If you're new, protect your creatures for about .75$

[Kungpaoshizi]

That one is an awesome design but I would probably opt for a bigger screen though to have to clean it less. Found out just how much growth can happen...

This is the growth I see from mine, which I think is awesome because it's cleaning the water. Probably from 3 months? (I only clean one of the two pump guards at a time to keep the filtration going)
Remember though as well, in addition to carbon dosing, I feed automatically 28 times a day plus whatever I toss in manually, and I have no mechanical filtration except for an underpowered Tunze 9001 in planktonic mode. Notice the mat of hydroids at the bottom lol, and some type of sponge I think, and that's aside from all the pods.

 

[Diesel]

You feed 28 times a day
What is it that you have that much?

 

[Naiad]

You feed 28 times a day
What is it that you have that much?

His sea lily I would guess. They are cousins to feather stars. I have never seen them kept by hobbyist successfully.

 

[Diesel]

His sea lily I would guess. They are cousins to feather stars. I have never seen them kept by hobbyist successfully.

Ah, thank you
Now I like to see that Sea Lilly......

 

[reef_junkie]

The mesh does come in a variety of colors. I haven't seen purple but I have seen black.

 

[Kungpaoshizi]

Well, 24 times a day is the reef energy dosing every hour. Then I have a feeder that feeds 4 times a day, 2 rotations. But I'm still thinking of another to make it every 3 hours vs every 6. That's aside from the one or two manual feedings I do every/other day.
All I feed is planktonic foods. This feeds the pods, which feeds the green-banded gobies and green clown, and partially the twin spots, all aside from the corals, sponges, tunicates, sexy shrimp, and crinoids. I think the reproduction going on in the tank between the hydroids, sexy shrimp(there's 3 males and 6 females), sponges, copepods, isopods, and bacteria between the carbon dosing and whatever else, is assisting the feeding as well. The hard part is balancing the water so my sps don't get ticked off. But everything seems to be growing..

I've only come across one or two other people who recorded their accounts with crinoids. Originally I found one at the store that doesn't care too much about the critters, in the 'wall of death' as I call it. It's a collection of abunch of connected 12"x12" tanks that are completely overstocked and often have prey with predators... Then the other was a hitchhiker at the other LFS. They're about 4-5 months old now? So I don't believe I'm out of the woods yet, but I think they're doing well. Each closes up for a period of time everyday still. I do manually spray food at them from time to time and watch em go wild.

Overall between all the input, the tank seems to be able to go about 2 months without a water change before it looks a little off. So I'm guessing it's all the filter feeders making the biggest difference. Really excited to see the tunicates take off and colonize the whole tank!

 

[Naiad]

I would be interested in information on your autofeeders. I have tons of tunicates and filter feeders and would feed my tank a little something every couple hours but now i am back to work... my guys are so hungry that the giant bristle worms came out yesterday morning begging.

 

[Kungpaoshizi]

I would be interested in information on your autofeeders. I have tons of tunicates and filter feeders and would feed my tank a little something every couple hours but now i am back to work... my guys are so hungry that the giant bristle worms came out yesterday morning begging.

Hehe..
I'm just using the Eheim feeder that's about 25$. First or second slat creates a decent gap for powdered foods. Using a combo of nutricell, ultra seafan, reef chili, reef roids, and benepets. Not sure I'll keep this combo, doing a phosphate comparison between the foods right now.

Usually everyday in the afternoon I put in a 1/4 teaspoon or so of nutricell at the very least. (aside from the feeder)
My tunicates have been splitting on average between 5 to 7 days. I'll add more pics of that later. I think they're going to be beautiful though when they're done covering the rocks.

If I setup another feeder in addition to what's already there, it'll be to help support the crinoids more than anything else.

 

[Kungpaoshizi]

I would be interested in information on your autofeeders. I have tons of tunicates and filter feeders and would feed my tank a little something every couple hours but now i am back to work... my guys are so hungry that the giant bristle worms came out yesterday morning begging.

Hehe..
I'm just using the Eheim feeder that's about 25$. First or second slat creates a decent gap for powdered foods. Using a combo of nutricell, ultra seafan, reef chili, reef roids, and benepets. Not sure I'll keep this combo, doing a phosphate comparison between the foods right now.

Usually everyday in the afternoon I put in a 1/4 teaspoon or so of nutricell at the very least. (aside from the feeder)
My tunicates have been splitting on average between 5 to 7 days. I'll add more pics of that later. I think they're going to be beautiful though when they're done covering the rocks.

If I setup another feeder in addition to what's already there, it'll be to help support the crinoids more than anything else.