FishChannel Forums / Saltwater Forums / For Reefkeepers

corals for a t5

plecodiscus — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:08:24 GMT

I just got a t5 system with 2 39w "super glo" (as opposed to normal strength t5s) t5 bulbs. Super glo bulbs are supposed to emit more light in each area of the spectrum. Both bulbs are full spectrum, but they max out in the blue area of the spectrum. The tank is 36" wide, 14.5" deep (i measured from the surface to the substrate), and 12" from front to back. If i add any corals, though, they will be within 10" of the surface. The light is 3" from the surface due to its mounting brackets. I am wondering what kinds of corals and other photosynthetic animals I can get with this light over my tank. I love LPS corals, and i was planning on getting tons of them for my tank, but i wanted to check first.

live framing?

savetheseaturtles — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 08:13:52 GMT

i've been thinking of live framing my nano reef tank, but i don't know that much about it or whether it's worthwhile in the end. does anyone have any info on liveframing other than what was in the recent magazine issue?

how often do you change your light bulbs?

paulo645 — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 17:11:48 GMT

people often don't change their light bulbs often enough to manage their invertebrates and corals for a reef tank This not only affects fish color, besides diet, and not sufficient lighting can harm your fish as well as your corals and invertebrates

T-5 lighting

bnel — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:27:42 GMT

I have a 90 gallon marine aquarium that is 24 inches tall. I want to keep the lower light corals such as mushrooms, star polyps, etc. Is four 54 watt T-5 bulbs on this tank enough? I don't want to get into the more expensive corals and have to worry about a chiller right now. This hobby can be expensive and I am trying to do this without too much expense. Thanks.

anemone for 20 gallon

reef aquarist — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:43:07 GMT

I have a 20 gallon saltwater tank with live rock, a brittle star, two hermit crabs, and currently no fish. I was thinking about getting a bubble tip anemone and one tomato clownfish. I have a compact fluorescent light system that has 60 watts. I have a power filter and one powerhead. I do two water changes of 1.5 liters each week.

The ammonia level is 0 ppm

The nitrite level is 0 ppm

The nitrate level is 0.5 ppm

The PH is 8.4

The temperature is 82 degrees

The specific gravity is 1.026

I was wondering if my tank was okay for the bubble tip anemone and the tomato clown. Thanks for the help.

ANTHIAS FOR REEF

SCARFACE — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 09:30:34 GMT

I am on the market for anthias. Have read there are very few types that will last in the home aquaria. Need to eat often. What kinds of anthias have you been able to keep over long periods of time? Also how did you do it? (food types, water temp, etc.) Theyre expensive little buggers and a big healthy school is not very common outside the ocean from what Ive heard and read. But there must be people on this site who have some good experiences with various species so please tell all.

TANG QUESTION

SCARFACE — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:03:25 GMT

What are the best fish for eating flat worms

lighting needs

blenny123 — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:03:19 GMT

can i keep mushrooms under a flourescent single bulb lighting system or do i need metal halides the tank is quite shallow about 11 inches.

copepods

saltyfresh — Fri, 23 May 2008 18:22:38 GMT

Im just beginning to transform my 55g to be more coral and invert friendly but dont have the space to house a fuge so I went and searched the internet for live copepods and phytoplankton to seed the tank with and to my suprise i found an interesting alternative to the fuge, multiple sites encouraged hobbyist to establish "breeding tanks" and apparently there fairly easy to raise until i saw the price of live phytoplankton but raising phytoplankton doesnt seem too difficult either. does anyone have any experience with this method? Any tips ?

coral ID

saltyfresh — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:53:23 GMT

i put a piece of live rock in my tank last week that has some button polyps on it and an unknown soft coral. i've been looking for a web site where i can compare photo's in an attempt to ID this guy. any suggestions?

Coral Needs

tmac1rebok — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 15:25:09 GMT

What are the needs for soft corals as far as water additives go. I have the whole saterwater thing setup and running amazingly smooth. Now I need to know what chemicals soft corals need to grow(none of the stoneys). Here what I think is needed...

Iodine; Calcium; Strontium and Molybdenum

Is there anything else I need or anything on the list unnecessary. This is all being added to sater w/ salinity at 35ppt, 8.2Ph, and temp. at 81 degress. The water was also tested multiple times and is has low nutrient levels. Feel free to check out my profile on fishchannel, simply search for tmac1rebok.

Glass Anenomes

deluxerider — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:02:45 GMT

I have several glass anenomes appearing in my live rock, any suggestions on how to get rid of them? I have tried squirting them w/ calcium and so far it has had little effect.

zero edge

filipem — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:07:30 GMT

If I ever decide to get into saltwater I would start with one of these.

http://www.zeroedgeaquarium.com/index.html

Mini Abalones?

stewwey — Wed, 28 May 2008 03:29:21 GMT

I'm not sure if I'm doing this right, so please excuse the lameness, but for the last 6 months after the lights go out in the tank, I randomly spot check for the creatures and I see these mini abalones. They look like the huge ones you find on the California coast except that they are, at most a 1/2 inch long. The colors are the same and the shell is exactly like the big guys and they cruise the rocks quickly, but ??

reef lighting

jmarc616 — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 21:19:47 GMT

I am looking to set up another tank. It's at least going to be a 50 gallon. I want a reef tank with a clown and anemone and a few pieces of coral (leather, etc). There are many choices out there (compact, vho, metal halide). Any suggestion ? Money is an issue too

Hitchhikers

deluxerider — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:43:26 GMT

This little guy & a friend came hidden in a piece of pinneapple coral I purchased from my lfs. They appear to have white crab like claws. The antennas are flat, featherlike and colorfull. They appear to have taken up residence in emptied hard tube worm canals. Anyboby have any idea what they may be? If harmful, I don't want them.

leapard wrasse

BryanJV. — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:01:33 GMT

help...new to hobby and recently acquired leapard wrasse.Was told by LFS was reef safe but not told difficult to feed.I have already had fish die due to wrong info provided and dont want any more to perish.Any pointers would greatly be appreciated.Thanks.

Best Coral

Shark Hunter — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:49:26 GMT

What is the best begging coral for inexperinced reef keepers?

question for critical thinking class

MoorishIdol — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:56:39 GMT

i need this answered ASAP, because this is due pretty soon. Why is there scum and mold on reefs and sea rocks? i know moorish idols and other fish eat it, but i need some answers!!!

Feather Duster tube split

johnsqrbk — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:26:05 GMT

My feather duster split about half way due to a move and then high current. I moved it to a slow current spot in my tank. The feather is on the lower half that is atteched to the rock. I am wondering if I should cut the upper half of the tube off or will it repair on its own.

Refugiums

deluxerider — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:50:40 GMT

Any feedback on these. Does anyone in the forum use one or know anyone that does?

What kind of info can anyone provide? Are they good, bad, helpful, a waste? They look very impressive especially for adding greens that fish would eat in the main tank.

Clam Trouble

deluxerider — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:09:05 GMT

I have a Crocea Clam that does not look to well. I've had it for several months and it has always looked great and has even grown but for the past 3 weeks or so, it stays closed most of the time and when it does open it only opens about 1/4 of the way. It's getting pale. I keep thinking it will "snap out of it". Water quality is good, water flow is good & I have it about 6" under the lights which are 4x96w 2 are actinic. Please help, is there anything I can do?

Pinned Topics

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Feather Duster hasnt come out

johnsqrbk — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 10:25:39 GMT

I did a 1/2 tank water change yesterday and my feather duster hasn't come out. I thought maybe one of my live rocks might have shifted onto the tube. I tried to move the feather duster this morning not sure if it is grown into the rock or underneath. Is it normal for the duster to do this. To move the rock would disturb my other corals. Basically what i need to know is to go and move the rocks or let it come out in its own time.

dying brain coral!!

gorchin — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:31:11 GMT

hi, i was given a small green open brain coral that was stung by galaxea. Parts of the brain coral is turning red and dying. Is there any way to save this coral from dying? Please help!! Thanks!!

I'm so excited!

Hailey — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 15:18:32 GMT

I just got an email from my former marine bio teacher who had said a long time ago that she would give me any livestock I wanted from the class tank after this semester was over. I asked if this still worked for her and she said yes. At the end of the month I am going to go pick out what I want and we'll arrange a good time for me to take them. She already has gorgonians of different types and some anemones, and she said she'd have lots of other stuff soon. Last year I got some livestock from that tank as well and there were corals of various kinds, anemones, sea stars, urchins, sea cucumbers, clams, crabs, snails, sponges, etc to choose from. It should be similarly well stocked this time...I can't wait to see it. I'll pick and choose carefully to make sure everything is compatible and will thrive in my tank though.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my excitement. Thanks for listening (err...reading...LOL).

Moving Mushrooms

johnsqrbk — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:48:20 GMT

I want to move a mushrrom off one rock to a different one is there any suggestions

Wholesalers in New Jersy Area

Wolverine57 — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 10:15:46 GMT

Hello All!

I know there are numerous wholesalers out there in the New Jersey location for Corals & Fish ( Salt water only). Appreciate if anyone might have an address or contact number for these places.

Thank you

New Kenya Tree Problems

johnsqrbk — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:59:58 GMT

I bought a kenya tree a couple of days ago and attached it to a rock.. It was looking good for two days after that now it has shrunk.. I have it high in my tank with flourescent lightin any advice would be welcomed

Mud Refugium

cybrchic — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:01:16 GMT

I need to know what is the best organism(s) to keep in a Sump/Refugium to enhance and provide natural filtration to a SW reef tank.

I have heard many thinhs about caulerpa and mangrove shoots. I have tried a type of green algae but this just keeps dissintegrating away.

Suggestions please! Thanks

Specs: water quality high- SG 1.024, pH 8.2, Temp. 77° F, 0 amonia, 0 Nitrite, ). 175g Oceanic Bow Front with Aqualight Pro 72" 3x250 watt 10,000K MH lamps, 4x96 watt True Actinic 03 Blue PC lamps, 4x1 watt Lunar Blue-Moon-Glow LED lamps. 55g refugium/sump with one compartment for floss/bio balls/trickle system to cathc main debris; a main large comparment with miracle mud 3 inch layer and one dissintegrating algae(looks like a green brownish hair ball), then another samll compartment with more bio balls that flows water into another area where it is fed into an Iwaki MD40RLT pump. 36 watt UV sterilizer and a Red Sea Berlin Turbo Classic Skimmer are also hooked up as well as a Prime inline 1/3 hp chiller.

Fish: 16 blue green chromis, 2 blue tangs, 1 Naso tang, 1 powder brown tang, 1 sailfin tang, 1 Painted Fairy Wrasse, 1 rock blenny(Lawnmower Blenny), 1 true percula clown fish, 1 coral beauty, 5 sand sifting star fish, 1 Orange Linkia Starfish, 100+ hermits crabs (reds, blues, elertic blues, scarlets), 2 sea cucumbers, 6 Cleaner Red Skunk Shrimps, ( i think thats it)

Corals: 2 rainbow rocks with over 10 different mushrooms varities (blues,pimples,greens, reds, purples, etc), 1 rock with 8+ Button Polyp - Green, 1 medium sized Star Polyps, various assorted ricordias - 1 emerald green, 1 3 mouthed Ricordia (Blue/Green), 1 2 mouthed Ricordia (Red/Pink), 1 3 mouthed Ricordia (Blue/Purple), 9 rock frags(each 30-45 polpys) of Zoanthid ( in all kinds of Assorted Color), 1 yellow Finger Leather Coral, 1 Toadstool Leather Coral , 1 neon green Plate Coral (Long Tentacle), 1 metallic green Brain Coral, 1 small Frogspawn, 1 neon light green Fine Grape Torch Coral, 1 green/red Blastomussa wellsi and growing....

how can I fix my anemous?

nemmo — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 08:46:00 GMT

I lately add a anemous to my tank and it start to roaming around.I try to fix it by push it into a plastic tube but it escaped from it and start moving around again.How can I fix it? please help me. thank you in advance.

filtration for a semireef aquarium

yasmani01 — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 21:06:48 GMT

Hello,

I would like to know what kind of filter and protein skimmer should I use for a 65 gallons semireef aquarium. I'll use live rocks too, but I need some advice about filters and skimmers.

Thank you

Regards

Yasmani

Starting a mini reef questions

Arman — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 12:11:31 GMT

I'm starting a 55 gallon mini reef. I'm planning on having Ocellaris clownfish, Banggai cardinalfish, yellowheaded jawfish, fire fish, yellow tailed damsels, dartfish, a banded shrimp goby, a yellow tailed fang blenny and flasher wrasses as my fish. for my inverts. i'm planning to have the standard cleanup crews as well as some sponges, featherduster worms, a bubble tipped anemone, xenia, assorted leather corals, Bubble coral, frogspawn coral, and finally some open brain coral.

My question is about the filtration and lighting. for the filtration I'm going to have a 6in deep sand bed, live rock and sand, macro algae, many power heads, and a sump with a protein skimmer and a wet/dry trickle filter. for the wet/dry filter people keep telling me that if I use one I should take out the bio balls and replace them with live rock. what do you think about this, is it a good idea?

About the lighting I am planning on using a flourecent unit that holds two HO bulbs and two antics, and has a LED moon light. will this be suitable for the anemone and the large polyped stony corals that I'm planning on having?

LET'S SEE SOME PICS OF CORALS

ReefMaster — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 20:46:04 GMT

here are some of the new corals that I have added, thru donations from my local reef club and a few friends.

1st one is a red capricornus

2nd is a blastamosa wellsi

3rd is a watermelon zoanthid

new tank

ReefMaster — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 22:37:54 GMT

well I know it's been awhile since I have been here, but all for a good reason, I got my new tank up. It is a custom built 110 acrylic, w/ a closed loop attached. Right now there is really not enough flow in the tank, but the setup cost wipe me clean. I will be replacing the pumps with more efficient ones, one that will push at least 2500 gph- 1500 for the return and 1000 for the closed loop.

pic #1- is of a friend installing the custom light job

#2- is of the closed loop

#3- is of the finished product

this project took all day to install, so it will be quite a while before I go bigger

brown algae on coral

MoorishIdol — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 09:22:32 GMT

my friend has a salt water tank, and lately they have noticed that there is some brown algae growing on it. they are wondering what that is and how to get rid of it. can anyone help her?

The upgrade begins

RCBruce — Mon, 21 May 2007 17:12:03 GMT

I have had my 55 gal reef for a year and a half now. After going through all the growing pains and learning curves, it's pretty stable.

Then I go and let my fish guy talk me into changing to a 90 gal with a deal too cheap to pass up. I really think he was worried I reached my tank limit and was going to stop buying corals and fish! LOL

Anyway, I am currently awaiting my sump so I can begin my transition.

Thought I would post where I'm coming from so anyone can watch where I'm going with all this and wish me luck!