Caring for Rose Anemones the right way
BTA Rose Anemone
I don't have any but......
I do have a way of doing things in my tanks.
It is how I have always done it and as you can see by the pictures
I just took for you, it is just how I am saying.
I use no sumps, no refugium for my tanks and have found
no need to.
I do not use auto top offs, I do it by hand with a Tupperware
pitcher and use RO water for them.
I believe in skimming and I think it is a must for any healthy tank
to remove all of the fish poop and urine from the tanks.
I dump 1+ cups from each collection cup a day from my tanks.
I do not believe you need an expensive skimmer for your tank. Just
one that works.
I use Aquarium Systems by Instant Ocean on all of my tanks.(Salt)
I also use AquaClear filters for them all.
I run the 500 on all but one of my tanks, the 125-75 and 45 gallon.
On the 15 tall I use the AquaClear 200.
I change the blue and white filter pads once a week but I reuse them after
cleaning them well and dry them between changes.
I run a small 1 cup bag of carbon in each filter that is changed once a month.
I also believe in live sand and rock.
Where will your cleanup crew live without it?
I have purchased 3 cups of live sand from people all over the country for
diversity in my tanks and it has added beneficial worms and many other
critters to my tanks.
They can be seen at night with a flashlight moving all over the rocks and sand
searching for food that has been uneaten or for droppings from the fish.
I keep snails in all of my tanks as well as Cleaner shrimp that I find do a great job
scrounging for uneaten mysis that has escaped the fish and corals.
I have found that I do have to clean the glass daily and I use the MagFloat in all of them
and they keep the glass very pretty and clear but I do use a long handle stainless cleaner on the back
of the tanks once a week to remove Coraline algae as I do not like it in my tanks.
The biggest thing I have found to be true is live rock, live sand and lots of caulerpa
in the tank is what is needed to keep it stable.
Add the powerheads of which I use Seio 620 to keep it churning and lots of
corals, all softies to eat any food that is floating around the tank and it seems
to conclude the total tank.
The combination of all of these things is what has kept my tanks running for many years
and I find that the lack of one or the other creates problems for my tanks.
I keep large amounts of Feather Caulerpa in all of my tanks for the pods to grow
and reproduce in. I never stir this area and let it get kind of yucky on the sand
but have found that the sand creatures congregate there to help keep it cleaned up
of any dropped food that may have wondered into that area.
Having shrooms in the tank is also very helpful as they do grab floating food that is uneaten also.
Feather dusters are a great way to also filter the water and I encourage them to grow
where ever they like. Usually up the rock and back of the tank on the glass and I love
how they look.
Xenia, the ultimate barometer for any tank.
I keep Xenia in every tank I have no matter what it is in that tank
included my sea horse tank.
This animal tells me everything I need to know about the tank.
When they are standing tall and pulsing all is well, but when they fall over and
their heads are hanging for over a half day it is water change time.
They always perk right back up after the water change so if you
can get some of this great stuff, get it.
It will tell you a lot about how your tank is.
The combination of all of these things I find keeps the tank running stable and smoothly
with water changes as needed, usually ever month or so and then just a few gallons per tank.
Here are some pictures I just took to show you what I use for keeping my 125 running.
Note: There are many people going bare bottom in their tanks.
I tried it and didn't like it. I had no diversity , no place for the snails to burrow into
thus losing most of them and had to replace them.
I find that I like the look of sand much more also.
I use 1" of sand in my tanks, no more.
I also purchase rock rubble when I can, adding it to my tanks to add piles for pods and snails to
get into.
See picture below.
Feather Caulerpa. I love the stuff, gives the tank a natural look and does wonders for the water
Full tank picture April 19-2006
See the inhabitants close up under the section My 125 gallon tank.
I hope this page has helped others to see how I run my tanks and to understand
how you can have a beautiful tank without sumps and fuges.
Remember however, I have no hard corals but softies only .
Good luck to you in what ever way you choose to set up your tank.
It is how I have always done it and as you can see by the pictures
I just took for you, it is just how I am saying.
I use no sumps, no refugium for my tanks and have found
no need to.
I do not use auto top offs, I do it by hand with a Tupperware
pitcher and use RO water for them.
I believe in skimming and I think it is a must for any healthy tank
to remove all of the fish poop and urine from the tanks.
I dump 1+ cups from each collection cup a day from my tanks.
I do not believe you need an expensive skimmer for your tank. Just
one that works.
I use Aquarium Systems by Instant Ocean on all of my tanks.(Salt)
I also use AquaClear filters for them all.
I run the 500 on all but one of my tanks, the 125-75 and 45 gallon.
On the 15 tall I use the AquaClear 200.
I change the blue and white filter pads once a week but I reuse them after
cleaning them well and dry them between changes.
I run a small 1 cup bag of carbon in each filter that is changed once a month.
I also believe in live sand and rock.
Where will your cleanup crew live without it?
I have purchased 3 cups of live sand from people all over the country for
diversity in my tanks and it has added beneficial worms and many other
critters to my tanks.
They can be seen at night with a flashlight moving all over the rocks and sand
searching for food that has been uneaten or for droppings from the fish.
I keep snails in all of my tanks as well as Cleaner shrimp that I find do a great job
scrounging for uneaten mysis that has escaped the fish and corals.
I have found that I do have to clean the glass daily and I use the MagFloat in all of them
and they keep the glass very pretty and clear but I do use a long handle stainless cleaner on the back
of the tanks once a week to remove Coraline algae as I do not like it in my tanks.
The biggest thing I have found to be true is live rock, live sand and lots of caulerpa
in the tank is what is needed to keep it stable.
Add the powerheads of which I use Seio 620 to keep it churning and lots of
corals, all softies to eat any food that is floating around the tank and it seems
to conclude the total tank.
The combination of all of these things is what has kept my tanks running for many years
and I find that the lack of one or the other creates problems for my tanks.
I keep large amounts of Feather Caulerpa in all of my tanks for the pods to grow
and reproduce in. I never stir this area and let it get kind of yucky on the sand
but have found that the sand creatures congregate there to help keep it cleaned up
of any dropped food that may have wondered into that area.
Having shrooms in the tank is also very helpful as they do grab floating food that is uneaten also.
Feather dusters are a great way to also filter the water and I encourage them to grow
where ever they like. Usually up the rock and back of the tank on the glass and I love
how they look.
Xenia, the ultimate barometer for any tank.
I keep Xenia in every tank I have no matter what it is in that tank
included my sea horse tank.
This animal tells me everything I need to know about the tank.
When they are standing tall and pulsing all is well, but when they fall over and
their heads are hanging for over a half day it is water change time.
They always perk right back up after the water change so if you
can get some of this great stuff, get it.
It will tell you a lot about how your tank is.
The combination of all of these things I find keeps the tank running stable and smoothly
with water changes as needed, usually ever month or so and then just a few gallons per tank.
Here are some pictures I just took to show you what I use for keeping my 125 running.
Note: There are many people going bare bottom in their tanks.
I tried it and didn't like it. I had no diversity , no place for the snails to burrow into
thus losing most of them and had to replace them.
I find that I like the look of sand much more also.
I use 1" of sand in my tanks, no more.
I also purchase rock rubble when I can, adding it to my tanks to add piles for pods and snails to
get into.
See picture below.
Feather Caulerpa. I love the stuff, gives the tank a natural look and does wonders for the water
Full tank picture April 19-2006
See the inhabitants close up under the section My 125 gallon tank.
I hope this page has helped others to see how I run my tanks and to understand
how you can have a beautiful tank without sumps and fuges.
Remember however, I have no hard corals but softies only .
Good luck to you in what ever way you choose to set up your tank.
