AGA92 Corner Reef Tank Build

[HumanIMDB]

A local enthusiast is <a href="http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1623840" target=_blank>tearing down his tank</a> and is selling off his live stock. He gave us a really good deal on a huge Green Bubble Tip Anemone and a pair of Tomato Clowns that he's had for over 16 years. He said that the clowns frequently spawn and the GBTA has split at least a dozen times.

The anemone is still moving about the tank but it seems to have settled more or less in one area. The clowns seem to like stirring up the sand around the anemone so the tank is pretty cloudy at the moment but it seems to be getting better.

I'll post pictures once the anemone finally stops moving and the "dust" settles.

 

[kudora]

nice pick up!!

 

[HumanIMDB]

Tomato Clowns and Green Bubble Tip Anemone Pictures

Tomato Clowns and Green Bubble Tip Anemone Pictures

Here are a few pictures...
<a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/NF0409/IMG_2818-1.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/NF0409/IMG_2818.JPG" border=0></a><a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/NF0409/IMG_2819-1.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/NF0409/IMG_2819.JPG" border=0></a><a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/NF0409/IMG_2820-1.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/NF0409/IMG_2820.JPG" border=0></a>
<a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/NF0409/IMG_2824-1.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/NF0409/IMG_2824.JPG" border=0></a><a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/NF0409/IMG_2825-1.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/NF0409/IMG_2825.JPG" border=0></a>

The anemone has been in this spot since Sunday night so we figure this is where it likes to be.

The clowns are pretty aggressive with it and nip at the tentacles occasionally or just sit there with the tentacles in their mouths.

We're a little worried that the tentacles are thinner than when we first got it.

Is it too early to start worrying?

 

[HumanIMDB]

More pictures and video of the Tomato Clowns and Green Bubble Tip Anemone

More pictures and video of the Tomato Clowns and Green Bubble Tip Anemone

<a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/NF0409/IMG_2827-1.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/NF0409/IMG_2827.JPG" border=0></a><a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/NF0409/IMG_2828-1.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/NF0409/IMG_2828.JPG" border=0></a><a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/NF0409/IMG_2830-1.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/NF0409/IMG_2830.JPG" border=0></a>

Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_tuhk8YsnI

 

[flipsideleo]

That dude looks hungry... I'd give it half of a silverside to see how it does.

 

[HumanIMDB]

After we took the pictures it seemed to puff up a bit. It caught a few PE Mysis when we feed tonight. I may put on the thick gloves and try to hand feed it and hopefully the clowns won't get all the food or tear my hand off.

 

[Tswifty]

Nice pickup on the anemone, I would give it a few days to settle in before getting concerned. I usually get in touch with Team RC member Toddrtrex when I have anemone questions. You may need to watch those Tomato Clowns though, they are known to be extremely aggressive.

 

[HumanIMDB]

Thanks. We figured it might be too early to be worried but wanted to make sure.

The clowns seem to be leaving everyone else alone; everyone else had their areas already staked out. We were worried that the anemone was going to settle into one of their areas though, but it didn't.

However, they do attack me when I put my hand in the tank. But that is okay as it forces me to wear gloves.

 

[HumanIMDB]

Yesterday when I came home from work, the anemone looked some what normal.

However, I left and then came back about 2 hours later and it was all shriveled up on one side and the clowns weren't even going near it.

And then, about 2 hours after that, it looked like it did when I came home.

We kept an eye on it when we fed the tank and it would grab food but the clowns stole the food before it could pull it into it's mouth.

Going to pick up some silversides at the Asian market tonight or this weekend. I'll hand feed it so that I can distract the clowns while it eats.

 

[HumanIMDB]

When I got home from work yesterday I noticed the anemone was extended and looking healthy so I used a turkey baster to feed it some Spirulina Brine Shrimp and Squid. I had to keep the clowns away from the anemone while it ate.

It seemed to perk up even more through out the night so I'm thinking we'll feed it a little bit every day for the next while.

Do you think a small piece (1/4 to 1/2 inch) of silverside every day would be too much?

 

[kudora]

i cant chime in on the anenome since i have not kept one yet, but i am glad its extended and looking better.

 

[HumanIMDB]

A few updates...

The anemone is still on the move. We had a bit of a panic on the weekend when it was on one of the powerheads. We unplugged the powerhead and it continued is migration. A few of the tentacles look like they may have been damaged or perhaps they just aren't fully extended yet as it is still moving. As of this morning, the foot has secured itself to the rock right in front of where the powerhead is hidden behind. Hopefully it will either continue moving, else we will need to move that powerhead or turn it back on and let the anemone decide that isn't the spot it should be in...

The bubble algae continues to get worse even with a 30% water change, cleaning of all detritus from the sump, wet skimming 24x7, etc. and now we have green hair algae. I've reduced the display light down to 4 hours a day; the refugium light is on a reverse light cycle so it's on for 20 hours a day. We're also considering paying the $50 shipping charge for the $30 Foxface from J&L Aquatics. Last time I checked they didn't have either a Whitecheek Tang (Acanthurus nigricans) or Powder Brown Tang (Acanthurus japonicas). They did have a Kole Yellow Eye Tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus) though. We'll add the tang(s) to the order to reduce the shipping per fish costs, if they still have the tang(s). My only worry is that we don't have a quarantine setup and I know tangs are one of the worst fish for ich...

Decisions, decisions.

 

[kudora]

i dont have visible algae in my tank but this is what i have in it:

i have a powder brown and a yellow eye, they do a good job or cleaning up the tank. i have 5 large turbos, 7 large asternias, 8 cerniths, 10 small nass snails, pistol shrimp, 3 supertongan, 7 pep shrimp, fighting conch, tigertail cucumber, tux urchin and a black star fish in the tank to help the tangs. even with all that they i think they barely keep up so i am ordering more inverts in the comming weeks.

 

[HumanIMDB]

So, tentative live stock order to combat the algae blooms:

Foxface Rabbitfish
Tiger Tail Cucumber
Blue Tuxedo Urchin
Astrea Snails (10)
Nassarius Snails (10)

Also looking at carbon dosing...

 

[kudora]

What inverts do you have currently? the tiger tail will kinda help keep the sand bed clean it just moves very slowly. the urchin likes to eat coraline algae also so it might eat the purple off the rocks

 

[HumanIMDB]

Just what's left of the initial clean up crew (had a few deaths) and a few more nassarius snails we got from Quin with the anemone and clowns.

<5 - Astrea Snails
<10 - Margarita Snails
~10 - Cerith Snails (they keep laying eggs)
~10 - Nassarius Snails
1 - Cleaner Shrimp
2 - Emerald Mithrax Crabs (somewhere, we only see them occasionally, probabably too full to move )

 

[HumanIMDB]

Vodka dosing experiment

Vodka dosing experiment

After doing a bunch of research on the subject, I've decided to try dosing with vodka. This is the most comprehensive article I've found - http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/index.php

The first thing I have to do is get new Nitrate and Phosphate test kits as the ones we have are expired. Will probably stick with Salifert unless someone can recommend a better product.

Once I have an accurate read on the levels, I'll decide whether to continue the experiment. (i.e. if Nitrate is 0, I won't bother with carbon dosing at this point.)

The in-laws are going to the States this weekend, so I'll get them to pick up a couple cheap bottles of 80 proof.

When we get coral and we start feeding those (likely the "Pappone" Recipe â€"œ Italian Coral Food Updated 1/14/2007) I'll stop dosing with vodka as the Coral Food contains sugar.

 

[HumanIMDB]

Other dosing activities

Other dosing activities

Speaking of dosing, I'm also going to start dosing with the ESV B-Ionic Calcium Two Part Buffer System. We don't have the space for a calcium reactor setup.

I need to do more research on using Vitamin C. Not sure if that is needed when using the Pappone recipe. Anyone dosing with Vitamin C?

 

[HumanIMDB]

There is definitely something wrong with our Blue Spotted Watchman Goby:
<a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/IMG_2842-1.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/IMG_2842.JPG" border=0></a>
<a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/IMG_2845-1.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/IMG_2845.JPG" border=0></a>
<a href="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/IMG_2848-1.JPG" target=_blank><img src="http://www.omnipresence.ca/images/blog/AGA92/IMG_2848.JPG" border=0></a>

Not sure if you can see it in the second or third picture but there seems to be "stuff" coming out but it appears to be stuck.

Is there anything we can do for the poor fish? Or do we just watch and hope whatever it is passes?

Do they sell stool softener for marine fish?

 

[HumanIMDB]

We're wondering if it may have eaten a piece of silverside that the anemone didn't eat; the size and shape is similar.