Newbie Corner Feedback-Reefkeeping 101

WaterKeeper · 08/28/2009, 12:40 PM

Alright, already save the bellyaching for your Mama! It appears some of you crybabies miss your security blanket--the Old Newbie Corner Feedback Thread. "Well", I said, "ain't that too darn Bad!" However, with Reefkeeping Magazine now back I guess we can have a new thread for you whinnying Newbies.

For those of you new to Reef Central, I'm Waterkeeper and I'm glad you have located our board. I'm sort of the drill instructor for Newbies and have written so many threads or articles that I have worn out about a dozen computer keyboards. For those of you that are old timers and just like to hang around this forum-Get a life.

Anyway, each month Reefkeeping Magazine has an article in what we call the-

In these articles we try to give the neophyte pointers on how to start out in this exciting hobby. I wrote most of the original articles but, thank goodness, we now have several new authors to provide insight into the fundamentals of a marine reef tank.

This month we have Nate Enders writing about The Seven Habits of Highly Successful Newbies and for September Paul Whitby will be talking about pests- like Newbi...I mean aiptasia.

Feel free to post any questions you have on the monthly article in this thread and, as I learned from the past thread, just about any question your feeble Newbie mind can conjure up.

If you have ideas for an article please let us know and we will try (usually not very hard) to come up with an article on that topic.

Here are the articles to date
Water
Tank Selection
Lighting
Sumps
Completing The Set-up
Natural Filtration I
Natural Filtration II
Natural Filtration III
Various Nutrient Control Methods
Adding Some Science to Your Tank, Part 1
Adding Some Science to Your Tank, Part 2
Let's Fatten Them Up!
Bogus Information
The Seven Habits of Highly Successful Newbies
Pests, Parasites and Things That Go Munch in the Night, Part 1

Ok, Ok, stop shuffling aimlessly about. We'll have more good poop for you next month. Fall-out!

Paul B · 08/28/2009, 02:59 PM

Wow, this is great, I am going to suck this stuff up like a sponge.
OMG I am so excited I just want to hang on every word.

Alaska_Phil · 08/28/2009, 03:27 PM

Tom
thanks for starting this up again, and especially thanks for posting links to all the Newbie Corner (aka Reefkeeping 101) articles. At 4 years I still consider myself a novice and refer to them frquently. Not to mention pointing people who're thinking of getting started to them.

Quote:

For those of you that are old timers and just like to hang around this forum-Get a life.

I think he means you Paul.

Maybe we need a new sticky titled "Old Timer Rants"

Phil

WaterKeeper · 08/28/2009, 03:32 PM

Sure did Phil-

Just got this photo of Paul being happy

Aquarist007 · 08/28/2009, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by WaterKeeper
Sure did Phil-

Just got this photo of Paul being happy

and this is why

Paul B · 08/29/2009, 05:26 AM

Now your making me hungry again and it's only 7:30 AM

WaterKeeper · 08/29/2009, 05:54 AM

Those are steamers, not oysters, so they must be for me.

Paul B · 08/29/2009, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Those are steamers, not oysters, so they must be for me.

There little necks but it looks like someone is steaming them. Now they're ruined

WaterKeeper · 08/29/2009, 10:19 AM

Man, we can't agree on anything. I like littlenecks and cherrystone steamed and dipped in butter.

For those of you that are on this thread looking for reefkeeping answers-please disregard the clam discussion. The clams in question don't do all that well at reef tank temperatures.

Paul B · 08/29/2009, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Man, we can't agree on anything. I like littlenecks and cherrystone steamed and dipped in butter.

You just like them because they live in a DSB.
We collect them here on the South Shore as you know. One thing we have in NY is clams.

They should be eaten raw right from the sea. A little mud is good for you

I have been crabbing lately also when I go collecting tropical fish I get a lot of crabs as a by catch. I am going next week so I should stock up of crabs and hopefully a few lookdowns.

chops29 · 08/29/2009, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul B
They should be eaten raw right from the sea. A little mud is good for you

As long as it's not to close to the Jersey shore lol Yeah that's right i said.

NeilFox · 09/02/2009, 09:25 AM

Hey Water Keeper

Great selection of articles! I love the bogus information! It saddens me to see Herbert Axelrod's departure from grace though? He was my hero back in the UG filter days.......

jenglish · 09/02/2009, 10:12 PM

What ever happened to the Ich thread???? It is not there at the top and I am already seeing the same old questions being asked again.

Paul B · 09/03/2009, 04:50 AM

Quote:

What ever happened to the Ich thread????

Oh no, not another ich thread!

EnglishRebel · 09/03/2009, 06:03 AM

Tom
I read your interesting article on flatworms in the September issue of Reefkeeping magazine. Why would you have to quarantine corals for 4 weeks when you can dip them to eradicate any pests. I use Seachem coral disinfectant (basically iodine). Would this not be sufficient and if not is there another regimen that one could use to dip newly acquired corals?
Thanks

WaterKeeper · 09/03/2009, 02:51 PM

Alan,

First off your article looked great. I'm not too sure that Lugol's, the usual iodine dip, will kill most parasites. Some of the little buggers that infect coral are just as hardy and the coral themselves. Wiping them out can also wipe out your coral specimen. I still suggest that coral be QT'ed just like a fish.

EnglishRebel · 09/04/2009, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by WaterKeeper
Alan,

First off your article looked great. I'm not too sure that Lugol's, the usual iodine dip, will kill most parasites. Some of the little buggers that infect coral are just as hardy and the coral themselves. Wiping them out can also wipe out your coral specimen. I still suggest that coral be QT'ed just like a fish.

Besides Lugols what else should I use prior to QT? Is there one dip that will get them all (besides the ones that cannot be killed)?

WaterKeeper · 09/04/2009, 08:30 AM

Alan,

These routine dips are always somewhat chancy. Lugol's iodine was originally used to disinfect the cut site on freshly fragged corals. Then people started using it a a routine dip for just about any and all coral parasites. The problem is that there is little evidence it is effective, at the concentrations and durations used, to do more than kill bacteria.

If you are dealing with flatworms then Praziquantel seems to work pretty well. I'm always very cautious of adding meds directly into the display but used as a hospital tank treatment it seems to be a good solution. Flatworm Exit also appears to work but is needed at higher dosages than stated in the directions and, if used as a dip, several treatments need to be used.

I wish I could truthfully say that there is a product that one can use in the display tank and treats all diseases. Unfortunately I don't believe there are any and I'm sure if a miracle cure was found it would be really big news on RC.

The key, IMO, is to always isolate new introductions into the tank and, if a disease is noted, try to use a treatment specific for the disease. It is hard as we don't have a good handle on many of the problems that can plaque a reef aquarium.

Aquarist007 · 09/04/2009, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jenglish
What ever happened to the Ich thread???? It is not there at the top and I am already seeing the same old questions being asked again.

Its in this thread:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1031074

Aquarist007 · 09/04/2009, 06:54 PM

It might not be listed in there so here is the actual thread link:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1500214

WaterKeeper · 09/04/2009, 07:08 PM

Its the last item in solving common problems Scott.

jenglish · 09/04/2009, 07:26 PM

Thanks, I was used to it being a sticky at the top. I was looking for it the other day to link and had to link a synopsis from another forum

The same information seems more believable coming from a guy that watched ich evolve

*ducks and runs*

WaterKeeper · 09/05/2009, 08:23 AM

With all the pasta I have consumed over the years all I need do is breath on the tank to kill off ich.

Paul B · 09/05/2009, 11:40 AM

Maybe thats why my fish don't get ich. I eat linguini and clams every week and feed the leftovers to the fish. What a concept.

WaterKeeper · 09/05/2009, 12:32 PM

Darn Paul.

We are getting to compatible in our old age. I love Northern Italian pasta with seafood in white sauce.

08/28/2009, 12:40 PM	#1
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Newbie Corner Feedback-Reefkeeping 101 Alright, already save the bellyaching for your Mama! It appears some of you crybabies miss your security blanket--the Old Newbie Corner Feedback Thread. "Well", I said, "ain't that too darn Bad!" However, with Reefkeeping Magazine now back I guess we can have a new thread for you whinnying Newbies. For those of you new to Reef Central, I'm Waterkeeper and I'm glad you have located our board. I'm sort of the drill instructor for Newbies and have written so many threads or articles that I have worn out about a dozen computer keyboards. For those of you that are old timers and just like to hang around this forum-Get a life. Anyway, each month Reefkeeping Magazine has an article in what we call the- In these articles we try to give the neophyte pointers on how to start out in this exciting hobby. I wrote most of the original articles but, thank goodness, we now have several new authors to provide insight into the fundamentals of a marine reef tank. This month we have Nate Enders writing about The Seven Habits of Highly Successful Newbies and for September Paul Whitby will be talking about pests- like Newbi...I mean aiptasia. Feel free to post any questions you have on the monthly article in this thread and, as I learned from the past thread, just about any question your feeble Newbie mind can conjure up. If you have ideas for an article please let us know and we will try (usually not very hard) to come up with an article on that topic. Here are the articles to date Water Tank Selection Lighting Sumps Completing The Set-up Natural Filtration I Natural Filtration II Natural Filtration III Various Nutrient Control Methods Adding Some Science to Your Tank, Part 1 Adding Some Science to Your Tank, Part 2 Let's Fatten Them Up! Bogus Information The Seven Habits of Highly Successful Newbies Pests, Parasites and Things That Go Munch in the Night, Part 1 Ok, Ok, stop shuffling aimlessly about. We'll have more good poop for you next month. Fall-out! __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29 Last edited by WaterKeeper; 09/05/2009 at 08:29 AM.

08/28/2009, 02:59 PM	#2
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	Wow, this is great, I am going to suck this stuff up like a sponge. OMG I am so excited I just want to hang on every word. __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

08/28/2009, 03:32 PM	#4
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Sure did Phil- Just got this photo of Paul being happy __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

08/29/2009, 05:26 AM	#6
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	Now your making me hungry again and it's only 7:30 AM __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

08/29/2009, 05:54 AM	#7
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Those are steamers, not oysters, so they must be for me. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

08/29/2009, 10:19 AM	#9
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Man, we can't agree on anything. I like littlenecks and cherrystone steamed and dipped in butter. For those of you that are on this thread looking for reefkeeping answers-please disregard the clam discussion. The clams in question don't do all that well at reef tank temperatures. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

09/02/2009, 09:25 AM	#12
NeilFox Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: DuPont, WA Posts: 947	Hey Water Keeper Great selection of articles! I love the bogus information! It saddens me to see Herbert Axelrod's departure from grace though? He was my hero back in the UG filter days....... __________________ Even a Blind Squirrel finds a Nut now and then. Current Tank Info: 6.25 gal Nano, 40 gal SPS

09/02/2009, 10:12 PM	#13
jenglish Marquis de Carabas Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,523	What ever happened to the Ich thread???? It is not there at the top and I am already seeing the same old questions being asked again. __________________ Jeremy Brown liquor never hurt anybody “Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse" Pierre-Simon Laplace I should want to cook him a simple meal, but I shouldn't want to cut into him, to tear the flesh, to wear the flesh, to be born unto new worlds where his flesh becomes my key. Current Tank Info: broken and dry

09/03/2009, 06:03 AM	#15
EnglishRebel Retired Rebel Reefer Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Triad NC Posts: 1,902	Tom I read your interesting article on flatworms in the September issue of Reefkeeping magazine. Why would you have to quarantine corals for 4 weeks when you can dip them to eradicate any pests. I use Seachem coral disinfectant (basically iodine). Would this not be sufficient and if not is there another regimen that one could use to dip newly acquired corals? Thanks __________________ Alan "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. " Sir Winston Churchill praising those young RAF pilots. August 20th 1940 Click on my name for drop down list and select "Visit EnglishRebels Home Page" for my build thread. Current Tank Info: 60x30x24 200G AO custom glass tank, basement equipment room, 30G and 55G Fuges, LifeReef sump & 30" skimmer.

09/03/2009, 02:51 PM	#16
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Alan, First off your article looked great. I'm not too sure that Lugol's, the usual iodine dip, will kill most parasites. Some of the little buggers that infect coral are just as hardy and the coral themselves. Wiping them out can also wipe out your coral specimen. I still suggest that coral be QT'ed just like a fish. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

09/04/2009, 08:30 AM	#18
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Alan, These routine dips are always somewhat chancy. Lugol's iodine was originally used to disinfect the cut site on freshly fragged corals. Then people started using it a a routine dip for just about any and all coral parasites. The problem is that there is little evidence it is effective, at the concentrations and durations used, to do more than kill bacteria. If you are dealing with flatworms then Praziquantel seems to work pretty well. I'm always very cautious of adding meds directly into the display but used as a hospital tank treatment it seems to be a good solution. Flatworm Exit also appears to work but is needed at higher dosages than stated in the directions and, if used as a dip, several treatments need to be used. I wish I could truthfully say that there is a product that one can use in the display tank and treats all diseases. Unfortunately I don't believe there are any and I'm sure if a miracle cure was found it would be really big news on RC. The key, IMO, is to always isolate new introductions into the tank and, if a disease is noted, try to use a treatment specific for the disease. It is hard as we don't have a good handle on many of the problems that can plaque a reef aquarium. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

09/04/2009, 06:54 PM	#20
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	It might not be listed in there so here is the actual thread link: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1500214 __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

09/04/2009, 07:08 PM	#21
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Its the last item in solving common problems Scott. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

09/04/2009, 07:26 PM	#22
jenglish Marquis de Carabas Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,523	Thanks, I was used to it being a sticky at the top. I was looking for it the other day to link and had to link a synopsis from another forum The same information seems more believable coming from a guy that watched ich evolve ducks and runs __________________ Jeremy Brown liquor never hurt anybody “Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse" Pierre-Simon Laplace I should want to cook him a simple meal, but I shouldn't want to cut into him, to tear the flesh, to wear the flesh, to be born unto new worlds where his flesh becomes my key. Current Tank Info: broken and dry

09/05/2009, 08:23 AM	#23
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	With all the pasta I have consumed over the years all I need do is breath on the tank to kill off ich. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

09/05/2009, 11:40 AM	#24
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	Maybe thats why my fish don't get ich. I eat linguini and clams every week and feed the leftovers to the fish. What a concept. __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

09/05/2009, 12:32 PM	#25
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Darn Paul. We are getting to compatible in our old age. I love Northern Italian pasta with seafood in white sauce. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29