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Feelers

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Posts posted by Feelers

  1. I was under the impression that bio filters are totally acceptable for soft coral tanks. 640L is huuuge you probably want about 150-200L. Remember these auctions only run for a week, there are plenty of tanks around.

    You can use wood in marine tanks, I dont think it would cause any problems? And from the sounds of it you can make jouvenile puffers into full marine safely.

  2. Well from what I've been reading it would appear that you can convert jouveniles to full salt. I cant find this written anywhere, it seems people want these as fresh water but are forced to make them more marine as they age. The slow transfer between salinites is for the filter to catch up NOT the fish, I havent found any info about how long this should take if say you bought at an aquarium(fresh) and transfered it to marine.

    It does look like its possible, perhaps others will know for sure.

    As for buying a tank I think either here or TM. No question about it, go second hand. A full system with sump shouldnt be too hard to find, making a sump is super easy - just buy a tank and silicon in some dividers. Trademe is weird there are some people who set totally unrealistic prices and stay there forever, and there are others who have been forced by their wives to get it out of the garage for whatever $ they can muster.

    I got a 280L tank for $100, a 120L tank for $30 with an 80L free (both new tanks) , and now a complete marine setup 450L for $700. Just wait it out for say a month and there will definately be a bargin in here somewhere.

  3. I'll have a read around, but with most brackish things the transition can be done over a day.

    I was just thinking that maybe jouveniles can't be converted to full marine until they develop a bit later. I was totally stocked - when I was in Australia at a nature reserve mangrove thing I saw a little puffer crusing around in very shallow water, I had never expected to see one outside a tank. :grin:

    I suggest keeping GSPs at low-end BW when juvenile <2", (in a specific gravity, or SG of 1.005-08), at 2-4", medium BW (SG 1.010-15) and adult >4" SW (SG 1.018-22). You must use marine salt. You will need a hydrometer to measure the salinity. It takes a cup of salt/5 gal of water to raise the SG .005. If the puffer you purchase is in FW at the store, then you should start out your tank in FW and raise the SG .002/week, until you reach the desired SG. This is so you don't destroy the good nitrifying bacteria as you add salt. SW bacteria are different than FW, so you need time for the SW bacteria to develop as the FW bacteria dies off slowly. If the store keeps their puffers in BW (congratulations, you've found a store that really cares about their fish), cycle your tank at whatever SG the puffers are living in at the store. If you already have an established BW tank and are buying a puffer kept in FW at the store, you need to acclimate it very slowly. Whenever I change a fish over from FW-BW, BW-SW, or visa-versa, I use a drip system. I put the fish in a bucket below the tank I will be moving it into, covered by water from the tank the puffers were living in, about 1" over its head. I tie a knot in an air hose until it drips enough water into the bucket to raise or lower the SG in the bucket .001/hour.

    Im still trying to find out whether its ok to keep the younger ones at marine salinity.

  4. Cant the puffers go full marine if you adjust them when their young or arent they able to do this at a young age?

    You could just run it at full marine from the get go, with a wet dry filter(either one you build in your sump or an external one) or a cannister filter.

    I'd build a sump and put a wet/dry waterfall part in it with bioballs, that will set you up and you wont need other filters. You can run carbon in the sump baffles in a bag. If you want to add live rock and corals you can later on, you might be best to start with a bit of rock though. You can still put wood/mangrove stuff in there, just put the liverock in the sump if you dont want it to be seen. Skimmers heaters ect can all be added to the sump. If you are thinking about full marine you could go fish only tank - there are some amazing fish available.

  5. It has a different juvenile stage and adult stage, the young ones look more attractive with the black dot and more stripey.

    pb136_03.jpg

    There are a few different pics with clearly different species but the people have obviously mis-ID'd them, so its hard to sort out what they are. 8)

  6. In a planted tank you are looking for calmer conditions, as oxygen displaces CO2, in a well airated tank the CO2 will be pushed out into the air.

    In terms of actual values of air pumps and things - I'd guess its only a problem if you notice your fish breathing at the surface, (this also happens on very warm days as warm water holds less oxygen), I am under the impression that not many people with a planted tank use an air bubbler and they do just fine.

  7. I have a question or two about moving all the fish etc. I have a 90L tank that was previously going to be used for a sump.

    If I chucked all the fish and corals in there with the filter attatched (2 clownfish, anenome sailfin tang and I'm not sure how many soft corals) - will they be ok? I'm not sure whether this would be big enough to hold them till they are sold?

  8. Having never been diving before (this will hopefully change in the holidays) how many cool things would there be down there that would be good for my future coldwater tank? I'm pretty sure there are yellow zoos and jewel anenomes around, and also there is a very cool species of pink staghorn coral which would be awesome. I don't know how common all these things are or if they only exist in marine reserves etc?

    I could keep the nudi. :D Was it a Jasons nudibranch?

    Jason

  9. this will be your cheapest way into marine, :wink:

    I'd second that, I just got an amazing deal on a second hand tank, the price difference between 1st hand and second hand stuff is ridiculous, most marine things have a fairly constant value after becoming second hand, - they tend to age very well. I'm a dedicated bargin hunter, and every so often a really good deal will pop up, patience(aka poor time management skills) is a virtue.

    I think everything I own is worth as much today as the day I bought it, actually I think I can make money on my collection of marine goods. If you buy a whole setup off someone - it will be much much cheaper. And you also know when you come to sell, you'll get most of your money back. 8)

  10. WAHOOOOO so it is a tunze you think! :D :D :D Does that mean it has the electronic controller etc?

    How do you guys suggest moving this thing? I'll have a trailer - but I thinking about trying to keep all the water, it is worth it? How would I go about this... :-?

    Ummm in terms of what I'm doing it's all up in the air right now, I don't really know, but I had to jump on this deal. I think I could have one of the best chilled tanks around with an octopus and local fauna - anenomes etc, often most do rock pool setups without skimmers etc, (although I still need a serious skimmer). Its very much up in the air. 450L is a serious tank, its another setup from my current one.

  11. Well What do you guys think? A good deal?

    http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... d=75872502

    I got it for $700, but I have to make it all the way out to Ashvegas, which is probably why it's so cheap. I plan on getting the tank, selling the filter, selling the pump, selling all the fish and corals. Then I'll sell whatever's left, and hopefully I should have picked up the tank and stand for a really good price.

    I'll then sell my old crap tank, and stand and it should work out that I got a good system el cheapo.

    Comments? :D

    28812529_full.jpg28812422_full.jpg

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