20 Gallon Long Reef Tank (NEW)

yannifish

yannifish

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by csvengal http:///forum/thread/384710/20-gallon-long-reef-tank-new#post_3372462
Those rocks have been basted thanks dude!
I got another koralia nano but I broke the stem where the little red ball attaches to it.
Waiting to hear back about a replacement...
Did get more live rock this weekend that looks even better!
pics to follow....
Yannifish, no quarantine tank - I am not getting fish yet, maybe a month to go.
Okay. Just remember the quarantine tank need to cycle too, or at least have a bacteria source (such as filter media from the 20 gallon).
Quarantine tanks are well worth the small investment needed to set one up.
 
1guydude

1guydude

Well-Known Member
Quote:
I am not getting fish yet, maybe a month to go.
A MONTH....you are patient! lol when i got mine it was prob a week or week in a half and i threw 3 chromis in...sadly only one lived through the night, but i also had no oxygen in the water. I guess i learn the hard way about everything... so fish only? Good job engal!
 
csvengal

csvengal

Member
I am very much trying to follow along with all the methods detailed in the book The New Marine Aquarium by Michael Paletta. My daughter had checked out a bunch of books from the library, many were dated and didn't go much into using live rock as a biofilter, so I got the book based on recommendations from more than one person at the LFS. Yeah, dude - no fancy coral, just the 3 types of fish I mentioned earlier, pair of clowns, 1 blenny and 1 dottyback. I think they will go well together and not overload the tank. Will try to post pics of my new live rock that I got over the weekend asap!
 
1guydude

1guydude

Well-Known Member
U said no coral....that dosent look fake! Have u had that light? wat kind and outage?
o JEALOUS!!!!!! lol ur making me want a 20 long or a 40 breeder!
 
csvengal

csvengal

Member
thanks yannifish!
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1guyDude http:///forum/thread/384710/20-gallon-long-reef-tank-new/20#post_3373000
U said no coral....that dosent look fake! Have u had that light? wat kind and outage?
o JEALOUS!!!!!! lol ur making me want a 20 long or a 40 breeder!

I know I said that earlier! but ALL of that came with the rest of the shipment - the lights I have are dual lamp T5 and HO
the porcelain crab, the sponges and coral, plants, the anemone (ID?), the turkey wing mollusk on top of that one rock, and decorator crab! (he's in the bottom pic) really nice extras huh?
rocks teeming with life (some unwanted crabs, whelk)
I just changed some water, will try to get more pics tomorrow
low ammonia levels so far as with the earlier rock..
thanks guys!
 
csvengal

csvengal

Member
Yes, for FREEEEE! I am very satisfied.
Really easy cycle with this second batch, too - pretty much done.
Ok, help me out with this
"pest anemone" please? The proprietor of the
live rock co. says that there are no aiptasia in the gulf, and that
it is an indo-pacific species..that the anemones I have
are common in the gulf, and do not proliferate like aiptasia do.
Other than the one big branch, there are maybe 3-4 tiny tiny little clumps
Also I still cannot tell if I have pistol or mantis shrimp, I even bought
a red led light to look at the tank at night, and found a few more
rogue gorilla crabs and whelk, but no shrimp. They are either really
tiny or I am not looking in the right places... sure makes a bunch of
racket though!
Thanks guys!
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
It is about peppermint shrimp but also references Aiptasia. Sealife, like Tampa Bay cultures live rock in Florida.
"Peppermint Shrimp, Lysmata wurdemanni, are a very popular shrimp from the Florida Keys. Peppermint shrimp are most commonly used to controlAiptasia anemones (Pale Anemones) in reef tanks and refugiums. Aiptasia anemones can overrun an aquarium or refugium, and no amount of picking and cleaning will get rid of them like these little shrimp will. If you've ever had an outbreak of these anemones, you'll know what I mean, and if you have an outbreak right now, this is what you need. Aiptasia are common hitchhikers on live rock from the Gulf of Mexico, and on some plants and zoanthids. Without some sort of natural predator to control them, they will quickly start multiplying and will overwhelm your tank. Peppermint shrimp are natural predators for this anemone and will eliminate them from your system.
Peppermint shrimp are also cool little shrimp that are very active in an aquarium. During the day they usually can be found holding on to the undersides of rocks swaying back and forth, and moving their antennas all around. When it's feeding time, they will quickly swim out and actually take food out of you hand as well as give your fingernails a quick cleaning. Make sure you keep them fed after the Aiptasia are gone because they can be pretty ornery if they are hungry.
Another neat thing about them is that they will breed in your tank and produce multiple batches of eggs each year. They are being cultured now in some places, and who knows, maybe some will survive in your refugium."
 
csvengal

csvengal

Member
I have two peppermints in the tank already; both are nice size too, but so far they are rather busy cleaning crud off the rock and it seems they haven't touched the Aiptasia. I will wait a few days and observe to see if they are going for it. Thanks for the info!
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Was just pointing out that I was surprised that the folks from TBS told you there are no aiptasia in the gufl.
 
csvengal

csvengal

Member

Well... ..been doing this over 40 years... ..there are lookalike anemones in the gulf that resemble aiptasia... but there are no true aiptasia in the gulf that proliferate like the true pest aiptasia from the indo pacific... if there was true aiptasia in the Gulf, it would be in Pauls book... ..the pest aiptasia from the Pacific will reproduce like wildfire and take over a tank eventually, gulf anemones will not do that and seldom reproduce in captivity... .but when folks see a brown anemone incorrect assumptions are made... ..and if you will look close... there are colored bands in the tentacles... .. look at a true aptasia and compare... .
Richard TBS
Feel free to post this...
Spanko that's the reply I got to my email inquiring about it.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Species Name: Aiptasia pallida
Common Name: Rock/Glass/Pale/Yellow Anemone
Range: North Carolina to Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico
General Husbandry: Has a temperature range of 68 to 83°F (20 - 28°C), however, seems to endure a much wider range. Shown is a two-headed monster in the aquarium of the photo provider. Eradicate as mentioned in the introduction to this grouping
http://www.nano-reef.com/invertebrates/?id=11
 
csvengal

csvengal

Member
The peppermint shrimp have done their job well, clearing out all of the small clumps of the gulf aiptasia anemones. The big clump is still there, and for the moment I am leaving it there. It is rather pretty. The cycling is done, and I am now just letting everything stabilize. The nitrate levels are at about 20ppm, I did a 50% water change and I have added a 1/2 bag of chemi-pure elite to my mechanical filter, will this help to lower them? I know the label claims it will, but just wondering what your experiences have been with the product, and how fast will it work it if does what it claims. I lost maybe a couple of the snails and one or two of the tiny blue leg hermits, still no verdict on whether or not I have pistols or mantis shrimp in the tank - I just can't find or see them! Many gorilla crabs and whelks have been dispatched over the past couple weeks. The seabae? anemone is thriving, I feed him a piece of shrimp every 3 or 4 days, as well as the serpent star. Decorator crab and porcelain crab are fine as well. I am also adding a capful of DT's every other day. I have a little bit of green algae growing now and the purple, orange, algae appear to be doing well also. When should I start feeding the peppermint shrimp? They seem to be doing well, have molted twice and are very busy scavenging - really curious creatures like you mentioned earlier, Spanko. I keep finding new life, we spotted a small sea hare the other day. Just thought I would give you guys an update and again get some good advice.
thanks!
 
csvengal

csvengal

Member
Update on fish: Bicolor Blenny added about a month ago, and just last weekend added two Clarkii Clownfish. Everyone seems to be doing well!
 
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