Tofu's 4ft Reef tank

[tofubox]

Just to add, reason for adding 2 yellow coris is because as mentioned, they dont ship too well. So u don't want to be adding another yellow coris after u have already introduced your six line if your first piece doesn't survive.

Would have gotten 3! But these guys grow quite fast and large, so only added 2.

[tench1]

Thanks guys for the kind comments, credit goes to my good friend =D

Yes sir, the tank is 12mm thick

Hi bro, currently got 2 rw15 positioned opposite each other on opposite side, both are on w1, but unfortunately i cant get them to syn very well on the master n slave setting as both controllers are separated. They are position to push water at the front and back of the tank. Also have a wp25 on else mode that is positioned on the right glass, blowing towards the mid top, this provides a gentle random flow and at the same time agitates the water at the surface.

I highly recommend getting a secondary wavemaker with sole purpose of agitating the water surface and pushing water to the overflow if u dont already have one. All wave makers are 3/4 from the base of the tank, mainly targeted at improving flow for the higher areas where i have the sps colonies. I guess everyone has a different wavemaker set up, it all depends on your rock scape, what works for me, might not work for everyone. I'm also still testing out the different positions to get the optimal flow.

Thanks bro! I imagined that you had positioned your RW15 in staggered form, which allows the flow to of water to circulate the tank. (Not facing each other).

And i assumed that your RP flow outlet is on the LHS of DT since you have a WP25 blowing from the RHS to mid location. And from your FTS, can see the BB glass on the left side. haha

Are the flows enough for your bottom / sand level ?

[tofubox]

Thanks bro! I imagined that you had positioned your RW15 in staggered form, which allows the flow to of water to circulate the tank. (Not facing each other).

And i assumed that your RP flow outlet is on the LHS of DT since you have a WP25 blowing from the RHS to mid location. And from your FTS, can see the BB glass on the left side. haha

Are the flows enough for your bottom / sand level ?

My RP flow is on both sides of the tank. position to blow towards the mid.

Haha, yup, parts of my tank is bb, this is because i didn't have enough sand in the first place to fill up the tank, still awaiting shipment of the special grade sand to come, supposedly end of oct.

Flow is enough at the moment for the bottom, don't wanna stir up the sand, but enough to provide a constant flow and continuous water exchange over the sand. If you notice any LPS u have doing a nice "dance" on the sand bed, theress probably enough flow over the sand to keep detritus from settling

[HappyReef]

Thanks bro tofu for sharing your PCC, especially like the melanarus wrasse, mind pm me the price ? Tks

[tench1]

My RP flow is on both sides of the tank. position to blow towards the mid.

Haha, yup, parts of my tank is bb, this is because i didn't have enough sand in the first place to fill up the tank, still awaiting shipment of the special grade sand to come, supposedly end of oct.

Flow is enough at the moment for the bottom, don't wanna stir up the sand, but enough to provide a constant flow and continuous water exchange over the sand. If you notice any LPS u have doing a nice "dance" on the sand bed, theress probably enough flow over the sand to keep detritus from settling

Bro, i adjusted my rw8 just like yours. Not bad indeed! Like the movement very much.

thanks for sharing.

[Bunster]

Thanks for the very informative write-up on PCC. Just wondering whether the melanarus and yellow coris will be sufficient for pest control alone, considering the 6 line is so aggressive.

[tofubox]

Thanks for the very informative write-up on PCC. Just wondering whether the melanarus and yellow coris will be sufficient for pest control alone, considering the 6 line is so aggressive.

Hey bunn, personally im not so sure myself if just these two will be sufficient for pest control. After speaking to some advance reefers, they had most success dealing with pest problems with a 6 line wrasse. As mentioned by one of them, the 6 line is indeed the better choice for pest control, and if u are lucky enough, some 6line are not aggressive at all towards other wrasse. Its possible that they dont disturb other tank mates, but i feel the highest chance will be to add them in last so that they don't gain dominance over the tank space. Also another article i read as mentioned before, the 6line and melanurus wrasse has a different preference over their critter diet. So ideally, a mix of the 3 will be better.

Ideally, you still want to qt or dip your corals before introduction to your main tank. Taken from advance reef " Some individuals will reward you with removal of some troublesome pests, but don't expect adding one will be a guaranteed way to deal with your flatworm problem, whilst it might, it might not get 'em all. They will though, make a dint into any population of polychaete worms that exist in your tank that for one reason or another are active in the day time"

More good read for different wrasse : http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2014/3/fish

[tofubox]

Another beautiful wrasse, chrismas wrasse, worth considering for the pest control crew. I understand iwarna will be bringing in these this week. Also for those looking for malenurus, ah beng and ML should be getting some shipped in this week too.

To help u guys id better: Look more at the tail and body pattern, Males and females, juv and adult do differ.

Wrasse of the Halichoeres Genes:

Christmas wrasse (Halichoeres claudia)

Malenurus wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus)

Vrolik wrasse (Halichoeres chrysotaenia)

[tofubox]

Longspine cardinal feeding. Managed to get these little buggers to feed on pellet after 3 weeks in the qt tank. Now they get really greedy during feeding time.

Its quite challenging to get them to start feeding, like anthias, they are pretty shy and st*pid initially. I spammed lots of pellets while i had them in qt, my whole tank was filled with all sorts of algae. Out of 15 i had, 11 made it and now feed on pellets.

Started off with a mix of brine shrimp and coral frenzy pellets. Slowly switched over to TDO.

[tofubox]

So, I've been receiving couple of pms regarding the use of calcium reactors (Cr), thought i do a short write up to those keen on trying out CR.

Reasons to use a cr?

1. Sick of unbalanced parameters, i.e kh 7.0, Ca 600?

2. Sick of inaccurate dosing pumps or manually dosing everyday?

3. Sick of having to constantly test more than one parameter?

4. Sick of mixing ur ca or kh powder and having to replenish them often?

5. Sick of having to risk a power outage with no automatic restart, or dosing pump completely emptying out your addictive reservoir?

Benefits of using a CR.....You only top up the media once or twice a year depending on tank consumption, Only need to test for kh once your parameters at the start is in balance, Accuracy will depend on equipment, but theres a good method that im currently using that i'll share with u guys. System is stable and auto restarts if there is power outage. Can incorporate magnesium media into the system.

Things you need for a CR: 1. Co2 cylinder, bigger the better. 2. Co2 Regulator with selonoid 3. Check valve and air tubes. 4 Calcium reactor 5. A ph monitor or controller 6. A digital timer 7. A slow flowrate pump to feed the reactor 8. A flow valve to control the output flow. 9. A Kh test kit 10. A liquid 2 part additives ( i.e Two little fishes B balance, ESV B-ionic)

Pick out a good and reliable co2 regulator and selonoid, this is really important piece of equipment for your cr to function properly if you don't use a ph controller.

To set up a reactor, Bulk reef supply has a good example:

So heres my own method of using a CR that u guys can try out, works amazing for me.

1. Set up ur CR, place 3/4 calcium media, 1/4 Magnesium media. Start up and check for leaks

2. Place your PH probe in the probe holder. (A good designed CR will have a probe holder, and i highly recommend getting only those with probe holders)

3. Set up your Co2 tank, regulator and solenoid with check valve. Plug and test system. You should also have a co2 bubble counter, fill it up and watch that it performs well.

4. Set up your feed pump, with a flow valve / Pinch valve at the effluent line

5. Once the system is up and running. Heres where u have to tune the effluent line flow rate.

6. Effluent rate should be adjusted now to 40-50ml / min

7. Important step here....if u use a PH monitor...u want to set your co2 bubble count rate to a PH value of roughly 6.4-6.6, or whatever manufacturer recommends for your specific calcium media. So slowly increase your co2 until your ph monitor reads a stable 6.4-6.6.

8. If using a PH controller....you should set your PH controller to kick in the co2 at 6.6, and stop at 6.4. (recommanded if your co2 regulator n solenoid is not accurate)

9. Once u are able to achieve a stable ph within the calcium reactor, by monitoring the ph reading from the ph probe, u can now move on to the next step.

10. Set up your digital timer and plug your co2 regulator in. Your timer should come on during your tanks photo period, this reduces the ph drop within the display tank in the night, making it more stable.

11. Digital Timer can be set initially to on for 10hrs

12. Heres the key part.. Now u measure the kh daily, at a specific given time, usually after ur cr switches off. But make sure the time u measure daily is the same throughout.

13. If kh is too high.....the next day, switch off your timer or reduce the time the timer is switched on, measure again end of the night. Repeat until kh drops back to desired reading. From there adjust ur timer again, but this time, run it for say 8hrs instead of the previous 10hrs. If however, ur timer is reduced all the way down to only 6hrs or less. U need to reduce the effluent rate and adjust the ph again within the cr. This prevents a large amount of the KH/CA being dosed in a short 6hr period. Ideally u want the timer to be on for 10hrs to spread out the dose.

14. If kh is too low....U need to manually add kh and ca, since u are using 2 part solution, u can add both of equal amount, hence only testing for kh only. Dose the amount required to bring it back to desired kh value. From there, adjust your cr to switch on for 11hrs instead of 10hrs, or depending on how much deficit ur kh was.

So what happens if your cr is now switched on for 24hrs, aka, reached its limit.. Increase ur effluent rate and again set ur co2 to maintain 6.4 to 6.6. This increased the kh amount entering your tank. If this doesnt work, check your feed pump and your flow valve/pinch valve on the effluent line. If all else fails, this means ur CR is undersized for your tank volume/consumption.

Heres a digital timer I am currently using that works really well. U can fine tune it down to minutes. Easy to set up, easy to adjust whenever necessary. The brand is soundtech.

Choosing a CR: Heres some good things to look out for in a good CR: Comes with dual media chamber (helps to reduce the ph drop of your tank), Contains a ph probe holder to measure ph within the chamber, Large enough or oversized for your tank volume, Comes with a reliable and easily replaceable recirculating pump for the reactor, Comes with a co2 bubble counter in built. Good quality material with high grade silicon and o rings.

Lastly, please dont forget to look at your co2 cylinder every now and than. I would recommend getting two bottles if the shop u do your refills take a few days to get it done. The larger your co2 Cylinder, the less frequent the need for refill.

Hope you guys that are planning to try out CR find this useful.

Cheers!

[james72]

Excellent explanation in layman's term

Cheers,

James

[Bunster]

Thanks for taking the time to write that. Truly very useful if I were to set up a CR in the future. Thread of The Quarter!

[ahchris]

Nice write up

[SubzeroLT]

Thanks for the write up on pest control & calcium reactor.

Straight to the point & clear.

[tofubox]

Day 57 Zeovit

Nothing much to update, following closely to my zeovit dosing regime.

Added couple of new sps corals including staghorns, an aussie coral, ice fire echinata and couple of frags from Dr Ced, and a few other reefers. Tanks pretty much full, will stop stocking corals and watch it grow for now.

Thank you all for the corals that were contributed or purchased from you. Always nice to view other reefer's tanks at the same time.

Kh:7.28, Ca: 440, Mg: 1560, Never test for no3 or po4

Fish list: 12 Blue eye cardinals, 2 Yellow cories, 1 Starry blenny, 1 sixline wrasse, 1 melanurus wrasse, 1 Blue tang, 2 Black clowns

Thinking of adding a pair of orchid dottyback, any advise for this fish?

FTS with white balance, can't get any colours to show with raw camera image, this has a closer resemblance.

I really love staghorns! Manage to get my hands on couple new stags! Currently got red, blue, green, yellow and an aussie stag with blue tips =D

Thanks for viewing.

[Mike Tan]

Very awesome tank! I could never ever get sps to color up on any of my previous tanks. They all turn brown on me

You mentioned you had blue eyed cardinals trained to eat pellets? May I get any info how does one "train" a fish to eat? (proper and effective way)

Also in my experience, having had quite a few six line wrasses, most of mine are semi-aggressive and mildly aggressive, I guess it's really hit or miss on these fishes. As I currently have terror tailspot blenny that stealthily attacks and chews off my yellow and randalli assessors fins!

[HappyReef]

Very beautiful reef tank. Love the schooling long spine cardinal, total still 11pcs?

[tofubox]

Very awesome tank! I could never ever get sps to color up on any of my previous tanks. They all turn brown on me

You mentioned you had blue eyed cardinals trained to eat pellets? May I get any info how does one "train" a fish to eat? (proper and effective way)

Also in my experience, having had quite a few six line wrasses, most of mine are semi-aggressive and mildly aggressive, I guess it's really hit or miss on these fishes. As I currently have terror tailspot blenny that stealthily attacks and chews off my yellow and randalli assessors fins!

Hi bro, thanks for the kind comment. There really isnt a proper way to "train" them i guess. But what i realise helps alot is to keep a larger amount since these fishes initially are really timid. I started off with feeding frozen for almost a week in the evenings (get them eating and familiarise with new surrounding, also they get used to ur hand being in the tank when feeding time) Overtime, slowly added pellets in the afternoon. Took me quite awhile before i noticed the first cardinal eating it. After awhile, i guess the rest just followed along to eat the pellets. I was initially feeding new life spectrum, and they spat it out, than i switched over to coral frenzy and TDO, and notice better feeding response. I guess type of pellet also makes a diff. It helps to get a peaceful fish already feeding on pellets to mix in with the cardinals, sort of train the cardinals that pellets are consumable.

Very beautiful reef tank. Love the schooling long spine cardinal, total still 11pcs?

Haha, i found another one, so makes it 12 now. Actually wanted only 6 - 8 pieces. But heard these guys hard to get them feeding, so bought extra. But all 12 eating well now.

[hanafi_weeseng]

Have to visit you soon bro

[surreal1228]

I need to visit u by bring a cuter....

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk

[youdontnowm]

+1. Got to view it in person! Zeovit powered tank really power !

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[Mike Tan]

Thanks for the tips. What peaceful fish do you suggest to put in? And I understand you fed them in a qt tank? I feel having a qt is also beneficial because the other fishes wont compete/out eat non feeding new livestocks!

My strategy is this (give tips if I'm wrong-I actually did this with my lined dartfish)

put in qt/isolation box to prevent other fish from eating the food I introduce

then I feed hatched artemia and see if they actually eat them

then if they do, introduce artemia with zoplan or arcticpod reef nutrition.

then after a while try arcticpod by itself -OR- zplan by itself

so far it has been eating these by themselves, now do I do this also with tdo? (probably will!)

or shud i go back to artemia + tdo?

[tofubox]

Thanks for the tips. What peaceful fish do you suggest to put in? And I understand you fed them in a qt tank? I feel having a qt is also beneficial because the other fishes wont compete/out eat non feeding new livestocks!

My strategy is this (give tips if I'm wrong-I actually did this with my lined dartfish)

put in qt/isolation box to prevent other fish from eating the food I introduce

then I feed hatched artemia and see if they actually eat them

then if they do, introduce artemia with zoplan or arcticpod reef nutrition.

then after a while try arcticpod by itself -OR- zplan by itself

so far it has been eating these by themselves, now do I do this also with tdo? (probably will!)

or shud i go back to artemia + tdo?

Wow, very nice. Definitely well thought out. The main idea is u want them to start feeding on something initially, mainly for survival purposes, so if they are already feeding on artemia, thats good. After that u should start introducing the pellets like tdo in small amounts, but in frequent feedings. I had mine in qt with a pair of clown fishes, they may or may not have picked up the feeding habit of the clownfish, but its helpful because the pellets dont go to waste or break down if uneaten by the cardinals. I heard flake food also helps to promote initial feeding, but its too messy for my preference. Once u notice one or two feeding on the pellets, u can cut down on the artemia, eventually the rest will learn to feed on pellets.

Theres also the argument where fishes will prefer the artemia over pellets. If u notice ur fishes spitting out pellets, u need to cut back on the artemia drastically or they will just carry on waiting for more artemia each day.

Im no expert in getting fishes to eat, but that worked for me. So hopefully u guys will succeed in getting ur fishes to eat as well.

[tofubox]

If you guys have better methods to get ur fishes feeding, do share. Would like to learn from others as well.

[Stanley Goh]

Another pro , many tips n advice to learn from all senior here