7ft reef journey from the equator!

[iFunnny]

So, i think i made a build thread in the wrong section of the forum (sorry mods, not sure what to do, but figured itd be better here)

But as my plans have changed somewhat, i thought i'd chronicle my journey here instead!

My initial idea was to just keep a pair of dragon eels and softies. I just wanted something to stare at in my living room for hours on end.

However.. at the heart of it, I'm a fish guy and i really like tangs. My scape is still built for a moray (tight fitting glass tops in sections, pvc pipes)

[Sorry bout the boxers photobombing]​

After about 6 weeks, and 3.5 weeks of cycling, I have just added my first batch of fish! I knew i wanted a tang gang, but i also knew i wanted an Achilles first and foremost. With the dual maxspect gyres (and i think i will add 2 more wavemakers to clear some dead zones), and a long scape and way overkill filtration for max feeding, I decided to try and center the build around the fish of my dreams.

[the deltec skimmer is almost 3ft in height, barely fit the sump. the reefmat 1200 is great, but im having some issues with the water sensor failing and just getting wet and not moving if anyone had a similar issue lmk how u fixed it!]​

The issue was, i wanted more than 1 tang and couldnt QT them all at home, because i wouldnt have a QT big enough for all of them. And after repeated visits to a trusted LFS and asking about their QT after cramming as much info as I could into my brain, i determined that LFS to be one of the very few I would purchase fish from. I am attempting to do Ich eradication because, why not? Nothing's in the tank yet, might as well give it a fair shot.

I picked out the following:

Achilles Tang
Black Tang (HUGE. palm sized. stable fish for many years in the shop's display)
Purple Tang
Desjardini Sailfin Tang
Yellow Foxface
Copperband Butterfly

All these guys are about medium size apart from the black tang. So they began QT for my fish for me with therapeutic copper and prazi. However, after the first 10 days, despite choosing an achilles that was ferociously eating from day 1, it died in the QT. The rest of the fish were in the same system and fine, so we chalked it up to ATs being extremely sensitive.

My suspicion was that the toll of ich and a smaller tank for QT probably did it in. The store has a money back policy for 15% on the fish price, and they instead gave me a 30% if i wanted to try another AT. I selected one that was eating greedily out of the remaining two, and added it to the batch and restarted the QT timer with them. After 3 weeks, we pulled them from copper and I brought them home to be acclimated and im happy to say the Achilles is doing good so far!

*fingers crossed*​

[You can see some damage on the fins and some bruises because the Black Tang was really giving her the business in the acclimation tub, thought it was big enough but never again am i doing that. going to get clear dividers next time i batch acclimate. I was really worried, but the AT's fins were pretty much back to normal the morning after and eating a lot and swimming all over]​

And here's a full tank shot with all the inhabitants not knowing how the seaweed grazer clip works. It is pretty peaceful apart from the occasional fin flares but no beating, bullying, cornering or shanking... yet anyway.

[The Black Tang has claimed the right third of the Tang and its super awesome to see its giant shadow emerge from the archway.]​

But a FOWLR you say?

Nay! Ye of little faith!

Remember how i mentioned Ich eradication? Well, while I was waiting for the main tank to cycle, i set up a coral QT display and started collecting pieces i liked. I placed the last coral in 2 weeks back and am now waiting the recommended fallow period of 76ish days for ich and velvet to die out (someone correct me if im wrong, i can do it longer). I have a cleaner shrimp and some snails for poop making (i really hate these snails for knocking everything over)

Mostly encrusting ones like Cyphastreas and all colors of leptoseries i could find as well as some easier SPS like pavonas and poccis.

I also love alveos and wanted a little garden of them,

But the true poison runs really deep when it came to micromussa lords... and my wallet has paid the ultimate price.

More corals will follow once this batch goes in at the end of October! A good fallow period for my wallet as well.

That sums it up for chapter One. 8 long weeks since conception till first fish, has been exciting, anxiety-inducing and exhausting. But such is the journey, eh?

I have not much plans for any larger fish apart from a Watanabei Angelfish pair that I have in QT at the store for a few weeks down the road. Itll mostly be smaller fish from here on out, so i have got a small 15gal long QT tank that ill setup tomorrow. It'll be my first time actually practicing prophylactic treatment for fish i buy, so im nervous but ready to learn.

Thank you if you made it to the end of this post! <3

It's good to be back in the reef.​

Have a nice day!

 

[wculver]

So, i think i made a build thread in the wrong section of the forum (sorry mods, not sure what to do, but figured itd be better here)

But as my plans have changed somewhat, i thought i'd chronicle my journey here instead!

My initial idea was to just keep a pair of dragon eels and softies. I just wanted something to stare at in my living room for hours on end.

However.. at the heart of it, I'm a fish guy and i really like tangs. My scape is still built for a moray (tight fitting glass tops in sections, pvc pipes)

[Sorry bout the boxers photobombing]​

After about 6 weeks, and 3.5 weeks of cycling, I have just added my first batch of fish! I knew i wanted a tang gang, but i also knew i wanted an Achilles first and foremost. With the dual maxspect gyres (and i think i will add 2 more wavemakers to clear some dead zones), and a long scape and way overkill filtration for max feeding, I decided to try and center the build around the fish of my dreams.

[the deltec skimmer is almost 3ft in height, barely fit the sump. the reefmat 1200 is great, but im having some issues with the water sensor failing and just getting wet and not moving if anyone had a similar issue lmk how u fixed it!]​

The issue was, i wanted more than 1 tang and couldnt QT them all at home, because i wouldnt have a QT big enough for all of them. And after repeated visits to a trusted LFS and asking about their QT after cramming as much info as I could into my brain, i determined that LFS to be one of the very few I would purchase fish from. I am attempting to do Ich eradication because, why not? Nothing's in the tank yet, might as well give it a fair shot.

I picked out the following:

Achilles Tang
Black Tang (HUGE. palm sized. stable fish for many years in the shop's display)
Purple Tang
Desjardini Sailfin Tang
Yellow Foxface
Copperband Butterfly

All these guys are about medium size apart from the black tang. So they began QT for my fish for me with therapeutic copper and prazi. However, after the first 10 days, despite choosing an achilles that was ferociously eating from day 1, it died in the QT. The rest of the fish were in the same system and fine, so we chalked it up to ATs being extremely sensitive.

My suspicion was that the toll of ich and a smaller tank for QT probably did it in. The store has a money back policy for 15% on the fish price, and they instead gave me a 30% if i wanted to try another AT. I selected one that was eating greedily out of the remaining two, and added it to the batch and restarted the QT timer with them. After 3 weeks, we pulled them from copper and I brought them home to be acclimated and im happy to say the Achilles is doing good so far!

*fingers crossed*​

[You can see some damage on the fins and some bruises because the Black Tang was really giving her the business in the acclimation tub, thought it was big enough but never again am i doing that. going to get clear dividers next time i batch acclimate. I was really worried, but the AT's fins were pretty much back to normal the morning after and eating a lot and swimming all over]​

And here's a full tank shot with all the inhabitants not knowing how the seaweed grazer clip works. It is pretty peaceful apart from the occasional fin flares but no beating, bullying, cornering or shanking... yet anyway.

[The Black Tang has claimed the right third of the Tang and its super awesome to see its giant shadow emerge from the archway.]​

But a FOWLR you say?

Nay! Ye of little faith!

Remember how i mentioned Ich eradication? Well, while I was waiting for the main tank to cycle, i set up a coral QT display and started collecting pieces i liked. I placed the last coral in 2 weeks back and am now waiting the recommended fallow period of 76ish days for ich and velvet to die out (someone correct me if im wrong, i can do it longer). I have a cleaner shrimp and some snails for poop making (i really hate these snails for knocking everything over)

Mostly encrusting ones like Cyphastreas and all colors of leptoseries i could find as well as some easier SPS like pavonas and poccis.

I also love alveos and wanted a little garden of them,

But the true poison runs really deep when it came to micromussa lords... and my wallet has paid the ultimate price.

More corals will follow once this batch goes in at the end of October! A good fallow period for my wallet as well.

That sums it up for chapter One. 8 long weeks since conception till first fish, has been exciting, anxiety-inducing and exhausting. But such is the journey, eh?

I have not much plans for any larger fish apart from a Watanabei Angelfish pair that I have in QT at the store for a few weeks down the road. Itll mostly be smaller fish from here on out, so i have got a small 15gal long QT tank that ill setup tomorrow. It'll be my first time actually practicing prophylactic treatment for fish i buy, so im nervous but ready to learn.

Thank you if you made it to the end of this post! <3

It's good to be back in the reef.​

Have a nice day!

Heck of a way to make a splash back in the hobby. Great looking setup!

 

[iFunnny]

Heck of a way to make a splash back in the hobby. Great looking setup!

thank you! Cant wait to see how it evolves

 

[iFunnny]

Some feeding videos and vibes.

I've already spent hours just staring at the tank. Time for armchair and ottoman shopping

 

[iFunnny]

Some quality time with my darling cockatoo, Dahlia. Her chest feathers are little scuffed because she's been picking out only the unhealthy stuff in her bowl, so now she's being relegated to pellet food, she's much better, but still a ways to go.

Guess i'm not the only one fascinated! We sat there for hours!

 

[AydenLincoln]

A dream tank! How big is it? What brand is it or did you get it custom-made?

 

[iFunnny]

A dream tank! How big is it? What brand is it or did you get it custom-made?

7x2x2 ft display, 6x1.5x1.2 ft sump for roughly under 300gallons.

Custom made along with the cabinetry!

makers did a great job with it. Only gripe is the hood. It’s too thick and takes off a couple of precious inches from the height display. But necessary to hide ugly cabling.

i still need to get my radions up! Hopefully by tmr

 

[iFunnny]

Finally, I have all my lights set up! I have two Radion G5 radion blues flanking a G4 30 Pro (thought i'd have to change the RF chip for it to work with the Mobius app, but thankfully no need!)

Im pretty such set with equipment for now. ATO and Dosing will probably come in as I approach the timing to put my corals in. I do need one or two powerheads to kick up some detritus behind the tank, but the two maxspect gyres are kicking butt.

I noticed some marks on the AT and my heart fell, "Ich?", I thought. So i setup my phone to get a closer look. And after a closer visual inspection, they are now warring scars with the other tangs. The three Zebrasomas arent ganging up on him, but seem to ignore each other but will square up with the AT. There are some fin tears as well again but no bloody murder just yet.

[I doubt it is Ich, but I am prepared for it to be. But when i looked closer, they looked like long scrapes from another surgeon scalpel. AT is otherwise feasting and grazing and not backing down from a fight, so hope for the best, I guess.]​

All the tangs have been eating selcon soaked nori, TDO pellets, hikari mysis, hikari seaweed extreme, vitalis flakes and vitalis pellets. They are also grazing a lot in addition to being fed 5-6 times a day. Which... seemed odd to me at first, because I havent really powered the lights before they came in, but lo and behold, i am finding green filamentous algae growing on the creases of the tank and I guess the Tangs are eating them faster then they can appear.

[You can see them nipping at the perpendicular corners of the tank, and that's when i checked and realized there was actually algae beginning to grow!]​

The interesting one is the copperband. It eats the mysis, but ive noticed it has been going around the corners of the tank and picking stuff of the walls (they are CLEAN. i didnt clean it coz it was wedged and didn't have the appropriate tools).

I have no idea what its eating, but its actively hunting these things down. My tank is pretty sterile and i havent seeded pods. I do have the small calcified snail shells and algae showing up though.

Going to take the weekend to setup the QT! Will post more then

Have a good weekend!

 

[iFunnny]

Roaring start to the day! Look at them go!

It's fun to see a bit of each fish's personality. The Sailfin wants nothing but to eat. Feed to satiation, yeah? I stood there for 10mins feeding him and he just took EVERYTHING. The Achilles is hands down the most aggressive thing in there. The Black Tang is about twice his size and he still doesn't back down from a fight. He goes into blue-eye mode and tilts to the side and shimmy. Insane watching it happen.

The PT, BT and Sailfin had pretty bad HLLE, but its now been 4 days and the PT's HLLE is almost completely gone. I am not running carbon at the moment. The BT looks like its gonna have some permanent scarring, but he's an old boy and he seems totally fine.

[You can see the AT dive bomb the Foxface. Such a burst of speed!]​

Im 100% wfh and 200% introverted so I'm always at home. Been feeding them about 6-8 times a day. Tested NO3 at 10-25 with a busted skimmer pump which thankfully got taken cared of today. The reef mat is amazing, but the auto sensor is really giving me a bad time. It's a fickle machine. Good thing i can activate manual mode via my phone and I just do so every hour or so to roll the fleece forward.

[And here's one at night, a little bit after feeding. Still grazing away.]
​

The tank looks surprisingly empty. I thought it'd look more cramped. Am currently curating and collecting fish for the second batch of QT with my trusted LFS! Shall update when I've finalized it

 

[iFunnny]

Feeding/Diet

I've been feeding like a maniac just to make sure the achilles gets fat and the tangs all get along. They are actually coming to the tank when i approach now. It's like coming home to a pack of dogs.

Regarding their diet, I've added LRS Reef Frenzy. The Copperband seems to appreciate this, i see it stabbing at the larger chunks which was certainly surprising to say the least. I've also developed quite a fascination for trying out all the different types of fish food, and I feed them in small sprinkles throughout the day. Their favorite seem to be frozen Mysis, Hikari Seaweed Extreme and PE Flakes. These are the ones i've noticed triggered a bigger reaction. I will need more weeks of the same observation to grant that more weight, but that's what has them going at the moment. Not much love for the TDO pellets of XS - M size whatsoever. Same with PE Pellets.

I soaked their main feedings, once in the morning when i get up, and one more a few hours before lights out, with Selcon. I might try some other soaks like Vitachem etc. Varied diet is always great in animal husbandry.


Water & Algae

A little cloudy, but not with particulate (fleece roller made sure of this). I've added red sea carbon that came with the reef mat, but hasn't cleared it completely, so i'm assuming it's a bacterial bloom given all the influx of new nutrients from the fish, food, media and bacteria ive been adding.

I have a RedSea Reefmat 1200 and it is a WORKHORSE. I've seem to overcome the sensor issue and its running more reliably now and I have begun to reel in the amount of feed per feeding mostly due to algae starting to grow.

Algae barely has a chance to grow and gets snapped up, so I'm hoping I avoid parts of the ugly stage. But my nitrates are in the 20s, and i have my Radions on for 12 hour photoperiods at 100% intensity. Usually, I'd get massive diatom and algae by now. Nothing that out of hand so far. The tangs are constantly grazing so i can only assume they have a better view of the microalgae growing than i do!

[Just look at the gunk on this thing. This roll did not last very long due to trying to figure out a sensor issue and heavy heavy feeding.]
​

Equipment

My dad came to visit and was so irked by how much light was spilling out of the tank and how glaring it was from the front. He's in the lighting/construction industry and came by today to pass me these little acrylic blinders. It slips right between the plates of the Radions, cutting a lot of glare from when I view the tank from a seated position.

We are now working on adding another to the back panel, so the light spill onto the white wall behind is reduced. Pretty simple solution for a fairly annoying problem.

[It would seem like it, but the light throw is not affected at all for my setup. the light was being thrown onto the inner side of the hood, so no loss in PAR there.]​

Fairly unexciting update, but still a fun day working on the tank

Stay safe everyone!

 

[iFunnny]

Quarantine

I set up two 15gallons in one of the spare rooms. A really basic setup of a hob. There are 3 Jeweled Leopard Wrasses in the QT feeding on pellets and frozen mysis. I will be placing large tubs of sand into the tank but will attempt to either hide them or make them blend in.

Missed out on an Earmuff Wrasse yesterday. LFS had only one piece in and got snapped up before I could even reach out. Either way, I have a spare QT just in case something awesome pops up or something on my list comes around.

 

[iFunnny]

Hello! It's been awhile since my last update. A lot has transpired since! So lets get into it.

I last left off with the QT of three Jewel Leopards, sad to say, 1 did not make it to the QT despite eating. It died in the sand and i found its corpse. I added 5 Choati Wrasses that my LFS got in, fresh off the boat, so It was a huge risk, but I really wanted to have at least 2-3 make it to the DT. I noticed that any of the Leopards that emerged from the sand and lay listlessly on the sand and burrowed back for the night, did not make it. Those that did were the ones that got up, swam around or remained in the sand completely for a few days. They Choatis were on baby brine and tigger pods.

After QT, three made it to the DT. One did not handle the transfer too well, and that left me with these 2.

Sadly, them being the same size, lead to quite a bit of fighting, and then there was one left. Who I am happy to say is eating and doing great. Here is a pic of him sleeping in one of the 2 sand tubs I have in the tank. 20% is hardly a success, but given how fickle and difficult these Leopards are, im glad to have one that seems to be doing so well so far. It's feeding on live baby brine i hatch and gutload myself along with other smaller foods I feed my corals.

Here he is chilling with the Anthias. The large Jewel leopard charges at him from time to time, but no harm done.

I also have a fabulous Marine Betta/Comet that was in a separate QT system where I could make sure it ate. He is pretty bold given how turbulent and aggressive my tank inhabitants are but he's still out chilling on the rocks most of the time.

And then it was time for corals! I have decided to do something crazy and go for an NPS dominated reef with some easy soft corals.

That Elegance on the left is about as big as my face, and i dont have a small face.

My left scape is the sea fan scape

And the right is the sun coral scape.

I have been feeding the tank 4-5 times a day with the following per feeding

15mins before feeding:

Either
1) Reef roids 1.5teaspoons
2) Red Sea AB+ 10ml
3) Polyp Lab Booster 5ml

This is to get the NPS to open up and let them know food is coming. The sun corals appreciate this.

Then after which a standard of
1) 50ml of Live Phyto
2) 3 Large turkey basters worth of live Baby Brine
3) 3-5ml of Oyster Feast from Reef Nutrition
4) 3-5ml of R.O.E from Reef Nutrition
5) Interchangeably the following - LRS Reef Frenzy/Hikari Mysis & Brine/PE Mysis6
6) Hikari Seaweed Extreme Pellets

I turn off the return pump to prevent food from going into the overflow and I broadcast feed the tank. The sun corals get more TLC by shoving Mysis shrimp into them by myself and a turkey baster.

My nitrates are kept at about 10-15ppm, but my phosphates have been ranging between 0.17-0.6, not terrible considering the amount im feeding, but a combination of elimi-phos rapid and nopox has been keeping things more stable. Alk is a stable 9.5, a bit higher, but I like it a bit higher, given im having a tiny bit of PH issues despite CO2 scrubber and inline tubing to fresh air on my 2 skimmer pumps. The redsea reef mat has been a workhorse, i expire a 1200 mat in about a week... which is ridiculous, but the demands for the feeding of the NPS are high.

I didnt know how i was doing on the grand scheme of things with the NPS so i have been photographing them everyday for signs of growth or recession. And im happy to report they are growing! I had a yellow polyp seafan arrive with tissue totally stripped to the stalk.

And here it is after a week

And another spurt of growth here, the lower Y shaped branch is almost all covered.

I also added a Midas Blenny, Radiant Wrasse and three Ornate leopards that all made it past in a separate QT (I have 4 running) and they are all doing great.

Next steps are to setup my RedSea doser and my Phyto culture which will be arriving tomorrow. So I can dose All-for-Reef, Live Phyto, NoPox/Elimi Phos, Live Baby Brine so my corals have a constant food source.

Here's a video of just the fish and the midscape. But thanks for reading

 

[D_Reep1106]

Would love an update on the jewel wrasses, just ordered a pair with 2 Madagascar leopards.