Trinituner Reefers, Saltwater Aquarium Fish Keepers

[Reefplanet]

is best to get a vorctech yes

you can go for these if you want...........

http://www.amazon.com/Tunze-Turbelle%C2 ... +powerhead

Vortechs make a lil bit of noise (a slight humming sound) but you grow accustomed to it. Mine running non-stop going on 19mths now with no problems. I never had a tunze, but i know i get real fun with all the different modes.

no more tunzes for me next is vortechs

[greenlime100]

You wont get a '0' reading imediately. remember this thing takes time for it to absorb everything and even though you are taking out phosphates, simple things like food and stuff keep adding it back daily. In any case you will gradually see your bad algae dying off slowly. The reading doesnt seem like much to you but in time it will gradually go down.

Cool was just wondering cause its been jusr over a week.... also got some snails by raj, them ting like beast, they clean out a rock over night and lick up two of my mushrooms that now started growing.

[HondaB20B]

^^^ a week?............ man this thing takes time. Remember you had an algae forrest. You have about 2 wks again. Mine didnt totally go until after 3 wks when i set up my tank

[greenlime100]

Yeah, wasnt sure on how long after it takes. I know biopellets has to activate and such.

Just an update, dosing 7.5ml a day and maintaining alk at 9.6 and well calcium at 500, corals seem to be doing great...all fully opened, mushrooms growing like crazy and could notice my brain coral spreading a bit since I added it.

[3pO]

rite now something real strange going on in my tank, the alkalinity is on 5dkh and the ph is 7.8 , i keep adding the b ionic and it still not going up , cal is 450 and mag is 1350 ,this has been happening about 5 days now , yesterday i did a water change and the alk raised to 5.5 , my total water volume is around 200g and i do a 20gal water change every sunday , i use reef crystals , the tanks is about 2 weeks old ,
anybody know what might be happening ?

How much b-ionic you dosing daily.
Right now the corals & coraline algae on the rocks using up the Alk in your tank. If i dont dose daily i can see as much a 2dKH drop per day and then your corals start to suffer. To show how Corals and coraline algae use it up, when i first started dosing b-ionic about 15-16 mths ago i was using 25-30mls every other day. Now, i dose 120mls daily just to maintain it at 9.3-9.6dKH. Right now i using 1 gal per mth.
Thats allot of corals you have in there for a tank thats only 2 wks old. You put in those coral a bit to fast in that new tank[/quote



Rite now I dosing 100 ml , but from tomorrow I will start using kalk so hopefully that would be the end to my troubles ,

[HondaB20B]

I know biopellets has to activate and such.

you start running the biopellets?

[3pO]

some pics on the progression of my tank ,

,also i have started dosing vodka after reading the post by honda and some additional research ,and i must say my protein skimmer is working like hell since then , also checked my phosphate levels with a hanna checker and salifert test kit and its zero , so the only way algae could be growing is probably because there are nutrients in the rock and sand

[greenlime100]

Nice pics there 3PO ... and no boi Honda no pellets, not until I add a new skimmer

[greenlime100]

Anyone have a refugium with algae ? looking for some Ideas. Want to try it until I get the chance to upgrade my skimmer and start running biopellets.

Just an update.... Tank doing well fish and coral look healthy.

[TURBOT]

While we on the topic of Vodka dosing , this a lil off topic but still share worthy.

[greenlime100]

TURBOT ??

[keith]

Nice thread.

[Tigz]

Crickets* chirp chiro

[TURBOT]

So what's the rules against catching reef fish or taking a frag of coral from the ocean ?

[meccalli]

Trinidad don't have laws or are enforced afaik. But it should be a reef keeper's responsibility to not rape the actual reef that sustains so much life for his pleasure or his pocket's. I don't see a problem taking a few fish or some frags, but people get greedy when they see the prices they can fetch.

[greenlime100]

I believe in Tobago you need a letter of permission from not sure if government or EMA or whoever stating you allowed to remove livestock from the sea. Before it was a free for all but now I remembered the Diver from the Dive shop was saying they were questioning someone on the port who had a couple lobsters with him.

And the stress of bringing up a fish and to quarantine it for me just not worth it, maybe the fragging but not for fish

[TURBOT]

I know they are protected reefs like buccoo etc where you can't take anything. But places like Scotland bay have some nice Lps (hard branching coral I think ) growing and I see anemones and brain corals and maybe some zoas. I thinking abt Doing a reef tank in my shop and would like to stock it with some fish that I could catch locally. I see that yellow and purple fish and a lot of other pretty reef fish that I could probably net.
If I am setting up a new tank and I start off with all stock from the ocean do I still have to quarantine?

[greenlime100]

^^ I would highly recommend setting up a quarantine tank. The cleanest waters I dove in was in Speyside, there I wouldnt be too worried about parasites but scotland bay etc I would be cautious.
Just IMO

[HondaB20B]

Pics from Wide World of Coral in Orlando. Bad thing is that they keep the blue lights and actinics on during the day so pics dont come out perfect............. Watch the prices of frags in the last couple pics. Now you know why people does sell corals expensive down here.


This is their 10ft tank. Not much fish in it. They running 3 MP40's, 2 MP60's and 3 big Korallias.


These Paly's are about 1 1/2" dia.


SPS

[HondaB20B]

^^ I would highly recommend setting up a quarantine tank. The cleanest waters I dove in was in Speyside, there I wouldnt be too worried about parasites but scotland bay etc I would be cautious.
Just IMO

What clean water have to do with parasites now?
You could have prestine water conditions and still have the world of parasites. Perfect example, you could have ich in your tank and use all the meds in the world............. the ick spores are still around. REMEMBER, ick will always be in your tank, its when your fish's immune system drops or under stress that they get it. You could have 15 fish in your tank and only one could show signs of the ick and within days it just vanishes.

[HondaB20B]

More...........













IMG]http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u374/hondab20b/World%20of%20corals/DSC05547_zps09fdafe3.jpg[/IMG]

[HondaB20B]

[HondaB20B]

will post the vids some time

[greenlime100]

^^ I would highly recommend setting up a quarantine tank. The cleanest waters I dove in was in Speyside, there I wouldnt be too worried about parasites but scotland bay etc I would be cautious.
Just IMO

What clean water have to do with parasites now?
You could have prestine water conditions and still have the world of parasites. Perfect example, you could have ich in your tank and use all the meds in the world............. the ick spores are still around. REMEMBER, ick will always be in your tank, its when your fish's immune system drops or under stress that they get it. You could have 15 fish in your tank and only one could show signs of the ick and within days it just vanishes.

I say this because I know someone that took sand straight from the bottom of the ocean there and to this day (over 3 years) no parasites have gotten in the tank. And yea everyone knows about ick, my hippo tank had it and like you said it goes if the fish survives it, but things like flatworms and fireworms could destroy a tank.
My point was I would be cautions no matter where I take fish from.

[nixson]

So what's the rules against catching reef fish or taking a frag of coral from the ocean ?

from my experience, if you snorkel or dive around the reef where you are looking for livestock you can find pieces of coral that are already broken off. This is always true with gorgonians and ployps and firecoral. my tank is stacked full of local gorgs.. but i never once had to rip a coral to get them. I know areas where you can snorkel and find large fully grown gorgonians alive and healthy but not attached to anything..and just moving around in the water(soon to die in the wild).

There are also beaches (Tobago) where you can walk out and find sea fans, hard corals, brains.. also already broken off the reef that collect in areas where waves push and concentrate them. Just walk along toco beach and you can find healthy polyps and macro algea (dead mans fingers) that would do just fine in your tank. you dont even have to get wet.

If there is a piece of coral you see that you must have, its much more environmentally friendly to just cut a small piece and replant it in your tank. If you cant raise the frag.. then you would have killed the mother coral in your tank anyway.

We cant export it, and local corals not gonna fetch much money - so hopefully the few people who collect for their personal tanks can be responsible about what they doing.

I just hope people who collect use restraint - Just because its "free" doesnt mean you take everything you find looking nice... when you know it not gonna last a week in your one week old tank with no skimmer and using tap water for top offs...... (General statement- not directed to anyone in particular)

[greenlime100]

Guys...I seeing a small white edge on my Brain coral looks as tho it bleaching...going to do a 30gal WC tomorrow.
ALK: 9.6
Ca: 490
Nitrate: 0
Phosphates: 0.03<
Ph: 8.2

Any suggestions? also going to move one of the power heads to create some more flow over the coral. and I never target fed this coral would target feeding it help ?

[HondaB20B]

^^ I would highly recommend setting up a quarantine tank. The cleanest waters I dove in was in Speyside, there I wouldnt be too worried about parasites but scotland bay etc I would be cautious.
Just IMO

What clean water have to do with parasites now?
You could have prestine water conditions and still have the world of parasites. Perfect example, you could have ich in your tank and use all the meds in the world............. the ick spores are still around. REMEMBER, ick will always be in your tank, its when your fish's immune system drops or under stress that they get it. You could have 15 fish in your tank and only one could show signs of the ick and within days it just vanishes.

I say this because I know someone that took sand straight from the bottom of the ocean there and to this day (over 3 years) no parasites have gotten in the tank. And yea everyone knows about ick, my hippo tank had it and like you said it goes if the fish survives it, but things like flatworms and fireworms could destroy a tank.
My point was I would be cautions no matter where I take fish from.

All water has parasites it just depends on the size of them in microns they are. Again most of it depends on the stress the fish can endure. That tank could still have the world of parasites in it. Most times, once the fish eating good and its immunne system cood the dont get sick.
................................Then again, i dont have no degree.........lol

[greenlime100]

Strange...I know Ick and arthropods etc always exist, however i read somewhere about the flatworms how the are introduced through livestock that have not been quarantined thats why i mentioned it. Never really studied all the different parasites and bugs.
Good info either way LOL.

[HondaB20B]

Strange...I know Ick and arthropods etc always exist, however i read somewhere about the flatworms how the are introduced through livestock that have not been quarantined thats why i mentioned it. Never really studied all the different parasites and bugs.
Good info either way LOL.

yeah thats good info also.......... some more info

Marine fish diseases are often difficult to diagnose. The parasites that cause disease are usually far too small to see with the naked eye. Most marine fish caught on reefs have some type of parasite in or on their body. They bring the parasites with them into the fish store, and then on to a home aquarium. Thankfully, many of these parasites cannot reproduce in the aquarium and do not cause lethal disease. The few that do are listed below

Marine fish ailments can be caused by such agents as viruses, bacteria, protists, fungi, worms, crustaceans, and environmental factors. The following is a brief list of some of the causative agents of marine fish maladies:

Disease Parasites

1) Protozoan:
* Flagellates (diplomonads):
-Hexamita and Spironucleus vortens are associated with Hole in the Head Disease

*Ciliates:
-Cryptocaryon irritans is associated with Saltwater Ich
-Brooklynella hostilis is associated with Brooklynellosis
-Uronema marinum is associated with Uronemosis

*Dinoflagellates:
-Amyloodinium ocellatum is associated with Marine Velvet Disease

*Sporozoans:
-Glugea heraldi (microsporidian) is associated with Seahorse Disease
Myxobolus cerebralis (myxsporidian) is associated with Whirling Disease

2) Bacteria:
-Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, Edwardsiella, Vibrio, Cytophaga are all gram negatives associated with fin rot, lesion, and skin hemorrhage
-Cytophaga is associated with White Skin Patch Disease
-Mycobacterium is associated with Piscine Tuberculosis
-Pseudomonas and Corynebacterium are associated with Swollen Abdomen and Raised Scales Diseases

3)Fungi:
-Saprolegnia is associated with external fungal infections (controversial relationship - Saprolegnia is a freshwater parasite)
-Ichthyophonus hoferi is associated with internal fungal infections

4) Virus:
-Iridoviruses are associated with Lymphocystis or Nodule Disease

Animal Parasites

1) Worms
-Ichthyophaga, Paravortex and others are associated with Black Spot Disease or Tang Turbellarian
-Fluke Families Dactylogryidae and Genus Benedenia are associated with Fluke Infestations in Fishes

2) Crustaceans: Isopods and Copepods
-Isopods: External skin parasites, resembling roly-polies, on fish
-Copepods: Embedded skin parasites beneath the skin of a fish

Environmental Causes of Disease:

a) Gas Bubble Disease is associated with fish that have been:

-Collected at depths over 30 feet and rapidly brought to the surface
-Exposed to water that is supersaturated with gas
-Head and Lateral Line Erosion is associated with a variety of factors, including malnutrition, poor water quality, pathogens, stray voltage, activated carbon, copper, and other things.
-Malnutrition is associated with a diet lacking in protein and vitamins
-Swim Bladder Disorders are associated with fish brought to the surface too rapidly from deep reefs
-Iatrogenic Problems are associated with side effects from medications, such as ammonia build up in a hospital tank due to the death of nitrogen fixing bacteria.

[meccalli]

Everytime I go target jacks, must get one of em that has cymothoa exigua in its mouth, crawls into their gills and feeds off the blood supply of their 'tongue' till it atrophies and falls off leaving the parasite to use as its new tongue.