wasp

What type of clowns are they Sharkey? If they are true or false percula, BTA is not their natural host so it will take longer. I had mine for 6 months and they just did not figure it out. But they had a little corner they always hung out in. So, eventually I moved the anemone to them, right into their corner. Can you believe it they were scared of it & would not go too close. But they stayed in the area and after a few days it happened. I think I actually saw the moment. The clowns were just doing their thing, when one of them got quite close to the anemone, and brushed it. Suddenly, you could actually see something go "ding" in the clown, it suddenly got REAL interested in the anemone. Did not go in straight away but looking at it, mouthing it, etc. Took maybe 1/2 hour till it worked it's way right into it. Then it got real defensive and kept chasing the other one away. But after another few days the other one moved in too. I still think if I did not put the anemone where they hung out it may never have happened. Another idea I read on RC, a guy designed a screen that he could put in the tank, blocking off a very small area around the anemone. He just had the anemone and the clowns in this very small area, and it worked the clowns moved into the anemone within a day or so because there just was not much else they could do.

Are they already in your tank Opius? If so just let them breed, the fish will pick at them when they see them.

Almost every tank has them, without doing any harm. There are though some 'specialist" bristleworms, some of which attack anemones, and some of which attack corals. Not common though, and you'd soon know if they were present.

Pick it up with tweezers, you don't want to get any of those bristles in your fingers. They are like little slivers of glass can be hard to get out. Also, may not be quite as easy to catch as you think. They normally keep their rear end in some safe posy, and can retract into it real fast, soon as they think you're coming! Let's know how it goes

Ha Ha! Ghostface what happens is that all on the same day, all the caulerpas release spores. They put so much energy into this that a large portion of the plant is used to create spores, and what's left of the plant dies. The tank water goes murky green and smells nasty. The skimmer goes into overdrive and froths water all over the place. Normally, some massive water changes, plus carbon, are required to ease the stress on other tank inhabitants. To minimise the damage this can do, some refugium keepers have several different types of caulerpa, so they won't all go sexual at the same time. But then they fight each other with toxins. It is theorised these toxins can be damaging to corals, etc. although there is little real evidence for major harm being done by this, in an aquarium situation. So - according to Freud, sex is the root cause of many of the worlds evils. Little did he know how much this can also be true in the algae keepers refugium :lol:

Thanks Combo! Please keep us updated on your interesting project.

Another questio also, you say RO is insufficient to clean the inside of the curvette. What would you suggest? ( To Combo, not lduncan )

Wow Combo, that's awesome!! You are a switched on dude! Layton mentioned water turbidity - this is just a complicated way of saying discoloration of the tank water. In other words, the sample of water you test, may have some color in it, already, before you test. To get around this problem, if using a Hanna colorimeter, the procedure is that the sample is "zeroed" ( Calibrated ) to the water sample, before the reagent is added. Then the colour change is accurately measured. Does your instrument have the capability to do this? What is your work? How do you have the skills to make this?

Layton, I am not sure why you are fixated with me at all. Truely - I am not that special! If you really don't have enough to do, make a cup of tea, relax, chill, and read about that great TOTM this month. ENJOY!!! Then allow yourself to move on.

Yes it's an additive made by the same people who make Miracle Mud. Reef is the importer if you contact him he will tell you where to get it. Great for LPS, & softies, you'll see improvement by next day. Doesn't appear to do much for SPS. ( IME )

Not really, leathers can be easy, or they can be REALLY HARD. I don't have a 100% cure, but what has sometimes seemed to work for me, is when the leather is turning to jelly, agressively blow off the dead tissue with a turkey baster or powerhead, then move the leather into good current to keep it clean. Of the other corals you mentioned, I recently bought a sick organ pipe, I had been watching it decline for a few weeks, till it was almost finished. Then it went on special for $15.00 so I took it home. Put in medium light medium current, and fed the tank with double dose of Reef Solution. Recovery started within a day or so and couple of weeks later it's looking PRIMO Reef solutions will also do wonders for xenia that is struggling. Only thing wrong with Reef Solutions it also does wonders for bubble algae, so if using just monitor that. The other thing Fay is that in a mixed reef such as yours, it may be impossible to duplicate the ideal environement for every thing in there. May just be a fact that some things will find conditions marginal, if you move it in their favour, then something else will struggle. But your pics are AWESOME! it would be a rare thing indeed to keep something like that, with absolutely perfect adapted conditions for each one, you've got a small zoo in there. Always a joy to see your tank

Sadly, Brian is correct here, I trolled the country trying to find some but it does not seem to exist here. Actually, there is a wild chaetomorpha, but not the one used in refugiums. According to the literature it is the algae refugium keepers dream. Fast growth, doesn't release toxins like caulerpa, and doesn't go sexual. Tons of positive comments on RC from people who have switched to it. I've never had any joy with caulerpa myself, it has ALWAYS gone sexual within days to a couple of weeks of me introducing it. If I'd been able to get chaetomorpha, I may have never bothered to go zeovit. Having said that though, I'm now glad I did go zeovit.

Oh yeah, I forgot. I am ignorant. Thanks for explaining this to me again. Now it's time to move on. No?

Well found Fay! ( You stirrer you! ) I'm a BB fan. But then, what about that beautiful DSB TOTM this month? Seems some people can do it, although I'm not clever enough to be one of them. It's about husbandry and skill.

Just kind of wondering what it is in that article you're assuming I didn't already know Layton? Just a question..... BTW how'd you like that DSB Acro TOTM?

WOW!!! Another nice DSB with pretty SPS's!! And with Zeovit as well Well Hey!

It's one of those urban myths that go around Jimmy, but nonetheless the tank does need to wait until it's stable. Depends on the skill / experience of the reefer.

Looking good Jetski and No Photoshop. How long did it take to set the tank up? Some people say you must wait a year before putting an anemone in, I think that's a myth.

I'd agree with Layton here. ( Aren't I the gentleman! :lol: :lol: )

Manderins also, will rarely die of whitespot. Fish will die for one reason or another though, even in the best kept of tanks. But anemones are pretty much immortal ( They don't age like other animals ) so your friend may benefit by making some improvements. Perhaps encourage hime to give a few more details about his tank. If you went to a vet and said your cat got sick and died, maybe cos there was a temperature spike, do you think the vet could give an accurate diagnosis?

Same on some of the threads here. Tell me about it........ :lol:

Good one Layton. Any post by that Mesocosm guy is always worth a read! Some great talent at zeovit.com

Hmmm... well I've decided not to do any photoshopping for now. When in that other thread I said "not photoshopped", kinda had a nice ring to it Anyhow, it may be OK under some circumstances as you say. Hey I bet it could do wonders for your tank Feelers

Ha Ha! I can see you thinking Fay - He's got sand, I've got sand, just give mine a few months....

If it'll help get it up, I'll go a dollar. When does the auction close?