My 125 aggressive reef thread.

[aquaknight]

Well I realized that I've never really did a full thread about my tank, just posted pics here and there. So here's one where I can gather everything. The tank has been established since last June, so I'll spare you guys the build and just get into the good stuff.
First up, specs
125gal non-drill Oceanic 125 (built circa 1987)
Custom built canopy and retooled stand
Aqua C EV-240 Skimmer w/Mag 18 pump
2x175 watt MH (10k) and 2 x 110watt VHO actnics
1200gph CFL Aquatics Overflow
Mag18 return pump
Wake2k Center 4000gph model
Aquanetics UV light
Little Fishies phosban reactor (running lots of carbon ATM)

Left sump is just some rubbermaid bins, about 20gals, and on the right is a 29gal DSB refugium with chaeto. Tank has about 160lbs of LR in there. The left tower as locally collected rock, from a construction site that I cured/seasoned. About 250lbs of sand in the tank, the sand raises and falls from barely anything to over 5" deep. The Wave2k really love blowing the sand around. Currently looking for heavier sand. Tried putting some crushed coral up front, but didn't like the look.
A guess the theme of the tank was 'predator reef' but my first attempt ended in disaster when I lost all of my fish. The theme now is aggressive reef, but due limitations with the fish, mainly the puffer, all I can keep are SPS's and anemones, so I will be adding more of those, some other types of anemones and all the different types of monti caps I can get ahold off.
Current livestock:
Inverts:
A couple BTA's, just splits from the big one.
3 monti cap frags Green with purple rim, green w/white rim and brown with white polyps
Some xenia, puffer likes to snack and the xenia seems to outgrow any nippling.
Purple Sea Whip
Red Tree Sponge (Angel food)
Couple of large turbos
Fish:
Blueface Angel
Naso tang
Hawaiian Blue Spotted Puffer
Goldbar wrasse
Neon Goby
Harlequin Tusk (in some pics but removed to QT)
And now why you're here, pics!

And a little bit extra, a feeding vid!

 

[azul1994]

Your hawaiian blue spot puffer looks huge! Aren't they supposed to be dwarf puffers?

 

[aquaknight]

He's the biggest one I've seen, 3.5" or so. In the video, you can see him against the 4.5" angel or 5" wrasse, the pics do inflate his size a tad.
Update, here's who on deck, another biggie (for his species at least), a Potter's Angel. Over 3", hopefully I will find a small Potters to form a pair. After they finish QT and the Harelquin goes back in, that sound pretty much complete the stock till the Naso and Blueface goes into a larger tank. I really would like to add a Trigger (Xanthichthy only), Blue Jaw or Sargassum, but I think I might be at, or over the limit. Not filtration, but space. We see though, maybe I can find the right one.

 

[prime311]

Thats looking good so far. Its similar to the setup I'm working on. Just one thing I'd change is you can move your heater into your sump so it doesn't show in your display.

 

[kjr_trig]

About time is right AK

Keep me updated on your Potters Angel, I have been considering one, a little worried I may have too many aggressors in my tank.
Any change on the Tusk?

 

[aquaknight]

LOL, prime you have no idea, EVERY time I go to work on the tank, I completely forget about it. Grown accustom I guess.
kjr, all the lympho spots have disappeared,

but I am really unsure all how to leave him in QT. I will probably start a thread in the Disease board. The potters is doing good so far. He doesn't eat out of the water column yet, but does pick at stuff after it lands. Noticed mainly finely diced spirulina cubes and scallops, and nori that I rubberband to the LR. He's also always picking at the caulerpa. I read that they are some of the more aggressive dwarfs, so I hope he fit into the group (and accept a little sidekick as well). He chased that chromis once or twice, till I guess dominance was estimated.

 

[aquaknight]

Got a new little buddy! So far so good with the big potters, just a slight chase here and there when he tries for the big one's cave. Plan is for a trio, but that will have to wait for the bigger QT to open up. Which looks like it's going to be a while, as the Tusk has taken a turn for the worst. 2 days ago he he had developed Ich spots and his general health was down. We FW dipped him and began hypo. After the dip, he looked like he improved, but last night and this morning he looked bad again, as he was just in the rocks, breathing heavily.
But enough of that mess, here's some pics of the little guy. So cute!

 

[cafero702]

awsome looking angels
sorry about the tuck hope it pules through they look awesome.
The red tree sponge( i think its called) is food for the angels???
They eat that regularly almost like your algae clip? where did you get that do you need good lighting for that to grow?

 

[cafero702]

what kind of algae (food) do you put on your algae clip?? im getting some angels this week and i only have flakes i want to get a clip and some kind of food for them and maybe some red tree sponge

 

[aquaknight]

Originally Posted by cafero702
http:///forum/post/2592454

awsome looking angels
sorry about the tuck hope it pules through they look awesome.
The red tree sponge( i think its called) is food for the angels???
They eat that regularly almost like your algae clip?
Thanks, the Tusk is doing much better, even strongly eating silversides today.
Yea, I added the tree sponge for food for the Blueface. It was from my 29, after it had started to die off a tad. To be honest he doesn't really pick at it as much as I thought/hoped. He does love the frozen sponge block though.
Yep, the angel and tang eat from the clip. The puffer was just in the shot begging for food. The Goldbar wrasse eats from the clip too, which is a problem, because he's so strong he rips the clip right off the glass. Going to have to use a mag-float now.
Originally Posted by cafero702
http:///forum/post/2592454
where did you get that do you need good lighting for that to grow?
Little lost on this one, but which thing are you talking about? The Tree Sponge? If so, sponges actually don't need light at all. I have good lighting because I'm hoping to keep some montipora caps. and some anemones in the tank as well.
Originally Posted by cafero702
http:///forum/post/2593513
what kind of algae (food) do you put on your algae clip?? im getting some angels this week and i only have flakes i want to get a clip and some kind of food for them and maybe some red tree sponge
The algae I feed is Ocean Nutrition Seaweed Selects, looks like this:

What angels are you thinking about? Dwarf's like my potters have different diet needs then large angels like my Blueface. The algae is actually more for the tang then the angel though.

 

[cafero702]

lol yes i ment the tree sponge for the lighting.
Im getting a queen and a emperor this week i bought flakes for them but i dont have anything to put on an algae clip yet. i was gonna order it online. ill check that product out

 

[aquaknight]

Saying it's not been a good week, doesn't began to describe it. First, the Tusk and little Potters both passed away. The Tusk had gotten worse (in Hypo) and slowly just stopped swimming, just laying, breathing heavily to breathing on his side. Found him under the rocks this morning. The little Potters never really took well, sort of floating around, semi-confused (just like your cream KJR, if you read this it seems like) to spite being fully accepted by the big Potters, she just never did anything. She did nibble at some blood worms and cyclopeeze. I would have thought watching the big Potters wolf down scallops would have been enough.
Either way, I am 0 and 3 with trying to keep Tusks, my 2 lost to disease/unknown and my parents' whose jumped. So I guess I am officially done for time being with Tusks. I absolutely love them, but figured I have already done enough damage to the speices. I actually suspect possible cyanide poisioning on my last one. He went from eating great in 55 (one of my QT's) when I first got him, to getting sick in the 125, to not eating back in the 55, to just laying on his side trying to hang on.
I'm thinking probably similar issues with more potters. My plan had been for a trio of Potters, but the stigma that most don't live in captiveity is probably true, and my success with my current Potters blinded me to that. Time to rethink my stocking list and adjust.
The icing on the cake is the 125 is leaking now. Not sure where or how but the carpet in front of the tank is definitely wet. Will start a separate thread for that.

 

[redman1221]

Sorry to hear about your potter, I had one and it would not eat for nothing. I am glad you other one is eating, and sorry about your tusk I want one but I have inverts in my tank.