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  #76  
Old 09/17/2006, 09:20 AM
Safir Safir is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Exton, PA
Posts: 445
HBtank - you are entitled to your opinion, Aquacultured rock isn't for everybody, but a majority of TBS customers think that the diversity and beauty of the product is worth the risk.

Personally, i only had about 10-12 bad hitchikers - I also had 6-8 (breeding) porcelain crabs - not only do those cost $$ at the LFS, but the ones that came in on my rock were better looking than anything i've seen for sale elsewhere.

But please remember, you do stand a chance of getting the same and even worse hitchikers on any rock, they are just more likely to die either in transit or in the first few weeks in your tank because of distance and shipping practices used. BUT just as much good, desirable stuff is going to die as bad stuff.
  #77  
Old 09/17/2006, 06:46 PM
scott30si scott30si is offline
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Location: Gages Lake, Il.
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Talking

snails
  #78  
Old 09/17/2006, 07:12 PM
krajacich krajacich is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Montana
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I haven't posted on here in a while (school, moving, and a new job are keeping me busy)...but I love my TBS rock. I've had mine for almost two years now. I never had a mantis make it into the tank. I had a few gorillas (and probably still have a few gorillas). But I got a very cool pistol shrimp and a TON of porcelain crabs. The serpent stars are amazing to watch.

I'm with Dennis on the density of the rock. It doesn't matter to me in the least. My rock has tons of interesting shapes and lots of holes. The majority of the corals that came on the rock are still alive and thriving. And the aquarium was pretty from day one- Poof, instant aquarium

My rock survived a plane ride from Florida to Montana. And then a year and a half later, a nine hour car ride when I moved across Montana, without losing the life that is unique to the rock TBS sells.

You can buy dead rock and seed it, which will most likely reduce the bad hitchhikers. But as soon as you add your first fish or first coral, you can add unwanted creatures to your tank. Dealing with hitchhikers is just part of having a tank.
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Danielle
  #79  
Old 09/27/2006, 10:36 AM
Radioheed Radioheed is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: St. Petersburg, Fl
Posts: 244
Wow this thread is a monster!

Someone was kind enough to PM me this thread after making my own TBS thread. Wanted to first say that I LOVE THIS ROCK! Especially since it helps to protect the reefs around the world! Richard really hooked me up! To all the people that complain in this thread about bad Hitchers...you might want to find another hobby, cause in this hobby chit happens.

I have learned so much from my first few skims of this monster thread. I am currently on the hunt for a mantis and a few gorillas, going to try the seltzer tonight, as the traps are 0-2.

Also to make the thread even more of a monster, I thought I would share my pics:



Right side (I know the powerhead looks terrible, but until I get a wavemaker attachment, this is the least disturbing spot I can find):



Left side:



Middle rock:



Hitchikers so far (I see something new everytime I look):
10-15 Featherdusters
Serpent Star
1 Unknown snail
1 Unknown Limpet
2-3 Porcelain crabs
At least 1 mantis shrimp
2-3 gorilla crabs
Spag worms (and other worms)
1 unknown black shrimp looking thing
few barnacles (which are pretty cool to watch)
And obviously the coral and macro


QUESTIONS: I am using phyto's every other day, should I be feeding anything else? I really want to keep my tube coral alive so any tips on that would be great (Feeding, flow, placement etc.)

Anyone else have a bunch of cup coral? I don't understand these things, sometimes they open during the day, sometimes not. melev's site says most will die off, any info about them would be great.

How you doin?
  #80  
Old 09/27/2006, 11:28 AM
krajacich krajacich is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Montana
Posts: 952
Yay pictures!

I love your macroalgae.

I still have cup corals on my rock. They didn't all survive but a bunch did. Initially I was dosing DT's but I have since switched to a combination of Reef Chili & Cyclopeeze, both are powdered so it's just easier for me.

Even skimming this thread is an accomplishment! It's massive It's split tons of times and we had a couple before "Our TBS." I'm not sure if you've looked at the previous ones: Name that thing on my TBS rock (Part 1 & 2).

Good luck mantis hunting!
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Danielle
  #81  
Old 09/27/2006, 11:42 AM
techreef techreef is offline
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Radioheed, I'd suggest that while it's still manageable, you pull off all of your Caulerpa now. I know it looks cool. I thought so too, and left mine in there, and 3 weeks later it has taken off. The vines are a bear to pull off the rocks. And Caulerpa periodically "goes sexual" and releases a bunch of stored phosphates and nitrates back into the water column, thereby seriously damaging your tank. Save yourself some future pain and take it out now. If you like plants in the tank, you could get Halimeda or Shaving Brush plants. (although something in my tank has now devoured two entire shaving brush plants in my tank. grrr.)
  #82  
Old 09/27/2006, 11:52 AM
bobt2 bobt2 is offline
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just a quick note, 1 1/2 yrs later my cup and tube corals are still with me/ i feed dt,s, oyster eggs ,cyclopeeze, reef chili, and baby brine.
  #83  
Old 09/27/2006, 11:59 AM
skippy2 skippy2 is offline
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Bobt2, have you talked to Pat at all. I hope she is doing alright. I know her comp. crashed but I would have thought she would be back on by now
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  #84  
Old 09/27/2006, 12:55 PM
bobt2 bobt2 is offline
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i havn't herd from her in months. i suspect she lost interest. i keep an eye on this list, but i,ve moved on to more advanced topics, plus i,ve started fragging for a little side $. my 3 tbs tanks are all doing fantastic. but i still find a gorilla now and then!
  #85  
Old 10/02/2006, 07:59 AM
techreef techreef is offline
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Location: West New York, NJ
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AAAHHHH!!! Cirolanids!

So after catching one .5" cirolanid at the very beginning of setting up my tank, I let it sit fallow for nearly 2 months, with only the two tiger gobies in there. (one a hitchhiker, one thrown in for free by TBS) I never saw another cirolanid on either goby, and they're out and about pretty frequently now. sooooo, last week i pulled the trigger and bought my first 2 fish; a carpenter's flasher wrasse and a midas blenny. the first day after introduction into the tank, I spot the midas blenny (by now dubbed Baxter) in the front corner of the tank, looking very sluggish. At first I figured he was simply adjusting to the new tank and recovering from the shipping, but when I looked closer, yikes!, there were two tiny cirolanids sucking on his body. After failing to net Baxter twice in an effort to pull the bugs off w/ tweezers, Baxter went into hiding for a day. Two nights ago we saw him rubbing his body against a hole in the rock, and since yesterday the cirolanids aren't on him anymore. I'm scared now though, because 1) i had no idea the tank had any more cirolanids in it, 2) the two cirolanids probably just detached because they were full, and will be back for a second meal later. ARGH. And of course, they picked the cutest fish in the tank to chew on.

I am without a hospital/QT tank right now, because my wife refuses to return the FW guppies that we have had in a 20G tank for years. So even if I lived in the twilight zone and COULD catch the four fish now in my tank in an effort to make the tank fishless and starve out the cirolanids for 3 months, I have nowhere to keep the fish once I catch them. I'm hoping beyond hope that I'll see both bugs back on the only fish slow enough for me to catch, Baxter, and net him so that I can pull them off of him. What a sick feeling in my stomach. Literally hours before I spotted the bugs, I was finally feeling like the tank was looking awesome and all the work was paying off. nuts.

Brian, does the dirty water trap work for cirolanids? I would love to trap them!
  #86  
Old 10/02/2006, 09:10 AM
BrianPlankis BrianPlankis is offline
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Radiohead,

I still have many of my cup corals and some of them have grown and or reproduced. I've found they accept almost any kind of food, but prefer meaty foods such as mysis or krill.

techreef,

I'm sorry to hear about the Cirolanids. Unfortunately with fish in the tank and no QT tank permissible then you are facing an uphill battle.

I would definitely at least try the stinky water trap and see what happens. But if the Cirolanids are feeding on the fish they might not be interested in the trap when they have full bellies

My article for tips on the trap:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/bp/index.php

Brian
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Currently redesigning my 90 gallon tank system to support coral and invertebrate breeding. Click on my red house to see the thread with the progress.
  #87  
Old 10/02/2006, 10:06 PM
jezzeaepi jezzeaepi is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Seattle, Wa
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I have one last group of pests in the tank right now. I have these keyhole limpets all over. Probably close to 15 of them. How do you recomend removing/killing them? I cant rip them off the rock, they are too strong. Concievably I could use a wrench and squish them, but that will be messy, and Ill have to buy a wrench seeing as I dont trust any of my current ones in my tank.


Keeping tube corals alive:
They love flow. They are prone too having algae grow in between thier tubes and killing them off. Make sure you are "basting" your rocks every day to try to skim out the junk, and keep the algae from growing.
They are pretty fond of mysis I have found. I target fed mine every few days for a long time and they were doing great, but my nutrient levels were too high. Now I am target feeding twice a week and just letting them grab what they can when I feed the fish.
They also do not like high light(so acclimate slowly), or higher heat. I keep my tank at about 77.5. During the summer my tank heated up to 82 and 25% of my tubes bleached.

Good hunting,

Jesse
  #88  
Old 10/03/2006, 12:56 AM
BrianPlankis BrianPlankis is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by jezzeaepi
I have one last group of pests in the tank right now. I have these keyhole limpets all over. Probably close to 15 of them. How do you recomend removing/killing them? I cant rip them off the rock, they are too strong. Concievably I could use a wrench and squish them, but that will be messy, and Ill have to buy a wrench seeing as I dont trust any of my current ones in my tank.
Are the limpets causing problems in your tank? If you ever see them on the glass you can try sticking a very thin credit card under the front near the head and sometimes that gets them off the glass without injurying them.

Brian
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Currently redesigning my 90 gallon tank system to support coral and invertebrate breeding. Click on my red house to see the thread with the progress.
  #89  
Old 10/03/2006, 01:22 AM
jezzeaepi jezzeaepi is offline
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Location: Seattle, Wa
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Aye =\ When they find a sponge or tunicate, they come up to it and stick their mouth in it and suck out the insides. I also had one that ate some poylps off of a sps.
  #90  
Old 10/03/2006, 06:12 AM
patsan patsan is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by bobt2
i havn't herd from her in months. i suspect she lost interest. i keep an eye on this list, but i,ve moved on to more advanced topics, plus i,ve started fragging for a little side $. my 3 tbs tanks are all doing fantastic. but i still find a gorilla now and then!
I haven't lost interest. I just don't have anything to say.
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  #91  
Old 10/03/2006, 06:43 AM
liverock liverock is offline
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Yo!

Quote:
Originally posted by patsan
I haven't lost interest. I just don't have anything to say.
Well hello there stranger!!
nice to see you back.....

Richard TBS
  #92  
Old 10/03/2006, 08:36 AM
H2OLUVSME H2OLUVSME is offline
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you can say "hi" every now and then Pat! i dont have a tank and i still do that

good to see you are ok and "still interested".
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  #93  
Old 10/03/2006, 09:29 AM
drk70 drk70 is offline
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Hi Pat!
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  #94  
Old 10/03/2006, 09:34 AM
krajacich krajacich is offline
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Hi Pat! We've missed you!
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Danielle
  #95  
Old 10/03/2006, 09:48 AM
patsan patsan is offline
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Hi everyone!
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  #96  
Old 10/03/2006, 10:20 AM
skippy2 skippy2 is offline
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Glad to see you back Pat How's about a pic of your tank?
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  #97  
Old 10/03/2006, 10:22 AM
krajacich krajacich is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by skippy2
Glad to see you back Pat How's about a pic of your tank?
See Pat we haven't changed at all! You're back two seconds and we already want a picture from you.
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Danielle
  #98  
Old 10/03/2006, 10:24 AM
krajacich krajacich is offline
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Good to see you put in an appearance too Landon. Have you been able to fix most of the damage from the fire?
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Danielle
  #99  
Old 10/03/2006, 10:30 AM
patsan patsan is offline
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I don't have a current picture of the entire tank. I got this one in July though.
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Pat
  #100  
Old 10/03/2006, 10:33 AM
krajacich krajacich is offline
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Great pic Pat! How big do you think your pistol is?

I think mine's about two inches long now. He keeps covering my sun coral and brain with sand....we're currently having a sand war. He pushes it out from under the rock, I push it back. Kind of humiliating to be losing an argument with a shrimp.
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