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#2503
11/30/2004, 02:18 PM
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#2504
11/30/2004, 04:12 PM
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What was the recomendation on Cerith to Astrea.
3 Cerith to one Astrea or visa vera? I forgot to write it down about 50 pages ago..... Also why Starboard? Can I not just use a white piece of plastic and just glue my rocks together with silicone before I add them to the tank? Seems it would be much cheaper than way for me, and in a tank of 75 Gallons I am not using big enough rocks that would crack the glass if they fall or roll. |
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#2505
11/30/2004, 08:07 PM
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Astrea's eat like cows Mark. But like cows, they eat a lot but don't digest their food very well. Ceriths clean up after the astreas.
About 3 ceriths to one astrea seems about right. Unless you just want something on the bottom for decoration, you might not need anything at all. I just liked the white bottom mostly. I know when I went to the plastics shop, I was told that the plastics all had problems (curl, warp, get brittle, fade, release toxins) and to use SB. |
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#2506
12/01/2004, 01:18 AM
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Bomber I have a tank 250 gallon set up in a similiar fashion to yours. I currently have 200 Astraea snails, 130 ceriths, and about 30 Trochus snails. The don't quite seem to be keeping up with the algae. I would buy more Ceriths, but they seem to be reproducing in my tank. They are also about $2 each here in Canada. Does it make sense that I just wait it out, or should I get more snails? My tank is about 2 months old, my rock was cooked for about 6 weeks after curing. The algae isn't taking over, but it seems that when one area is clean, the next area starts to get a fine film over it.
Thanks Bomber. 
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When all else fails, turn up the flow!!! |
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#2507
12/01/2004, 02:00 AM
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Quote:
Stealing and mutilating a Sheri Lewis song: ...It is the thread that does not end, it goes on and on my friend. Some people started reading it a long, long time ago. They'll keep on reading it forever, because don't you know...It is the thread that does not end, it goes on and on my friend...
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Lee |
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#2508
12/01/2004, 09:50 AM
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Quote:
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#2509
12/01/2004, 10:14 AM
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talk about island hopping.200 snails on that clump of rock?...
hehe.......Those clowns look tiny in that tank....... Nathan
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Kalkwasser in Coffee |
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#2511
12/01/2004, 03:10 PM
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Quote:
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When all else fails, turn up the flow!!! |
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#2512
12/01/2004, 06:08 PM
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Beautiful! Great looking tank.
Watch your imports and exports on nutrients, mainly think about exporting phosphates. How wet is your skimming? does it look like it's taking out a lot of junk? no detritus piles anywhere leaking? It might just be your rocks getting settled in too. Try blasting them a few time with a turkey baster, see if you can get anything to come out of them. It can take a long time for them to clean up. Depending on how much "life" was on them. |
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#2513
12/01/2004, 06:27 PM
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Quote:
__________________
When all else fails, turn up the flow!!! |
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#2514
12/01/2004, 06:38 PM
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Hmmmm
Somewhere in there you have a phosphate leak. Since you're not getting a lot of detritus build up and your skimmer's not picking up a lot of water borne phyto(green) - I'm guessing your rocks are still settling in. Don't let it get ahead of you. |
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#2515
12/02/2004, 05:26 PM
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Bomber, Hows the Keys these days? wish I were there. Anyway, I have a thought. It happens sometimes. My reef is getting hair algae now in one of it's cycles that has always been happening for years. (good thing I have no SPS) I know that algae need phosphorous and nitrogen but mine both are unmeasurable. I just got two new kits today and I did not trust either so I brought some water to a LFS and used their kit and both measure zero. The algae is starting to die and I will eliminate it soon. I know my very old gravel must have some crud in there but hair algae must need such a small amount of the above nutrients that it will be impossable to control algae on just the elimination of these. I just put in one of those phosphate sponges for the hell of it but I can't measure anything. Unless the nutrients are all tied up in the algae and removed from the water so it tests zero. That is my conclusion. If that is so, then the algae will be self limiting and the only way to eliminate it from the main reef is by using a well lit refugium. I also notice that when I remove a lot of algae by a very strong water jet on a diatom filter it grows very fast for a few days and gets longer than it was initially.
I am doing an experiment with a moorish Idol and have been feeding too much for a while. Any thoughts on this? I know you do not like my reverse UG filter but it's a quest to see how long I can keep it running. I just can't change the system because everything is always so healthy. Take care. Paul |
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#2516
12/02/2004, 05:28 PM
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Bomber, Hows the Keys these days? wish I were there. Anyway, I have a thought. It happens sometimes. My reef is getting hair algae now in one of it's cycles that has always been happening for years. (good thing I have no SPS) I know that algae need phosphorous and nitrogen but mine both are unmeasurable. I just got two new kits today and I did not trust either so I brought some water to a LFS and used their kit and both measure zero. The algae is starting to die and I will eliminate it soon. I know my very old gravel must have some crud in there but hair algae must need such a small amount of the above nutrients that it will be impossable to control algae on just the elimination of these. I just put in one of those phosphate sponges for the hell of it but I can't measure anything. Unless the nutrients are all tied up in the algae and removed from the water so it tests zero. That is my conclusion. If that is so, then the algae will be self limiting and the only way to eliminate it from the main reef is by using a well lit refugium. I also notice that when I remove a lot of algae by a very strong water jet on a diatom filter it grows very fast for a few days and gets longer than it was initially.
I am doing an experiment with a moorish Idol and have been feeding too much for a while. Any thoughts on this? I know you do not like my reverse UG filter but it's a quest to see how long I can keep it running. I just can't change the system because everything is always so healthy. Take care. Paul You can see some of the algae scattered around. 
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#2517
12/02/2004, 05:54 PM
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I don't see no algae, I see a beautiful tank and fish.
One of the things you can't avoid if the nutrients are there, is bacterial flux. Not just sand beds do this, but anything that completes denitrification - like rock - will do it too. As the anaerobic area fills and approaches the surface - aerobic area - it will leak. As it leaks it grows algae ( you can also use bacteria turgor to do this in the dark ) as the nutrients are used up, the aerobic area pushes back down and it stops leaking. Then it will fill back up, and leak again. This cycle can go on and on. One way to try to eliminate it (besides lowering your overall nutrients that are feeding it) is to scrub the algae off (harvest and export) and blast that spot with a turkey baster (harvest and export detritus and bacteria) to remove the fuel. It might take a few times cause when you blast it, you're also aerating it and than can cause a deeper release. But after a few times it usually settles back down. You didn't get a P reading cause you're chasing the ever elusive highly reactive water soluble phosphorus compound - ortho-phosphate. Phyto, bacteria, etc like it better than that test kit. The more organics you have, the faster ortho-P is taken up. |
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#2518
12/02/2004, 06:46 PM
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That makes sence. I never thought of the bacteria aspect but now that I think about it, hmmm.
I would imagine thats why I had to remove some new rocks I had in there because they were algae magnets with hair algae growing on them three times longer than the old rocks. Some of the rocks have been in there 40 years. If that is the case, and I really don't want to change the rocks (sentimental value) I think I will add a refugium with new homemade concrete rock which will be very efficient at growing hair algae and I can then change the rock with clean rock. I do clean off the algae every few weeks and have been doing it for years when I have a cycle. As you know, this tank is an experiment and I would like to find a solution that will be easy to do by most people. There are not too many studies on very old reefs, I guess there are not too many people as old as us here either. It seems, if as you say, the anerobic area of the rock is filled (which I'm sure it is) My plan of using new rock as an algae magnet should work, short of changing my reef rock which I spent a lot of time and money collecting. Thanks for your input. What do you think of my refugium idea with concrete rock? Paul I'm sure it doesen't help by putting in this local New York seaweed but it looks so good I couldn't resist. 
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#2520
12/02/2004, 07:00 PM
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that almost looks like green garden salad stuff,, sorta.. kinda maybe from wendy's!
N
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Kalkwasser in Coffee |
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#2521
12/02/2004, 07:11 PM
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Yeah, I know. I love it. But I do remove it before it starts to die. I also put in codium seaweed in the summer that grows all summer and looks real nice. I like a wierd tank, what can I tell you. Maybe I'll put in an elm tree some day.
Paul |
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