Building my 56 gallon Column reef tank

[bang guy]

If you want a lower maintenance Gorgonian then get one that is photosynthetic.

 

[monsinour]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/740#post_3350606
If you want a lower maintenance Gorgonian then get one that is photosynthetic.
Its not that I want these corals. They were all hitchers on the 1 rock. I think they look ok, but nothing to write home about. I havent ever spot fed any of them, and they all grew and appeard to be healthy. Its this one that looks like its being eaten at the bottom is all. Pics coming as soon as the lights go on.

 

[monsinour]

This is a shot of the "sick" one in question right after the lights came on. you can see a similar one next to it.

here is a close up of the bottom where the limpet was "kissing" it since it wouldnt be eating it.

Here it is after the lights have been on for a while.

Here is a close up of it after the lights have been on.

And here is the piece that we all tried to ID so long ago just after the lights came on. When the lights are on, all the polyps are out. #1 denotes a new growth that looks to be forming a branch. #2 denotes where it was when it first entered the tank back in september. Grew kinda big yes?

 

[btldreef]

I would say that it is just dying as many of them do and the limpet is simply eating "dying flesh" for lack of a better explanaition. I don't think the limpit killed it, but is simply doing its job as a CUC member.

 

[monsinour]

So, should I cut it off, eliminate the dead part, and re glue it back onto the rock?

 

[btldreef]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/740#post_3350854
So, should I cut it off, eliminate the dead part, and re glue it back onto the rock?
You could try that. I honestly don't know that much about fragging gorgonions.

 

[monsinour]

anyone else want to chime in on this coral? I am waiting for ...... i dont know. I dont want this stuff to die, but if it does, well it makes for more room for other corals. man, that sounded evil.

 

[smartorl]

Snip away with scissors. I would start feeding it though or it will continue to die off.

 

[monsinour]

the missus wants to get marine snow to feed these things. I have read that marine snow is garbage in a bottle for the tank. Anyone have other suggestions as to what to get to feed these? Rotifiers work?
Do cleaner clams actually lower the nitrate in a tank? I am nervous about feeding the coral as my nitrates are 15-20 and I dont want them higher at all. Adding all this food to the tank is surely going to raise that to an unacceptable level.

 

[2quills]

Do you feed your tank with phytoplankton at all? I use the live phytofeast.

 

[smartorl]

Have you been able to pinpoint the source of your nitrates? That's a relatively new tank, something is out of balance.

 

[btldreef]

Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/740#post_3351076
Do you feed your tank with phytoplankton at all? I use the live phytofeast.
+1
Rod's Food for corals is another good one.

 

[2quills]

Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/740#post_3351109
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/740#post_3351076
Do you feed your tank with phytoplankton at all? I use the live phytofeast.
+1
Rod's Food for corals is another good one.
That's what I use also, the Rods reef blend. Total feeding frenzy once it goes into the tank.

 

[smartorl]

My gorgs thrive on the bbs I raise for my seahorse tanks and the surplus I feed to my reef tanks. My son loves hatching the "sea monkeys", that may be a fun project for your wife and daughter?

 

[btldreef]

Quote:
Originally Posted by smartorl http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/740#post_3351133
My gorgs thrive on the bbs I raise for my seahorse tanks and the surplus I feed to my reef tanks. My son loves hatching the "sea monkeys", that may be a fun project for your wife and daughter?
That's not a bad idea!

 

[monsinour]

I may try the "sea monkeys" and see where it goes. I just do not want to intentionally raise the nitrates at all.
The nitrates in my tank have always hovered around 15-20. I have bubble calipura and cheato in the sump, more than my fair share of red macro in the DT. I was told that xenia might remove some nitrates so I got some. It was 2 headed when I got it, its now 5 headed and thriving. I think I had it for a month. I have no clue where the nitrates are coming from. I feed flakes in the morning and they almost all get eaten (95 to 97% gets eaten), mysis at night (now soaked in garlic) and it all gets eaten. I have all kinds of algea growning everywhere and I take out as much as I can from the DT when I do my water changes that occur once a week. I change atleast 10 gallons each week. This week i changed a little more due to the salinity not mixing right in the tub.

 

[btldreef]

I would only feed once a day. You know my feeling on flake...

 

[monsinour]

Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/740#post_3351201
I would only feed once a day. You know my feeling on flake...
actually, no I dont. And the PJs dont get many of the mysis and they eat a bunch of the flake. Its not that I want to give both, but in doing both, I know everyone is eating something and staying "healthy."

 

[btldreef]

I hate flake food and am convinced they add nitrates and phosphates to the water.
IMO, if the flake was taken out of the equation, your PJ's would learn to eat the mysis (fight for it) and your nitrates would lower.

 

[btldreef]

As for the PJ's eating. I noticed with mine, if filtration is turned down, or completely off, and I feed more than one area of the tank, they'll eat. If I leave filtration on and only feed one spot, they won't even try to fight the other fish for food.