Building my 56 gallon Column reef tank

[spanko]

Asteroidea (Starfish) are to marine systems as parakeets are to the mining industry. They are the first to exhibit problems with water quality and once they start to exhibit problems go down hill fast. They must be removed from the system and sent to quarantine to recover. If multiples are in the tank, all of them must be removed.
Think long and hard about keeping one of these creatures.
JMO

 

[btldreef]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/620#post_3339422
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/620#post_3339411
If you start off with a small serpent star, you should be okay. Again, a hungry larger serpent may go after a fish, but it's much less likely than when you have a brittle. I'm not a fan of either, just saying.
Sand sifting starfish are debatable. Meowzer and I have both successfully kept them without any ill effects. Linkia starfish as well would be fine. Red Knobby's are debateable as well. CC Starfish are usually not reef safe and tend to eat soft corals.
My wife wanted one of these and there was a reason why we couldnt have it in our tank. Refresh my memory why the blue linkia is bad for my tank again.
They tend to starve in newer tanks, although I have seen more and more people have success with them lately in newer tanks. I think after the new year, you'd be okay to try one.

 

[monsinour]

Well, it must have been a neato fight to see, but I missed it. The cheato and calipura in my sump must have been fighting. The cheato had to have won as I had to pull it off the calipura and there is about a quarter of what used to be there of the calipura. the cheato has grown from golf ball size to way huge softball size, its more like a mini medicine ball really. There is a little calipura left and I have tried to seperate the 2. The calipura has replanted some of itself in the DT so I am not worried.
I am offically done purchasing peppermint shrimps. I cannot find it anywhere, no remains, and the skunk shrimp molted last night. I know water is fine, tank is fine, and the carnivore star is gone. Its too bad the pepps in my tank cant live. Something is making them stressed and then they die and I would imagine that the clean up crew is doing their job. I am hesitant to put in another skunk shrimp for fear that it would fall to the same fate. Ally my LFS has is the small ones and the current skunk is rather large and he seems to be left alone. Does this bode poorly for sexy shrimp?

 

[gemmy]

The sexy shrimp probably would not fair well in the tank. I had 2 in my tank and they were living fine in their anemone for 3 months and then they just disappeared.

 

[monsinour]

Yea, i dont have an anemone and cant get one any time soon due to the newness of the tank. I was thinking about a torch for them to host in as that would keep the fish away from them.

 

[btldreef]

That's odd about your chaeto and caulerpa. I had the opposite happen, the caulerpa completely overtook the chaeto.
I am stumped as to what is going on with your pepps, but I'd say to be safe, don't get sexy shrimp right now.

 

[monsinour]

the wife and I agreed that we are done with pepps in this tank. I wont be getting sexy shrimp until there is a place for them to hide out in. So that means the water has to stay perfect and I have to find a good deal on a torch coral. the local LFS doesnt have a good deal on what they call a torch so I am in the middle of a waiting game. I will however be on the lookout for a large skunk shrimp and attempt to have 2 shrimp in the tank.

 

[2quills]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/640#post_3339940
the wife and I agreed that we are done with pepps in this tank. I wont be getting sexy shrimp until there is a place for them to hide out in. So that means the water has to stay perfect and I have to find a good deal on a torch coral. the local LFS doesnt have a good deal on what they call a torch so I am in the middle of a waiting game. I will however be on the lookout for a large skunk shrimp and attempt to have 2 shrimp in the tank.
I haven't been able to keep any shrimp in the tank. I had a skunk shrimp last almost a week once. Wasn't sure who kept killing them but I think the perpetrator is gone now. Still leary about trying to keep any more. At about $25 a pop I just don't know if they're worth it.

 

[monsinour]

I am fortunate that the pepps at the LFS are only $6. the skunks and fire go on sale every now and then.

 

[mylady]

Right now the only shrimp I want to buy come in a bag frozen and are served with cocktail sauce. I am so done throwing money away on them.

 

[btldreef]

Just a thought:
I have never had success with multiple Skunk Cleaner shrimp unless they are introduced at the same time and are relatively the same size.
Once I upgrade, I need to get new shrimp. One of my pair recently died, and I want 4 in my new tank, so I'll have to dump this one in a different tank.
I've only been finding smaller skunks in all my LFSs lately. I hate this time of year for this hobby.

 

[btldreef]

Just a thought:
I have never had success with multiple Skunk Cleaner shrimp unless they are introduced at the same time and are relatively the same size.
Once I upgrade, I need to get new shrimp. One of my pair recently died, and I want 4 in my new tank, so I'll have to dump this one in a different tank.
I've only been finding smaller skunks in all my LFSs lately. I hate this time of year for this hobby.

 

[monsinour]

Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/640#post_3340023
Just a thought:
I have never had success with multiple Skunk Cleaner shrimp unless they are introduced at the same time and are relatively the same size.
Once I upgrade, I need to get new shrimp. One of my pair recently died, and I want 4 in my new tank, so I'll have to dump this one in a different tank.
I've only been finding smaller skunks in all my LFSs lately. I hate this time of year for this hobby.
yea, i think the big one had something to do with the disapearance of the smaller one.
Let me know when you are ready to make the transition to the new tank. I would be more than happy to make the drive and assist you. Maybe by that time, the red algea will have grown back to what it was and I can bring some down.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/640#post_3340024
Just a thought:
I have never had success with multiple Skunk Cleaner shrimp unless they are introduced at the same time and are relatively the same size.
Once I upgrade, I need to get new shrimp. One of my pair recently died, and I want 4 in my new tank, so I'll have to dump this one in a different tank.
I've only been finding smaller skunks in all my LFSs lately. I hate this time of year for this hobby.

I have never had any problems with cleaner shrimp. I had one die and I replaced it wth a tiny little guy and the big one never bothered him at all. Now you can't tell which is which. This has happened to me twice with different cleaners, I never had any problems.

 

[btldreef]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/640#post_3340032
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/640#post_3340024
Just a thought:
I have never had success with multiple Skunk Cleaner shrimp unless they are introduced at the same time and are relatively the same size.
Once I upgrade, I need to get new shrimp. One of my pair recently died, and I want 4 in my new tank, so I'll have to dump this one in a different tank.
I've only been finding smaller skunks in all my LFSs lately. I hate this time of year for this hobby.

I have never had any problems with cleaner shrimp. I had one die and I replaced it wth a tiny little guy and the big one never bothered him at all. Now you can't tell which is which. This has happened to me twice with different cleaners, I never had any problems.
Hmm. I have this issue in ever tank with every cleaner shrimp I've ever owned. I think my critters just hate me, lol

 

[monsinour]

well, i am looking forward to thursday/friday when my stuff comes in at the LFS. orchid + blue zoas + blue ricordea = beautiful tank for when parents arrive + show off for family who havent seen it yet.
woo hoo!
But I do need to order more charcoal. It has been 3 months and I want to swap out one bag for a new one. The one I want to remove is plain chemi-pure and put in an elite bag to match the other elite bag that is in there. I am also thinking about moving the bags over to the intake since reading flower's sump post.

 

[btldreef]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/640#post_3340139
well, i am looking forward to thursday/friday when my stuff comes in at the LFS. orchid + blue zoas + blue ricordea = beautiful tank for when parents arrive + show off for family who havent seen it yet.
woo hoo!
But I do need to order more charcoal. It has been 3 months and I want to swap out one bag for a new one. The one I want to remove is plain chemi-pure and put in an elite bag to match the other elite bag that is in there. I am also thinking about moving the bags over to the intake since reading flower's sump post.
As long as it is in enough flow.
Always fun when new people get to see the tank for the first time. Have fun!

 

[monsinour]

Went to the LFS to get my goodies before the holidays and they had bad news for me. The orchid was a no show, the blue zoas were a no show and the blue ricordia wasnt so blue.
But that wont stop me from spending $100 at the place, LOL. I had the credit from the starfish so I went to getting things that people would like. My daughter was with me and she picked out these :

The LFS told me they are pink people eater zoas. They aren't fully open in the pic, but not bad for just being placed into the tank after the drip acclimation. There is also some other kind of coral on the rock if you look to the lower left, it looks like some kind of "birds nest" is the only way I can describe it. Once they have been in the tank and the missus aproves of their location and I glue them down, I will take a better picture of them.
I then thought of my wife and how she wants something blue in the tank. Well, the ricodia wasnt all that blue, but whats cool is the green mouth. you cant see it in this pic, but again, when I take more of the other stuff, i will shoot a better picture of this as well.

And then I turned the corner and saw this leather coral. well the LFS told me it was a leather.

It looked more blue in the LFS than it does here at home. It looks more green than blue. Is this due to the lighting? I have 14K lights and if they were swapped out with 20K, would this then make it look blue? And can I get a specific name for this coral? I dont want to go around calling it the leather coral and have the guests google it and see all kinds of other things that dont look like this.
BTW, my daughter took the first 2 pics and I took the last one. Suprisingly her pics of those corals came out better than the pics i took.
So Merry Christmas to me and my tank. well, Merry Christmas to those who wanted new tankmates (everyone) and those who got what they wanted out of the deal.
edit: totally forgot to add this. when placing the coral in the tank, my daughter spotted our "missing" peppermint shrimp. Turns out there are places in my tank that I cant see in the day or at night. He must be doing ok as I never see him during feedings. I sure hope that he is eating enough. I would imagine that this is one of those, if he is in there for a week now, he must be eating kind of things.

 

[meowzer]

LOL....I told you the peps hide good.....hahahahaha
Congrats on the new stuff.....the leather looks like a leather tree, or what they call a stubby finger leather

 

[btldreef]

Nice new corals. I can never get "blue" ricordia to look blue enough for my liking. I have tried 10k, 14k and 20k, to me there wasn't much change.
Glad to hear that the peppermint is still alive. If you're not seeing it during feedings, it's either that you're over feeding and it's getting left overs or it's eating copepods, which they do eat (not enough to really upset things, you have a refugium, don't panic).
I agree with Meowzer, finger leather coral for sure.
Wait 'til you see what I got for Christmas! lol