stupid questions thread

[Kristy]

Whatever happened to that newbies question thread? All of a sudden I have a million stupid questions, so here goes a couple...:confused: Others can please feel free to throw in their own dumb questions. It could be big fun.

We are going through the awkward growing pains that accompany our upgrade from the 100g to the 210g. We moved the livestock over about three weeks ago and upgraded lights about two weeks ago to 2x 250w MH with SE 12K reeflux bulbs (plus some T5s supplementing, heavy on actinic). So now we are fine-tuning issues like how much is enough / too much flow, direction of flow, timing of the lights, watching the temp and timing of the fans, etc.

We also added two tangs during the upgrade and now have the pleasure of combatting a little ich (I know who would have thunkit... ich from a new powder blue and blue hippo?) Seems to be clearing up and well under control as they are eating like champs several times a day and we are feeding nori every chance we get.

My questions: we have been having more algae growth than we are accustomed to and have shortened the MH lights from 10 hours a day to 6 hours a day. Think the lighting change will take care of it or could it be flow issues or even the increased feedings?

Also, can anyone explain the microbubbles that cling to the new algae growing on the rocks? This is not related to bubble algae is it? Anything in particular we need to do to get rid of this nuisance?

Thanks guys!

[envy]

the over feeding might of caused it to start. also how long has this new tank been up and running. have you checked your water parameters

i bet those tangs look great in that tank
i have liked the powder blue for some time but have to wait til my next tank is up
best of luck

[alton]

Phosban Reactor with Phosban, and by the way the only stupid question is the one you don't ask. My Grandfather use to always say ask a stupid question and you are only stupid for a few minutes, Don't ask the stupid question and you remain stupid forever. There are no stupid questions here on MAAST, when a question is asked someone will benefit.

[Kristy]

envy, I agree that the overfeeding has probably been a contributing factor to our new algae issues. There's so many potential sources that it's probably some combination thereof (lighting on too long, water high in nutrients from overfeeding, not enough flow at times, some cyano growth in the fuge presumably because there was not enough flow going through it). We are just trying to tweak it as we go until everything is happier.

The tangs DO look great! We have four now (yellow, purple, blue hippo, and powder blue) and they are all getting fat and doing very well. Of course, the powder blue has struggled the most with ich, barely showed up on the other three, but hopefully he will make it through. He's been in for three weeks and the ich showed up around day 6 and has been steadily improving, so cross your fingers for us.

alton, thanks for the suggestion of phosban, had not thought of doing that. Also, thanks for the encouragement on my "stupid question." Someone actually posted that same sentiment (only stupid question is the one that is unasked) a few days ago, which gave me the idea to start this thread.

How about the mircrobubbles? Same contributing factors, same solutions? Or does that have its own set of issues?

[RayAllen]

"We are going through the awkward growing pains that accompany our upgrade from the 100g to the 210g. We moved the livestock over about three weeks ago and upgraded lights about two weeks ago to 2x 150w MH with SE 12K reeflux bulbs (plus some T5s supplementing, heavy on actinic). So now we are fine-tuning issues like how much is enough / too much flow, direction of flow, timing of the lights, watching the temp and timing of the fans, etc."

Curious. What happened to the 250w Pendants? Air bubble on the algae; sounds like it is a characterisitic of whatever algae it is.

[RayAllen]

"How about the mircrobubbles? Same contributing factors, same solutions? Or does that have its own set of issues?"

you guys are still having Micro bubbles problems? I didnt have any at all; hopefully some of the big guys on the board throw some get advice your way to figure out some of these kinks.

[Kristy]

Not the microbubbles flowing through the water that you saw when you were over. We promptly played with the height of the plumbing and figured out how to make that go away. Thank goodness you commented on that because it was driving me nuts and we both thought it was just designed to be that way!

By "microbubbles," I was referring to the little bubbles clinging to the algae that's growing on the rocks. I have really only seen this (although to a much greater extent) in tanks that are not very well cared for like in unnamed pet stores that rhyme with wetco. We've never had this before in our little over a year of sw, and I do NOT want to see it turn into the degree of problem I've seen in those stores, so I'm trying to figure out what to do before it's a major issue.

The change in lights is a long story that I'll try to summarize: the weekend we went to install the lights we were struggling with how to fit those under the short canopy and then saw a great deal on Kyle's 25ow mh 12k reeflux that would fit much better, so we ended up going with those. Before we could even post the first lights for sale, we had an offer of a buyer, so it has never hit the fs threads.

[RayAllen]

Well heres a link with positive news, apparently those bubbles are gasses being released by the algae which meens it is deing off.

http://saltaquarium.about.com/library/blank/blsbossalgae1.htm

[RayAllen]

Kristy does the algae look like that is the post above at saltwateraquarium.com or more like

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y294/jchicago/P4081235.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y294/jchicago/?action=view&current=P4081235.jpg)Pics always seem to help get question answered so id figured I ask.

[Bill S]

The bubbles are probably O2 being produced by the algae.

Even though you took everything from your old tank to the new one, you will probably see at least a minor cycle. PLEASE check your water - in particular the nitrates and phosphates. Yes, it's important that you keep the tangs well fed. But, make sure the tank doesn't pollute either.

BTW, how big is your cleanup crew. Mine (approx):

1000 blue legs
1000 ceriths
15-20 chitons
100 turbo snails
250 nassarius

Try either www.reefkeepers.org (http://www.reefkeepers.org) or www.reeftopia.com (http://www.reeftopia.com) for hermits.

[Kristy]

Okay, a picture IS worth a thousand words and in a minute I'll go take one.

It looks more like the saltwater.com photo, except not long flowing hair algae, much shorter fuzzier green growth and MUCH LESS of it than in that photo, thank goodness. GREAT NEWS that it might be signs of it dying off. I just went to take a good look at it for comparison now that lights are up and there is much, much less this morning than there was last night, so that supports this theory. :)

Good point, Bill. We have not added one thing to our cleanup crew since the upgrade and keep saying that we need to. We need to make some serious CUC additions to get up to speed. Also noted about the feeding issues. Plus, maybe if we weren't feeding the tangs nori every two hours they might graze a little on those rocks...

I'll test parameters again today to keep an eye on them.

Thanks again for all the feedback!

[erebus]

Kistry Bill is right on with the cleanup crew. I had some of my parameters go bad and it killed all my snails. I knew I needed to replace them but waited. I had a bunch of different types of algae start showing up and a bunch really fast. When I replaced my cleanup crew they took care of everything in a couple of days. Since then my tank and glass look so much better.

[Kristy]

Here you can see the lawnmower blenny contemplating this new algae growth, but doing nothing about it at the moment!

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff316/mekdean/Tankmovephotos002.jpg

And an updated FTS (T5 actinics on)

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff316/mekdean/Tankmovephotos001.jpg

Thanks for all the tips. We'll get after our CUC needs and hopefully turn this thing around before it becomes a full-blown mess.

[CASTLES]

Hello,
I went through some similar problems when I up graded to M.H. but I already had clowns and three tangs in there. The Tangs did not get ich but what I did get was algae (greenish, hairy) never had I had algae grow, so I figured it had to be the M.H. lights, the temp. was reading 79-81 at times in the evening after arriving from work, I tried water from another company and that helped the problem. I always use only R/O water from glacier or culligan, but the most noticeable change was due to removing the top and letting the air flow throught the top of the water surface, my temp lowered to @75-77 in the evenings and my algae slowly but surely started disappearing, (5 turbo snails also aided in the problems) this was @ a year ago and since then my temp has been steady at 75-77 and I do not have algae and my M.H. lights are on for @ 9 hours. the only big change was the temp and I figured that this was the cause of my problems cuz ever since then it algae has not shown up and my corals also seem to respond better, as for my tangs (yellow, blue, blonde naso) they never showed any signs of ich.
p.s. My friend uses tap water and even after using Prime additive, he still gets algae once in while, but our tap water is really bad.
hope this helps

[atxchris1234]

Stupid question - I have heard various reviews on this. Will a maroon clown get along with a perc? Will all clown's get along or do you need to keep them with "like minded clowns"? I hear the black clowns are mean, but then I hear that they are exactly the same temperment as other clowns.... Is there a definitive answer?
I know you have to be careful when introducing a new clown, but are there any clowns that just WILL NOT get along? For example - a black clown wont get along with a maroon.

I have a nice perc now and want to get a maroon, but don't want to cause problems. Will maroon clowns grow larger then other clowns?

Thanks

[jrsatx20]

i've kept perc with maroon with no problems. imo i like the maroon they take to my anenomes easier. right now my maroon is about 4in with a 3in maroon and a 14in dia carpet anenome.

[aquasport24]

Sorry off topic,but very nice FTS.

[Texreefer]

A lot depends on how big a tank you keep them in, if your tank is big enough for each to have its own territory then sure they will get along. If you have a pair of maroons with a pair of Percs in less than say 75 gal, then, in most cases your asking for trouble.
Maroons are my favorite but I won't keep one just because they are so mean!

Stupid question - I have heard various reviews on this. Will a maroon clown get along with a perc? Will all clown's get along or do you need to keep them with "like minded clowns"? I hear the black clowns are mean, but then I hear that they are exactly the same temperment as other clowns.... Is there a definitive answer?
I know you have to be careful when introducing a new clown, but are there any clowns that just WILL NOT get along? For example - a black clown wont get along with a maroon.

I have a nice perc now and want to get a maroon, but don't want to cause problems. Will maroon clowns grow larger then other clowns?

Thanks

[Kristy]

Sorry off topic,but very nice FTS.

:)THANKS!!! (Compliments are never off topic!)

About the mixing of clowns, that is the rule of thumb that you should not put different kinds together, but I can tell you that we naively put a white stripe maroon with a gold stripe maroon in our tank about 8 months ago (thinking well, they're both maroons so we're good) and they immediately attacked each other in a biting death grip, but the next morning they emerged from the cave as good friends. So, after asking around about that, I have been told that most rules can be broken if you are careful of how you introduce them such as adding them to the tank at the same time and at lights out. So like most things it CAN be done, just with more risk than same species clowns.

Also, yes, the maroons get bigger. Not unusual to see a female at 4" - 5".