New guy here, and so it begins!!!
- Thread starter oldbones
- Start date
Blue Spot Jawfish is all moved in to his new digs for the next 4-6 weeks. Transferred him in by hand (he didn't even freak out!) and released him right into a cave rock (fake) I put in the QT for him. Within minutes he was sticking his head out and grabbing up the rubble I had piled up near his cave to bring home and decorate. He's picked out a favored snail shell to grace the entrance.
About two hours later, after feeding my biocube, I offered him some Mysis, and he gobbled em up!
I think I'm gonna dig this fish.
About two hours later, after feeding my biocube, I offered him some Mysis, and he gobbled em up!
I think I'm gonna dig this fish.
So, Mr. Jawfish had me tied in knots for a couple days. I'm thinking just all the stress from ocean-distributor-pet store-plane ride-my house in about 4 days really had him worn out.
I've done my best to give him a comfortable, healthy environment to succeed, and I think it's working. The last couple days, I wasn't so sure, but all day today he is looking like a whole new man!
After I added some appropriate substrate yesterday, he spent the night building a burrow. His behaviors today appear to be completely normal, no lethargy, no weird spots or bad coloring, breathing normally, etc. His appetite is back too, had a nice breakfast, and he just ate again.
Since he will be in this 10g until my new tank is up and running (4-6 weeks minimum), I'm treating it as a small DT instead of a sterile QT. If he develops a condition that requires medicating, I may have to rethink that, but in the meantime I feel the advantages of having a proper habitat including a working bio-filter is the best thing I can do for him. I gave him a Nassarius Snail and 5 mini hermits to keep him company and help with any food scraps he might miss.
Oh, and isn't he handsome?
I've done my best to give him a comfortable, healthy environment to succeed, and I think it's working. The last couple days, I wasn't so sure, but all day today he is looking like a whole new man!
After I added some appropriate substrate yesterday, he spent the night building a burrow. His behaviors today appear to be completely normal, no lethargy, no weird spots or bad coloring, breathing normally, etc. His appetite is back too, had a nice breakfast, and he just ate again.
Since he will be in this 10g until my new tank is up and running (4-6 weeks minimum), I'm treating it as a small DT instead of a sterile QT. If he develops a condition that requires medicating, I may have to rethink that, but in the meantime I feel the advantages of having a proper habitat including a working bio-filter is the best thing I can do for him. I gave him a Nassarius Snail and 5 mini hermits to keep him company and help with any food scraps he might miss.
Oh, and isn't he handsome?
Long time, no update!
Well, still chugging, and still learning. Overall, the tank is doing well, some species happier than others.
Unfortunately, my Rainbow Ricordea bleached, shrunk and died over the course of about two weeks. After about a week, I decided it must have been from too much light, even though I only had my AI Prime peaking around 40%. Our open brain coral was also showing signs of unhappiness, it shrunk up and wouldn't feed for about a week and a half. I dropped the light back 5-10%, and the brain bounced back nicely, but the Ricordea did not.
I met up with another local reefer, and brought home a few pieces from his tank; a Green Stylophora, Green Hydnophora and a short tentacle Branching Frogspawn with two heads and 5-6 mouths. These pieces all seem to be doing well, although the Frogspawn is big enough I've been having a hard time making enough space between him and other corals. Also picked up a nice Cali Tort frag a week ago, and so far it seems to be doing well. It's color was so/so when I got it (paid $10), so I'll be interested to see if it gets better in my tank. Great PE though, so I know it's eating.
Over the last two weeks, my Alk started decreasing steadily, so I've had to start adding Alk, currently in the form of Seachem Reef Builder. This seems to be a good solution so far, as my Mag and Calc are still at the top end of the green and steady.
I lost the Jawfish in QT, really don't know why. Searching for answers here and elsewhere makes me think it was an infection of sorts, but haven't found any reliable info to pin it down. I nuked the QT, set it back up and cycled it hard with a big live rock from the LFS and raw shrimp. Found another BSJ locally that had been at the shop for 3 weeks, looked healthy and was eating well. He's on his 4th day here, and doing very well so I'm much more optimistic.
This tank is in 'maintain' mode now, awaiting the arrival and setup of my new 56g which should start next week.
Anyway, no good FTS for you, but here's a quick iphone shot of one small corner of the tank.
Well, still chugging, and still learning. Overall, the tank is doing well, some species happier than others.
Unfortunately, my Rainbow Ricordea bleached, shrunk and died over the course of about two weeks. After about a week, I decided it must have been from too much light, even though I only had my AI Prime peaking around 40%. Our open brain coral was also showing signs of unhappiness, it shrunk up and wouldn't feed for about a week and a half. I dropped the light back 5-10%, and the brain bounced back nicely, but the Ricordea did not.
I met up with another local reefer, and brought home a few pieces from his tank; a Green Stylophora, Green Hydnophora and a short tentacle Branching Frogspawn with two heads and 5-6 mouths. These pieces all seem to be doing well, although the Frogspawn is big enough I've been having a hard time making enough space between him and other corals. Also picked up a nice Cali Tort frag a week ago, and so far it seems to be doing well. It's color was so/so when I got it (paid $10), so I'll be interested to see if it gets better in my tank. Great PE though, so I know it's eating.
Over the last two weeks, my Alk started decreasing steadily, so I've had to start adding Alk, currently in the form of Seachem Reef Builder. This seems to be a good solution so far, as my Mag and Calc are still at the top end of the green and steady.
I lost the Jawfish in QT, really don't know why. Searching for answers here and elsewhere makes me think it was an infection of sorts, but haven't found any reliable info to pin it down. I nuked the QT, set it back up and cycled it hard with a big live rock from the LFS and raw shrimp. Found another BSJ locally that had been at the shop for 3 weeks, looked healthy and was eating well. He's on his 4th day here, and doing very well so I'm much more optimistic.
This tank is in 'maintain' mode now, awaiting the arrival and setup of my new 56g which should start next week.
Anyway, no good FTS for you, but here's a quick iphone shot of one small corner of the tank.
Well, the biocube is still doing well. I moved it across the room to make space for our new 56g tank, and I've started stealing a few corals for the new tank as well.
I also just picked up a macro lens for my DSLR (Tamron 90/Nikon D7100), and here's one of the very first images with it. This is about 10 minutes after I opened the box, shot in jpeg and absolutely straight out of the camera. I'm excited to see what I can manage once I learn how to use it properly. This is the female.
I also just picked up a macro lens for my DSLR (Tamron 90/Nikon D7100), and here's one of the very first images with it. This is about 10 minutes after I opened the box, shot in jpeg and absolutely straight out of the camera. I'm excited to see what I can manage once I learn how to use it properly. This is the female.
Dexter1258
New member
Enjoyed reading ur progress. Ur a good writer/explainer. I'll b following along!
Dexter1258
New member
https://vimeo.com/133195746
Here's my 29g Biocube. My first video post. Well see if it works!
Here's my 29g Biocube. My first video post. Well see if it works!
Cool tank Dexter! I like your clown pair. Just when you start to think that clowns are a boring, run of the mill fish, they do something else funny and cute to make you love them all over again.
Like just now, as in literally just in the last few minutes. My male clown has apparently decided to leave the Torch coral to his big bully wife, and has chummed up to a poor innocent mushroom on the bottom of the tank. He's completely mauling the poor thing, including giving it lots of kisses. Please pardon these two crappy pictures I hurriedly snapped since I started typing this post.
I know I haven't been posting much about this tank lately, that's mostly because the larger 56g I set up across the room 5 weeks ago has been taking more attention. Don't think that means I don't still love this tank, because that's certainly not the case. In fact, the original plan was to take this tank down when the big tank was up and running, but that certainly hasn't happened. In fact, the 29 just keeps looking better and better, and I really am enjoying having them both in my living room.
Here's a shot I took when about an hour after I set up the bigger tank, hopefully they will both look much better soon.
Like just now, as in literally just in the last few minutes. My male clown has apparently decided to leave the Torch coral to his big bully wife, and has chummed up to a poor innocent mushroom on the bottom of the tank. He's completely mauling the poor thing, including giving it lots of kisses. Please pardon these two crappy pictures I hurriedly snapped since I started typing this post.
I know I haven't been posting much about this tank lately, that's mostly because the larger 56g I set up across the room 5 weeks ago has been taking more attention. Don't think that means I don't still love this tank, because that's certainly not the case. In fact, the original plan was to take this tank down when the big tank was up and running, but that certainly hasn't happened. In fact, the 29 just keeps looking better and better, and I really am enjoying having them both in my living room.
Here's a shot I took when about an hour after I set up the bigger tank, hopefully they will both look much better soon.
And, since everybody loves pictures, sometimes even bad ones, I just snapped a few more with the cell phone.
First, take a look at how obscenely obese this open brain coral has become. This is about 80% of his full inflated volume that he was at maybe two hours ago (it's 7:45 pm now).
And, the obligatory FTS.
First, the left side:
And, from the front:
Interestingly enough, most everything in this tank seems to be doing pretty well right now, with two exceptions, one I understand, one I don't.
The two brown SPS pieces you see in the sand were failed experiments in my new bigger tank. They are back in the 29 just to see if I can get them to stay alive, nursing them back to real health is going to be a project.
The one I don't get is the Xenia. It was pretty big, but for the last month has steadily shrunk and looked worse. I'm too chicken to dose much iodine, but not sure that would help it anyway. Any ideas?
First, take a look at how obscenely obese this open brain coral has become. This is about 80% of his full inflated volume that he was at maybe two hours ago (it's 7:45 pm now).
And, the obligatory FTS.
First, the left side:
And, from the front:
Interestingly enough, most everything in this tank seems to be doing pretty well right now, with two exceptions, one I understand, one I don't.
The two brown SPS pieces you see in the sand were failed experiments in my new bigger tank. They are back in the 29 just to see if I can get them to stay alive, nursing them back to real health is going to be a project.
The one I don't get is the Xenia. It was pretty big, but for the last month has steadily shrunk and looked worse. I'm too chicken to dose much iodine, but not sure that would help it anyway. Any ideas?
