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My 50 Gallon SPS Reef Tank


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  1. #1
    CR Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    48
    First Name
    Jim

    Default My 50 Gallon SPS Reef Tank

    I will start this thread off by saying that there are some very good
    treatments for coral pests and use whatever works best for you. I chose
    to break new ground and do something different by using natural
    predators to minimize the negative effects of coral pests in my captive
    reef aquarium.

    My 50 gallon SPS reef has been set-up for 4.5 years. The
    Acropora were initially attacked by AEFW and Acropora red
    bugs. After successfully killing off the AEFW with iodine dips, and
    basting, I chose to wage war against the red bugs. First, I researched
    this topic thoroughly and picked organisms that were shown in the
    literature to have a positive effect on Acropora health. In nature,
    Acropora are inhabited by many species of organisms with some that feed
    on coral tissue and others that protect the coral from predation or
    overgrowth by algae. Initially, Interceptor was not effective in my tank
    and contributed to a strong rise in nitrates which were caused by the
    death of resident nontarget organisms. I chose not to continue with the
    Interceptor treatment.

    I observed from one of my earlier reef tank experiences that
    Acropora
    which had red bugs that were later colonized by Gobiodon
    histrio
    became free from red bugs. So off to Preuss's I went and
    introduced a single green clown goby (Gobiodon histrio) to the
    tank. This particular goby is a copepod feeder. Beware of other species
    of clown gobies such as Gobiodon citrinus which feed almost
    exclusively on coral polyps. I also found several black masked
    Acropora crabs (Tetralia species) at various shops and
    introduced them as well. Within a month, heavily infested acros
    inhabited by my army of commensal organisms were almost free from red bugs.

    Today, my reef is not entirely free from red bugs, but the red bug
    population has been reduced to where damage to Acropora is
    practically nonexistent! Polyp extension and coral color have improved
    too. Growth has been spectacular after adding the coral commensals as
    well as increasing the alkalinity to 8DkH.

    In conclusion, my use of biological control organisms has been
    successful at reducing, but not eliminating red bug population from my
    50 gallon SPS reef tank. Acropora now flourish due to active predation
    of red bugs by Tetralia and Gobiodon histrio.

    As Always,

    Jim

    Tank Details: 50 Gallon Breeder with 20 gallon sump with Mag 7 for
    return water
    Filtration: Euro Reef Skimmer, Home-made Sulfur Reactor, 1 mesh bag of
    Zeolite
    Water Circulation: Vortech MP10, 2 Tunze circulation pumps, Sea Swirl on
    return line
    Water Chenistry: 1.026 SG, Calcium 390-425, Alkalinity 7-9DkH,
    Nitrate=Trace
    Additives: 1 gallon kalkwasser nightly with 2 tsp Acetic Acid, Seachem
    Buffer and Calcium, 10 drops Potassion, 2 drops Lugols Iodine
    Lighting: 3 Blue Plus and 1 Aquablue Special over-driven with an Icecap
    660 ballast.

    SPS: Montipora capricornis Orange, Green Montipora
    digitata
    , Pink Montipora digitata
    Purple Stylophora, Acropora tortuosa, Acropora
    echinata
    "Hawkins", Acropora millepora Sunset, Acropora
    millepora
    "Palmer's Blue, Acropora millepora Green,
    Acropora species purple with green polyps, Acropora green
    with blue polyps, Pink fuzzy Acropora, Purple tip table
    Acropora, Acropora lokani, Acropora Light Blue
    Staghorn, Acropora Green Slimer, Acropora Red Planet,
    Acropora blue tip table, Acropora blue tip purple,
    Acropora granulosa
    , Acropora teal with blue tip Staghorn,

    Soft Corals: Anthelia glauca (weed), Clavularia species, plus assorted
    zoanthids

    Fish: Green Clown Goby, Spotted Leopard Wrasse, Yellow Watchman Goby, 2
    Ocellaris Clown Fish, Cherub fish

    Inverts: 2 Tiger Pistol Shrimps, Blood Shrimp, 2 Peppermint Shrimps, 3
    Tetralia Acropora crabs, 1 Trapezia crab

    Reef TankJEZ12162012 zps6d8e72c4 - My 50 Gallon SPS Reef Tank
    50 Gallon Breeder Reef Tank 12/16/21012
    Acropora echinataJEZ12162012 zps0aaacb6e - My 50 Gallon SPS Reef Tank
    Acropora echinata "Hawkins"
    Acrocrab2 zps2d0ee041 - My 50 Gallon SPS Reef Tank
    Acrocrab zps400660e6 - My 50 Gallon SPS Reef Tank
    Acropora Crab in Green Acropora millepora
    ZoanthidsJEZ12162012 zps44b73b28 - My 50 Gallon SPS Reef Tank
    Assorted Zoanthids
    AcroGobiodonJEZ12162012 zps4888d592 - My 50 Gallon SPS Reef Tank
    Gobiodon histrio
    Goby - My 50 Gallon SPS Reef Tank
    Yellow Watchman Goby
    Attached Images Attached Images  
    Last edited by Jim Z.; 12-17-2012 at 05:08 PM. Reason: upload pictures

  2. #2
    Tom@HaslettMI - Reefkeeper
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    East Lansing, MI
    Posts
    2,144
    First Name
    Tom
    Awards Yugo Award - For helping with the CR Booth at MCES Monthly Giveaway Winner Monthly Giveaway Winner Photo of the Month Tank of the Month

    Default

    Nice looking tank! I love that you used biocontrol to take out the red bugs. Got any pics of the crabs?

    Tom

  3. #3
    CR Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    48
    First Name
    Jim

    Default

    Hi Tom,

    I'll try to get some additional images up tomorrow. I'll put some Rod's food in the tank and I should be able to get a few shots of the acro crabs for you........................Jim

    Images uploaded........................Jim
    Last edited by Jim Z.; 12-17-2012 at 05:09 PM.

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