Finally a Tank Big enough for this thread, 200 gallon 48x48

[Theokie]

Looks great, but how did you take care of the legion of aiptasia anemones?

I took a multi pronged approach:

3 Aptasia Eating filefish
1 Klein Butterfly
25 Berghia Nudibranchs
1 Copper Band Butterfly
1 Hawaiian long nosed Butterfly

As to who actually did most of the work, I have no idea.

Now I have no visible Aptasia in the main tank, but I do have a few large ones in the fuge and sump. Since I only have large ones it leads me to believe I still have Berghia running around, as they devour the small ones but need a large pack to take down the giants.

 

[Darthv247]

what kind of box fish is the black one? did not know they were reef safe. very active fish u have.

 

[Theokie]

what kind of box fish is the black one? did not know they were reef safe. very active fish u have.

it is an O. Melangris, The Blue Boxfish, sadly very few of them keep their adult male colours in captivity. This guy has been black for most of a year and is just now changing back to blue and gold. I have tried my luck at getting a female several times, but none of them have made it over two months.

Sadly this species of boxfish is the one that is most likely to poison itself during shipping, hence the very low survival rate.

And well my tank is not the most reef safe, I can't keep any shrimp or crabs and only the toughest snails survive. Granted that is more to do with the Harlequin Tuskfish then the box and cowfish.

 

[Darthv247]

beautiful fish though. thanks for the info.

 

[AbominableBro]

it is an O. Melangris, The Blue Boxfish, sadly very few of them keep their adult male colours in captivity. This guy has been black for most of a year and is just now changing back to blue and gold. I have tried my luck at getting a female several times, but none of them have made it over two months.

Sadly this species of boxfish is the one that is most likely to poison itself during shipping, hence the very low survival rate.

And well my tank is not the most reef safe, I can't keep any shrimp or crabs and only the toughest snails survive. Granted that is more to do with the Harlequin Tuskfish then the box and cowfish.

Did your boxfish turn back to the blue and gold fully? I have the same issue with mine also and was wondering if it was just me or if he was turning into a she. He looks super fat and happy.

 

[Theokie]

Did your boxfish turn back to the blue and gold fully? I have the same issue with mine also and was wondering if it was just me or if he was turning into a she. He looks super fat and happy.

He had turned back to blue and gold, though sadly I lost him and most of my fish due to a Velvet outbreak a few months back.

I only Qt'd a fish for two weeks instead of the required 3 in order to get him eating better, and well he had Velvet... so my tank really is on auto pilot for the summer, letting the fish that survived get stronger, while also redesigning my QT area for long treatment.

 

[dave.m]

Only three weeks to quarantine? Try six. Minimum.

Dave.M