What is this???

I found these white spots covering the back and sides of my tank!

Please help identify what they are!

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Ya gotta see this guys corals...

Well, not sure this item in my tank thread got much notice. We bought some frags from this local reefer and I just gotta share his tank with TRT!

http://ift.tt/2hWqbFK

Early TRT Saturday Starter

Good morning TRT!

I'm up early because we are headed to West Allis for breakfast and to me with a local reefer who has some more Zoa frags for us.

31 degrees (feels like 24) already this am and only a high of 32...warming on up of the West Side...or is it East...oh well.

Have a Wonderful New Years eve day and evening! Stay warm.

Happy Newly Discovered Fish Species 2016

6 Amazing New Fish Species Discovered in 2016

http://ift.tt/2hBVRm5

Back In the Reef Game Need Feedback

So I have been out of the game for about 5 years now and we are finally settling into an area after traveling for so long. I purchased a used 70 gal tank that came with a aquac ev180 skimmer (no pump), danner 18b pump which is way overkill for anything I have and thinking of selling it, and a iwaki wmd-30rlxt-115 pump. All I am really missing is the heater and lights but for $200 I could not pass it up. The tank already has four 1 3/4 inch holes drilled in the back of the tank so I should have 1 inch lines coming and going. I have purchased a 20 gal long aquarium to turn into a sump. Ok so game plan is this:

1. Building a pvc bean animal style overflow system for the tank. I liked the simplicity of this design as well as the room I can save on it. The link is http://ift.tt/2hUFD5a

The system looks like it works great and does not require me to buy a bunch of acrlyic or glass to make an overflow.

2. I want to utilize the external iwaki pump to feed both my tank and my skimmer to cut down on power consumption as well as cost of buying another pump to push the skimmer. This pump is rated for 1140 gal per hour with max head of about 13' so if I am estimating right this should be enough to feed both directions.

My thoughts behind this are that this setup will free up a chamber in my limited size sump to run a fuge.

3. I really do not want to drill this 20 gallon tank and I know that everyone is going to say I really should and I get that. I have seen several plumbing techniques that allow for an up and over and should maintain the prime in case of power outage and the space under my tank is very limited so being able to do up and over would help me by being able to place the pump with some creative but not too restrictive piping.

Outside of possibly having the prime the pump from a power outage what are the other risks if any involved in piping this up and over the sump.

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10 helpful ways to use versatile MJ pumps for your reef tank

Hatch'n Feeder

I have a 40g breeder could I benefit from a brine shrimp hatchery. How do you maintain/run them? do you just set it up add the eggs and leave it alone?
Stocklist:
-Cleaner wrasse
-Yasha goby
-Clownfish

Friday finally here!

Good morning TRT! Finally it's Friday. Was a 4 day week for me but it always seems those are longer. It's the last Friday of 2016. Let's hope 2017 is much better than this year. This year just didn't start off well for me.
Anyways, coffee is brewing, being lazy today so all I'm fixing is cereal. Trix specifically. I remember when they were shaped like fruit, now they are little balls. Well, off to shower for me, then work. Hope everyone has a great day

Bluebanded Gobies Small But Important

Though small, the bluebanded goby plays an important role in energy transfer and turnover of nutrients within rocky reef ecosystems.
http://ift.tt/2inPSlR

Name that star Destroyer

Attachment 143522


Blue spaghetti:blob:

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700 Gallon Reef Tank Setup

LOCATED IN SOUTH FLORIDA

PLEASE ASK ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE

Since I am new here I cannot add pictures or the video link I have, please message me for more information.

This is your opportunity to own this amazing reef set up at an absolute steal of a price. Put it in your office, restaurant or place of business and watch how much delight this brings to your guests.

THIS SYSTEM ALONE COST OVER $60k, asking $12,500 OBO

Business is moving and does not have room for this beauty. Must Sell Immediately, ALL OFFERS CONSIDERED.

TANK WAS ALWAYS WELL MAINTAINED AND CLEAN (see video link below)

This tank was built into a wall and features 3 viewing panels, peninsula style overflow box, and 8 pre-drilled holes for a closed loop. Tank is almost 700 gallons and measures 100x40x40.
FULL DISCLOSURE: Tank does have a small leak along the bottom, but can easily be resealed, and never affected the tank or inhabitants, it just required more regular topping off.

Because this was built into a wall, there is NO STAND, but the surrounding facade is included and is made of high quality gorgeous Argentinean exotic wood.

Filtration includes large capacity wet/dry with protein skimmer, chiller, calcium reactor and the necessary circulation pumps required to run the entire system and closed loop.

Lighting includes LED and Metal Halides for maximum coral health and growth.

There is a dedicated A/C unit on the roof of the facility. It is included, but you must retrieve it yourself.

Please be prepared to have a crew to help load this monster setup. We do have a forklift at the building to help load the tank, Bring a truck and few friends.

We do have an aquarium service we can recommend for help with installation and future service, but the above pricing does not reflect their service or affiliation.

All offers will be considered, if you have any questions please feel free to ask anything.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS, WE WANT THIS GOING TO A GREAT NEW HOME

My yasha goby isn't smart!

I have replaced my crushed coral bed with sand and my yasha goby is still hiding/living in the rockwork!

Win a Vertex Omega Skimmer—a $400 value!

Start 2017 off right with a new protein skimmer from Vertex!

There is no purchase necessary to enter or win!



The Omega 150 is suitable for reef aquariums up to 200 gallons with a light bioload and 40-150 gallons for a heavy bioload.

It features a modified, Italian-made Sicce pump that is customized to increase air draw.

The extra wide volute, large diameter venturi and custom pinwheel create a dense foam inside the skimmer.

Seahorse not eating

I have had two seahorses for about 6 months and the male has stopped eating for about 3 weeks now. I started putting brine shrimp about a week ago just hoping to give him some food but I can't tell if he is eating any. Please help with any suggestions on how to get my seahorse back to eating again.

Thanks!

Hybrid Fish Causing Controversy Among Aquarists

Interesting read. I have heard of pigment injections in other species as well. Some say injections are not invasive, what are your thoughts?!

http://ift.tt/2iJuCro

$20 off Tunze Osmolator Universal 3155 ATO

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Copepods

Can someone explain to me copepods? I know that their tiny bugs that live in you aquarium, and I would like to get a mandarin.

Too early Thursday!

Good morning TRT. Sorry if this is a double post. Didn't see another Thursday thread. Got coffee brewing and sausage and pancake on a stick. Pretty legit. Been a crazy few weeks. Starting to get things settled in and getting the 2 new little ones calmed down. Pretty sure they were raised by wolves. They are learning manners and no back talking now. Along with temper tantrums. But it's getting better.
Tanks doing good. Everything is growing well. I started using reef roids a few days ago. Hopefully it will help everything grow healthier. Anyways, I hope everyone has a greatvday

Anemone

Hello!

I just have one basic question, how long should i wait before adding an anemone into my tank

How old should my tank be before i add it in?

Thanks!

Stocking a Nano Reef Tank!

Hello!

I have a two month old 30 gallon reef tank.

I am just getting suggestions on what fish to put in!

I want colorful, bright, active, friendly fish that will make my tank into a colorful community!

Thanks!

Surf fishing tips for beginners

Surf fishing tips for beginners such as
Surf fishing tips for beginners number one is Harden Up Baits.
When soaking soft baits such as pilchards/ mulies for larger fish like salmon or gummy sharks sometimes it does not take long for lures to be removed to the bone by tiny picking fish such as whiting or herring. In some cases you may locate that lures are just lasting a couple of casts as when they’ve been in the briny for a little while they come to be water-logged and also too soft to hold up via the activity of the cast or the effect of the water.

Utilizing salty baits is one means to obtain around these issues. Pilchards could be salted on your own or numerous locations sell them pre-salted. The salting procedure entails putting level upon level of salt on the fish up until a lot of its wetness has been gotten rid of. This causes a harder bait that is a lot more immune to the wear-and-tear of surf fishing.
Surf fishing tips for beginners number two is Select Your Areas
Embarking on some reconnaissance of the beach you’re going to fish from could greatly raise the probability of locating fish when you put a line in the water. Wave, trend as well as rip action triggers rain gutters and also sandbars to relocate which after that has an impact on where fish are.
Examining a beach at low trend or on a calm day could help expose exactly how the beach presently looks as well as where you need to fish. If planning a night fishing session seeing the coastline throughout the center of the day can assist identify where to park the automobile or just how much to walk down the coastline before erupting.

Surf fishing tips for beginners number three is Get some Photograph glasses
There’s no doubt that having the ability to identify any gutters or openings along the beach you’re fishing will certainly enhance your chances of catching great fish. Polaroid glasses can considerably enhance your ability to do this by reducing the light’s representation off the water making it much easier to plainly identify any changes in water colour – this may suggest better identification of education fish such as salmon or baitfish, gutter systems, reef, small outcrops or if at a stream mouth where the side of the unclean water lies.
Surf fishing tips for beginners number four is Casting Too Far or Too Close?
It’s simple to believe that the more you cast your line the more likely you are to capture fish. Sometimes, and also depending upon the types you’re hunting, this could be right, however occasionally it can offer you short.
As fish often congregate around structure as well as drop-offs the area of these can areas can occasionally remain in rather near the coastline. Occasionally they can be best out the back of the location you are angling. If you’ve undertaken Suggestion 2 of these 5 factors you will certainly know where to cast.

Surf fishing tips for beginners number five is Understand Braid and also Mono Line Differences
Braid and also mono lines both bring advantages as well as disadvantages to fishing. When surf angling it’s valuable to be knowledgeable about these distinctions and the impact it has on exactly what you’re doing.
Knotted lines have very little stretch. This can make it challenging to set a sinker when fishing in conditions with large or heavy wave actions. It might additionally increase the possibility of being broken off if you receive a heavy favorite from a fish. Monofilament lines could prevent these problems yet in return you could lose bite level of sensitivity and casting distance. Knotted lines also have a reduced endurance to scrape. This implies if you’re fighting a fish and also it takes you to the reef or rocks, braid is likely to give way a whole lot quicker than mono line will.

Source: Surf fishing tips for beginners

Kayak fishing tips for beginners

Kayak fishing tips for beginners such as
Kayak fishing tips for beginners number one is Outfit to swim as well as rig to flip, Dress to swim merely implies that you should dress with the assumption of swimming. Obviously, this indicates using your PFD, but it also implies putting on clothes that still do their work when they’re damp.

In the San Diego area, this suggests wearing fast dry apparel like ExOfficio’s, rather than a cotton tee shirt as well as shorts, which will certainly remain wet and awkward. In various other areas it can mean using waders or even a completely dry suit to maintain you great and cozy.
Rigging to turn just suggests making certain every little thing you bring is either protected to the kayak, that it will drift, and that anything that cannot splash is protected in a drybag
Kayak fishing tips for beginners number two is where your head goes your body will certainly after: To puts it simply, to stay upright, keep your head centered over your kayak. If do you this, your kayak could rock-and-roll under you while you stay comfortable and also well balanced ahead.

I’ve seen even more individuals fall in the water while grabbing a rod behind them due to the fact that they simply lean off the side of the kayak to check out. The very best method to get at gear behind you is to turn side saddle in your kayak.”.

Kayak fishing tips for beginners number three is Constantly provide on your own a rods size of line.
I see more individuals combating themselves as well as battling their devices since they wind in way too much line. You’re then stuck doing the star fish since you need to get to right out in one direction with the reel, and all the way in the various other instructions to obtain at the fish, or weed that’s on your line. If you merely leave on your own a poles size of line you can get your fish or attraction, and also deal with slack line.

Source: kayak fishing tips for beginners

bass fishing tips and tricks

Bass fishing tips and tricks such as
Bass fishing tips and tricks number one is Save Shredded Worms.
When your plastic worms obtain destroyed, save ’em. Bass prefer to ambush injured victim, so a beat-up worm is ideal to use, specifically in superficial water.
Red Fools the Fish
In shallow cover– wood, stumps, globs of turf– I prefer to use a rewriter lure with a red or pink head, and also a crank lure with red hooks. The red makes the fish assume the lure’s injured, as well as they’ll bite at it.

Bass fishing tips and tricks number three is Miss Your Lure
When you cast, quit midway rather than following through, much like a check swing in baseball. This makes the appeal hit the surface area of the water a couple of feet before your target, so the appeal skitters over the water. It’s a good way to obtain under anchors as well as other frameworks.
Keep Your Hooks Sharp
I use a data to sharpen my hooks every time I capture a fish as well as before every trip. It takes 30 secs. Bass have boney mouths, so a sharp hook is much more appropriate to penetrate the fish.
Bass fishing tips and tricks number five is Take a look at Your Livewell Water
When you placed a bass in the livewell, they’re infamous for spitting up what they were eating. From there you can tell what shade attraction or sort of lure to toss the rest of the day.
Face the Wind
Sacrifice some range in your casts and fish with the wind in your face. Bass constantly swim with the current, so it’s much better for them to find your lure before they locate your watercraft. Plus, the sound of water slapping your hull will lug away from the place you’re fishing, which excels.



Bass fishing tips and tricks number seven is Fish Shallow in the Spring
In the spring bass socialize in generating beds. Concentrate on superficial areas, particularly in pockets and also coves protected from the wind since this is where they want to guard their eggs. They’ll bite as much from irritability with the lure as they will out of appetite.
Make Your Bait Seasonal
Bass eat different bait relying on the moment of year. The basic guideline is early in the year they such as crawfish, so utilize peach-colored patterns. In the summertime and also autumn they like shad, so utilize chrome or silver lures.
Bass fishing tips and tricks number nine is Fish prior to the storm
The most effective time to fish bass is prior to a front comes via, as well as the worst time to fish them is after. The stress makes the bass much more energetic, so look for a wall surface of clouds relocating. When it’s as well very out, bass aren’t most likely to bite.

Pest Those Bass
Bass is an ornery fish. You have to keep touching at it to upset it into biting your hook. Bass location themselves in cover, and like the appeal provided to them at various angles. I have actually thrown tempts a hundred times into the exact same place up until ultimately getting a bite.

source: bass fishing tips and tricks

Sale and Clearance Items 12/28/16

23 products on sale and clearance such as:

Tropic Marin ELIMI-CONTROL CARBON Original $87.99 SALE $44.99
Rio Suction Cup Small - 4 Pack Original $3.95 SALE $1.95
9 Watt PL Red Bulb Original $14.99 SALE $1.99

Make sure to check out all the items here:
http://ift.tt/2hhkLYD

Hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season!

Requirements for 40 Gal Tank With a Single Peacock Eel?

I recently bought a 40 gal tank and bought the Peacock Eel from a pet store and kept him in a 5 gal tank a few months prior, but I don't really know much about what he needs other than his food (frozen/thawed blood worms) and I want him to be happy in his new tank.

The tank is used but I cleaned it up pretty well, it also come with loads of stuff that I don't really know what to do with.

I'm basically asking what do I use out of the equipment in/for the tank to keep him happy out of all this miscellaneous equipment?

Here is some pictures of the equipment and tank.

So my tank just cracked...

Was cleaning my 34g reef when all of a sudden the side just cracked down the whole length of the tank. No idea why, but most of the equipment is toast and the tank is beyond repair. I transferred all live stock to my other 34g tank, but now I have eight fish in that tank and there's very little room due to all the corals having been transferred as well. I just got back from getting a new 45g tank, lights, skimmer, etc, so not much of an upgrade. I have the old sand and rocks saved in buckets ATM and I only will need to add water. That said, I am going back to school soon and don't want to leave the remaining tank so jam packed as I fear a die off.

I would like to at least move some of the corals into the new tank before I leave, but as this has never happened, I really can't say I know how long the new tank needs to cycle. I would wait at least three weeks if I could but I only have about a week left here. All corals are soft corals which makes me think they would be fine even if there was a minor cycle. A local guy does tank maintenance while I'm gone, but he can't be here to monitor everyday. I'm hoping that since I'm basically starting with the same rock and sand, and just new water, that much of a cycle won't happen, but I really can't be sure. Any advice would be appreciated.

Save 25% on two of 2016’s BEST sellers!

Save 25% on two of 2016’s BEST sellers!

After Fishmas Sale: 25% off Curve 5 and MaxCap 90 GPD RO/DI

To clean or not to clean

Hi guy here's my questions. I stopped my system of 2 tanks for the last 7 months, for reasons beyond my control. I cleaned up my reef tank 150G and the sand.

But in my second tank the refugium 75G which is higher i've got miracle mud in it for the bio-properties for the refugium and i'm not sure if i should disturb that sand by cleaning it.The system was only operational 2 1/2 years. (would their be that much to clean?)

The mud will come to the surface of the sand and i'm not sure what it will do.

Before you scream at me for having put mud in it remember it was for its mineral properties and nothing else. it did create a cool refugium



i had only two jars of mud and the rest with sand .


My other question, what do think about the seals of my tank would they dry up and cause problems. The tank seals and the pipe seal, which i'm worried most.



the two tanks are connected via a bulkhead from the fuge to the main reef.



Thanks for your help.

Good Wednesday morning TRT!

Good morning TRT! Wow, its the last Wednesday of 2016, Hump Day.

Obviously, I'm up before the others so I'll start...

It's 21 balmy degrees in Cheeseland with a high though of 39. Had the two Grand Kids and the 3 year old foster child over yesterday and went to Chilis cuz kids eat free Tuesdays :) Watched Disney afterwards.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day...

Hitchhiker ID assistance.

Noticing some critters trying to come along for the ride to my tank on the live rock I just bought.
Can anyone make a positive ID so I can decide if it gets to come on in?

Thanks in advance for your time and help.

Andi

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New over flow box, need help

I have a 20 gallon long tank with a 10 gallon sump and the over flow is just a drilled hole with a pvc Pipe, I want to put an overflow box and add another hole to make it.

My tank has been running for about 7 months and my livestock is doing great.

My question is, if I remove all the live rock, fish and coral into a brute bucket and put a pump and heater, so that I can silicone the overflow box and drill the hole in my tank, will there be any issues when I put everything back 24 hours later? Like another cycle?

Also I'd be leaving the sand in the tank.

How do I fix this?

First time experiencing this. Somehow during my water change yesterday I got sand kicked up and it seems to have entered the filter. Now it's basically cycling itself. I turned off the pump to see if it would settle to the bottom but after 20 minutes it was still just basically floating still in the water. I removed the skimmer that came with the cube tank but that didn't help. I put the skimmer back as it at least seemed to have at least helped the most but not enough to totally clear it up. Any suggestions?

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Clam Questions

Hello everyone!

I currently have a 29 gallon tank with a coral beauty, goby, and cleaner shrimp. I also have two mushrooms, trumpet coral, and a newly added kenya tree. Also my tank is fairly young.

Anyway, I want to add a clam to my tank. I just want to ask for any advice.
Like how old my tank should be before adding them, what kind of lighting do i need, do they pair well with what i have in there right now, what do they eat besides light, etc.

ANY help would be appreciated, and i don't plan on adding any soon so just asking.

Thanks

need id please

if anyone could tell me what kind of starfish this is that would be good,it looks to be a serpent star but is pretty small,i have quite a few of these in my tank but they only come out at night.

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New reefer....so excited!

Hello all....me and my hubbie are new reefers and we are having so much fun already.

We started a 55g reef tank and are currently on day 18 of the cycle. I just posted a new thread with a few basic questions so maybe ya'll can check that out. Current equipment:

Penguin 350 filter with biowheel
2 powerheads
Heater
Protein skimmer (Oceanic biocube)...btw I don't think this skimmer will be sufficient enough in the long run for the type of system we want
45lbs dry rock and 5lbs of live rock for seeding

As of today (day 18) all of the levels are 0...ammonia, nitrite and nitrate

Our plan is to add a couple clownfish in a couple of days
And as our budget allows....upgrage some equipment (skimmer, we need a RO/DI, lighting for sure, and maybe some better powerheads)
Once the equipment is right and we have the appropriate maintenance schedule and technique....start adding corals...slowly

Thoughts and tips???

We're excited to be a part of this community....thank you in advance!

A few basic questions

Happy Holidays!

I am a newbie reefer and my hubbie and I are having the best time already! I have a 55g tank, Penguin 350 filter with biofilter (no sump), 45lbs of dry rock and 5lbs of live rock for seeding. I used Dr. T's nitrifying bacteria for the first 7 days as well as dead shrimp before we added the 5lbs of live rock on day 10 of the cycle.

I am on day 18 of the cycle and as of today the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels are finally 0. So I have a few questions....

1) Is it ok to add a couple fish (I was thinking 2 clownfish)

2) If so, should I do a water change before adding fish? I would think no, since my levels are all at 0...right?

3) When will I know it's time to add corals?

4) Speaking of water changes....any helpful tips?

Newbie with a 29Gal

I started my 29Gal tank 2 weeks ago. My LFS got me started and for someone new to saltwater, I just trusted everything he said. He owns the store so who else would know more about saltwater tanks than this guy.

Anyway, my 29g has a heater, a HOB Filter and lighting.

He got me started with live sand and some live rocks.
He offered me RO H2O, but thinking he was just trying to make extra $$, I asked if i can use water from my house, he saids but RO is better. I ended up using my own water thinking, the stuff that's in it, would evaporate eventually.

After doing more reading, I realize that i should have started with RO H2O.
I also read that putting Yellow Tail Damsels in on the 2nd day is cruel. My LFS said I have to get the bacteria started so I had to put some fish in, and damsels are hardy fish etc etc. So I have 3 of them.

My original plan is to have a clownfish for my son and other fish compatible with clowns.

Can I put a clown with the Damsels in there when it's fully cycled?
With a tank this size, what fish and how many can I put in there?

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WOW! 40% off Filter Socks + 25% off Reactors

WOW! 40% off Filter Socks + 25% off Reactors

After Fishmas Sale: 25-40% off select AquaMaxx products!

sunset butterflyfish

Hi. I was wondering if i could keep a sunset butterflyfish in a 40g FLOWR tank. Thx in advance.

Help With lighting...

I have 75 Gallon 48*15*24
1*Current USA Orbit Marine Aquarium LED Light 48" long
now the question is im trying to grow some softies, LPS, SPS
i thing that light is not strong enough. if i buy 2 of those that would be enough? or i need some thing total different? if different what should i get???
thank you

LEDs for 55 gal

Still in the planning stage of my 55 gal tank, slowly gathering equipment with hopes of putting water in the tank within a few weeks. Plan to have at least soft corals and polyps (love zoas!).

Looking for a LED lighting system but running into a few questions. I keep getting drawn into the Current USA Orbit Marine LED (48"-60"). Reviews look good and it seems to be able to suffice my needs.

Question is, will one do the trick, or do I need two?

Thanks in advance for the advice!

Stacy

Excited to Begin!

Hi all!

My name is Stacy, I am new to reefing. I have always had a FW aquarium growing up, but have also ALWAYS desired a SW tank, but could never get my parents to commit the time and money to one.

Now that I get to play on my own dime and time, I have decided to venture into the world of SW. I have a 55 g tank that I am starting after a long time daydreaming and researching.

Can't wait to learn and share with all of you!

Stacy

A late December's Tuesday

Good morning TRT Friends, and.....HAPPY TUESDAY! A WINDY ONE at that! I'm still plucking Nerf-Darts out of every unlikely location you can't imagine....though the tank room is off limits and door shut whenever a show down shows up. ;) Those apple cinnamon pancakes went over big the other day, so think I'll surprise them with them again today to go with our coffee and pink milk. Going to try and venture out for some errands today, and hopefully 'gift return' Monday hasn't flowed toooooo heavily over into today. We have several large malls, and regional shopping centers close by, and when shopping is at it's peak so is TRAFFIC, and rudeness. Went out yesterday to the post office as we're expecting a 'late gift' in for our son....CLOSED! Christmas observed on Monday! Hope all are doing well, and are safe, and all the best,
Hack

Water change question.

Every time I do a water change and clean the sand bed I lose a good amount of sand. Is there any trick to minimizing this or is it normal and from time to time you just add new sand to your tank? If new sand is the route, what are suggestions for that without annoying the livestock with sand floating everywhere?

New reef Tank

After having my 20 gal sitting there for ages I finally decided and picked up everything I needed. LFS only had shelf pieces or little non shelf pieces. I aquascaped the best I could. This is the second day and water has cleaned up and I am starting to see things pop up. Salinity is 1.025, will try to get it up to 1.026 if necessary. I also did a water test.

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Last Monday of 2016

Good morning TRT Friends, and.....HAPPY MONDAY! And happy 2nd 'day of Christmas'! Hope all survived yesterday with a smile on their face, and a treasured memory in their hearts. We'll be having a big 'farmhouse' breakfast here before toooooo long, once some of these snoring bodies awaken.....eggs, bacon, maple sausages, and scrapple, with white and rye toast and assorted jellies to go with our coffee and pink milk. With all his other gifts, 'Lil' Hack found his Cuz could spend the night last night.....and today is 'Let's find all the Nerf-Darts Day'!. MAN! Hope all are well, and looking forward to today,
Hack

P.S.

WINTER BREAK! Guess who doesn't have to '*' for awhile.....:thumbup:

Help Identifying

Hey, I just bought everything to set up my tank and about 2 mintues after everything was set up, I saw a little starfish on the back of my tank! If you could give me tips and identify it for me would be great. Sorry that the photos are still bad, water is murky.

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RIP Red Serpent Star

My 10 year old plus serpent star passed today. Found a bunch of hermits and astraea stars going over the remains. He was one my favorite all time inhabitants. Never found a single dead fish because of him. Excellent scavenger on the reef. Plus my friends kids all thought he was a crazy octopus until he showed his whole body of over a foot wide. Not sure the actual life span of a serpent star? So the wife and myself had a little sadder Xmas after we noticed. Maybe not a fish but what a stellar guy. Lost lots of tank inhabitants over the years but some really suck. Figured a few pics were in order.

https://youtu.be/dwGG-kOqHtk

cant get KH down in reef tank

I need help I run water through RO/DI unit when I mix saltwater up it stays about 13 I was wondering about running outside air to my skimmer since my sump and tank I mix water up in is in basement with no windows or doors and the upstairs where my 90gal display tank is very airtight house thanks for any suggestions

MERRY CHRISTMAS Sunday

MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone! And....HAPPY SUNDAY! Up early to put presents under the tree, and get the coffee working. Homemade apple cinnamon pancakes to go with our coffee and pink milk this morning. Got church at 11:00. and our dinner will be around 3:30, so we have a nice slow, relaxing day in store around here. Hope today finds all safe, and sound, and where they want to be, and again....MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Hack and Family

Merry Reefing

Wishing all a happy and healthy tank and new year :thumbup:

Filter

I currently have a canister filter and in it there is activated charcoal. The question that I have is this.
Can sand be substituted for the charcoal and if so how well does it work?

Weekly water changes??

So it's been 3 weeks since setting up the main display tank (90G with 55G sump/refugium). Moved existing live rock and live sand from holding tank into MDT. It was kept alive along with 3 cucumbers. Water parameters have been perfect since set up.

Have been ghost feeding for 2 weeks. Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Phosphate still all at 0. Calcium at 460. PH at 8.2. KH at 10. Inertebrates added almost 2 weeks ago (snails and crabs). All doing well. Macro algae also added then (red mangroves and Cheato). Ugly tank algae really on the decline and the tank is looking good!

Now my question. I've done a water change each week even though water parameters are great. Water is clear. Do I need to do a water change weekly, even when everything is looking good? Haven't added any fish or coral yet as I've been being patient to ensure the tank is ready. Bio load is obviously very small except for my ghost feeding every other day.

I don't want to do more work and spend more money than necessary, but also don't want things to go south and am happy to do the water changes proactively. What do you think, considering all of the information I've shared about this tank? Looking to add first fish next week. (still not sure which fish to start with...)

Thanks and Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Eve Saturday

Good morning TRT Friends and.....HAPPY SATURDAY!.....CHRISTMAS EVE! Sure hope all are ready, and have the opportunity to relax and enjoy this weekend. Up early for being on vacation, but Nolyn, the Black Lab showed up back here last night for a week or so, and he won the fight for the bed. Will be more comfy out here with a cup of coffee talking to you all. Sounds like we have rain coming down, and the dogs that chose to make an early morning pit stop have wet fur. Will be another bacon and egg day when the family finally wake up, and of course coffee and pink milk.....I'll be starting with coffee at the moment. The Mrs. has a Chocolate Pecan Pie to make for a friend, and a Jewish Apple Cake for us for tomorrows big dinner. Hope all are safe, and well,
Hack

Colonial Hydroids?

Can anyone confirm for me that these are colonial hydroids? They are covering a mushroom rock I bought a few weeks ago. They close at night but open back up as soon as the actinics come on in the morning. I don't want to get rid of the rock unless I'm 100% sure about these little guys. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks

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Advice on skimmer

I currently have an AMS skimmer that I got used with my 90 mixed reef. The pimp is going out and im crippling it by till after Christmas.

So my option:
-replace the pump for about $120
-replace skimmer with ReefOcto for about $230
-replace with another option in $250 price range

Originally wanted to fix current skimmer but then for $100 i have a brand new piece of equipment that i know the history of.

Opinions? Thanks for the input.

ESHOPPS S-Series and Axium Skimmers

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Apogee SQ-520 PAR readings for Hydra 26 HD

Hey everyone,

This is my first post here on TRT. I've been lurking long enough, and I figured it's time for me to contribute something to compensate for all of the knowledge I've acquired from here.

I recently purchased the new Apogee SQ-520 par meter that's designed to more accurately read PAR from LED lights.

I'm running a Red Sea Reefer 350 (dimensions are 47" long, 21" high, 20" wide) with 2 Hydra 26 HD's. The lights are approx. 11 inches AWL evenly spaced.

If anyone has any requests for PAR measurements at specific depths, with specific settings on the hydras, please let me know and I'll gather the data for you.

For me, it turns out I was running my lights too low. I had to turn up all the blue spectrum (rb, b, v) to max (140% for rb, 116% for b, 118% for v, and 100% for uv) and whites to 60%, green and red to 24%. This gave me the ideal PAR measurements for an sps/lps dominated tank. I used the measurements by Vivid Aquariums for reference. They've recently released a video using the exact same PAR meter for their 800 gallon system. Running the lights shown above gives me an average of 180-340 for the upper parts of the tank, and 100-150 for the sandbed / lower levels.

Please send your requests and I'll see what I can do!

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Friday, up 'n atem!

Good mawnin', TRT!

Coffee is ready. Biscuits with scrambled eggs and cheese are on the table. Fresh squeezed orange juice, nanners and grapefruit, too! Oh, and how about some cocoa?

Pretty sunrise here right now, but it looks like I missed the earlier glory of color. Today is bread making day and other chores.

As for weather, I'll keep the Upstate of SC. Worst part is the summer's hoooomidity, but there are no super cold days for long stretches. What we say here is, if you don't like the weather today, check back tomorrow. Not 100% like that, but close.

Lots of love and hugs and peace to everyone!

The uglies

How do you know what their over? I just got over a bad Cyanobacteria outbreak and still have some green algae growing but nothing the snails can't handle

Dwarf Angles

Are they any peaceful dwarf angles. I have a peaceful FLOWR tank. :fish:

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New rather old member

Years ago (1965) the wife and I had a 15gal fresh water fish tank. We enjoyed the experience very much, even taking our finned friends with us, in their tank, when we relocated.

Now that we are doing very little traveling I want to learn how to keep a marine tank - about 50 gallons.

anthias in 40g

Can you keep anthias in a 40g. They only get 3.5 inches? But their recommended for a 70g:blob:

Omega Coral Peppermint Cynarina Auction

We have decided to kick off our sponsorship of The Reef Tank by hosting an auction! We have a really cool cynarina coral that we are auctioning. If you have never participated in a forum auction before, all you have to do is post a comment with your bid. The person with the highest bid before the time ends is the winner of the auction. I will PM the winner for payment information.

Bid Increments - ANY
Starting Bid - $85
End Time/Day - Sunday, December 25th at 11:00 p.m. central (ends at 10:59:59 p.m.)
Shipping Rate - $40 overnight, delivered before 10:30 a.m.
Method of Payment - Paypal
DOA Guarantee - http://ift.tt/2hX9w5P

Here is a pic of the coral you will be bidding for:

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Omega Coral Chalice Auction!

We have decided to kick off our sponsorship of The Reef Tank by hosting an auction! We have a really cool chalice coral that we are auctioning. If you have never participated in a forum auction before, all you have to do is post a comment with your bid. The person with the highest bid before the time ends is the winner of the auction. I will PM the winner for payment information.

Bid Increments - ANY
Starting Bid - $200
End Time/Day - Sunday, December 25th at 11:00 p.m. central (ends at 10:59:59 p.m.)
Shipping Rate - $40 overnight, delivered before 10:30 a.m.
Method of Payment - Paypal
DOA Guarantee - http://ift.tt/2hX9w5P

Here is a pic of the coral you will be bidding for:

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A winter's Thursday!

Good morning TRT Friends, and.....HAPPY THURSDAY! First one the the winter! Man this is an exquisite opportunity for a double post this late in the morning, but oh well....we know some wonderful mods. around here. Looks like scrapple and eggs of various forms to go with our coffee and pink milk for starters today. Hope all are well, and all the best,
Hack

Tracking chemistry, atleast

As I get deeper into tracking and trending my chemistry along with logging water changes and stocking etc I am debating building a Web application to help me. So far my thought is to have something where I can track my chemistry, get reminders, view historical data, and record events like water changes and filter maintenance. Sure I could do all of this in excel, but I think we all like complete solutions. Is anyone else interested in this? And if so, would you be willing to pay for a membership? Or be willing to put up with ads? Let me know. It is also something that could be community sourced making dev alot faster. Although we would still have to pay for hosting. Just a thought.

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Keeping semi agrsive fish.

Hi. I was wondering if anyone had experience keeping semi agrsive fish in a peaceful tank. I posted my specs in the tank specs form.:p

My tank

40g breeder
sand bed
liverock

Stocklist
-Clownfish pair
-Yasha goby pistol pair
-Royal gamma
cuc
-cleaner shrimp
-3 certh snails
-sea slug
-trochus snail
-maririta snail
-narris snail

P.S: naturally occurring copeods

How to tell if my light is sufficient

So I primarily want to have easy, beginner types of coral in my tank. Things like Frogspawn, Zooas, Mushrooms, etc. I have a 93 gallon cube, with a Reefbreeders photon LED lighting. I can't seem to get any growth on my zoa frags or any other "easy" coral. What should I be checking on?

hoseing clownfish

I was wondering if there is anything besides coral/anome clownfish will house. If not, are they any corals they will house that rely on photoshnisis or eat frozen brine shrimp.

New Anthias Behavior

Hello All:

I got several new animals from Liveaquaria yesterday.
I bought a neon pineapple which I am not happy with. No big deal though.
I bought 7 peppermint shrimp (one tiny one was gone by morning). 6 of them seem very fat and happy and actually ate a few aiptasia.
And I got two Ignitus Anthias.

There tank mates are:
2 Ocellaris clowns
3 blue/green chromis
2 cleaners
3 kenya trees
1 Neon green sinularia.

94 gallon corner, skimmer, UV, power heads, LS bed, lots of LR.

So....

The anthias are incredibly skittish. One of them is sitting on the sand, seems to be breathing normally. The other one is hiding under a rock visible and moving. Neither have eaten yet. The one of the sand swam around for a few minutes after I tried to direct feed it mysis and some coral food mixed. It went back to its spot on the sand. It seems afraid of the clowns.

I have had Lyretails before (3) but they died when a heater malfunctioned.

The shipping from LA was delayed, usually it gets here by noon. It didn't get here until almost 7pm.

I wonder if that is part of the problem. Is the laying on the sand a sign of sickness? I did the recommended acclimation for a little over an hour by drip method.

Salt is about 1.026-1.027
Nitrite 0
Nitrate (maybe) 5 approx.
Ammonia 0
Temp 77-78

Thoughts? Thanks.

Feather duster lost its crown

Hey everyone...so I have this brown and white feather duster that I had been doing very well for a few months. About a couple of months ago I overdosed with NOPOX...the feather dusters feathers looked as tho someone had pulled them straight and cut them in half with scissors. Since then the duster has always been out and seemed healthy. All the sudden about a month later it seems like it has lost its crown! I have read that they will grow them back sometimes and its not too uncommon for them to do this. I have 2 other feather duster that are currently doing fine and have been in the tank the same amount of time. Thanks.

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Merry Christmas!

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Merry Christmas to everyone and happy reefing!! :thumbup:

Stock Preview!

Just wanted to show everyone a preview of some of the really cool pieces you can find on our site. :)

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