shabreeson
New member
had it for a solid year like that before selling it off at 10". the way the rocks were arranged the base/foot was still covered. not to derail the thread, do what you want, just putting in my 2 cents.
Mike's Anemone Tank Build
- Thread starter MikeInToronto
- Start date
had it for a solid year like that before selling it off at 10". the way the rocks were arranged the base/foot was still covered. not to derail the thread, do what you want, just putting in my 2 cents.
trueblackpercula
New member
Very nice tank build...
MikeInToronto
New member
Thanks for the replies.
I don't think I'm going to add any more money into the stand, even just to dress it up. The basement (where the tank is) is completely devoid of walls, insulation; anything so it's like putting lipstick on a pig. Once I fix the basement I will build a dressy stand that is much better in design. This one was good practice, though.
I went to feed the damsel and saddles and found the damsel covered in white spots, ragged fins, and breathing heavily. I moved him and the saddles to the hospital tank where they are being treated with copper and Furan-2. I not going to keep them anymore after the treatment. Instead, I'll just dismantle the 75g display. (I'm leveling it with a broken shishkabob skewer shoved under one of the stand legs so it's only a matter of time until it cracks anyway
).
The new tank has a bit of green algae. I didn't notice it at the time but one of the rocks I added has a patch of green stuff that is seeming to increase in size. It's pretty wild to see the snails eat it up off the glass but there is too much of the algae and too few of the snails. It isn't hair but it does grow pretty fast. I will add the GFO soon but that always seems to affect my corals.
I got the second Vortech and despite my (unspoken) fears, the circulation is VERY good in the tank. I was a little concerned the MP10s wouldn't be strong enough but they are very adequate. I'm totally borken right now but in the near future I will add a RF modulator to the non-wireless Vortech to make it wireless then sync the two.
So far I can't think of anything I'd do differently. Well, maybe I would have added water that came out of my trusted old reservoir barrel rather than the new one. When I read the TDS on the old barrel which was filled using the expended DI resin, the TDS was 2 ppm as was the water going in. However when I read the TDS for the new barrel with all new filters and resins, it was 0 ppm going in but around 13 ppm in the barrel. I thought this was due to my switching the water-collecting utensils back and forth between the salt water and RO water. Turns out I was wrong. But that begs the question, what exactly was in that new barrel? Prior to using it for water it held shopping bags - a whole lot of them. Hmm.
That's the update.
I don't think I'm going to add any more money into the stand, even just to dress it up. The basement (where the tank is) is completely devoid of walls, insulation; anything so it's like putting lipstick on a pig. Once I fix the basement I will build a dressy stand that is much better in design. This one was good practice, though.
I went to feed the damsel and saddles and found the damsel covered in white spots, ragged fins, and breathing heavily. I moved him and the saddles to the hospital tank where they are being treated with copper and Furan-2. I not going to keep them anymore after the treatment. Instead, I'll just dismantle the 75g display. (I'm leveling it with a broken shishkabob skewer shoved under one of the stand legs so it's only a matter of time until it cracks anyway
).The new tank has a bit of green algae. I didn't notice it at the time but one of the rocks I added has a patch of green stuff that is seeming to increase in size. It's pretty wild to see the snails eat it up off the glass but there is too much of the algae and too few of the snails. It isn't hair but it does grow pretty fast. I will add the GFO soon but that always seems to affect my corals.
I got the second Vortech and despite my (unspoken) fears, the circulation is VERY good in the tank. I was a little concerned the MP10s wouldn't be strong enough but they are very adequate. I'm totally borken right now but in the near future I will add a RF modulator to the non-wireless Vortech to make it wireless then sync the two.
So far I can't think of anything I'd do differently. Well, maybe I would have added water that came out of my trusted old reservoir barrel rather than the new one. When I read the TDS on the old barrel which was filled using the expended DI resin, the TDS was 2 ppm as was the water going in. However when I read the TDS for the new barrel with all new filters and resins, it was 0 ppm going in but around 13 ppm in the barrel. I thought this was due to my switching the water-collecting utensils back and forth between the salt water and RO water. Turns out I was wrong. But that begs the question, what exactly was in that new barrel? Prior to using it for water it held shopping bags - a whole lot of them. Hmm.
That's the update.
soggyfollicles
In Memoriam
Very impressive! I must commend you on your documentation of the whole process. I always forgot to take pictures while I'm building and regret it afterward.
MikeInToronto
New member
Well the damsel died last night which is too bad but I noticed today that the nigripes is also infected. I tried to catch her but I'll have to wait until tonight when the nights go off; she's tricky. She looks pretty bad so I don't know if I can help her even if I do catch her. This is one of the reasons we should keep a diary. I haven't added anything to the tank in the last few months except some snails in the new tank. I could probably blame them for the infection of the clown but it doesn't explain how the damsel got infected. And if it happened in the old 75 (when both the damsel and clown were housed under the same system), what the heck did I put in there? I can't remember.
StealthRider
In Memoriam
Looks good mike, just beware of the VorTech. Looks like the perfect anemone grinder. Sweet tank!
MikeInToronto
New member
I caught the nigripes last night. It was really easy. I put it in the hospital and now I just have to cross my fingers.
Thanks!
The Vortechs have the sponge guard on them so the anemone is safe. It has been sucked onto the pump in the past and all I've had to do is turn of the pump and the anemone falls off.
Thanks!
The Vortechs have the sponge guard on them so the anemone is safe. It has been sucked onto the pump in the past and all I've had to do is turn of the pump and the anemone falls off.
MikeInToronto
New member
This is just an update.
The tank has been running since May and it looks pretty much the same except it seems to have colored up a bit.
The anemone hasn't moved so that's a plus. It seems pretty happy and extends itself a lot.
And here is the anemone crab who I thought would get evicted but seems to have hung on.
I still have the saddleback clowns. I went to the LFS so see about a trade-in but they offered me $11 for the pair. I thought that was insulting so I brought them home. I would rather give them to another keeper than sell them for $11 to a big box LFS.
I haven't connected the ATO yet. I'm not sure if I ever will but I did connect the GFO reactor. I don't notice much difference except that some of the macro algae is dying back. I really need a tang to eat some of this stuff.
So that's the update. Not too exciting.
The tank has been running since May and it looks pretty much the same except it seems to have colored up a bit.
The anemone hasn't moved so that's a plus. It seems pretty happy and extends itself a lot.
And here is the anemone crab who I thought would get evicted but seems to have hung on.
I still have the saddleback clowns. I went to the LFS so see about a trade-in but they offered me $11 for the pair. I thought that was insulting so I brought them home. I would rather give them to another keeper than sell them for $11 to a big box LFS.
I haven't connected the ATO yet. I'm not sure if I ever will but I did connect the GFO reactor. I don't notice much difference except that some of the macro algae is dying back. I really need a tang to eat some of this stuff.
So that's the update. Not too exciting.
Attachments
velvetelvis
Active member
I think it's lovely. I really like your rockwork and the way it frames the anemone. What kind of clowns are you planning to keep with it, if you don't keep the saddles?
MikeInToronto
New member
Thanks.
There is an A. nigripes in there. You can sort of see its head in the full tank shot in the left side of the anemone. You can also see it in some of the other tank shots in this thread.
velvetelvis
Active member
Ah...gotcha. I wasn't looking closely enough. Glad she pulled through for you.
Arkayology
Active member
Nice looking build.
stanley1095
In Memoriam
nice job!!!!
MikeInToronto
New member
It's been over a year since I posted to this thread. I really haven't done too much to the tank since then. The only important update was that I removed the 250W MH XM in a Lumen Bright and replaced it with a LED fixture. To be honest, I can't tell the difference in colour. The LED has two channels so I can increase the blue but I think I've gotten so used to the whiteness, I keep the blue/violet channel pretty much off. Here is a comparison.
Before (250W XM lamp)
After (144W LED)
One good thing is that the light isn't spread out as much. The entire room was lit up under the Lumen Brights. Now it's more focused into the tank.
I also underwent a breakout of pink cotton algae. It was discouraging enough that I gave up on the tank until recently. At first, the pink stuff was in small patches and was kind of pretty. Then ... not so pretty. I finally learned what is was, scrubbed the rocks, and added some Mexican Turbos. They are taking care of the cotton.
Red cotton:
Almost all of the zoos were smothered by the algae. The GSP didn't care about the algae and instead, grew on top of it. As pieces broke off, I have little GSP colonies all over the tank. I don't mind these. I have a patch growing on the overflow.
Green Star Polyps on overflow:
The anemone moved itself to the back corner of the tank, under one of the Vortechs. I keep the sponge on the Vortech to be safe but I have to clean it daily. There is a lot of cotton algal bits that get stuck to it.
Anemone:
I have a pompom crab in the tank which I've had for a while. It lost its anemones and then it disappeared a few months ago. It reappeared yesterday and in place of its anemones, it's carrying GSP polyps. Funny.
Finally, the clown is as mean as ever. It severely limits the fishes I can add so I'm essentially stuck with just the one fish. I do have a watchman goby in there and I think it's still alive but I've never seen it. I see the tiger shrimp's antennae moving about in the rockwork so I assume the goby is nearby. I also added a couple black-barred damsels but they are terrified of the clown and hang out in the rocks. I have 5 in total but I was able to recover 3 and move them back to quarantine. The other 2 are in it for the long haul.
I also found a couple more A. nigripes. I got two, expecting at least one to die (since they never seem to survive), in the hopes of pairing it off with the resident clown. But both are alive and well. Unfortunately, I don't think the pairing is going to happen. The resident clown is too mean.
I wish this build thread could be more interesting, but perhaps someone out there with a 60 gallon cube, or a dedicated clown/anemone tank, will find it useful. :beer:
Before (250W XM lamp)
After (144W LED)
One good thing is that the light isn't spread out as much. The entire room was lit up under the Lumen Brights. Now it's more focused into the tank.
I also underwent a breakout of pink cotton algae. It was discouraging enough that I gave up on the tank until recently. At first, the pink stuff was in small patches and was kind of pretty. Then ... not so pretty. I finally learned what is was, scrubbed the rocks, and added some Mexican Turbos. They are taking care of the cotton.
Red cotton:
Almost all of the zoos were smothered by the algae. The GSP didn't care about the algae and instead, grew on top of it. As pieces broke off, I have little GSP colonies all over the tank. I don't mind these. I have a patch growing on the overflow.
Green Star Polyps on overflow:
The anemone moved itself to the back corner of the tank, under one of the Vortechs. I keep the sponge on the Vortech to be safe but I have to clean it daily. There is a lot of cotton algal bits that get stuck to it.
Anemone:
I have a pompom crab in the tank which I've had for a while. It lost its anemones and then it disappeared a few months ago. It reappeared yesterday and in place of its anemones, it's carrying GSP polyps. Funny.
Finally, the clown is as mean as ever. It severely limits the fishes I can add so I'm essentially stuck with just the one fish. I do have a watchman goby in there and I think it's still alive but I've never seen it. I see the tiger shrimp's antennae moving about in the rockwork so I assume the goby is nearby. I also added a couple black-barred damsels but they are terrified of the clown and hang out in the rocks. I have 5 in total but I was able to recover 3 and move them back to quarantine. The other 2 are in it for the long haul.
I also found a couple more A. nigripes. I got two, expecting at least one to die (since they never seem to survive), in the hopes of pairing it off with the resident clown. But both are alive and well. Unfortunately, I don't think the pairing is going to happen. The resident clown is too mean.
I wish this build thread could be more interesting, but perhaps someone out there with a 60 gallon cube, or a dedicated clown/anemone tank, will find it useful. :beer:
OrionN
Moved on
Very good thread. Do you ever think of rearrange the rock so that you have rock on one side and anemone on the other side (since your anemone did not cooperate and stay in the middle? I have two cube tanks, both about 30 gal, with anemones. Below are the picture of the two tanks.
MikeInToronto
New member
Hi Minh,
Thanks for the compliments. I considered moving the rocks but the anemone seems to like the tightness in the corner so I expect it will move again if I move the rocks. It originally squeezed into the right side of the rock-work then one day, I found it on the left and it's just stayed there. I also have a lot of little polyps, zoas, mushrooms that survive here and there all over the rocks so I don't want to squash them. Maybe they will multiply once the snails mow down the rest of the cotton algae.
Your anemones look great!
Thanks for the compliments. I considered moving the rocks but the anemone seems to like the tightness in the corner so I expect it will move again if I move the rocks. It originally squeezed into the right side of the rock-work then one day, I found it on the left and it's just stayed there. I also have a lot of little polyps, zoas, mushrooms that survive here and there all over the rocks so I don't want to squash them. Maybe they will multiply once the snails mow down the rest of the cotton algae.
Your anemones look great!
