tjm80's 75 gallon build thread

[mr_X]

they look pretty healthy. good luck with them!

 

[tjm80]

Thank you! I've got some frozen carnivore food, some freeze dried mysis shrimp, some algae sheets, and some omnivore flake food. This should be adequate food for them shouldn't it?

 

[mr_X]

yes. sounds like a nice, varied diet.

 

[Flake]

I'd suggest maybe some frozen herbivore food like emerald entree. My tangs gobbled it down. Mine would eat mysis but (being herbivores) naturally gravitated to the ee first.

 

[tjm80]

I think the tang will be ok for a bit, with the hair algae that started popping up within the past few days. I'd been scraping it off the front and sides, but letting it grow on the back glass in anticipation of getting the tang.

The only problem I've run into so far with the food is the freeze dried mysis shrimp floats... I can't get it to sink down to the jawfish.

 

[tjm80]

Well this morning I got up and the jawfish's mad engineering skills had the tank cloudier than it has been since I rearranged the LR.

Also the Yellow Watchman Goby is MIA. Thought he may have jumped out - and he very well may be in my bulldog's stomach. But I'll give it a few days before deciding he's gone. And if he is I will replace him and give him a pistol shrimp. I've heard they are a lot less prone to jump if they have shrimp buddy.

 

[tjm80]

Just ordered an Eshopps PSK-150 protein skimmer from F&S, hopefully it'll get here soon!

Also, a question about my tang. It only does this in the 2 front corners of the tank, but he will go there and "shiver" for a second then swim off. This happens every 10 minutes or so. Is this common? I know tangs have some weird traits, but is this cause for concern?

 

[mr_X]

i don't know about the tang shivering. are you sure he's not just rubbing against the substrate?

 

[tjm80]

Doesn't appear to be. He's not touching anything when he does it. He also "flashes" i guess is the best word. All his fins stand up then he does it. He also poops a lot.

Also saw the cleaner shrimp have a go at him. Pretty neat, the kole didn't seem to enjoy it very much and just let the shrimp prod around his mouth a bit, then he was off again.

 

[mr_X]

they are scared when they open their fins like that. i think he'll settle in as soon as he get's used to who feeds him...etc..

 

[tjm80]

Good deal. He doesn't seem very shy at all. My father in law came over and he went into hiding for about 10 minutes, then started grazing again. He only poops on one side of the tank, reminds me of a puppy in a cage. haha

 

[uscamaro]

The only problem I've run into so far with the food is the freeze dried mysis shrimp floats... I can't get it to sink down to the jawfish.

I have a small plastic cup that I'll fill up halfway with tank water, let part of the frozen mysis shrimp cube melt in the cup, then I pour that into the tank. It's cool because the return pump pushes them around so they look alive... jawfish loves them.

 

[mr_X]

yeah, you should never put the frozen cube in the tank. that water they freeze that stuff in is nasty. i thaw and rinse any store bought frozen food in a fish net before adding.

 

[tjm80]

I thaw the frozen food in a cup and mix it up before giving it to them. I was talking about the freeze dried, in the plastic can. Looks like rice krispies almost. What I did yesterday was just soak them in a cup of tank water for a bit and slosh them around and pour them over where the jawfish was, and the current pushed them down, but if he didn't get them they floated back up.

The frozen stuff (thawed) always sinks without a problem.

 

[tjm80]

Still no sign of the watchman goby.

 

[doogle]

your main tank is the usual tank with plastic trim that helps keep the glass from splitting apart. do Not use foam on that tank./ make sure the stand surface is flat and level. tanks that have glass bottoms go on a pad. hope you do well. hope im not to late to help

 

[tjm80]

Came home at lunch and scooped up the jawfish and took him to the LFS. They gave me $25 store credit for it. Can't complain about that! I'm gonna miss the little guy, but my tank is already clearing up a bit. He was great at causing sandstorms.

 

[tjm80]

Decided recently that my tank needs more rock. But I've bought all the live rock I'm buying (for this tank anyway lol) and none of the LFS ever have any base rock in stock. So I decided to try and make some myself!

I'll post pictures tomorrow when I take them out of the buckets - if they don't fall apart!

 

[mr_X]

make sure you cure them in water for about a month, or they will drastically effect the PH.

 

[tjm80]

I've already told my wife the tanks (not bowls) on the toilets may be used to house the rocks for a while, assuming they will fit.

Easy way to do lots of water changes. lol