Setting up a 120

[ThinIce]

Yup, after all that, the 10g cracked, but it was because it got knocked when my buddy and I were installing it. But the drilling was sort of a hassle. I don't have room for anything bigger and don't want to spend the money for one of those CPR HOB's. Unfortunately I wont be able to get a refugium up and running until after this weekend.

 

[JPSKI25]

I have one for you I'm off 2maro, you come get it and its yours!

 

[SaylorsReef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15647021#post15647021 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ThinIce
As stated earlier, my tank has an established amount of copepods. All the live rock / sand is established. So basically I went from an established 55 and moved to a 120 once I came back from school. So far all is well, all fish are eating, and the mandarins are hunting my copepods. Working on getting them to take frozen... but I doubt they'll run out of live food in there, especially if I can get my fuge to reproduce them as sort of a copepod sanctuary...

Actually there is usually some die off, and a cycle when you move the contents from one tank to another. The results are not an instantly cycled, well established tank. Even if this was a mature tank, the stocking is much to fast.

 

[JPSKI25]

Wow I think someone needs a hug!!!! Just a downer in multiple threads!

 

[ThinIce]

wouldn't die off constitute an ammonia spike?
Also, how would you explain 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, zero nitrate with no bad algae, and a large boost in coralline algae along with copepods you can see even during the day?

 

[SaylorsReef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15647114#post15647114 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JPSKI25
Wow I think someone needs a hug!!!! Just a downer in multiple threads!

Wow!!! A "downer" in "multiple" threads. LOL

Learn to accept constructive criticism and the rules of the road.

 

[ThinIce]

Finally... Some pics!
Potters:

Male and female green mandarins and diamond head goby (Only can see tail of one in the upper right):

Female Mandarin:

FTS's:

 

[ThinIce]

bump... now the pics should be viewable...

 

[ThinIce]

Last weekend, my flame angel died roughly 48-72 hours after purchase. It was not due to the potters nor the blue damsels as I made sure to watch for bullying. Nothing over that time.
However, Aquarium Adventure, where I bought the fish from was hesitant to honor their warranty. After deliberating back and forth I was able to get another for free....

Unfortunately, after acclimating, I put the new flame into the tank and the potters angel would not leave it alone, so I pulled the flame angel out and it currently sits in my sump....

Had that first flame not died, I would not have had a problem....

Can I pull both flames out for a day(or longer?) and put them back in together as so they both need to adjust(for the second time) to my main display? Let me know as I want to keep both fish!

 

[meg]

Hey.....
The tank looks great. I'm glad you got it going.
I don't have any real advise for you on the angels. The only two angels I ever had together was a pygmy and a lemonpeel. The only thing for sure is each situation is different.

Keep us posted. Good luck!
Meg

 

[SienkoToTheMax]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15680924#post15680924 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ThinIce
Last weekend, my flame angel died roughly 48-72 hours after purchase. It was not due to the potters nor the blue damsels as I made sure to watch for bullying. Nothing over that time.
However, Aquarium Adventure, where I bought the fish from was hesitant to honor their warranty. After deliberating back and forth I was able to get another for free....

Unfortunately, after acclimating, I put the new flame into the tank and the potters angel would not leave it alone, so I pulled the flame angel out and it currently sits in my sump....

Had that first flame not died, I would not have had a problem....

Can I pull both flames out for a day(or longer?) and put them back in together as so they both need to adjust(for the second time) to my main display? Let me know as I want to keep both fish!

1- it died at least a full day after your warranty expired
2- you were out of town the entire time and didn't personally observe it at all
3- upon inspection, the body of the flame had its fins torn apart
4- the first flame died BECAUSE you had a problem

I hate to drag you under the bus but it's not like the rules of what goes with what stop applying after you have good luck the first time around.

That said, with aggressive fish all you can do is help the situation and hope, and consider yourself lucky that the LFS footed the bill for your first few mistakes. I'm guessing the first one lasted as long as it did because the potters was too busy acclimating himself to the new tank to care about the flame. Once he got comfortable, he probably hammered it to death like he tried to do with the second.

 

[ThinIce]

Sienkotothemax, Please actually look at my tank before posting blatant lies.
I really don't need someone who has been working at a fish store for just over a month tell me what I am doing wrong. You never had a saltwater tank. I WAS NOT OUT of town the entire time and I had my dad watch for signs when I was out of the town. I had observed my tank for quite a few hours over the days as it is AT MY HOUSE. There were absolutely no signs of aggression on the fish when it was alive and body was being eaten by my cleanup crew when it was pulled out... it must have died at night and my clean up crew went to work.

Also, I haven't updated this thread in a while.
The flame angel and Potters angel are both doing great together tight now. No bullying by any of my fish. (The blue damsels chase each other here and there, but never any of the other fish.) Thus I am certain it wasn't my end at all. My water parameters have been perfect on this tank since the beginning.

 

[ThinIce]

Here are some pictures from today.

Shot of all the internals. The refugium drains into the sump via a bulkhead, which should allow copepods to enter the main display. Refugium has a deep sand bed, 10lbs of live rock and tons of chaeto in it. The pump for the protein skimmer is also plumbed into the sump.

FTS 9/22/09:

Left Side:

Right Side:

 

[ThinIce]

So a couple of nights ago I found my 2 mandarins sleeping together under a piece of coral. Well last night I found the 2 doing the mating dance. It was really cool to watch, and I wish I had a decent video camera to show everyone. I was able to only get one blurry image. All and all I'm stoked as they have only been in the tank for about a month. He must be a smooth talker!

 

[ThinIce]

Blurry picture of the two mating:

 

[Ragby]

Tank looks good!

 

[ChicagoReefOne]

what are the green anemone-looking things under the purple montipora and on the rock on the left side? Anemones?

Tank looks good! How have the centropyge angels been as far as reef safeness?

 

[ThinIce]

Thanks Ragby!
The green anemones are GBTA(green bubble tips)

I have had a flame angel in a 55 and my 120. Never did it bother an invert or fish. I have full polyp extension on all of the corals I have/had. The potters and flame are currently getting along, sometimes feeding along side each other. The only nipping I see is from the potters and it has only nipped at live rock and snail shells.