Jacob's 360 Gallon Build

[Jacob D]

Originally posted by Jacob D

Getting a healthy dwarf golden is a major crap shoot, I doubt I will ever try to replace that fish.

Guess I was wrong! I noticed a semi-local reefer (Sparkss (Tom)) was breaking down his tank and had one of these fish for sale. He had owned it for around a year; when I saw it this morning I had no doubt it was a healthy fish.

These little guys are collected from areas where cyanide is still used, and used on them especially because of their reclusive nature. Buying this fish from another experienced reefer is the only way I would do it... so I did. If it weren't for a friend offering to help as needed during some trying times coming up in Sept. I might not have pulled the trigger - Thanks BDimas!

I had to move over some corals from my QT about a week before I wanted to, so I was bad and just did it. Nobody is perfect. They went just over 3 weeks w/o any fish... hopefully no crypto hitched a ride on them. I moved over my ORA green toadstool (also the base that I saved after cutting it is regrowing yay!), and 4 different yumas that I had...

- pink one from Twins
- orange and purple from Twisted at a MARS frag swap years ago
- purple and pink one from a trade w/ Taco Cat a couple years back
- solid green one from Plankton from about 5 years ago
- the one I lost is a purple and green on from Lak from a couple years ago
-- pics of all to follow once they are a little happier

oh I also moved over Sandra's little pistol shrimp that was in her cube "Randall". He went right into the cave I wanted him to (strategic drop on my part) Her lined blenny "Spike" is now living in Elliott's second top-down tank. Yeah, she likes to name all her pets


Well that is the long and short of it. I'll probably try to get a small Naso Blonde to go into QT with the little angel so I maximize my QT efforts (I batch QT and treat for crypto and flukes, plus anything else I see). I'm also on the lookout for a Yasha goby if anyone sees it.

 

[Bdimas]

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[RiOnRoxXx]

Jake, for the Yasha ask John at Twins. He had a couple pairs of Yasha and pistol combos. They're sorta hidden in his lower holding tanks. Usually the tanks that all the cleaner shrimps are held in.

 

[Whacked]

Yasha & randal shrimp pair at Divers Den

 

[Jacob D]

Thanks guys... I have the Alpheus randalli as mentioned above, so a second one is a no-go, but a pair of Yasha's minus the shrimp would be neat. I was at Twins a couple of days ago to buy food and looked for the Yasha's (down below where they usually are) but there were none.

 

[Jacob D]

I get asked this question a lot, easier to answer it here...

Hey Jake,

I was just curious why did you go with 175 halides over 250's?

Answer - Costs less to run, less heat, and very efficient with Iwasaki 15k running on Icecap e. ballast.

I was planning to run ALL Iwasaki 15k lamps. They are freaky bulbs that put out more light than Phoenix 250w lamps. I had a hard time leaving the blue look behind for white so I changed my mind and now have 2x Aquamaxx + 1x Iwasaki... not as efficient as I originally planned, but good enough for softies, at least I think it is. It's hard to say this early in the game. Not many people would run 175's on a tank as tall as mine (~30 inches), or even tanks less tall.

I'm pretty confident that I'll switch out to all Iwasaki when it's time for new bulbs; the fish just look so much better under the white light and I think it looks more natural for a shallow reef (have you ever snorkeled in 30 inches of water? yes it is shallow!)


I refuse to run supplements.

*IF* I was running supplements they would be T5's and they would be some sort of blue bulbs. I would without a doubt run the Iwasaki 15k halides in that situation.

 

[Jacob D]

Been awhile since I updated. I've been neglecting my tank due to being in and out of town taking care of some personal business.

Tomorrow my dwarf golden angel (Centropyge aurantia) comes out of QT and into the display tank... which is heavily infested with algae at the moment. I have male/female pair of bellus angels (Genicanthus bellus) and small bristletooth tang (Ctenochaetus binotatus) going into QT on Weds. thanks to Blue Zoo.

Other than that... I plumbed in my new three-way valve a few weeks ago. Somehow in the process I created a restriction to my media filters so I need to see what's up with it. I'm hoping to start the phase II construction this year but I have other things going on right now that will keep me occupied for the next couple of months.


That's about it...


almost forgot - big thanks to Bryan D for looking after my tanks for the last couple of weeks!

 

[Bdimas]

No problem Jacob! Im just glad i didn't kill anything!

 

[JoshuaG]

Damn, I don't know if I would let Bryan watch my tank!! You should have seen him at the frag swap, he kept trying to pocket frags and finally someone had to tell him to stop picking them up!:lol2::thumbsup:

 

[Bdimas]

LOL! Yeah i was the only one that wasn't allowed to pick frags up.

 

[Jacob D]

What's up people.

So my tank is infested with hair algae. Been that way for awhile. I'm going to try to get a handle on it soon. There have been some other things going on that have kept the hobby on the back burner for awhile, but I think I'm ready to address it.

- Rinsing my food
- Going to increase flow in the tank (upgrade Tunze 6000's to 6100's)
- Increase skimming (add second hydrofoamer pump)
- Get my phosban reactor back on line

Aside from that I don't know what I can do. I might look for a sea hare to get the current algae under control short term.

 

[plankton]

Also consider emerald crabs and tang of some nature.

I too am getting hair algae but only on frag plugs. I suspect the hair algae likes the rough surface to create a holdfast with. Definitely creating more flow will help and feeding less. I suspect I'm getting more HA because I've been feeding my fish more. What's your nutrient level at these days (nitrates, phosphates, etc)?

Ed is setting up a new tank and I'm encouraging him to check out your system because he's trying to reduce the power consumption as much as possible.

Scott

 

[Jacob D]

I have wanted a tang for a while... and have lost 3 of them in QT. I have not been able to get them eating well enough. Frustrating. Have tried 2 blonde naso's and one bristle tooth.

I don't test anything. I figure what I can see with my eyes tells me enough to know I have nutrient problems. Also I have never done any major water changes... I need to get busy with my auto water change system.

 

[bbl_nk]

Yeah, sounds like you know the drill. Manual removal, water changes, rinse and repeat then get the nutrient export ramped up with more skimming, GFO, etc. Have you thought about running filter socks to help out, at least until you find the balance? I made some from poly felt from Walmart and change them every 2 days and just wash them in the washer with a little bleach, no soap a couple of times and let them air dry. They do catch some serious crap. I'm thinking of doing another set this time doubling them up for more filtration.

 

[reefgeek31]

Jake I have a flame fin tang that cleaned up my tank in short order. He was paid forward to me by Elliot so I need to find him a suitable home. Let me know if he fits your stocking plans. His orange is very bright if that helps.

 

[Jacob D]

Brian, I run filter socks 24x7.

Abe, I appreciate the offer but going to pass on that tang. As you probably guessed it's not in my stocking plan. I'm probably going to get a desjardini. I'm debating whether to QT it or not since I have had really bad results with tangs in QT. I might just add him to the display and after the tank is turning around treat the entire display with chloroquine phosphate... this is going to be an expensive treatment though.

 

[ctripi]

I vote to add the tang to the display....it was my first inhabitant after CUcrew. As much as we try to avoid ich, I think its a disease of stressed critters and lack-luster husbandry and its very hard to avoid. I'd be hesitant to treat the entire display with chloroquine as it may pose harm to the inverts and lower life forms.

 

[reefgeek31]

I think Elliott has one right now. I belive. It has been treated with copper If that helps at all.

 

[bbl_nk]

From the brief research I did on CP is it wiping out inverts and beneficial bacteria more or less sterilizing the DT, not sure if that's correct or not, how about a shortened QT?

 

[Jacob D]

Brian, care to share links that you're looking at regarding chloroquine phoshpate?

I have firsthand experience with this medication. Everything in my tank has been QT'd in it. I have QT'd corals, shrimp, snails, and pods with it with no casualties for periods up to 8 weeks. I had purposely tested it to see what would happen. I wouldn't advise anyone with an SPS tank to attempt it with many SPS being more sensitive to water chemistry than soft corals, but I'm perfectly comfortable using it in my tank.

In fact, all of the tangs I have lost in QT was before I even started the medication. If anyone is interested in my QT regime feel I don't mind sharing.