Ziggy953's 150 Build errrr....120 Build

[sooju]

A couple of weeks ago I met Neilan at BRK and picked up a nice little wrasse to help with my nudibranch problem. I've been wanting to get one of these for some time. Everytime I've been to my LFS they were sold out. I got lucky this time around and picked one up.

I hate to even ask this question, but if you just picked up this fish a couple weeks ago and it's already in your tank does that mean you *gasp* don't quarantine your new fish???

I have the same fish sitting in a 10G QT right next to my desk. I believe it's the same fish, I've been calling mine a yellow coris but it looks the same and I know it's a wrasse. He's not getting released into the main tank for another three weeks. I learned that lesson the hard way!

 

[neilanh]

I'd make a seperate post. Makes it easier to find for others searching for those kinds of DIY threads, rather than sifting through the ins and outs it would have in this thread.

 

[Jimbo7]

both. do it.

 

[Ziggy953]

I hate to even ask this question, but if you just picked up this fish a couple weeks ago and it's already in your tank does that mean you *gasp* don't quarantine your new fish???

I have the same fish sitting in a 10G QT right next to my desk. I believe it's the same fish, I've been calling mine a yellow coris but it looks the same and I know it's a wrasse. He's not getting released into the main tank for another three weeks. I learned that lesson the hard way!

Typically I do not QT my fish. All of the fish I have QT myself I have lost. $$$ down the drain on healthy fish. I have had the LFS QT fish for me with no issues. The LFS I buy from has healthy stock and I have never had any problems with any kind of outbreaks in almost 2 years of dealing with them. The one time I got ich in my tank was from a pair of neon gobies bought from another LFS, I QTed the gobies for 6 weeks all was well and when they hit the main BOOM ich. After a week it was gone and I have not had a problem with it since.

So in short I do not QT fish anymore. If I got to an LFS and I see 1 fish with ich and it's tank is tied to any other tanks I just don't buy anything from them. I'm more interested in corals then fish at the moment. I've added the 2 fish I've always wanted over the last year, the Copper Banded Butterfly and the Flame Angel. The one fish left that will eventually go in my tank again is a Mandarin. Other then that I'm done with buying fish.

As for the Wrasse you may be right. I was told that it was a Lemon Meringue, which ever it is it is doing the job I got it for.

 

[Ziggy953]

I will probably create a build thread in the DIY section but also include pics of the progress in this thread since they are related.

 

[sooju]

As for the Wrasse you may be right. I was told that it was a Lemon Meringue, which ever it is it is doing the job I got it for.

If it's the same one, this is what liveaquaria.com says:
The Yellow Wrasse is also referred to as the Golden Rainbowfish, Golden Wrasse, Yellow Coris, or Canary Wrasse. It is golden-yellow with a black eyespot on the dorsal fin.
Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Yellow Wrasse

A bright and cheerful addition to the tank! I'm quarantining mine because my last wrasse (a beautiful and expensive condei fairy wrasse) died because a gramma brought ich into the tank. I was just surprised to see that such an experienced aquarist doesn't QT, but if you rarely add fish I can see why.

 

[Tank2379]

Typically I do not QT my fish. All of the fish I have QT myself I have lost. $$$ down the drain on healthy fish. I have had the LFS QT fish for me with no issues. The LFS I buy from has healthy stock and I have never had any problems with any kind of outbreaks in almost 2 years of dealing with them. The one time I got ich in my tank was from a pair of neon gobies bought from another LFS, I QTed the gobies for 6 weeks all was well and when they hit the main BOOM ich. After a week it was gone and I have not had a problem with it since.

So in short I do not QT fish anymore. If I got to an LFS and I see 1 fish with ich and it's tank is tied to any other tanks I just don't buy anything from them. I'm more interested in corals then fish at the moment. I've added the 2 fish I've always wanted over the last year, the Copper Banded Butterfly and the Flame Angel. The one fish left that will eventually go in my tank again is a Mandarin. Other then that I'm done with buying fish.

As for the Wrasse you may be right. I was told that it was a Lemon Meringue, which ever it is it is doing the job I got it for.

Yes I make sure all my fish look healthy before I take mine home. I have never QT a fish. Not saying that I should maybe I should but I've been lucky " knock on wood"...

 

[Ziggy953]

If it's the same one, this is what liveaquaria.com says:
The Yellow Wrasse is also referred to as the Golden Rainbowfish, Golden Wrasse, Yellow Coris, or Canary Wrasse. It is golden-yellow with a black eyespot on the dorsal fin.
Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Yellow Wrasse

A bright and cheerful addition to the tank! I'm quarantining mine because my last wrasse (a beautiful and expensive condei fairy wrasse) died because a gramma brought ich into the tank. I was just surprised to see that such an experienced aquarist doesn't QT, but if you rarely add fish I can see why.

That's not the same fish I have. It looks similar but it isn't the same. Mine has 3 black spots going down the dorsal fin. Maybe mine will develop the white belly as it get's older. I don't know. It does the job I intended though so I'm very happy with the fish.

 

[sooju]

Is this it?
Melevsreef.com - Lemon Meringue Wrasse

 

[Ziggy953]

That is what I believe mine is. I'm not 100% sure because mine does not have the white belly but the other markings are the same.

 

[Codefox]

Man, I just went through your whole thread. I have to say your problems have me really nervous about the 120 I'm setting up right now! Did you ever figure out what happenned with the 2nd tank? I didn't see if you figured out what caused it to break.

Anyway, the current tank looks beautiful. I hope one day I'll set up a SW tank half as nice.

 

[Ziggy953]

The second tank had a manufacturers defect. I contacted Perfecto and they had placed a recall on a certain lot of tanks and I was unlucky enough to get one. The 3rd tank is perfectly fine and is sitting on a 1" thick piece of granite.

As long as you have a sound stand and it is perfectly level you should have no problems.

 

[Codefox]

That makes me feel a lot better. My 120 is a Perfecto I believe and I bought the stand with the tank so I'm guessing its one of theirs.

 

[Ziggy953]

If you bought their stand and their tank then you have 20 year warranty

 

[Ziggy953]

Until I get the material to build the frag tank I'll continue to update things about it here.

Today I picked up 200lbs of sand and a new piece of egg crate. My intentions are to remove everything and put a nice deep sand bed in the tank and then put a single flat shelf covering the entire tank. I've decided that the stair step shelves I made just aren't cutting it and I'm loosing a lot of space. I've sent out some quote requests on acrylic and as soon as I find a good price including shipping I'll order what I need to build the new frag tank.

I'm planning on 24x48x12. This will give me about 60g, not a lot more water volume but a lot more area. My wife had a great suggestion for the 55. Live rock tank. So after I get the frag tank built the old 55 will become a LR curing tank. I plan to buy base rock and cure it. There seems to be a constant demand for LR so I figured what the heck.

Before I get started on the frag tank I have to build my sump.

I've put in requests for acrylic on this as well. I'm planning on building it 29x36x20. about 90g with 65g working water level. I have a closet behind my tank that houses my current sump and skimmer. The sump now is just not working I need more space.

That will be a project getting underway very soon...like next week if all goes well.

 

[pat8you]

The one thing i wish i could have changed when i was working with acrylic was the glue i used. I think we used number 3 cement. If i remember right they get thicker as the numbers go up and i would suggest maybe getting one higher (or thicker). It was very watery and made it really difficult to avoid little drips or splatters that smuge up the acrylic no matter how fast you wipe them up.

 

[Ziggy953]

I'm planning on getting #3, #4 and #16. I believe that #4 is the one used most often because it drys a little slower.

Thanks for the tip though!

 

[SparKy697]

#3 does dry the fastest. #4 dries a little slower but it is still just as thin as #3. #16 is like as thick as honey. I use #3 on 1/8 & 3/16 material and #4 on 1/4 and larger. Have yet to find a good use for #16 other than fixing leaks on a new project. Most of the time I use 16 I end up making a mess. HTH

 

[Ziggy953]

Ok things are getting serious with me changing the layout of my current 55g frag tank. I've got the sand and had to get salt. Check that off the list now as I picked it up today. I'm mixing up 32g of new SW right now for a water change right after the clean out/redo of the 55.

Oh and on a side note...while I was out and about I stopped by a local reefers house to check out his system and pick up a few frags. I got some radio active dragon eyes, different then the ones I already have, some Cat's eyes (Zoas) and a tiny little frag of Tyree Sunset Monti. I've been wanting a piece of it for a while and he offered a deal I couldn't pass up. They have been acclimated and are now in my frag tank. I've decided not to rush things and I will start in on the frag tank redo tomorrow. I want to let that SW mix up overnight like I preach to everyone here that asks the question.

More updates on the frag tank tomorrow.....

 

[Ziggy953]

Here are my new pick ups...Not the greatest pic but you get the idea. Zoas on the bottom are Radio Active Dragon Eyes...above that are the Cat's Eyes and the other disk is the Tyree Sunset Monti

I'll get some better pics when they are in the main system tomorrow....