Slakker's Oceanic 58g

[Slakker]

Well, it looks like I will soon have a new addition to my family! One of the LFS around here has had a juvenile Cherub Angelfish for the past couple of weeks. I've been stopping in after work every couple of days to check on it and it's been doing awesome, so now that I'm sure I'm going to buy it I'm working on getting my QT back up and running.

I'm a little worried about putting him straight into a QT that's only been set up for a day, but I think that with diligent water changes (I'm thinking a gallon a day on a 10g tank) everything will be okay. After all, when I did this to my clowns a year ago they were in much worse shape, and pulled out of it okay. Anyone think I should hold off until the QT's been up for a few days, or will it not make much difference?

In other exciting news, it sounds like I'm going to be getting paid $35 an hour to finish setting up some guy's system over the weekend. I guess he bought a 200+ gallon tank, was paying someone else to set things up for him, started curing all the rock a couple of months ago and the guy disappeared, so he wanted someone to come out and help him get it up and running the rest of the way.

You know a college student, always looking for some extra cash...plus it's doing something that I've found I really enjoy. I'm looking forward to it.

 

[Slakker]

WHEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

The owner of the Mag9.5 I had been borrowing to run my skimmer just informed me that her return pump died, and so she was going to need it back. Luckily the Mag7 I had ordered to replace it arrived today, so I decided a little rearranging and "outside the box" thinking was in order. That PVC bubble trap/drain silencer I had built a while ago, but never installed because I couldn't figure out how to do it with the skimmer having enough room for the drain?

Yeah. It's in. And it works. And I'm PUMPED. Pics to come.

However, this requires me to substantially alter how the skimmer sits/drains, so it might be a bit of a double edged sword...we'll see.

 

[herostar]

Great build thread!

I have the same tank myself but have an old oceanic stand that I re-painted. I'm using a 20L sump w/ an EV-120.... almost the same setup. I'll have to post a pic up for you, as our aquascapes are even similar! What are you using for lights? I ended up using the 175w MH from my old 20H, and supplemented it with 2x40w pc actinics. It works well and I can keep SPS in the top 1/2 no problem w/ a hydnopora and a clam on the sandbed...

 

[michika]

I see we are both having productive days! Nice score on the tank set up job. Extra cash is just that, sweet extra cash.

 

[Slakker]

...WOW....lol

I'm going to be using my 175w MH from my 12g nano, and I've got 2x39w T5's to supplement actinics! :lol:

 

[Slakker]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12831151#post12831151 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by michika
I see we are both having productive days! Nice score on the tank set up job. Extra cash is just that, sweet extra cash.

Yeah, if it works out it'll be awesome. And it comes at a great time...I'm about to drop $45 on a dwarf angel

 

[michika]

Could be worse, you could be picking up a Gem Tang.

 

[Slakker]

That would be substantially worse...if I got it as a juvi, something tells me it would still outgrow my tank in about 5 minutes.

This Cherub angel is SO cute. It's not much more than an inch long, and it seems to be really healthy. It's eating well, active, and doesn't show any obvious signs of disease. I've had my eye on it for almost two weeks now...I'm hoping he's not going to give me any trouble in QT, I don't know if I can handle a sick fish right now!

 

[michika]

I'm sure you'll be fine. If worse comes to worse you can add the stores water to your QT and slowly change it out over its course in QT. Cherub angels are so cute! I hope it works out for you.

 

[Slakker]

Me too...I'm still crossing my fingers hoping that he's going to behave and keep his greedy little mouth off of my corals!

 

[herostar]

(oops)

 

[Ritten]

Slakker, I did not know you had a build thread. Remember me? I pm'd you about my clowns? Good luck with that cherub angel, I have a feeling it will work out

 

[JJ21]

What do you have planned for this tank as for corals? Would be a nice little sps/lps tank with maybe a clam in there.

 

[tmantaylor18]

nice

 

[Slakker]

Tank setup job fell through, so looks like that extra expendable income isn't gonna be rolling in. Oh well.

JJ21, that's pretty much exactly the plan. Mixed SPS/LPS with a few softies here and there, trying to get a good balance/mix of color and texture throughout the reef. At least one clam, preferably Maxima.

It's going to be a slow process, my tuition payments will make sure of that

 

[Slakker]

Ah yes...another day at the office completed...

To the LFS!!!

 

[michika]

So do you just have your paycheques sent right to the LFS or to do you occasionally act as the middleman for your money?

Picking up the angel?

 

[Slakker]

Yeah, picked up the angel AND got a discount for...well, for something. I wasn't about to refuse an offer for $10 off of anything

As for my money...this is the first living LFS purchase I've made since I bought my clowns back in march of last year.

I'm very nervous...it's been a long time since I've had a new fish to potentially die on me. I'm not too worried about the clowns anymore, they're pretty much bulletproof, but the new guy scares me.

That said, he's currently having a bit of a float before I start dripping and he seems to be just fine. Swimming around a little bit in the bag, but not freaking out, and he's still got really good color. Pics in a little bit!

 

[Slakker]

And here comes the gutwrenching WORRY....ugh...

My QT was at 1.025 last night...today when I went to acclimate the Cherub? 1.020?! What?! With little choice but to go ahead I did a slow drip for a bit under an hour, during which he decided he was better off jumping out of the container and into the dry styro...brilliant move. I picked him up and put him back in, and he decided to jump AGAIN as I was trying to transfer him into the tank, this time landing with a terrifying SMACK on the tabletop the QT is on...I just picked him up and put him into the tank this time, and now he seems to be quite unimpressed with my care.

He's spending a lot of time in the back corner of the tank, behaving pretty similarly to my clownfish when they nearly DIED a year ago.

I'm scared

 

[Slakker]

Here's a terrible pic of the angel in the bag...I tried to take some pictures while he was acclimating, but that's when I discovered that he was a vigorous little jumper, and decided it'd be best if I let him get settled in a bit before poking my lens around in his face anymore.