Biff's 90 Gallon Downgrade

[Bifferwine]

My new light bulbs should be arriving tomorrow! Expect to see my tank in a whole new light! Hahahaha. I'm SO excited. We are such nerds in this hobby. Who else but reefers would spend all week looking forward to getting some light bulbs or a box of rocks in the mail?!

 

[ccCapt]

Who else but reefers would spend all week looking forward to getting some light bulbs or a box of rocks in the mail?!

Sad, isn't it. :D

 

[Hiker4twenty]

Sad, isn't it. :D

Sad yes, but exciting nonetheless! Can't wait to see the FTS w/ your new lights.

 

[BL1]

How sad is it that we wait all week for photos of what other people wait all week to get in the mail :mrgreen:

 

[algy1943]

My new light bulbs should be arriving tomorrow! Expect to see my tank in a whole new light! Hahahaha. I'm SO excited. We are such nerds in this hobby. Who else but reefers would spend all week looking forward to getting some light bulbs or a box of rocks in the mail?!

you are so right, I have been waiting for some chaeto from some prat for a week so in desperation I ordered another lot from someone else, then he emailed saying he was in France and will send tomorrow nerd lol

 

[algy1943]

My new light bulbs should be arriving tomorrow! Expect to see my tank in a whole new light! Hahahaha. I'm SO excited. We are such nerds in this hobby. Who else but reefers would spend all week looking forward to getting some light bulbs or a box of rocks in the mail?!

What light bulbs have you bought?:question:

 

[algy1943]

Sarah, has the Linckia Laevigata stayed out on view, I never saw mine again form the day I put him in the tank a month ago at least

 

[Bifferwine]

What light bulbs have you bought?:question:

Just different colors than the ones I have now. The ones I have now were the bulbs that came with the light fixture when I bought it, so they aren't very good quality.

Sarah, has the Linckia Laevigata stayed out on view, I never saw mine again form the day I put him in the tank a month ago at least

He has been out in front on the sand and rocks since I added him to the tank.

 

[BL1]

Sarah, has the Linckia Laevigata stayed out on view, I never saw mine again form the day I put him in the tank a month ago at least

How big is yours? I've read that when they're smaller they hide in the rocks alot but, when they grow bigger they spend more time out on the rocks and glass

 

[parrotchute]

Very nice pics, starfish look great - what's the survivability of those guys? I've always wanted a "real" starfish, but with everything I hear about them, it makes me so nervous.

I love that new brain!

 

[Bifferwine]

Very nice pics, starfish look great - what's the survivability of those guys? I've always wanted a "real" starfish, but with everything I hear about them, it makes me so nervous.

I love that new brain!

Thanks! The fromia (marble star) has a pretty good survival rate. They are not tough. The linckias are hit or miss, especially the blue ones.

 

[algy1943]

How big is yours? I've read that when they're smaller they hide in the rocks alot but, when they grow bigger they spend more time out on the rocks and glass

It was circa 100mm across it's tentacles, but I guess it has died cos I've not seen it for about a month at least

 

[SigEpLucas]

since they're hit or miss is there a real threat to the rest of the tank if they die? I mean will they go out and take a lot with them or just simply die? and what do you do to try and keep them healthy?

 

[Bifferwine]

since they're hit or miss is there a real threat to the rest of the tank if they die? I mean will they go out and take a lot with them or just simply die? and what do you do to try and keep them healthy?

Not likely in my tank. In a smaller tank, anything dying could potentially cause your parameters to spike. But my total system volume is around 140 gallons, and my tank has been set up and stable for a while. I've had fish die back in the rocks in there and I've left them to rot, and nothing spiked, so I'm not worried if a star dies. Of course, if it dies somewhere that I can see it and reach it, I'll take it out, but that's not always the case.

I feed my tank very heavily. I feed about 8 cubes of frozen food every other day, because I target feed all of my corals that will take food (as I get more and more corals, and my corals get larger, I have to feed more and more). I feed a variety of foods that should satisfy the needs of all the different types of animals I have, or at least that's what I aim for. The stuff that I add to my tank should take care of filter feeders, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, etc. I try to cover all the bases. The starfish should fall into one of those groups, and hopefully whatever it is they need, I'm already adding it to the tank!

 

[PRC]

My new light bulbs should be arriving tomorrow! Expect to see my tank in a whole new light! Hahahaha. I'm SO excited. We are such nerds in this hobby. Who else but reefers would spend all week looking forward to getting some light bulbs or a box of rocks in the mail?!

And if people knew how much we paid for a lightbulb they'd shit their pants.LOL..

I'm in the process of pricing a tank out for my boys so they can get a frog. The lady at the store showed me the light I need....She said "It's kinda expensive"

It was $39.95....I just started laughing. That includes the bulb.:D

 

[SigEpLucas]

wow 8 cubes every other day! I guess it's definitely a lot different when you have a bigger tank ha I have a lightly stocked 20g and not too many corals and 1 cube of frozen food lasts me almost a week...I throw a few bits of dry food in too but man I can't imagine going through that much frozen! Good luck with the stars though they are really cool!

 

[Bifferwine]

In my 240, I didn't have nearly as many corals as I do now. And the ones I did have weren't ones that benefited from target feeding. I had something like 30 fish in there (at the most) and I was still only feeding maybe 4 cubes twice a week.

My goals for this tank are different. I'm really pushing the heavy feeding thing, but at the same time, I'm keeping my nitrates at zero. Abundant food sources, constant turnover of resources, and very low nutrient levels. Pretty much the opposite of my 240.

 

[parrotchute]

Sarah, what kind of skimmer are you using to handle all that feeding? I feed heavy too, so I tend to skim heavy. On my upgrade I'm going to build a huge algae scrubber to assist....

 

[d2mini]

wow, i only feed one cube every other day.
And I don't target feed. I just thaw it and throw it in the tank and hope for the best. :lol:

 

[Bifferwine]

Sarah, what kind of skimmer are you using to handle all that feeding? I feed heavy too, so I tend to skim heavy. On my upgrade I'm going to build a huge algae scrubber to assist....

I use an Octopus re-circulating skimmer. Can't remember which one exactly, but I believe it's rated for 600 gallons. It's the skimmer I had on my old 240.