Bertsch's 54 Corner

[Bertsch]

This is my 54 corner tank.

[Bertsch]

Here are some more pics

[MikeS]

good start!

I'd maybe remove the conch shell.....water won't circulate in and out of it real well and the water inside may get pretty funky over time...

Mike

[miztahphong2]

nice setup. what is that one big black fish by the way? j.w

[Bertsch]

The big black one is a marine beta. He's really cool and very timid.

[Gringoloco]

Hey your water looks just like mine did. I figured out what it was. When I bought the 29 gal from a guy selling it, it came with a mixture of LS and crushed coral for some reason this substrate was making the water cloudy no matter what I added or changed. So I emptied the tank and started over, I went with a fine LS with no CC added to it. Mixed the salt in and the sand settled and the problem was solved, for some reason the CC I think was causing this problem. The water is as clear as my 55 gal now. Anyone else had any similar experiences?

[Bertsch]

When the pics were taken the tank continued to be cloudy, but I had moved the powerhead not but 20 minutes prior. I moved it to its current possition in the tank because it was placed to low in the tank and one of the amenomes was being blown around. I think that the powerhead was too low and blowing some of the substraight settlement around. The tank is not completly clear but its better than it was.

[miztahphong2]

marine beta huh? looks pretty cool. at first i thought the big circle was its eye. very cool. what kind of lighting you have for it? j/w a little curious.

[Gringoloco]

Your levels are up alittle also, you should do a water change and some detox additives should clear it up. I thought about getting a marine betta they have one at my LFS, I think they are a neat fish to watch.

[MikeS]

yeah, I'm guessing the cloudy water is due to the cycle....a few water changes could help that.....and some carbon....

do you have a skimmer?

Mike

[icereefer]

you might want to start pulling some of that hair algae out and help your snails and hermits out :)

[Bertsch]

The lighting is two 55w bulbs - one blue and the other a white. The LFS said since I am not intending to put more than two anemomes in the tank the lighting should be sufficient.
I have given the tang some time to peck at the hair alge and he is doing a fantastic job, but I was going to get in there today and pick some of it off.
As for a skimmer, I have a Prizim in there. I think i have the adjustment right that only took little more than a week :D. I am still not certain it is adjusted 100% correctly but I think its right there.

[icereefer]

? does your LPS sell VHO's or MH, if not yes those PCF will be enough light if your only adding 2 anemones,because he don't want to lose the sale.
Anemones contain symbiotic algae and need good lighting to keep it from dieing off.
I'm going to have to see if I can get a article going on Anemones.
PS that is a cool betta

[Bertsch]

This afternoon I added a coral sun actinic 420 bulb to the tank, which is an additional 17watts. I was leary if the lighting would be enough for the tank. So I put it in the original lighting fixture. I was hoping this would be enough for the anemones.

As for the LFS selling VHO lighting I have checked three places out this weekend, including the place I purchased the PCF and the only lighting available was different manufactures of the same setup. I have yet to see VHO lighting at the LFS I go to.

thx icereefer, the beta was a nice addition to the tank.

[icereefer]

myself Im running 300 watts of VHO's in my 37 gal tank and it's a year old and I won't even put most anemones in my tank, I do have a RBTA though and it does well it's growing very nice.
I'll send 2 pictures one is when I first got it 2 month's ago look at the rock it's on. and the second one is a picture I just took tonite keep in mind it's on the same rock. my in town reef buddies have some from the same anemone and there under PCF and there's haven't grown half as mush as mine has so what Im getting at is the higher the light the more they thrive

[miztahphong2]

300 watts of vho. must be 4 75 watters? but anyway i have a prizm skimmer too. pretty confusing to use right bertsch? lol but i think that i have mine adjusted correctly now too.

[icereefer]

ya 2-50/50 hamiltons and 2-URI .03 actinics. at first I used a prizm to and if you can keep them adjusted just right mine skimmed real nice

[Bertsch]

OMG the skimmer you move the adjuster 1 millimeter to the left or right and it either stops working or it fills the cup in less than an hour!

I think its almost adjusted, I am still trying to get this mysterious "dry foam", at the moment the foam is collecting at the top of the out spout, but I think i need to open the value just a smigin more to get it adjusted correctly. From what I have read the water is supposed to be at the bottom of the cup, I do that and that skimmer is full in 20 minutes.

Icereefer, your running 300 watts on a 37 gallon wow. Thats just over 8 watts per gallon. From what I have read to keep an anemone healthly the tank should be supplied between 2 - 5 watts per gallon and your smoking that avg.

I am beginning to think the addition of the anemones might be over my head but the pink tipped anemone appears to be doing fine. The blue tipped sabae anemone has me worried a little at times. Time will tell I guess.

[icereefer]

ya Im running that much because Im mostly running actinics and I wanted that extra punch,because I had a crocea clam in my tank.

[Bertsch]

well i had to get rid of the sabae, at least thats what I thought it was. Anyway, After mowing what little lawn I have and letting the dogs out I come back to it being upside down, and some of its tenacles shriveling up. I have been worried about it dying and killing everything in the tank, so that was the last straw, I went to the LFS, not the one I purchased it from, and gave it to them. What kills me is I got nothing in return :? , except not having to :rip: to any of the fish . Anyway, here are some current pics of the tank after cleaning up the hair alge and moving around the live rock

[icereefer]

I see you still have that conch shell in your tank, like Mike said your going to get some nasty water in that shell after awhile, if you like it as a show peice, drill some holes threw it so water can pass threw it.

[miztahphong2]

nice pics. too bad for your anenome. nice pics.

[cich1]

Bertsch, how long has your tank been running? the reason i ask is your ammonia, nitrite and nitrates are all way to high, is there something causing your levels to spike? also since your lighting seems to be on the low side i wonder why your anemones are at the bottom of the tank, i would think they would be better off closer to the light, don't take me wrong, i only ask because i'm just a newbie trying to learn what seems to be a very confusing science/art

[icereefer]

beleive me Cich1 everyone in this hobby is a newbie in some way.

[Bertsch]

Drilling holes in the shell is a good idea. The reason its still in there is the tang and the marine beta like sleeping / hiding under it at night. I dont have it in a possition where they can get under it because last night was a oh if nothing else interesting.

Long story short, the type of anenome remaining in the tank has been eating the LFS's clown fish they have been putting into the tank. So they told the little lady to bring that one back as well. After much discussion, I am walking out of the LFS with the anenome I had returned earlier in the day and a star fish. Good lordy what an adventure

Oh and the anenome was at the bottom of the tank because that where he wanted to be. I originally tried to put them on the live rock but neither one wanted to be on them. They eventually scooted themselves down to be on the substrate. So I left them alone since thats where they put themselves.

[cich1]

i guess they know best where they want to be :)

[Bertsch]

I have learned they are persistant if nothing else. I have tried to put him in the best place possible for them, and in the morning back in the same area. I gave up trying to move them in fear of inflicting damage.

[icereefer]

thought I'd share this with you, this is my RBTA splitting again.

[Bertsch]

Again? Man thats wild
How often do they split?

Oh I also went and bought two cleaner shimp today because it turns out the yellow tang has some black spot ich, they are working great so far.
Anyway while I was at the store I was telling the guy about my pink tipped anenome, the one the store said was eating their clown fish and they said to return. He was shocked the store even sold it to me, because its an Anenome from the Atlantic. He said they are known to eat fish, and inverts. He mentioned they wont host any clown fish since clown fish are not a natural species in the Atlantic the anenome is not a natural host. Anyone else heard this before?