Aquabacs

Azooxanthellae Addict
Location
Yonkers, NY
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Hello Everyone!

Like to introduce myself and my new tank build here on Manhattan Reefs.

My name is Mike and I have been hooked on this hobby since 1980. My father indoctrinated in marine aquariums at an early age (he started keeping marine fish in the late 60's) and have addicted ever since. Over the years I have had many types of aquariums from fish only to SPS aquariums. My latest evolution has been for the last 3 and change years I have been keeping non-photosynthetic corals and crinoids.

I am very excited to finally start my new tank build! The Artisan 50 from CADLights was the perfect size up-grade tank for my next non-photosynthetic aquarium project.
I was out growing my 18" x 18" x18" High Clarity ECOCUBE and was in the market for a larger tank. With the filtration being built into the back of the ECOCUBE I was losing valuable real estate inside my aquarium. A few requirements I was looking at in a new tank were: it had to have a sump, be rimless, and had to be made of low-iron glass. I looked into ELOS, Solana XL, and custom options all were more than I was looking to spend on a 60 gallon or less glass box. When I saw that CADlights decided to venture into making the Artisan 50 gallon system, with it's dimensions being 24" x 24" x 20", having the minimalistic look of an ELOS, being made of beautiful, low-iron, Starfire beveled glass, it was my logical choice.

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With the heavy demands of Azoo corals I didn't want to take a chance of the skimmer and sump to undersized. Cadlights designed a custom sump based around the Bubble Magnus NAC-6 protein skimmer.

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Filtration and Water Movement
Having high flow/water movement in a azooxanthellae aquarium is key in keeping heavy detritus from forming and transporting food to the inhabitants in the aquarium. For in tank water movement; a Vortech MP40w will be used on the back of the aquarium, left side of the overflow box and a Vortech MP10 will be used on the right side. The pumps are being installed this way due to how the rock structure will be placed. In addition, a Tunze Silence 1073.04 will be used for return pump.

The skimmer I choose for this aquarium was a Bubble Magnus NAC-6. A high performing skimmer is a must, the BM mini was available with CADlights pro set-up, which would be more than enough for normal keeping of LPS, SPS, or soft corals, but I wanted to rest easy knowing that I had a skimmer that was going to handle the intense feeding that I put my aquariums through. I feed my aquariums very heavy and do water changes as much a 50 percent, twice a week.

Aquascaping
The tanks aquascaping is planned to be open and rockwork to be minimal. Only two pieces of rock are used. One being a piece of live rock which I has travel from my 90 gallon to my 24 gallon and now to 50. This rock was previously "cooked" before I actually started using it in my aquarium. If you are not familar with the process I can expain it if you would like. It is a simple process, just takes time, patience, and going through alot of saltwater, so if you want to know, let me know. The second rock that is being used is a ceramic sculptured rock from Aquaroche. To avoid any PH issues with using ceramic rock, was soaked in RO water for a week and the water was changed daily.

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Lighting
Lighting for this aquarium is provided by two 21 watt PAR38 LED lamps (one 12k and one 20K) in adjustable lighting fixtures from AquaTouch.

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I also have a all red 21 watt PAR38 lamp. Why Red? Besides red light being visually different and not something everyone is accustom to. Red lighting can be used to view nocturnal invertebrates without disturbing them since it seems that most can not see red light.

Mike
 

Aquabacs

Azooxanthellae Addict
Location
Yonkers, NY
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Now for some eye candy, I live for Azoox corals and crinoids, and here are a few pictures of my aquarium to share with all of you

Black, green & white Crinoid with his sqat lobster
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Green Crinoid
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4 Rhizotrochus typus

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My Balanophyllia colony

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Aquabacs

Azooxanthellae Addict
Location
Yonkers, NY
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very nice and planned out, who did ya get the leds from ? and also whats the secret to the crinoids ? havent tried them yet but heard they are specific eaters

Thanks. The lights are through nanotuners. The left lamp is a 21w, 12k, PAR38 with 40 degree optics (3 Cree white & 2 Cree royal blue leds), the right is a 20K with 40 degree optics (2 Cree white & 3 Cree royal blue leds). The all red is a 5 red Cree leds with 60 degree optics. I also have (not pictured) a Cree, all royal blue, with 60 degree optics.

I will post up my current husbandry & feeding regime on my aquarium. In addition, I will post up a few tips on keeping them and what to stay away from.


Mike
 

Aquabacs

Azooxanthellae Addict
Location
Yonkers, NY
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Husbandry

Salt: ESV B-Ionic Seawater System (If I am ever out of ESV I also use Coralife salt as back up)

Water Changes: Not to scare anyone but I do 50% water changes done minimum weekly (25% Wednesday & 25% Saturday) Most of the time I will do 50% Wednesday & 50% on Saturday. My water changes can some times go on for hours, I do water changes slowly with an air line to minimize stress to the aquarium inhabitants.

Tip: With gorgonians and other Azoox corals you need keep food in the water column at all times. If not, you will find that they will somestimes stay closed after a waters change for a few minutes, sometimes hours, or as much as a day. They need to be fed continously. I know it may seem counter productive but you need to actually feed the aquarium more while you are doing a water change.

Feeding
Daily
Using a fishmate auto feeder, feed dry into a feeding ring, 1/16th of a teaspoon Ultra Seafan, 1/16th of a teaspoon Ultra Clam, 1/16th of a teaspoon Ultramin F mixed together in each compartment of the feeder. This is feed 4x a day, over a 2 hour period of time.

Daily 7am
1ml FM UltraMin D and FM UltraMin S

Daily
Reef Nutrition ArticPods at 6:30am and 6pm dosed manually
Reef Nutrition OysterFeast at 7am dosed manually
Reef Nutrition Shellfish Diet at 7pm dosed manually

Daily at 6pm
frozen mysis shrimp
.8ml FM UltraBak

Daily at 8pm
frozen cyclops
1ml of each Fauna Marin Power Trace 1-4

Weekly
1 ampule of Prodibio ReefBooster

This does not include different foods I will evaluate to see their reaction to the corals and crinoids (fish eggs and other items I pick up in the Japanese market)

Crinoids (feather starfish) love Fauna Marin Ultra min F! I mix in 1/2 a cup of tank water: an 1/8th of a teaspoon of Ultra Min F, one cube of red cyclops, 1ml of Reef Nutrition OysterFeast. Then I dose the feather stars directly using a Kent Sea Squirt.

Mike
 

Aquabacs

Azooxanthellae Addict
Location
Yonkers, NY
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Red Stripe Perchlet-Ellerkeldia rubra

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When I saw this fish last year for the first time, I knew this was the fish for my tank. They haven't shipped any into the country from Australia for over a year and was excited when two were received by a certain wholesaler. I have been tracking the two the wholesaler brought in this year (fish stalking) and who they were sold to. Live Aquaria and Greenwich Aquaria both received one. The one at Greenwich Aquaria, Jason sold before it ever hit the store. Actually the person who bought it is the same person that bought the one that came in last year. Now for the one at Live Aquaria picked up, it was a waiting game. Waiting to see if they were going to sell it or hold onto it. When I found out when they were going to post it, I did everything in my power to make sure I got it.

That's my fish story.

From Jake Adams at Reef Builders
"Ellerkeldia rubra is an exciting new dwarf seaperch species that is very rarely collected from Western Australia. The Ellerkeldia genus includes many species that greatly resemble Hypoplectrodes seaperches but Ellerkeldia has a slightly more elongated body shape. Although a few specimens trickled into the U.S. last year from the west side of Oz, this recently imported specimen from Russo?s Reef is the first specimen seen in over 12 months. Based on the color pattern and behavior it is believed that the red-striped dwarf seaperch might be seen at moderate depth but like Hypoplectrodes and Plectranthias they may become more abundant with increasing depth. E. rubra has been recorded to reach almost 4″/10cm in size and with a capacious mouth making up a significant part of that length, we wouldn?t trust this little predator with small fish or crustaceans adn you can kiss your cleaner shrimp goodbye!"




Mike
 

Aquabacs

Azooxanthellae Addict
Location
Yonkers, NY
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Aquascaping can be as just as important as your aquarium husbandry. I believe aquarium lighting is more often over looked in aquascaping. With limiting the lights used, you can create visual drama in the aquarium by creating focal points and shadows.

When planning your aquacaping there are many important factors to also consider. What are you planning to keep? In nature, how does the coral grow? How large will it get and will it effect the flow in your aquarium? What other animals live in that environment? If you cant go diving, search the web for underwater photos of what you plan on keeping? Nothing is better for inspiration than mother nature.


Mike
 

Aquabacs

Azooxanthellae Addict
Location
Yonkers, NY
Rating - 0%
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Today, picked up a centrogenys vaigiensi. It is an interesting fish, it is actually false scorpionfish. It belongs to the Family Serranidae. True scorpionfishes belong to the Family Scorpaenidae. Unlike scorpionfishes, the centrogenys vaigiensi does not have spines on its head or venom glands.

Mike
 

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