wasp

What some people do is install a bleeder, but connect it to one of their powerheads, so it is bled continuously and never needs special attention.

What's it under? I couldn't find it.

Here is a Weir. Actually, it is very clever. A syphon, and yet proofed against getting airlocked in the event of a power failure or similar. Don't have to follow the exact specs of this article, just follow the general principles. I think should even be possible to make one out of pipes only. http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/overflow.html

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

OK well calcium and alkalinity are not that critical in a seahorse tank, probably just regular waterchanges will maintain sufficient level, but nothing wrong with getting some Seachem buffer if you wish. The other part of the equation is having plenty of skimming or surface agitation to dispel Co2 and thereby keep PH up.

Very cool! Good research Layton.

As stated in the above posts, the products mentioned will raise alkalinity, which in turn will raise PH. However, more knowledge is required before you start dosing these products, because there is a relationship between alkalinity and calcium, and these two should be dosed in balance. Here is an excellent article to run you through it. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm. But as previous posters have said, no need to worry about this yet, your tank will take several weeks to cycle and it is pointless worrying about PH at this stage. However, alkalinity and calcium are basic to reef keeping, and is one of the first things a new reefer should get an understanding of.

That's a tricky one buzzy, if you run it out the bottom of the tank you would normally have some kind of overflow, not just straight out the bottom. Would it be possible to have some kind of internal overflow, and camoflage with rock? Also, it is preferable to have the return near the top of the tank, although this may also be able to be done internally. This needs to be designed bearing in mind what will happen in the event of a power cut. Perhaps a "tower" of rock in the middle of the tank, with the pipework concealed inside it, and entering via a drilled bottom. The other way would be to run it straight out the bottom, and have some kind of ball stop that would cut in if the sump went higher than some particular level, although this arrangement would have more ways to fail than an overflow type set up.

Problem with that kind of analysis is it really does not tell the whole story. In fact, if you used the same method to analyse a human being, you would come out with something that did not look much different.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Don't know what the Ca went down to, or that he lost much coral, it was not a "crash" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Agreed.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CORRECT! I "somehow" as you put it, was only measuring soluble inorganic phosphates, which were undetectable at the time. When you tested your tank with the hair and pods in it, and came up with zero, you were obviously blissfully unaware of the polyphosphates, bound orthophosphates, and other phosphates which your Salifert kit cannot detect, but which are all clearly in your tank. Also be aware that these forms of phosphate change from one to the other, and are responsible for people thinking they have no phosphate, when in fact the levels are higher than optimum. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Algae and loads of pods are signs of excess phosphate. Pods don't need sun, and yet you are testing 0 phosphate. Again, that is because you think you are testing the phosphate, when in fact all you are testing is the soluble inorganic phosphate, which is likely far from the true state of affairs in your tank.

Dissagree. No phosphate, no hair algae. It's that simple.

I spoke with Brendan recently, his tank did not crash. What happened he let his calcium reactor run unchecked too long, and calcium and alk went to dangerous low levels, damaging some sps. Bummer but could happen to anyone. As to zero phosphate levels, zero is different to undetectable. Phosphate is a necessity of life and present in all living organisms. If a tank had no phosphate at all, it would also have no life. Even the highly regarded Salifert hobby kit only checks two of the four main forms phosphate takes in our tanks. I was getting zero readings even when I had a hair algae problem.

Interesting landscape design, I like it.

Congratulations! That's a lovely anemone.

You're onto it Kermit, that's exactly what I did! I think shining the torch on them every few minutes must be what stopped them hatching, eventually I gave up and went to bed, but left the pumps off. Anyhow, thismorning nothing to be seen, I think that flame hawk got them all. However, it's a learning experience, I'll get the egg laying bit of glass sorted, and then it'll be on to the next stage - how to feed.

Oh well, the eggs all hatched last night and I can't find any of the babies. Noticed the flame hawk is pretty excited though! I'm going to place a piece of glass against the side of the tank where they lay, so hopefully next time I'll be able to remove the eggs prior to hatching.

Good idea Pies, may try some variation on that FW rotifer plan. At least it will be free!

Yes, the $200.00 is a bit hard to swallow, although I thought it may be OK for an initial culture if I could set up a system to maintain them.

Livebearer, JFYI, even newly hatched brine shrimp are too big for them, so rotifers are the best alternative. From what I've read, they may be fed brine after around 10 days, although of course brine are not very nutritious.

I was chatting to Barry on the phone, he described to me how they can be syphoned after hatching. So, here's hoping! What type of clowns do you have Steve? And how many days from laying to hatching?

They have not hatched yet, however you can see little eyes in each egg, so it can't be far away. Not much joy getting rotifers, some places that used to have them now do not, had it confirmed that NIWA have them, but cannot get the right person because of the Christmas holidays. So I'm going to just try NSW, and hope there are sufficient plankton to do the job, but my hopes are not too high. I'll update with progress as it happens.

Some good points Kermit. Where the ability of ich to attack is enhanced by stress on the fish, then reducing the cause of that stress whatever it is should be of benefit, so if it's water, then a wc may help. Also, while the ich is in it's "pod" stage they just lay on the bottom of the tank, so even a simple syphon may reduce numbers. I've been reading an interesting piece by a guy who believes ginger cured his ich outbreak. (I know some folks who cannot get past garlic will hate me for this! ) Anyhow, another guy did some research on a chemical called caprylic acid, that is an active ingredient in ginger, and came up with the following :- Hirazawa N., Oshima S., Hara T., Mitsuboshi T. and Hata K. 2001. Antiparasitic effect of medium-chain fatty acids against the ciliate Cryptocaryon irritans infestation in the red sea bream Pagrus major. Aquaculture.198:219-228. quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abstract: The antiparasitic effect of short-chain (carbon numbers C2 and C4) and medium-chain (carbon numbers C6–C10) fatty acids against the ciliate Cryptocaryon irritans was examined in in vitro trials. A challenge trial was conducted using the most effective fatty acid from in vitro trials to control C. irritans infestation on red sea bream Pagrus major at two temperatures (17°C and 24°C ). The in vitro results showed that C8 (caprylic acid) had the strongest antiparasitic effect against C. irritans theronts. In challenge trials, uninfected fish were divided into six groups, 30 fish in each group three groups for each temperature , and fish were fed the same amount of experimental diet expanded pellet with different doses of caprylic acid at 0 control , 37.5 and 75 mg caprylic acid/kg B.W./day during the experiment, and then 2000 theronts were placed into each of the six tanks for 5 days after initiating the feeding of the experimental diets. Five fish of each group were randomly sampled periodically. The number of parasites on the gills and the eye surface in the treatment groups caprylic acid were significantly fewer than in the control group at 17°C. Mortality of fish did not occur in treatment groups during the trial, although all control fish died. At 24°C, mortality of fish occurred in all groups on the same day but the number of parasites on the gills and the eye surface in the group fed 75 mg caprylic acid/kg B.W./day was significantly fewer than in the control group. Our results indicate that caprylic acid has an antiparasitic effect against C. irritans. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hirazawa N., Oshima S. and Hata K. 2001. In vitro assessment of the antiparasitic effect of caprylic acid against several fish parasites. Aquaculture.200:251-258. quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abstract: The antiparasitic effect of caprylic acid against several fish parasites, i.e., the ciliate Cryptocaryon irritans (theronts), monogenean Benedenia seriolae (oncomiracidia and adults), copepod Pseudocaligus fugu (copepodids and adults) and myxosporean Kudoa shiomitsui spores , was examined by in vitro trials. Caprylic acid at a concentration of 1 mM had a parasiticidal effect against C. irritans theronts, B. seriolae oncomiracidia and K. shiomitsui spores and a contractile effect against B. seriolae adults, but had no clear effect against P. fugu copepodids and adults. These results suggest that caprylic acid may have an antiparasitic effect against various fish parasites, including parasites classified as monogenea, ciliates and myxosporea. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That's not all of it, but will do for now.

Thanks Ben, that book has been recommended from several sources, so looks like I'll be getting a copy!

OK Dan, Pies, and others, I think if we all got together in the same room we would discover we all agree on a heckuva lot more than we seem to disagree on. The applying natural methods argument is just a matter of degree, some variation from nature is required in a tank, peoples opinion on how far they like to take that will vary from one person to another, nothing wrong with that. I'm lazy, so I'll use any method that works, natural or not. One thing I think I do disagree with some peoples opinions is where it has been said there is no scientific evidence garlic will work. Garlic has in fact been demonstrated to repel, dislodge, and kill parasites. Wether a person wishes to use that in their own tank is their own choice. I'll just say I've used it on several occasions over the years, and best I can tell anyway, it has worked for me.