4’x2’x2’ build… The Dragons’ Forest

[i cant think]

Hey there, present I Can’t Think here
I just wanted to welcome anyone new to this thread. This is for my 4’x2’x2’ tank, my nano tank is the thread linked to my build thread badge.
Hope you enjoy the read!
Weekly Photo of the tank:

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Okay, so I have a 4x2x2 tank, its slowly becoming a reef and in the past 2-3 months it’s been finally growing the easy acros and sps corals. It’s been running for the past 21 months, it’s home to a total of 7 fish, it still has room for about three more is what I got told.

In order of introduction (First to last):

- Siganus magnificus,
- One black photon clownfish (The female recently vanished and hasn’t appeared for the last week)
- Copperbanded butterflyfish
- Ctenochaetus binotatus (Blue-eyed kole tang)
- Halichoeres chloropterus (Jade/pastel green wrasse)
- Halichoeres iridis (Radiant/iridis wrasse)
- Cirrhilabrus lubbocki (Lubbock’s fairy wrasse)
- Genicanthus melanospilos (Spot-breast angelfish)
- Cirrhilabrus scottorum (Scott’s fairy wrasse)**
- Cirrhilabrus lubbocki (Lubbock’s fairy wrasse)

the thing that started the wrasse line was a flat worm infestation from a torch colony, only one head remains on the torch now, We originally had a different set of fish for this tank however those fish died in an ammonia spike.

The corals in the tank are:

- indonesian torch (Basically all dead except one head),
- Yuma ricordea,
- Duncan coral,
- An LPS I can’t remember the name of,
- A Blue discosoma mushroom (It took three years to get one-)
- Staghorn acropora,
- Red Montipora capricornis,
- forest fire montipora digitata
- Green entrusting montipora
- A “hybrid” Hammer x Frogspawn (I think it might just be a Hammer though)

Inverts include:

- 2 Skunk Cleaner shrimp,
- 4 bumblebee snails,
- 4 nassarius snails,
- 3 hermits (1 blue leg, 1 Left handed/Zebra, 1 unknown)
- 1-2 astrea snails
- A ton of asterina stars

 

[i cant think]

The reflection is annoying
Also forgot to say how there’s a leather and two pincushion urchins in there

Blue eye kole tang, Scott’s wrasse &
Ricordea yuma

Scott’s wrasse & Copperband butterfly

Magnificent Foxface, Spot breast angel,
Scott’s wrasse, blue eye kole tang, black photon clownfish (male)

Spot breast angelfish, Indonesian torch, pincushion urchin & favia? coral

 

[Weasel1960]

Looking good!

 

[i cant think]

Looking good!

Yeah! And hopefully it gets a new wrasse in a week or maybe tomorrow (That is if there’s an A. neoguinaicus or M. ornatus that has been in stock for a week or longer)

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

TANG POLICE TANG POLICE

 

[i cant think]

I was told a 4x2x2 was fine for those tangs (Ctenochaetus binotatus), is it the rockwork that’s the issue? Even LA says they can be kept in a tank with 70g

 

[i cant think]

I forgot to add another thing- (It’s hidden round the corner so that’s how I forgot it)

a green RFA (Rockflower anemone)

 

[i cant think]

Here’s some images of the corals in blue light.
The Favia

The blue discasoma mushrooms (it started as one small one then it grew and spread to two
others

Ricordea Yuma

Chilli coral (I also forgot to mention this-)

ignore the flash light at the bottom the chilli is upside down in the darkest cave in the tank
and I may aswell add the downfall..

It’s a bleaching Staghorn, it’s bleaching because I added melafix into the tank (The angel had a ‘dent’ in its side from where an ulcer once was)
Also the two montiporas (Monti capricornis & monti digitata)

 

[i cant think]

But also the tang and Jade wrasse had a case of Ich yesterday and earlier today but both fought it off (hopefully)

 

[i cant think]

Added two more Montipora caps today, They’re going up at the minute but hopefully they’ll turn round and make a grafted monti

 

[SaltyT]

Nice tank! Looking forward to more updates

 

[i cant think]

Nice tank! Looking forward to more updates

Thanks, I don’t know if this is an update but I have a Blue Star leopard now (Although, she’s in the nano as a grow out) and she’s been doing great for the last week

 

[i cant think]

I have a thought kinda a question at the same time - So I have a Jade wrasse (H. chloropterus) I know it can get to 8” so, if I grew it out and when it gets to big for this (I can’t imagine an 8” wrasse that’s already VERY active at 3-4” in a tank less than 6’) my question is:
Would I be able to trade her/him for 2 different wrasse that get to 4” (My LFS has a VERY nice pintail and we think it’s actually a hybrid so I kinda want it)

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I was told a 4x2x2 was fine for those tangs (Ctenochaetus binotatus), is it the rockwork that’s the issue? Even LA says they can be kept in a tank with 70g

Plenty of room for that tang IMO. I have the same tank dimensions with more then a few in there

 

[i cant think]

Plenty of room for that tang IMO. I have the same tank dimensions with more then a few in there

Okay, thanks! I was joking about a PBT fitting when I first got the tank then realised it has a 5’ diagonal and just never joked about fish fitting in tanks like that

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I have a thought kinda a question at the same time - So I have a Jade wrasse (H. chloropterus) I know it can get to 8” so, if I grew it out and when it gets to big for this (I can’t imagine an 8” wrasse that’s already VERY active at 3-4” in a tank less than 6’) my question is:
Would I be able to trade her/him for 2 different wrasse that get to 4” (My LFS has a VERY nice pintail and we think it’s actually a hybrid so I kinda want it)

To trade one fish in for two, you would want to know an estimate of how much your fish will go for. Then compare that price to the two your wanting.

 

[i cant think]

To trade one fish in for two, you would want to know an estimate of how much your fish will go for. Then compare that price to the two your wanting.

yeah, I’ll probably wait and do that!

 

[i cant think]

Just an update - Everyone’s doing great, the male misbar black photon clown is now a female, here’s a photo during feeding time, Everyone has grown a lot more. The Iridis is at the 3.5” mark, the Cebu Lubbock is at 3” and the Indonesian is at 2”, Scott’s is at the 4” mark, Jade is pushing 4.5” (Theres bickering between the Jade and Scott’s now).

Everyone is doing great and here’s just a few photos of the other two fish that are getting ready to go into the tank (I held off of moving the naoko into the large tank because of him being less than half the size of the Scott’s, and rather more thin-ish).

 

[i cant think]

So you all remember that beauty of a tang I had right? Look at him now - I can’t tell if it’s stress or just a transitioning phase! He’s about 3.5” and they tend to get to 4” in captivity so I feel it’s around the right time to transition. The reason why I say transition is because he’s been in these colours for the past 20-30 minutes (Probably longer - I just didn’t see the tank this morning). The top two are my big boy and the bottom is an adult with the same colours.

 

[i cant think]

I found a few photos of some of the fish, coral, my 3’ tank and some downsides to this hobby…
Here’s the 3’ tank’s old inhabitants (Scopas tang, CBB - Beaten to death by the scopas, as seen in the centre of the 3rd photo, Chilli coral is still with me).
23/08/2019 2:12pm

4/10/2019 5:4

1/11/2019 3:53pm

Unfortunately in the photo above this comment, that is a dead CBB from my 3’ tank, that scopas was about 2”, I think most of the coral actually died from a “small” incident that ended in Atleast £300 in coral death and £200 in fish death. Those photos above were from 21st November 2019. When I moved house that’s when I took the chance for a 4’ tank (This was December 21st 2019). Then it had fish in on January 27th - I think 3-4 weeks after it cycled. Here’s the photo of the first fish that went in.. rookie mistake, using the old sand in the new tank.
Results were this:
21/12/2019 9:41am

21/12/2019 9:10am

You guessed it, ammonia spiked quickly and did damage instantly (It was either this or die of hypothermia) this was the decision nobody wants, knowing their fish will die..
Now you will see the bacteria/algae that takes over tanks, and the first 5 fish that went in!!
This photo below shows the black photon clownfish pair that went in, and the bubble algae that spread. Aswell as that beautiful Indonesian colony of torch - Still have this except the colony is now one head.
29/01/2020 3:16pm

and now the other part of the bubble algae (Uglies!) phase, the rockwork is slightly different because we changed the sand for the radiant - The wrasse I have always wanted since having a 3’ tank and seeing a 1” juvenile.
29/01/2020 3:17pm

Phase 2 of the uglies - Bubble algae is dying off, something else (I think it was the diatoms next) came in.
29/01/2020 3:17pm

And now the fourth and 5th/6th inhabitant got added! The CBB I have today (Such a joy to watch!!) and the two skunk cleaners I also have today. Both are Atleast 2” now!!
29/01/2020 3:17pm

This next photo shows the pretty colouration my 3rd inhabitant haha, I have always and will always have a Foxface in my larger tanks!!
AND the acacia I still have - it has grown a lot more too, the fragplug is almost invisible now!
I still have the Duncan too - That was the 2nd coral to go in, the 1st was the torch.
29/01/2020 3:17pm

And then in went the tang (Twin spot). This guy and the Foxface beat the ugly stage to the curb!! And it shows the female Black Photon - I lost the male unfortunately.. so I replaced him with the juvenile misbar that is now the female, this female also vanished and I give up on keeping pairs, I may try one more male black photon though.
Stage 3 of the uglies is also shown and this is where the Foxface had the dinner of a life time - Green Hair Algae!!
5/02/2020 3:22pm

ugly phase #4, diatoms have grown and so has GHA (Finally, a use for the Foxface haha)
5/02/2020 3:26pm

GHA is more clear now
5/02/2020 3:26pm

The tang again - Still highly brown and still beautiful!! Asterinas starting to take over aswell (Bloody things)
5/02/2020 4:25pm

And here’s where the male black photon clown died.. Still no idea why (Everything was in place, no spikes). Diatoms and GHA still taking over - The Foxface still having a buffet
10/02/2020 3:32pm

And finally, Cyano out competed the other two algae’s, I didn’t mind it so much - Nothing got harmed either.
26/02/2020 3:35pm

Here’s my first of two wrasse - Both died (And some backstory as to why I love C. Naokoae so much!!) this guy died from spinal injury from jumping… a month or so later. Also a small bit of one of the pink pincushion urchins (There was two, they’re now replaced with two white pincushion urchins).
4/03/2020 11:16pm - 14 days before my birthday, this was an early birthday gift to myself

And my second wrasse, H. leucoxanthus (Silver belly wrasse) she died at some point in June or July 2020. Also - My chilli coral in that tank!!
16/03/2020 7:37am - Also an early birthday gift.

And then part of the rockwork fell (Nothing died or got injured) I got lucky with that one, it’s now stable though.
24/07/2020 9:49am