MVPaquatics

I have both...I am in portland but visit corvallis every tuesday...both used but clean and never medicated

33L - 60

20L- 20

what tank are you looking for? I would love to have it but with no plans for it yet, 450 is too much for me to tie up

I am assuming I am the other person....dang...I had some ultra maxi-minis....maybe next time

might have a maxi-mini or other frag to trade if interested

I will take it...I am busy until wednesday...I can pay you then if you can hold it til then...if not I understand

I will try to call them but last I heard they were not doing so well. for awhile (maybe still) you couldn't get them anywhere. Except people who sell closeout speciials. I don't like investing in dying companies, not good for warranties if they aren't even around anymore

thanks. Tried intel as my dad and uncle work there. They aren't used for salt water or the right temp. Chillers are easy to find just not for salt water :(

last time I was at hatfield they said people could use their source for NSW. They have a pipeline offshore and I thought it was open to the public.

I have no doubt ro/di is the best. But I am talking large volume. Say your system is 10000 gallons. That's a lot of wasted water and at that point resin may be cheaper. And time is money. That would take weeks to make. I was wondering at what point it becomes more econimical and enviornmentally friendly to cut out waste water.

Sometimes I think consistancy is more important than purity. My sps have lived through many different conditions. They can stand not-perfect water, they will adjust, but they hate yo-yoing around.

time to bust out the calculator and check some numbers lol.

A client is asking for places to get a newer (possibly smaller/quieter) chilling unit for their approximately 500 gallon live dungeness crab tank.

The water is obviously kept similar to the oregon coast and is open top but insulated on the sides (about 10 feet x 4 feet x 3 feet)

The unit they have now is very large and kind of loud (although it is huge and running a lot)

Just thinking someone here might have some ideas....WEAST!? hahaha

I am considering making the switch from RO/DI water to just DI water...I like the idea of 100% usage instead of like 7 to 1 bad to good with RO water.

I would be using a large (like 3-4 foot tower) of DI resin in a homemade unit, with a prefilter and carbon before it.

Reasoning: The prefilter would get sediments, and carbon should get any chlorine/chloramine. The DI should get most Ions such as phosphate and nitrates.

I think many wholesalers use this approach if they aren't on the coast using NSW. With large systems RO's can be wasteful and time consuming.

Many are saying that the RO was just added to protect the expensive DI resin. But I am at the point where I think resin might be cheaper than waste water. What specifically does the RO target?

I live in SW portland and am not exactly sure of my source water yet (I will call soon to get that info), but should be pretty good to start with.

What do you think?

What are you using and why?

Anyone currently running just DI? How do you like it?

I just got done wiring my new fish room I am moving into in portland....but my uncle is an electrician from intel and my dad does hvac for them also...so this definitely wasn't a do it yourself job.

We ran 8 boxes. Each box has 4 outlets. They are ran across a 15-20 foot wall about 4 feet apart. 4 boxes are 6 foot high, the other 4 below them are 2 feet high. The taller boxes are on their own 20 amp circuit while the bottom is on its own also. They are all built into the wall. There will be a light circuit (top) and a pump circuit.

I would take pics but they are ran through the wall and just looks like outlets on a wall at this point. Can't really look more professional than that as it seems like it was always there.

It is also usually pretty easy to get a circuit dedicated just for the tank, but depending on the house age, where the panel is vs. where the tank is will determine the supply list. It will be expensive if you don't know an electrician, but can be done by any homeowner if you don't mind sticking your hands in the breaker box.

One thing I haven't decided on is GFCIs. Personally I don't really like them. I have had many bad experiences with them, especially tripping for no real reason (some seem to wear and give false alarms), and I am not willing to have one pop for no reason. I have run tanks on their own circuit for many years without one.

yeah I saw this coming...many companies stopped carrying icecap products about 6 months ago...things seem to filter down slowly

seems kind of like the lottery telling you where you can spend you winnings...

yeah I have had green also...but agree that coraline can die...turn white...and overgrow with green algae...pics help or watch how it grows...fuzzy at all?

is rods food similar?

personally I wouldn't use either....no Kent' date=' IO, Corallife, Reef Crystals, or any of that #$%....but that is just me. I don't like swings and dosing....[/quote']

 

There is that can of worms lol...what magic salt do you use? You didn't mention. Swings and dosing are unavoidable if you have any corals and plan to turn your lights off.

 

I think they are all pretty good salts. All have pros and cons but most will sustain life. Personal preference.

I want a frag of monti setosa...I won't be at the party but maybe we could work something out later...

ALL I have ever used is IO salt...Personally my corals would use all the reef crystals "extras" probably in minutes. I have to dose and run a reactor regardless so what is the point.

Labs are public aquariums use it...I use it in all my personal and business tanks.

I don't know why but it seems to almost open a can of worms to discuss salt brands...but for me, once it works so well and is so easy to get (IO), why is there reason to change?

Honestly, there MAY be something better out there, but I really doubt any other company has the research put into a brand, or has had a longer product longevity.

To me it comes down to consistency (both the product and availability/price).

I can't say anything about kent personally. I know a lot of people use it (seems to be a little cheaper), and heard it has very good solubility.

it does look like the coral in the link..I have a coral that looks exactly like your link but was told it was similar to this: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=597+322+476&pcatid=476

could be...or pavona...or merulina...

Here is a good article. It is published, and kind of sums what I spent an hour to type lol!

http://www.njaquarium.org/pdf%20files/c_Journal_s.pdf

Mitchell, where are you located? I would possibly donate a few to you. Let me know where you are located and if you are really interested I can give you tips on your tank setup...free of course (I really like getting schools involved!)

I am currently breeding them...I have had about 10 batches in the last year and a half. I am also looking to get rid of 6 mature but unsexed that are about 11 months old, so I don't have to move them.

Currently I have 2 main pairs, one pair is actually from the first pair, which would make them F2 generation.

Pairing:

The hardest part is obtaining a good pair. First off, as many of you know, they are difficult to sex. I have found they aren't really sexable until about 9-10 months of age when they become sexually mature. When it comes to determining sex, I first look at behavior or physical features. Don't look at size or dorsal fins, they are misleading. My pairs are opposites in this regard; the oldest pair I initially thought the male was female and vice-versa. The female of the oldest pair is larger, and also a longer dorsal fin (which is why I thought it was a male) than the male. The younger pair is more traditional, with male being bigger and larger features.

I look at behavior first. If looking to obtain a good pair, buy a group of about 6. The most dominant ones will pair off first and start pushing the group away, then net them out. It is very hard to have one fish, and guess at the sex, and just buy another single fish. It usually doesn't turn out well. Even the group of 6 has a little "shoving" to pair off, one-on-one is usually too much for the new arrival. By having a group, you distribute the "shoving" among 6 until a pair is formed, then they almost always claim half the tank and push the remaining to the other side, then you have a pair and no fish died. You should then move the others out, I often give them away to let people make pairs, as you can make your money back with many babies.

Secondly, after the pair is established, it becomes very easy to know which is male and which is female. The jawline is the easiest physical feature for me to use. Males have "rounder" jawline, while the female is more straight. My females also gets bright reddish bellies when they are ready to spawn.

Another reason I like group pairing is that you are more likely to get the strongest pair. One-on-one pairing you can end up with a weak pair or a weak female, or worse a weak male. The biggest female will choose the largest male. This is sexual selection. Larger females produce more eggs and need a large male to hold them all. A large male also indicate health which excites the female. It is very odd that the parental roles of these fish are totally reversed. The male holds the eggs and is very evasive, as he has no real defense, while the female is very assertive and protective of the pairs area.

Once you have established a pair, getting them to spawn is easy! Just keep them "happy." They like lower flow calm tanks. My pairs are both alone (OK one has an ancient mandarin goby). I have urchins, although you don't need them it's just cool to watch the natural behavior and is also a good place to catch the babies. Plants are also good. Keep them WELL fed. The female needs GOOD foods to make good eggs and the male needs power fed as he will be holding eggs in his mouth (and not eating) upon spawning.

Spawning:

I have seen the actual event, very cool. I didn't see the first few spawns, but after becoming comfortable, they do it openly now haha. It starts with the female courting the male. She will follow him around relentlessly. He will play it cool staying still. She slowly swims up to his side almost touching him, and starts shaking/vibrating. Then, she slowly moves behind him (always behind for some reason) to the other side and shakes/vibrates again. She will do this 10-20 times. This is to tell the male "get ready." She will lay approx 40 or so eggs, give or take 5-10 based on her size (I have stripped his eggs to count them, he took them right back). They are pinkish-orange, and kind-of hang from a cord from her. The male will fertilize them very quickly and gobble them right up.

Rearing:

This is when obtaining a "good" pair is essential. Don't be surprised if the male eats the eggs a few days or a week after the first spawn. This simply means the female rushed the male and he wasn't adequately fed before hand. It takes the female about 4-6 weeks to spawn again, use that time to power feed the pair. A good male is priceless as he does all the work (man things are backwards haha). A successful release of viable young will require him to hold the eggs (while not eating) for 23-29 days. I have had at least 8 batches from the oldest pair in a little over a year which means he has only eaten like half of the year, month-on, month-off...truly amazing.

During the 23-29 days the female still eats as usual, I feed normally to allow her to make eggs, but don't power feed as it will rush her and throw the timing off. She will guard him fiercely. His first instinct is to run. He will yawn and move the eggs around. As time approaches the 23 day mark, his mouth really starts to swell, and yawning increases. His mouth enlarges while his stomach shrinks, the whole time showing no interest in food.

Release:

Release almost always happens at night before dawn. This allows the babies a chance to hide and acclimate. I usually net the male out and place him in a separate nursery tank at around 23 days. My nursery tank is a 15 gallon attached to the breeding setup, which keeps the water identical (bare bottom with fake plants and fake urchins). You must be careful how you net him. Don't chase him too much, if he panics, he can suffocate which will cause him to eat or prematurely release his babies. I also move him from the net to a cup underwater. I never take him out of water with babies.

He usually releases 18-25 babies. I have counted 45+ eggs when they were stripped from him. I think he is snacking on some (probable), or some die (probable), or some cannibalistic activity which I doubt because there is none after release. The babies are tiny replicas of their parents, pretty much translucent where the silver is and black where the black is with no spots. Some have pinkish yolk remaining depending on release age.

I then catch the male, though there is no real rush with a good male. Even after not eating for a month a good male still won't eat his babies even though he easily could. I then either put him back directly with the female or separate them with a clear divider in the same tank. The decision is based on how many batches he has done lately and how fast. If it's his first one I would probably put him back, if it's his 5th, I give him a break. The female will rush him causing him to eat the eggs. I separate them with a clear divider (to allow for pair bonding), and I power feed the male to get him to proper strength so he can successfully hold another batch (NOTHING beats a good male, I have tried to strip eggs and rear them in a tumbler and have had poor results at best)

Feeding the babies:

You should have had baby brine shrimp (BBS for short) hatching and fresh since you put the male into the nursery. You must have live baby brine hatched BEFORE the babies are released. You DO NOT want them hatched and then have to wait 15-24 hrs to hatch BBS. You want to have fresh LIVE BBS going at all times, multiple cultures of different ages. It sounds daunting but it is really not. I have the classic upside down 2-liters and they are in my sump to keep temp. I keep 3, hatching, hatched, and enriched at all times when babies are due or around. All it takes are 3 2-liters, an air pump, ridged airline, and put them in your sump.

Feed at least 3 times daily, better being 5. Newly hatched BBS is best. After about 4 hrs BBS have lost most of their yolk sacs (main nutrition) and will have to be enriched. I use selcon, and sprulina zoe to enrich. This is MANDATORY or you will end up with babies that have SUDDEN FRIGHT SYNDROME (SFS). This is when babies aren't fed enough fatty acids (selcon/zoe) and they suffer from SFS which is usually fatal. What it does is causes the babies to use essential fatty acids that are used for nerve building/function just to sustain life and they suffer from nerve damage. Basically any large stimulus (feeding, lights going on, a net) causes them to literally short circuit.

Once they are feeding well and growing, usually a month or so later, you can get them onto frozen foods like baby brine or adult brine and mysis, but I still enrich everything until they are close full size. I haven't however gotten any of mine, babies or parents, to eat flake or pellet. The only prepared food they will eat are Instant Ocean Gel foods, and the semi-moist mysis in the can. I don't have the heart to starve them to see if they will convert.

They are usually sell-able when their main body (minus fins) is dime-nickle size (maybe 3-4 months?), and they must be on at least frozen foods. I have found many local people; independent, wholesale, and retail like, and prefer, to buy from local breeders.

In summary I would say this, obtaining a pair is hard, spawning and getting babies is easy, raising babies is hard, and time consuming, and not a money-maker, but is very rewarding to see happen start to finish. Come on these fish need it.

Please ask any questions!

Who wants banggais!?

A few other things: I have done black-outs for 3 days with no ill effects on SPS. Some even have said the color is brighter due to longer dark period (can't really confirm or deny that) But I will say all the livestock was in terrific condition before hand, probably not so good for corals on the verge.

If your tank is new, it is definitely worth trying to wait it out, it is really common is establishing tanks.

I am an advocate of sand, I have had it in my show tank for 5+ years. No nitrates, or phosphates, but better no algae problems, other than coraline! It really helps buffer, just keep it thin ( 1 in or less) and maintain it (with flow and creatures). But, it is correct to say a test of 0 doesn't mean nothing is being produced, it just means it is being used as fast as it is created.

Nassarius snails prefer meaty carrion, good if you are overfeeding and will prevent decay of food causing algae. Cerith's are better for diatoms, along with turbos (don't get mexican ones, they are from temperate water). Cyano can be poisonous so many things won't touch it..my favorite that will are scarlet red reef hermits.

Diatoms love silicate...they use it in the construction of their cell walls...not a common thing to test for...just get a phosphate resin that includes silicate removal.

For cyano, I have had good results with chemi-clean, along with resin medias.

ALSO: Since I will be traveling from Portland/Beaverton area to Corvallis once weekly, I am thinking about offering "courier" service for corals and goods among members.

I am not sure which day will be my planned weekly trip to Corvallis, either Tuesday or Thursday. I would be willing to transport goods/livestock for people from my house to a "convenient" drop-off for me, meaning where I am in Corvallis, or any exit on I-5 corridor between Portland and Corvallis.

Shipper: Would have to have goods at my house the night before I leave, or that morning (WILL BE EARLY AND I WON"T WAIT).

Receiver: Must be able to meet at my schedule (on my way there or back). I can stop at pretty much any I-5 exit, but want to make it close to the exit.

Fee would be determined on individual basis, but honestly I am not looking for a lot, just to offset some of my own travel expenses. Nothing compared to a shipping service. I would not be responsible for any of the packages condition, that is between the shipper and the receiver, but what other shippers are zoologists? I take incredible care, and my girlfriend laughs that I have a no music policy when livestock is in the car...haha!

Let me know if you would be interested and I can plan out some options...

I am still considering sponsorship, just need to make the move first. Many New Years Resolutions!