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FtwayneFish

Pump Paintball!
Dec 7, 2007
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Fort Wayne, IN
I have a few odd questions i would appreciate your thoughts; or more your stats or if you do something. Here we go and it will make sense.

Do you change your water each week?
50%?

Do you personaly run carbon?

Do you target feed everything?

Do you feed mysis?

In a spare hob in a 10g, just for flow, would a filter sponge be bad? Heard they just get dirty too quick and do more harm.

How far is your Halide light from the surface? ( if you have one)

What temp is your tank at?

To benefit from Chateo, is it true you have to have a substantial amount? And how much? ( I have a lil golf ball in my AC 20 fuge)

What food is best for zoas. ( I love em and almost want them only in my tank)

With that, whats the best thing to do for them, example calciums good for sps

Does SW thats mixed expire? Like if I do a WC then go the LFS and refill and wait another 5 days. ( like there room temp, I shake em up a bit, just in case)


Thats all I can think of now. I really really thankyou for your thoughts.
 

Amphiprion

Contain the Excitement...
Feb 14, 2007
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Mobile, Alabama
Real Name
Andrew
I have a few odd questions i would appreciate your thoughts; or more your stats or if you do something. Here we go and it will make sense.

Do you change your water each week?
50%?
I don't change the water weekly and I usually don't change 50%. I have done that in the past, even as often as weekly, whether I needed it or not. I honestly don't anymore due to the fact that is was a bit more labor intensive than I cared for

Do you personaly run carbon?
I run carbon 24/7--about a cup's worth on approx. 60 gallons, changed every 2-3 weeks.

Do you target feed everything?
I broadcast feed everything--no targeting. But I also have a good amount powerful export mechanisms to prevent any serious issues that can stem from this.

Do you feed mysis?
I do feed some mysid shrimp, though they are not a favorite of my fish.


In a spare hob in a 10g, just for flow, would a filter sponge be bad? Heard they just get dirty too quick and do more harm.
It's my personal preference and recommendation not to run mechanical filtration. If you can forgo some of the clarity that you'll see in many tanks, I think you might like what else you'll see. As opposed to non-biological mechanical filtration, you'll see more and more organisms that pop up to do the same job--naturally, that is.

How far is your Halide light from the surface? ( if you have one)
I have a 6 39w T5 setup, overdriven, about 7" off the water's surface. My tank is only 16" deep, though.

What temp is your tank at?
82-83 F.

To benefit from Chateo, is it true you have to have a substantial amount? And how much? ( I have a lil golf ball in my AC 20 fuge)
Any helps, as it will always provide some filtration, as well as vital habitat for many things. As far as how much, that depends on the amount of input into the tank.

What food is best for zoas. ( I love em and almost want them only in my tank)
None. Most eat bacterioplankton and are also largely absorptive feeders. The exceptions would be many Palythoa, some "yellow colonial polyps", and non-photosynthetic species. Most of your multicolored zoanthids fit the first description, fortunately. Light also plays a big role in their nutritional requirements.

With that, whats the best thing to do for them, example calciums good for sps
Good lighting, good water quality, a reasonably established tank free of predators, and decent water motion will satisfy most, if not all, of their requirements.

Does SW thats mixed expire? Like if I do a WC then go the LFS and refill and wait another 5 days. ( like there room temp, I shake em up a bit, just in case)
Not usually, though you could argue that it depends. Some have vitamins and other organic additives that will break down with time. Ideally, if you purchase your salt to take advantage of these additives (I personally do not), you'd want to use it quickly. I just use Instant Ocean, though, which can sit for a good long while just fine--certainly longer than 5 days.

Thats all I can think of now. I really really thankyou for your thoughts.
My comments in red.
 

Conski

AC Members
May 8, 2009
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I have a few odd questions i would appreciate your thoughts; or more your stats or if you do something. Here we go and it will make sense.

Do you change your water each week?
50%?
I used to only change it every 2 weeks then as of this monday im starting up on once a week. not 50 though. close

Do you personaly run carbon?
It comes in the biocube filter cartridges so yes, but i also use Polyfilters too

Do you target feed everything?
Only my Chalices and Sunny D zoanthids. my flow distrutes the rest and my clowns feed my torch for me

Do you feed mysis?
i also feed Omega one flakes, blood worms and brine shrimp.

In a spare hob in a 10g, just for flow, would a filter sponge be bad? Heard they just get dirty too quick and do more harm.
Surprisingly im just realizing i never took out my biocubes filter sponge in the pump compartment and its been back there never cleaned for almost a year now. ( i took it out last night when i woke out of a dead sleep and realized it haha)

How far is your Halide light from the surface? ( if you have one)
Atleast 7 inches from my water surface with my 150watt Mh

What temp is your tank at?
78.5 with 0 flux i have a fan programmed to the temp

To benefit from Chateo, is it true you have to have a substantial amount? And how much? ( I have a lil golf ball in my AC 20 fuge)
Never really know about this one i have it in my tanks though not much but i do

What food is best for zoas. ( I love em and almost want them only in my tank)
theyll eat whatever comes into their little mouths lol i dont think they have a favorite (if you get them only i suggest high ends ones and start with some really expensive ones to get it started.. hornets,Sunny D's etc)

With that, whats the best thing to do for them, example calciums good for sps
Didnt know that about calcium in sps hmm.. .. most zoas are relatively very easy to care for so nothing really but acceptable parameters and water changes and flow

Does SW thats mixed expire? Like if I do a WC then go the LFS and refill and wait another 5 days. ( like there room temp, I shake em up a bit, just in case)
no comment

Thats all I can think of now. I really really thankyou for your thoughts.
Answers in BLUE
 

Jstdv8

AC Members
Feb 22, 2010
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a good water change schedule should be 10% a week or 20% every two weeks, there is no need at all to change out 50% ever unless you have a dead animal contaminate the tank and have to do it in an emergency.
my tank is at 79 degrees, i dose calcium and trace elements.
Any cheato is better than none at all.
No need to spot feed a coral unless it is a filter feeder, like a clam, brain, scallop or soemthing along those lines.
Zoas are awesome and are easy to care for.
I feed coral frenzy once a week for coral food and phytoplankton once a week for my copepods
I don't use MH's so i can't say.
Get yourself your own RO/DI system you will be very glad you did. Any size will do it jsut takes longer with the smaller ones, but not a big deal.
 

Ace25

www.centralcoastreefclub. com
Oct 3, 2005
5,753
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36
www.centralcoastreefclub.com
a good water change schedule should be 10% a week or 20% every two weeks, there is no need at all to change out 50% ever unless you have a dead animal contaminate the tank and have to do it in an emergency.
I can think of many reasons to do 50% weekly waterchanges. Inadequate filtration being the #1 reason. I did 50% for a long time because of that, now I have better filtration but I still do 30% weekly on my 75G. I know a few locals with small tanks, 12G and under, that do up to a 90% weekly waterchange because they run NO filtration. No skimmer, carbon, etc, just a tank, light, powerhead, and heater. Most of the small tanks do fantastic with just the waterchange. One person I know has it on his desk as work so filtration is just a big added cost and mess of stuff around his desk so he decided to just do 10G waterchanges weekly on his 12G tank and it is thriving.
 

Amphiprion

Contain the Excitement...
Feb 14, 2007
5,776
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Mobile, Alabama
Real Name
Andrew
I should've added that I broadcast feed all corals nightly with approx. 5 ml of Liquid Life CoralPlankton (got it free, but I don't like the phytoplankton in it--could do without) and a cube of H2O Life coral food. Fish get pellets in the morning or evening, plus a cube of some random frozen food--basically whatever catches my attention that day.
 

rogersb

AC Members
Apr 9, 2008
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I have a few odd questions i would appreciate your thoughts; or more your stats or if you do something. Here we go and it will make sense.

Do you change your water each week?
50%? I change about 15% weekly. I ffed very lightly and it's more of a replenishment for alk/calc/mag

Do you personaly run carbon? I don't run carbon but I run chemi pure elite and phosban

Do you target feed everything? I target feed my lps atleast once a week

Do you feed mysis? It's in the mix

In a spare hob in a 10g, just for flow, would a filter sponge be bad? Heard they just get dirty too quick and do more harm. I doubt it would be bad if you kept on cleaning it, I just know I would get sick of cleaning it

How far is your Halide light from the surface? ( if you have one) t5 ho 4-5"

What temp is your tank at? 78ish

To benefit from Chateo, is it true you have to have a substantial amount? And how much? ( I have a lil golf ball in my AC 20 fuge) I would think any amount would have some impact, however I have not set up my refugium yet

What food is best for zoas. ( I love em and almost want them only in my tank) I have the yellow long skirted ones that do eat anything thrown at them, however I never noticed the others eat anything

With that, whats the best thing to do for them, example calciums good for sps Light and keep your parameters stable

Does SW thats mixed expire? Like if I do a WC then go the LFS and refill and wait another 5 days. ( like there room temp, I shake em up a bit, just in case) I think as long as you keep it sealed it should be OK, but if it's not sealed it can get stagnant if not kept moving.


Thats all I can think of now. I really really thankyou for your thoughts.
I've also noticed zoas seem to grow quicker when next to otehr zoas. I have a lot in my tanks and if I place them in a rock all by themselves they will not spread but if I put them within 6 inches of another colony they take hold and spread like wildfire. Just my own observation, no science behind it.
 

rogersb

AC Members
Apr 9, 2008
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Yes, I run good carbon and gfo all packaged in one. 12 hour days are getting the better of me :)
 

FtwayneFish

Pump Paintball!
Dec 7, 2007
1,718
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39
Fort Wayne, IN
Added questions

Im getting a 150w HQI MH de coralife pendant. phoenix 14k and I was wondering how high to start it? Or do 7" and just cut the hours?

More on the chateo. I have LR rubble and the golf ball sized peice in the AC 20. Would more LR be benifical or more Chateo? See I was wondering if I didnt have enough to do any good and I was guna add more LR. Or ill take the LR and make it just chateo.

How long are your lights on? (not including leds ect.) trying to get a idea of whats appropriate. Im on lil before 8am and off by 8pm. ( only a 40w PC right now)
 
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