controls for angel hair

[craig]

This problem is back.

Have 45gal reef tank
Tang, damsel and hawkfish

various anemonies and soft coral,10 hermit down from 25,snails and 2
bittle stars

Trying to feed the hawkfish, newest to 1 year running tank. He doesn't
eat the dry food. I have to almost hand feed him. He sits on top of the
protein sponge to get the food.. If I distribute it the other fish get
it before him. So I use this method.

But this is building up the phosphates angel hair is reappearing.
I can not keep trying to remove it by hand

I need ideas.

I have no macro algea in the tank because that got eaten up by the emeral
crabs I had ...them are now not amongst the living.

Adding some marcro would this keep donw the angel hair to some extent?

thanks
craig

[Marc Levenson]

Growing macro algae in a refugium will rob the main display of nutrients ...
this starves the micro algae.

Why do you feel the need to hand-feed a hawkfish? They will eat when they are
hungry. They don't have a swimming bladder and that is why they tend to perch
from one spot to the next. I would reduce your feeding regime some, to avoid
overfeeding the tank.

You could feed somethimg more meaty like krill perhaps, on a feeding stick.
That way you introduce only a couple of small pieces to your hawkfish and
control the possibility of overfeeding (phosphates & nitrates).

Marc


craig wrote:

> This problem is back.
>
> Have 45gal reef tank
> Tang, damsel and hawkfish
>
> various anemonies and soft coral,10 hermit down from 25,snails and 2
> bittle stars
>
> Trying to feed the hawkfish, newest to 1 year running tank. He doesn't
> eat the dry food. I have to almost hand feed him. He sits on top of the
> protein sponge to get the food.. If I distribute it the other fish get
> it before him. So I use this method.
>
> But this is building up the phosphates angel hair is reappearing.
> I can not keep trying to remove it by hand
>
> I need ideas.
>
> I have no macro algea in the tank because that got eaten up by the emeral
> crabs I had ...them are now not amongst the living.
>
> Adding some marcro would this keep donw the angel hair to some extent?
>
> thanks
> craig

--
Personal Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/oanda/index.html
Business Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com
Marine Hobbyist: http://www.melevsreef.com

[craig]

> Growing macro algae in a refugium will rob the main display of nutrients ...
> this starves the micro algae.

Yes I'm waiting for my local shop to get a new supply of macro algae.
I dawned on me that might be the solution. In the past I had some emeral
crabs that mowed the macro down and defeat this approch. No emerals
now so I guess I can give it another shot. But I'd still rather
have the emeral crabs and no angel moss.
>
> Why do you feel the need to hand-feed a hawkfish? They will eat when they are
> hungry. They don't have a swimming bladder and that is why they tend to perch
> from one spot to the next.
Yes I know this, but I got the impression he wasn't able to compete
witht he tang and damsel and not getting any food, although I think
the tank has little shimps of some sort in the rocks.. they show up
in the emporer 400 filters.


>I would reduce your feeding regime some, to avoid
> overfeeding the tank.
yes this is in order.. I have a self feeder that I have feeding 3
time a day and I think it's got to back to twice daily feeding of
the dry flakes+blood worms+daphnia. I wasn't filling the compartments

> You could feed somethimg more meaty like krill perhaps, on a feeding stick.
> That way you introduce only a couple of small pieces to your hawkfish and
> control the possibility of overfeeding (phosphates & nitrates).

a feeding stick... I must look into this

So I have these 3 fish in this 45 gal tank. What's your advice on
the amount of feeding for a Yellow Tang; Purple Damsel and the Hawk

sort of late getting back.. hope you see this

thanks
craig

>
> Marc
>
>
> craig wrote:
>
>> This problem is back.
>>
>> Have 45gal reef tank
>> Tang, damsel and hawkfish
>>
>> various anemonies and soft coral,10 hermit down from 25,snails and 2
>> bittle stars
>>
>> Trying to feed the hawkfish, newest to 1 year running tank. He doesn't
>> eat the dry food. I have to almost hand feed him. He sits on top of the
>> protein sponge to get the food.. If I distribute it the other fish get
>> it before him. So I use this method.
>>
>> But this is building up the phosphates angel hair is reappearing.
>> I can not keep trying to remove it by hand
>>
>> I need ideas.
>>
>> I have no macro algea in the tank because that got eaten up by the emeral
>> crabs I had ...them are now not amongst the living.
>>
>> Adding some marcro would this keep donw the angel hair to some extent?
>>
>> thanks
>> craig

[Marc Levenson]

To be honest, you are seriously overfeeding your tank. I know one guy that has at
least 12 fish in a 120g, and he feeds two times a week.

I feed my tank every day at 8:30 pm, and the fish know it. I could probably just
feed every other day, but I like to think they are fat and happy.

Cutting down your feeding to once a day will really help you stop fueling that algae
growth. You can use 'nori' (dried seaweed wrap) to feed your tang as well, because
it is something you clip to the glass and it works on it a little at a time. It will
be able to eat some food as it wishes for a few hours or even all day, depending on
that fish's temperment.

Marc


craig wrote:

> > Growing macro algae in a refugium will rob the main display of nutrients ...
> > this starves the micro algae.
>
> Yes I'm waiting for my local shop to get a new supply of macro algae.
> I dawned on me that might be the solution. In the past I had some emeral
> crabs that mowed the macro down and defeat this approch. No emerals
> now so I guess I can give it another shot. But I'd still rather
> have the emeral crabs and no angel moss.
> >
> > Why do you feel the need to hand-feed a hawkfish? They will eat when they are
> > hungry. They don't have a swimming bladder and that is why they tend to perch
> > from one spot to the next.
> Yes I know this, but I got the impression he wasn't able to compete
> witht he tang and damsel and not getting any food, although I think
> the tank has little shimps of some sort in the rocks.. they show up
> in the emporer 400 filters.
>
> >I would reduce your feeding regime some, to avoid
> > overfeeding the tank.
> yes this is in order.. I have a self feeder that I have feeding 3
> time a day and I think it's got to back to twice daily feeding of
> the dry flakes+blood worms+daphnia. I wasn't filling the compartments
>
> > You could feed somethimg more meaty like krill perhaps, on a feeding stick.
> > That way you introduce only a couple of small pieces to your hawkfish and
> > control the possibility of overfeeding (phosphates & nitrates).
>
> a feeding stick... I must look into this
>
> So I have these 3 fish in this 45 gal tank. What's your advice on
> the amount of feeding for a Yellow Tang; Purple Damsel and the Hawk
>
> sort of late getting back.. hope you see this
>
> thanks
> craig
>
> >
> > Marc
> >
> >
> > craig wrote:
> >
> >> This problem is back.
> >>
> >> Have 45gal reef tank
> >> Tang, damsel and hawkfish
> >>
> >> various anemonies and soft coral,10 hermit down from 25,snails and 2
> >> bittle stars
> >>
> >> Trying to feed the hawkfish, newest to 1 year running tank. He doesn't
> >> eat the dry food. I have to almost hand feed him. He sits on top of the
> >> protein sponge to get the food.. If I distribute it the other fish get
> >> it before him. So I use this method.
> >>
> >> But this is building up the phosphates angel hair is reappearing.
> >> I can not keep trying to remove it by hand
> >>
> >> I need ideas.
> >>
> >> I have no macro algea in the tank because that got eaten up by the emeral
> >> crabs I had ...them are now not amongst the living.
> >>
> >> Adding some marcro would this keep donw the angel hair to some extent?
> >>
> >> thanks
> >> craig

--
Personal Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/oanda/index.html
Business Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com
Marine Hobbyist: http://www.melevsreef.com