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Harlequinmania

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Everything posted by Harlequinmania

  1. Welcome back to the Reefing community.. Like some of us here like to say "Once a reefer and always a Reefer".. As usual, plan ahead what you want to keep before hand before designing your tank system, filteration , equipment and most import of all Budget ! With a good equipment, you shouldnt have problem with noise in your room, if not you better check out the equipment if it is faulty. You can always engage someone to help take care of your tank while you are away for a few week or getting your relative or your wife to dose all the necessary addictive while you are away.. Happy Reefing.. !
  2. Actually it is only open to public from Sat 1pm onward till sunday whole day.. you may check out the officail Aquarama website here for more information; Aquarama
  3. Another good link contributed by one of the reefer here; SaltAquarium's LiveRock Guide
  4. Some the reefer here have been successful in captive breeding , however it does require alot of attention and information in order for it to success.. Happy breeding..
  5. Wow.. 6 ft tank .. . Plan what you intent to keep first, so that you can plan waht are the equipment you need for your new setup be it FLOWER, LPS ,SPS or Mixed reef. Try to go for a good equipment for a start, if not you will find yourself having to spend more money later to upgrade your equipment once this hobby get you more and more addicted.
  6. If there is enough good quality Live rocks inside your main tank, some of the reefer here like me did not even put any other media inside their sump tank.. However, some of the other good filter media you can also consider inside your sump includes Bio-home, and Bio rings ect.. hopes it helps
  7. The Best and most important media for your marine tank is of course your Live rocks..
  8. Wow..so bright, eyes almost got blind..
  9. It does help alot to speed up the process with frequent water change, but a minimuim one time change of 50% during the completion of the cycling process is a highly recommanded before you put any fish in..
  10. Wow.. dont know if this should be consider a Marine or Non-Marine equipment..
  11. A good website to ID your fish and corals ; http://www.aquahobby.com/e_saltwater_marin...uarium_fish.php
  12. Algae grows in almost every healthy aquarium, no matter how well, or how often the tank is cleaned. There is absolutely no safe way to completely prevent or stop the growth of algae. Once it starts to grow in an aquarium, it does so very rapidly. A small patch of algae can triple in size in a few days. Like plants, all species of algae need light, water and nutrients to grow. Since an aquarium provides the water, we’re left with two factors that you can control to prevent the rapid accumulation of algae. These are: the amount of light the aquarium receives; and the levels of nutrients dissolved in the water. There are also tap water pretreatment, filtration and sterilization methods that can tremendously reduce the growth rate and accumulation of algae. Lighting: By limiting the amount of light that the aquarium receives is one of the most important factor in controlling algae growth. If an aquarium is near a window, algae will grow faster, even if the aquarium does not receive direct sunlight. Leaving the aquarium lights on for more than eight hours a day can also cause rapid algae growth. The aquarium lights should not be on for more than ten hours a day. Fish require no less than six hours of light every day , and coral require not less than 8 hour a day in order to stay healthy. Nutrients: Like any plant, algae require food to survive. The three main nutrients that algae need are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. In an aquarium, these nutrients come from fish waste, uneaten food, the metabolism of beneficial bacteria, and the decay of other organics such as plant debris or even dead algae. There is also a surprisingly high amount of phosphorus in our tap water, this high level of phosphates in the tap water has also been a major cause of rapid algae growth in your aquarium. You can control the accumulation of nitrogen and nutrients when you perform a frequent water change with RD/DI water . Phosphates may be controlled also by using phosphate-removal media in an external filter or by using reverse osmosis water for the aquarium. Even though there are many different life forms of algae, the root causes and cures are fortunately is similar for all nuisance algae control. Generally speaking, nuisance “algae” can be dealt with successfully by ways of effective nutrient control: These are some of the ways to prevent nuisance algae growth; Use only RO or RO/DI water whether you purchase an RO/DI unit or purchase RO/DI water from a commercial source. (Recommended) Purchase and use Phosphate Removing Products. (Highly Recommended) Purchase and use Mangrove Plants in your tank or sump. (Recommended) Runing a refugium with a Deep Sand Bed. Check to see if your the commercial sea salts you bought contain high levels of phosphate. Do not overfeed your tank which will cause Nitrate N03 spike . Siphon uneaten food and other loose material (detritus) from the substrate. Perform periodic water changes. By reducing the nitrate (N03) and phosphate ( P04) levels in your tank, your tank will soon be healthy and free of the Green Hair Algae. Many of your tank occupants (corals and other invertebrates) will also benefit from the reduced levels.
  13. Runing a skimmer is a must during cycling of your live rocks.. you can look at this thread for more information; http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=79437
  14. Live rocks in your marine aquarium contribute greatly to your success of your aquarium, and the porous found within the rocks which is extremely porous and serve as the primary biological filter in saltwater tanks that is required to have a healthy aquarium. The many holes and crannies in this rock give it a tremendous amount of surface area for both the beneficial aerobic (needs oxygen) and anaerobic (does not need oxygen) bacteria to live on. This is what makes live rock such a great biological filter for your tank. The beneficial bacteria helps convert the ammonia from fish waste and uneaten fish food into nitrIte. The second step is when this bacteria converts the nitrIte into nitrAte. The last step is when the anaerobic bacteria converts the nitrAte into harmless nitrogen gas that escapes via the water surface. However, using un-curved live rock which you just purschase for the local LFS is going to be a problem if you did not cure it prior to putting it into your tank. You are going to see a much greater die off rate then those pre-cured rock which will result in a ammonia spike !! These are some of the recommend method used for the cycling of our newly bought live rock which is summarised as follows: 1) When the live rock is unpacked , look and remove any white, slimy areas and anything else that is decaying. The white spots may represent an organism, typically a soft coral, hard coral or sponge, has died. Removal will help to minimise the stress on the system by removing another source of nutrients and prevent containment to your tank water. 2)Clean off some of the invertebrates on the rock, such as sponges and corals. But unless you know what you are removing and are experienced they you may remove some very valuable specimens. There is no need to be so harsh and take to it with a brush and scrub it clean. This practice is rather excessive. 3)Inspect each rock for the presence of bristle worms and hary crabs and remove any if found. Bristle worms have a tendency to come out of the rock, or hang partially out, after the rock has been in transit. You may also leave your rock out of the water for a few hour to let these pest drop out of your rocks. It is also a good idea to remove any plant growth, both macro and micro algae, as these can easilyre-grow from the root system left behind. 4) A mechanical filter can be used during this period to help remove suspended solids from the system during cycling, but ensure that it is cleaned regularly, every day is preferred. This is because the material the filter catches is not removed from the system. It will continue to break down and contribute to the addition of pollutants in the system. 5) Operate the skimmer continuously and tune such that a dry, dark foam is collected. 6) Run activated carbon if possible in a high flow area of the system such that the water passes through it.Once the cycle is over use activated carbon as usual, whether intermittently or continuous. 7) Operating a lighting during the cycling of the rocks helps to promote coraline algae growth but it is not really necessary , however a 6 hour lighting-period with blue actinic lighting is good . 8) Performacing of the higher frequency of water changes the better, as this helps to keep spped up the process of the cycling . The amount of the water change can vary, but a 50% is a good start. If there are problems with such a high volume change then decrease to a level that is possible. But the higher the water change the better as it will remove more of the nutrients and pollutants and speed up the cycling. 9) Lastly, You will need to monitor the water parameters with your test kit(s) for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate in order to determine the cycling process. However, once you have no longer detect ammonia and nitrite and there is no longer a foul smell, you can consider the process complete. How long it takes depends on the shape/quality of the rocks in when you start the process.
  15. phosphate reactor only help to reduce the level of p04 in your system but other factor like high N03 will also result in algae bloom ..
  16. Maybe you would like to adjust the positioning of your wavemaker to blow it higher to help prevent the sand storm ? You can put pukka sheels into your main tank, but it actually does not serve as a substrate to replace sand bed except that it help to maintain the PH in your tank... However, some of it may float up in your tank and may become a mess . There is no reported side effects for using puka shells so far..
  17. Yes.. i have been in reefing in SRC for many donkey years now , and i hope my little help could make SRC a better place to be !!
  18. This maybe the mistake most newbie make during their first purschase of fishes from local LFS. Did this happen to you that when you happily bought the fish and pouring it straight into their tank and finding out the next day that their fish went missing ? During shipping/ transportation of the fish from the place where it was caught and the day when you bought it from local LFS, the quality of the water will obviously be different from the condition of your tank; i.e; PH & Salinity. Therefore, great care must be taken in acclimating marine life that has been transported to prevent it from being stressed and increase the rate of survival of the fish in your tank. Please adhere to the following steps for acclimating your new found fish into its new habitat/ tank. Though the process is lengthy (about an hour), however these steps will reduce the amount of stress and ensuring a longer life for your new arrival fish. It is recommend that all new specimens be quarantined in a separate aquarium for 10 to 14 days. If possible live rock should be cured again in a separate container. Switch off aquarium lighting, and Diming the lights in the room prior to the release of the fish into it's new habitat will greatly reduces shock, stress and trauma of the fish into it's new habitat. Allow the sealed bag to float in the aquarium for 20-25 minutes. (Do not open the bag at this time.) This allows the water in the shipping bag to adjust slowly to the temperature and climate of your tank. If the shipping bag is opened now the fish may die from suffocation. Cut open the shipping bag just under the metal clip, and roll the top edge of the bag down one inch to create an air pocket within the lip of the bag. This will enable the bag to float on the surface of the water. Add a quarter-cup of aquarium water to the shipping bag, and float in the aquarium. Repeat Step the step of adding a quarter cup of your aquarium water every 7-10 minutes until the bag is full of water. This is important, as adjustments to pH, alkalinity, and specific gravity take time for the fish to adopt. (Skins/membranes need time to exchange salt/water to equalize with the new aquarium water. Speeding up the process will suffocate the new specimen.) Lift the shipping bag from the aquarium and discard half the water from the bag. Float the shipping bag in the aquarium again and proceed to add small amount of aquarium water into the shipping bag every 5 minutes until the bag is full again. Now, you are ready to release the fish from the bag and releasing it happily into it's new habitat aquarium Remove the filled shipping bag from the aquarium and discard the water. (Never release shipping water directly into the aquarium, as it may contain Contamination will pollute your aquarium!! .) Guidelines: Do not rush. Be patient. This will only take an hour, but will ensure a longer life for your new friend. As silly as this may sound, always go through the acclimation procedures. Many fish, though they appear dead, will be revived by following the procedures. Do not place an airstone into into the shipping bag. This will create chemical reactions that will increase the acidity (increase pH) and result in toxicity. We recommend that you keep your aquarium lights off for a few hours. This reduces the trauma and stress of your fish. Watch salinity. Keep specific gravity at 1.023-1.025. Inverts & plants are more sensitive than fish to salinity changes. Do not expose sponges, clams, scallops, and gorgonias directly to air. Follow the acclimation procedure. Instead of netting the specimen out of the bag, submerge the bag underwater in the aquarium and remove the marine life from the bag. Seal off the shipping bag underwater and remove it from the aquarium. Discard both the shipping bag and the enclosed water. A tiny amount of the diluted shipping water will escape into the aquarium and you need not worry about that. In some instances, your new tank mate will be hassled and harassed by one or all of your existing tank mates. This is common and will go away with time, but here are two possible solution to it: (1) Place the "bully" in a perforated basket, while you allow the new neighbor to roam freely and adjust to its new environment. . A colander may be used. Just float the perforated plastic basket in the aquarium. Don't place the new specimen in this perforated basket because it must get acclimated to your aquarium (not the basket). (2) Section off a portion of your aquarium using a perforated plastic lighting grid. When the new guy gets used to his environment, remove the partition. You may shake off excess slime off a coral. Remember not to touch the sensitive flesh of it, though.
  19. This is short beginners guide on how chose and keep anemones , which i hope it is helpful for reefer here. Anemones are as individual as you or I, and invertebrates which can tolerate high water flow, another of same will not - it's just the way they are. Remember that you are taking a creature/ Invertebrates, which in general opinion of many reefer is hard to keep it , out of the wild, and out of the ocean. If you desire to keep one of these creatures you will need to find out as much as you can about them. If you find yourself that you just can't keep these creatures - STOP. They are not an inexhaustible commodity; they are ancient animals which may live for hundreds of years in the wild, sustaining many generations of clownfish families. That is until a keen reef keeper comes along, and kills it within a matter of weeks!! There is no shame in not being able to keep anemones - some, even Advance Reefer who can maintain the most exotic of SPS corals, cannot keep anemones. Before you buy an anemone, please do as much research as you can on the creature / Invertebrates in general, and the species you want to keep. Most aquarist use the "12 month rule" when considering if their tank is matured enough to keep anemones. This 12 month rule allows: a ) the tank to mature and become less susceptible to condition swings, & b ) the aquarist to gather enough knowledge on water conditions, parameters and correction techniques, so that they will be able to give anemone keeping their best shot.
  20. The Jelly fish is a fascinating invertebrate related to corals and plankton. Most species of jellyfish are brainless, spineless, stomach less, and eyeless. Yet, they survive floating in the ocean. Some species wait for their food to float to it, while others move around more to get their food. Jelly fish sting their food with nematocysts, paralyzing it, and bringing it into the mouth with the tentacles. Many human swimmers are subjected to jellyfish sting each year as well. It is easy to think that it is a defensive behavior, but in reality, a stung swimmer just happened to be in the way and was handled as any other thing that might come along. The largest killer of the ocean is not a shark – it is a jellyfish common in Australia and Hawaii called the box jellyfish or sea wasp. Though the shark gets most of the media attention, it kills much fewer humans each year than this dangerous jellyfish. Keeping a jelly fish in an aquarium is not as easy as many other marine creatures. The jelly fish has special needs, and should only be kept by advanced aquarists. For example, in the wild the Jelly fish never encounters everlasting glass walls and can therefore become “trapped” in the corners of ordinary rectangular aquariums. The safest course of action is to use cylinder shaped tanks without any corners for the jellyfish to get stuck in. Another aspect of jellyfish keeping is that the water has to flow in special ways, and the filter mustn’t be able to suck the jellyfish in. There are other special considerations in terms of water flow that needs to be made as well. In the wild, many species if jellyfish relays mainly on currents to transport them around, bring them food and remove their waste products. With that in mind, you will likely have to look for different aquarium tank suppliers to find what you need to successfully keep jellyfish in aquarium. There are a few online stores so far that carry aquariums and equipment for keeping jellyfish. You will unlikely be able to find them at the local fish store. You might also be able to find some instructions regarding building your own, though pay special attention to the water flow if you do that. They are similar to seahorse tanks. Jellyfish are quite extraordinary when it comes to anatomy and clearly distinguishes themselves from most other aquatic creatures. The body of a jellyfish is symmetrical and based around a radial point. There is often very little actual organic content, since a jellyfish is over 95% water. They have an outer skin of a sort, and an inner layer. Between the two is the jelly like substance. A true jellyfish goes thru a 5-stage life cycle. This begins when the full-grown female medusa’s gonads form and hold the eggs. The male releases sperm which then floats into the female’s mouth and fertilizes the eggs (sexual reproduction). They are then released into the water from the female’s mouth. Eventually, the young creatures will attach themselves and change into polyp. The polyp will divide itself creating new polyps (asexual reproduction). It will also eventually divide and the parts will be an ephyra (young adult medusa), that gradually grows into a full size adult. Most jellyfish live only three to six months, but can reproduce in large numbers during this short life. A few species are known to live as long as 2-3 years. One of the most commonly found (worldwide) jellyfish is the Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita). The Moon Jellyfish that is also popular in large sea aquariums. It can be found from temperate to tropical ranges, and grows to about 12 inches/ 30 cm in diameter. In the wild they eat micro plankton and occasionally small fish larvae. They are usually found in peaceful bays and harbors. In captivity, the Moon Jellyfish is usually fed live brine shrimp larvae, in large quantities. You will probably have to breed your own brine shrimp to keep your jellyfish satisfied. Keeping a jellyfish is neither for the inexperienced, nor for people with very little time and/or money to spend on their hobby. The sting of a Moon Jelly fish is mild compared to many other species and relatively harmless to people. However, you should take care as allergic reactions can occur. Moon Jellyfish hail from colder waters than tropical aquarium fish. If you cannot keep the water temperature from 55 to 65 degrees F / 12-18 degrees C by having a low room temperature, you will likely need to get a refrigeration unit to cool the water. This jellyfish can be ideal for an underground basement tank where the temperature is low year round. Another popular Jelly fish is the Upside Down Jelly fish, Cassiopea, which comes from the western Pacific Ocean around the Philippines and has been introduced to Hawaii (probably by ships around World War II). Cassiopea grows to about 8 inches / 20 cm in diameter. They are interesting because they often lay on the bottom of sandy flats in shallower water, but they are also capable of floating around. The Upside Down Jelly fish carries symbiotic algae for food and swimming upside down allows that algae to catch the rays of the sun necessary for photosynthesis. Cassiopea also feeds on micro plankton like most other Jelly fish. Keeping Cassiopea jellyfish in captivity is comparatively common and this species is by far the most frequently kept jellyfish species among aquarists. It can occasionally even be found in ordinary pet stores. To keep Cassiopea jellyfish you will need an upwards water flow to allow the jellyfish to stay suspended close to the surface. The filtration demands of the jelly fish will resemble those of a reef tank. The water quality must be very good for your jellyfish to live well. Multiple skimming (surface and protein) is strongly suggested. Very effective biological filtration is important and ammonia content should be kept at the lowest levels humanly possible. Ammonia is known to neutralize the poison of a jellyfish’s sting, and is believed to harm a lot more than just the venom in a jellyfish. You will also want decent mechanical filtration when keeping jellyfish in an aquarium. The next big hurdle is feeding your jellyfish. They eat live plankton and a few other things in the wild. Again, you will have little luck on good supply from the local fish store. One thing often used (though not as good as their natural diet) is baby brine shrimp (1-2 days old) which can be hatched in large quantities. Plan on a second hobby in raising Brine shrimp. And the final note, LIGHTING! Your Upside Down Jellyfish fish depends on strong rays for its symbiotic algae to photosynthesize. Metal Halide, and/or VHO lighting are highly recommended. Now, if you are not discouraged from keeping jellyfish in your aquarium, good luck. Just remember that it will be more challenging (and rewarding) than most other marine life. On a safety note… If stung, there are a number of means suggested to cool the sting, including ammonia and vinegar. If this does not help or you feel other effects that are above a “sting,” seek immediate medical attention. While the two species suggested above are condsidered “safe” for humans, it is possible to have an allergic reaction that is much worse than the normal symptoms. Always handle your jellyfish with great care to keep both of you happy and healthy!
  21. It does happen if you tank is new especially if you didnt cycle your tank before puttung it into the tank ?
  22. Wahahahaa! Should send this story to the Betta forums... ! I can't imagine a nice fighting fish being pissed out one day! Full Moon betta anyone?
  23. Click through to see the images. Author Tony Vargas just posted on Facebook and Google+ that Two Little Fishies has sold out of the first print run of The Coral Reef Aquarium. According to Tony and TLF, there will not be a second printing, so get this book while supplies last!
  24. Click through to see the images. We would like to thank the following businesses for sponsoring Advance Aquarist. Through their generous sponsorship, they have made this website free for all hobbyists. When you do business with our sponsors, let them know you appreciate their sponsorship of Advanced Aquarist. To learn more about our sponsors and their products or services, click on their banners below. If your company is interested in sponsorship information, please contact us for details. We offer a variety of advertising packages targeting your core demographics. Our Premium Sponsors </h2><h2 style="text-align: center; ">Our Featured Sponsors Our Leaderboard Sponsors View the full article
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