Reef tank reboot, update. with pics

heymybigfish

heymybigfish

Member
Hi! Well my little tank cycled last week, and i added some live stock, and figured i'd share some pictures
thanks to flower, jay0705, spanko, and sweatervest for answering several questions i had whilst starting the tank..etc
current livestock~ 2 clowns, 1 firefish, 1 emerald crab, 1 pep shrimp, 5 tiny hermits, and 5 tiny cerith snails. no turbo snails yet, as they're enormous and i don't have enough algae yet to support them probably.




In a few weeks i'll add another fish or two. i also think i've decided to skip getting a dwarf angel, of any kind, because from what i've read, they're somewhat intimidating, and my firefish is so happy, i'd hate to piss him off.
all fish are eating (flake and thawed mysis..but not pellet, they just bite it and spit it out).... crab is eating too.
the peppermint shrimp has already molted, i have a couple decent pictures of that on my wifes camera....
question, where does the exoskeleton he left behind go? it was there when i went to bed, then when i woke up the next morning it was gone (and he was back in his hiding spot)
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
It looks good!! Nice work. I really like the quality of the rock you have.
A little flake food is fine, maybe a once a week (all flake food is not created equal, so you may have a very high quality variety that is okay to feed more often). But the frozen varieties are usually much more nutritious (frozen Brine is not that nutritious). Check out marine cosine, emerald Entree, Rods food to name a few. My fish will get pellets rarely, but when they do sometimes the pellets are too big for their little mouths (green reef chormis) so I just smash them up into little pieces to help them go down easier.
Firefish are a bit timid, mine hides a lot. I think a dwarf angel would look nice and do well in your system (probably after the tank matures a bit and you have more algae on the rocks).
As for the molt from your shrimp... the CUC got to it and its gone. I have two large skunk cleaner shrimp, the mold about once a month (two weeks apart), I usually find the molt getting eaten by a coral. I have a nice size brain or some candy cane trumpet corals that usually gets a nice treat. The first time I saw the corals eating the molt I was a bit taken a back.
 
heymybigfish

heymybigfish

Member
Thanks! I bought oceans nutrition prime reef flakes. I like frozen better anyways, they seem to go crazy trying to eat that stuff.... How often do you feed?
I would like the angel, I was just worried it would kill my other fish. Which dwarf do kyou recommend for both beauty, and least aggressiveness? Thanks
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Heymybigfish http:///t/395640/reef-tank-reboot-update-with-pics#post_3522775
Thanks! I bought oceans nutrition prime reef flakes. I like frozen better anyways, they seem to go crazy trying to eat that stuff.... How often do you feed?
I would like the angel, I was just worried it would kill my other fish. Which dwarf do kyou recommend for both beauty, and least aggressiveness? Thanks
Your tank looks awesome!
All dwarf angels are drop dead beautiful...my favorite color is yellow, so the lemon Peel was my choice. They are nice to other fish, just not other angelfish...sadly a firefish is so timid that any fish you add will cause it to go hiding, unless it's dinner time...they grab a bite and hide. You might see it come out a little, but quickly dart back into a hiding place every time another fish swims by. Some people use dither fish to show the more timid fish that there is nothing to be afraid of. I don't know if that would work with a firefish.
I always fed my fish once a day...now with the seahorses, they get fed 2Xs a day. with live rock, your fish have more to eat then just what you feed them...they are picking at the rock eating amphipods and such...My Lemon peel would graze picking at the rock all day, even any hair algae stands it could find was picked off and gone. Dwarf angels also like to swim around, in and out of the rock work, always in motion. I never had any aggression problems, and not so little, 4 inches is pretty nice flashy fish.
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/395640/reef-tank-reboot-update-with-pics#post_3522778
Your tank looks awesome!
All dwarf angels are drop dead beautiful...my favorite color is yellow, so the lemon Peel was my choice. They are nice to other fish, just not other angelfish...sadly a firefish is so timid that any fish you add will cause it to go hiding, unless it's dinner time...they grab a bite and hide. You might see it come out a little, but quickly dart back into a hiding place every time another fish swims by. Some people use dither fish to show the more timid fish that there is nothing to be afraid of. I don't know if that would work with a firefish.
I always fed my fish once a day...now with the seahorses, they get fed 2Xs a day. with live rock, your fish have more to eat then just what you feed them...they are picking at the rock eating amphipods and such...My Lemon peel would graze picking at the rock all day, even any hair algae stands it could find was picked off and gone. Dwarf angels also like to swim around, in and out of the rock work, always in motion. I never had any aggression problems, and not so little, 4 inches is pretty nice flashy fish.
Great advice as always Flower!!
Heymybigfish... Flower mentioned dither fish. This would be something like a green reef chromis. I have a school of 5 and they like to be out and swimming all day. They help to bring the more timid fish (like your firefish, maybe) out of hiding. The timid fish sees the dither fish out and they know that all is okay and there is not trouble lurking. Its kinda cool.
I, like Flower used to before seahorses, feed my fish once per day ( and I usually skip one day every week or two). Unless you have a specific fish that needs to eat more often, once is just fine. If you do decide to get a dwarf angel, don't forget to get some algae sheets and a algae clip to suppliment their diet.
I love the dwarf angels, I would love to get a Flame Angel. I have tried 3 in the past but none made it out of the QT. I have had a Coral Beauty that did great as well. I am on the fence on which one to try again.
 
heymybigfish

heymybigfish

Member
Thanks for the compliments guys.
What I was trying to say about my firefish (if its normal for some or not). Is, I think he's really comfortable right now. As he is always out. Like right now, he's just playing on the current with the clowns....also, I can stick my turkey Baster up to him and squirt out mysis and he won't hide. I go right up to the glass and take pictures.... I really don't want to ruin that. But I definitely enjoy fish so don't hide, lol.
As far as Copepoda and amphipods, I don't think I have any.... Years ago when this tank was originally up, I re,ember tiny little pods swimming around, I don't think I have any now though....I was considering buying a bag ( from indo-pacific). To add to the tank, for some live food... And considering bristle worms and stuff... I inherited no hot hikers with my rock I'm afraid,,...
Except these red things, not sure what they are...maybe you guys can identity? I'll add a picture shortly...they're on the rock, they're like little trees. Red trees. Tiny.
 
heymybigfish

heymybigfish

Member
Sorry for the spelling, grammar, errors, I'm typing on my ipad right now and it has a mind of its own sometimes. Lol
 
heymybigfish

heymybigfish

Member

see those little tiny red tree like things? they seem fairly fragile. not sure if its a pest something, or if its just nothing. :) never too safe!
 
vdtank

vdtank

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Heymybigfish http:///t/395640/reef-tank-reboot-update-with-pics#post_3522789

see those little tiny red tree like things? they seem fairly fragile. not sure if its a pest something, or if its just nothing. :) never too safe!
Deftly is some kind Coraline algae... I have the same thing in rock as well..(Totoka Fiji). Actually your rock Coraline is very similar to my LR is been up for now 2 months...Pretty sweat seeing this rock getting color like this. I also have some false clown fish and Firefish Goby...
But didn't have much luck with Yellow Pygmy Dwarf Angel fish he only lasted me 2 weeks. Not sure why? I see him eat a couple of times but mostly just hide. All levels are fine expect for my nitrates my API test kit measure 20ppm but still low...I want to try again with angel fish, But I'll let my tank mature.
 
heymybigfish

heymybigfish

Member
cool!
i plan to have around 12" of total fish.
what rule do you guys use for fish space? i was planning on using the '1 fish inch per 5 gallons"... but i've seen some things that say 1 per 3gal..etc. seems like overloading to me. also i'm going by full grown size... so even though my clowns are only 1" each right now, i consider them to take up about 30 gallons of water, as eventually they'll each be up to 3" full grown.
in 3 weeks or so, if everything remains as stable as it is now, i plan to add 2 more fish (off my ever shrinking list). (i think)... what is your guys experience with any of these fish...
royal gramma
spotted jaw fish, or a pearly jaw fish (though my sandbed is only about 2", so may not be able to
catalina or Clown Goby. love this fish, but heard they're very shy...more so than a dartfish
some beautiful wrasse
....and possibly, like we've talked about a bit, maybe some dwarf angel if all my fish are comfortable, tank is stable, and everyone has hiding spots.
 
vdtank

vdtank

Member
I also have the same question rule of fish space? I have 40g...I'm sticking with small fish's keeping it safe maybe one medium size fish like dwarf fish...but didn't have any luck on my first experience. Planning to add Yellow watchmen Goby and Neon Goby...pretty much mix color in my tank.
So far I have had very good experience with the Royal Gramma he pretty much out there swimming around with my clown fish's .
As for the Lunare Wrasse pretty good the only thing is pretty aggressive . Don't expect to keep any clean up crew because he will attack them. He has attack my Snail, hermit crab and cleaning shrimp. But I love the color of this guy so i prefer having this guy then any kinda of invertebrate
 
heymybigfish

heymybigfish

Member
If a fish touched my emerald crab, he'd probably be sorry. I think they sent me the biggest crab they had, he's like 3" across, lol
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
There is really no inch per gallon rule. You also have to consider the adult size of the fish.
Heymybigfish what size is your tank again?
 
heymybigfish

heymybigfish

Member
55gal.
Yes, I consider the full grown size,.... As I won't be upgrading or getting rid of fish. I want to get fish that work in my system peacefully and can stay in my system. ????
 
heymybigfish

heymybigfish

Member
just made my 2nd fish order, probably my final one, for a long while i'd guess....
i couldn't resist a free shipping from SWF...
ordered a coral beauty, a green clown goby, 2 small serpent stars, 2 urchins (pretty unsure, but my 5yr old really wanted them, and they were BOGO), 1 mexi turbo, a small bag of copepods, a lettuce nudibrach, and a 3 pack of feather dusters.
am also considering adding some phytoplankton? good or bad idea?
thanks!
how about trace elements?
 
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