4’x2’x2’ build… The Dragons’ Forest

[i cant think]

So, just a small update and a rather sad one since we’ve had her for two coming up to three years… It’s not a death it’s a simple returning of this fish, Jade wrasses just seem to be for other tanks and not for our tank, this week I’m saying goodbye to a jade wrasse and if it’s still there then I will say welcome to a flashing tilefish. I am returning the Jade wrasse to the LFS this week, I have reserved the flashing tilefish after seeing it flash. If anyone can tell me that’s a form of stress I’d love it, it wasn’t breathing heavily. I don’t think my LFS will sell my jade and will instead put her in one of the back tanks (Sump area). I wished it didn’t come to this but she has just been too aggressive for my tank, she crossed the line when she went after the radiant and started to nip scales off of her. I’m happy knowing my jade will go to the LFS and only be sold if someone has a big enough and an aggressive tank for her to live in for the rest of her life.

 

[i cant think]

Another update, due to aptaisia in my nano I have done a rescape. Only two rocks will go back in the nano and that’s after the CBB and Foxface are done with chomping the cyano/aptaisia off). Here’s the scape of the side of the tank with the new scape:

The R. Florida in the corner isn’t staying but it may repopulate and hopefully it will!

 

[i cant think]

So, just a small update and a rather sad one since we’ve had her for two coming up to three years… It’s not a death it’s a simple returning of this fish, Jade wrasses just seem to be for other tanks and not for our tank, this week I’m saying goodbye to a jade wrasse and if it’s still there then I will say welcome to a flashing tilefish. I am returning the Jade wrasse to the LFS this week, I have reserved the flashing tilefish after seeing it flash. If anyone can tell me that’s a form of stress I’d love it, it wasn’t breathing heavily. I don’t think my LFS will sell my jade and will instead put her in one of the back tanks (Sump area). I wished it didn’t come to this but she has just been too aggressive for my tank, she crossed the line when she went after the radiant and started to nip scales off of her. I’m happy knowing my jade will go to the LFS and only be sold if someone has a big enough and an aggressive tank for her to live in for the rest of her life.

So, I gave up after an hour of the Jade diving into the rockwork every time the net touched the water and pulled the trigger on the tilefish (I know, bad move but I’m going to try Keep minimal aggression when I introduce this guy) I’ll update when he’s in the tank - Right now just heading back home from the LFS.

 

[i cant think]

So, it’s not in the tank however I have no idea if he’ll go straight to the rocks when he’s added in sooo, here’s my new flashing tilefish!

I know the photo is bad but it’s the best I can get today. Nobody seems to be annoyed at the bad though so I’m glad he’s going in just a few hours before lights out! For sure going to keep an eye out tonight (Maybe not go to sleep until he does).

 

[i cant think]

So, he didn’t do what I thought he would do and hung out on the left side of the tank for a while but I didn’t want to risk trying to get a photo (I actually forgot to try grab one). Everyone else was bickering on the right side of the tank and it’s now 8:30am, everyone has woken up (The tilefish probably won’t pop out for another 30 minutes since normally the fish in the LFS don’t wake up until 9am). I tried to find him but couldn’t and then the lights went on and I saw a shine of electric blue in the rocks, I’m shocked he isn’t flashing since usually it’s only when they flash that they display such a nice colour. I’ve never owned a fish with more personality than this guy though! Last night he was hovering around the tank and then glided into a cave and just kept poking his head out every so often whilst making a small den in the back of the cave. I got this photo that shows the blue really nicely earlier! Just in the center of the photo is a blue line, that’s the body of the tilefish.the blue is more like the bottom of the body, I may try get a marcosi tilefish if I can keep him alive for Atleast a few months, preferably a year (Well, preferably it’s whole life span).

Nobody cared at all about the new fish when he went in either! I definitely would love another flashing tilefish, I’d love to have them flash and communicate with eachother however the price for these guys would mean £216 for two fish (Just one is £108 so I’d have to get a nice healthy one if I did go for another but I’d probably try get a marcosi instead because I don’t mind not having it flash since a lot of the duller fish are the most personable).

 

[Zekireef]

Just saw this! Build is looking nice mate!!! But the big question is, when are you loading it up with acros? I’m thinking of running with fairy wrasses in lieu of anthias but I’ll play by ear!

 

[i cant think]

Just saw this! Build is looking nice mate!!! But the big question is, when are you loading it up with acros? I’m thinking of running with fairy wrasses in lieu of anthias but I’ll play by ear!

Probably next year!! I think my first goal will be to get the tilefish to live in harmony with the other guys and then I’ll try working in some acros again. I have gone through several water changes since adding in Melafix and so I’ve just got to find the reason as to why my montis are bleaching, I have found Phosphates to be high so they’ll be getting removed very soon - I forgot to get some phosphate remover yesterday so I’ll pick some up next time I go to the LFS.

 

[i cant think]

First issue with the tilefish, no idea if it’s stress or what however so far I haven’t seen him go after food (I have put food into that cave in both the night and the day). He has stayed in the same spot for the past day (He is still there now). I guess he’s acclimating to the light since he’s a deeper water fish, I am worried about not enough O2 for him though. I haven’t seen him gasp or breath heavily but I also can’t fully see his gills - He’s way back in the cave… Any ideas on how to get him eating would be fantastic. I hope I don’t have to move him into the nano tank but if he stays in that cave for a week then it may come to that… Any help would be fantastic!

 

[i cant think]

He’s been in and out of that cave the whole day, he also stays out long enough and I got a photo of him earlier. I certainly enjoy feeding this tank much more (He pokes his little head out of the cave and then his entire body just emerges). Is it bad to have a favourite fish? I certainly will try to get another tilefish if possible, I hope it’s either a marcosi or a second flasher.

 

[i cant think]

Adding to the fish list in this tank (Not in the whole house haha), Naoko killed a peppermint shrimp in my nano so I’ll be adding him with the big guys and hope he ignore the skunk cleaner shrimp. With me it’s Inverts > Fish in my nano for now, this naoko won’t co-operate and I’m trying not to move the rockwork and disturb the second peppermint shrimp but it’s heading that way… it’s a race against the main tank lights turning on and me fishing out a naoko at the moment, the tank lights are in the lead which is an issue. The instant the boss wrasse wakes up I have an issue (I haven’t got an acclimation box so I have to hope the Jade isn’t up when the naoko goes in).

 

[i cant think]

Also found some old photos of my tang, clownfish, and Angel, they’ve changed a lot since then!! Also a photo of a tree leather (Still in the tank just hidden in the bottom).

l

 

[i cant think]

Most likely the last post of this year, however I finally got a photo with the tilefish changing colours!!! This guy is very similar to flasher wrasses in which he flashes to assert dominance, communicate, excitement/feeding ect… he mainly flashes in the morning but I have caught videos of it happening during a Water change. Here’s a few photos of him during a flash (The first two are from the video I got and the third was a few minutes ago).

 

[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.

So, I may have figured out why the tang (My assumption is a He) did this, I got a book on tangs yesterday and found out they pale up in colour to court to the females, this could be my tang courting, I don’t know 100% because it’s only happened once and I don’t know their breeding season. However the book said male tangs will pale in colour to display to the females during the mating/breeding season.

 

[i cant think]

Well, Frag Fest happened yesterday at my LFS. I think it’s the biggest aquarium festival or something along those lines over here. Here’s some of the coral I got (The final 4 out of the 7 total). I missed one out because it’s not opened just yet so I’ll get a photo of that one open but for now, there are:
- GSP & PSP
- Zoas (Not a clue on the species just yet)
- Candy Cane/Torch Coral

 

[ReeferCO]

The reef is looking good. I’ll be following along for the ride!

 

[i cant think]

The reef is looking good. I’ll be following along for the ride!

Yeah, I’m glad it’s slowly being put together!! Hoping that if the jade does go then it gets replaced with another Halichoeres wrasse (Maybe a juvenile iridis).

 

[i cant think]

Well, Frag Fest happened yesterday at my LFS. I think it’s the biggest aquarium festival or something along those lines over here. Here’s some of the coral I got (The final 4 out of the 7 total). I missed one out because it’s not opened just yet so I’ll get a photo of that one open but for now, there are:
- GSP & PSP
- Zoas (Not a clue on the species just yet)
- Candy Cane/Torch Coral

So, one of my fish really hates zoanthids (Have yet to figure out which one). Here’s a few updated photos of the coral and fish. Also a bit of news on the tilefish:
He’s being cryptic again, slowly coming out more often though. What caused this to happen was a bit of bickering with the tang and foxface infront of him. Everyone is still healthy and happy though!! The tilefish is still VERY fat which is good. GSP and PSP are somehow under control and not growing like mad. May aswell add two photos of each species since the Lubbock’s will be under the same part.

Hoplolatilus chlupatyi - Flashing Tilefish (First photo is early this morning, second was just a few minutes ago)

Cirrhilabrus Lubbocki (First is the Cebu Variation and second is the Indo variation)

Halichoeres iridis (Still a beauty as always!!)

Halichoeres chloropterus (Still sparring with the radiant although it has calmed down much more now)

Amphiprion Occelaris x Amphiprion percula (Her name has changed to miss bites for obvious reasons, aggression from the percula is setting in on my hand)

Cirrhilabrus melanomarginatus (Starting to show dominance against the Lubbock’s but it’s the odd swim past them and spread the fins)

Genicanthus melanospilos (Elegant and calm unless the tang goes at him, then he will throw fins…)

Siganus magnificus (Same old thing, just cruising and minding his own business! Also an excellent fish to grab photos of, just sits there and sometimes tries to get in photos of other fish…)

Chelmon rostratus (just cruises and minds his own business, absolutely loves the tilefish when he’s out, they cruise together haha)

Ctenochaetus binotatus (Pretty much keeping everyone in check, and pecks the rock and sand for algae & detritus)

And finally coral and inverts!!
The PE is beautiful now I’m lowering the salinity from .030 to .025!!

Frammer

Candy cane (Someone Knocked it over… it’s getting light so I’ll probably grab some glue next time I’m at the LFS and use that)

The Favia

The RFA (I’ve been looking for some more different coloured RFAs)

The Duncan (It has Atleast 20 heads on it if not more!!)

And the 7-8 heads of the ricordea yuma

Blue mushrooms!!

The leather (Can’t figure out which type it is yet, I think it’s a sinularia but don’t know)

GSP/PSP:

Torch (Euphyllia):

As for inverts, everyone is still in there, the two cleaner shrimp, urchins ect… the snails have been pecked at every time they fall upside down by the jade and CBB.

 

[i cant think]

A photo of the Transitioning Jade from today:

The green near the dorsal fin is MUCH lighter now and the black splotch (The main indicator of the transition) is much more dominant.

 

[i cant think]

Finally getting to see the tilefish more!! He came out today (Yes he pops out to eat but then once the food is eaten, in the cave he goes). Hopefully this means he is just recovering from the small squabble that happened a few days ago, I’m pretty sure it was just like when he went into the tank and wanted to have a stress free zone. He has what looks like two caves joined by it going under one, pretty interesting and he definitely dug it, it wasn’t how it is now before he went into the tank.

And just now

I hate how it’s all blued out. Also no updates on the Jade from what I can see, I’ll grab some pictures in white light and see if you guys notice anything else that’s transitioned into the male colouration or starting to.

 

[i cant think]

The cleaner shrimp seems to be a hit with the tilefish haha, the shrimp is just above his cave so the tilefish then nips his tail when he wants cleaning and then pushes him away and then repeats it. I mean, look at the size of that shrimp compared to the fish!! They’re almost the same size!