OK! Enough chat...Starting a 1000g+ Reef

[steve the plumb]

looks interesting I might add.I did get some fish today and a small anemone, that even though my cl intake is blocked he somehow managed to get in there partially.The dam thing pulled a Houdini on me.

[jnarowe]

I have never had those issues fortunately. I did find an anemone on a Vortech one time, but I just pulled the plug and set it free.

[sherm71tank]

If you set it free and then it continues to roam about your tank killing corals (and you can't figure out why they are dieing on you) you probably have PLTA!!!! I tried to tell you!

[jnarowe]

Hey, that PLTA only does that about once every 4 - 5 months...so there's a little battling going on...peanuts for me eh?

[mrcrab]

Originally posted by jnarowe
I have never had those issues fortunately. I did find an anemone on a Vortech one time, but I just pulled the plug and set it free.

Speaking of which...you guys must be psychotic.

I got my algae free magnet the other day and attached the scraper and was cleaning some coraline off the glass, hint, hint Jon.

I look over and my magnificent rabbitfish is wrapped around a vortech. He was fine yesterday. I pulled the plug and he's still alive but don't think he's going to recover. He's bent around in a semi-circle.

[steve the plumb]

ouch send the bill to eco tech and maybe they may refund you.Take pics first and document everything so as not to have any disagreements with others on this thread,Have a merry Christmas crabby.

[mrcrab]

Doubt very much it was the pump. These guys swim around them and through the current all day long. He must have had something wrong with him. He didn't make it.

[steve the plumb]

dam he died just before the holidays.Thats a bummer.Will you buy another one or will you buy another type of fish.

[steve the plumb]

well I had just bought the anemone and the dam thing went into the pipe.I pulled it out but after I decided to give him the burial at sea.I didn't want the risk of polluting the tank and killing more live stock.I have some bad luck sometimes.I also bought 2 clowns a yellow tang and a bi color angel.The fish are fine I will take pics.I do notice that I have some cyano in the tank that doesn't want to leave.I also have like long stringy algae.I did scrub the cyano so it moved around but most of it went into the filter sock.I have spots in the tank.This was my main reason for getting the wave box but I think I will need a power head or two.I will also do a water change.The water looks clean its algae spots that are bugging me.Cleaning them with a tooth brush won't solve the problem.

[steve the plumb]

does anyone here have an x box 360?

[Agu]

This thread has gone off on tangents, there's a dispute that we will not allow to be tried in the court of public opinion, and it's closed. I suggest the involved parties resolve their issues in private. This is not the venue for these types of issues to be continued to be aired.

[Agu]

We have come to an agreement and Jon asked me to post this and reopen the thread,

"jnarowe,

I understand your concerns and anger, and closing that thread was in no way a judgement of the situation.

It has been long term policy on RC that when members have a dispute they're told to take it offline. If the sum is $5 or substantially greater is not an issue. What is the issue is that once members have an intractable difference we do not allow them to fight it out in the court of public opinion on RC. Experience has shown that once it becomes a public issue with members taking sides and pointing fingers the issue becomes even more contentious and cannot get resolved. I highly suggest you attempt to resolve the issue.

Once it's settled feel free to make a post in vendor feedback."

[mrcrab]

Yeah!!!

[jnarowe]

Thank you for your understanding Agu. We will do our best to abide by RC policy, and I would appreciate warnings to individuals that troll this thread looking to start fights. This thread is first and foremost about my reef tank system and the experiences I have in this hobby. I know there is a fair amount of BS too, but that is what makes this thread fun and unique.

Thanks again!

[Elliott]

Originally posted by mrcrab
Yeah!!!

I second that!

[jnarowe]

So it is official, the January meeting of the PSAS (Puget Sound Aquarium Society) will be at my place. Those of you in the Puget Sound area, members or not, should try to make it. It will be on January 19th open door noon to 6pm.

The discussion will be about making quality fish food that is less likely to put excess nutrients into your system, and at a lower cost than flakes, pellets, and other prepared foods. Most of it will be based on Marc's DIY food with a little refinement from me.

There will also be frag trading, food, and dancing girls.

[Elliott]

Originally posted by jnarowe
So it is official, the January meeting of the PSAS (Puget Sound Aquarium Society) will be at my place. Those of you in the Puget Sound area, members or not, should try to make it. It will be on January 19th open door noon to 6pm.

The discussion will be about making quality fish food that is less likely to put excess nutrients into your system, and at a lower cost than flakes, pellets, and other prepared foods. Most of it will be based on Marc's DIY food with a little refinement from me.

There will also be frag trading, food, and dancing girls.

and a webcast?!?

[jnarowe]

NOT....too technical for me, but I might stream Marc's podcast with his permission.

[melev]

You don't have to ask.

I'd like to hear / read about the refined version of the fish food mix, after you've done the presentation.

[Goodwin9]

Originally posted by jnarowe
There will also be frag trading, food, and dancing girls.

Will the live web cams be up and running by then?

[mrcrab]

Web Cast, Web Cast, Web Cast, Web Cast!!!

[dhnguyen]

Damnit J. Ya have to have this on a weekday? Some of us DO have jobs you know

[jnarowe]

Most of my focus will be on water pollution. I have tested a variety of prepared foods both dry and frozen, and found somewhat alarming levels of phosphates in them. Obviously I don't recommend that reef keepers use any kind of dry food for feeding their fish, unless perhaps just as a snack. However, that isn't practical for many people.

The problem as I see it is that dry foods really don't offer the nutritional mass that fish need to thrive. I have seen this in my system, in which I have had a parasitic outbreak, and just by feeding good quality food, the fish were able to beat it and remain healthy to this day. If a hobbyist is feeding just dry food, I believe their fish will be much more likely to contract and succumb to disease or parasites.

Plus, making your own food can be financially rewarding as well.

So I am trying to generate awareness regarding this and encourage more people to not only make their own food, but also to test what they are putting in their tanks.

As far as my "refinements" go, I don't use powdered spirulina because the particles are too small and useless to the fish. If they get suspended, they will just pollute the tank or get skimmed out.

I also do not put in any clams or mussels. This is a personal preference in that they have a high waste to meat content, and I also don't want my fish getting a liking for clam meat.

I tend to go heavy on shrimp and scallops because they have an very high protein to weight ratio.

I also put in shredded nori (Kizami) which keeps its shape and is very easily eaten by fish. Instead of tearing it up and causing fragmentation, they suck it up like spaghetti.

Most of my refinement comes from soaking and rinsing the frozen foods in RO/DI water and then straining before adding to the food mixture. This bleeds off a LOT of excess nutrients. I know this seems a tad anally retentive, but the tests I have done show this to be a key source of phosphate, and I really don't want to be adding any of that on purpose.

I also change the partical size of the foods as my fish grow. using your basic recipe covers most fish fairly well, but I also include larger pieces for the larger fish, and even some that are too large so that the maroon clown can grab them and feed them to the anemones. This is virtually like target feeding without getting my hands in the tank.

Questions and comments are most welcome.

[jnarowe]

Hey D...did I put the wrong date? 19th is third Saturday in January right?

[dhnguyen]

oh you're right i forgot to change the year to 2008.

Count me in bro.