Fish Deaths From El Niño?

Hello everyone I had a lot of problem adding fish lately. My last 3 to 4 fish have all died within one day of having them in the tank. I believe I am acclimating them just fine and they all have died within a day. I had someone tell me this was happening to them too and they said it was because of the El Niño. I guess the fish are coming from the waters with there El Nino is and it is somehow affecting them. I'm not sure. Does this sound correct? Please explain if you know! I live on the west coast of the US.

Micro bubbles

Just a quick question guys. Ive been battling with cyano or red slime algae in my 90 days old reef tank. Using ro/di water and ive been changing water everyweek. Finally decided to run a gfo reactor so the question is do you guys do you have micro bubbles after the you first run the reactor?

Killing xenia with kalkpaste

There was one head of xenia that survived removal.

So i mixed up kalkpaste and put it on a clam shell and covered it up.

First issue is will the kalkpaste raise the pH in my tank to quickly as it mixes with the water?

Second issue is how long should i leave this on?

Firefish Being Extremely Shy

:help: Okay, so I'm having trouble with my firefish lately. There are three of them in my 75 gallon aquarium and they all live in a cave on the left side. They seem like they would be fine but they aren't. You see, after I got my sixline wrasse, they started becoming more and more skittish. You would think that my wrasse is the problem but I have never seen the wrasse bother those fish even once, the wrasse is just cruising the tank all day, minding its own business. I added a onespot foxface rabbitfish two days ago and now they're completely hiding. When I had the wrasse about one or two brave souls (firefish) would come during the day while all three would come out for dinner, but now that I have the onespot, they don't come out at all... I feel really bad because I certainly don't want to starve them but I really like my onespot and wrasse. What would you recommend? My tank is 75 gallons with 80lbs of live rock and my fish are a yellowtail blue damsel, (he was my test fish to see if the tank was safe at first but now I can't get him out and I have seen him pester the firefish) a midas blenny, (he sometimes chases them but not all the time) a sixline wrasse, (never seen him chase a soul) and a onespot foxface rabbitfish. (he might look intimidating but he isn't) What should I do?

what is this?

hi. i have recently got a marine tank and had it about 2 months now. loving it and finding out so much about the marine life. i have recently noticed there is something growing in my tank and i don't know what it is! i have a lionfish, a long black spiked sea urchin and a brittle star swell as a frogspawn coral and a green mushroom coral. i will attach a image so you can see it. i was told to leave my lights on longer and to open the window near the tank so more algae would grow and it has so i thought it could be red algae? and i am having a little problem with brown algae but hoping it will sort its self out after a while. any advice would be really appreciated!

Clean up crew

As a clean up crew for my 75 gallon aquarium I have, 4 snails and 5 hermit crabs. 2 of the snails are turbo snails, and the other 2 are astrea snails, 4 of my hermit crabs are blue legged hermits, and the other is a thin striped hermit crab. Should I add more snails and hermits? And if so, what type?

Should I get a coral beauty?

I'm completely in love with a small coral beauty in my lfs. I was planning to buy it and was doing a little research before doing so when I noticed coral beauties are a little controversial when dealing with a peaceful compatability with feather dusters. I have a feather duster that worries me simply because of the fact that it is small and coral beauties are known to nip at and even kill feather duster worms. I also have a long tentacle anemone which doesn't really bother me as it is extremely large. I just want some general advice, and if somebody could help out that would be great.

What anemones will support a maroon and a blood orange clown?

I have been trying to find information on this and haven't had any luck. I have a maroon clown and a blood orange clown in a 210g tank. It looks like they have paired up, which was a pleasant surprise. I have new lights on the way (ATI Powermodule 4x75 LED and 4x80 T5) and am thinking of an anemone. I used to have a blue carpet anemone before a 5 day power outage cost me almost everything...I am not seeing anything showing for the anemone's that would match the blood orange at all, let alone one that would match both the blood orange and a maroon. Currently, the blood orange is hanging out with a small branching hammer coral, but the maroon won't go near it. The blood orange comes out to meet the maroon in open water for attention. The maroon is about twice the size of the blood orange today.

Tiny jelly like balls in my tank?

I am pretty new to the saltwater world. I just noticed several tiny little jelly like "growths" in my filter box and behind my powerhead. They seem to be in areas the light does not reach. Can anyone tell me what they are? All water parameters seem to be order and nothing else seems out of the norm.

Thanks!

Attached Thumbnails

   

Cyber Monday: FREE Ground Shipping Until Midnight!

Cyber Monday: FREE Ground Shipping Until Midnight!

Our BEST deals of the year and FREE ground shipping (on most orders) end TONIGHT at midnight!

Save up to 50% on today's deals AND if you buy today, you'll be automatically entered to win a VorTech MP40wQD—which will be packaged and shipped with your order!

anemone found help with ID

how do i add pics of it so you can ID? it will only let me add an online link and i have the picture saved to my computer

enlighten me

Skimmers seem to be one of the most basic pieces of equipment in this hobby. If you have one sized to your needs,a great pump and it collects the bad elements as it should then what makes one skimmer better then the other? I am a novice so I may be missing something here..

Colt coral problem

Hey guys/gals. I had a loose pvc create an air leak disaster in my return pump 5 days ago and the tank was extremely cloudy the entire day i was at work. I did a water change just in case right afterwards and every thing else in the tank is fine except my colt coral. It's been like this for 5 days now. Any thoughts?

*onday

*orning everyone! Coffee and waffles with all sorts of toppings!just a regular *onday out there hope you have a great one.

That Fishy smell

My tank has a kinda foul oder too it, mainly from the sump area. Anything i can do to get ride of it?

Mushroom help/Organism ID

So my mushrooms have had spots on them the last couple of weeks and they don't seem to be as healthy looking as they once did. Are the spots normal or is it a sign of something? Also, there are a couple of yellow organizms growing on the bottom of the Rick the mushrooms are next to. They are yellow and look like small flowers or something- I thought maybe a nudi branch but they do not seem to be moving.

Attached Thumbnails

 

Upper level swimmers?

I'm looking for fish that swim near the surface, the bottom is getting crowded... (things that would fit in my 50)

Alveopora Bare Spot

I picked up an Alveopora from a LFS. I've honestly been very nervous about it since learning more and more about it but overall it's been doing really well for the past 3 days.

When I got it, it looked like there was a little fuzz on one spot of it. I left it alone. After that being the only spot that didn't open up, I tried to pick off that fuzz. The next day when I turned the light on that spot looked bare. Should I be concerned?

Newcomer from Chicago!!!

Good evening everyone! I'm Dan.
Long time reader, first time poster. I'm looking forward to discussions with everyone here as well as trying to absorb some of the knowledge and awesome that lives inside all of you!

I'm new to the hobby and want/need to make sure I'm doing everything I can to do things the right way!

Cleaner Shrimp and Best Place to Get Them

Hi All:
I am thinking of putting another scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp in my 92 gallon tank. The one I have is about the most interesting inhabitant yet.

Two questions:
1- Is there any issue with having two in a 92 gallon tank? I have about 40lbs of LR in it. And there are plenty of hidey holes. I have about 6 or 8lbs of BRS reef saver rock still waiting to go in.

2- Does anyone have experience with Liveaquaria? I am losing faith in my local LFS. Just wondering...

Thanks!

Golden Dwarf moray eel not eating

I bought a golden dwarf moray eel about 26 days ago and for the first 22 days or so i daily offered frozen silversides, scallops, and shrimp and he acted like he was scared of it and then i tried live mollies, they are tiny, aprox the size of a guppy i acclimated them to my reef then netted them and rested the net right next to my eels cave my eel didn't act scared but more curious so he went in the net and checked it out but just went back in his rock i have been trying this daily is there any other option than keep trying live food?

zoa ID

One of these Zoa's came as a hitchhiker on another Zoa frag some time back and now I have a nice colony of them. So I guess it is time to ID them. The eyes are a tangerine color with a much darker surrounding. On some polyps the dark surrounding has blue patches, but never fully circling the eye. The tentacles are brown with some green coloring. Hope this is enough.

Thanks!

Attached Thumbnails

 

New 29g Biocube (8 week cycle) I have some questions!

Hello everyone,
I've been a reefer for about 5 years but had to take a 4 year break from the hobby since I was moving around a lot for work. I finally decided to jump back in, so i got the 29g biocube. I am currently still in the cycle stage (on week 4) and I've decided to let my tank cycle for 8 weeks since I only used 16lbs live rock and ~20 lbs of base rock.

This is the first time I've only used partial live rock so I'm unsure if 8 weeks is enough. Any feedback about this would be appreciated. Also I only used 10lbs of live sand, which I laid down first, then the rest of the sand was dry. (if this makes a difference )

Here's a recent picture of my aquarium

I ran the lights 9 hours a day for the first 2 weeks of the cycle untill a huge bloom of hair algae covered my tank so I kept the lights off for 4 days (because I read somewhere lights should be off during a cycle). I then decided to give my aquarium 4 hours of light a day so I don't kill off what little coraline algae I have. The hair algae has died down a lot but It's starting to cover the back wall of my aquarium and I'm a bit worried this problem will only get worse. Is there anything I can do now to prevent the spread of hair algae without keeping the lights off?
I knew to expect an algae bloom, but I just didn't expect the hair algae. I thought there would be the brown film diatom algae and maybe some green algae on the glass here and there.
pictures of hair algae:
- on some rock
- on the back of tank

Also I found a little starfish that I've never seen before and want to find out if he is reef safe or not. So if anyone can ID this little guy id be very grateful.
pictures of lil starfish guy:
- Blurry taken from above looking into water
- Still blurry, better angle


I've built a little cave with the rock I bought for my aquarium and some build up of blackish gray particles has gathered on the sand under the cave. Is this detritus? I have just the return pump now (which is a POS, need to get a stronger one) and a 245gph power head, which I use to help water flow completely around the rock structure, right now. Do you think a small power head aimed towards the cave would clear it up?
Picture of build up: Icky



Lastly I saw a little snowflake eel at my LFS and I wanted to ask the community here if this is something that would do well in a 29g reef aquarium. Would he/her eat my other fish? and how big do they get? If they stay around 8 inches I think he'd be perfect. Will he produce too much bioload for my little aquarium?
SNOWFLAKE EEL (soo cute! I don't have one yet I just wanted everyone to see a picture of one): Edgar Snow of Flake Isle


Oh one more thing. what are these bubbles in my sand is this normal? Weird bubbles n stuff



Thank you for reading this huge wall of all my nonsense and questions. If you've made it down to this last bit I appreciate you very much for being of service.


I Love my new aquarium

A misfit tank

I was wondering if i could add a gobie and a yellow tang to my tank. Would my 6 line wrasse be a problem to a gobie? I had (key word had) a dartfish that was harassed by the wrasse to death and I know that they are somewhat related. I am also wondering if gobies hide a lot or are out and about during the day.

I currently have in a 65 gal reef tank:
2-Hippo Tangs
1-6 Line Wrasse
1-Maroon Clown
1-Tomato Clown

(My tank is very unusual as the tomato clown is dominate over the maroon and the two hippo tangs are very happy together)

Well water to start an aquarium

I've had well water running in my tank as a water test and just wondered if I could use that as the start of the tank? Has anyone done this before?

Can anyone identify this Protein Skimmer

Hi,
I am a saltwater newbie. Was just gifted with a 220G aquarium and a lot of old parts! Im so excited! Trying to get everything sorted and find makes/models if I can. Does anyone recognize this skimmer? Thanks so much!

Attached Thumbnails

 

Clownfish with Hair Protruding from Face

What is it?? Both of my Clownfish have white hairlike substances protruding from their faces. I will try to post a couple pictures but if someone could tell me what it is and how to treat it I would appreciate it!!! Also do I need to treat all the fish in the tank or just the two effected fish?

It looks like the forum has changed since I was last on here... Does anyone know how to post pictures now?

CT Frag Farmer's Market 3-5-16 !!!

The E.O. Smith High School Coral project is proud to announce that it will be hosting the 9th annual New England Frag Farmer's Market at E.O. Smith High School in Storrs CT. It has grown into the biggest swap in the Northeast, bringing in 50+ coral "farmers" from all over the US. I have pretty much all the sellers from last year already signed up (including all the usual big guys) and a bunch of new ones as well. You get the best selection of corals and GREAT prices on frags for sure. All that and a great raffle as well.
I am also adding fragging demos during the day, given by an All-Star line up of fraggers, which should add to the event!
Admission is still only $5 for the day, with no advance tickets sold. The proceeds from the event go to support the coral propagation project I run at the school. I also started a scholarship last year and was able to give $500 to two graduating seniors who were going to pursue marine/conservation related fields- with hopes of being able to give more this year!
I do still have a few spots left if anyone is interested in setting up to sell for the day. It is a super low buy-in and low stress event- aimed at giving the hobbyists a chance to set-up and sell at a show next to the "big guys." Just get in touch soon as the spots will be full very soon!
I will post more details as things come together.
Thanks!
Jon

Happy birthday to dirtycontour on 11/29!

And here's the Official TRT Chorus® to sing.......

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOOOOOO YOUUUU!!!

Super Sunday

Morning everyone. Looks like a rainy morning in Cleveland.

Nothing on the plan today, so might run some errands and do hotel room cooking.

Enjoy your Sunday everyone.

Stocking Idea 65 gallon FOWLR

Hello! Still new to the forum and the hobby. Looking for advise on my stocking plans for my 65g fowlr. Currently I have a 20 gallon sump, witha a coralife 220 skimmer and phosban 150 reactor and about 69 lbs live rock. Currently have 4 snails and 2 emerald crabs (which I got today).
So I plan on:

1 hi fin red banded goby/candy cane pistol shrimp
1 royal gramma
2 black and white ocellaris clown fish
And either 1 or 2 blue reef chromis or a Sapphire damsel

What do you think? From everything I've found, I think they should all get along. I'm hoping the bioload isn't too high

Hi

Hi everyone! Looking forward to a good discussion with you guys.

New 65 gallon fish only (predator) tank

Hey there, I'm in the cycling process (3rd week) of my 65 gallon fish only tank. I've got 20 lbs. of live sand and 80 lbs. of live rock in the tank. The tank is going to be a predator tank and I'm going to be stocking it around a moray skeletor eel that my LFS has on hold for me. I just wanted some insight, as this is my first saltwater tank, on what livestock would be most compatible with the skeletor eel? My LFS has a clown trigger, stars and striped puffer, and/or a volatile lion fish I would love to put in with it. Any ideas on A. other possible additions or B. more compatible additions? I know I have roughly 3 more weeks in the cycling process so now I want to gather insight into the livestock to go with the eel. Also would anyone recommend ordering livestock online as opposed having my LFS locate the desired fish for me? Below is a picture of my tank from install.

Thanks in advance!

Attachment 120609

Attached Thumbnails

 

Purchased my first livestock, what do you think?

Hello Everyone!
New to the saltwater world. Have been reading and learning a lot on here over the past couple of months. Purchased a used system (65g DT, 20g sump, about 60lb live rock, Coralife 220 skimmer, phosban 150 reactor not yet in use), and have had it set up for a bit now. Had a mini cycle, but nitrites,nitrates and ammonia all back to 0.
Today I purchased 3 snails and 2 emerald green crabs (lfs tried to talk me out of this and into a damsel!). I think the crabs are beautiful and am excited to observe them later. I drip acclimated them for about an hour. During the process the bigger of the 2 crabs lost a leg! I know they can grow back, but should I be concerned? I've read so many horror storries about emeralds so a little worried. I am currently keeping them in the dark to minimize stress and plan on feeding them later tonight. What do you think?

what should i add next?

So far. 20 gallon tank
A good amount of live rock about 30lbs or more.
Sand substrate.

Inhabitants-
1 neon dottyback full grown (he's not always to friendly at first)
1 white spotted pygmy filefish just a baby
1 scooter blenny/dragonette
5 red hermits
1 big snail (idk what type he's got a long trunk/nose) and 2 small snails

Coral a few large and small mushrooms
1 rock of GSP
And a medium size rock of 2 types of zoas.

Anyway that's all!
I would like to add some more coral or fish please send ideas :)

And listen I know about scooter blennies/ dragnettes. I feed him pods I had to get him I saw him in the local Petco with a badly concaved stomach and I has to "rescue" him.

ATI Powermodule 60" 4 vs 8 bulb unit

Finally have the money to pull the trigger on a new lighting unit and I am looking at the 60" ATI Powermodule for a 210g tank. Will be mostly LPS (specifically Euphyllia), but want some SPS mixed in and my wife will kill me if I don't have some Zoos mixed in. This module has 4 LED clusters and then either 4 or 8 T5 bulbs.

I am debating between the 4 bulb set up and the 8 bulb set up for the T5 portion. My concern with the 8 bulb is too much heat, as the tank is downstairs, meaning CO2 concentrations are higher already with some PH challenges as a result.

My concern with the 4 bulb is not enough light for the SPS. My LR doesn't come up higher than about 25" in the tank, which is 30" deep.

With either set up, looking for some guidance on the T5 bulbs to add. There are two on/off options on the T5's meaning I can have one set up lights come on at one time and a second mix for the second time. There are multiple white types, multiple blue types, and even a purple. Not sure what mix to do with the 4 or 8 bulb section, while maintaining enough light for the SPS and without too much light for the Euphyllia.

Suggestions?

What type of coral is this?

Hello Reefers,

I'm wondering what type of coral this is, I can't seem to find a pic or description of him anywhere! :confused:

I don't know how to share photos, so Here's a link to it on G+ hopefully it works.

http://ift.tt/1XnFeKR

Thanks Guys!

Anemone Settled Too Close to Feather Duster

I got an anemone last Sunday and he settled into the rock work on about Wednesday and hasn't moved since.
The only problem is he is very close to my feather duster. Today, Saturday, the feather duster lost his crown.
The duster and anemone are both pretty secure in the same rocks and I'm wondering if I should try to move the feather duster or not since he didn't move himself. I would have to take apart the rock work to move him as he has settled in pretty deep and doesn't come out when I gently pull.

Also - how do you feed them once they've lost their crown?

Thanks

Emerald Crab white sack?

I have an emerald crab with a strange hairy white sac on the body. Any idea what it could be? Posting a picture. Thanks for the help.

Attached Thumbnails

 

Hello Saturday!

Good morning folks, and ....HAPPY SATURDAY! Still supposed to be another warm one for us here at the shore, upper 60's again, but a bit cloudy today....T-shirts at the shore at the end of November....WOW! House full of sleeping folks around here, so something quiet for starters....POP TARTS and coffee....Shhhhhhhsh Our yard at work yesterday was wall to wall vehicles. Stripers turned on this week around here and EVERYONE is out grabbing them as they pass by. So we really can't accomplish much but do what the 'PENGUINS' do....Watch and wave! We'll be dead till after the 1st of December, then the big push to the end. 3 weeks to go! Hope all have a groovy Saturday lined up, and looking forward to hearing all about it after work...hoping 1/2 day. Best to all,
Hack

Crinoid Care

Picked this guy up today and looking for more info on them, i know they are filter feeders and gave this guy a feeding of ocean snow tonight, he seems to be going well but want to know how often to feed, etc.

Looks more white due to light, looks healthy, strong, solid green and orange, very sticky to touch.

Steve from Los Angeles

Hi, I'm a reef hobbyist turned aquarium equipment inventor / manufacturer. I intend to be a sponsor for this forum and use here as the first platform to market my latest product. SOS (Skimmer Overflow Stopper). Looking forward to having good interactions with elite and novice members here!

SOS video https://youtu.be/QWyV_YRv8MM

Some thing in my sump, Help please

I showed some thing strange in my sump, are they ok in there?

Attached Thumbnails

     

FS: Marine Orbit LED For Sale

For sale is my 48-60" Current USA Orbit Marine LED. I bought it brand new in June of 2015. All LED's work and so does the ramp pro timer. The only reason I am selling this is because I'm upgrading lights again.

Asking $125 OBO. Shipping will depend on location sent to, but expect around $20.

http://ift.tt/1E0U5kN

Quarantine a scooter blenny?

Just wondering if I can quarantine him in a sterile tank. I was told that they need live rock and sand so I'm not sure if I should just throw him in the DT. Please help

Orange plate coral

Hello,

On Monday I bought a short-tentacled orange plate coral. At the first LFS I visited they had a smallish one for £60. The next one had a larger specimen for £35. Shop around, people!

For the first few days it has been pretty despondent and remained uninflated so that it looked like a bright orange skeleton. Yesterday it begun to perk up a little and even sucked in a bit of reefroid powder. Stubby little tentacles have started to pop up across it which I'm pleased with. The coral only begun to inflate once I moved it to the foreground of the tank so I assume it didn't like the flow where it was.

However, I can't help but notice it only seems to inflate itself for periods of up to an hour or so before reverting to its previous state and that it stays pretty flat compared to the dome shape I've seen in photos of other specimens. I also see that the tentacles aren't quite as long and tapered as they should be. I was wondering if this coral looked healthy to you guys? I mean I'm probably just being paranoid as usual, I've only had it for a few days. :rolleyes:

Black Friday: The Wait is Over!

Black Friday: The Wait is Over!

You've been waiting all year for this!

Don't miss HUGE once-a-year savings on thousands of your favorite aquarium supplies!

And, of course, if you have questions about the hobby or any of the items we carry, by all means reply to this post or give us a ring today at 1-800-566-FISH (3474) so we can help!

:thumbup:

— Marine Depot

PS: We hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy 'BLACK FRIDAY'!

Good morning folks, and ....HAPPY FRIDAY! Having yesterday off today will feel like a Monday to me, and seeing the 'Cyber Monday' thread, I was ready to respond.....Need more coffee, need more coffee. Never begin posting till eye's/brain is open for busyness. Thomas's English muffins and jellies, coffee, and pink milk for starters. Jen and Nate went out at mid night last night to Walmart....JUST HAD TO! WOW! No lines, plenty of stoke, and pleasant folks....Had opened at 6p, so guess all the fun happened earlier. Of course she's been up all night now, and running strong. Hope all are well,
Hack

Cyber Monday

So anybody have the scoop on some cyber Monday deals? I don't do stores so much anymore. Amazon and Amazon prime is the best thing to happen to the internet since it was created.
I need to spend my bonus before my wife discovers what it was..:bigeek:

I am seriously considering a seneye to monitor ammonia for my upcoming startup.... For poops and giggles.....

bio pellet reactor

So next step is hooking up a Bio Pellet reactor. I have a fuge chamber in my sump now with miracle mud and some chaeto is all. Was going to place the reactor in skimmer chamber. Simply running it with separate pump and dialed in flow and discharge back into same chamber,nothing fancy.
Any suggestions/opinions on this?
Also will this have any negative effects towards my refuge or uv sterilizer?

Mysterious death of all fish in just a few hours

This is a new tank, but I am a veteran salty. The set up is a 120 with dry reef rock, live reef sand, 2 week old instant ocean at 1.022 fully cycled. ammonia, nitrite and nitrate all undetectable. Skimmer and 8x water flow at 78 deg f. 6 green chromis, 2 fire gobies, and 2 shrimp. All specimens were drip acclimated over a 3 hour period. Half acted strange within minutes, and all were dead within 6 hours. Still no detectable ammonia, nitrite. 15 years and hundreds of fish acclimated and I've never seen anything like this. The fish behavior was excessive gilling with normal swimming in mid-watter. Then one by one they got erect pec fins and died. If anyone has any ideas, I'd love to solve this mystery.

Fish Stocking

I recently set up my first reef tank and I'm deciding on which fish to keep. I have a 72 gallon bow front with 2 Rena Filstar Xp3 canister filters, a Reef Octopus BH-1000 protein skimmer and 80 pounds of live rock. I'm planning on keeping 2 clownfish, 1 yellow tang, 1 kole tang, and a lawnmower blenny. Will I have sufficient filtration to support the bio-load?

What is this?

I have a new growth in my reef tank. The attached picture shows white pods on the under faces near the bottom on the rock. What is it?
Thanks in advance

Azusa Reef

Hello all!
New to this hobby, have lots of questions and I know you can help.

Please ID thiss

Found this little thing in the corner of my LR... theres multiple, and I cant seem to figure out what they are. hopefully they aren't aiptasia or majano...

Small ant looking creatures, not copes

Not sure what these are but I think supposedly beneficial. They are dark and longer bodies, but really tiny like 2-3mm length and very thin, 1mm max. They look like tiny little dark ants without the feelers and antennae. I have seen them multiply after barely seeing them,now crawling around the base of plugs for zoas and palys. also have a growth of hair algae but that probably has nothing to do with it.

What is this?

Hey, (I'm baaaack!) I recently discovered a little anemone looking creature in a little crevice of my Lr! it resembles a small pest, but I need someone to ID it for me! I'm not sure if its pest or not, (and just got 3 pep shrimp in case). Here's a pic!

Attached Thumbnails

     

New algae scraper

Hey gang, thought I'd share this with the forums. I bought from ACE hardware a one-sided razor with a plastic handle to scrape away some of the silicone I used to adhere the overflow box in my tank and it came with the usual razor blade but also 3 plastic blades.

So, I had this novel idea to try the plastic blade as an algae scraper and by gosh it worked great! It even removed the stubborn algae that my magnetic scraper wouldn't remove.

ID needed please

They swim in my tank and attach to the glass, pic attached

Attached Thumbnails

 

TRADE down Water Blaster 10,000 for 7,000

I have a new WB 10,000 with less than a week time used.
It is a bit too big for my 40g tank.

Want to trade down for a relatively new WB 7000.

Pics available, great pump. All packaging, box and fittings included.

hello from Myrtle Beach

I am thankful for having TRT as a new resource, since I just upgraded to a 125gal from a "trial by error" 20 long I have had for 9 months. I will start my build when all my equipment arrives, thankful again that I got my tank this week because there a a lot of sales on the web sites. I plan on a reef tank and thus far have a 125 marineland and stand , aqueon proflex sump and redsea skimmer, all that I just purchased used. Thanks for the welcome and I am sure I will have a lot of questions as soon as my salt, sand, powerheads, etc... arrives

Happy Thanksgiving!

May the bird be right and the family precious! Happy Thanksgiving all here at TRT.

should I get these corals? is this placement of corals ok? (List in thread)

So... i'm thinking about getting corals and so far this is what I think I want right now. Is this selection of corals ok? will they work well together? also is the placement ok? I want easy corals that sway in the water. Also, some that are colorful and small for the bottom part of the tank. I know green star polyps grow like crazy, that's why it's on it's own little island do you think putting it there would help control the growth? Also! If you have anymore ideas of other corals I should get please list some for me!

Oh and I have a 20 gallon 19" deep about 350gph total of water circulation, 165wattage of lighting.

Attached Thumbnails

 

Problems with a Purple Firefish, please help

I have a purple firefish in my tank for some time now, along with a pair of generic clownfish and a blue neon goby. i haven't seen any aggression in the entire time he has been in there. All the parameters i can test for are stable (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, Ph) and have been for some time, except nitrates which have steadily dropped. i haven't changed anything since adding a media reactor with GFO. none of the other fish have reacted in an abnormal way that i've noticed. He has been hiding for some time now and he hasn't been eating for a long time now. Unfortunately i didn't notice right away because i'm not the only one to feed them. he seems to have gotten a lot skinnier also. these are pictures that i took today. i was going to check for stray currents but i don't quite understand it, and don't know how to make sure the meter is clean enough to be safe to put in the tank, because the one i have has been used in multiple car and home repairs along with many a stay in the garage

Attached Thumbnails

     

Looking for a reliable "multi" meter

Hi, I am color blind and tired of asking my wife for the correct readings on my test kits. I don't mind spending a few bucks for a good meter that could read pH, KH, or anything else that could be read using a meter with a number instead of a color chart. Any suggestions for this all in one elusive piece of technology?

New 12 Gal Long

Hey guys first time on here. I have been reading through plantedtank forums for a year now and have been trying to decide what to do with a 12 gallon long I have. I originally got brought into the aquarium hobby with my interest in salt water so I got a tank on impulse. I have read a ton on keeping a planted freshwater tank but don't even know where to begin with salt water.

I am thinking about doing a nano reef in the 12 gallon and I want to use a spare 20 gallon(high) or get a hold of a standard 10 gallon tank to use a sump. I have also read so far the overflow and return flow is best done with drilling holes into the tank. Can someone confirm this? It is my understanding that by not drilling holes and using an external overflow there is risk of siphon breaking and flooding your floor?

Now is the 20 gallon tank better to use a sump? How should I set that up?

Drilling holes, how many and placement?

General reading references? Can someone point me to good sources for reading about what types of SW tanks there are? For example in freshwater planted there are certain tanks considered low,med,and high light that have different nutrient demands and light demands (higher light need more ferts and possible co2 injection)

I want a diverse tank because SW is so colorful. I want a wide array of colors what life would I have in it? Of course I want a clown and later on maybe an anemone, also the pistol shrimp/ goby combo would that work in a tank this size? Can I get some example lists of bioloads just to get an idea?

I will start with that guys of course I have much more to ask. I am new and I know that I could probably find this all if I looked hard enough but I would rather have you guys point me to the sources rather than search through endless pages. Thanks.

Which sand to use for gobies?

I plan on buying a diamond watchman goby once my tank is all set up and I wasn't sure which sand to go with.

I was looking at CaribSea Ocean Direct Live Sand Original. Would this be ok for a goby? Should I go with the Oolite instead of Original? Or is there a better sand I should go with?

A Special Video Message + 15% Off Sitewide

A Special Video Message + 15% Off Sitewide

What we are most thankful for on this Thanksgiving holiday is YOU, our customer.


black friday cyber monday

Uv effectiveness

Hey guys, i purchased the uv sterilizer from coralife the 6x 18w. I wanted some opinions on how i cna get the best bang for ny buck on this uv sterilizer, should i purchase a small pump 110gph to kill parasites or should i just hook it up to smy skimmers pump that os 300gph and let ittake care of bacteria and some algea

Getting a Blue Throat trigger to eat

Hey all! Its been awhile since I've been on here.
I'm seeking some advice as to how I should go about getting a new blue throat trigger to eat? I ordered him off LA and he arrived yesterday, and although he shows a tiny bit of interest in the food I throw in there he hasn't tried taking a bite of anything. He's pretty big, about 5" or so if that makes any difference.
I've tried brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, large pieces of krill, and other little "carnivore blend cubes," but all he's done so far is swim leisurely around the tank and look around like he's a little confused. lol
This is my first triggerfish, so I'm hoping someone with more experience than I can give me a couple pointers as to how to get this guy feeding!
Thank you.

Hello from pennsylvania

I just started a tank not long ago. It's going pretty well. I only have 2 clowns besides my clean up crew but I plan to get some other stuff going in there.

Worm identification

Hello, I recently started my tank, I was finally told my tank was cycled and so I went and got a couple fish. Well I noticed this worm on my rock and was told by a friend it was a tube rock and that it was bad I needed to get rid of it, however the pet store told me it was good, and just an extra feeder. I don't know. Anyway I took a picture of it and I'm pretty positive it is a a tube worm just wanting to know if it is good or bad kr if it is possibly something else like I said I'm new.

What is this thing?

What is this? I was cleaning my tank this morning and I shifted a rock to make it more stable. That is when I revealed what is in the pic. I think it is a majano but unsure. How did it get into my tank? I havent added anything new in the last 9 months. What is best way to get rid of it if it is harmful?

Current tank List is:
3 chromis
2 clowns
1 lawnmower blenny
1 diamond goby
1 purple orchid
1 hawk fish
1 velvet blue damsel
assorted hermits and snails
2 polyp corals (well establish)
1 glactica (well established)
1 leather tree (well established)

Attached Thumbnails

 

Another LED?

I currently have a 48" Orbit LED over my 55gal tank with a few corals in it that are doing good (Hammer, Kenya Tree, long Tentacle Plate, and waving hands) , but not really growing. Am I "underlighted"(word?) here? I was thinking of adding a second of the same light....

The tank has been up for 6 momths. The para are spot on, except trying to get my calcium down. All the fish are doing great as well.

Also, Zoas and Xenias usually melt away after a month or so. Read that it may be because I keep "too clean" of a tank, but I was gonna take a shot at lights.

Uv sterilizer question

Hey guys i have a question see if i can get some help/ ideas. I have a 65gal tank with aump system. I have a coralife skimmer with the pump that runs about 317gph. I recently purchased the coralife 6x 18w to help prevent ich , bc i had an ich outbreak that killed 2 of my fishes. Unfortunately, the sterilizer requires 110gph and no more for it to kill parasites. I was planning on putting the sterilizer in line with the pump of the skimmer into its input and the output into the skimmer. This was ideal. But the gph would be too high and kill bacteria but,not parasites. Any ideas ? I thought about buying another pump but then how would that even work if both pumps would be in the same sump . ideas anyone?

Happy hump-day

Good morning folks, and ....HAPPY WEDNESDAY! Hope all are well, and got plenty of rest last night in preparation for tomorrow's over eating contest. Buttermilk waffles and fresh strawberries to go with our coffee, and pink milk...either together or separate. And here's the Humpback Trio with their rendition of 'Run Turkeys Run'.
Hack

Attached Thumbnails

 

Torch Coral

Hi have a touch coral have had it for a month it's been doing really well and coming out and looking healthy etc. I've noticed today one of the stems is limp and deflated and is short and flat. Is this a sign of a problem all water qualitys are good and weekly water changes are done at 10%

Your thoughts I have pics but not sure how to load them for you

F/s Apple iPhone 6s 128GB UNLOCKED @ $500( bestmobilephoneshopltd @ g m a i l . com)

We take this opportunity to introduce ourselves as one of the leading Approved dealers, specialized in the distributors of Original Cell phones,Laptops,Games,Mobile accessories,computer e.t.c. .

Buy Directly from a well trusted and registered supplier. Don't waste your time and money on fake sellers . Try us today and you will never regret you did !

We ship worldwide.We consider ourself responsible for all charges needed to deliver your order to your doorstep.

PROMO : BUY 2 AND GET 1 FREE
Shipping Company :FedEx,UPS,DHL.
Delivery Time : 2-3 Days
Minimum Order : 1-50Unit
Delivery to any location

Our Prices :
Apple iPhone 6s Plus 128GB (Factory Unlocked) — $550
Apple iPhone 6s 128GB (Factory Unlocked) — $500

Apple iPhone 6 Plus 128GB (Factory Unlocked) — $470
Apple iPhone 6 128GB (Factory Unlocked) — $420

Samsung Galaxy S6 128GB (Factory Unlocked) — $460
Samsung Galaxy S6 64GB (Factory Unlocked) — $440
Samsung Galaxy S6 32GB (Factory Unlocked) — $400

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ 32GB (Factory Unlocked)- $480
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ 64GB (Factory Unlocked)- $500


for more details on how to purchase all you have to do is contact us directly

Help, my fish keep dying.

We have a 20 gallon tall salt water tank, I know it's small, but I have no room for anything larger. Approx 5-10 pounds of live rock and 2-3 inches of sand. There are 3 snails and a scarlet crab that is still alive. Everything was fine, we had one clown fish and we added a dotty back and both died within a few days. We checked the water at the local fish store and the nitrites were high so we let the tank cycle for a month while doing water changes. We had the water re-tested and all the levels were great so we added 2 new clown fish one died in three days, we bought one replacement and both were dead in a week.

The death has been on going for the last two months. we've started buying cheaper fish, damsels - they usually last 2 or 3 days, the longest lasted a week. We never add more than 3 fish at a time. I feel like Darla the fish killer. The water tests all come back good. the snails and crab are all doing good.

We have grounded the tank, added a heater, added a wave/skimmer thing (alternating turning it on or off, a few of the fish seemed scared of it) and a bag of stuff - Ckear FX Pro- to put in the filter recommended by the LFS. We haven't done any water changes in a few weeks, everything was dying whether we did it or not, so we didn't see where they were helping.

any ideas on what to try next? I'm getting discouraged and considering fake fish.

thanks

What is my coral telling me?

Well I am wondering how everyone tells how a SPS is doing. New to them so could use some insite. Seems that growth, color, polyp extension are the most important but in what order. How does placement in the tank effect each one? What ways do you tell if a coral has to move up or down, in or out of high current.

Take this Pink Stylo for example. In my 175 gallon tank, with 3 Oceanrevive Arctic S026 lights that are mounted about 8 inchs above the water. It is about 12 inchs below the water line and in a high flow area. Seems like since I added it on 10/18 that it has growth around the bottom of the plug and some size. Polyp extension is awsome. Color seems to be getting lighter. What is this all telling me? Would you guys move it up or down, or in or out of the water flow? Trying to better understand what SPS are telling me.


10/18. Day I brought it home from LFS





11/02




Today 11/24

DIY sump/fuge

I've been wanting to add a sump with fuge to my 75g reef for sometime now. I have some time off to build one and I've been looking at different designs but not sure what is the best for my tank. What size do I need and how many compartments? I've seen skimmers before and after the fuge so I'm confused in all. A little help please. Thank you.

Thinking of restarting

I currently have a 27G marineland sumpless cube I setup to be a beginners nano reef. I am honestly not as happy with it as I hoped I would be. The tank itself is nice but I think my lack of love for it comes with my impatience I had at setup. I am considering buying a 40G breeder and drilling it and starting over with dry rock and dry sand. Here is a list of things I dislike about my current setup and maybe you guys can suggest things that I could do to find new happiness with it;

-The sand I have has large rock particles in it and it doesnt look very good and is hard to siphon. *Fiji Pink Carib Sea* idk why the bags I had came like this

-All of the HOB equipment is starting to clutter up and take away from the appeal and sleekness of the tank. I would switch to running a sump via HOB overflow box being that I have a Eshopps 300 model sitting in my garage but I have a fear of this method due to no experience with it and the horror stories I have heard.

I considered jumping on the Nuvo 40 BlackFriday deal but I think I will steer clear of that as well due to some reviews not being so great over time.

Attached Thumbnails

   

Hammer Coral Problem

Hello All:

I came home from work today and found out that my lights failed. They are old hand-me-downs and I ran out to get new ones. So my tank was without lights for about 16 hours maybe.

Everybody except my hammer (my only coral) seem fine.
Sal 1.025
Ammonia-0
Nitrites-0
Nitrate-0
pH-8.2
Ca-420
KH-10
Temp-81
5 month old tank, 92 gallons, sump, skimmer, UV, media reactor with NPX BioBalls

My hammer is closed and oozing a brownish, string-cheesy, slime. Could it be because it was deprived of light for so long? Should I assume it is dead and remove it? Or just wait?

Thanks so much!

pics

I know this is the wrong forum but seems it gets a quicker reply here.. Is it possible to post pics directly from my mobile phone? It's a Droid not an I phone.

Snail ID

Just saw 2 of these in my sand bed. Only thing I have added lately is some SPS coral so not sure where they came from. Anyone know if they are reef safe?

!~Help~!-Dead Clowns & Damsel (C.o.D. unkown)

Introduction:

Hi, I'm new to these forums, but not to fishkeeping. I've kept freshwater for years with no problems. However after careful research I've taken the dive into saltwater. If you wish not to read the entire post but still want to contribute, feel free to read the "TL;DR" section.

Aquarium Setup:

Tank: 20 Gallon High (24x12x16)
Filter: Marineland Penguin Bio-wheel 150b
Light: T8 15w 6500, Blue LED 2w. (17w total)
Heater: 50w Tetra (auto adjusted to 75F)
LR: 20 Lbs. (Pre-cured from LFS Aquarium)
LS: 20 Lbs. Caribsea.
Aeration: Bubblestone.

------

Water Parameters:

Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-Less than 5
Salinity-1.027
PH-8.1
Cycle Process: Mini-Cycle. (LR was already fully established for over a year and was kept wet while transported from LFS to my DT.
Acclimation: 20 minute bag float, 25 minute drip acclimation.
--------

TL;DR: -

1st Week:
Purchased all equipment listed above, and a Damselfish for the mini-cycle. Damselfish died 2 days later. Water params were: Ammonia-.50, Nitrite-0, Nitrate-5-, Salinity- 1.027. Damsel color was only faded. Did not appear like normal Marine Velvet, Brook, or Ich.

2nd Week:
Purchased Cleaner Shrimp, 3 Turbo Snails, and a Nassarius snail. 1+ Month later all are still very happy.

3rd Week: Purchased Clownfish x2 at local Petco (surprisingly good petco). (1x 3" Female, 1x 1.5" Male). 4 Days later male died, with what appeared like white powder covering his body. 2 days later female died. Same appearance on death. Water Params: Ammonia-0, Nitrite-0, Nitrate-5+, Salinity 1.027.

Assumption: I want to say the cause of death to the clownfish was Marine Velvet Judging by Google images. However, the Damsel never showed signs of Marine Velvet, but maybe died because of the mini cycle? The cycle only lasted 2-3 days.

Question: Did Marine Velvet kill my fish? Why didn't the Damsel have a white film on its body? Did the Damsel simply die of stress?

--------------------------

More Details:
The entire setup was purchased brand new in the box. The LR did come pre-cured from the local LFS and was kept wet while transporting 20 minutes away. Prior to the death of the Damsel fish he did show labored breathing, and began hiding in rock crevices. To me this looked similar to the way fish act when ammonia levels are present (ammonia was .50). Damsel did fade some before death, but after death it was 75% faded to white. I returned to the LFS to inspect his stock. Nothing looked like Marine Velvet, although I did notice he kept very very few marine fish.

IMPORTANT to note: At the time of death of the Damselfish, everything that had entered my tank (Damsel too) had come from the same LFS, and nowhere else.

More Details: When purchasing the 2 Clownfish I was much more cautious. I carefully inspected both specimen. Both were very bright and energetic at the store, and in my home. I did notice the young male played at the surface and in the filter outflow a lot. He still looked happy with no signs of discoloration, although he did show very slightly heavy signs of labored breathing. I assumed this was because he was still adjusting to the new tank.

A couple days later I noticed the Female clown was being lethargic in an area with low current. After closer inspection I also noticed what appeared to be white film on the body. The film looked like a light dusting of powder but was very faint (not spotted like ich). I treated the fish immediately with freshwater baths in a desperate attempt to alleviate some of his breathing problems. The baths did seem to give him a boost of energy for a short time after each one. The clown died a couple days later. The white film looked very evident as Marine Velvet in my "Un-experienced opinion".

Conclusion: My inverts are still alive, and energetic to this day. Why are they alive and my fish are dying? Did I infect my tank with Marine Velvet with the first Damselfish? (No evident signs). Or did the Damsel die of simple stress from the mini cycle, and the clowns were actually the ones who brought in the Marine Velvet? Please help. : /


Thank your time. I know it has been a very lengthy post.

-Andrew

Weird pink stuff!!! please help!

Ok, first off I am Isaac and I have been keeping a reef tank for about 2 years now. I set up a 65 gallon with a 25 gal sump/fuge, the tank is 7 months old, running a reef octopus otp - 1000 skimmer rated for up to 150 gal tank, phosban 150 reactor with Katalyst media (350 gph pump), little giant return pump 1300 gph, 2 Jebao Rw-4 wavemakers, 70 lbs. of live rock and 100 lbs of live sand (sand bed is roughly 2 1/2" deep) i don't have any chaeto as of right now. chemipure elite 1 bag, carbon 1 bag, Purigen 2 bags. Salinity 1.024

livestock: 1 Coral Beauty angel
1 Blue Hippo Tang
2 ocelaris clowns
1 six line wrasse
1 skunk cleaner shrimp
1 emerald crab
2 yellowtail blue damsels (they live in the fuge lol, little *******s)
25 dwarf hermits
15 cerith snails
20 nassarius snails
5 mexican turbos
1 pincushion urchin
several colonies of GSP
several colonies of zoas
several colonies of Palys
several heads of candycanes

now that i think i got all of the livestock and equipment explained lol I have been having an issue for about the past 3 weeks with this weird pink algae stuff growing everywhere, it clogs my reactor every couple of days and my skimmer as well. its growing on the rocks, the glass just everywhere. i have been doing water changes with RO/DI water every 14 days. i have been testing my levels 2 times a week and everything is at 0!! i only feed once a day save for dried seaweed for Dory (sorry, my daughter insisted lol) i don't know what this stuff is or where it came from but it is making me nuts. can anyone help me figure out what it is and how to make it go away.

Attachment 120557

Attached Thumbnails

 

mandarin & wrasse

Hey guys,

I have a yellow coris wrasse in my 90 gal tank with a 40 gal sump and I was hoping to get a mandarin fish. And I know mandarins eat copopods like the wrasse does. But I've seen lots of little co-pods on the glass of my fish tank. (meaning, I know I have a healthy supply)

So I'm wondering if It's a good idea to put a mandarin and yellow wrasse together knowing they eat the same thing.

Thanks for your help! :blob: :thumbup:

Aussie Reefer! Hello!

I am new to this forum, and have a 4 foot reef that is sumpless! Am wanting to get some info from this forum from some other reefers!:thumbup:

Pre-Order Euroquatics E5 Retrofit T5 LED Lamps

Pre-Order Euroquatics E5 Retrofit T5 LED Lamps

Your T5 will never be a T5 again!

The E5 is designed to work in sync with your original T5HO fixtures. These unique products showcase features that create an eco-friendly, longer lasting aquarium lamp. This new spin on an old design makes T5s a product of the past. With its sleek design, the E5 is made to last over five times the life span of an average T5HO lamp while consuming about half of the power.







Warm Daylight - $49.99 to $79.99


Daylight - $49.99 to $79.99


Cool Daylight - $49.99 to $79.99


Blue Pop - $49.99 to $79.99


Marine Pink
Coming Soon!

How to get rid of green and blown algae on sand?

Hi there,

My tank is about 4 months running now, and for the past month I've been noticing brown algae (like diatoms) and little pieces of green algae in clumps on the sand.. There also algae growing on the tanks walls everyday. I have a 46 gallon tank with 60 pounds of live rock, and 60 pounds of sand with a Current USA marine orbit LED lighting. I don't have a refugium. I do 20% water change every Friday evening. I use Red Sea salt, with RODI system. I use a 2X hydor 565GPH, and a hydor 600GPH powerheads. One of the hydor 565GPH powerheads are pointing at the top of the water to created ripples for oxygen. I got 10 nassarius snails, 17 spiny astrea snails, 2 cleaner shrimp, 1 snowflake clownfish, and 1 torch coral.

This algae only seems to appear when my lights are on.. If I turn them off then the algae doesn't grow.

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: less than 5ppm
Phosphates: Look to be around 0ppm

Please help.. I have tried everything:cry:


Callum

Attached Thumbnails