Building my 56 gallon Column reef tank
- Thread starter monsinour
- Start date
monsinour
Active Member
So if cyno can grow in high flow, how do you keep it out of the tank? Reduce the nutrients?
I have changed my feeding of the tank. I still do an algea clip on a rock every day and it is always gone well within 24 hours. I used to do vitimin soaked brine in the morning and mysis at night. Now I do the mysis at night and rarely do the brine in the morning. I also used to do every other day some plankton but now I do that once a week. The sand has looked better since I moved the rockwork around, but I also changed the feeding then too.
I am fairly certain they are baby snails. I will see what my camera can do.
What about mandarin and dragon eyes? Any thoughts on those?
I have changed my feeding of the tank. I still do an algea clip on a rock every day and it is always gone well within 24 hours. I used to do vitimin soaked brine in the morning and mysis at night. Now I do the mysis at night and rarely do the brine in the morning. I also used to do every other day some plankton but now I do that once a week. The sand has looked better since I moved the rockwork around, but I also changed the feeding then too.
I am fairly certain they are baby snails. I will see what my camera can do.
What about mandarin and dragon eyes? Any thoughts on those?
2quills
Well-Known Member
Sometimes the presence of cyano can occure with a recent increase of light. Also, check your water source for the presense of phosphates before it goes into the tank. The picture does pretty much look like a snail to me. I'd give the pods at least a few monthes to develop a really healthy population before adding the mandarin, is what I've always heard. Dragon eyes, I dunno...what are your nitrate levels?
spanko
Active Member
High flow ? necessarily no cyano. It only = a likely hood that nutrient will not accumulate in the area in question. However depending on the "high flow" you can still get heavier particles of nutrient rich materials accumulating anywhere.
Now that being said, you have a nutrient export deficiency here. Remember a sand bed is a nutrient processing area and perhaps your "live sand" was not seeded properly or has degraded over time. Sometimes a cyano problem can be resolved by adding some sand from a system that doesn't have a cyano problem, actually reseeding the sand bed.
The other thing is you have a blenny of some sort, not gonna go back and try to find what kind, but have you ever seen it poop? They are pooping machines and if this material is being pushed to the area where you problem is and left to decay well this will also be fuel for the cyano.
Flow in the area is not enough sometimes to lift the nutrient from the sand bed into the water column to be used as food by the coral of other critters, or to be removed by mechanical filtration. Best course here it to continue to remove the cyano via siphoning at water changes, gently give that area a little stirring once in a while to get the nutrients out of the sand and see if that resolves the problem.
JMO
Now that being said, you have a nutrient export deficiency here. Remember a sand bed is a nutrient processing area and perhaps your "live sand" was not seeded properly or has degraded over time. Sometimes a cyano problem can be resolved by adding some sand from a system that doesn't have a cyano problem, actually reseeding the sand bed.
The other thing is you have a blenny of some sort, not gonna go back and try to find what kind, but have you ever seen it poop? They are pooping machines and if this material is being pushed to the area where you problem is and left to decay well this will also be fuel for the cyano.
Flow in the area is not enough sometimes to lift the nutrient from the sand bed into the water column to be used as food by the coral of other critters, or to be removed by mechanical filtration. Best course here it to continue to remove the cyano via siphoning at water changes, gently give that area a little stirring once in a while to get the nutrients out of the sand and see if that resolves the problem.
JMO
monsinour
Active Member
I havent seen the one spot blenny poop. But he eats like a horse. I didnt add live sand, it was all dead. I did add a scoup of mud from my LFS's fuge into my fuge. I dont think I have tested for phose in my water change water, but I will do that.
I will get a pic of the zoos later once the lights come on. And I know I need to wait for the mandarin, but I was hoping I could add it.
I will get a pic of the zoos later once the lights come on. And I know I need to wait for the mandarin, but I was hoping I could add it.
2quills
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/860#post_3373760
I havent seen the one spot blenny poop. But he eats like a horse. I didnt add live sand, it was all dead. I did add a scoup of mud from my LFS's fuge into my fuge. I dont think I have tested for phose in my water change water, but I will do that.
I will get a pic of the zoos later once the lights come on. And I know I need to wait for the mandarin, but I was hoping I could add it.
oops, sorry dude, I meant check the water for TDS. It was late lastnight. If there is indeed cyano in there, it could also cause a faulse or low reading because the cyano is consuming them. But wouldn't hurt to check none the less.
You probably could very well still do the mandarin as long as you're prepared to add more pods along the way.
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/860#post_3373760
I havent seen the one spot blenny poop. But he eats like a horse. I didnt add live sand, it was all dead. I did add a scoup of mud from my LFS's fuge into my fuge. I dont think I have tested for phose in my water change water, but I will do that.
I will get a pic of the zoos later once the lights come on. And I know I need to wait for the mandarin, but I was hoping I could add it.
oops, sorry dude, I meant check the water for TDS. It was late lastnight. If there is indeed cyano in there, it could also cause a faulse or low reading because the cyano is consuming them. But wouldn't hurt to check none the less.
You probably could very well still do the mandarin as long as you're prepared to add more pods along the way.
btldreef
Moderator
I think the only way you could do a mandarin now would be if you got one that also ate prepared foods, like the ORA ones are now. ORA is not the only option for ones that prepare food, there are a few breeders in the tri-state area that have also successfully done it. I've found them on Long Island quite often.
monsinour
Active Member
But doesnt the sand become live after a while? Its been 6 months, shouldnt the sand be "live" now? I am sure I can get some sand from a fellow local reefer. BTW BTLD, CDMAS is looking for input on the MR frag swap.
I dont have a TDS meter and I missed out on getting a refractometer for $15. Fathers day is coming up sorta soon.
I dont have a TDS meter and I missed out on getting a refractometer for $15. Fathers day is coming up sorta soon.
flower
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/860#post_3373775
But doesnt the sand become live after a while? Its been 6 months, shouldnt the sand be "live" now? I am sure I can get some sand from a fellow local reefer. BTW BTLD, CDMAS is looking for input on the MR frag swap.
I dont have a TDS meter and I missed out on getting a refractometer for $15. Fathers day is coming up sorta soon.
6 months...live rock has seeded the sand, but not enough to have enough pods for a mandarine. Don't you have a refugium? Get some ocean pods from SWF and seed your fuge...wait a month and get a mandarin. The fish can live on what pods are in there. Seeding the fuge and waiting a month will insure that you have a steady supply to keep the fish in pods....my .02
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/860#post_3373775
But doesnt the sand become live after a while? Its been 6 months, shouldnt the sand be "live" now? I am sure I can get some sand from a fellow local reefer. BTW BTLD, CDMAS is looking for input on the MR frag swap.
I dont have a TDS meter and I missed out on getting a refractometer for $15. Fathers day is coming up sorta soon.
6 months...live rock has seeded the sand, but not enough to have enough pods for a mandarine. Don't you have a refugium? Get some ocean pods from SWF and seed your fuge...wait a month and get a mandarin. The fish can live on what pods are in there. Seeding the fuge and waiting a month will insure that you have a steady supply to keep the fish in pods....my .02
btldreef
Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/860#post_3373775
But doesnt the sand become live after a while? Its been 6 months, shouldnt the sand be "live" now? I am sure I can get some sand from a fellow local reefer. BTW BTLD, CDMAS is looking for input on the MR frag swap.
I dont have a TDS meter and I missed out on getting a refractometer for $15. Fathers day is coming up sorta soon.
Yes, your sand is "live", but the if the quality of how live it is has been brought up and to just rule that out, add some sand. I actually swap sand every so often between tanks or between my tank and friends tanks, it does help.
I'll go check out CDMAS, I'm not going to the frag swap this time, and usually don't. Kathy C was at LIRA last night and she does not expect the tickets to last through the weekend before they're completely sold out.
**I actually just looked on their site and can't even find a thread about it. Can you PM me a link?
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/860#post_3373775
But doesnt the sand become live after a while? Its been 6 months, shouldnt the sand be "live" now? I am sure I can get some sand from a fellow local reefer. BTW BTLD, CDMAS is looking for input on the MR frag swap.
I dont have a TDS meter and I missed out on getting a refractometer for $15. Fathers day is coming up sorta soon.
Yes, your sand is "live", but the if the quality of how live it is has been brought up and to just rule that out, add some sand. I actually swap sand every so often between tanks or between my tank and friends tanks, it does help.
I'll go check out CDMAS, I'm not going to the frag swap this time, and usually don't. Kathy C was at LIRA last night and she does not expect the tickets to last through the weekend before they're completely sold out.
**I actually just looked on their site and can't even find a thread about it. Can you PM me a link?
monsinour
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/860#post_3373776
6 months...live rock has seeded the sand, but not enough to have enough pods for a mandarine. Don't you have a refugium? Get some ocean pods from SWF and seed your fuge...wait a month and get a mandarin. The fish can live on what pods are in there. Seeding the fuge and waiting a month will insure that you have a steady supply to keep the fish in pods....my .02
I did get pods with my SWF.com order and I did put them into my sump. I could have swore that is what I posted.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/840#post_3373701
When I placed my order with SWF.com I ordered a bag of the copepods. I have been looking in my tank and sump and have noticed quite a few on the glass at night. It seems that they have made it this far and no one is rudely eating them. Is it ok for me to get my wife her mandarin? Should I wait a little longer?
So wait a month from adding them and then see what the pod population looks like and go from there?
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/860#post_3373797
Yes, your sand is "live", but the if the quality of how live it is has been brought up and to just rule that out, add some sand. I actually swap sand every so often between tanks or between my tank and friends tanks, it does help.
I'll go check out CDMAS, I'm not going to the frag swap this time, and usually don't. Kathy C was at LIRA last night and she does not expect the tickets to last through the weekend before they're completely sold out.
**I actually just looked on their site and can't even find a thread about it. Can you PM me a link?
I'll get some sand from someone. PMed.
Originally Posted by Flower http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/860#post_3373776
6 months...live rock has seeded the sand, but not enough to have enough pods for a mandarine. Don't you have a refugium? Get some ocean pods from SWF and seed your fuge...wait a month and get a mandarin. The fish can live on what pods are in there. Seeding the fuge and waiting a month will insure that you have a steady supply to keep the fish in pods....my .02
I did get pods with my SWF.com order and I did put them into my sump. I could have swore that is what I posted.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/840#post_3373701
When I placed my order with SWF.com I ordered a bag of the copepods. I have been looking in my tank and sump and have noticed quite a few on the glass at night. It seems that they have made it this far and no one is rudely eating them. Is it ok for me to get my wife her mandarin? Should I wait a little longer?
So wait a month from adding them and then see what the pod population looks like and go from there?
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/860#post_3373797
Yes, your sand is "live", but the if the quality of how live it is has been brought up and to just rule that out, add some sand. I actually swap sand every so often between tanks or between my tank and friends tanks, it does help.
I'll go check out CDMAS, I'm not going to the frag swap this time, and usually don't. Kathy C was at LIRA last night and she does not expect the tickets to last through the weekend before they're completely sold out.
**I actually just looked on their site and can't even find a thread about it. Can you PM me a link?
I'll get some sand from someone. PMed.
monsinour
Active Member
I went and picked up my new ATI lights and will change out one of the antinics this evening when the lights go out tonight. I will then update with full tank shots along the way in the "my lights" thread. I wanted to post pics of what the corals are looking like right now to better determine whats up with the Dragon Eyes.
Here are the dragon eyes from a while ago
And here they are now
So, does anyone have an idea what that purple stuff is? How about an idea as to what is effecting them?
The blue tubs
My wife got me these orange and maroon zoos while I was in GA. Something keeps knocking them over and that is why they are unhappy. The latest additions of zoos havent been secured down as they will eventually make it into the zoo garden once I get my frag stands from GA.
The "blue" ricordea from SWF. It is looking far better than it ever has in my tank. I guess it has finally found a happy spot.
The "pink" zoos from SWF.
The blue mushroom that I got from a local reefer.
The "red" zoos from SWF.
And a shot of one of the mystery baby snails from the top/shell side.
Here are the dragon eyes from a while ago
And here they are now
So, does anyone have an idea what that purple stuff is? How about an idea as to what is effecting them?
The blue tubs
My wife got me these orange and maroon zoos while I was in GA. Something keeps knocking them over and that is why they are unhappy. The latest additions of zoos havent been secured down as they will eventually make it into the zoo garden once I get my frag stands from GA.
The "blue" ricordea from SWF. It is looking far better than it ever has in my tank. I guess it has finally found a happy spot.
The "pink" zoos from SWF.
The blue mushroom that I got from a local reefer.
The "red" zoos from SWF.
And a shot of one of the mystery baby snails from the top/shell side.
btldreef
Moderator
I believe the baby snails are Collinistas. I wish someone else would chime in to confirm this, you might want to post that picture in the hitchhiker id section.
I wish I could be more help with your zoanthids, but I have terrible luck with them for some reason. I can keep plays and other soft ploys alive, but zoas and I just don't get along.
I wish I could be more help with your zoanthids, but I have terrible luck with them for some reason. I can keep plays and other soft ploys alive, but zoas and I just don't get along.
