisingly fast.

I need to try some Ulva. I’m having troubles with my yellow tang eating much seaweed. He’ll pick at some nori. No interest in Julian’s red or purple. Let alone any gracilaria, caulerpa, or Pom Pom from my fuge. You feed it by attaching it to a rock vs a clip? I might need to try that see if it makes any difference. Until then just supplementing with nyos and hikari algae pellets as well as frozen food with algae. Getting ready to go on vacation so would be nice to be able to add a clump of something it will eat before leaving.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I need to try some Ulva. I’m having troubles with my yellow tang eating much seaweed. He’ll pick at some nori. No interest in Julian’s red or purple. Let alone any gracilaria, caulerpa, or Pom Pom from my fuge. You feed it by attaching it to a rock vs a clip? I might need to try that see if it makes any difference. Until then just supplementing with nyos and hikari algae pellets as well as frozen food with algae. Getting ready to go on vacation so would be nice to be able to add a clump of something it will eat before leaving.

One concern with ulva is to make sure it cannot block a return pump. That has not been a concern for my setup, but in some it might.

I've gone to using Sprung Sea Veggies on a clip when i am home (sometimes nori), and then when i go away, some large clumps of ulva rubber banded to a couple of rocks and dropped to the bottom. It lasts live for a long time while the herbivores eat it when hungry enough. They don't seem to prefer it, but they get what they get. lol
:)

 

[jonelder68]

One concern with ulva is to make sure it cannot block a return pump. That has not been a concern for my setup, but in some it might.

I've gone to using Sprung Sea Veggies on a clip when i am home (sometimes nori), and then when i go away, some large clumps of ulva rubber banded to a couple of rocks and dropped to the bottom. It lasts live for a long time while the herbivores eat it when hungry enough. They don't seem to prefer it, but they get what they get. lol
:)

If I get Ulva I’ll definitely be putting it in a basket of some sort to keep contained and to control growth. Easier harvesting that way as well. An old LFS use to grow it in pond planter baskets. Seemed to work good.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If I get Ulva I’ll definitely be putting it in a basket of some sort to keep contained and to control growth. Easier harvesting that way as well. An old LFS use to grow it in pond planter baskets. Seemed to work good.

That sounds good to me. The fronds I get are pretty large (several inches long) so would easily be contained unless something is shredding it.

 

[twentyleagues]

That sounds good to me. The fronds I get are pretty large (several inches long) so would easily be contained unless something is shredding it.

One concern with ulva is to make sure it cannot block a return pump. That has not been a concern for my setup, but in some it might.

I've gone to using Sprung Sea Veggies on a clip when i am home (sometimes nori), and then when i go away, some large clumps of ulva rubber banded to a couple of rocks and dropped to the bottom. It lasts live for a long time while the herbivores eat it when hungry enough. They don't seem to prefer it, but they get what they get. lol
:)

If I get Ulva I’ll definitely be putting it in a basket of some sort to keep contained and to control growth. Easier harvesting that way as well. An old LFS use to grow it in pond planter baskets. Seemed to work good.

I used to use Ulva in my overhead fuges seems pods really like it. And since this was the reason for the overhead fuges its basically all I used. They dont eat it at least not in any way I can tell. I think it just provides really good cover for them and they may eat anything growing on it. These were typically drilled 10g tanks with Matala mat to stop the Ulva from blocking the drain. Of the algaes I grew this was the most palatable for the tangs in the tank. The angels in the 300g stock tank seemed to like it as well. But I still ended up trading a lot for store credit at lfs or tossing it out.

 

[rishma]

Has the Ulva out competed the other macros? Or are they still growing?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Has the Ulva out competed the other macros? Or are they still growing?

It would, but I keep pulling it back from covering some of the red macro algae in the refugium. I’ve given up hope of getting any of the red macro to grow in the display due to the various herbivores, but I grow it as a treat for the tank and foxface. :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Magnifica Update

The anemone has been in treatment for 4 days now and will stay longer, but it seems pretty good. Current lighting is 4 h per day at about 270 par. In a couple of days I may up the lighting time and maybe add a bit of N and P into the water as a test. Last water change was 48 h ago. No cloudiness.

Initially it seemed good at night and deflated during the light cycle so the above change would be part test and part to help it. Currently it seems mostly unchanged over 24 h.

Here are pictures from a web cam I’m using to monitor it 24/7. First one is 30 min after lights on. Second is right before lights off. All pretty much the same and no strong deflation.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, it also does not appear to have tried to move off its rock. :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Same today: no deflation over the light cycle or any other time. My optimism is increasing. But it is still in its relatively sterile environment.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Tank Parameters

pH 8.04
Alk 8.5 dKH
Nitrate 7.6 ppm
Phosphate 0.28 ppm
Temp 78.3 F

Alk dropped a little since last time, probably from new corals and more coralline, so I upped the AFR dosing timer from 11 to 13 minutes per day (1.1 mL per min BRS doser).

Nitrate continues to drop, so I reduced the refugium lighting time from 14 h to 10 h per day.

I harvested ulva again, putting some in the display and trashing some.

 

[rtparty]

Off topic but do you have the link from Cristoph where he tested PO4 removers and what they removed/introduced by chance?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Magnifica Update

The anemone continues to do well in the cipro treatment. It moved its foot a little higher on the rock, suggesting it is liking the light and I upped the light time.

Because of my availability to do stuff, and how the anemone is doing, I have substantially altered the original protocol posted by OrionN.

Day 1
10 gallons new salt water with 25 mg/gallon cipro. Lighting of 270 par with refugium bulb for 4 h per day. There has been no water cloudiness any days.

Day 2
100% water change with 10 gallons new salt water with 25 mg/gallon cipro. Lighting of 270 par with refugium bulb for 4 h per day.

Day 3
100% water change with 14 gallons new salt water with 25 mg/gallon cipro. Lighting of 270 par with refugium bulb for 4 h per day.

Days 4-6
Nothing done

Day 7
100% water change with 13 gallons new salt water with 25 mg/gallon cipro. Lighting of 270 par with refugium bulb for 6 h per day.

If all goes as hoped, the plan will likely involve keeping the anemone in this situation (no water changes) until it is ready for the display sometime this weekend.

Picture 3 h after lights on today, mouth is closed, no deflation

Picture less than a minute after 100% water change today, showing the foot has climbed the rock section I glued onto the base (which is at the bottom of the picture of the anemone), raising itself at least a little toward the light:

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Off topic but do you have the link from Cristoph where he tested PO4 removers and what they removed/introduced by chance?

Sure:

https://en.oceamo.com/reaktormedien/
And

https://en.oceamo.com/reaktormedien2/

 

[RobertK]

Hey Randy, what type of macroalge does your Biota yellow tang like to eat best? I know you have a few types growing in your fuge. I'm going to place an order with algae barn soon and want to include some munchies for my Biota YT.

 

[rtparty]

Sure:

https://en.oceamo.com/reaktormedien/
And

https://en.oceamo.com/reaktormedien2/

Thank you

 

[CNDReef]

Magnifica Update

The anemone continues to do well in the cipro treatment. It moved its foot a little higher on the rock, suggesting it is liking the light and I upped the light time.

Because of my availability to do stuff, and how the anemone is doing, I have substantially altered the original protocol posted by OrionN.

Day 1
10 gallons new salt water with 25 mg/gallon cipro. Lighting of 270 par with refugium bulb for 4 h per day. There has been no water cloudiness any days.

Day 2
100% water change with 10 gallons new salt water with 25 mg/gallon cipro. Lighting of 270 par with refugium bulb for 4 h per day.

Day 3
100% water change with 14 gallons new salt water with 25 mg/gallon cipro. Lighting of 270 par with refugium bulb for 4 h per day.

Days 4-6
Nothing done

Day 7
100% water change with 13 gallons new salt water with 25 mg/gallon cipro. Lighting of 270 par with refugium bulb for 6 h per day.

If all goes as hoped, the plan will likely involve keeping the anemone in this situation (no water changes) until it is ready for the display sometime this weekend.

Picture 3 h after lights on today, mouth is closed, no deflation

Picture less than a minute after 100% water change today, showing the foot has climbed the rock section I glued onto the base (which is at the bottom of the picture of the anemone), raising itself at least a little toward the light:

If by any chance you want to borrow a 250w MH set to put on the anemone just lmk