Englishrebels 260 Gallon System Build

Alan,

Just a warning. Get the new pics in today. When the upgrade happens this weekend some posts made during the period will be lost.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15753454#post15753454 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterKeeper
Alan,

Just a warning. Get the new pics in today. When the upgrade happens this weekend some posts made during the period will be lost.
Click to expand...

Tom
What changes are in the works?
Edit Never mind -- just read your Warning to the Worthless Nubies post.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15753679#post15753679 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Goodwin9
Did you do the panel wiring yourself, or have an electrician complete the work?
Click to expand...

I'm not a licensed electrician but have done a lot of wiring in my house (I wired up 220VAC as well as 120VAC receptacles for my workshop, as well as three sub-panels for the workshop, aquarium equipment room, and kitchen remodel). It's pretty straightforward pulling wire and connecting to breakers. You just have to know what wire goes where.
I would advise anyone who is in any doubt as to their ability to get a licensed electrician to do the work.
 
Last edited:
I took a trip up to the LFS in Boone NC last week (it's about 80 miles away in the Blue Ridge mountains). I took an instant liking to a Foxface as it reminded me of angel fish which I would love to keep but they're not reef safe. Here is is in his new surroundings and eating nicely. I did get a shock though when I got him home as he had lost all his yellow color and was a murky brown. :eek: Panicky, I called up the store and was told that this is normal if he is stressed or frightened. He got back to his beautiful colors in about an hour of going into the tank.

IMG_0527.jpg


I don't know if you remember but I had a strange growth on a rock that I got from a friend. Here's a picture of it.

IMG_0421.jpg


Well as soon as the Foxface came out of hiding he started chomping on which led me to believe that it is a red algae. I was looking at the "reef plants" on the good Doctors Foster and Smith web site and came across this.

p-90037-Red-Gracilaria-Fee.jpg


It's Red Gracilaria Feeding Algae. No wonder the Foxface loves it.

Here's the latest FTS for your pleasure.

IMG_0528.jpg
 
I couldn't find one of my three female Anthias yesterday. I went searching with a flashlight to see under all the rock work but she was nowhere to be found. As a last resort I looked in the overflow and there she was. I didn't know that Anthias where jumpers. Well, I got a piece of egg crate and herded her to one end and then dropped the egg crate in to pen her in. In trying to net her, she swam right through the egg crate. So that's how she got in the overflow. :hmm1: I wrapped the egg crate in a Ziplock bag and tried again. After about three minutes I managed to net her and get her back in the tank. I have a piece of plastic gutter guard against the back of the egg crate overflow but she managed to squeeze past it. Hope she stays put now.

The Dragonet I got yesterday from the Boone LFS seems to be doing well and picking at the rocks. I hope she finds enough pods to keep her well fed.

The Long Tentacled Anemone that was doing so well and coloring up nicely decided to go walkabout and sat itself right outside one of the Pearly Jawfish's burrows. The poor little thing was scared to come out. :worried2:
I decided that I didn't want a wandering anemone so I pulled it out and put it in the 55G refugium downstairs where it seems to have found a spot it likes on one of the rocks. At least it can't knock over any corals down there. I did put an egg crate lid over the overflow so it couldn't block the drain strainer. :hmm4:
 
Alan, your display is looking great! Marvellous to see that the algae probs are behind you :clap:

Tone :)
 
tonyf said:
Alan, your display is looking great! Marvellous to see that the algae probs are behind you :clap:

Tone :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Tone. I almost wish I had some hair algae so my Foxface could graze. :rollface:
It must be spring down under now huh?

"Umm said:
You'll be thanking yourself for that generator. I already have for mine.
Click to expand...

I will probably never need it as in the last 18 years we have only had two long power outages (more then 30 minutes) but it's good insurance. I guess living in Boulder you must get more than we do here in NC.
 
Actually, we don't really. We're pretty close to the distribution point and all the downtown businesses, so they take care of us pretty well. That said, a couple of months ago a transformer nearby exploded and we were down for about 6 hours. I'm very, very happy for the generator.

Actually, we used to get far more power outages when I lived in north Texas (including about three weeks one time when I was a kid). But they get ice storms there while we get more of the powder snow.
 
EnglishRebel said:
Thanks Tone. I almost wish I had some hair algae so my Foxface could graze. :rollface:
It must be spring down under now huh?
Click to expand...

Not wrong, it feels like mid-summer already. We've had dust storms and 32C hot dry days already. The Jacaranda trees have had 2 spring blooms already :dance:

You'll be preparing for winter ... must be down quite low by now? Wish I was over your way this season for a touch of skiing; missed last year due to the GFC.

:bigeyes:
 
tonyf said:
Not wrong, it feels like mid-summer already. We've had dust storms and 32C hot dry days already. The Jacaranda trees have had 2 spring blooms already :dance:

You'll be preparing for winter ... must be down quite low by now? Wish I was over your way this season for a touch of skiing; missed last year due to the GFC.

:bigeyes:
Click to expand...

Nice time of the year here in North Carolina. We are getting 37 degree (2.7) mornings and 75 degree (24) days. Great time of the year - leaves are turning.
 
Blue Spot Jawfish

Blue Spot Jawfish

Well my Blue Spot Jawfish is a gonnner. :mad: I found him laying in the sand at the opposite end of the tank this morning. No visible marks but one of my PearlyJawfish has what looks like a red patch behind his left gill. Looks like a bite. I don't think they fight with each other as their burrows are right next to each other. He was fine yesterday. Damn, I liked that fish.
I got an email from Doctors Foster & Smith the same day with their Blue Spot Jawfish on half price sale. Is this an omen? :strange:
 
Well another Blue Spot is on order from Blue Zoo at half price along with three Orange Stripe Cardinals. They should be here Wednesday morning. :bounce1:
 
Sorry, Alan. I just lost my female blue spot. Looks like she got caught in a cave-in, and it wound up breaking her spine. :(
 
"Umm said:
Sorry, Alan. I just lost my female blue spot. Looks like she got caught in a cave-in, and it wound up breaking her spine. :(
Click to expand...

Andy
Sorry to hear that. :sad2: Grab one from the Doctors Foster and Smith while they're on half price (or Blue Zoo who matched theirs). I think my new one is maybe a female as she seems to not be as aggressive as the previous one who used to repeatedly charge his reflection in the glass.
BTW Blue Zoo said they will pair fish for an additional $40 but not sure how they can do that with BlueSpots.

I have a feeling that mine may have accidentally impaled her/himself on one of the Rabbit fish spines. There was a very small what looked like a bloody spot on its side but not big enough to be a bite. When I found it dead it's mouth was wide open.

The new Bluespot couldn't seem to decide where he wanted to set up home. First he was under a rock on the RHS of the tank, then two days later he was digging a hole in the sand on the LHS. I dropped some rubble near the hole for him to use. This morning he was excavating another hole back on the RHS next to where one of the Pearly Jawfish has a burrow so I relocated the rubble pile. Well, while the Pearly was out of his burrow ol' Blue just dove right in. Now the Pearly is homeless (for a while). He tried to move in with the other (and larger Pearly) but he was having none of it.
Fun and games on the reef. Maybe we should call it Reefer Madness some of you older reefers probably remember that movie. :rollface:
 
Last edited:
Well I am missing one of my Helfrick firefish. There were two on Saturday and one has gone AWOL. I am not hopeful. With the Bluespot Jawfish that makes two this last week. :sad2: Also the two colonies of zoos that I got over a week ago have been closed up for two days. I'm wondering if that's normal.
 
Update

Update

It's been a while since I updated this thread so here goes.
I lost one of my Pearly Jawfish -- never even saw what happened to him. Searched the overflow, the floor -- no sign of him. UGH :mad2:
Two weeks later my Blue Spot Jawfish starting acting really strange. Dashing up to the surface and then falling back to the sand upside down only to repeat the move. Later that day I saw him under a rock -- dead. I pulled him out and flushed him. How sad. :sad1:
Another reefer (T) suggested that it may have been a delayed reaction to cyanide poisoning as some divers will squirt cyanide in their burrows to force them out. Seems plausible but I had him for about a month. Not sure if this is the normal time for cyanide poisoning to show up.
My Duncan coral is not looking good as it has retracted its "feelers" for about a week now. I did notice that it has started to grow two more polyps so not sure if the dormancy is normal when going through this.
All other corals and fish are doing fine. Here's a list of current fish stock.

(1) Foxface Rabbitfish
(1) Blue Line Rabbitfish
(1) False Percula
(1) Helfrick Firefish
(1) Purple Firefish
(2) Red Firefish
(1) Blue Chromis (started with 5)
(1) Green Chromis (started with 5)
(5) Orange Stripe Cardinals
(1) Blue and Pink Spot Shrimp Goby
(1) Yellow Shrimp Goby
(1) Flame Hawk
(1) Sixline Wrasse
(1) Red Mandarin
(4) Lyretail Anthias (1 male and 3 females)
(1) Pearly Jawfish

Plus
(1) Coral Banded Shrimp
(1) Cleaner Shrimp
(?) Emerald Crabs
(6) Trochus Snails
(?) Blue Leg Hermit Crabs
(?) Red Leg Hermit Crabs
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

AZBigJohn
New Build... I'm back
2
Replies
23
Views
593
griss
griss
C
RSM Max Nano XL Plan / Build
2
Replies
21
Views
536
griss
griss
griss
15 Gallon Fuge Build
2 3
Replies
56
Views
1K
Reefing102
Reefing102
J
Calcium very elevated
Replies
3
Views
278
jcarlilesiu
J
T
Looking for a specific tank build - EZTube.com sent me here
Replies
6
Views
338
Reefing102
Reefing102
Back
Top