Goings on in my 35G Reef (or soon-to-be reef)

[Cox82]

Originally Posted by carey

All your fish should enjoy the mysis. They even have baby mysis if the regular size is too big.

Never heard of feeding fish roe, might be worth a shot. Basically anything they like to eat is good lol

I think I'm going to spot feed him roe for the next little bit. I'm worried about him because even though he did catch SOME brine in the water, he didn't eat a lot. I don't want him starving, especially since the set-up is new.

Do you know how to harvest pods? Would I some how be able to set up a tank just for pods?

[bighabeeb]

Originally Posted by Cox82

Which reminds me LOL, last night when I fed the shrimp was trying to chase and catch the WHOLE floating frozen cube lol...it was hilarious, we were all watching and laughing at him. He was climbing the tallest rock and trying soooo hard to get the whole cube, didn't care less for the pieces that were breaking off in the water....greedy little chismosito hahaha

Ummm - you relaly want to thaw out the shrimp in a small cup of your tank water - don't just dump the frozen cube in...

Plus, with only a couple of fish in there, a full cube of mysis is likely way, way, WAY more than is required (my tank currently has 2 fish and a handful of various inverts, and I use about 1/8 cube of mysis at a feeding)

[Cox82]

Originally Posted by bighabeeb

Ummm - you relaly want to thaw out the shrimp in a small cup of your tank water - don't just dump the frozen cube in...

Plus, with only a couple of fish in there, a full cube of mysis is likely way, way, WAY more than is required (my tank currently has 2 fish and a handful of various inverts, and I use about 1/8 cube of mysis at a feeding)

Good to know, thanks

[Cox82]

Originally Posted by Cox82

I think I'm going to spot feed him roe for the next little bit. I'm worried about him because even though he did catch SOME brine in the water, he didn't eat a lot. I don't want him starving, especially since the set-up is new.

Do you know how to harvest pods? Would I some how be able to set up a tank just for pods?

I cut up about 1/4 of a raw shrimp last night, planning on spot feeding the goby. They all loved it though, the goby ate well, I think I'll do that a few times a week, just to be on the safe side. A big bag of raw shrimp was $6 and it'll last a year by the looks of it!

[mr_X]

Great advice thus far! I would look into your water change method (in case this wasn't touched on) and make sure it's safe. I always mix a water change over night in the barrel/bucket with a power head and a heater.
If you don't have a spare power head you could stir it well, then leave an air stone and a heater in it overnight.
Shrimps molt to grow, but sometimes they molt due to stress.

here's a fish food thread that might give you some ideas-
http://www.renegadereefers.org/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=98

[Sniperhank]

I do the same thing that X does for water changes. The only thing I disagree with is the mysis shrimp. I toss a cube in and don't think twice about it. Yes, it is more than what my fish will eat, but I use the extra to target feed my corals. I love feeding my duncan. I have it placed where it can catch them on its own from how my water circulates around and it does it about every other day.

[mr_X]

I think rinsing the cube is an excellent idea. That water they freeze them in is nasty. I don't want that in my tank!

[Cox82]

Thanks guys! I'm going to read the food thread when I'm not at work. I know that my water change method isn't the best, and it's not what I want, but for the moment, it's what I have to do. I'm going to be going to get an extra heater, and I plan on mixing the distilled water and salt in the big jug, throwing the air pump hose and heater in the day before pwcs and the rest of the week it can go in the closet. I've spoke to a few people who use this method on other forums and say it works just fine.

Slowly, I'll be upgrading my equipment. I just don't want to go all out until I know what I'm getting myself into, seeing this is my first SW aquarium.

[Sniperhank]

The best thing that I ever did for my system was the addition of my sump and RO/DI. I get home from work, toss a 5 gallon bucket into my sink and start it up and go about my day. I measure and mix my salt up and let it heat/mix over night.

But, on to the easy part. Just pull water out of my sump and then add the new water in there too. I also add my distilled for top off in there too. Such a wonderful thing that sump is! I pulled a ton of extra duty shifts at work to pay for them, but soooo sooo worth it.

[Cox82]

Originally Posted by Sniperhank

The best thing that I ever did for my system was the addition of my sump and RO/DI. I get home from work, toss a 5 gallon bucket into my sink and start it up and go about my day. I measure and mix my salt up and let it heat/mix over night.

But, on to the easy part. Just pull water out of my sump and then add the new water in there too. I also add my distilled for top off in there too. Such a wonderful thing that sump is! I pulled a ton of extra duty shifts at work to pay for them, but soooo sooo worth it.

I agree, I'd love one! Again, I want to play this one out for a year or so and then slowly upgrade to a proper drilled tank set-up. Plus, my extra shift $ is going to plastic surgery and a new house at the moment lol.

[Sniperhank]

I ain't touchin that one with a 10 foot pole. I'll stick to fish.

[Cox82]

Originally Posted by Sniperhank

I ain't touchin that one with a 10 foot pole. I'll stick to fish.

LMAO! That's me and my hubby in the profile picture (after weight loss), I've lost 140lbs in 2 years. Hence PS this year.

No poles needed, I'm not shy at all about it lol.

[Cox82]

I thought I'd add pictures that I just took.

I added some mushroom coral, 9 hermits, a feather duster and a crab today. We were told the crab is from the emerald breed, let me know what you think. Also, we got some hitchhiker hermits in 'empty' shells given to us from the lfs. Now I have blue leg, scarlet, a blackish coloured (maybe blue legs?), and two whiteish coloured ones who seem hairy. The pic of the big guy in the astrea shell is what they look like. Identification help is appreciated.

[Cox82]

Here's some

[Cox82]

A few more...

[mr_X]

That's a porcelain crab. Not closely related to emeralds.

[Cox82]

Yah, I found that out after. Luckily the mistake was a good one bc this niffy guy is reef safe and seems to be happy just filtering the water. A very cool thing to watch