What's New at HMSC/ "PNWMAS Reef Care Package"

[JManrow]

As most of you know by now, our first stop in Newport on April 26th will be at the Hatfield Marine Science Center.

HMSC is definitely a busy place! Dr. Timothy Miller-Morgan, D.V.M. has been busy with the Oregon Sea Grant's Ornamental Fish Health Program http://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/extension/education.html#millermorgan and the Aquarium Science Program http://www.occc.cc.or.us/aquarium/index.html , and I'm sure many more projects too numerous to list!.

 

Dennis Graze was promoted to Curator of Animal Husbandry for the HMSC. http://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/extension/fishhealth/issue5_1.html . Congrats again, Dennis!

 

I'm sure some of you know Paul Dubay, who has in the past worked at Waves Marine & Reef, Aquarium Depot, and wholesale distributor, Java West Aquatics.

Paul just recently was promoted to Senior Aquarist at the HMSC Visitor Center. Congratulations Paul!

 

One of the OCCC Aquarium Science Students, Kevin Erickson has been working on a Tropical Reef Tank at HMSC on a very limited budget.. His biggest challenge is stocking the aquarium.

I asked Kevin to send me specs on the aquarium so we could possibly help with donations. I am sure anything we could bring... extra pumps, equipment, excess livestock (fish & inverts), rock, test kits, etc. to HMSC on the 26th, it would be greatly appreciated!

 

HMSC wants to have a active relationship with PNWMAS as far as Seminars and Workshops in the future. This is a good opportunity to show them our Club's support and would certainly help to represent PNWMAS at the Visitor Center! I'm sure if everyone dug around a bit, we could put a nice "PNWMAS Reef Care Package" together!

 

I am posting the e-mail that I received :

 

[Hello John,

 

The tropical coral system here is full with a little of everything

from people who have donated stuff in the past or things that have

been growing in our other marine tanks.

The tank is 46"L x 18"W x 26"H which is just under 100 gallons. It

tank wasn't originally a tank at all, it was a acrylic cover for an

exhibit in the visitor center that some one flipped upside down and

glued a top to. I used a hole saw to drill 4 holes to allow for the

water in, and overflows. The sump has a Nautilus skimmer that I

modified to work a bit more efficiently, a closed UV loop and hundreds

of bio balls. The main circulation pump is an in line MAK4 that pumps

20 GPM. 3 small pumps in the tank help add additional flow to enhance

coral growth. It is difficult to rummage up the parts for a marine

tropical tank when all of the other tanks around it are cold fresh and

salt water flow through tanks. I found a 3 stage RO-DI filter that I

was able to plumb into a reservoir to allow a source of filtered fresh

water, but the salt water that is added to the tank is heated cold

salt water from the Yaquina bay. This adds lots extra nutrients that

I would love to be able to get rid of but I am unable to boil vast

amounts of salt water on a weekly basis to add to the tank. I try to

test for the appropriate trace element levels on a weekly basis but

most of the test chemicals are outdated or empty.

 

The livestock consists of:

2 pieces of bright green sps corals about 4 and 6 inches tall.

20 brown and yellow zoanthus polyps.

100 Starburst green star polyps

3 large 'trees' and 1 small 'tree' of Cauliflower Colt Coral

Many spotted green and purple mushrooms

More colorful mushrooms, zoanthus polyps, and pulsing xenia would

really help brighten the tank.

 

2 large Black Ocellaris Clownfish

2 Royal Gramma Basslet

1 skittish Blue Tang

2 Scarlet Reef Hermit Crabs

The tank seems empty and more crabs, turbo snails, and possibly a

couple of brittle stars are needed to help clean up around the tank.

Also a peaceful tang such as a Naso tang or Sailfin Tang would make a

great colorful addition to the tank once the extra inverts and live

rock are added.

 

Lighting consists of whatever I could find around, hidden in locked closets.

As of today there are:

(2) 4 foot Actinic T12 fluorescent bulbs

(2) metal halide pendant lights

 

Live Rock:

about 125 pounds of live rock with 20 more in quarantine.

It would be great if we could get more of any size as long as it

doesn't have to much algae growth or bristle worms on it.

 

If possible if anyone would like to donate a magfloat that works on

3/4" thick acrylic it would be greatly appreciated.

 

I'll see you and the other club members on April 26th!

 

-Kevin Erickson

OCCC Aquarium Science Student]

[dsoz]

If someone wants to take some pulsing xenia down, I would be willing to give several (3-4) stalks. I would even give a a couple of small (10 polyp or so) zoas that have a little more color (one is blue with orange skirt, the other is blue with red skirt).

 

 

dsoz

[JManrow]

I'll give you a call this week about picking them up. We can also discuss delivery of the TFT Nano. Thanks! I know any help is appreciated at HMSC!

[JManrow]

Thanks for the donation of the Xenia for HMSC, Dennis! I have them isolated in my 40 reef to take to Newport on the 26th.

Anyone else have any excess frags, etc. to donate?

They probably don't want any Caulerpa, but other macroalgae would be fine.

Any SPS?

[dsoz]

no problem, John. I am almost glad to get rid of my excess xenia. I hope that the trip is a good one.

 

dsoz

[KevinPErickson]

Dennis,

 

Thanks for the donation of the Xenia! I have them in quarantine now and they will make a great addition to the display tank soon!

 

-Kevin Erickson

[dsoz]

No problem. I hope that they do well in your tank. I know that they were taking over mine! That buch was only about 1/4 what I had in my tank, and I gave a lot more away to other people in the club as well.

 

Are the open and pulsing yet? If they have not attached to anything, just put them in a very low flow area with some crushed coral to small rubble size rocks and wait 2-3 days. Then the small rocks that they attach to can be attached to other rocks with super-glue gel. It works like a charm for me every time.

 

dsoz