The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread

Originally Posted by MedicCook

I did a little browsing in this thread you you guys have some amazing tanks and fish. One of my dreams was to have a salt-water wall tank seperating two rooms.

My neighbor, who I got most of my reef stuff from, built part of his house to hold a 3000 gallon tank separating two rooms. He sold the house before he ever built that so it was turned into an entertainment center. You would have needed scuba gear to clean it.

[MTB996]

Originally Posted by BC-Axeman

My neighbor, who I got most of my reef stuff from, built part of his house to hold a 3000 gallon tank separating two rooms. He sold the house before he ever built that so it was turned into an entertainment center. You would have needed scuba gear to clean it.

That's always been a dream of mine, to have a huge reef tank. Either long separating rooms or the large column tanks that you can walk around. Go powerball!

[Wolfgang]

Nope Nope and Nope. It is a fish. Crustaceans wouldn't last a day with my eel.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang

Nope Nope and Nope. It is a fish. Crustaceans wouldn't last a day with my eel.

How about a hint.
Price range?
I am betting on a wrasse.

[MTB996]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang

Nope Nope and Nope. It is a fish. Crustaceans wouldn't last a day with my eel.

Cuda?

purple tang

[MedicCook]

I always think of Lethal Weapon II when I see a large tank.

[Wolfgang]

None right so far.

price range $49-$69 & not part of the Tang family.

My kole tang is being very territorial twards it though.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang

None right so far.

price range $49-$69 & not part of the Tang family.

My kole tang is being very territorial twards it though.

Flame Angel.

[Wolfgang]

Pm me your addy please Carlos :-D you have WON!

Any ideas what to do about my kole tang being a bully or will they all get along once boundries are set?

Ammonia 0.5
Nitrites 5
Nitrates 20
pH 8.4
Salinity 1.021


Water change?

[fissure]

Those nitrates aren't super high. I know of people who have run reef tanks with nitrates in the 60's. While not ideal, it can be done. You'll get both sides on water changes during the cycle. I wouldn't, let the cycle fully complete. If nitrates jump into the 40's then do water changes. Also, if you are going to raise the salinity now is the time to do it. That way there won't be any corals in there if you are making swings.

Originally Posted by fissure

Those nitrates aren't super high. I know of people who have run reef tanks with nitrates in the 60's. While not ideal, it can be done. You'll get both sides on water changes during the cycle. I wouldn't, let the cycle fully complete. If nitrates jump into the 40's then do water changes. Also, if you are going to raise the salinity now is the time to do it. That way there won't be any corals in there if you are making swings.

got ya, this is still the cure tank, was waiting on levels. I am raising the salinity right now.

Originally Posted by darb85

Ammonia 0.5
Nitrites 5
Nitrates 20
pH 8.4
Salinity 1.021


Water change?

I guess I'm used to seeing undetectable. These numbers look off the chart to me. Probably good, though, for a curing tank. I would freak out if I saw any nitrite or ammonia in my tanks.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by BC-Axeman

I guess I'm used to seeing undetectable. These numbers look off the chart to me. Probably good, though, for a curing tank. I would freak out if I saw any nitrite or ammonia in my tanks.

Everything is going to be way off in that curing tank.
Evidence of that is the Amonia and Nitrites both showing significant numbers.
You should see Amonia spike, then go down as Nitrites spike, then go down as Nitrates build.
Once established, I always say to throw the kits away as they will just serve to drive you nuts.
I always told my customers to disregard readings after that and only concern themselves with Nitrates, which can be addressed via a good denitrator or best yet with regular water changes.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang

Pm me your addy please Carlos :-D you have WON!

Any ideas what to do about my kole tang being a bully or will they all get along once boundries are set?

Don't worry about the prize. Pass it on to a newb on my behalf. I had an unfair advantage once you gave me the price range and knew it wasn't a tang or a wrasse. I kept in mind you have a reef and that limits the fish vastly. If you would have said the $20-30 range, I would have gone with a Coral Beauty as I had already figured it to be an Angel.

There is a trick I always used that worked very well for my customers and for me when I acclimated fish and the other tank mates were aggressive towards it. Can you catch either of them?
If you can, get a plastic 1/2 gallon container at Walmart, with a lid, sort of like a juice container with a somewhat wide opening. Drill holes all over it to allow water flow. Stick the aggressor in there as he is the most acclimated and hardiest at this point. Place him behind a rock or around a rock so he can feel some comfort. Leave him there for a day or two. He will be the most docile pup ever when he gets out. That will have given the flame ample opportunity to get around the tank, find a home and let the tang see him and not be able to bully him.
In the future, if you can't catch the bully, place the new on in the container and place him against a rock for comfort. All others will come around the container and try to rough it up. In time (a day or so, or more if needed), they will get use to the new fish and leave it alone. You can then release with no problems.
Some may say this stresses the fish. I say it stresses them more to be roughed up and chased all over a new environment.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by Blueface

Don't worry about the prize. Pass it on to a newb on my behalf. I had an unfair advantage once you gave me the price range and knew it wasn't a tang or a wrasse. I kept in mind you have a reef and that limits the fish vastly. If you would have said the $20-30 range, I would have gone with a Coral Beauty as I had already figured it to be an Angel.

There is a trick I always used that worked very well for my customers and for me when I acclimated fish and the other tank mates were aggressive towards it. Can you catch either of them?
If you can, get a plastic 1/2 gallon container at Walmart, with a lid, sort of like a juice container with a somewhat wide opening. Drill holes all over it to allow water flow. Stick the aggressor in there as he is the most acclimated and hardiest at this point. Place him behind a rock or around a rock so he can feel some comfort. Leave him there for a day or two. He will be the most docile pup ever when he gets out. That will have given the flame ample opportunity to get around the tank, find a home and let the tang see him and not be able to bully him.
In the future, if you can't catch the bully, place the new on in the container and place him against a rock for comfort. All others will come around the container and try to rough it up. In time (a day or so, or more if needed), they will get use to the new fish and leave it alone. You can then release with no problems.
Some may say this stresses the fish. I say it stresses them more to be roughed up and chased all over a new environment.

BTW,
Trick to catching a fish in a reef.

Go to Home Depot and buy a large piece of plexiglass that is tall enough to stick outside of your tank for you to grasp onto it.
Get it wide enough to cover at least 1/3 of the tank going across the front.
Either clamp it to the side wall of the tank or hold it with your hands and try to stay away so the fish don't get scared.
You place it in front of the rocks, leaving ample room between it and the front panel of the tank, creating an area, with the reef closed off/partioned behind it.
Wait a bit for the tank to settle and all to get use to it.
Best to not have fed for a day but go ahead and feed them, letting the food concentrate and stay in that area created by the plexiglass.
Best to drop it right down the front corner of the tank.
They will go in there as they are dumb and hungry.
If a tang, even easier as you just clip some veggie onto the glass and they will go nuts for it.
When the one you want is in there, even if others are in there too, close off the part of the panel that is in the middle of the tank towards the front wall, creating a triangle housing your fish.
Grab a net with the other hand and scoop him out.
Works like a charm as long as they are hungry.

[shilala]

Guys, I ordered a battery air pump and shopped refractometers.
I found this one at ebay and was going to pull the trigger, but there were lots to choose from.
The one I picked ships from Hong Kong, but I'm in no big hurry. It looked like the nicest of all of them I looked at.
Let me know what you think, will ya?

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by shilala

Guys, I ordered a battery air pump and shopped refractometers.
I found this one at ebay and was going to pull the trigger, but there were lots to choose from.
The one I picked ships from Hong Kong, but I'm in no big hurry. It looked like the nicest of all of them I looked at.
Let me know what you think, will ya?

I would pay a bit more and go to Drs. Foster and Smith.
Any issues, quick return and shipment to you is quite fast.
You don't know what you are going to get from Hong Kong.

[Wolfgang]

Hey there Scott. I have that Exact same refractometer in your link and it works awesome! I am sure you will be pleased with it.