Homer's New Tank Diary

clsimons29

Member
Originally Posted by NateP206
do you have a final fish list planned? id love to see it.
and nice selections so far. you might want to get 2 more fire fishs. so they school. when kept singly they can get pretty aggresive.
and have you considered puting the GSP on the snd bed?
-nate :beer:

As far as a fish list I know what I want but don't necessarly have a planned order etc. I buy what is available and fits for my tank. Here are some of the fish on the wish list though.
Purple Tang
Mandrin dragonet
Possibly a powder blue tang
Foxface
Royal Gramma
And of course lots more rock and corals!
 

chuckcac

Member
hey - new to the post - and i just read your diary. Great job so far! it looks amazing!
I'm getting started on my 55gal (christmas present) soon, and you've inspired me to start a diary as well!
Keep up the good work!
 

clsimons29

Member

Originally Posted by chuckcac
hey - new to the post - and i just read your diary. Great job so far! it looks amazing!
I'm getting started on my 55gal (christmas present) soon, and you've inspired me to start a diary as well!
Keep up the good work!

Wow Thanks!!! I have really enjoyed doing this diary as I can look back and see how far I have come and people have definitely given me some good input and advice when things come up. Good luck on your tank and I look forward to reading your tank diary.
Merry Christ
mass Everyone!!!!!
 

clsimons29

Member
Made a trip to Lubbock for my anniversary and picked up some new corals. Just had my little camera so pics aren't that great.
Torch coral - green but looks brown in photos 6 branches
Branching Hammer
Green zoos
Red brain
purple/blue ???? looks like a xenia but store said it wasn't but wernet sure
Misc snails




 
M

mlandrigan

Guest
Just curious... It doesn't sound like you quarentine anything. What are your thoughts on the prevention of ich, especially with the tangs? Also, what do you feed your tangs. The blue looks beautiful!
Thanks,
Matt
P.S. I'm battling a cyano breakout also and it is getting better.
 

clsimons29

Member
Originally Posted by mlandrigan
Just curious... It doesn't sound like you quarentine.... prevention of ich..... feed your tangs. .... The blue looks beautiful!
P.S. I'm battling a cyano .
You would be correct that I do not quaratine anything at this point. I do not have the set up available for this. My blue tang did get some ick when I first got him and I tried a few things. I placed a UV sterilizer in my system and that seemed to clear most of it up and used a diluted solution of Kent RXP pro (not safe for some inverts) squirted directly on my blue tang. This combination has kept everything ick free from that point, using only the UV now. I also do regular water changes with premixed aged water, I keep a 45 gallon tub in the back of my office on an ongoing basis, RO-DI water only. I also try to buy my fish only from places where I know they take care of their stock and also have the stores hold the fish for me in their tanks if it is from a new shipment when possible. In 8mths since set up I have been fortunate to have no fatalities outside of the intial damsel stock and a red scooter blenny who died before going in the tank. I also keep my top off constant which keeps my salinity stable and prevents stress which in itself can be a cause of an Ick outbreak. Keep at 30 SP
On food I feed twice a day of the following:
Prime Reef flakes & Kent platinum reef herbivore pellets - morning
Prime reef flakes & Spectrum pellets in evening
Algae sheets once week
Frozen krill once week hand feed to some stock
Frozen cyclo-eze once week
Phytoplakton every other week
+ I have a very large colony of brine shrimp in my in tank refugium - come out of the fuge under moonlights in what looks like 1000s of them.
My red cyno problem I ended up clearing up with chema clean, lighting timer, adding more flow and time. Went through a black cyno outbreak after that which pretty much cleared up on its own.
Thanks for the compliment on my blue! he is one of my favorites. My local store is getting a shipment of corals in this week so will be posting some more pics soon.
 

clsimons29

Member
Oh yea,I also got an ID on the blue Xenia look alike....it is a blue anthelia which is in same famly as the Pulsing Xenia.
 

clsimons29

Member
Well I got my 1st frag. The large green star polyp I had I got to grow on a cool piece of staghorn rock and I seperated the two today. I am trying to get the coral to grown to the shape of the rock.
 

clsimons29

Member
Originally Posted by Deric203
what is the black flexible return line and nozzle called that is pictured in your tank?
Not sure exactly what you are referring to but if it is the black cord on the side view picture below my fuge it is just the powercord to some powerheads I added to add flow until I can redo things a bit and get some new motors. If your talking about the other end at the overflow they are two heads w/loc-line fittings that is the return from the sump.
 
M

mlandrigan

Guest
Originally Posted by clsimons29
On food I feed twice a day of the following:
Prime Reef flakes & Kent platinum reef herbivore pellets - morning
Prime reef flakes & Spectrum pellets in evening

Thanks a lot... do you soak the pellets at all to soften them up or can your tang handle them? My tang is about 2.5 inches long and he isn't able to get the pellets in his mouth.
Matt
 

clsimons29

Member
Originally Posted by mlandrigan
Thanks a lot... do you soak the pellets at all to soften them up or can your tang handle them? My tang is about 2.5 inches long and he isn't able to get the pellets in his mouth.
Matt
I do not soak at all, I just put in and they eat them up. Some always makes it to the bottom and my crabs and shrimp have a heyday.
 

clsimons29

Member
Thought I would update I added a purple tang last week, him and my sailfin are schooling together. Today I added a powder blue tang, 6-line wrasse, and some massive Mexican turbo snails.




 

triga22

Active Member
Your tank is beautiful. How is you Flame Angel with the corals? Does he nip? Not to be rude,if you dont want to tell I understand, How much has this cost?!?
 

clsimons29

Member
Heres a quick full tank shot my fuge has slipped down and haven't fixed yet in the pic.
i have had no problems w/ m flame angel either he is doing great.
As far as how much I have spent not totally sure but between $3-$4k so far. I have managed to get most of my stuff used which has saved a ton of money. The water changes alone run me between $150 -$200 month between my RO delievery and salt. I don't know if I I mentioned that my tank bred perc has starting hosting my torch coral. We are also going to be moving this tank into a wall set-up in about 3 months once my wifes veterinary clinic is finished being built. I'll let ya know when that is going to happen.

 
Top