Gaseous exchange stocking method inc. coral.

[J.Mcpeak]

What I would really like to see on a daily basis is s hystrix with a small shoal of small fish swimming around the branches. Magic. Like all the awesome pics you see of great natural grown for centuries truly wild reefs, but in my shed! I really like the sun coral though, and Xenia. The flame angel is my favourite small marine fish, lion fish p volitans is the big fave or the black trigger. So much more flow required, my plan was Eheim 1048 or 1200 x2. Plus in tank wave fan similar to hydor. The tank is designed to house the blenny s. Splendidus. I realise the hystrix at full growth is about 45 cms diameter, that's as wide as my tank. I thought just frag it, is this a bad idea? How long will it take to grow? I guess that's light dependent? There is a rough drawing up there^ somewhere. I will do some maths on the bigger pumps, do I need to circulate the refugium? With additional pumps? P.S. I really want to witness the shrimp and goby pairing, confused! So am I!

 

[bribo12]

What I would really like to see on a daily basis is s hystrix with a small shoal of small fish swimming around the branches. Magic. Like all the awesome pics you see of great natural grown for centuries truly wild reefs, but in my shed! I really like the sun coral though, and Xenia. The flame angel is my favourite small marine fish, lion fish p volitans is the big fave or the black trigger. So much more flow required, my plan was Eheim 1048 or 1200 x2. Plus in tank wave fan similar to hydor. The tank is designed to house the blenny s. Splendidus. I realise the hystrix at full growth is about 45 cms diameter, that's as wide as my tank. I thought just frag it, is this a bad idea? How long will it take to grow? I guess that's light dependent? There is a rough drawing up there^ somewhere. I will do some maths on the bigger pumps, do I need to circulate the refugium? With additional pumps? P.S. I really want to witness the shrimp and goby pairing, confused! So am I!

Nope fragging it is how most of us keep corals in check! Mine grows pretty quickly, ive only had it about It all depends on lighting and water quality. All your livestock sounds fine though. Xenia grows like a weed.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Nope fragging it is how most of us keep corals in check! Mine grows pretty quickly, ive only had it about It all depends on lighting and water quality. All your livestock sounds fine though. Xenia grows like a weed.

Big smile from me! (That's the bang you heard on your door)!!!!!!!!!!

 

[melosu58]

Tubestrea is one of my faves, that's the sun coral, you know your stuff. I'd need to check, I'm using my paper plan, it's a single sheet. The books are all noted, the fish list is a little vague, I can prepare a full list of potential items in Latin for you if would look at them please? I also like S. hystrix.

These corals are not difficult but they require a lot of work. You have to feed every head individually and they don't come out when you want them too. Usually about an hour after you feed your tank. As far as the bioload I have never fed my corals. They get all they need from the lighting and water column which feeds the zooxanthellae which inturn feeds the coral or invert. Thus why the no or very low bioload that they cause. Also as far as the gas exchange it`s best to have as much as possible. Your biggest chance will be the top of your tank. If you can get the sump also then that will be a big plus. I have total gas exchange as I have no top on anything in my tank. Surface agitation is how it is done.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

PM copied. BB. (Data collection)

Yes birdsnest is the common name for a hystrix.

Everything looks spot on minus the coral amounts in a tank. It is true that coral make a bioload, but it's so minimal that it really doesn't need to be factored in. The only time it excretes waste is when you feed it meaty foods (this is directed towards LPS), and still it's minimal. It's almost like a RCS in freshwater. Less than that even. The wrong part is that the only reason you can't keep some near each other is due to stinging. Soft corals don't sting, but they can overrun any hard coral. They grow very very fast. Almost a new polyp a day for Xenia. So you can't keep those near any hard coral. They need to be on a separate rock all together. I personally love zoas because they're a slower growing softie.

Your coral stock looks pretty good. Just make sure you add the sun coral later on. You probably already know that they're non-photosynthetic, so they need daily phyto feedings and an established tank.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Oops, it's been 6 months!

These corals are not difficult but they require a lot of work. You have to feed every head individually and they don't come out when you want them too. Usually about an hour after you feed your tank. As far as the bioload I have never fed my corals. They get all they need from the lighting and water column which feeds the zooxanthellae which inturn feeds the coral or invert. Thus why the no or very low bioload that they cause. Also as far as the gas exchange it`s best to have as much as possible. Your biggest chance will be the top of your tank. If you can get the sump also then that will be a big plus. I have total gas exchange as I have no top on anything in my tank. Surface agitation is how it is done.

This is all good advice, so I've decided based on the info I've gained so far, perhaps I will not have tubastrea. Yet.
I've made some advances and some changes to my plan. I was thinking open topped, all of my other tanks are now open topped, one had a lid but it has since broken. No net or mesh?

I guessed the gas exchange would be similar to a normal tank, I was trying to work out if I calculate stock by gas exchange to the display area only or do I factor in all areas where this can occur?

The more I read the more i seem to think, have the minimum fish stock possible and focus on coral for a reef.

I've now added Duncan to the list and dropped the Xenia and tubastrea.


You lot are really very helpful, so thanks to you.

No doubt I'll have more questions soon pertaining to the initial start up sequence.

My plan,
Build stand/tank, test, if ok,
Set up pumps and plumbing, check things are ok, if all is good,
Add salt water,
Buy sand/rock, wave maker pumps and skimmer, wait until things clear up.
Add lights and critters. (Maybe 3-4 months from now I'll be here)
Add fish, (jan 2015)
Add coral.(+12months from start up)

If I get a move on maybe livestock by christmas or the new year and coral this time next year.

Question, is it ok to sequence it that way? Or should the lights/rock/skimmer happen all at the same time?
Or maybe lights/sand/rock then later add the skimmer, when there is something to skim?

 

[Sniperhank]

You don't need lights to cycle a tank...in all reality fish don't really care too much either. Just save up for lights that will support the coral you want and go from there. In terms of a skimmer, it depends on tank size and bioload. A 30 gallon or under tank doesn't need a skimmer as you can just export nutrients easily via water changes.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

You don't need lights to cycle a tank...in all reality fish don't really care too much either. Just save up for lights that will support the coral you want and go from there. In terms of a skimmer, it depends on tank size and bioload. A 30 gallon or under tank doesn't need a skimmer as you can just export nutrients easily via water changes.

Cheers, the lights info confirms the route. I will need a skimmer I think?

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f44/new-fish-house-284360.html
Currently at the end, posts 204 and 207.

That's the plan and progress so far.

Still lots to achieve but I'm so close!
If I need a skimmer when do I add this?

 

[Sniperhank]

Some say run one while you cycle so it is broken in for when you start adding livestock...others say don't bother til after cycle and bioload. If you have the cash, I say get what you can and roll with it.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Cheers, also post 16 here on this thread is a picture.

Everything but the lights, I think that's the path.

I did read some things that confirm what you say, both sides of the fence! It's all very confusing. The more you read, the more you realise you no nothing! Then add to that all the various methods that each swears by, and then the conflict that each method brings!

Whoooooo, it's not easy mate! The sea is a tricky old thing to replicate!

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Oh also careful placement works in most cases but corals can be picky and sometimes they will not be happy where you think they will and you have to move them. Most of the time they will let you know through polyp extension but not always.

You know things, this is beyond late it's a joke!

If they extend they are happy?
If they don't extend they are unhappy?

Is that the general idea?

 

[bribo12]

Basically yes. If its all shrunken and looks to be dying, chances are its probably not happy

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Basically yes. If its all shrunken and looks to be dying, chances are its probably not happy

hello, sorry it's been ages. On this project I've been reading some more!

I'm back again to make the final move! If I don't start now it'll never happen type of attitude. I just gotta do it

For this part of the reef, like for the questions you've all answered that's great. Really I'm not sure I could've made the move without answering these questions.

THIS IS BASICALLY A DECADE IN THE MAKING! IM SO HAPPY

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Basically yes. If its all shrunken and looks to be dying, chances are its probably not happy

They are not out all the time though? See now I'm confused again, I thought daylight and hunger makes a coral appear.

Normally for all corals, polpys should be extended, at least during daylight?
This means your animal! Plant! Is happy?

 

[bribo12]

All my lps and soft corals close at night. But ya if they're out all day then they're happy . If they're not out during the day they're probably unhappy.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

This is never ending! So many more things to know!

What about transport, normally for a healthy coral, what is the Time it should take to open once moved to a position in the display? And qt? I'm guessing times would be different? Less commotion etc.

(After all acclimation etc. has happened, you've decided it's time to move the specimen in, I assume it will close again)

Explain transporting coral please. Same as fish?
How about tolerance to change?
How much can I change from purchase water to my water? They will be close but not the same.

Dripping is best? What do you do?

 

[bribo12]

What about transport, normally for a healthy coral, what is the Time it should take to open once moved to a position in the display? And qt? I'm guessing times would be different? Less commotion etc.

(After all acclimation etc. has happened, you've decided it's time to move the specimen in, I assume it will close again)

Explain transporting coral please. Same as fish?
How about tolerance to change?
How much can I change from purchase water to my water? They will be close but not the same.

Dripping is best? What do you do?

I don't quarantine corals. I just dip them in a good quality dip like revive or coral rx. It should take a couple hours for a coral to reopen and look good after acclimation. Some take longer than others.
I don't drip my corals, I just float them, dip them and in they go. I then light acclimate them by keeping them on the bottom for a week before I move them to their final location. However, wth a new tank that can fluctuate I'd drip corals. It does not hurt. Usually a 30-45 minute drip works fine.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

What about transport, normally for a healthy coral, what is the Time it should take to open once moved to a position in the display? And qt? I'm guessing times would be different? Less commotion etc.



(After all acclimation etc. has happened, you've decided it's time to move the specimen in, I assume it will close again)



Explain transporting coral please. Same as fish?

How about tolerance to change?

How much can I change from purchase water to my water? They will be close but not the same.



Dripping is best? What do you do?

Corals are all different in the amount of time they need to transition to a new system, I've had 30 minute and one that took a little over a month. Most don't qt coral, but they dip them in a medicine/anti-pest product. As for transport, I'm assuming you mean driving home with them? I use a styrofoam cooler but it's not necessary unless your traveling a few hours. For acclimation, drip is best. Most coral tanks are run in the 1.024-.026 range so acclimation isn't really that hard. Drip until the params in the bucket match the params in your tank, it usually takes an hour and a half 2 hours for fish and 45 minutes to an hour for corals for me. Once thee in the tank I start them on the sand bed to acclimate to my lights for a while ( around a week usually) and then move them to where I'd like them. Corals and other inverts are extremely sensitive to changes in water params so stability is key.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Big red and bribo.


This page will be a reference for me now. I have a whole bunch of info to use.

(I made most of the stand today, another step closer)