JapanReef - 450 gallon In-Wall system

[NexDog]

Missed your post, Marc. My QT methodology is pretty good these days if I just stick to the method. What I do is siphon out the food and detritus at the end of every day and just top it off if the water level gets too low before it's WC day (Wednesday and Sunday for me). Also give teh rocks a blast with the powerhead to clear out the crap. I have it setup pretty sweet at the mo where all the food and detritus settles in one spot so it's very simple. I didn't lose any fish this year to water quality issues. The gobies were just weak, the Heni was a mystery and the Potters are generally super delicate.

With QT it's all about finding a rhythm and sticking to it no matter what.

 

[NexDog]

I'm at the 5 week mark of the QT cycle. The Bird Wrasse seems to be okay. Not hugely active but does come out sometimes. I'm worried about him eating so as soon as I see it come out I rush over and put food in but he's already hiding again. Still, must be eating something. Tempted to start the rise out of hypo early but everything looks ok so I'll wait till Monday.

In 5 weeks the larger angel's colour change has progressed noticably.

Pic from 5 weeks ago:

From today:

Two years ago (December 2007) I tried the 10 Royal Grammas that all died due to water quality issues. Just been reading back on this thread and I was active up till around November 2007. Things started getting to me then. The failure of the Royal Grammas then the death of my prized adult Emperor saw me go pretty much afk until March this year. I've fixed alot of the things that were bugging me (pumps, aquascape, skimmer, RODI etc)and I now have 2 Emperor Angels about to go into the tank.

So all that I need to do next is sttempt and succeed with the harem of Grammas again and I will be truly out in front again. Going to Oz in a few weeks, will be back early November (just 9 days away) and will be doing a lucky 7 Grammas then. With my new strict QT method I'm positive I can get at least 5 through but hopefully all 7. This will be a milestone for me anyway.

Then I'm thinking pair of Regal Angels, Blonde Naso and a Longnose Hawk for another cycle. Then we'll see about that Clown Tang.

 

[NexDog]

Oh yea, fixed the "broken" Tunze. Bloody snails again.

 

[Chihuahua6]

You're going to love your harem of Royal Grammas. I have five now and it's great fun to watch them interract. I have seen some "flirting" between a couple of them and the most aggressive posture was a gaping mouth contest which ended with the loser gently swimming away.

I had them in a 280 gallon tank that I have since taken down due to a move. They are now sharing a temporary 55 gallon packed with rock and doing fine. They hide much more in the small tank but will soon have a 375 to explore. I may add a few more Grammas when I upgrade, we'll see.

I'm looking forward to hearing about your new Grammas. Not many people try housing multiple specimens of the gorgeous fish.

 

[NexDog]

Great to hear that someone else has had a good experience with a harem of Grammas. The only other person I know of is "Umm, fish?" who has many pairs and harems. For me it just adds another layer to the hobby and helps keep my interest up. Do you have pics of the Gramma group from your old 280?

 

[affordableocean]

yes...please post pics of the Gramma group if possible...

 

[Chihuahua6]

I'm trying to load pics onto Photobucket now. I'll warn you though they're terrible pics from a basic camera.

 

[NexDog]

This is the right thread for terrible pics.

 

[Chihuahua6]

Sorry it's such a crappy pic.

 

[Chihuahua6]

BTW I highly recommend a trio or more of Yellow Pyramid Butterflies. They're my absolute favorite They're peaceful, active, they stay together and they're super healthy. You must treat for flukes upon arrival though.

 

[Bax]

Amanda
That's nice!
I just love fish in groups, I hope to have several groups when ever I get my 375 full of water

 

[Chihuahua6]

I just rememberd something intersting tha happened to one of my Grammas. I had just one for about 2 1/2 years. He was about 1 1/2" when I got him and nice and bright ike a Gramma should be. After about 2 years his bright magenta color had changed to a faded purple. He was about 2.5" by now.

Once I upgraded to the 275 gallon I added him at the same time I added the four new Grammas (after being quarantined.) They were smaller and brightly colored so I could easily distinguish which Gramma was "Pish" (name stuck when my son couldn't pronounce fish.) Well after about six months his color came back and you can't tell him apart from the others as far as color goes.

Anyway I just thought it was interesting. I'm not sure why he faded but I'm thinking the addition of the new Grammas may have had something to do with his color coming back, maybe.

 

[maxxII]

Laurence,
I'm glad to see you've been doing well after the reboot of your tank...you're dedication to QT is something that I fully endorse and respect....

I've been keeping an Indo-Pacific Regal Angel for 2 years now and prior to that had an Indian Ocean Regal for a year. I lost the I/O Regal when my Ritteri anemone wandered into a pump, shredded the tentacles, released nematocycsts and killed all my fish with the exception of my clowns. With both Regals, there was a period of about a year where they were not aggressive feeders and were hesitant to try new foods...
I found that keeping them in a tank with hearty eaters but non aggressive fish worked well since it "showed" the Regal angels what other sources of food were...

Having said all of that, adding a pair of Regal Angels after the pair of Imperator Angels and your Blue Line Angel, is probably a recipe for disaster...

Imperators are a dominant fish, and will most likely run your tank after a short period of acclimation...

JME, your situation may be different...

Please keep the updates coming...

Nick

 

[NexDog]

Nick - I found my last Emperor only became the boss when he fully matured. My larger Emp is 6 months away from that. My Regal pair will have a mellow 2 months of QT and will get in the DT before the Emperor becomes too boisterous. Bur even then, the tank is large and is really peaceful. I have plenty of fish that people have issues with and none are aggressive. It's the Japanese water you see.

Fish size is also very important. I'll make sure I get largish Regal Angels but not too big as to be a threat but not too small as small Regals are too meek. I think adding a pair will increase their chance of surviving as long as they form some kind of relationship in QT. I know the fish is delicate but I have high hopes of pulling it off.

Amanda - thanks for the pic. That trio of Pyramids is awesome. I've been on the lookout for some here in Japan for years but I've never seem one.

 

[maxxII]

I've found that smaller fish tend to acclimate to captivity better since they've had less time to get "Set" onto a diet in the wild...

I hope you're successful, I love your tank...

Nick

 

[NexDog]

Me too. Tried twice before - failed both times. First time the Regal died right at the end of the cycle and I'm sure it was my fault. I was bringing salinity up and poured in a bucket of water at night and I think I dashed the fish against the rock. Died the next day. Second attempt was a tiny baby that made it through QT and I put it in the DT and never saw it again. That was back in 2006. I'm a bt more seasoned now. Tempted to do them first but I really want to inject that purple into the tank.

Dying to get some diamond gobies in there to help with sand maintenance too.

Anyhow, as long as everything is still working when I get back from my trip I'm looking at my most productive year in a long time. If all 7 Grammas make it I will have added 15 new fish, redone the aquascape, installed teh new Tunzes, setup new closed loop. Happy days.

Thinking about getting some more LPS and softies as they don't seem to mind the low alk and Ca.

 

[NexDog]

Four baby Bangaiis near their home:

Some not so little anymore. All were born between January and May.

And the obligatory BlueLine Angel shot:

 

[NexDog]

Switching from Vodka to VSV tomorrow. Solution is made up. I put in slightly less vinegar and sugar than the recommended dose at first so we'll see how it goes. I've been taking it too slow though. I'm at 8ml and want to be at 10ml by the time I go to Australia in 11 days. My 10 uear old daughter is looking after teh tank - well, in terms of feeding the fish and dosing the voddy. Nothing else needed. These week aways are easy. It's the month away we'll all be doing next summer that is eaten at soul.

Oh, starting bringing the 4 QT'd fish out of hypo. Be doing .03 or .4 every 24 hours in 12 hour stints. Looking at Thursday for DT entry. Can't wait.

 

[Hop]

Looking great ND! That Angel is great looking!

 

[Lightsluvr]

Wow... switching a dosing system while you're away? You are a brave man.

Congratulations on your 10 year old daughter taking care of the tank - that is a nice responsibility for her...I am sure she is pleased Daddy trusts her...

Beautiful photos - I am partial to the baby Bangaiis...

LL