tjm80's 75 gallon build thread

[tjm80]

All [remaining] fish are still in the hospital tank and doing well. The clowns seem to have lost a bit of color but otherwise just seem bored in a bare tank with only PVC. I am SO ready to get these fish back in the DT it's not even funny. I know it's entirely too soon now, since they've only been in treatment for 10 days. But I don't think I'm going to make it 60 days like some recommend. I'm going to give it a month and if all looks well they're going back to the DT.

On another note, something funny (to me) happened yesterday

Since I had all the rocks taken apart between having to catch all the fish and adding new rock, I decided to go on and take the pistol shrimp out of the DT while his partner in crime is in the hospital so it'll be easier to pair them up once the treatment is over. So he's been chilling in/on the sand bed with the LR rubble in my fuge for about 2 weeks now.

Up until now I'd never heard him "pop" but yesterday I was doing my daily top-off ritual and he'd jumped out of the fuge into the return section. I've been putting the fresh top off water in the return section, and when I did it yesterday it sounded like those little fire crackers you throw on the ground. It scared the crap out of me. I quickly turned around to see him floating in the current snapping away.

 

[kurtyboh]

you had ich right? dont dump them back in the dt after a month you'll still have ich in it and start the process over again...
If you're bored with the bare tank it'll be really boring after another month and a half!

 

[tjm80]

Isn't it's life cycle 28 days?

 

[tjm80]

Well I moved the fish back to my DT a few days ago. I know - I didn't keep the tank fallow long enough. But they've been back in for several days now and are healthy as ever. Hopefully the time in the hospital tank helped build their immune systems and they're able to fight off the remaining ich. I just couldn't keep them in the hospital tank anymore. The clowns were fine with it, but the YWG wouldn't eat and the Kole always looked absolutely miserable and somewhat stressed. He's taken on his old personality now that he's back "home"

Now - if gas prices would just go down so I could afford to buy some more fish!

 

[Sqasnatch]

That's sucks, you put them back in the tank, no there is a really good chance they will get sick again, you know if you have to treat again there is a greater risk of death a second time around.. Then you'll really feel bad. If your hospital tank had enough hiding places there shouldn't be a problem. My fish are still in the hospital tank and there doing great. But my poor flasher wrasse is getting picked on by the male. He doesn't have enough room to get away.

 

[Sqasnatch]

Oh.. And gas prices are suppose to go up. Suppose to be 2 dollars a gallon by the end of the summer

 

[uscamaro]

Oh.. And gas prices are suppose to go up. Suppose to be 2 dollars a gallon by the end of the summer

I wish I had that where I live, USD though

 

[tjm80]

Just to update you guys, all fish are fine. The kole was flashing the second and third day. But it's been well over a week since any flashing, and he's constantly grazing on the glass and rocks. The pistol and goby have expanded their tunnel - I see the goby "guarding" 3 different spots throughout the day. Pretty funny. And the clowns found their old rock. I guess they're "hosting" it again. They hardly ever leave it.

As for new additions, I got a candy cane coral frag yesterday for $10 along with two sand dwelling snails. I forget what they called them at the store, but I googled it and the closest thing I can find identifies them as fighting conchs.

Also ordered 2 more powerheads. I don't really like the Koralia Magnum, it is HUGE. So I got two 750 gph Koralias. May run all 3, but I'll probably go with the two new ones for now and if I still need more currents, then I'll put the oversized powerheadback in.

 

[tjm80]

So... I've got the Kole, 2 clowns, a YWG, and a pistol shrimp. Plus CUC. I plan on getting another royal gramma. What other additions do you guys recommend?

 

[mr_X]

how about a coral beauty or flame angel?

 

[tjm80]

I've had both in my "cart" at some point on both liveaquaria and bluezooaquatics. I keep changing my mind because I'm not sure if I want the risk of them nibbling on corals. But I really like both of those fish.

 

[Sqasnatch]

I've noticed that when they do eat corals, of all the corals I have they only eat acupora

 

[mr_X]

i haven't had a flame eat any corals, ever. i had a tang eat a thousand dollar chalice one time though.....

 

[tjm80]

Is it just the flame and coral beauty or all centropyge angels? My favorite is the bicolor angel, but would go with the flame angel if it's between just coral beauty and flame.

 

[mr_X]

actually, they are all hit or miss.

 

[dlsrks]

I have a 75 Gallon tank, and went with a 20 gal sump. The sump wasnt big enough to also have a refugium. So now I have a 75 Gal sump with plenty of room. LOL. Keeping the old tank for a quarantine hospital if I ever need it.

 

[tjm80]

I've been having problems with what I believe to be cyanobacteria. It is a maroon redish color, but it isn't the typical "mat" you typically hear of. There are long very silky/feathery strings that don't really appear to be attached to a mat. And some matted blue/greenish cyano on the sand. So I've been battling this for a few weeks, which is why there are no updates.

Needless to say, there is a lesson to be learned here - PATIENCE! I've been sucking this stuff out w/ a turkey baster and vacuuming it up during water changes, but less than 24 hours and it's back. So I came home at lunch yesterday and it was HORRIBLE. The phosphate remover pellets I've had in a media bag tied to the overflow pipe didn't appear to be making a difference. I was desperate - I went to the LFS and got some chemiclean (mr x - the box says no erythromycin) so I got a box of it and brought it home after work.

Apparently the Aquarium Gods really didn't want me using it, because the "stringy" algae went from it's worst (at 1:30 pm) to 85% gone at 5:30 pm without using the chemiclean!

 

[mr_X]

the chemiclean is ok...i've used it before with no ill effects.