Randy's Tank and Learn Thread

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Do you plan on adding live rock directly to the tank? I would suggest adding to a holding tank. I removed 4 stone crabs and 3 gorilla crabs while in 3 month holding tank. I’m currently trying to catch a 2” gorilla in the refugium and a tiny 1/2” stone crab from DT. These little buggers are talented at hiding for weeks on end.

Only found/noticed the gorilla crab in refugium after adding some gorgonians. He was out ripping them into pieces :( Again he’s massive and have never seen him over the last 6 weeks otherwise.

Thanks for the reminder! I do plan to add it directly. I’ll look at each piece, but I don’t have the patience to hold it in a bin for weeks. I’m relying on the fact that I’m generally lucky. Lol

On that topic, anyone think it unwise to put questionable crabs into my brute basement cans?

 

[BeanAnimal]

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

FWIW, I got a pistol shrimp with my natural live rock I got from Richard at TBS 30 years ago. Never saw it, but I heard it and didn’t consider it a problem. I thought it was fun to hear it once in a while. Eventually it must have died.

 

[Miami Reef]

On that topic, anyone think it unwise to put questionable crabs into my brute basement cans?

Nothing wrong with that at all. They can’t damage any organisms in a separate environment.

People sump them all the time.

I thought it was fun to hear it once in a while.

I get happy when mine snap. They came with my live rock.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Thanks for the reminder! I do plan to add it directly. I’ll look at each piece, but I don’t have the patience to hold it in a bin for weeks. I’m relying on the fact that I’m generally lucky. Lol

On that topic, anyone think it unwise to put questionable crabs into my brute basement cans?

We are keeping a big butt stone crab in the sump. We plan to cook it down the road. I e got some gorillas down there too. She’s not a fan of my problem solving skills when it comes to the pest inverts. Hence the pest tank now. Mind you, I don’t feed that tank. So it’s like Survivor in my breakfast area. For the ones in my sump, the only way they could get back into my display, is via chum, full circle…

 

[BeanAnimal]

FWIW, I got a pistol shrimp with my natural live rock I got from Richard at TBS 30 years ago. Never saw it, but I heard it and didn’t consider it a problem. I thought it was fun to hear it once in a while. Eventually it must have died.

I have two Randall's pistols -- I too enjoy the sound of them -- but they are little guys, not green or other predator mantis.

I would love to have a peacock or even green, etc. in the sump. I just never get around to doing it.

I personally think that they are fascinating creatures.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

@Randy Holmes-Farley I got way more good stuff then bad. I must have 40 porcelain crabs in there. Lots of different goodies came in.

 

[BeanAnimal]

On that topic, anyone think it unwise to put questionable crabs into my brute basement cans?

I think it is a good idea - other than not being able to see and interact with them.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

I have two Randall's pistols -- I too enjoy the sound of them -- but they are little guys, not green or other predator mantis.

I would love to have a peacock or even green, etc. in the sump. I just never get around to doing it.

I personally think that they are fascinating creatures.

That’s its cave, the green mantis. It’s pretty wild. He closes off the entrance with about 20 minutes to go in my lighting schedule. And like that he made a cameo. He also goes up into the overflow box, grazes up there, then back against the current through the teeth and back 7 feet away to his cave.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Return Flow Update

Lots of things coming together nicely. The Jebao DEP 10,000 came yesterday and I installed it as the main return. The DEP 8500 will be used for making new salt water (in 2 Brutes at once) and then just waits in case it is needed as a emergency replacement main return.

The DEP 10,000 has the following flow right now, and it will be somewhat more in regular use because I have the sump at an unusually low water level to allow room for the new rock and sand.

At 60% I get 215 gph
At 70% I get 360 gph
At 85% I get 418 gph

All measured by collecting a gallon and timing it as it came back to the sump.

Even 60% is likely ok, but I have some room to go up and down as needed.

The whole system is running to get it to 72-73 deg F for rock and sand arrival, and at the temp increase rate I see, I expect I can drop one of the heaters (500 and 800 w Finnex right now) for routine operation this time of year.

The fish room is also coming around. Remember, I’m not a neat type of guy, but here’s a peak at the Brute cans forming the sump and refugia. Water enters right and flows to the left. At the far left is one on the 3 Brutes used for ro/di. The two new salt water brute are out of the picture to the right.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

In Tank Salt Mixing

In order to facilitate the mixing of so much salt water, I mixed it in the sump and pumped it to the remainder of the system. With normal IO that leads to cloudiness, and with no place to settle without rock and such in the system, I decided to lower the alk and pH with muriatic acid. I added enough to drop the pH by about 1.5 dKH. That drops the pH a lot and eliminated the cloudiness.

Aeration by running the skimmer will bring everything back to a good level in short order. :)

 

[jonelder68]

Thanks for the reminder! I do plan to add it directly. I’ll look at each piece, but I don’t have the patience to hold it in a bin for weeks. I’m relying on the fact that I’m generally lucky. Lol

On that topic, anyone think it unwise to put questionable crabs into my brute basement cans?

I thought they would be fine in the remote refugium. But rocks and sand are constantly moving. Believe from the stone crabs? The cuc in there is slowly getting eaten. Believe from the gorilla? The various macro algae is getting ripped from rocks and eaten even. So I’m a war with them and will be trying the water bottle/shrimp trap.

I would see no issues putting them in an equipment chamber but other than that I’d remove. Destructive little buggers! Wouldn’t surprise me if they chewed up power cords.

For context I only got 16lbs of rock and probably had 10 plus crabs. But it’s totally worth it.

TBS sand is amazing! Wish I would have used 100% of it vs refugium and seeding with it.

 

[Miami Reef]

Adding muriatic acid will get the salt dissolving quick and clear. I like using chemistry hacks like that.

I’m not a neat type of guy either, and I definitely don’t have the patience to sit live rock in a bin for weeks.

Are you planning on quarantining the fish for ich and parasites? I think last time you had a separate established tank where you simply observed the fish without prophylactically treating with chemicals.

The biota yellow tang doesn’t need to be treated for parasites since it’s captive bred, but I’m talking about other fish from the LFS.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Are you planning on quarantining the fish for ich and parasites? I think last time you had a separate established tank where you simply observed the fish without prophylactically treating with chemicals.

The biota yellow tang doesn’t need to be treated for parasites since it’s captive bred, but I’m talking about other fish from the LFS.

I don’t have any plans to qt fish. I’ll either buy tank raised or already qt’d fish like Dr Reef. I expect others can do a better job than I could.

 

[areefer01]

Thanks for the reminder! I do plan to add it directly. I’ll look at each piece, but I don’t have the patience to hold it in a bin for weeks. I’m relying on the fact that I’m generally lucky. Lol

On that topic, anyone think it unwise to put questionable crabs into my brute basement cans?

My experience using a similar product, KP Aquatic rock, is that the hitchhikers are manageable. Similar to TBS KP's rock is shipped fully submerged.

I basically went about it as such. Not exact mind you but what I remember anyway. Cleaned out my utility sink. Opened the box, placed the bag in the sink. Laid out a couple of towels on the counter. Placed some Styrofoam down that I had from previous shipments. Took out a piece of rock, shook it a bit, gently, turn it around a few times, then set it on the Styrofoam. Did that with a few other pieces each one inspecting them over the bag they shipped in with a bit of water. Anything of question that I found went back into the bag to assess at the end.

Long story short I found 7 red mitrax crabs. 2 decorator crabs. 2 crabs I couldn't identify so labeled in the Gorilla bucket due to their black pointy tip claws.

Mitrax crabs went into the display. Decorator crabs into the refugium. Unknown Gorilla went into the overflow box. It is large, deep, and I keep rubble in there for pods. Like a cryptic zone. I missed, or they hid very well, two or tree unknown crabs. One brittle type starfish. They are all in my display today as I find molts here and there of the crabs.

In my opinion having done this years before back when we could source live rock from Fiji it is all about time. Do you have both time and patience to trap them? What is acceptable to you as it relates to risk? In my opinion the only thing that was a no-go for me was whelk snails and isopods. Everything else I could care less and would get when time allows.

Only other thing to note is that I used some thick gloves in case I made someone angry...

 

[jsmkmavity]

The tang has nice color!

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

I don’t have any plans to qt fish. I’ll either buy tank raised or already qt’d fish like Dr Reef. I expect others can do a better job than I could.

I gave up on QT’ing. Out of 20 fish, I had 1 make it through. Ramping to 2.5, 28 days at 2.5 then 14 of Prazi, water changes with matching temps and 2.5, etc etc. I felt like a freaking loser. I should have opened a Long John Silvers, I might have broken even. Dr Reef all day for me now. Great experience.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

My experience using a similar product, KP Aquatic rock, is that the hitchhikers are manageable. Similar to TBS KP's rock is shipped fully submerged.

I basically went about it as such. Not exact mind you but what I remember anyway. Cleaned out my utility sink. Opened the box, placed the bag in the sink. Laid out a couple of towels on the counter. Placed some Styrofoam down that I had from previous shipments. Took out a piece of rock, shook it a bit, gently, turn it around a few times, then set it on the Styrofoam. Did that with a few other pieces each one inspecting them over the bag they shipped in with a bit of water. Anything of question that I found went back into the bag to assess at the end.

Long story short I found 7 red mitrax crabs. 2 decorator crabs. 2 crabs I couldn't identify so labeled in the Gorilla bucket due to their black pointy tip claws.

Mitrax crabs went into the display. Decorator crabs into the refugium. Unknown Gorilla went into the overflow box. It is large, deep, and I keep rubble in there for pods. Like a cryptic zone. I missed, or they hid very well, two or tree unknown crabs. One brittle type starfish. They are all in my display today as I find molts here and there of the crabs.

In my opinion having done this years before back when we could source live rock from Fiji it is all about time. Do you have both time and patience to trap them? What is acceptable to you as it relates to risk? In my opinion the only thing that was a no-go for me was whelk snails and isopods. Everything else I could care less and would get when time allows.

Only other thing to note is that I used some thick gloves in case I made someone angry...

Thanks for the method plan!

I did get some heavy shoulder length gloves. I’ll be needing to place some rocks pretty deep (tank is 24” deep) so I hope they serve without loosing too much dexterity.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I should have opened a Long John Silvers,

lol. Tiny fish fillets.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

I’ve purchased from both KP (Phillip right?) and TBS. I’ll never purchase from KP again. If you search me there is a lengthy thread on here about my experience in real time. And, poop happens, I’m a realist. But, the experience with KP was so poorly managed, I’d do without wet gulf rock if that was the only supplier with product. Sorry, but that’s my experience first hand. Now for me to go get my canoe and start paddling to Walgreens.