McPuff's new 300 (transfer from 120)
- Thread starter McPuff
- Start date
McPuff
New member
Thanks, glad you enjoy it! If you have any marine pure media, put that in your sump now and let it get colonized. They hold a massive amount of bacteria which can be used to seed your new tank. If you do this, and add a cup or so of dirty sand from your current system, you'll have no cycle.
The videos are gone... I took them down when I changed the format of my youtube channel. Instead of reefing, I am moving into the automotive realm as there is more I can/want to do there.
Sisterlimonpot
Premium Member
McPuff,
You make a lot of wise points. I was recently asked how many fish will I put in my 300, and the answer was far less than what a typical 300 would have. I thought along the same lines as you, when the tank is finally established, fish will get bigger and the biological load will in kind increase. Why stress it with many fish? I do buy into the notion that corals like/need fish poop to be happy but there's (as you say) a tipping point. To be mindful and stay far enough away from that point is where longevity and happiness come from. No need for unnecessary headaches.
You make a lot of wise points. I was recently asked how many fish will I put in my 300, and the answer was far less than what a typical 300 would have. I thought along the same lines as you, when the tank is finally established, fish will get bigger and the biological load will in kind increase. Why stress it with many fish? I do buy into the notion that corals like/need fish poop to be happy but there's (as you say) a tipping point. To be mindful and stay far enough away from that point is where longevity and happiness come from. No need for unnecessary headaches.
McPuff
New member
Thanks Jimmy, we're definitely on the same page. It's a lot easier to add nutrients if the system becomes deficient, rather than battle with high nutrient load constantly. I'm surprised that I have as many fish as I do, though many of them are small and will remain small. I have a few azure damsels on order and after I add those I don't envision adding anything else for quite a while.
The swap went really well. I didn't win any of the raffles though. :0( Found a bunch of corals I simply could never rationalize buying! :0) Did spend a bit more than I ever have in the past but got some really nice frags and mini colonies. A couple are no-names (which I like) but they are fantastic. I'll have to come up with some names for them! Most of my real estate is now taken once again and there is room for grow out. There is one large-ish spot toward the back of the tank and I never knew what to put there. It seems like a great spot for a pink birdsnest. Gotta find a small colony and let it go nuts. Should look pretty great and contrast nicely with the crayola stag (purple).
I'll have to post some more pictures soon showing the updated scape and canopy (once it's done... waiting on the darn doors to be shipped!).
nightOwl
Premium Member
McPuff - No names are the best
. No absurd price tags...lol. Looking forward to the new pics.
Chasmodes
Well-known member
It's been a while since I've been here, but wow, so many changes! The last FTS looks fantastic. Do you have any since? How is the BF angel doing? Sorry that the annularis didn't work out, they're a stunning angel. If you ever decide to add a pygmy angel, what about a lemon peel or heralds angel? Either of those will add a nice splash of yellow, they're great tank mates and very hardy too. Lemonpeel angels have cool bright blue trim which is pretty stunning, IMHO. Heralds angels are subtly trimmed with orange and green on their fins, also quite beautiful.
McPuff
New member
Thanks Kevin, the tank is doing pretty well. Some of the larger colonies are growing really fast. All the fish and corals seem to be happy. I lost my frag of garf bonsai and I'm not sure why. Just moved a small frag of 20k lokani into a fully lit space. I've had this one nearly a year and it's barely grown at all. Hoping that it'll be happier in the full blast of light but we'll see. I got it from a friend and didn't realize how rare it is. Very cool looking coral.
Here is an FTS from March 3.
I'm actually in the process of making a few changes to coral placement. Going to remove my pink stylo and tricolor validia colonies, cut them down, and then place the smaller colonies. It's so hard to know where to place these when they are just frags. Once they grow up you sometimes realize that a small tweak is required. That's all that is happening here. And I'll have a bunch of frags to sell.
I also bought a bunch of frags at the last 3 swaps. Other than trades, I'll be done buying frags probably until next winter when the swaps run through again. :0)
As for the pygmy angels, there are two that really catch my eye at this point. The Potters and the multibar. Both are rather difficult but I believe they would do equally well in my large and mature tank. My worry would be the QT process and getting them through it. I've read that some people choose not to QT them but that also scares me quite a bit. Too much of a risk. So for now, the only additions will be the 1 half black and 2 azure damsels that are in QT. Considering a swissguard basslet as well. Maybe a few more damsels and/or cardinals.
The blueface is doing great. Getting bigger for sure and is nice and fat. Transition is somewhere between juvenile and adult. Lots of yellow coming in. The caudal spot is starting to show. Rings are getting less pronounced.
I've never had one this large without it being a full adult pattern. Could be because it's the only angel in the tank? Not sure. Pretty well behaved with other fish. Started to nip at soft corals so I removed them and now keep them in the lagoon with the humu trigger. That part of the system is so fun!
OH! The other thing I've been doing is refreshing the stand and canopy. Because I had to work within the confines of original design (I didn't build it) the outcome will be pretty good, but maybe not terrific. I'm ok with that. I removed the FRP that covered the stand, cut a second door, added 1/4" plywood skin to make the doors even size/shape. Currently adding trim to the bottom and top of the stand. Purchased 4 cabinet doors and will hang them with heavy duty picture cleats vs hinges. This will be optimal as the hinge approach would NOT have worked at all. The actual build portion is nearly complete. Still have to prime and paint the doors, and paint the stand. After that is complete I'll do something similar with the canopy. Once the canopy is complete, it'll be nice NOT to be blinded by light overspill!!!
Here is an FTS from March 3.
I'm actually in the process of making a few changes to coral placement. Going to remove my pink stylo and tricolor validia colonies, cut them down, and then place the smaller colonies. It's so hard to know where to place these when they are just frags. Once they grow up you sometimes realize that a small tweak is required. That's all that is happening here. And I'll have a bunch of frags to sell.
I also bought a bunch of frags at the last 3 swaps. Other than trades, I'll be done buying frags probably until next winter when the swaps run through again. :0)
As for the pygmy angels, there are two that really catch my eye at this point. The Potters and the multibar. Both are rather difficult but I believe they would do equally well in my large and mature tank. My worry would be the QT process and getting them through it. I've read that some people choose not to QT them but that also scares me quite a bit. Too much of a risk. So for now, the only additions will be the 1 half black and 2 azure damsels that are in QT. Considering a swissguard basslet as well. Maybe a few more damsels and/or cardinals.
The blueface is doing great. Getting bigger for sure and is nice and fat. Transition is somewhere between juvenile and adult. Lots of yellow coming in. The caudal spot is starting to show. Rings are getting less pronounced.
I've never had one this large without it being a full adult pattern. Could be because it's the only angel in the tank? Not sure. Pretty well behaved with other fish. Started to nip at soft corals so I removed them and now keep them in the lagoon with the humu trigger. That part of the system is so fun!
OH! The other thing I've been doing is refreshing the stand and canopy. Because I had to work within the confines of original design (I didn't build it) the outcome will be pretty good, but maybe not terrific. I'm ok with that. I removed the FRP that covered the stand, cut a second door, added 1/4" plywood skin to make the doors even size/shape. Currently adding trim to the bottom and top of the stand. Purchased 4 cabinet doors and will hang them with heavy duty picture cleats vs hinges. This will be optimal as the hinge approach would NOT have worked at all. The actual build portion is nearly complete. Still have to prime and paint the doors, and paint the stand. After that is complete I'll do something similar with the canopy. Once the canopy is complete, it'll be nice NOT to be blinded by light overspill!!!
Your tank looks great! Good luck with the cabinet completion. I can't wait to see it!
lapin
New member
Lookin Good
McPuff
New member
Thanks all. Here's an FTS using a new set of filters (polyp lab clip-on)... makes a huge difference!
I actually cut down a couple large-ish colonies (pink stylo, tricolor validia) to get a better growth pattern (i.e., bushier) closer to the rock. For the validia, I kept about half of the colony and ended up with some great "frags" if you can call them that! The true pink stylo got chopped a bit more and I mounted it in 3 different places in the tank. I may take this approach with a couple other corals too, such as red planet (really like that one!). So now I have a zone in the middle where there are a few small frags/colonies. It should look really good in another year when they have all grown in quite a bit more.
Just added three damsels to the DT over the weekend: 2 azures and 1 half black. They hide quite a bit so far but I have no doubts they'll be out and about soon enough. They are quite a bit smaller than the chromis and Talbott's damsel that were already in the tank. Also have a Swaless basslet in QT but it'll be almost 4 weeks until it goes into DT (it just finished TTM on Friday). Unfortunately, I lost a two spot wrasse in TTM on day 3 just yesterday. Bummer and not sure what happened. :0(
Also added a GEO 618 calcium reactor as my original reactor had a small crack and therefore was leaking. I'll try to repair it and maybe use it as a huge chaeto reactor or sell it (fixed of course). The Geo should be more than enough for my system though and it does save me a bit of space. Gotta get it dialed in but should be stable in a day or two. Next thing will be to add a peristaltic pump to really keep things steady.
I actually cut down a couple large-ish colonies (pink stylo, tricolor validia) to get a better growth pattern (i.e., bushier) closer to the rock. For the validia, I kept about half of the colony and ended up with some great "frags" if you can call them that! The true pink stylo got chopped a bit more and I mounted it in 3 different places in the tank. I may take this approach with a couple other corals too, such as red planet (really like that one!). So now I have a zone in the middle where there are a few small frags/colonies. It should look really good in another year when they have all grown in quite a bit more.
Just added three damsels to the DT over the weekend: 2 azures and 1 half black. They hide quite a bit so far but I have no doubts they'll be out and about soon enough. They are quite a bit smaller than the chromis and Talbott's damsel that were already in the tank. Also have a Swaless basslet in QT but it'll be almost 4 weeks until it goes into DT (it just finished TTM on Friday). Unfortunately, I lost a two spot wrasse in TTM on day 3 just yesterday. Bummer and not sure what happened. :0(
Also added a GEO 618 calcium reactor as my original reactor had a small crack and therefore was leaking. I'll try to repair it and maybe use it as a huge chaeto reactor or sell it (fixed of course). The Geo should be more than enough for my system though and it does save me a bit of space. Gotta get it dialed in but should be stable in a day or two. Next thing will be to add a peristaltic pump to really keep things steady.
Good update! Lots happening! Tank looks gorgeous!
McPuff
New member
Thanks Michael! Yes, lots happening for sure. It was getting a little overwhelming to be honest as there were simply too many small and large projects going at the same time. I really had to just try and get a little done here and there to make things more manageable. The CA reactor replacement was an extra issue that added unnecessary anxiety. Thankfully that looks to be stable already (!) and performing better than my last one. Big relief.
I haven't talked much about it but the stand re-facing is going really well, but also taking a long time. Finally have the trim installed, along with the cleats on the doors, and the cleats on the stand. Doors are test fit on the stand and look pretty good (better than pictured). Next steps are to prime the stands, add some more finishing nails to the trim, caulk the trim, cover holes, and then paint the whole thing. Then it's done! Actually isn't that much work and now that it's nicer outside I should be able to get those doors primed and painted a bit more easily (although it's going to rain the rest of the week).
After the stand, it's the canopy that needs some "doors." I'm going to try to find 2 stock canopy doors and turn them sideways. May also use a cleat system to hold them in place. Haven't given this much thought in a while so still struggling with it a tad. Will be nice to reduce light spill and be able to focus solely on the inside of the tank. It's been about 2.5 years since I got the tank so it's about time I like the way the whole package looks!! :0)
I know how you feel. I get overwhelmed too. Stuff piles up when you aren't looking! Your cabinet is coming along nicely. It's going to look great!
McPuff
New member
Thanks Michael. Sometimes, I just need to remember that plodding along and making progress slowly is going to get the job done... and probably better than if I sped it along. And it generally benefits the reef to make any changes slowly.
I'm really trying to take a hands-off approach for the INSIDE of my reef now (i.e., "watch mode"). Other than adding corals, I do not do much of anything where my hands need to be in the tank. Just the usual pump cleaning, glass cleaning (no hands in tank!), sometimes rock scrubbing (minimally invasive and infrequent), and gravel vacuuming (rare). Otherwise, most of my time is spent feeding the fish and starting at them and the corals (let's call it monitoring). :0)
Plodding is good. Take your time, enjoy the ride!
I like the hands-off approach. It gives Nature the space to contribute.
I like the hands-off approach. It gives Nature the space to contribute.
McPuff
New member
Fish update: Over the past few months I've lost a few fish. The most recent was my ruby headed wrasse (C. cyanopleura). No idea what happened with this guy. One day, about two months ago, he must have flipped out and then became reclusive. He basically hid in a pile of rocks all day every day. Came out only a few times. Probably didn't even eat. Finally on Monday, I found him out of the rocks, but lying on his side and occassionally flitting about the tank, obviously on the road to death. I had this guy (supermale) for about 6 years so I'm guessing it was only about 8 years old or less. I guess that old age could be the ultimate cause of death (stroke?). Who knows.
Also lost the tail spot blenny which had seemingly no cause. It always came out to eat, was never chased or bullied. Was so fun to watch. Had it about 4-5 months and one day it was just dead. No signs of illness or injury. Weird.
The third was the female PJ cardinal. I thought she was thick with eggs but once she died I determine she must have had some type of blockage. Poor girl. Had her about 7-8 years. The male is still going strong.
Last year I lost a solar wrasse (C. solorensis) and I think that one could be chalked up to old age even though I had it about 5 years (6-7 years old, max). I believe this one went blind, then had trouble finding food and eventually withered away.
Just last week, I bought a two spot wrasse (Cheilinus bimaculatus) which is the smallest of the maori wrasses (only gets about 5-6"). At first glance it doesn't appear to be all that great but if you've ever owned one you know how cool they really are, especially as adults. It was eating food only moments after being put into TTM #1. Unfortunately, it was dead two mornings later. I don't believe I didn't anything wrong here, just bad luck. May try for another but we'll see.
For about two months, my melanurus wrasse has had a white spot... actually his entire pupil is white. It appears to be cataract and it seems fairly common among this species (based on my research). He acts pretty normal but is clearly blind in that eye. I'm hoping the other eye will not be affected for a while because that will certainly lead to his demise. I really enjoy having a melanurus, especially given their propensity for hunting flatworms and [probably] bristle worms (I NEVER see them). So when this one passes, I'll get another one for sure.
It's weird when you've had fish long enough that they can start to die from old age. You wouldn't think this could be true after 5-7 years but life spans are generally shorter in captivity. Kind of sad and it bring a change to the fish community. You are then left with a gap that you can leave empty or fill with a new fish. The latter requires finding the right species, TTM, then QT. This does take a couple of months altogether which can be a bummer but it does provide the ability to rejuvenate the fish assemblage in your reef. Not sure yet what I will do but I'd say that 1-3 wrasses are in my future (Scott's, Labouti, leopard?). Maybe not until the fall.
Well, that was a long update and a bit of waxing poetic I suppose. Hope you enjoyed. :0)
Also lost the tail spot blenny which had seemingly no cause. It always came out to eat, was never chased or bullied. Was so fun to watch. Had it about 4-5 months and one day it was just dead. No signs of illness or injury. Weird.
The third was the female PJ cardinal. I thought she was thick with eggs but once she died I determine she must have had some type of blockage. Poor girl. Had her about 7-8 years. The male is still going strong.
Last year I lost a solar wrasse (C. solorensis) and I think that one could be chalked up to old age even though I had it about 5 years (6-7 years old, max). I believe this one went blind, then had trouble finding food and eventually withered away.
Just last week, I bought a two spot wrasse (Cheilinus bimaculatus) which is the smallest of the maori wrasses (only gets about 5-6"). At first glance it doesn't appear to be all that great but if you've ever owned one you know how cool they really are, especially as adults. It was eating food only moments after being put into TTM #1. Unfortunately, it was dead two mornings later. I don't believe I didn't anything wrong here, just bad luck. May try for another but we'll see.
For about two months, my melanurus wrasse has had a white spot... actually his entire pupil is white. It appears to be cataract and it seems fairly common among this species (based on my research). He acts pretty normal but is clearly blind in that eye. I'm hoping the other eye will not be affected for a while because that will certainly lead to his demise. I really enjoy having a melanurus, especially given their propensity for hunting flatworms and [probably] bristle worms (I NEVER see them). So when this one passes, I'll get another one for sure.
It's weird when you've had fish long enough that they can start to die from old age. You wouldn't think this could be true after 5-7 years but life spans are generally shorter in captivity. Kind of sad and it bring a change to the fish community. You are then left with a gap that you can leave empty or fill with a new fish. The latter requires finding the right species, TTM, then QT. This does take a couple of months altogether which can be a bummer but it does provide the ability to rejuvenate the fish assemblage in your reef. Not sure yet what I will do but I'd say that 1-3 wrasses are in my future (Scott's, Labouti, leopard?). Maybe not until the fall.
Well, that was a long update and a bit of waxing poetic I suppose. Hope you enjoyed. :0)
Thanks for sharing this. It's uncomfortable to talk about. Nobody wants to publicly list their fish deaths. I've lost more than my share over the last year or so. It fills me with shame and dread.
It is somewhat comforting to hear it coming from someone with such a great reputation for taking superlative care of their fish.
It's hard to imagine what our fish go through on the way to our tanks. It's a safe bet that it is very stressful and often fatal. Even getting them through QT is no guarantee. It's impossible to know every factor that could contribute to their demise.
I'll continue to look to you for the best example of fish care I've seen.
It is somewhat comforting to hear it coming from someone with such a great reputation for taking superlative care of their fish.
It's hard to imagine what our fish go through on the way to our tanks. It's a safe bet that it is very stressful and often fatal. Even getting them through QT is no guarantee. It's impossible to know every factor that could contribute to their demise.
I'll continue to look to you for the best example of fish care I've seen.
