Tenecor 100 Gallon Lagoon-style acrylic AIO

[tharbin]

Sorry to hear about the CBB. I think if I ever try to keep one it will be of the pre-quarantined variety. I'm willing to pay more to make sure that particular fish would be healthy and eating. We've all put things in our tanks that we know we maybe should have waited on though, it stings but all you can do is learn from it and do it differently next time.

Yes, pre-quarantined would be a good choice. It probably always is. What really hurts, other than watching a creature suffer for my arrogance and stupidity is that I always preach to be patient and then I turn around and act impatiently and imprudently. The old 'do as I say, not as I do' routine.

 

[tbrown]

Just curious, was it from Aquaholics or elsewhere?

 

[tharbin]

Just curious, was it from Aquaholics or elsewhere?

The CBB and Bristletooth were both from Aquaholics. They said they had just come in so I don't think they had really observed them much. I found out before we left, but after they had bagged the fish, that they receive orders on Wednesdays so I doubt they had been anything more than unbagged. If I had thought about it I would have held off. That said, the little Bristletooth seems fine and is a model member of the community.

I'm not ruling out that it's still possible that some old methods of collection are used surreptitiously in certain areas.

 

[tbrown]

I think cyanide collection still happens a lot and there are still lots of reports of Angels exhibiting cyanide poisoning symptoms and then dying suddenly after 2 months or so. It's crazy and annoying. It makes me hesitant to buy fish sometimes.

 

[tharbin]

I think cyanide collection still happens a lot and there are still lots of reports of Angels exhibiting cyanide poisoning symptoms and then dying suddenly after 2 months or so. It's crazy and annoying. It makes me hesitant to buy fish sometimes.

That was my first thought when I observed the fish and it is still possible. I don't have the means or inclination to check the fish post-mortem.

I also noticed that there were a lot of CBBs, to a number of LFSs, that came into the valley at the same time. Far more at one time than I used to see. It reminds me more of the days when that collection method was common. I dealt with a great number of loses of potentially great fish because of it. I would imagine the risk is mainly with the larger, more flamboyant or expensive fish where they may deem the risk worth the reward.

 

[tbrown]

Aquarium Arts had a good variety of CBB back 2 months ago for a good price. @1ocean ended up picking up one of them. I almost did. They were healthy and eating at the time.

 

[tbrown]

They may still have 1 or 2 left.

 

[tharbin]

Aquarium Arts had a good variety of CBB back 2 months ago for a good price. @1ocean ended up picking up one of them. I almost did. They were healthy and eating at the time.

I've only been to Aquarium Arts twice in the last 17 years. Once about 2 years ago and almost bought a tank and again about a month ago. It's pretty nice in there now. I almost bought a Blue-eyed Kole Tang. Everything looked healthy. Can't say that was my experience there many years ago. I guess I need to trust again.

 

[tharbin]

They may still have 1 or 2 left.

I need to wait on any new fish until I'm relatively sure everybody else is okay in the tank. I did notice their prices were better than most of the other LFSs.

 

[tharbin]

Update time:

Good news:

• All of the fish still seem to be fine so far although it is a little early to be sure. The 'probably, Square Tail Bristletooth is fitting in fine with the community although he makes a bit of a pest of himself following around the other fish. It's a real 'joiner'. It also likes to eat algae, maybe the Foxface will learn from it.
• It seems the problem with the Mystic Sunset may have been the CBB as I don't see any additional damage to it or any other montis yet.
• The TSA Sweet Cakes Goni is hanging in there and starting to improve and the three green birds nest frags have stopped STNing, regrown some tissue and showing new growth.
• The UV hasn't popped off the tank wall. Thanks again @BubblesandSqueak, great idea for a mod.

Okay news

• The Berghias may or may not be alive and may or may not be eating anything.

Bad News

• The TSA Deep Love Goni is a goner. When I got the red goni from TSA I noticed some necrosis on one end of the frag. It kept spreading and the frag is now a white skeleton with a ting of reddish hue here and there. It only lasted a week. Pretty bad even by old-time goni standards. I may leave the skeleton in the tank though as I seem to recall that someone had left an old skeleton in their tank and a year or so later a small goni was growing from it.

 

[tbrown]

• . I may leave the skeleton in the tank though as I seem to recall that someone had left an old skeleton in their tank and a year or so later a small goni was growing from it.

I had that happen after 3 or 4 months with a couple of Gonis. I then proceeded to kill those as well though.

 

[NeedAReef]

wow, I read nearly the whole thread before I noticed you are in AZ! Hello neighbor. Lovely tank you have there!

 

[tbrown]

wow, I read nearly the whole thread before I noticed you are in AZ! Hello neighbor. Lovely tank you have there!

He's not much of a neighbor though! Although he's closer to you than me...

 

[tharbin]

He's not much of a neighbor though! Although he's closer to you than me...

Lol, actually, many of the LFSs I go to are in Mesa.

 

[NeedAReef]

Lol, actually, many of the LFSs I go to are in Mesa.

really? I only frequent 2. RM and AA. Closer to RM than AA but I like the mom and pop feel of both. Always kind to me.

 

[tharbin]

Well 'many' may be overstating it as there aren't 'many' left in the whole valley.

AZ Reef Monster is my main go-to. Discount is where I get old base rock, supplies and used gear actually I think they are in Tempe come to think of it. Aquarium Arts I used to go to and will be going again more often. I used to go there and a place that is gone that was on Price a little below Baseline the most often. I was going to Artistic Aquarium until they moved their retail to Only Fins but those are both in Chandler. I've only been there two or three times. The only other LFS I go to regularly is Kona in Chandler. Last week I went to Ocean Floor for the first time in about 18 years and went to Aquaholic Aquariums for my first time. There used to be another general pet shop somewhere in Mesa, or maybe Tempe, I went to often but I think it is gone. All I remember is it was in a strip mall and always had piles of used 10 gallon tanks out front, and a not-too-bad marine section. The other one I remember, and went to often was called AquaTouch I believe, it was on 32nd Street in Phoenix.

So now that I go through it I guess I still go to Mesa the most often but go to more shops in Chandler. I also have a LFS here in Casa Grande called Unique Aquariums. He has tried to make a go with saltwater but there just is not enough local business so he does mainly reptiles, some freshwater and a very little saltwater even Hot Wheels and 3d-printed trinkets. He has a couple nice Nano tanks set up in the shop but he's currently trying to sell both complete with livestock so I think he may be giving up that part of the dream. I make sure I have him order me some supplies on a regular basis to help keep him doing some saltwater. Who knows he just may get enough customers if he hangs in there long enough. I know he sold a used 80-gallon to the guy that does my HVAC and the guy wants to go saltwater...

 

[tbrown]

Well 'many' may be overstating it as there aren't 'many' left in the whole valley.

AZ Reef Monster is my main go-to. Discount is where I get old base rock, supplies and used gear actually I think they are in Tempe come to think of it. Aquarium Arts I used to go to and will be going again more often. I used to go there and a place that is gone that was on Price a little below Baseline the most often. I was going to Artistic Aquarium until they moved their retail to Only Fins but those are both in Chandler. I've only been there two or three times. The only other LFS I go to regularly is Kona in Chandler. Last week I went to Ocean Floor for the first time in about 18 years and went to Aquaholic Aquariums for my first time. There used to be another general pet shop somewhere in Mesa, or maybe Tempe, I went to often but I think it is gone. All I remember is it was in a strip mall and always had piles of used 10 gallon tanks out front, and a not-too-bad marine section. The other one I remember, and went to often was called AquaTouch I believe, it was on 32nd Street in Phoenix.

So now that I go through it I guess I still go to Mesa the most often but go to more shops in Chandler. I also have a LFS here in Casa Grande called Unique Aquariums. He has tried to make a go with saltwater but there just is not enough local business so he does mainly reptiles, some freshwater and a very little saltwater even Hot Wheels and 3d-printed trinkets. He has a couple nice Nano tanks set up in the shop but he's currently trying to sell both complete with livestock so I think he may be giving up that part of the dream. I make sure I have him order me some supplies on a regular basis to help keep him doing some saltwater. Who knows he just may get enough customers if he hangs in there long enough. I know he sold a used 80-gallon to the guy that does my HVAC and the guy wants to go saltwater...

I think Discount's old location may be the strip mall shop you're referring to? I know they moved around 12-15 years ago.

 

[tharbin]

I think Discount's old location may be the strip mall shop you're referring to? I know they moved around 12-15 years ago.

It's possible it is although the one I'm thinking of had a reptile section as well. It had piles of old 10 gallon tanks out front and a kiddie pool right inside the front door. I don't remember what was in the pool but it might have been turtles.

 

[tharbin]

So it's been about a month since my last update and there has been nothing good to relate. So the bad:

The Black Ray Goby is gone. It lived in a cave near the feed cup and liked to go up to mid-tank during feeding. The Foxface likes to go low in the same area during feeding and they would frequently almost collide. It seems that they probably did one day as I heard a commotion in the tank, the Foxface went into hiding for the rest of the day and the Black Ray was nowhere to be seen. Two days later the Black Ray showed up in the sand looking very sick. By the time I got back with a net, it had crawled off into the rockwork never to be seen again.

The Mystic Sunset predation continued until there was only a thin band of coral left on the rock. It seems to be holding on and I don't think it is still being attacked but too soon to be sure.

The Fiji Bird Nests started STNing again and are almost gone.

The Berghia were a bust. I wasn't sure one of the two was even alive when I added them and the other didn't 'look right' to me after it started moving around. It looked more like a MEN than the photos I had seen of Berghia. I had released that one right next to the Mystic Sunset, coincidence? The end result is that I now have an Aptasia-dominate tank.

While the turf algae is slowly losing ground, I have a very tough-to-remove GHA right next to the Purple Stylo.

The tank is still running about two degrees warmer than I would like. I'm 90% sure the culprit is the Tunze eco-chic fuge light. It runs pretty warm so I think the tank is never getting a chance to cool down over night.

Every day or so a frag plug is knocked over or a frag is knocked off its plug altogether. This is a function of having a juvenile Bristletooth that likes to follow the other fish around.

For a number of reasons I totally neglected the tank for about three weeks and it shows, overall the tank is ugly and the corals have lost color.

So, what now?

I just recommissioned the Waterbox Peninsula 15 gallon as a frag tank. My wife has always wanted a frag tank so I told her to feel free to go to the LFS and pick up 72 frags.

The frag tank will be used to help a few of the frags from the display. It will also be used for an observation tank for new corals/fish. QT will still be a separate tank.

I dug out a storage bin big enough to pull individual rocks for a little manual intervention that I will probably start tomorrow. Today is reserved for parameter checks and a water change plus finishing the setup of the frag tank. Depending on the test results I'm sure I will need to work on adjusting some parameters.

I may clean the panes so that I can see the corals/fish again.

I'm going to tinker with the flow again as I'm not sure I'm getting much benefit from the right side gyre in its present location. Once that is done I need to design/print a new feed cup.

I'm thinking about pulling the fuge as I don't feel it is benefitting the tank enough to matter.

I'm going to order more Berghia from an alternate source and try again.

I may order some live rock/sand from TBS.

 

[tbrown]

So it's been about a month since my last update and there has been nothing good to relate. So the bad:

The Black Ray Goby is gone. It lived in a cave near the feed cup and liked to go up to mid-tank during feeding. The Foxface likes to go low in the same area during feeding and they would frequently almost collide. It seems that they probably did one day as I heard a commotion in the tank, the Foxface went into hiding for the rest of the day and the Black Ray was nowhere to be seen. Two days later the Black Ray showed up in the sand looking very sick. By the time I got back with a net, it had crawled off into the rockwork never to be seen again.

The Mystic Sunset predation continued until there was only a thin band of coral left on the rock. It seems to be holding on and I don't think it is still being attacked but too soon to be sure.

The Fiji Bird Nests started STNing again and are almost gone.

The Berghia were a bust. I wasn't sure one of the two was even alive when I added them and the other didn't 'look right' to me after it started moving around. It looked more like a MEN than the photos I had seen of Berghia. I had released that one right next to the Mystic Sunset, coincidence? The end result is that I now have an Aptasia-dominate tank.

While the turf algae is slowly losing ground, I have a very tough-to-remove GHA right next to the Purple Stylo.

The tank is still running about two degrees warmer than I would like. I'm 90% sure the culprit is the Tunze eco-chic fuge light. It runs pretty warm so I think the tank is never getting a chance to cool down over night.

Every day or so a frag plug is knocked over or a frag is knocked off its plug altogether. This is a function of having a juvenile Bristletooth that likes to follow the other fish around.

For a number of reasons I totally neglected the tank for about three weeks and it shows, overall the tank is ugly and the corals have lost color.

So, what now?

I just recommissioned the Waterbox Peninsula 15 gallon as a frag tank. My wife has always wanted a frag tank so I told her to feel free to go to the LFS and pick up 72 frags.

The frag tank will be used to help a few of the frags from the display. It will also be used for an observation tank for new corals/fish. QT will still be a separate tank.

I dug out a storage bin big enough to pull individual rocks for a little manual intervention that I will probably start tomorrow. Today is reserved for parameter checks and a water change plus finishing the setup of the frag tank. Depending on the test results I'm sure I will need to work on adjusting some parameters.

I may clean the panes so that I can see the corals/fish again.

I'm going to tinker with the flow again as I'm not sure I'm getting much benefit from the right side gyre in its present location. Once that is done I need to design/print a new feed cup.

I'm thinking about pulling the fuge as I don't feel it is benefitting the tank enough to matter.

I'm going to order more Berghia from an alternate source and try again.

I may order some live rock/sand from TBS.

Pretty sure that was how I lost my Yellow-Lined Cleaner Goby - Foxface got startled and Yellow-Lined looked really rough.

Sorry about the Aiptasia. That's the way my 125 went. I still see Nudibranches in there on several occasions but they don't seem to be making a huge dent.