Tonys 75gl Reef Build

[Qube]

Up to you. I currently have a 4 bulb T5 fixture on my 75 while I save up for my LEDs and I only spot feed my LPS mysis shrimp once a week. TO BE HONEST, I think I could get away with no feedings at all, but the fish enjoy picking up what the corals don't eat.

[kdpuffer]

They say that you don't need to feed corals or clams as they get what they need from their symbiotic algae (for the life of me I can't spell the name of it so I don't try lol) and from the water column. Personally I feed some phyto plankton once a week and it's seems to work well. I've heard marine snow works well also. I have had my tank running for about 3 months and I have seen solid growth from all my corals.

[Mr. D]

Okay, thanks guys I'll check out what my LFS carries see if I am going to start.

I am also going to be buying a new salt mix since I am almost out. I have IO the regular one and wondered what you guys use. I've herd the IO reef crystals are good and H2 Ocean was good. Any one use H2 Ocean b4?

[Qube]

I use Reef Crystals. Never had an issue and readily accessible.

[Mr. D]

Thinking of adding a blue spotted jawfish to my tank as my rare/prize fish.
Any one have experience w/ them or other jawfish.
My sand is super fine, stingray stuff, and ranges from 2 to 3.5 inches on avg. some slightly deeper.
I'm wondering on water parameters and ease to feed.

[Mr. D]

Any help with this fish?

[Nu-Nu the eel]

You need a really deep sand bed.... 6" id say. That is where they live and they really dont have a way to protect themselves so it is very important that your sand is deep enough, or else they are vulnerable and stressed.

[Mr. D]

6" that's pretty deep, I may either not get it or add more sand

[Mr. D]

So I decided to add the jawfish and low and behold he died within 4hrs of being placed into my tank.
Started to burrow a little and no problems except for when he went in my blennys cave so he moved along to the opposite side of tank and no more problems but when I was at work my dad found him dead next to his "work cite", in a deeper part of my sand bed. Bet my starry blenny is to blame.
But I got my money back in store credit for him after they tested my water to find < 5 nitrates... $95 I won't spend again out of pure fear.
One of the coolest reef safe fish IMO and don't think I can have him. Maybe setup my empty 30gl this Christmas for one.
Sucks Cus my blenny was my favorite but now I'm just torn w/ him, lol

[Mr. D]

Update of excitement... I found a few baby snails in my tank about 1-2mm long with my moonlights And a bunch of baby starfish, the kind that comes on the live rock.

[Mr. D]

Will my zoas reattach if I don't glue them? They are rested and all the polyps look good but will nature take urs corse and save my 5 polyps?

They detached from their original rock but that rock still grows 1-2 each week. Could it be stress or a pest that caused it to detach?

[scottayy]

Sometimes zoas are attached to a weak skeleton piece and that piece just breaks (calcium can be brittle) by water flow or movement.

[Mr. D]

Okay, that is probably it. Thanks. I usually see a loose piece then it's gone this one just happend to be a big one.

Do you think it could survive on its own after I place it there?

[scottayy]

Absolutely. It will attach and grow. I have a piece growing on my sand lol.

[Mr. D]

Okay that's good.
Thanks

[Mr. D]

My zoas close up at night... Is this normal?

And suddenly my green polyps are much brighter and seem to be doing better then my red ones now. Is this normal or is the battle changing tides? Lol

[kdpuffer]

Not sure about your green and red polyps but my zoas close overnight.

[Mr. D]

Okay... Thanks... I've been working on growing the two I'm different spots so hopefully that works well

[scottayy]

Yeah they will close up at night.

Are the green and red ones on the same piece? Each color will try to overtake the other color (just how it goes, lol).

If not, I'm not sure. What do you mean by not doing well? My red ones fade in color and just "look weaker" than the green ones. I think they might need higher lighting but I haven't experimented with it yet.

[Mr. D]

Yeah they are on the same piece... I fragged a small piece of both and those both look good.

I'm going to get some glue and frag more of the red ones off the rock.