Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread - Page 10

melev · #**226** 06/25/2005, 05:54 PM

Take a look at this thread if you are so inclined.

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...59#post5196459

WILDTHING · #**227** 06/25/2005, 10:57 PM

I'm sorry about your target mandarin Marc, remember that they have pretty short lives compared to other SW fish, so unless you got it as a small juv it may simply have been old age. Certainly it looked to be in excellent health before it died.

colleen

Reefcherie · #**228** 06/26/2005, 05:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by WILDTHING
remember that they have pretty short lives compared to other SW fish

I've never head this before

I have this type of Mandarin myself. Please point me to your source of this information. I'd like to read more about it. Thanks!

WILDTHING · #**229** 06/26/2005, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Reefcherie
I've never head this before I have this type of Mandarin myself. Please point me to your source of this information. I'd like to read more about it. Thanks!

From Wet Web

Mandarin Lifespan
Hi Bob,
I am very interested in the natural life span of Mandarin . For the last 2 years, I got a pair that regularly spawned in my 400 g reef tank. I'd like to know what is the longest length of time anyone have keep these beautiful fish in their reef tank? TIA

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mandfaqs2.htm..

While looking for the source of where I had read this I also encountered people who said that they had kept theirs alive for 4yrs and one person had one for 6 but these seem the exception rather than the rule. I'm not sure if it was because they had a better tank set up or if it was just a very long lived fish or ...luck. I've had mine for a year now and hope he will be fat and happy for several more but he was an adult when I got him so no telling.

colleen

Micki · #**230** 06/26/2005, 02:54 PM

Link doesn't work.

weatherson · #**231** 06/26/2005, 03:21 PM

Just remove the two dots from the end or...

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mandfaqs2.htm

Joseph

Micki · #**232** 06/26/2005, 03:22 PM

Oh, sorry, I didn't even look at the link. Thanks...

RGibson · #**233** 06/26/2005, 05:36 PM

My mandarin is 6 years old .

WILDTHING · #**234** 06/26/2005, 06:36 PM

thanks for posting the corrected link weatherson.

I seem to have messed up most of the post as I quoted the question to Bob but not his answer.........

Mandarin Lifespan
Hi Bob,
I am very interested in the natural life span of Mandarin . For the last 2 years, I got a pair that regularly spawned in my 400 g reef tank. I'd like to know what is the longest length of time anyone have keep these beautiful fish in their reef tank? TIA

colleen

WILDTHING · #**235** 06/26/2005, 06:41 PM

Ok well thats the oddest thing......I control C'd the entire post (I'm positive this time) but the answer disappeared when I hit submit...never had that happen before........don't really know how to make it stay once I submit it. But if you check the link its there, I promise. Unless I'm totally going nuts..........hmmmmm

colleen

melev · #**236** 06/26/2005, 06:53 PM

Time for you to get out of my thread, Colleen.

Okay guys, off to change 80g of water.

Bomber · #**237** 06/26/2005, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by WILDTHING
I promise. Unless I'm totally going nuts..........hmmmmm

colleen

It's not you, Colleen, it's this thread.

melev · #**238** 06/26/2005, 08:23 PM

Okay, a nice new mixture of saltwater is merging with the older reef water. 80g should make the livestock feel better. Aaaaah.

melev · #**239** 06/26/2005, 08:23 PM

I used Instant Ocean this time, as it was on hand and needed using up. The tank is a bit cloudy for some reason, but hopefully that will clear up soon.

growyourown · #**240** 06/26/2005, 09:16 PM

Marc,

Ya know its funny you say that.

I use IO and after every water change my water is cloudy for a few hours as well. Even though it looks clear in my holding tank, When it gets to the display, its just a little cloudy.

Maybe something in the mix?

Hmm...

Glenn

growyourown · #**241** 06/26/2005, 09:36 PM

Marc,

FYI regarding Miracle Gro Liquid All purpose Plant Food

http://agr.wa.gov/PestFert/Fertilize...asp?pname=1913

From the Washington State department of agriculture.

Interesting.. However there is no copper in this fertilizer. But due to my ignorance, I am not sure I want to add arsenic to my tank, and that is in there.

melev · #**242** 06/26/2005, 09:48 PM

I bet there isn't another recipe that I've posted that has gotten as much attention as the Miracle Grow method.

Caution is always good in this hobby, and if you can grow phyto with the stuff from Florida Aqua Farms (the first recipe on my phytoplankton page), go for it. I finally gave up in disgust, and went with this method. I stopped dosing it at least 6 weeks ago, if not longer. I did decide to feed about 1/4 cup into my refugium while the main return pump was off to feed any pods down there, one time last week.

Btw, the tank is clear now, and the skimmer's collection cup was full of cloudy liquid in less than an hour. I tossed it out. Wierd.

Micki · #**243** 06/26/2005, 10:05 PM

I've always used IO salt and have never experienced cloudy after adding it.

melev · #**244** 06/26/2005, 10:16 PM

I've seen this happen before. I think it is a interaction with the other salt that is already in the tank - Kent Sea Salt. If you only use IO all the time, it probably won't happen to you.

Micki · #**245** 06/26/2005, 10:23 PM

Ahh, gotcha.

melev · #**246** 06/28/2005, 12:56 AM

I received this email from avansickle:

Quote:

Anyways, going through your feeding section on your site. First I'm hugely happy to see not everyone starves their poor fishes!!! I want your opinion on something though. I have 3 scooter blennies, 2 fairy wrasses, 1 yellow tang, 5 blue/green chromis, 5 talbot damsels, 1 osc. clown, and 3 dwarf butterflies. (20 total) 210 gal tank, G4 skimmer. Phos/Nitrate a bit high, not overly concerned.

So, I give them a good mix daily of most of the foods that you do, but, you say 1/2 cup daily, and 2 cups of DT or your own brew each few days, is that right?? I think I do about 3 tablespoons daily for the fish, and maybe 1 cup spread out over the week of DT. Are your values good with all the food? I want to be sure my fish are getting enough.

Your tank doesn't sound much different from my own.

I hope that is a good thing. hehehe

I've cut back on the phytoplankton, as I was having continually elevated levels of PO4 in my tank. They got so high that SPS were stunted, and the subsequent dosings to lower those phosphate levels hurt some of the SPS I've had a long time. Perhaps my own batch of phyto is more dense than I originally thought...

I feed a sheet of Nori to the tank every other day currently. It doesn't last more than 30 minutes in the tank.

1 tsp of baby brine shrimp is added to the tank toward the evening time, and then the 1/2 cup of food around 9pm nightly.

Whenever I feed, I turn off the return pump to keep the food in the tank for 30 minutes, and once the pump is turned back on, I turn off the skimmer for at least an hour, if not two.

You may have already read this page, but just in case: http://www.melevsreef.com/feedings.html

My thread isn't a sticky any longer. That was for the month of January only. Since then, the thread has been split two more times as it continues to grow almost on a daily basis. Maybe one day I'll tackle the 160+ pages to make an index, but don't get your hopes up for it to happen any time soon. The woodwork will go up before that ever happens.

melev · #**247** 06/28/2005, 12:57 AM

I received this email from avansickle:

Quote:

Anyways, going through your feeding section on your site. First I'm hugely happy to see not everyone starves their poor fishes!!! I want your opinion on something though. I have 3 scooter blennies, 2 fairy wrasses, 1 yellow tang, 5 blue/green chromis, 5 talbot damsels, 1 osc. clown, and 3 dwarf butterflies. (20 total) 210 gal tank, G4 skimmer. Phos/Nitrate a bit high, not overly concerned.

So, I give them a good mix daily of most of the foods that you do, but, you say 1/2 cup daily, and 2 cups of DT or your own brew each few days, is that right?? I think I do about 3 tablespoons daily for the fish, and maybe 1 cup spread out over the week of DT. Are your values good with all the food? I want to be sure my fish are getting enough.

Your tank doesn't sound much different from my own.

I hope that is a good thing. hehehe

I've cut back on the phytoplankton, as I was having continually elevated levels of PO4 in my tank. They got so high that SPS were stunted, and the subsequent dosings to lower those phosphate levels hurt some of the SPS I've had a long time. Perhaps my own batch of phyto is more dense than I originally thought...

I feed a sheet of Nori to the tank every other day currently. It doesn't last more than 30 minutes in the tank.

1 tsp of baby brine shrimp is added to the tank toward the evening time, and then the 1/2 cup of food around 9pm nightly.

Whenever I feed, I turn off the return pump to keep the food in the tank for 30 minutes, and once the pump is turned back on, I turn off the skimmer for at least an hour, if not two.

You may have already read this page, but just in case: http://www.melevsreef.com/feedings.html

My thread isn't a sticky any longer. That was for the month of January only. Since then, the thread has been split two more times as it continues to grow almost on a daily basis. Maybe one day I'll tackle the 160+ pages to make an index, but don't get your hopes up for it to happen any time soon. The woodwork will go up before that ever happens.

growyourown · #**248** 06/28/2005, 05:45 AM

Woodwork? Huh? Are you actually going to finish that???

melev · #**249** 06/28/2005, 08:01 AM

I need to get my sawblades dropped off for sharpening. I'll have them get some drill bits sharpened and even some router bits. Might as well break the bank restoring my tools.

Time to either buy a new drill or pay out the nose for new 18v DeWalt batteries.

Morgandy · #**250** 06/28/2005, 08:12 AM

Marc, thanks...I spent ALL night on your site last night, and found your charrts of water values, and your fascinating logs, etc.., so did finally see you were having some issues developing. The sump section, etc., so, so interesting to read and learn!

So, geez, 1/2 cup a day, huh? How many fish do you have now? I really have to think that over, but, I don't feel the 3-4 Tbsp I'm doing is enough. Ok, I'm going to try giving them more now, maybe 1/3 cup to start with and monitor my values really closely to see how that goes. Are you a firm believer in 0 nitrate and 0 phosphate? If you keep having readings a bit high, would you cut back more on the feeding?

Thanks, and I have a ton more questions I'll get to later.

LISTEN UP MODS AND ALL - THIS THREAD NEEDS TO BE A STICKY AGAIN!!!!