Indo-Pacific Sea Farm Packages

[William Morris]

I posted this in the Vendor Feedback forum but I'm thinking it's more relevant here.

Gerald from IPSF replied to my email and is suggesting to use the Live Sand Activator Plus Package.
Here is the link: Package
Not exactly sure what everything in the package is geared to do.
Would like some input from other's experiences using Gerald's packages.
Specifically:

1. using the activated sand that is added to the substrate
2. Liquid N-Reducer - concentrated solution of Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter bacteria
3. Wondermud: A seawater-based slurry of fine-grained calcium carbonate-based sediments, shell fragments, aerobic organic detritus, beneficial bacteria and marine micro-invertebrates.
4. With the Wondermud there is also: Reef Amphipods, Mama Mia Worms, Baby Bristle Worms, baby shrimps, baby snails and as a very diverse assemblage of reef phytoplankton and zooplankton.
5. Reef Amphipods

Will any of the above create more of a problem than a solution in my 32G Biocube? Or is there anything in this package that you would be hesitant to add to your display or sump? Thinking of the critters mostly - have read many stories about Bristle Worms creating nightmares for people. Maybe his worms are different?

 

[Saltyreef]

It should be fine. I will be using the same package to boost my store bought live sand.
The wondermud should be added to a sump refugium to make the best of it.
And if you already have bristleworms, you can skip putting them in as youll have more than youll want eventually.
Nothing wrong with bristleworms but they can be unsightly when theres hundreds of them.
Feeding off the uncleaned detritus under and inside the rocks.
They are beneficial in numbers kept in check.

 

[Heart of Dixie]

I bought the same package from Gerald to add some diversity to a tank started with dry rock. I can see a visible improvement. Everything arrived alive and very well packaged.

 

[ryshark]

I’ve purchased all that before too. I didn’t add the liquid n-reducer to my tank, but it’s probably fine. How much does it cost to ship that package? It may be worth it to get the $99 package, which ships free.
I think it’s all good biodiversity.

 

[malacoda]

I add stuff from IPFS at least once or twice a year to keep my 65g 'diverse'. Since my tank is established, I typically get either the Reef Tank Tune Up ... or I create my own mix with the Mix-and-Match option.

IMO, bristle worms are no problem and worth having. IMO they're only a 'problem' ... as in bazillions of them in the tank ... if you really overfeed. Like most reef critters of that nature, they're kind of self limiting according to the food available to support the population. I know I have some in my tank ... but I only every see them once in a blue moon at night or if I lift a rock. An even then just a few.

I like the wonder mud for rejuvenating the little critters and such in my sand bed. It does have some gravel in it too - not quite a palm full and they're about the size of peppercorns.

I like having amphipods to help clean detritus and such from little cavities ... and for my fish to nibble on.

If your tank is well established, not sure if the Liquid-N Reducer will do much for you. It's more or less along the lines of most other types of bacteria in a bottle. Doubt it would harm anything, just not sure if it would provide much benefit for you either. Couldn't hurt to give a little boost and/or variety to your bacteria population though.

I also love Gerald's micro-hermits and pretty much all of his snails.

About the only thing some folks may recommend avoiding are the 'ministars'. They're asterina stars ... and can reproduce to the point of becoming a bit of a plague in rare instances.


BTW - I second @ysharks suggestion. You might want to do the Mix-n-Match since you can get most of that stuff in it ... plus a few additional items for about the same price since shipping would be free on it. OR get that package along with other live stock that adds up to a total of $99. Why pay $60 + another $30-$40 in shipping when you can get $99 worth of livestock with free shipping?

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

If you have live rock already I wouldn’t bother with all of that in a biocube. I have the same tank and have always used dry sand with my existing rock. Unless you run a really deep sand bed the sand isn’t doing much to help your nitrate reduction anyway. It’s all in the rock.

 

[ryshark]

I add stuff from IPFS at least once or twice a year to keep my 65g 'diverse'. Since my tank is established, I typically get either the Reef Tank Tune Up ... or I create my own mix with the Mix-and-Match option.

IMO, bristle worms are no problem and worth having. IMO they're only a 'problem' ... as in bazillions of them in the tank ... if you really overfeed. Like most reef critters of that nature, they're kind of self limiting according to the food available to support the population. I know I have some in my tank ... but I only every see them once in a blue moon at night or if I lift a rock. An even then just a few.

I like the wonder mud for rejuvenating the little critters and such in my sand bed. It does have some gravel in it too - not quite a palm full and they're about the size of peppercorns.

I like having amphipods to help clean detritus and such from little cavities ... and for my fish to nibble on.

If your tank is well established, not sure if the Liquid-N Reducer will do much for you. It's more or less along the lines of most other types of bacteria in a bottle. Doubt it would harm anything, just not sure if it would provide much benefit for you either. Couldn't hurt to give a little boost and/or variety to your bacteria population though.

I also love Gerald's micro-hermits and pretty much all of his snails.

About the only thing some folks may recommend avoiding are the 'ministars'. They're asterina stars ... and can reproduce to the point of becoming a bit of a plague in rare instances.


BTW - I second @ysharks suggestion. You might want to do the Mix-n-Match since you can get most of that stuff in it ... plus a few additional items for about the same price since shipping would be free on it. OR get that package along with other live stock that adds up to a total of $99. Why pay $60 + another $30-$40 in shipping when you can get $99 worth of livestock with free shipping?

Are you sure they are Asterina Starfish? They don't look anything like these: https://reefbuilders.com/2016/03/30...duction-to-this-common-reef-aquarium-critter/

 

[William Morris]

I add stuff from IPFS at least once or twice a year to keep my 65g 'diverse'. Since my tank is established, I typically get either the Reef Tank Tune Up ... or I create my own mix with the Mix-and-Match option.

IMO, bristle worms are no problem and worth having. IMO they're only a 'problem' ... as in bazillions of them in the tank ... if you really overfeed. Like most reef critters of that nature, they're kind of self limiting according to the food available to support the population. I know I have some in my tank ... but I only every see them once in a blue moon at night or if I lift a rock. An even then just a few.

I like the wonder mud for rejuvenating the little critters and such in my sand bed. It does have some gravel in it too - not quite a palm full and they're about the size of peppercorns.

I like having amphipods to help clean detritus and such from little cavities ... and for my fish to nibble on.

If your tank is well established, not sure if the Liquid-N Reducer will do much for you. It's more or less along the lines of most other types of bacteria in a bottle. Doubt it would harm anything, just not sure if it would provide much benefit for you either. Couldn't hurt to give a little boost and/or variety to your bacteria population though.

I also love Gerald's micro-hermits and pretty much all of his snails.

About the only thing some folks may recommend avoiding are the 'ministars'. They're asterina stars ... and can reproduce to the point of becoming a bit of a plague in rare instances.


BTW - I second @ysharks suggestion. You might want to do the Mix-n-Match since you can get most of that stuff in it ... plus a few additional items for about the same price since shipping would be free on it. OR get that package along with other live stock that adds up to a total of $99. Why pay $60 + another $30-$40 in shipping when you can get $99 worth of livestock with free shipping?

Do the micro-hermits grow into large hermits over time?
I think I'm going to try and get just the hermits, snails, and the coralline plates that he sells.
I have really no nuisance algae and the water chemistry is really good right now.
And I don't have regular sand - I use coral sand that is like gravel so I'm not sure how the mud would work.

 

[ryshark]

Do the micro-hermits grow into large hermits over time?
I think I'm going to try and get just the hermits, snails, and the coralline plates that he sells.
I have really no nuisance algae and the water chemistry is really good right now.
And I don't have regular sand - I use coral sand that is like gravel so I'm not sure how the mud would work.

What are you trying to accomplish? You didn't mention what you emailed him about in the original post.

 

[William Morris]

Just trying to seed more coralline algae and get a better CUC.
The hermits I get are so large they knock the corals around and eat the snails when they can.
A lot of my coralline is the encrusting type and I want to see if his plates will seed a different variety.

In the original email I asked Gerald what he would suggest I get for my 32G Biocube - and I did mention it's been running for 3 years.

 

[ryshark]

Just trying to seed more coralline algae and get a better CUC.
The hermits I get are so large they knock the corals around and eat the snails when they can.
A lot of my coralline is the encrusting type and I want to see if his plates will seed a different variety.

In the original email I asked Gerald what he would suggest I get for my 32G Biocube - and I did mention it's been running for 3 years.

I've had his micro hermits for almost a year, and I don't think they have gotten much bigger. I think they stay small and they also don't buldoze anything in my tank. I'm not sure if there is a different type of coralline besides encrusting, however, there is different types in general and different colors.

 

[ryshark]

Also, I think the amphipods would be a benefit to your CUC. I see them everywhere with the lights out at night with a flashlight.

 

[qhduong]

I got the mix n match from Gerald a few months ago too. Communication was great, items packed well, and I liked it. The hermits are small, but the small snails are really annoying, they keep going out of my tank. The amphipods grew a lot, I see a ton of them at night. He included a colony of blastos that is doing great. Would buy again.

 

[ryshark]

I got the mix n match from Gerald a few months ago too. Communication was great, items packed well, and I liked it. The hermits are small, but the small snails are really annoying, they keep going out of my tank. The amphipods grew a lot, I see a ton of them at night. He included a colony of blastos that is doing great. Would buy again.

It’s the nerites that crawl out of the tank, which is why I excluded them on my 2nd order.

 

[malacoda]

My largest micro-hermits are about the size of small scarlet hermits. Most live in abandoned trochus shells if that helps give you and idea of the size. While the biggest of the bunch could still potentially knock over small frags that aren't well attached, mine rarely knock anything over ... unlike my halloween hermits or large trochus snails.

As for the crushed coral substrate, it would make a fantastic refuge for amphipods ... and they would probably be a good help in processing and detritus that gets trapped in it.

 

[malacoda]

Are you sure they are Asterina Starfish? They don't look anything like these: https://reefbuilders.com/2016/03/30...duction-to-this-common-reef-aquarium-critter/

100% positive? No. But mine look very similar ... just more of a light grey/white compared to the brown/beige of that reefbuilders pic.

 

[shred5]

I

About the only thing some folks may recommend avoiding are the 'ministars'. They're asterina stars ... and can reproduce to the point of becoming a bit of a plague in rare instances.

They are not asterina stars they are mini brittle stars and are the best thing in the package. I have ordered the stars from them many of times. They can multiply but are detritus feeders and highly suggested.

 

[ryshark]

100% positive? No. But mine look very similar ... just more of a light grey/white compared to the brown/beige of that reefbuilders pic.

What I got looked exactly like this.

 

[shred5]

What I got looked exactly like this.

Yes that is them..

 

[User1]

100% positive? No. But mine look very similar ... just more of a light grey/white compared to the brown/beige of that reefbuilders pic.

He doesn't sell Asterina starfish. He sells "mini - starfish" as the video above shows. The are actually amazing.