New to BRS

[Schmeck]

I just recently joined BRS and have been wondering around the various forums (Great info) and thought it was time I introduced myself. I am relatively new (~1 yr) to the salt water obsession and am very excited to learn from others on BRS. I started with a 10 gal nano, which currently contains LR, 1 Chromis, 2 cleaner shrimp, 1 emerald crab, 1 blue mushroom, and 2 colts. I recently acquired an established 46 gal bowfront tank from friend and it contains LR, 1 mandarin goby, 1 serpent star, several peppermint shrimp, 1 emerald crab, candycane coral, (blue-grey?) sinularia, cabbage leather, neon green nepthea, brown zoas, and star polyps. I'll try to get some pictures up at some point. I run a sump with the bowfront. I have been cleaning up an inherited aiptasia problem, any suggestions there are welcome.

I live in Portland, ME. My wife and I will be visiting Boston at the end of May, any recommended marine fish stores we could visit between heah and theah?

Stephen

 

[~Flighty~]

Welcome to the BRS!

Try peppermint shrimp for the aptasia. They are hit or miss whether or not they have a taste for it, but it usually works.

I worry about that mandarin. Is is eating prepared food? Usually they are very hard to keep long term in a smaller tank since they mostly eat live food they find in the rock. If it isn't eating a good frozen food like mysis there are a few things you can do to train it.

 

[Schmeck]

The peppermint shrimp I have in the tank are making progress, it is significantly better than when I received the tank. The mandarin seems to be feeding okay (it is in the 46 gal tank with established (over 2yrs) LR), I have been keeping an eye on it because I had the same concern. I have also fed mysis.
thanks,
Stephen

 

[Schmeck]

cindy, I noticed in your "footer" that you have a copperbanded butterfly...how does it fare as an aipatsia eater?

Stephen

 

[Jennifer]

WELCOME to the BRS.

Schmeck

I live in Portland, ME. My wife and I will be visiting Boston at the end of May, any recommended marine fish stores we could visit between heah and theah?

Stephen

I love the use of a Maine accent theah !!!
I have a lot of family up in the Bangah, Kenduskeg area. One of my cousins keeps talking about his skidda. LOL Most people do not know what a skidda is.

You could try joe's juice or Google "Kalk paste" for the aiptasia.

Anyways welcome - Jenn

 

[alpha0r]

Welcome! Funny how tanks grow on you. You start with a nano and the next thing you know you have 5 tanks running. At least thats what happened to me.

I worry about that mandarin.

Me too.

The peppermint shrimp I have in the tank are making progress, it is significantly better than when I received the tank.

I would leave them alone to do their work. They will finish the job but you must have patience. As they say, "only bad things happen quickly in reef aquariums."

cindy, I noticed in your "footer" that you have a copperbanded butterfly...how does it fare as an aipatsia eater?

If the peppermint shrimp are getting the job done why bother with this finicky fish? It may or may not eat the aipatsia but I believe they eat tube worms and fetherdusters. They may even nip SPS and clams. However, each fish acts a little differently so you may not have this problem.

Here is some good reading.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/aiptasia_impressions/aiptaisia_impressions.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm

 

[~Flighty~]

If the mandarin is eating mysis, you are in good shape, just be sure the fish you add won't be the type to gobble up all of the food before he gets a chance and leaves you needing to over feed the tank to get him some.

Copperbands are a tricky fish to find healthy and eating at the store. They don't do well with fish that will stress them out and distract them from eating during the day (especially tangs). That being said, the ones that are really alert, healthy and eating in the store seem to do well in a stress free tank. If they don't go for the aptasia right away, they can be trained to (feed the aptasia mysis and they will get the idea). I think a 46 is right on the edge of being too small for a CBB, but is probably ok. An established CBB is always easy to trade within the club if it gets too big.

 

[Miller]

Welcome to BRS!

 

[Schmeck]

thanks for all the comments...first day in and already getting great ideas and info. I wish I had found BRS long ago!

 

[Aquaman_68]

Welcome to the club & forum!!


B

 

[scoobnoob]

Another Mainah! Welcome. If you come up north I went to a place called Vance's today it's in bucksport www.vancestropicalfish.com he has some really unique and interesting stuff one of the best shops I've been to in the state. Also I've had good luck with aquacorals in fairfield. I'm going to Mass next week and I'm hoping to make a stop at some of the advertiser's stores in NH.

 

[Schmeck]

Another Mainah! Welcome. If you come up north I went to a place called Vance's today it's in bucksport www.vancestropicalfish.com he has some really unique and interesting stuff one of the best shops I've been to in the state. Also I've had good luck with aquacorals in fairfield. I'm going to Mass next week and I'm hoping to make a stop at some of the advertiser's stores in NH.

I like to head north & downeast when ever I can (I used to live in southwest Harbor), thanks for the info on the shop in bucksport, I like aquacorals also. I also like atlantis in south portland. My wife and I are hoping to stop at some of the shops also.

Stephen

 

[Greg Hiller]

Welcome to the club. Looks like you've already been getting some good advice. I look forward to meeting you at a future meeting at some point. I realize it's quite a drive down for you, but we do have people come down for our meetings (even from Maine) when the meeting is north of Boston a bit (we move the venues around).

 

[Schmeck]

Welcome to the club. Looks like you've already been getting some good advice. I look forward to meeting you at a future meeting at some point. I realize it's quite a drive down for you, but we do have people come down for our meetings (even from Maine) when the meeting is north of Boston a bit (we move the venues around).

Thanks for the invite. I am hoping to make it to a meeting. Looking over the site and seeing some of the events and lectures I think it would be well worth the drive (its not that bad from Portland). This is a great resource and seems like a real good group of folks.

Stephen