Hello!

[Cap'n]

Hi, stumbled across this forum recently, pretty glad to see some experienced folks online in my area.

Bit o' background: about 2 yrs in saltwater; 55gal FOWLR is slowly becoming a reef without me trying; plan to encourage this when I move and set up a large fish-only tank; will be building stand, sump, refuge and possibly tank in new house; going to Hawaii to snorkel with the fishes in June

Look forward to becoming part of the community (my girlfriend calls us fishgeeks!)

Cpt

[Bob I]

Look forward to becoming part of the community (my girlfriend calls us fishgeeks!)

Cpt

Welcome to the Board, but calling us "fishgeeks" is not really original, it has been done before. :biggrin:

[Cap'n]

How do I add an avatar if the site I found it on won't let me remote link?

[Bob I]

How do I add an avatar if the site I found it on won't let me remote link?

If it won't let you remote link, you have to download it, and put it onto a server so you can link to it. :idea:

[Quinn]

Welcome!

[danny zubot]

Tell your girlfriend that "reefgeek" roles off the tonge more easily!

[Buccaneer]

Tell your girlfriend that "reefgeek" roles off the tonge more easily!

To hear my oldest daughter say it really stings :redface: :razz: :mrgreen:

[Cap'n]

You're right, reefgeek does sound better. I'm not quite there yet, but at least it gives me something to look forward to.

Speaking of reef stuff, I have a bunch of polyps that have slowly lost their colour, all the irridescence is gone. It looks like the colony is growing though. What can I do to make them look healthy again?

Cpt

[danny zubot]

Lighting and supliments will be the problem 99% of the time. With polips though its probly supplimentation, do you add trace elements, Ca+ etc?

[Cap'n]

I add Coralife, magnesium, calcium and phytoplankton on a regular basis. There were 2 polyps (purple with green centres) that hung on to their colour long after the others had faded but in the past few months they have gone as well. They still open and close with the lights and I swear there are more there than when I got them over a year ago, just without colour, greyish purple. I have very basic lighting, but enough for my mushrooms to be thriving and growing quickly.

[danny zubot]

Well I'm stumped. Try asking Emily B. on this site and in Calgary. I just got some sweet shroom frags from her yesterday and she seemed very experienced with them, I bet she can help you out. When you find out, let me know so I can be prepared.

[Canadian Man]

I add Coralife, magnesium, calcium and phytoplankton on a regular basis. There were 2 polyps (purple with green centres) that hung on to their colour long after the others had faded but in the past few months they have gone as well. They still open and close with the lights and I swear there are more there than when I got them over a year ago, just without colour, greyish purple. I have very basic lighting, but enough for my mushrooms to be thriving and growing quickly.

How about describing your lighting in more detail to start with.

[EmilyB]

As far as supplements I just do water changes, and the big tank has a Ca reactor, so I can't offer any advice there. Glad you like the shrooms Danny, next time you can stay longer when American Idol isn't on.... :lol:

[danny zubot]

Thanks!

[Cap'n]

I add Coralife, magnesium, calcium and phytoplankton on a regular basis. There were 2 polyps (purple with green centres) that hung on to their colour long after the others had faded but in the past few months they have gone as well. They still open and close with the lights and I swear there are more there than when I got them over a year ago, just without colour, greyish purple. I have very basic lighting, but enough for my mushrooms to be thriving and growing quickly.

How about describing your lighting in more detail to start with.

Lighting - I have a 30" actinic flourescent tube and a DIY light bar with 2 screw in 27 watt flourescent bulbs

[danny zubot]

I sounds to me like your lighting is a bit lacking. Do you know the spectrum of your 27 watt florescent tubes? Shrooms don't need extreme lighting but I think a slight upgrade would help considerably. I run a dual 30" balast with a marine glow and a power glow, an 18" 420 actinic, and a dual incandesent balast with 2x 23watt energy savers over my 54 gallon tank. and my corals are doing fine. (Energy saver bulbs run around 5500K to 6500K depending on the brand) I get about 3-4 hours of direct to indirect sunlight in my house that probly helps too.

If any of this info helps I'm glad to give it!

[Cap'n]

My 27 watt flourescents are bulbs are not tubes. I'm not home to check them right now but I believe they are 20,000k. I started off using the energy saver bulbs like you have before I found these. They are made for aquariums, I believe by Coralife, I'll confirm when I get home.

I do plan on upgrading my lighting when I build the new stand and tank and convert this tank to moer of a reef, but don't want to shell out too much for lighting. I don't want to keep anything that will require MH, etc. Your lighting doesn't sound too different than what I want to do, what kinds of corals are you able to support?

Thanks again for the info, it all helps.

[danny zubot]

Right now I have a hammer coral a torch, green candy corals, green star polips, and the shroom frags a got just the other day. All of these seem to be doing well, but I have an anemone that seems to be loosing its green zooan. algae. It has a host shrimp that cares for it but I fear because I son't have MH lighting I may need to give it up.

[Cap'n]

Well, thanks for all the replies but no-one has yet been able to help me find the disappearing colour from my polyps. Has anyone had this happen before?

[AJ_77]

It's light-related. They're fading just like a Calgary tan.

That being said, when you upgrade your lighting they should improve.

[Canadian Man]

It's light-related. They're fading just like a Calgary tan.

That being said, when you upgrade your lighting they should improve.

By George I think he's got it :eek:

[Cap'n]

That's what I was afraid of. Could I get away with adding more of the same bulbs I now have or do I need something else, different spectrum maybe. I swore I wouldn't buy myself any lights that would allow be to even consider trying some of the pricey corals, I don't want to get into the expensive side of the hobby. Besides, I'm a fish guy.
So considering I'm a DIYer and will be building a new tank and hood soon, what would you add or change about the lighting? I can't be far off, it took a long time for the polyps to fade completely, and they still behave healthy.

[danny zubot]

If you try swapping your 27 watt bulbs whatever they are for a pair of 10000k coralifes you should notice a difference in the short term. This is probly the minimum that can be done.

[AJ_77]

What size tank and hood are you building? Do you want to upgrade the 55 as well? Can't keep my own projects straight, much less yours...

:biggrin:

[danny zubot]

who are you talking to?

[Cap'n]

AJ - I'm building a larger tank but it will be for fish, the current 55 will be the semi-reef, so it will be the one requiring more lighting. I would desribe my whole plan for new tank / stand etc but I'm not quite ready for all the Q & A that will accompany that. Stay tuned for those details within the next few months.

Danny - I'm pretty sure the lights I have now are coralifes, guess I need more than that.

[AJ_77]

who are you talking to?
:lol: - the other guy...

You could fit 4x55W PC bulbs over a 55g, doesn't it have a 48x12" footprint? (The straight-pin 55 bulbs have really good punch, IME.) That would give you enough lighting for a bunch of different stuff, but not the high-demand (expensive) stuff. :biggrin:

I have something similar over my 50. You just have to learn to live within your means, so to speak, as far as what you can keep.

[Quagmire]

I swore I wouldn't buy myself any lights that would allow be to even consider trying some of the pricey corals, I don't want to get into the expensive side of the hobby.

I hate to tell you this, but the lights are the expencive side of the hobby.I agree with AJ,about the pc's,you can keep alot of different corals with them.J&L has 4x65w fixture for about $300 plus shipping.or you can buy a retro fit for about $550.Go figure the do it your self kit is $250 more than the factory made light :question: :confused: never figure that one out.

[Cap'n]

So I guess I should be on the lookout for someone upgrading from decent to high quality lighting looking to sell off their outdated equipment. I'll keep my eyes on the buy / sell board.

Living within my means as far as corals goes shouldn't be too difficult. I actually want to keep the critters that inhabitat a reef (mandarins, inverts, cucumbers, CB butterfly) more than the stationary stuff. Be nice to have some corals besides mushrooms for them to live amongst though.

[Quagmire]

Ya the buy/sell board has some good deals if your not in a hurry,and can wait for what you want.I see you want a Mandarin,very cool fish,reminds me of my older brothers who were hippies when I was a kid :smile: You might want to think twice about keeping one though.Some people luck-out and find one that eats store bought food but most won't .They eat the infauna (bugs) in the sand bed and rocks and need a large tank because of this.You can set up a refugium with a smaller tank that will supply your main tank with bugs,but by the sounds of it this is more than your planning on. :smile: until you become addicted :mrgreen:

[Cap'n]

On the contrary, I am already well within the addicted phase and plan quite an extensive setup. However it is going to be aimed more for fishcare than corals, so I should be able to save on what would be the most expensive part of the system. I know how much lights cost just to buy the balast etc. Add in the replacement cost of bulbs and I'm not enjoying the hobby anymore.
I have a decent size established tank and will have a refugium in the new system, mandarin should do fine.
Which brings me to another question, (sorry for the run-on thread); I have never seen any pods in my tank. Lots of featherdusters, small coral type things and a small amount of coralline growing throughout the tank but no signs of microfauna. I've checked at night with the flashlight and closely studied all areas of the rockwork. This is why I have not tried a mandarin yet, and won't until I get a good foodbase. But why don't I yet?

[Quagmire]

Maybe the fish you have ,or had in the past cleaned out the pod population.What kind of fish do you have?Have you never see any pods since you started your tank?
Maybe put some live sand or a piece of live rock in your refuge
and when you see that they've migrated to your main tank in large numbers ,then try a Mandarin.It might take some time,but if you're going
slow anyways it should work out.

[AJ_77]

Pods grow like crazy (if conditions are right) among macro algae and rock pilesand other places of shelter. There's a bunch underneath my LTA, for instance.

BTW, some lighting setups for sale this weekend on the board.
:biggrin:

[EmilyB]

Get yourself some phytoplankton and rotifers and buy a rock from someone infested. :biggrin:

I've always had luck getting the green spotted mandarins to take mysis as well.

[Bob I]

As Deb says some Mandarins will eat prepared food. I have had a 1.5" Mandarin in my 50 for several months. There are pods in the tank, but the little guy fights my two very large Cleaner Shrimps for flake food of all things. :eek: :rolleyes:

[Cap'n]

Maybe the fish you have ,or had in the past cleaned out the pod population.What kind of fish do you have?Have you never see any pods since you started your tank?


I have had a flame angel for over a year. I had a sixline wrasse for a long time before she jumped out. I had a leopard wrasse for quite a while but it did not survive the move. I have never seen any pods.

Maybe put some live sand or a piece of live rock in your refuge
and when you see that they've migrated to your main tank in large numbers ,then try a Mandarin


Don't have a refuge. Yet.

[Cap'n]

Pods grow like crazy (if conditions are right) among macro algae and rock pilesand other places of shelter. There's a bunch underneath my LTA, for instance.

BTW, some lighting setups for sale this weekend on the board.
:biggrin:

I have lots of protected areas they should be growing but they are empty, checked lots.

Saw the lights, I want them, can't do it right now.

[Cap'n]

[quote="EmilyB"]Get yourself some phytoplankton and rotifers and buy a rock from someone infested. :biggrin:

Thought of this. Like the idea. Why wouldn't some have been on or develop from live rock I have purchased in the past?

I've always had luck getting the green spotted mandarins to take mysis as well.

I have a juvenile niger trigger that is destined for the big tank. I want to wait until him and his rambunctious buddy hogfish are gone before I start with the little peaceful guys. I'm willing to wait until the environment is right.

[EmilyB]

Thought of this. Like the idea. Why wouldn't some have been on or develop from live rock I have purchased in the past?



As suggested, they may have just been predated to the point of extinction, I think.