Butterflytown - 240 FOWLR

Here's an update of my current DT inhabitants and quarantine inhabitants.

Current Stock list:

Butterflies:
Chaetodon Semilarvatus - Heading to Derek as soon as my fish trap arrives.
Chaetodon Rainfordi
Chaetodon Flavirostris
Chaetodon Octofasciatus - Deceased
Hemitaurichthys polylepis x 2
Coradion altivelis - Deceased
Roa Modestus

Angels:
Centropyge Eibli
Centropyge Venustus x 2 - Lost one a while ago, never found it.
Centropyge Multifasciatus
Pygoplites diacanthus x 2
Centropyge Flavissima - Added in the past month

Damsels
Chrysiptera starcki
Chrysiptera talboti x 3
Chrysiptera annulata - Added in the last month

Others
Arothron nigropunctatus - Black Dog Face Puffer - Added Back
Acanthurus Achilles
Odontanthias borbonius x 2 - Deceased

Quarantine
Chaetodon Semilarvatus
Chaetodontoplus septentrionalis

Last year was kind of a rough year for me in terms of fish keeping. I took on a lot of challenges, from the Arabian to the two kite butterflies, and really don't feel like I was successful with any of them.

None of the fish I lost were due to poor quarantine practices, I think it was more an issue of bad stocking choices by me. The altivelis and octo were both thoroughly quarantined, but the tank required a tremendous amount of food for them to get enough. The kite butterflies (P. Ocellatus) didn't last much over 24 hours, I think that was a collection issue. And then there is the Arabian, which most people know about. All told, I think I lost 7 fish last year.


I have high hopes for 2016 though. While I'm still hunting for a few butterflies, I think I may take my tank a different direction as I mentioned a little while ago.

I'm really excited about the little blueline and semi in my quarantine tank. They've been there for the better part of 6 months and I'm just now starting to treat them. I'm pretty positive they don't have anything, but I just can't take the risk.

My potentials for the future include:
Genicanthus Bellus
Naso Elegans - not sure it would fit.
Xanthichthys mento - maybe from TK
Centropyge aurantia

I think I'd like to add a zebrasoma species, either black or purple. I wish I could add a group of yellows, but I'm not sure I've got the space.

I'm also still on the hunt for some tilefish, flashing or purple or both - one of my absolute favorites.

There are some others too, but this post is turning into a novel.

One last note, an equipment update. One of my Radions went out a few weeks ago, so I unplugged it and plugged it back in. It came on, but started smoking, so I quickly unplugged it. Talked with ecotech and I'm sending it in for evaluation this week, hoping it's just a bad fan.

I also added some big tunzes for flow, would prefer mp 40s, but the tunzes are free for now.
 
Mrs. Puff - she laid a bunch of eggs this summer while she was in quarantine.


Anulatta and Lemonpeel


The little footballer damsel is really a cool little fish.
 
Semi and Blueline in QT. I feel kind of bad, I am babysitting a giant hawkfish for a friend and didn't realize that it was beating up on the semi. Sorry for the poor lighting.



Breakfast of Clams today - I'm trying to fatten up the male Regal, it seems like he's lost weight. I'm back to feeding 3 - 5 times a day when possible.

 
Hey Matt..
Sorry to hear about all the fish losses.. :(
I was just wondering what kind of clams you feed? I tried a big-ish cherry stone clam I found at an Asian supermarket.. My fish barely picked at it. What kind do you feed and how do you open them?
 
BigBlueTang said:
Hey Matt..
Sorry to hear about all the fish losses.. :(
I was just wondering what kind of clams you feed? I tried a big-ish cherry stone clam I found at an Asian supermarket.. My fish barely picked at it. What kind do you feed and how do you open them?
Click to expand...

Think they are called littlenecks. I freeze them and then when I thaw them under hot water, I can usually pry them open pretty easily.
 
Decided on six small yellow tangs, were supposed to be here today, looks like now they are coming tomorrow.

Obviously some will need to be re-homed if I don't upgrade tank size.
 
Decided to do some preventative maintenance today, vinegar boil out on my skimmer and main circulation pump internals. This is one of those things the manufacturer recommends to do on a frequent basis that I never do.

Yellow tangs got pushed back again, should be here first thing tomorrow morning, quarantine tank all ready, water change done.

Also have a new butterfly coming on Friday, many thanks to Derek.

Little blue line will go in a week from this Friday, nothing like an 8 month quarantine...gonna hold off on adding the semi for a bit, at least until the big one is in Derek's tank.

Also, on a sad note, I found my starcki damsel dead yesterday. He had been not quite right for the better part of a year, I think I posted about it. I never saw any aggression, but for some reason, the fish started leaning to the left all the time, almost as though it had a stroke or something. Had been with me for quite a while, probably 4 years. Will miss you little buddy.
 
Couple updated pictures from my quarantine tank and display tank.

Little blueline - stripes coming in nicely.




Up close and personal...


Multi looking good in the background.


Love the gill spine on the Regal.


New Lemonpeel..


Venustus.


Giant Flavirostris.


New Footballer damsel.
 
Planning to add my blueline angel this weekend, I'll try to get some new pics up.

Tangs are doing well in quarantine, should be ready in a month or so.

Might have some new stuff coming next week.
 
caribfan said:
Decided to do some preventative maintenance today, vinegar boil out on my skimmer and main circulation pump internals. This is one of those things the manufacturer recommends to do on a frequent basis that I never do.
Click to expand...

What do you mean by vinegar boil out? Are you running boiling vinegar & water
through it?
 
Shawn O said:
What do you mean by vinegar boil out? Are you running boiling vinegar & water
through it?
Click to expand...

No, no, so sorry for the confusion. Boil out is a term used in the industry I work in for cleaning out machinery with caustic or acidic chemistries.

I just used hot water and vinegar, I wouldn't recommend boiling water.

And for what it's worth, I'm not sure I'd use hot water next time either because some of the uniseals lost their water tightness and had to be replaced.

Sorry for the confusion.
 
Added my blueline this past Wednesday, he is most hated by my Achilles tang. Have a mirror up and that seems to be relieving some of the aggression.

I also picked up three bimaculatus anthias and an aureofasciatus butterfly. The anthias are doing well and eating, the butterfly does not appear to be eating much yet.

I'll Try to get a video or pictures up soon. I really like these anthias, I may try to get two more and make it a group of five.

I'm also considering adding a second lemonpeel (orange variety). The angels are currently outnumbering the butterflies, this thread is not living up to its name.
 
Couple videos from tonight.



Mrs. Puff has gotten large, I'd bet close to a foot from beak to tail.



Quick shot of the new blueline.



Current quarantine people, butterfly still not eating, but getting curious.
 
Nice, do you move the pvc structure often to clean it and what kind of filter do you have on your qt

Sent from my SM-T230NU using Tapatalk
 
caribfan said:
No, no, so sorry for the confusion. Boil out is a term used in the industry I work in for cleaning out machinery with caustic or acidic chemistries.

I just used hot water and vinegar, I wouldn't recommend boiling water.

And for what it's worth, I'm not sure I'd use hot water next time either because some of the uniseals lost their water tightness and had to be replaced.

Sorry for the confusion.
Click to expand...

Thanks Matt. That makes sense.
 
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