XPeriment 626

Tineng trying to be polite I think this goes beyond just the possibility of stumbling upon some secret new way of keeping SPS. To me, assertions like this which are not backed by proper and careful observation could have the unfortunate and unintented effect of encouraging other people to try to keep SPS in such conditions, thereby leading to coral death and more damage to the environment. I am not saying that conventional wisdom cannot be challenged, I am saying that to do so requires careful work, not just random observations from largely guesswork practices. The length of time of observing the corals in such water conditions is not sufficient to draw firm conclusions that the corals are indeed thriving.

I guess that could be the reason, that you are prepared to have the SPS survive but without the vivid colour that comes from having low nitrates in the water. But then I would have to say, what's the point of keeping SPS if they are all dull in colour? Seems like a waste of money.

I'm using a resun c-500. Satisfied with the noise and cooling ability for my 4 foot tank, but that's cos my chiller is in the toilet Can't really compare with the previous line of resun chillers as this is my first of this brand.

Doesn't that trap detritus? You will need to change very often... Dr Jekyl, if you could post a pic of your setup, it would help others identify what could be improved in your setup to reduce the noise.

I think he's just joking lah

Yes, it's true that a lot of info can be found on the internet and also hear on this site if the search function is properly used. Having said that, a lot of newbies feel overwhelmed by how much there is to know. The point of this forum is to bring them closer to experienced reefers who can assist them. So I think we, who have all benefitted from the wisdom of people before us, should also do what we can to help those just starting the hobby, or at least exercise some patience and politeness to point them to use the search engine to find what they need.

What did the fortune teller say to him? "If you decomm, you will be rich.... no need to pay for power bills, additives, food and salt water..."

Interesting fake corals you got there bro. Upz for your sales!

what's the brand of the turbo twist?

yeah those are baby tube worms. They're fine. Detritus is anything that looks like dirt and rubbish, collected in a pile or floating around. I think there is still value in having filter wool, it catches a lot of the bigger waste particles especially if you keep tangs. Just make sure you change regularly to prevent NO3 buildup. I would say every three to four days change the wool.

I would say first priority for a FR would be to put phosphate absorber like Rowaphos, and then second priority (if at all) to put carbon to remove the yellow tint in the water generated by organic waste.

depends on how sensitive your livestock is. Most fish generally can deal with freshly mixed water. But more sensitive corals should not be exposed to undissolved salt as the particles will sting them. If possible, you should mix your water and then leave it to stand for a few hours or a day with a small wavemaker or something that can create water movement.

caulerpa also risk going asexual if I am not wrong, which is a big problem for your tank.

You can actually use an old plastic card (be careful with credit cards though they may have toxic chemicals) to scrape it off - very effective as the soft plastic will not scratch your glass.

Well, perhaps this method works for hardier fish and corals, but I would personally not recommend having no water change unless you really have no time to do it. Just think about this for a moment: how much water is there in an open ocean ecosystem compared to the density of the livestock? We are trying to compress a lot of living organisms into a very small little piece of ocean called our tanks. imagine if your glass tank dropped into the ocean and sat on the seabed, how tiny it would look compared to the rest of the natural habitat for these creatures. In addition, we do not import a *complete* ecosystem as found in the ocean, merely a small portion, particularly the pretty looking specimens of corals and fish. So, it is like assembling a car engine but using only some of the parts and not others. I doubt it will run as it should. Not doing water change is basically assuming that we are able to completely replicate the ocean conditions just using filtration devices and additives. I think this is a little too optimistic. Just because we don't see immediate coral damage doesn't mean our tanks are ideal living places. And for livestock that do not do well, we can easily assign the blame to flow, disease, insufficient lighting, food, temperature, etc etc. But perhaps a large contributing factor should be the water itself. After all, this is the medium in which all the livestock live, breath and move about. Imagine if you were on the moon without a space suit. I don't think it will matter if you have good food and a nice bed, you'll be dead in a few seconds. In summary, I think a prudent reefer would do regular water changes, recognising that we are unable to totally control water parameters in a small ecosystem like our tanks, especially unknown or little understood parameters besides the basic PH, KH, NO3, etc etc. The ocean keeps its water fresh, we should do the same.

Got pic?

What's NA?

I am just asking for clarification. Parting with $1,200 is not a small thing. Does the dog have a certificate?

Were your tangs eating when you first bought them? Always insist that the LFS feed the fish in front of you, and only buy those that are feeding. Your tangs may already have been ill and on their way to a slow death.

suggest you test tap water and freshly mixed salt to see the results. if the first is very high nitrates, you probably have a faulty test kit. if only the second, you have issues with your salt mix. if neither is high but after water change your tank water is still high in nitrates, you have a super high concentration which will require a lot of dilution (ie repeated water changes). what kind of filtration do you have? are you running any skimmer?

Has your work scheduled suddenly changed in the last 3 days? What about your other dogs? Do you normally keep your pets in a warehouse like place? Would be good if you gave a bit more background into the circumstances that led you to buy this dog so that interested buyers like myself can make a better judgment. I am a little uncomfortable about this 3 days thing.

Nice!

bottled water or a filtration device?