Wanting to add to cuc: suggestions
- Thread starter JOKER
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DaveMorris
MACNA2016 Co-Chair
I always get cuc critters from IPSF.com. Check them out. Lots of great and varied critters and great folks to deal with.
Bluelobstor
Active Member
Joker what did you get from live-plants. DaveMorris you are right ispf has some nice items. I haven't ordered from them but have always wanted to.
I would just like to add a word of caution on engineer gobies - I've kept them in the past. They can get to be pretty big (up around 12 inches ) pretty quickly and they tunnel deep and all over under your rock so your rock work needs to be very sturdy because they'll make rock topple. In terms of size, just keep in mind that they will add to the bioload so that needs to be taken into consideration.
Bluelobstor
Active Member
You are absolutely right. I started to mention that if you have corals on the sandbed to be careful. The adult one I had made the whole tank his home and it was 5ft 100g. The juveniles were less destructive. But for me it is like having an eel without as much risk imo
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JOKER
2500 Club Member
I think I am going to just get the conch and stars for now. They will be less load on tank and I can still add a few more fish maybe that way. I am getting to my limit I think but as long as nitrates stay at 10 or below I am happy. I ordered c prolifera and the red algae sampler pack for now that is what he recommended, also ordered the coral smoothie to try. I have been using reef chili, marine snow and phytoplankton but wanted to try something different. I am going to keep checking with him there are a few more I want but was out of stock. SOme of the other he had in stock he said were calcium hogs and didn't do much for the water. I have been feeding the crap out of tank and it looks so much better since I have except for the algae. Changed filter socks last night and the one from the display was full of algae so I think I am heading in the right direction. Plan to add another ph soon I just need to trade the wp40 for a wp10 if I can find someone to trade. I prefer running the smaller ones on else and having the 2 wp25 on w1. That will give me 4 10's and 2 25's with a spare just in case.lol. Seeing some very large pods lately too, almost as big as the sexy shrimp.
Bluelobstor
Active Member
I think you will like c prolifera. I like the way they look and they grow fast.
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JOKER
2500 Club Member
How often do you harvest it? I told him I was growing fern caulerpa and was amazed I was growing it with a 10k light. I plan to get a 6500 soon as I can. I need to trade my kessil for one.lol. I have never been able to keep chaeto in several attempts so I leave it in the store. Also what lighting do you run on your fuge?
Bluelobstor
Active Member
Just a pc daylight bulb from WalMart screw in type with a clip on light fixture. Set to run on a reverse daylight photo period. Just harvest as needed. The only time you actually export nutrients is when you harvest. Being a display fuge I would prune it as needed to keep it where desired if that makes sense.
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JOKER
2500 Club Member
That's what I ran on the 40 when I had the algae scrubber, I needed more for the 40 cube display fuge and am using what I already had. I also want to have some softies and frags in this to so I need the 10k for that. I have a Kenya tree and it looks great, the zoa look ok but the monti frags don't look so great. Im hoping I can grow the macro and harvest enough to remove nutrients. We will see, this is my experiment. At least I added 35 or so gallons to the system and am growing out some algae anyways. Growing bubble algae too.lol. I can harvest that easy enough because it is on the sand. May need some emeralds again
Bluelobstor
Active Member
The Kenya could be affecting the montis via alleothepy. Is it possible to setup a frag tank as well? 6500k should be sufficient for all but 10k is ok too. For the growth of the macros I wouldn't run much blue.
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JOKER
2500 Club Member
I would really prefer just to have the setup I have now. I can always just add a frag rack to the display and s ee if that helps. The monti frags are just some I broke off from it growing so fast and shading other stuff. What is that you speak of.lol. I tried looking it up
Bluelobstor
Active Member
Are you talking about Allethopy? If so its just chemical warfare. Since the Kenya is doing well and not so much the others leads me to believe that may be the issue.
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JOKER
2500 Club Member
Yes .lol. It was spelled wrong above. Search didn't show anything. Also have a gorgonian frag in there with some fire and ice that look ok but not as good as in display. Probably little of that and less lighting. The rack is 3/4 up in tank so it should be enough light . Just ordered some zoas a brittle and a conch today. Should be here tomorrow. I am excited to see those smoldering cauldrons in the tank. Only found them at one place. I am starting to like zoa more and more and I used to not like them.
Bluelobstor
Active Member
Lol I'm the same way but they grow on you. I wasn't sure if it was spelled right or not but went with it lol.
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JOKER
2500 Club Member
As for the Allethopy I run close to 2 cups of carbon on this system. Some in a canister filter and some more in a bag in sump mixed with gfo.. Think im a little high but it keeps water so clear. Some people don't run it but I run it 24/7 I have a cabbage leather that I fragged and sold the colony a while back. It used to shed very often and I started noticing it would aggrevate everything in the tank and after running carbon was much better.
Bluelobstor
Active Member
Oh ok I know some softies are worse than others but that might not be it. Its just anytime I hear of a situation similar to yours that is the first thing that comes to mind but it could be lighting and flow. If you had another system to move the Kenya too temporarily you could see if that makes a difference
Bluelobstor
Active Member
Corals are finicky sometimes, maybe the montis are mad at you for fragging them lol
