carey
Aquarium Advice Addict
All the new stock looks great! i really like the cardinals. 
Always wanted some of them just havent gotten around to it yet lol
Always wanted some of them just havent gotten around to it yet lol
75 gallon build
- Thread starter Rutrag
- Start date
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redsea
Aquarium Advice Addict
Very nice new additions!
OP
OP
Rutrag
Aquarium Advice Addict
All the new stock looks great! i really like the cardinals.
This will be the third species I have kept. (I have had a Bangaii and pajama before.) They are not active fish (except at feeding time), but they don't really hide either. They will eat flake and pellet after they are acclimated, but they need to start on meaty frozen foods in my experience. To my knowledge, they are only aggressive to their own species (I think they establish a pecking order) and are only dangerous to shrimp small enough to fit into their larger-than-you-might-think mouths. I haven't had any of mine go after my shrimp, however.
OP
OP
Rutrag
Aquarium Advice Addict
Found a nudibranch today
I had a zoa colony that fell, so I moved it wher I wanted it an used some epoxy putty to hold it.
(This is a pretty new acquisition by the way.)
After I had it in place, I noticed what looked at first to be a different color polyp that wasn't closed. Upon further inspection, I realized it was a nudibranch and siphoned him out.
That's my 7 year old daughter's finger. This guys isn't quite 1/4" long.
Here's another pic to get a better idea as to color. It's liek a brownish purple wiht the gill ends orange. On a zoa colony, it really just looks like another polyp.
After taking several photos, I put him back in the tank. That might have been a mistake, as my guess is it eats zoas and hides amongst them as it's eating. I figured it hasn't casued any harm so far, so I'd let the little bugger live on. When I did get him back in the tank, both of my cardinals tried to eat him, but spit him out. My ochre-striped gasped for a little while, but I think they wer both okay. I haven't seen the nudibranch since. I guess this one is poisonous based on the fishes' response. Maybe they absorb the zoatoxin and incorporate it into their own tissues.
I had a zoa colony that fell, so I moved it wher I wanted it an used some epoxy putty to hold it.
(This is a pretty new acquisition by the way.)
After I had it in place, I noticed what looked at first to be a different color polyp that wasn't closed. Upon further inspection, I realized it was a nudibranch and siphoned him out.
That's my 7 year old daughter's finger. This guys isn't quite 1/4" long.
Here's another pic to get a better idea as to color. It's liek a brownish purple wiht the gill ends orange. On a zoa colony, it really just looks like another polyp.
After taking several photos, I put him back in the tank. That might have been a mistake, as my guess is it eats zoas and hides amongst them as it's eating. I figured it hasn't casued any harm so far, so I'd let the little bugger live on. When I did get him back in the tank, both of my cardinals tried to eat him, but spit him out. My ochre-striped gasped for a little while, but I think they wer both okay. I haven't seen the nudibranch since. I guess this one is poisonous based on the fishes' response. Maybe they absorb the zoatoxin and incorporate it into their own tissues.
OP
OP
Rutrag
Aquarium Advice Addict
Here's a new FTS:
A chalice coral:
Another zoa:
I also got a red and green favia (I think). These three along with the zoa colony in my previous post I picked up for $30 total from a little shop I discovered in Manassas. Very small but very good prices and nice people. It was called Aquatic Obsession.
A chalice coral:
Another zoa:
I also got a red and green favia (I think). These three along with the zoa colony in my previous post I picked up for $30 total from a little shop I discovered in Manassas. Very small but very good prices and nice people. It was called Aquatic Obsession.
OP
OP
Rutrag
Aquarium Advice Addict
Some new additions (3/10/12)
I picked up some new stuff from Aquatic Obsesions last weekend.
Here is the best shot I can get of my Kole tang. He's still shy and won't sit still for his close up and spends his time on the back of the LR when anyone is closer than 8 feet to the tank:
A BRIGHT green mushroom:
A zoa colony:
And another zoa colony:
I am sad to report that Barry, my Carpenter's flasher wrasse went carpent surfing last Sunday morning and I didn't find him until he was pretty dried out. I love these fish but they are such a pain in this aspect.
I picked up some new stuff from Aquatic Obsesions last weekend.
Here is the best shot I can get of my Kole tang. He's still shy and won't sit still for his close up and spends his time on the back of the LR when anyone is closer than 8 feet to the tank:
A BRIGHT green mushroom:
A zoa colony:
And another zoa colony:
I am sad to report that Barry, my Carpenter's flasher wrasse went carpent surfing last Sunday morning and I didn't find him until he was pretty dried out. I love these fish but they are such a pain in this aspect.
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carey
Aquarium Advice Addict
Sorry to hear about your wrasse. I lost a blenny the same way the other day. Just stinks.....
OP
OP
Rutrag
Aquarium Advice Addict
Just a couple updates. Here's a full tnak shot from tonight under the lunar LEDs. I wish the camera did a better job of picking up the lumenescence, but this is the best I cam up with.
I also decided to illustrate some growth with two of my corals. First, here's my birdsnest I acquired as a tiny frag on December 23.
Here it is as of tonight.
Eagle eye zoas, also bought on December 23.
As of tonight. (Sorry for the glare!)
I also noticed this candy cane frag I've had since late October or early November has a disintegrating skeleton. Is this something I should be worried about? It's not grown as well as another frag I of it I got at the same time, but it is the smaller of the two. It looks as though two heads are splitting (center and left in the photo, although you might not be able to tell from the photo). It's the right stalk in the photo that looks like only two slivers are holding the heads up. You can see tentacle extension, so I'm not sure what the deal is.
I've also been struggling with what I at least originally thought were dinoflagellates, but I am now thinking might be cyano. Your thoughts are welcome.
I also decided to illustrate some growth with two of my corals. First, here's my birdsnest I acquired as a tiny frag on December 23.
Here it is as of tonight.
Eagle eye zoas, also bought on December 23.
As of tonight. (Sorry for the glare!)
I also noticed this candy cane frag I've had since late October or early November has a disintegrating skeleton. Is this something I should be worried about? It's not grown as well as another frag I of it I got at the same time, but it is the smaller of the two. It looks as though two heads are splitting (center and left in the photo, although you might not be able to tell from the photo). It's the right stalk in the photo that looks like only two slivers are holding the heads up. You can see tentacle extension, so I'm not sure what the deal is.
I've also been struggling with what I at least originally thought were dinoflagellates, but I am now thinking might be cyano. Your thoughts are welcome.
OP
OP
Rutrag
Aquarium Advice Addict
Oh, I lost one of my original clowns and replaced it, only to have the other original clown go missing a week later. In both cases I was out of town, so I can't give any clues as to what happened. The clean up crew must have consumed them because I never saw either body. I replaced the second original clown and then had the first replacement die the following day. No outward signs. I think my wife left some window open overnight when the day was nice but night time was cold and my heater couldn't keep up. The temp fluctuation is the only thing I can think of. Right now I'm down to only one clown and I'm considering gettign ablack occellaris a week from Monday when I'm close to a place that has them at reasonable prices.
I've also picked up a blue sided fairy wrasse and a blue porcelain crab. (Sorry, no pics yet.) The crab is a pretty interesting creature, althoguh he's very secretive. They have a pair of antennae something like a shrimp and filter feed a lot like the freshwater bamboo shrimp do with these specialized mouthparts that look like fans.
I also traded away a trio of emerald crabs I ordered when I thought mine was gone. (I found mine about 5 minute after I submitted the order.) In return I got a frag of blue tip staghorn and some chips of red cap montipora. I haven't taken any pics of those yet either as they're really not much to look at right now. I think they're still gettign settled in.
I've also picked up a blue sided fairy wrasse and a blue porcelain crab. (Sorry, no pics yet.) The crab is a pretty interesting creature, althoguh he's very secretive. They have a pair of antennae something like a shrimp and filter feed a lot like the freshwater bamboo shrimp do with these specialized mouthparts that look like fans.
I also traded away a trio of emerald crabs I ordered when I thought mine was gone. (I found mine about 5 minute after I submitted the order.) In return I got a frag of blue tip staghorn and some chips of red cap montipora. I haven't taken any pics of those yet either as they're really not much to look at right now. I think they're still gettign settled in.
carey
Aquarium Advice Addict
Sorry to hear about your clowns, but it unfortunatley happens. I tend to have jumping clowns which has really turned me off to them :-(
But yeah, post some pictures when you can!
But yeah, post some pictures when you can!
OP
OP
Rutrag
Aquarium Advice Addict
I'm thinking about buying the kit to hang my lights. My fixture is as wide as my tank, so to reach in and move anything or scrub algae, I have to put the fixture back with the rear legs on the overflows and sometimes take it off completely. I think doing so will also allow me to put on the glass covers (I'm using light diffuser grating now.) What has anyone else's experience been with this? What do you think?
OP
OP
Rutrag
Aquarium Advice Addict
Well, I went ahead and bought the light hanging kit. I had a bear of a time gettign the J-hook far enough into the ceiling on the left side. In fact, I twisted the hook off of two J-hooks during the installation.
The J-hooks then have a bracket that screws around them with ears theat stick down. You then have a metal cup that slides up over the ears with two small holes in each to hold the cover on the ears. This piece bears no weight (other than the cover itself) but only serves to cover up the J-hooks and excess wire to make for a neat installation. Unfortunately, they give you TINY little screws to do this and working over your head in an awkward position REALLY close to the ceiling made using these about impossible for me. These screws look like they belong in a laptop computer motherboard they're so small. I ended up losing all four of the original screws and ended up buying some larger ones to use.
Ome thing you might notice is that the hangars are not centered over the tank. The reason is that you pretty much have to run the J-hooks into a stud. Otherwise the weight of the fixture would likely rip through the drywall in the ceiling. Perhaps if I had better cerpentry skills I could have painted a 2 x 4 black and anchored that to the ceiling studs and then run the J-hooks into that.
Anyway, doing this allowed me to remove the light diffuser grating and put glass covers in. This will reduce evaporation and I think increase the light intensity despite being about two inches higher than before. I can now flip open a cover to feed or to scrape algae. I'm liking the functionality this provides.
The J-hooks then have a bracket that screws around them with ears theat stick down. You then have a metal cup that slides up over the ears with two small holes in each to hold the cover on the ears. This piece bears no weight (other than the cover itself) but only serves to cover up the J-hooks and excess wire to make for a neat installation. Unfortunately, they give you TINY little screws to do this and working over your head in an awkward position REALLY close to the ceiling made using these about impossible for me. These screws look like they belong in a laptop computer motherboard they're so small. I ended up losing all four of the original screws and ended up buying some larger ones to use.
Ome thing you might notice is that the hangars are not centered over the tank. The reason is that you pretty much have to run the J-hooks into a stud. Otherwise the weight of the fixture would likely rip through the drywall in the ceiling. Perhaps if I had better cerpentry skills I could have painted a 2 x 4 black and anchored that to the ceiling studs and then run the J-hooks into that.
Anyway, doing this allowed me to remove the light diffuser grating and put glass covers in. This will reduce evaporation and I think increase the light intensity despite being about two inches higher than before. I can now flip open a cover to feed or to scrape algae. I'm liking the functionality this provides.
OP
OP
Rutrag
Aquarium Advice Addict
Oh, I almost forgot. My candycane coral skeleton did completely separate and drop a double head. At first, the dropped heads were on a rock, but either current or a snail knocked them down and I can't find the. I guess they're somewhere in the back of the tank. It looks as though it might drop another head sson. Is this normal? The dropped heads still extended their feeding tentacles and had good color, but their skeleton just seemed to erode below the heads.
OP
OP
Rutrag
Aquarium Advice Addict
I've been out of town for a few days and got home about 8pm last night. Everything looked good as far as I could tell under the nightlights. This morning however, I didn't see my kole tang swimming about as normal. I did find him hiding but still alive and obviously not doing well. I don't think he's been eating enough. (My wife and daughter pay the tanks little attention when I travel.) He still swims, albeit lethargicly, but I don't think he'll make it since I can't get him to eat today.
On a happier note, I bought some new mushrooms and pink zoas. I also rearranged a little rockwork today and found a bright yellow nudibranch or planarian (I'm not sure which). My batteries are dead in my camera, but I hope to snap a couple of photos later. I've isolated the yellow nudi / planarian in case he's harmful.
On a happier note, I bought some new mushrooms and pink zoas. I also rearranged a little rockwork today and found a bright yellow nudibranch or planarian (I'm not sure which). My batteries are dead in my camera, but I hope to snap a couple of photos later. I've isolated the yellow nudi / planarian in case he's harmful.
carey
Aquarium Advice Addict
Bummer about the kole tang, maybe he will bounce back, it's not unheard of. 
Good luck, fingers crossed for his recovery!
Good luck, fingers crossed for his recovery!
OP
OP
Rutrag
Aquarium Advice Addict
Bummer about the kole tang, maybe he will bounce back, it's not unheard of.
Good luck, fingers crossed for his recovery!
Unfortunately the hermit crabs were all over his carcass Sunday morning.
Here's some pics of the new corals:
And here's the uknown varmit:
He's kind of got a row of frils the length of his body down his back and two antennae. About 3/4" long.
carey
Aquarium Advice Addict
Really sorry about your tang. :-(
Good luck with your corals!
Good luck with your corals!
OP
OP
Rutrag
Aquarium Advice Addict
Wow, I didn't realize that it's been almost two months since I updated this thread. Here's what's new:
I acquired a couple of coral frags: a forest fire montipora (orangish red branching) and a yellow pagoda cup.
I got a skunk cleaner shrimp.
Someone started picking on my Bangaii cardinal. I never figured out who, but his fins were obviously picked on and he seemd a little weak. He disappeared. I assume he died and the CUC got him.
I got a royal gramma. Unlike other ones I've had in the past, this one hides all the time, never venturing more than 6" from his chosen hole.
I got another kole tang for Father's Day (June 17). July 6 we had a short overnight trip. When we got back on June 7, the tang had ich. I broke out the 10 gallon hospital tank on June 8 and began hypo and copper, but I was too late and he died the morning of June 10. I moved a bag of carbon from my sump to the hospital tank to seed with bacteria, but after a 5 gallon (50%) water change, I tested and the ammonia was at 0.50ppm, so I'm not sure if the ich or the ammonia and nitrite killed him. No other fish have shown any signs since the tang turned up with it. (The blue sided wrasse was flashing a week or so before, but I saw no spots.)
We had some rough weather the weekend before Independence Day. Our power flickered a lot, but we were never out for more than a few seconds at a time. A lot of folks in the area lost a LOT of livestock. My only caualty seems to be an impeller on one of my Rio 2500's. It works sometimes when it feels like it and it looks like one blade is missing. I walked into a Petco and they had an Aqueon 3000 on clearance for $35. (I think that they are being superceded by an Aqueon "Quiet One" line. I had called Aqueon because I was shopping for a replacement, and couldn't find a head vs. flow chart online. The guy I talked to commented something about it being an older version. The Petco I was at was a smaller one and they said they just didn't have room for them on their shelves. I've gone to about 4 other Petcos hoping to find another at this price, but no luck - yet.) I picked that up as a replacement. On paper, it's not rated for as much flow, but I think in reality it does more.
I picked up a small foxface today. I had seen him (along with two others) at a LFS on Monday. He's only about 2" long. I have never seen them this small before. He ate there in front of me (live brine) and is good and fat. My blue sided wrasse doesn't seem to like him though.
I went to another Petco and they had a beautiful exquisite fairy wrasse for $30, he looked good, and although I knew he had only arrived today, I couldn't resist. (Live Aquaria's price is $60.) I have some concerns that my blue sided wrasse will hate him, but the exquisite is a little bigger than him. If there are issues, someone will go in the 37. After acclimation, he went and laid down in the corner of the tank in fright coloration. So far, everyone but the skunk cleaner has ignored him. The skunk cleaner has just sat about 2" from the wrasse with his antennae touching him, wagging his white arms back and forth frenetically.
I think that catches up this tank.
I acquired a couple of coral frags: a forest fire montipora (orangish red branching) and a yellow pagoda cup.
I got a skunk cleaner shrimp.
Someone started picking on my Bangaii cardinal. I never figured out who, but his fins were obviously picked on and he seemd a little weak. He disappeared. I assume he died and the CUC got him.
I got a royal gramma. Unlike other ones I've had in the past, this one hides all the time, never venturing more than 6" from his chosen hole.
I got another kole tang for Father's Day (June 17). July 6 we had a short overnight trip. When we got back on June 7, the tang had ich. I broke out the 10 gallon hospital tank on June 8 and began hypo and copper, but I was too late and he died the morning of June 10. I moved a bag of carbon from my sump to the hospital tank to seed with bacteria, but after a 5 gallon (50%) water change, I tested and the ammonia was at 0.50ppm, so I'm not sure if the ich or the ammonia and nitrite killed him. No other fish have shown any signs since the tang turned up with it. (The blue sided wrasse was flashing a week or so before, but I saw no spots.)
We had some rough weather the weekend before Independence Day. Our power flickered a lot, but we were never out for more than a few seconds at a time. A lot of folks in the area lost a LOT of livestock. My only caualty seems to be an impeller on one of my Rio 2500's. It works sometimes when it feels like it and it looks like one blade is missing. I walked into a Petco and they had an Aqueon 3000 on clearance for $35. (I think that they are being superceded by an Aqueon "Quiet One" line. I had called Aqueon because I was shopping for a replacement, and couldn't find a head vs. flow chart online. The guy I talked to commented something about it being an older version. The Petco I was at was a smaller one and they said they just didn't have room for them on their shelves. I've gone to about 4 other Petcos hoping to find another at this price, but no luck - yet.) I picked that up as a replacement. On paper, it's not rated for as much flow, but I think in reality it does more.
I picked up a small foxface today. I had seen him (along with two others) at a LFS on Monday. He's only about 2" long. I have never seen them this small before. He ate there in front of me (live brine) and is good and fat. My blue sided wrasse doesn't seem to like him though.
I went to another Petco and they had a beautiful exquisite fairy wrasse for $30, he looked good, and although I knew he had only arrived today, I couldn't resist. (Live Aquaria's price is $60.) I have some concerns that my blue sided wrasse will hate him, but the exquisite is a little bigger than him. If there are issues, someone will go in the 37. After acclimation, he went and laid down in the corner of the tank in fright coloration. So far, everyone but the skunk cleaner has ignored him. The skunk cleaner has just sat about 2" from the wrasse with his antennae touching him, wagging his white arms back and forth frenetically.
I think that catches up this tank.
kdpuffer
Aquarium Advice Addict
Nice acquisitions, what did you name your fox face and we want pictures!!!!!!
OP
OP
Rutrag
Aquarium Advice Addict
Becasue you demanded it. . .
The forest fire montipora (much redder in person):
Yellow cup coral:
The foxface:
A couple shots of the exquisite wrasse (he's still very shy):
And a group shot for relative sizing. That's the blue-sided wrasse in the picture. The exquisite is about a 1/2" longer:
The foxface kind of follows the blue-sided wrasse around like a lost puppy. He ate a little this afternoon and he's picking at some kind of red algae I have on my live rock. (It's some kind of short bushy stuff that's a little bit stiff.)
The exquisite has picked at some food as well. I haven't seen any agression between the wrasses at this point.
I haven't seen the royal gramma today. I am not sure if I saw him last night or not for sure. Before that, I was gone for two days on business. I'm hopeful that he's in a rock hiding from the new fish.
The forest fire montipora (much redder in person):
Yellow cup coral:
The foxface:
A couple shots of the exquisite wrasse (he's still very shy):
And a group shot for relative sizing. That's the blue-sided wrasse in the picture. The exquisite is about a 1/2" longer:
The foxface kind of follows the blue-sided wrasse around like a lost puppy. He ate a little this afternoon and he's picking at some kind of red algae I have on my live rock. (It's some kind of short bushy stuff that's a little bit stiff.)
The exquisite has picked at some food as well. I haven't seen any agression between the wrasses at this point.
I haven't seen the royal gramma today. I am not sure if I saw him last night or not for sure. Before that, I was gone for two days on business. I'm hopeful that he's in a rock hiding from the new fish.
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