Tobes
Retired Moderator
Your tank looks very nice Jaco, good job 
What's your nutrient levels like?
What's your nutrient levels like?
My Non Photosynthetic System (NPS)
- Thread starter Jaco Schoeman
- Start date
Thanks man. Nutrient levels are actually unknown to be honest. I did a test with a VERY old Red Sea test kit, and ammonia measured more than 50ppm!!!! Now had that been true, I dont think any of the fish or corals would have survived.
I will take it to my LFS to measure just for interest sake. I still have not algae outbreaks, cyano or illness from the coral, so that says at least they are happy.
I will take it to my LFS to measure just for interest sake. I still have not algae outbreaks, cyano or illness from the coral, so that says at least they are happy.
Tobes
Retired Moderator
Maybe it's time to spoil your tank mates with some new good quality test kits - just buy the wife something as well
Your tank looks awesome man,
IMO the best scaping I have seen
IMO the best scaping I have seen
Thanx Poiro. That is a very nice compliment. 
Okey guys, an update, and a little sad one at that:
This NPS tank is no longer. Financially I was unable to do 50% water changes per week, and the corals slowly deteriorated a bit. Another issue I had was that feeding them proved almost impossible with a Copperband Butterfly in the tank, as he would steel the food quicker than I'd eat, and this some times went together with sun coral polyps beaing torn off by the Copperband's skew aim.
As some may know, I also got a shipment from Lanzo of four suns (2x Tubastrea Faulkneri, 1x Tubastrea Micrantha (branching black) and one unidentified branching orange sun.) I went to pick them up, and between Gauteng Road agency and a broken clutch cable they were bagged and in a 37deg Celc car for 7 hours!!! This was not good.
This, together with deteriorating water params made the two branching corals starting to fall apart, and the high temp also cost me half a sun coral colony.
Then I had to make a plan, as I could not let everything die.
I broke down the arch, got myself a 2foot tank, and moved the NPS system to a nano NPS system. This allows me to afford 50% water changes per week, easier feeding and no hassling fish. Flow is also better on the smaller tank, so detritus can be sorted out easier.
Still no skimmer, but I am considering a HOB skimmer, as my total tank volume is about 60litres only. The new tank has a DSB, and the algae scrubber from the original tank. Since I have done this move ( a week now) my NPS have started opening again, feeding, and even the branching suns are doing much better.
The branching suns did not open at all for four weeks, and feeding them then is impossible. I have now moved over to target feeding on a next level, and that is feeding with a tweezer. Here is a stunning photo of the very first black suncoral head tanking a mysis shrimp.
This was two nights back, and last night I counted 10 open heads!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seems I might be able to save them, and I will keep on tweezer feeding them for another month or so.
Here is a photo of how it looked on Sunday evening, and you will note the tissue die-off happening. I am however confident that it will heal again now that it is feeding again.
Here's a close-up of the rare orange branching, and I can not get the polyps to extend more than this as yet, so feeding this baby still is quite difficult, but it took about 3 mysis last night, so it will slowly regain it's strength.
And here is a "bad" FTS of the nano, I will try to take a few better shots and post:
As for the original tank... It is now a softie and LPS dominated tank. I plan on keeping "easier" corals and fish, and have the Nemo and Dorry in there for the kids.
I will create a new thread for that tank when it looks nice again.
This NPS tank is no longer. Financially I was unable to do 50% water changes per week, and the corals slowly deteriorated a bit. Another issue I had was that feeding them proved almost impossible with a Copperband Butterfly in the tank, as he would steel the food quicker than I'd eat, and this some times went together with sun coral polyps beaing torn off by the Copperband's skew aim.
As some may know, I also got a shipment from Lanzo of four suns (2x Tubastrea Faulkneri, 1x Tubastrea Micrantha (branching black) and one unidentified branching orange sun.) I went to pick them up, and between Gauteng Road agency and a broken clutch cable they were bagged and in a 37deg Celc car for 7 hours!!! This was not good.
This, together with deteriorating water params made the two branching corals starting to fall apart, and the high temp also cost me half a sun coral colony.
Then I had to make a plan, as I could not let everything die.
I broke down the arch, got myself a 2foot tank, and moved the NPS system to a nano NPS system. This allows me to afford 50% water changes per week, easier feeding and no hassling fish. Flow is also better on the smaller tank, so detritus can be sorted out easier.
Still no skimmer, but I am considering a HOB skimmer, as my total tank volume is about 60litres only. The new tank has a DSB, and the algae scrubber from the original tank. Since I have done this move ( a week now) my NPS have started opening again, feeding, and even the branching suns are doing much better.
The branching suns did not open at all for four weeks, and feeding them then is impossible. I have now moved over to target feeding on a next level, and that is feeding with a tweezer. Here is a stunning photo of the very first black suncoral head tanking a mysis shrimp.
This was two nights back, and last night I counted 10 open heads!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seems I might be able to save them, and I will keep on tweezer feeding them for another month or so.
Here is a photo of how it looked on Sunday evening, and you will note the tissue die-off happening. I am however confident that it will heal again now that it is feeding again.
Here's a close-up of the rare orange branching, and I can not get the polyps to extend more than this as yet, so feeding this baby still is quite difficult, but it took about 3 mysis last night, so it will slowly regain it's strength.
And here is a "bad" FTS of the nano, I will try to take a few better shots and post:
As for the original tank... It is now a softie and LPS dominated tank. I plan on keeping "easier" corals and fish, and have the Nemo and Dorry in there for the kids.
I will create a new thread for that tank when it looks nice again.
Johan van Aardt
I love marines [R.I.P.]
Damn sorry to hear jaco, it really was an awesome tank. Maybe you can put those closed loops to use now?
Vatso, it's a FujiFilm "mik en druk"
I think it is a... wait... it's right here next to me... ah, a FujiFilm FinePix S5700.
However I must add I modified settings a bit, and these photos weren't photoshopped yet, so they can look better.
I think it is a... wait... it's right here next to me... ah, a FujiFilm FinePix S5700.
However I must add I modified settings a bit, and these photos weren't photoshopped yet, so they can look better.
Thats a difficult one Vatso, as the tissue on suns are quite soft and easily damaged, so you don't want to tamper too much.
What I would suggest is this: Iif the algae is small, leave it, your cuc should get to it at some point. If you however feel that it might get out of hand, take LR and build a "cave" around the suns (just make sure to still give it goo flow - so thats the catch) but in essence what will happen, is that the suncoral needs no light, the algae does, so the algae will die, cause they have no light.
Hope that makes sense.
What I would suggest is this: Iif the algae is small, leave it, your cuc should get to it at some point. If you however feel that it might get out of hand, take LR and build a "cave" around the suns (just make sure to still give it goo flow - so thats the catch) but in essence what will happen, is that the suncoral needs no light, the algae does, so the algae will die, cause they have no light.
Hope that makes sense.
Jaco - really sorry to hear about the original NPS tank. BUT, that NPS nano really looks fantastic mate! Nothing wrong with THAT! Awesome looking sun-corals! Good luck with getting them back to health mate!
Thank you JB!!!
Very glad to report that the "sick" branching suns are really getting back to healt nicely again.
They extend polyps further and are open for longer. Nematocyst cells also getting stronger my the day.
I am still tweezer feeding them though, and will do so untill they are fully capable of catching prey on their own.
I will take some more update photos and post for you.
Very glad to report that the "sick" branching suns are really getting back to healt nicely again.
They extend polyps further and are open for longer. Nematocyst cells also getting stronger my the day.I am still tweezer feeding them though, and will do so untill they are fully capable of catching prey on their own.
I will take some more update photos and post for you.
Great to hear Jaco!!
I was getting a bit worried there for a moment!!
I think I need to pop around your place to see the new tank..
I was getting a bit worried there for a moment!!I think I need to pop around your place to see the new tank..
Tobes
Retired Moderator
And here is a "bad" FTS of the nano, I will try to take a few better shots and post:
:razz:
Sorry to hear Jaco,
the nano looks great anyway!!
the nano looks great anyway!!
Had to rescape the nano NPS last night - my Tube Anemone's are growing like "kakiebos" and are swinging their jellyfish-like tentacles WAAAAAY to close to my sun coral, so:
"In the red corner, we have 2x Tube Anemone's... And in the blue corner, we have... well... everything else..."
No ill effects from the move luckily, and an hour afterwards all corals was fed and ate again as normal.
I did however find two white pistol shrimp (bout 2cm long) hiding inside my carnation coral - now I know where my small brittle stars went
Taged em' and bagged em' though. In a holding bottle in my sump. What can or should I do with them. Does anyone want them?
"In the red corner, we have 2x Tube Anemone's... And in the blue corner, we have... well... everything else..."
No ill effects from the move luckily, and an hour afterwards all corals was fed and ate again as normal.
I did however find two white pistol shrimp (bout 2cm long) hiding inside my carnation coral - now I know where my small brittle stars went
Taged em' and bagged em' though. In a holding bottle in my sump. What can or should I do with them. Does anyone want them?
