Lets do this - 225+ reef bar

[mcliffy2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14107156#post14107156 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mpoletti
Good stuff Mike, Lets go back to the new fish; Where are the pics and what are they

Nothing fancy, since last update I've picked up a blue-throat trigger, a purple tang, and a couple blue neon gobies. Pics will come....but first I've got to set up the UV filter...

 

[bues0022]

trigger? how reef safe is this guy going to be?

 

[mpoletti]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14107384#post14107384 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcliffy2
Nothing fancy, since last update I've picked up a blue-throat trigger, a purple tang, and a couple blue neon gobies. Pics will come....but first I've got to set up the UV filter...

Gotcha, I took my UV off line since I have been playing around with carbon dosing and probidio.

 

[maxxII]

Blue throats are from the Xanthichthys family. These triggers are mostly reef safe although they will occassionally munch on ornamental shrimp and crabs.

Nick

 

[mcliffy2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14107464#post14107464 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bues0022
trigger? how reef safe is this guy going to be?

Blue-throats, like all Xanthicthys genus triggers, are almost 100% reef-safe. (sargassum, crosshatch, and golden black are also in the genus) Occasional reports of them going after shrimp, but I've had a sargassum and now the blue throat and they've both been model citizens

 

[mcliffy2]

oops maxx beat me too it

 

[maxxII]

Sargussum's are gorgeous and are a smaller fish I believe....

Love to see pics of the new fish...

Nick

 

[mcliffy2]

So I'm having camera issues with my focusing at distances more than a couple feet, but I managed to get some pics tonight. I'll start with the new skimmer and 2nd sump:

 

[mcliffy2]

And now for some new livestock shots.

An aussie elegance:

blue jaw with my swallowtail:

and with my mata tang:

the new purple tang:

 

[mcliffy2]

A pink-tip bta that my clowns have completely ignored:

A bad pic of the target mandarin I picked up a bit back:

One more of Mr. Mata:

 

[mcliffy2]

And some FTS from side and front (you can see the focusing issues I'm having in these photos). You can also see the sandbed issues I'm having (I gave up on raking it). I'm thinking of adding some larger crushed coral to cover the area in front, wondering how that would look?

 

[Untamed12]

Orange spotted sleeper goby will toss that sand bed constantly for you and keep that cyano under control. They work tirelessly for me. Unfortunately, they can also be a bit annoying when they pile the sand on top of something that you would rather they didn't.

Their behaviour is worse if you get a pair like I did. When the female broods, the male makes a mountain of sand on top of her burying everything. The rest of the time, they are pretty good.

 

[Kigs]

Sweet shots mcliffy. That elegance looks tiny in the pic! what's the actual size?

 

[vair]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13837338#post13837338 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcliffy2
skey - thanks much. Everything is ok, but it looks like it will be an extended trip (Eric & Brandon - I'll be contacting you with details shortly). We were scheduled to fly out tomorrow (Sunday), but have now been rescheduled to fly out on Thursday from Bangkok (if, of course, the airport re-opens).

In the meantime, here are a few preview pics from the awesome diving here in Thailand. I will post a full thread of pics when I return:

WOW

 

[Plankt0s]

WOW, this is one of those fantastically beautiful tanks.

 

[mcliffy2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14113547#post14113547 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Untamed12
Orange spotted sleeper goby will toss that sand bed constantly for you and keep that cyano under control. They work tirelessly for me. Unfortunately, they can also be a bit annoying when they pile the sand on top of something that you would rather they didn't.

Their behaviour is worse if you get a pair like I did. When the female broods, the male makes a mountain of sand on top of her burying everything. The rest of the time, they are pretty good.

What cyano? I (knock on wood) don't have any - just a barespot from the vortechs to deal with...

 

[mcliffy2]

kigs - thanks much the elegance is pretty small, I'd say 2".

vair and biowerks - thanks!

 

[mcliffy2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14107574#post14107574 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mpoletti
Gotcha, I took my UV off line since I have been playing around with carbon dosing and probidio.

I got the UV because of some observations I made diving - namely that almost all fish in the wild have ich and are perfectly healthy, they just seem to have better controls (like cleaner wrasses and shrimp, etc.) than most of us provide. I also observed a healthy achilles in chingchai's tank that had ich, and he said he'd had it for over 2 years, and the ich just came and went.

So, here's my theory, ich isnt a horrible thing, so long as your fish are healthy enough to deal with it, and you provide some help in dealing with it. And I don't at this point think "living with ich" is cruel as long as you provide proper controls. So I'm putting my hypothesis to the test. I'm feeding tons (4-6x day) to keep my fish fat and healthy. I've added a couple cleaner gobies to help out my cleaner shrimp, and I'm also adding the UV to help out. The theory is that this combo of cleaners/UV should provide the fish as much relief from the ich as in the wlld. Keep in mind of course that this is only a hypothesis at this point, but I'll periodically update. One other corollary is that I don't think this eliminates the need to QT, as you still need to get the fish fat and healthy before introduction and prevent other, possibly more serious, diseases.

 

[stunreefer]

Looks fantastic bro!!! :thumbsup:

That red ATB is so damn sexy

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14113698#post14113698 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcliffy2
One other corollary is that I don't think this eliminates the need to QT, as you still need to get the fish fat and healthy before introduction and prevent other, possibly more serious, diseases.

For sure... QT is not only for preventing disease and many people miss that notion.

I think your theory is sound behind ich... I'm still wondering if ALL fish carry ich, but only effects them negatively when they're stressed. Or, potentially ich is always waterborne, and can only adhere to fish when stressed (wherein a UV sterilizer would help tremendously). Regardless your plan sounds great and will keep the fish happy and healthy :rollface:

 

[mcliffy2]

Austin - thanks much. I like the red too