The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread

[shilala]

Thanks, Mark.
I'm super excited about getting some more stock, getting her growing, and seeing what it looks like a year from now.
I gotta get some pulsing xenia and yellow clove polyps. I know it's rookie stuff, but I'm going to apply "reef what you like, like what you reef" to it.

[Wolfgang]

Originally Posted by shilala

Thanks, Mark.
I'm super excited about getting some more stock, getting her growing, and seeing what it looks like a year from now.
I gotta get some pulsing xenia and yellow clove polyps. I know it's rookie stuff, but I'm going to apply "reef what you like, like what you reef" to it.

Take it slow. Reefs are like race cars the faster you go the harder you crash.

Xenia is wonderful! very pretty swaying in the "breeze" Are these the kind of yellow polyps you are looking for?

[shilala]

I think those are them. I'll look in my book when I get home. They're supposed to be real hardy and a beginner critter. I just like them cause they're yellow.

[Wolfgang]

If these are in fact the right ones I'll send you some I have a colony the size of a football lol.

[shilala]

I came home and looked, those are them. They're just called yellow polyps. They say they grow real fast and they're kind of a pain in the ass.
I was gonna go to Captain Larry's tomorrow, but he's closed. There's a place in Kent that's pretty lousy, I should have stopped there today to see if they had anything, although I'm kind of afraid to buy anything there.

[Wolfgang]

if you have a reason to be afraid I would avoid buying from there. Same as here in Cigar world. If A supplier supplies questionable sticks mold, fakes, bugs, whatever. Trust your sources.

[shilala]

The place looks like they suffered a flood, hurricane, and a fire, then college kids moved in for 15 or 20 years.
I didn't give their stock, the little there was, much of a look. I just wanted out of there before I caught something. Mind ya, this is from a guy who worked in sh1t most of his life.

Originally Posted by shilala

The place looks like they suffered a flood, hurricane, and a fire, then college kids moved in for 15 or 20 years.
I didn't give their stock, the little there was, much of a look. I just wanted out of there before I caught something. Mind ya, this is from a guy who worked in sh1t most of his life.

Girls in Birkenstocks?
Smelling like patchouli?
(not that I know anything about any of that...)


I would send you about 10 heads of Xenia if you think they would survive the trip. They are a beautiful weed in my big tank but I have not seen them grow anywhere else much.

[shilala]

Originally Posted by BC-Axeman

Girls in Birkenstocks?
Smelling like patchouli?
(not that I know anything about any of that...)


I would send you about 10 heads of Xenia if you think they would survive the trip. They are a beautiful weed in my big tank but I have not seen them grow anywhere else much.

They'd never make it, Lance. Thanks, though.
I found some in a place in Pittsburgh before. It's gone now, but the place across the street has been there since I was a kid and they have nice stuff. I found another place in Pittsburgh that has a HUGE selection, but we weren't looking for corals when we were there, just fish.
I'll probably have to head down there if I'm gonna have any luck.
The Cleveland/Akron area just seems devoid of any decent livestock places. I guess I'll just have to go across state lines to get the job done.

[shilala]

My replacement filters and membrane and DI cartridge came for my rodi unit. I got some tubing and fixed a leak, too. I got her all fired up and made my first 20 gallons of water. After feeding tomorrow, I'll clean some brown hair and start replacing a ridiculous amount of water for the next couple months until I get this hair under control.
When I was talking to the air, water, and ice girl, she asked if my system sat unused full of water. I told her no, then realized it sat around for quite awhile when I moved here. Apparently that's a very bad thing. It ruins your membrane and makes your RODI water smell like fish.
So there's yet another self-inflicted catastrophe I've set upon myself.
I'm glad it happened, otherwise I'd have never learned. My stuff is none the worse for the wear, and soon it'll get better.
I've learned volumes about reef keeping in the last month and keep reading constantly. Soon I may be able to keep stuff alive.

[shilala]

I've replaced 40 gallons of water and there's a DRAMATIC difference in the tank. The brown hair is starting to "sluff off" or slide off things, and it's puddling up on the surface a bit.
Despite my stupidity, my mushrooms are making babies all over the place, and the trumpet coral is dividing one of her polyps. She's turning from a five polyp lump to a six polyp lump.
The big mass of green paly's is making babies galore, and the radioactive eagle eyeball thing is five times it's original size, has picked up some color, and is dividing very rapidly. I couldn't be more pleased.

Question:
The trumpet fell off the small piece of cut plate glass she was glued to. Can I use super glue gel and stick her somewhere permanent?

[Wolfgang]

yes. make to use super glue gel. The thin stuff wont work. Gel is the key

[shilala]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang

yes. make to use super glue gel. The thin stuff wont work. Gel is the key

Thanks, brother. I have a whole bunch of gel. I discovered it because of the fish tank, and it's all I buy anymore. It works great.

[Wolfgang]

Good on ya. When I first started io used the thin stuff and it spread over the colony and they got glued shut. No bueno.

[shilala]

I'm pretty sure you're the one who turned me on to the gel stuff in the first place. It was either you or Steve (fissure).

Rhodactis are becoming my new weed. They are very hard to get off a surface. They keep splitting.
Penelope has to ham it up for the camera.

[shilala]

I so miss our sail fin tang. I wonder if a new one would get along with our yellow tank? They're so mellow, I can't even imagine them fighting.

[shilala]

Last night after lights out I fed my corals in the dark. I dumped a bunch of Phyto and some brine shrimp in there. I figured that'd also benefit my copepods which seem non-existant aside from tons of bristle worms (assuming they qualify as copepods).
I did it because I already had another 20 gallon water change ready, and I'm feeding pretty agressively as stuff is really getting a foothold and responding well.
I had been feeding frozen food and phyto every other day, and had completely stopped flake. Then I eased way back on feeding and the fish helped with the brown hair. Now I ramped the food and am continuing water changes.
I've replaced 60 gallons of water now in a very short time, and still plan to do regular 20 gallon changes until the brown hair is completely managed. It's almost completely under control already, but I still hair a little green algae growth on the glass that I'm okay with. It's a very small amount.
I've moved some corals up in the water column and they're doing well with the light. I glued some fast, and a couple are ready to be glued.
Friday we go to Washington and we'll probably go to my fish store down in Pittsburgh and get some corals. Just a few simple carpeting things. Mainly I want to snag some pulsing xenia's, yellow polyps, and maybe some other easy cheap stuff that catches my eye.
I'd love to grab a couple fish, but they'd have to be super special and super small to make me consider it. Mostly I'd like to find a couple cool shrimp and reef stars.
I should probably just stay home.

[Wolfgang]

yellow tangs can be territorial. Not nearly as bad as the purple or black tangs but is let the new guy float for quite a while.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang

yellow tangs can be territorial. Not nearly as bad as the purple or black tangs but is let the new guy float for quite a while.

Believe it or not, black are more docile. Mine is a nice guy.
Purple is the worst.

For acclamation, what I always did for customers and myself is use a large enough plastic container, with holes drilled all over it, with a lid.
Place the new fish in the bottle as it sits in the tank (as otherwise you won't have water in it with the holes).
Place the container in a corner or behind a rock where the fish is less stressed.
Aggressors will see him and think he is free and about to beat up on and they will stare him down a while.
Leave him in there overnight or until you no longer see aggression towards him but best at least one overnight.