"Jag's 2nd" the 2ft All-In-One

[priscacara]

Like the scape, lots off room to put things and plenty of space and hiding holes for the fish.

[jayellul]

Did you make that light hanger from the connect stuff at Bunnings? Hows it handle the weight??

[Jaguar]

Yeah the aluminum cubed stuff from bunnings! It's holding up fine. I thought about adding brackets to the corners, but it hasn't sagged or shown any signs of doing so.

[Choppa]

Howdy

Nice tank build

Realy like the colour the lights are giving you. Those pumps are good for the money but tend not to last that long.


Chop

[Jaguar]

I agree on the flow pump. It isn't even enough flow to do the tank any type of justice. I've been hoping someone would sell a used Tunze 6055, or the controller, but no luck so far. I'll need to do some upgrades to the tank after February. Christmas has been expensive.

Sorry there haven't been any updates lately, I've been letting the new inhabitants settle in. I originally brought in 1.4 Ventralis Anthias. I anticipated some loss, and was rewarded with a final # of 3. The McCullochs bullied the male.







RIP fella. I noticed they were really curious and honestly they weren't bullying so much as HEY WHAT ARE YOU?! WHERE YOU GOING?! I'M IN YOUR FACE BRO! I tried to catch them and wasn't able to until the 2nd day as I caught them at night sleeping and unaware. They've been moved to the sump area for now. The other 4 had been feeding on liquid microplankton, live BBS, and I also tried frozen once a day for them. I saw all 4 of them, for a few moments a day, until they all ducked back into the rock. Then one day I only saw 3, and took things apart and sadly found another. These 3 have grown, FAST too. The smallest was really tiny, but has more then doubled her size in about a month. One of the female is probably turning male, but I see them so rarely I can't be sure. They're great when no one's looking at them, these photos were taken as I creeped up on them for it, and you can see them all staring at me in one photo.







And you can't see the horrible algae growing, but it doubled it's horribleness over last weekend. I left my tank in my uncapable husband's hands. And I'm pretty sure he kept feeding the liquid zooplankton the whole weekend rather then changing over to the frozen I've gotten them all trained on now. So the cyano, and diatoms are nuts now. I came back and gave the tank a large probably 75% WC, and cut the half cube dose I've been feeding them to a quarter of a cube frozen 4-5x a day. I've also doubled my biopellets dose, and ordered rowaphos, as it's DEFINATELY needed.

I'm quite certain it's time to add more fish, as these three girls only eat so much, but I might be feeding to much at each feeding. It was more important in the beginning to get them to eat, and be strong and healthy, but probably not so much now that I know they are all feeding. I also need either a better skimmer (I'm still running my Remora C) or a stronger pump on it, which can be done just haven't done it yet. I'd rather get a Tunze 9006 so it doesn't HOB.

I've added a glass top as well, it's a great idea, works great. Pain in the rear. It now goes into part of the weekly regime of cleaning the glass. It gets a good scrub with my 'aquarium only' sponge and RO, then dried and put back.

I gave my hand with SPS in this tank, and that wasn't so great hahaha. There are currently 2 SPS one that's boomproof, hypnogora that was too aggressive in my main and a pink tabling acro that has somehow done okay. I think I'll need to buy one of those sponges with a handle on it to clean the glass better in the corners and closer to the sandbed.

I'll try to take a FTS of the Anthias Tank, or better known as the Phosphate tank. Last time I checked it was at .2 Probably 1.0 now. I think I'll check that this weekend too. I think I've decided to do 30-50% twice weekly WC's to keep things in check.

The rest of the fish list for this tank is to replace the vents that didn't make it this far.
0.2(1) vents
0.3(4) Anthias parvirostris (Sunset Anthias)
1 catalina goby
1 tiger blenny
blood shrimp pair

MAYBE (probably not)
2 disbars
2 lyretail anthias


This tank is really too small for more then about 6 or 7 anthias if I want to add anything else so if I end up with more anthias then are comfortable in this size tank I'll just have to UPGRADE!

On a happy note the zoas that are in the tank are enjoying the less then ideal water conditions and are growing like weeds. I shall try to take some photos of them through all the horrible bad algae this weekend as well. Till then I have a Christmas party to go to!

P.S. 9:30am is not to early to wear fishnets, see through clothing and miniskirts on the train. Except people might look at you funny. Bring it!

[pebbles]

The ventralis are beautiful aren't they? By far the prettiest of the small anthias IMO.

Just something to watch out for: they're prone to bacterial infections, so make sure your skimmer is working hard, as they seem to like clean water. JME.

Btw which anthias do you hope to add next?



Angie

[Jaguar]

Lori's!

I haven't been updating this at all. I got myself into all sorts of mischief. I can't even believe how long it's been since I've updated, or posted photos or anything.

Somewhere about the beginning of the hottest days of summer, my main cube's chiller pump went out, and this one has never had a chiller on it. I realized that even though it is in deeply in a cool corner with all the lights and pumps it gets to hot. I added a 5 computer fan clip over the entire sump/refugium area to keep the tank cool. It keeps the tank below 29-30 on those 40 degree days, but still I'd prefer cooler. There is also the room AC. Then I had some dramas with my guppy's 2 float switch auto top offs that I rage I've never had issues with. (I had issues with it) and flooded the room a few times. On Christmas Eve being the last recent time. I turned off the clip on light as the water was touching the very base of the plastic with the fans facing down, it was a bad situation none the less. I fixed the overflow and forgot to turn on the fans. Next day Christmas was busy, fed fish, went on with the day. It wasn't until I came home that night that I noticed I didn't see the anthias at all, and freaked thinking how hot it had been. All gone.

I turned on the fan when I realized I hadn't plugged it in, but it shouldn't have been an issue. I need another chiller for this tank. I've called and looked to see if I still have my 2 ice probe chillers that I bought in the US, but I must have sold them. I haven't made the purchase of chiller for this tank as of yet, and rely on the fans, and the room AC.

Enough of my losses. I cried for ages that night. I'm still upset they were my favorite and I can't wait til I can get more anthias again. <sigh> My husband has practically forbidden me to get any more until when we have a house where I can have my dream tank and suffer utter perfection in my reef tank. I don't think he gets this hobby, but he doesn't like me crying or unhappy.

The McCullochs were happy and were moved back into the main tank area. I felt this tank was ready, and during the time I had the anthias I added all my zoas, and tried my hand at some rescue sps in this tank. Some of the delicate SPS continued to recede. These were moved into the main display, and one colony managed to be okay with the slightly high phosphate levels of .8-.4 so it has stayed. Since I needed to make room in my main cube for the rescue SPS I took some 'bomb' proof SPS a pink hypno, hydro. .it's toxic, everything that's ever touched it dies. So it came to the rimless, and has been happy there since as well. I realized I don't have photos so I'll make sure to update with photos tonight. I also brought over a lovely fluro green pocci.

I also brought in a lovely tiger blenny, which did fabulously, until Tuesday when I didn't see it in any of the usual hiding holes, and I found it half eaten yesterday. Ivan's (my husband's) not happy again. He calls this tank the bomb tank. (I'm not happy.) I moved my male manderin in this tank, who's not real happy with the move, but I stayed up until 4:30am that night and ripped down most of my main tank to catch him. Plus, since Tricia (Lore) and I have a trip planned for Brisbane/Gold Coast planned next week, nothing besides regular maintenance has been done to my tanks. Next week we plan to bring some of Brisbane's amazing stock down ourselves, as we'll be going to see almost all the good, and ALL the great fish stores there. So we'll see what does, or does not get added to the tanks then.

I'm a bit lost now without the anthias in the tank as to what direction I want to take with fish, and I may give up and just go with a few disbars, or other hardy anthias. I love anthias . I'm well aware vents were cold water, and I was pushing it everyday keeping the tank that warm without forgetting to put the fans on that day. The zoas have all taken off like wild fire, and I have tiles in there so they will allow me to share a frag pack of them in the future. I'm hesitant to add more fish as well, knowing the tank can creep up to such warm temps.

I definitely still want a pair of blood shrimp for this tank, there's 3 peps in there. The mysis, and pod population has gone through the room. Unfortunately some terribad fern/hairish algae has started to go mental with bits of other calupra that's gotten in too. Always a battle with random macro in the display. Ah I also learned you don't mix up biopellet types and I need a stronger pump for my reactor. Maybe a pair of helfrichi's down the track. I'm cautious adding new fish to this tank as well since my McCullochs have now found a home and the female immediately claimed the GSP rock as her home to host in. I've already learned they aren't as friendly as my occys to newcomers from watching them terrorize the vents. Luckily it is always an option to separate them if needed.

I'll add some photos this evening.

[priscacara]

Sounds like you have been in the wars with the weather and things going wrong, sorry to hear it's been a nightmare lately.

[Jaguar]

Thanks Prisacara! It is nice to have others sympathize with the woes of your tank. My husband is pretty terribad at that one. I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day. I got in late so wasn't able to take photos.

FTS:


Zoas:




SPS:




Dreaded Fern Algae :


I have seen it die within 3 -5 days with light deprivation, and I am considering moving all the LR pieces that have developed this algae into a covered bucket for a week then moving it back in, but with our trip in a few days I'll deal with it when I get back.

[pebbles]

Bummer about the vents.

We've certainly had some really hot days this summer but once you get the chiller sorted maybe you can try again?


Anyhow, the trip to Brisbane sounds like its come at the right time.
Have fun and be sure to raid their LFS and bring back lots of goodies!




angie