ringwurm

I have several of these. You can also find them at most LFS.

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=KM1675

If you RO unit doesn't have an auto shutoff you can get this.

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=KM1651

Here is the new Sun Coral I picked up from Waves the other day.

Here its getting ready to come out to feed.

Its only been in the tank for a few days and is eating daily. It seems pretty healthy.

Closeup

I love rics! I just moved these guys from my nano into the big tank. They are a bit shocked from the new lighting.

I would leave the coral in the tank until you see algae start growing on it. I had several pieces that looked dead but recovered after a couple weeks.

Does anyone have a self cleaning skimmer? And how exactly does it work?

I kind of like the poker chip idea for discs. Now you need to find some plugs.

What kind of lights was it under before and what lights do you have it under now?

Do any of the LFS carry 53 micron filter material?

Nice pictures.

I'm looking for 30+ watt UV if anyone has one they are not using.

Greg

Check this thing out. It boils coralline algae to death so it can be removed easier.

http://www.therme-at.com/products.htm

Someone needs to try it out and let us know how it works.

How long can you keep them alive?

My friends and I have a scenario/woodsball team and play at least once a month.

www.dirtyforce.com

When you are standing in front of the tank you don't notice the wave as much. The wavebox has a light sensor and turns off at night so the fish do get some rest.

I made a little video of the tank. Things are finally starting to grow after the strange salt problem I had a while back.

Waves had oyster eggs a while back. You may want to check w/ Joel.

I'll see if I can get a picture tonight.

My powder brown has taken the boss lead in the tank right now but I think the clown might prevail when he gets a bit bigger.

I haven't seen the clown tang be aggressive towards any other fish yet. I keep them well fed which I think helps alot.

He would have to contend w/ my clown tang. That guy is crazy. He makes my other tangs look like they are lazy slobs.

Does anyone have one or any of the LFS carry them? I have never seen one in person. I'm thinking I would like to have one.

LFS PM me if you have or can get one.

Atlantic Blue Tang

http://www.marinecenter.com/fish/tangs/atlanticbluetang/

Thanks for the replys.

The BTA has only been in the tank for a week. Hopefully that bossy woman will let him into the house.

My clarkii clowns have been in their new tank for a while and they liked to sleep together near the bottom of the overflow. I finally found a good BTA and added it to the tank but only the female is hosting in it. The male is back in the old spot and will not get close to it.

Is this normal behavior?

lol. nice.

I love hermits. Maybe I just need to hire body guards for my snails.

In the latest firmware update they changed the web server output a bit so the app couldn't connect properly. I changed it so it will work with all the firmware versions.

Download the latest here: (version 2.0)

http://www.oceanfrags.com/aqtray.htm

Greg

I remember having alot of questions about food when I was new to the hobby so I hope this helps someone.

I've collected quite a few different types of food over the past few years and and the one thing that really stands out is.... "There is no single magic food". A reef is a very diverse place and requires a very diverse food supply.

Lets start off w/ Frozen foods.

Unless you are doing a huge order it makes alot of sense to buy your frozen food from a local retailer. The overnight frieght could end up costing you more than the food.

Brine Shrimp - $2-5

-I have heard that they don't contain much nutrients but the fish seem to love them. You can find baby brine and adult brine so make sure and check the package.

-One easy way to feed this food is to cut the end of the package and wave the edge of the frozen food in the water. Do it quick as they melt and come out fast.

Silversides - $9

-This is a frozen pack of little silver fish. I use them to feed my anemone.

-To feed my BTA I chop one of the fish in half and soak it in Selcon(see below) for 10 min. Once the Selcon has soakin in for a bit I drop it onto the anemone.

DT's Oyster Eggs - $8-12

-I use these primarily to feed my clams.

-You take a very small amount of the frozen material and drop it into the tank. My clams perk up within a minute of the food going into the water.

Mysis Shrimp - $7-10

-I usualy mix in a chunk of this when making a batch of food for the tank.

Frozen cubes - $5-15

-You can find this type of food in many brands and many flavors.

-Depending on the size of your tank you might only need 1/2 a cube per feeding. I use 1 cube in my 330g. I let the cube sit in a small tuperware container with a little tank water until it gets soft. I use scissors to cut the cube into smaller chunks. I also put a squirt of Selcon and a pinch of flake to the mixture. After everything is mixed (5 min) I feed to the tank.

Flake Foods

Ocean Nutrition - $3-15 depending on size

-They seem to make a nice variety of food at a good price.

-They have nice labels that explain in plain english what that specific food is

Cyclop-Eeze Wafers/Flake - $8-20

-This stuff may be a little more expensive but you will realize why when you first open the container. It STINKS like freshly chopped up fish but I think thats why the tank loves it so much. Some of my smaller fish seem to have a hard time eating it since its much thicker than regular flake.

Pellets

-The pellet food seems to be hit and miss with my fish.

-Depending on the type of food the pellets will either float on the surface or sink right to the bottom. I use the sinkers to feed my starfish and other sand dwellers. I've stopped using the floating pellets since my fish don't seem to grab them before they get sucked into the overflow.

Seaweed

-Some people buy the Nori brand which you can find at some grocery stores.

-This is a good snack for tangs and other fish that like to graze.

-Most people use a clip and attach it to the side of the tank.

-I like to mix it up every now and then and attach a piece to a small rock and drop it in the tank.

-Beware of your snails when feeding seaweed. They love it more than your fish and will eat it all very quickly. I ended up hanging the clip from a return line on my last tank.

The clip in action.

ESV Freeze dried Phytoplankton - $10? (can't remember)

-I use this at night to feed the corals.

-Its a very find powder and you only use one little scoop per 20 gallons.

Garlic

-Garlic is used attract the fish to the food and will help some timid fish to eat.

-It is also said to boost the immune system.

-Soak your food in a drop or two of garlic. It doesn't take much.

-I usually only use garlic when I notice the fish aren't feeling as good as they should be.

Selcon - $8 - 12

-This is an additive that adds extra nutrition to your food.

-You can also use it directly in the water to feed your filter feeders.

-A couple times a week I will add a squirt to the fish food and let it soak for a few minutes.

-If you raise live brine shrimp you can feed the brine selcon right before you harvest to make them more nutritious.

Mixing container and feeding tools

-I use small tuperware containers to mix each batch of food.

-They are great for tank sitters. I just leave a stack of containers next to each tank and they dump one in each day. It takes all the guess work out of it and everyone knows how to rinse out a bowl.

-I use the tongs to grab the flake food. It seems to be easier to grab the same amount and it keeps your fingers from smelling like fish.

-The scissors are used for cutting up frozen food.

FishKeeper Food - $6-15

-This can be found at most grocery stores.

I hope this helps!

Greg

I have yet to go on vacation w/o some minor/major disaster. lol

My last trip ended w/ my auto-feeder falling into the tank and poisoning my acro's. Its always something. Make sure and have a batch of saltwater made up so you can do a quick water change when you get home (if needed).