2Tall 185g - Build

[bugs713]

Wow, what happen to margins?! Don't know what it is doing this.
Anyway, still have not started my DIY LED's yet or the wood work for the stand skin. Hopefully will get something going this weekend.

I also added an MP40 for even better flow. I am running a huge amount of GPH with the Snapper return and the Iwaki MD40 on the CL, but I'm finding that the flow dies out rather quickly in this depth - the MP40 absolutely filled the void! I had originally planned on using two MP40's but had learned they are only good up to .75" panel thickiness; well only my sides are 1" BUT the front and back are actually .75".... I didn't even notice this?!

I tried to get a full tank/stand shot by going down the hall, I cannot get one from inside the room. This tank is much bigger in person than it looks in the pictures.

Thanks for following along on my aqua-journey, really loving this hobby!!

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:wavehand:

 

[jporter]

Bugs, looks great. I really like the tall tanks.

 

[bugs713]

Bugs, looks great. I really like the tall tanks.

Thanks!
I like this tall tank more and more each day, they really display in a way the standards can't!
I think the fish love it as well, they will do these straight up or straight down slow glides from top to bottom - cool to watch!
:beer:

 

[evolved]

What happened with your tile fish that had the pectoral fin stuck in its gill? Did it eventually work itself out or did you have to do it yourself?

Looking good, btw.

 

[Weyrman]

Bugs,

I continue to like how your tank's coming along.

How do you manage to get to things at or near the bottom of your tank to do maintenance or just plain moving something?

I'm looking at a 32" deep tank build and every time I play around with the idea I think to myself how am I going to do this or that near the bottom!

 

[bugs713]

What happened with your tile fish that had the pectoral fin stuck in its gill? Did it eventually work itself out or did you have to do it yourself?

Looking good, btw.

Thank you!
No, the fin is still in his gill. He is still doing perfectly fine and does not effect his mobility in comparison to his partner. I'm concerned with the stress of catching him and physically removing the fin. Also concerned with the the long term effects on his gill with the fin stuck in there!

I have a large fish trap and could catch him, place him on a wet cloth and use a blunt piece of plastic and lightly pull it out; what do you think??

 

[bugs713]

Bugs,

I continue to like how your tank's coming along.

How do you manage to get to things at or near the bottom of your tank to do maintenance or just plain moving something?

I'm looking at a 32" deep tank build and every time I play around with the idea I think to myself how am I going to do this or that near the bottom!

Thanks!
I have a small rubber band that is currently inaccessible under an over hang resting on the sand... it makes me nuts seeing it, I'm waiting for it to work its way out in the open so I can catch it... haha

I have a few different robot arms, like those used for picking up trash and they work good for picking up things dropped. I have not tried any frag placement using the robot arms yet and will post when I do.

I have planned from the beginning to have the sand bed open and free with very little actually sitting on the bed. The high flow is helping to keep the sand clean, especially with the recent MP40 addition - glad I added the bigger particle sand and not just the sugar size!

I use a very strong power head mounting magnet with two layers of felt on both sides for the glass cleaning and this is working great - at least until I talk myself into spending $300 on a good glass cleaner. :hmm2:

Placing frags down low will be a challenge of trial and error, but I think it will be worth. A tank over 25" deep is going to be a PITA no matter what, but the viewing benefits AND the fact the fish really seem to love it, out weighs the bad IMO. Then again, ask me this question again in 6 months...:spin1:

 

[Weyrman]

Thanks!
I have a small rubber band that is currently inaccessible under an over hang resting on the sand... it makes me nuts seeing it

...the viewing benefits AND the fact the fish really seem to love it, out weighs the bad IMO. Then again, ask me this question again in 6 months...:spin1:

Will do! That could be about when I actually get something started.

 

[evolved]

Thank you!
No, the fin is still in his gill. He is still doing perfectly fine and does not effect his mobility in comparison to his partner. I'm concerned with the stress of catching him and physically removing the fin. Also concerned with the the long term effects on his gill with the fin stuck in there!

I have a large fish trap and could catch him, place him on a wet cloth and use a blunt piece of plastic and lightly pull it out; what do you think??

I'd trap him and remove it. Surely if it remains in the gill for a prolonged period, it'll take a toll one way or another. I imagine it wouldn't be too difficult to remove; you may have to open up his gills nice and wide, however.

 

[bugs713]

Yeah your right!
I will work on trapping him starting tonight and will post results and maybe pics.

Thanks!

 

[Rippinfrags]

Bugs, I really like how the rbta loos on your rock pillar!!! Sweet!!!!!

 

[bugs713]

Bugs, I really like how the rbta loos on your rock pillar!!! Sweet!!!!!

Me too! That is where I initially placed them and they only moved a few inches, so hopefully they will stay there....
Thanks!

 

[bugs713]

Pec Fin Removed From Gill!

Pec Fin Removed From Gill!

I didn't need to use my trap, I placed the net in the water at the surface for about 30 minutes to get them use to it, then fed the tank and first caught one of the mimics (If I was trying to catch this Mimic, it would not have happen...) I then caught the correct Tilefish rather quickly!

I had a cloth wet with SW layed out, put on latex gloves and put on my head set magnifier glasses - I looked like a halfazz doctor haha.

I made a FET (Fin Extraction Tool) using a zip-tie and used the thin blunt pointed end to slip between his body and the gill/fin and lightly pulled it out.I held him in the net while doing this and his out of water time was 30 seconds.
Back in the DT, he immediately swam down into his night sleeping spot deep into the rock and hid. I fed chunks of Rod's frozen food and he came right out to feed (Piggish)as normal.

He is moving the fin and swimming with it, but it is more forward towards his nose than it should be. I'm sure it will get back to normal position in due time as it was forward, stuck in the gill for a while. He is also spending time at the fish wash with the Cleaner Shrimp.

He actually handled this well and when I cupped my hand around him while in the net, he totally calmed down and allowed me to do this.
I'll keep an eye on him and hope for the best. He's swimming and food hunting now 20 minutes after.
I will call this a success if all is well in a few days, but feeling some major relief right now!
Thanks Hunter!
:bounce3::bounce2:

F.E.T (Patent Pending...)

His left fin:

 

[bugs713]

<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px">Here is my first ever attempt at posting a video... sorry for the bad quality and timing as the lights cycled off in the middle of it.

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[bugs713]

New additions to the 185 family, two more Purple Tilefish AND two stitiches!
Their colors just kill me and when Reef Monsters (LFS) got four more in, I was there I almost bought all four, but kept myself in check. They are in QT and will be for a few weeks before they join the DT crew.

The Stitches:
I acclimated them into the QT and was changing tubing on the canister filter - using a utility knife... to cut the stuck tubing from a barb connection and sliced my thumb open! QT water got blood in it, salt water burns in open wounds BTW and used duct tape to try to stop the bleeding while I did a massive water change in the QT....
Cleaned and peroxided the cut and decided it was urgent care time as I could not stop the bleeding with my MAN tape. After two stitches and Vicodin all was well.

I bled all over the floor in the kitchen and didn't clean it as family rushed me to urgent care; came home to what looked like the OJ Simpson crime scene after my cats and dog walked all through it and all through the tiled house, what a mess!

Anyway, they are doing good in QT and got both to start eating today - Reef Caviar always does the trick! I will post more pic of them when they get paroled.
:beer:

 

[bugs713]

Bad day!
One of the Tilefish jumped from the DT today while I was at work. He got through the 1/2" mesh screen and for the life of me, I did not think they would fit through that mesh! The screen was fully Velcroed down with no gaps whatsoever I was going to replace with 1/4" mesh just in case, but didn't think it was a rush to get it done. Damn, really bummed out right now!
Everyone I've heard from that has kept these fish have lost one to jumping and I was determined not to be one of them....All the years I have kept fish, FW/SW I never lost one to suicide!

 

[Rippinfrags]

Sorry to hear that bugs, I would never of thought they could fit through 1/2 in. Screening!

 

[ademster]

That sucks, sorry to hear Phil.

 

[bugs713]

Ooops

 

[bugs713]

Another bad day....
Day 10 of Tilefish in the QT, the power strip powering all the flow - air pump, canister filter and heater was evidently shut off by one of my cats stepping on the on/off switch. When I discovered it, one was dead and one barely alive but died 2 hrs later. My RKL was beeping with a temperature and pH alert when I came home, but unfortunately this controller was not hooked up to a to a NET module for email alerts. The temp only dropped to 74, but the pH went up to 8.5 then down to 7.3 in a rather short period.

Sometimes the learning curve in this hobby kicks my butt ox and at the expense of my creatures unfortunately! The last two Tilefish almost died when the 20L QT blew a seam, but the new 29g QT I installed two float switches connected to the RKL as an early warning low level alert. Just did not buy the NET module for that controller as the other tanks have... I did make a new screen for the 185 using .25" mesh to replace the .5" mesh the other Tilefish made it through!

The lone Tilefish in the DT is doing great, even without his buddy. Will look for a replacement for him as they are said to do better in pairs. I have a male Lyretail Anthias in QT now, waiting for RC to get some females to add with him.

As for the LED build, I've been waiting for Rapid to get the heat sinks I need in stock so I can place my final order for my DIY LED build. I really hope it is soon as I have been eyeballing some Radions, I almost bought two today, but for a change, kept to my plans!! Radions will not give me what I need anyway, but they are just too damn cool. I did order a NET module for the the QT though...

I will do my LED's in this thread when I get everything.

Thanks!