Building my 56 gallon Column reef tank
- Thread starter monsinour
- Start date
btldreef
Moderator
You can chip them apart with a flat head screw driver.
I would definitely frag off the dead heads.
Couple thoughts:
You just added a dwarf angelfish, have you seen it nip at these at all? My flame developed a taste for clams this past week
I have always had issues with Duncans if my tank was on the warmer side. 80F is a little high for a reef IMO/IME
Your phosphates aren't at 0, which is a) odd because you have SO MUCH macro algae and b) not good for any corals, and duncans, IME are not hardy to anything out of the norm for parameters
Your dKH and pH are both on the low side, duncans and acans don't like low alk levels.
I would definitely frag off the dead heads.
Couple thoughts:
You just added a dwarf angelfish, have you seen it nip at these at all? My flame developed a taste for clams this past week
I have always had issues with Duncans if my tank was on the warmer side. 80F is a little high for a reef IMO/IME
Your phosphates aren't at 0, which is a) odd because you have SO MUCH macro algae and b) not good for any corals, and duncans, IME are not hardy to anything out of the norm for parameters
Your dKH and pH are both on the low side, duncans and acans don't like low alk levels.
monsinour
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiefers http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/840#post_3369738
i was thinking the same thing with the angel. have to keep an eye on them.
also... your ph is off, I have learned by experience that you have to keep that pg up to around 8.2- 8.4. JMO
My pH has never been over 8 ever. I have done almost all I can with it. Eventually it will go up, maybe.
The CB just 'paces' the one side of the tank. When I feed the tank, it barely eats. I have seen it pick at the algea sheet. I have not seen it pick at the duncans at all. I have a feeling there is something grown on the corals. I have some zoos with what looks like cyno growing on them. Whats really odd, they are in a high flow area too.
Originally Posted by Kiefers http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/840#post_3369738
i was thinking the same thing with the angel. have to keep an eye on them.
also... your ph is off, I have learned by experience that you have to keep that pg up to around 8.2- 8.4. JMO
My pH has never been over 8 ever. I have done almost all I can with it. Eventually it will go up, maybe.
The CB just 'paces' the one side of the tank. When I feed the tank, it barely eats. I have seen it pick at the algea sheet. I have not seen it pick at the duncans at all. I have a feeling there is something grown on the corals. I have some zoos with what looks like cyno growing on them. Whats really odd, they are in a high flow area too.
2quills
Well-Known Member
Have you ever tried any other brands of test kit for pH? I've read that the API's are notoriously unreliable in regards to pH and not nearly sensitive enough for reef tanks. Also, I'm sure you know this already but I'm just going to throw it out there anyways just incase....there is a difference in pH kits for freshwater and saltwater. There, I said it...please don't take offense.
florida joe
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sparty059 http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank#post_3310271
You really don't need anymore than just 3" of sand. Anymore is just overkill IMO. Grains also shouldn't be an issue... I have aragonite sand in mine which is a mixture of small grains and medium sized grains.
Aragonite is a naturally found carbonate mineral and the way to go IMO
Originally Posted by Sparty059 http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank#post_3310271
You really don't need anymore than just 3" of sand. Anymore is just overkill IMO. Grains also shouldn't be an issue... I have aragonite sand in mine which is a mixture of small grains and medium sized grains.
Aragonite is a naturally found carbonate mineral and the way to go IMO
monsinour
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/840#post_3369822
Have you ever tried any other brands of test kit for pH? I've read that the API's are notoriously unreliable in regards to pH and not nearly sensitive enough for reef tanks. Also, I'm sure you know this already but I'm just going to throw it out there anyways just incase....there is a difference in pH kits for freshwater and saltwater. There, I said it...please don't take offense.
Unless API put a FW pH test in a SW test kit, I dont think thats the issue. I am not that concerned about pH as it has always been like this and nothing really bad has happened since the start.
======================
I think i killed all the duncans trying to remove the dead heads. For skeleton material, it sure was brittle. Oh well, it was only $34. I havent dont the water change yet, but who knows what else I can kill then. Bad day getting worse.
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/840#post_3369822
Have you ever tried any other brands of test kit for pH? I've read that the API's are notoriously unreliable in regards to pH and not nearly sensitive enough for reef tanks. Also, I'm sure you know this already but I'm just going to throw it out there anyways just incase....there is a difference in pH kits for freshwater and saltwater. There, I said it...please don't take offense.
Unless API put a FW pH test in a SW test kit, I dont think thats the issue. I am not that concerned about pH as it has always been like this and nothing really bad has happened since the start.
======================
I think i killed all the duncans trying to remove the dead heads. For skeleton material, it sure was brittle. Oh well, it was only $34. I havent dont the water change yet, but who knows what else I can kill then. Bad day getting worse.
monsinour
Active Member
I feel so rotten for killing the wife's duncans. It was one of the few things in the tank that she liked looking at. It was something that she enjoyed, she picked out, she determined the placement, and I killed them. Sure it was an accident, and the cost was only $34, but these were nice duncans that could have cost over $100 locally.
Good Bye Duncans
Good Bye Duncans
mylady
Member
Unfortunately when he was trying to break the dead heads off he cracked the skeletons of all the other heads except maybe one. They pretty much looked like they were gone when I checked on them last night. The one head that had been healthy that cracked was kind of pouring out of it's skeleton. I know hubby feels badly, so do I, but it seems it's my own fault since he saw the coral beauty picking at it and I picked out that fish. So I brought the Duncan killer home and sentenced my own duncans to a sad fate. Hubby was just trying to save them.
monsinour
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiefers http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/840#post_3369973
Duncan killer!!! Lol... kiddin. I'm sure you didn't kill the critter, you seem to have more experience than you think. Are these your new ones? NICE!!
those are the dead ones.
Originally Posted by Kiefers http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/840#post_3369973
Duncan killer!!! Lol... kiddin. I'm sure you didn't kill the critter, you seem to have more experience than you think. Are these your new ones? NICE!!
those are the dead ones.
btldreef
Moderator
The Coral Beauty may have killed them. But, I'm more inclined to believe that it started nipping at them once they were already dying. My CB will pick at a dying coral, but will not nip at a healthy one. Did you ever see it nipping at it or anything similar before the duncans started to look bad? I know you haven't had this fish for long so it might be hard to tell.
My Flame just killed my clam. I've had this damn fish for 2 years, and NOW it decides to start picking at things
it's just the risk we take with these guys.
My Flame just killed my clam. I've had this damn fish for 2 years, and NOW it decides to start picking at things
monsinour
Active Member
While looking at the tank last night, I spotted about 10 baby snails on the rocks and glass. Is there a way to tell if these newbees are good or bad? I know I had 3 bad hitchers originally and I was not able to get them all out immediately. Is there some way to look at these round white balls with red spots to tell what kind of babies they are? Could anyone actually ID them if my carpy camera was able to take a shot of them?
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?
My Dragon eyes are not all fully opening. There seems to be some purple coraline (maybe) growing on them. Could coraline prevent zoos from opening? If it is coraline and it is preventing them from opening, how do I get it off without killing the zoos? I am sure a picture is needed.
If cyno only grows in low flow areas, then what is growing on my moonlights? It is bathed in high flow almost right next to the return line. Every other day I have to clean off some purple algea like stuff off of it. Its not hard and I have no idea what it is. Again, I am sure a picture would be needed.
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?
My Dragon eyes are not all fully opening. There seems to be some purple coraline (maybe) growing on them. Could coraline prevent zoos from opening? If it is coraline and it is preventing them from opening, how do I get it off without killing the zoos? I am sure a picture is needed.
If cyno only grows in low flow areas, then what is growing on my moonlights? It is bathed in high flow almost right next to the return line. Every other day I have to clean off some purple algea like stuff off of it. Its not hard and I have no idea what it is. Again, I am sure a picture would be needed.