Tank build - newbie again... need thoughts

[pat8you]

Before you do that see if you can find a black net if you don't already have one. They seem much harder to see for the fish and dim the lights a bit or even turn them off and keep the room lights on so you can see.

They best way to do it is learn his favorite escape routes. Most fish have a few favorite holes or directions they like to bolt when they get spooked. I'm sure you have found a few of them no that you have been chasing him for hours. Next, put the net in the tank around one of the places he usually runs to. Wait an hour or so until they have gotten used to it a bit. Wait for a good oppurtunity when he is around the area of the next and use your hand to chase him. They panic and lots of times don't see the next because they are concentrating on running and your hand. Let the fish come to the next and then just a small swoop will usually do the trick with a little practice.

 

[Idaho-Tank]

Problem is I live 2 hours+ from the nearest black net. lol.

After several hours of trying to net the angel I gave up... My wife decided to try during the day today while she was home... again no luck. I found the angel was very fearful of the net... so I just left the nets in the tank to keep him away from some of my SPS over night

If I had more time I would have tried a trap - but this guy was not leaving my coral alone so I had to make a decision and went with saving my coral. Took me about 3 hours start to finish. What a pain in the Arse! I hope I don't have to do that again for a while! And of course I had to basically take out every single rock in order to catch the Angel. I decided that while I had my rock out I would go ahead and catch the female Blue Jaw Trigger too... I like the Triggers a lot, but they are pigs... I will keep the male and sell/trade the female.

It is a beautiful fish, but here is the little demon... I wish I could keep it as it has such great color but I like my coral more. Will find a good home for him. Until that point he is sharing my sump refugium with the trigger.

I just took one (really bad) photo as I was pulling all the rock out... I used my sump and two large bins to hold my rock/coral.

Fortunately I don't think I damaged any coral or injured any fish/shrimp etc... Everyone is accounted for and all the coral was opening up within an hour of being back in the display tank. I also took advantage of this opportunity to frag some of my zoas, mushrooms, palys, & star polyps.

Here it is an hour after the demo - I made several changes, moved things around... hopefully I will like it better.

Here are some shots of a couple new additions:

Yellow Wrasse

Sixline Wrasse (bad shot)

Frog Spawn

Hope to be adding more soon.

Should be picking up my 180 this weekend.

 

[maxst2]

Sucks you had to go to all the work to get it out... but it looks like it ended on a positive note with a few things listed that you wanted to take care of.

 

[sean112280]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your build thread. Beautiful woodwork. Congrats on your set-up!

 

[Jimbo7]

Haven't been here in awhile, but wow! looks great!

Can't wait to see more!

 

[Idaho-Tank]

Haven't been here in awhile, but wow! looks great!

Can't wait to see more!

Well you need to stop by more! Im gonna need some advice with my upcoming 180 build too.

 

[Jimbo7]

Haha, are you upgrading or building another? I will have to backread a bit into whats been happening. I have a bad habit of just looking for pictures sometimes

 

[Idaho-Tank]

LOL.. yes I do the same thing! Nope keeping my 100 gallon as is which will help me from rushing on my 180 build. I pick up the new tank this weekend! I will be sure to post some photos so I get you interested again. he he.

 

[Jimbo7]

I seem to remember something along the lines of...

My wife has convinced me to go with a fish only tank which I have agreed to do this time around (mainly due to expense and amount of work involved with a reef tank).

...tell us your secret

 

[Idaho-Tank]

LOL!!

Yeah she is starting to come around.. that and I bought her a piano.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

I think you got the better end of the deal. Totally awesome build thread by the way.

 

[Idaho-Tank]

So I took some photos tonight now that the new coral is looking better. The tank is almost 3 months old now. I need to invest in a macro lens in the near future. My individual coral photos are not very good.

I am still trying to figure out the names for all of the new stuff.. I also haven't been keeping track of some of the names of the stuff I already had and am forgetting...I need to start some sort of log.

Here are some tank shots.

I will have to start a second build thread I suppose. It is going to be a sloooow build but here is what Day one of my new 180 build looked like:

The tank is sitting on the stand backwards at the moment.

 

[maxst2]

Looks like your new purchase looks to be in nice condition! Nice buy dude!

 

[Idaho-Tank]

^is brand new.. never had water in it (except for the rain on the drive home)

 

[Ziggy953]

Love the cabinet

 

[Idaho-Tank]

^Yeah I do as well - not sure what to do about a hood however.. The company that makes that stand also makes a really nice (but expensive) hood. I will probably build one but it will be a challenge to get it to match exactly.

Oh, and btw - up for suggestions on what to do next with my 100. What should I add etc...

 

[maxst2]

Could make it into an aggressive tank. Have lion fish and stuff in it.

 

[Idaho-Tank]

Could make it into an aggressive tank. Have lion fish and stuff in it.

Yeah have considered that.. my problem is I've tried that in the past. Then I decide to add just one coral. Then I do a second just to balance it out. Soon it just turns into a reef tank. lol. Maybe I need to look at a few more FO tanks to see whats possible.

 

[maxst2]

haha... Yeah i think that is what is going to happen to me. I found a few people that live near me that I can get frags from. Win and win.

Just kinda wondering what more for live stock I can get. My gf says no to anything poisonous cuz shes certain I'll end up dead! haha!

 

[Idaho-Tank]

Went to a "Reef Fest" recently in Salt Lake City. Had a great time and had a chance to talk to some vendors & Manufacturers of everything from Food to Skimmers. They had guest speakers will all sorts of back grounds, a great raffle from which I won a nice external pump! And last but not least were frag vendors... AMAZING frags for sale. I bought some more zoa frags, Paly frags, a new frog spawn, a hammer, some acans, a Green Monti and a cool neon stony. It was a great experience and I would recommend going to an event like this if you haven't been before and have the chance. Here are a few photos I took during the event.