Angela's Dream Tank (for now lol)

[CanadianReefer]

Thought I'd give a quick update No change. The Tang still has whatever it is, and the other 3 seem fine. Everyone is still eating well. The only shift in behaviour is that I notice the Tang being a bit more aggressive with everyone - especially the foxface. My LFS has no more black mollies in stock when went in over the weekend, so I was unable to do the experiment again.

 

[CanadianReefer]

This is going to sound harsh, but anyone who wants "easy" should stick with a freshwater aquarium. A reef aquarium in particular is very complex and filled with endless challenges. There's always something going wrong that needs fixing: Fish/coral diseases, nuisance algae, some coral is dying or isn't doing as well as it should, a piece of equipment is causing headaches, etc. etc.

So many reasons why our hobby has such a high turnover rate, and quite frankly only the best of the best survive long-term. You just gotta decide you want to be in that number and then do whatever it takes to overcome the many setbacks you will face. No one is immune to them, we've all had to go through hell to achieve this comfort level where we at least feel like we know what we're doing now.

Oh I know lol. I've been in the hobby for a while now, and I keep trucking through despite the setbacks, but there are definitely days when in feel discouraged and appreciate the simplicity of my FW tank ;-)

 

[Humblefish]

Oh I know lol. I've been in the hobby for a while now, and I keep trucking through despite the setbacks, but there are definitely days when in feel discouraged and appreciate the simplicity of my FW tank ;-)

I used to commercially breed angels & discus, and that was a cakewalk compared to what I've experienced in the saltwater hobby.

 

[tj w]

Pulling for you Canadian reefer!!! I wonder if it's the cooperband that introduced something since you said he wasn't treated. But the timeline still doesn't add up... keep us updated!

 

[CanadianReefer]

Pulling for you Canadian reefer!!! I wonder if it's the cooperband that introduced something since you said he wasn't treated. But the timeline still doesn't add up... keep us updated!

Thanks I'm hoping it works itself out. It's so hard to tell what it is. My lighting isn't awesome - it's an old LED light that I used in a 75g and so it's not very powerful for a tank this size. Makes it hard to get a good look at the detail of the issue

The lighting is temporary. I'm consolidating tanks, so the lights that will eventually go on this tank have to stay with the corals for now.

I contemplated the copperband as well. He's a total anomaly. He eats like it's going out of style he's even so bold as to peck it out of my hand. He's not shy at all and doesn't put up with anyone's crap (the tangs actually wait at the bottom of the tank until he and the foxface have their fill - bizarre, right? - especially considering the purple Tang is by far the most aggressive fish in the tank). Perhaps he's a carrier without symptoms. He's super healthy, so it's not unheard of... It's either that or my copper levels dipped below during a water change and it was enough to start the cycle again. Since they continued to be in copper for a while, it makes sense I wouldn't have immediately noticed something resurfacing...

Who knows. This is one of those strange and unfortunate incidents.

I have a hawkfish and cleaner goby ready to go in, but I'm waiting for a while longer. I unfortunately lost the baby hippo I had in QT. Actually, maybe someone could help me out in regards to that. He had ich a day or two after I brought him home, so he was in copper. Went through phases of looking good, then not so good, then good again. When he died, the only thing he had on him was a large whitish patch. I didn't see ich cysts or anything of that nature.

Anyone have an idea what this is? Good to have an idea in case I ever encounter it again.

 

[Brew12]

Thanks I'm hoping it works itself out. It's so hard to tell what it is. My lighting isn't awesome - it's an old LED light that I used in a 75g and so it's not very powerful for a tank this size. Makes it hard to get a good look at the detail of the issue

The lighting is temporary. I'm consolidating tanks, so the lights that will eventually go on this tank have to stay with the corals for now.

I contemplated the copperband as well. He's a total anomaly. He eats like it's going out of style he's even so bold as to peck it out of my hand. He's not shy at all and doesn't put up with anyone's crap (the tangs actually wait at the bottom of the tank until he and the foxface have their fill - bizarre, right? - especially considering the purple Tang is by far the most aggressive fish in the tank). Perhaps he's a carrier without symptoms. He's super healthy, so it's not unheard of... It's either that or my copper levels dipped below during a water change and it was enough to start the cycle again. Since they continued to be in copper for a while, it makes sense I wouldn't have immediately noticed something resurfacing...

Who knows. This is one of those strange and unfortunate incidents.

I have a hawkfish and cleaner goby ready to go in, but I'm waiting for a while longer. I unfortunately lost the baby hippo I had in QT. Actually, maybe someone could help me out in regards to that. He had ich a day or two after I brought him home, so he was in copper. Went through phases of looking good, then not so good, then good again. When he died, the only thing he had on him was a large whitish patch. I didn't see ich cysts or anything of that nature.

Anyone have an idea what this is? Good to have an idea in case I ever encounter it again.

If I had to guess it is a bacterial infection caused by the injuries created by the Cryptocaryon parasite.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Sorry about the loss. Hope the rest pull through for you.

 

[CanadianReefer]

So I thought I would share something a bit humorous. I added a cleaner shrimp, and this is what ensued. I found myself singing the "car wash" song...

LOL

 

[Brew12]

So I thought I would share something a bit humorous. I added a cleaner shrimp, and this is what ensued. I found myself singing the "car wash" song...

LOL

That is awesome!

 

[Daniel@R2R]

So I thought I would share something a bit humorous. I added a cleaner shrimp, and this is what ensued. I found myself singing the "car wash" song...

LOL

LOLOL! What a great photo!!

 

[tj w]

Too funny! I'd be sing the car wash song as well.. lol

 

[CanadianReefer]

hmm. well - everyone is doing good. No losses in my new DT, and whatever the issue is with my tang, a) it didn't spread, & b) he's looking quite a bit better. I'm going to take a stab in the dark at what this might have been. He and my foxface are not pals. The purple tang is basically the bully of the tank. I've set up my camera to observe them when I'm not around. He goes at the foxface, and the foxface uses his spines as a defense. Sometimes it appears that the foxface makes contact, then immediately afterwards, that's when the tang starts rubbing at the rocks. I'm wondering if the bumps and flashing I'm seeing is his reaction to the foxface's venom, like a mild allergic reaction?

Every time I've been able to catch him at the right angle in the light, I notice the bumps are not white and ich-like, but look more like bumps under the skin.

Would any of this make sense??

 

[Daniel@R2R]

hmm. well - everyone is doing good. No losses in my new DT, and whatever the issue is with my tang, a) it didn't spread, & b) he's looking quite a bit better. I'm going to take a stab in the dark at what this might have been. He and my foxface are not pals. The purple tang is basically the bully of the tank. I've set up my camera to observe them when I'm not around. He goes at the foxface, and the foxface uses his spines as a defense. Sometimes it appears that the foxface makes contact, then immediately afterwards, that's when the tang starts rubbing at the rocks. I'm wondering if the bumps and flashing I'm seeing is his reaction to the foxface's venom, like a mild allergic reaction?

Every time I've been able to catch him at the right angle in the light, I notice the bumps are not white and ich-like, but look more like bumps under the skin.

Would any of this make sense??

Hmm... @melypr1985 or @Humblefish could probably confirm that theory.

 

[Humblefish]

Would any of this make sense??

If your Foxface is hitting the PT with his dorsal or anal spines, it could be causing all sorts of problems. I can see bumps forming and the PT scratching them. Maybe the tang will eventually build up immunity to the venom or maybe it will kill him someday...

 

[CanadianReefer]

If your Foxface is hitting the PT with his dorsal or anal spines, it could be causing all sorts of problems. I can see bumps forming and the PT scratching them. Maybe the tang will eventually build up immunity to the venom or maybe it will kill him someday...

Well I hope that doesn't happen. You would think that he would just leave the foxface alone, but he must see him as the biggest threat. Who knows. It's just a theory - I might be completely off the mark. I'm just trying to account for the issues I'm seeing.

Perhaps once I amalgamate the other tanks and there's more fish in there, the aggression won't be directed at just one fish and that should help...

 

[Humblefish]

Fish are stubborn. I also don't think a fish displaying aggression towards another fish understands that they are locked in a glass box together. The aggressor probably views the nonbelligerents refusal to leave as challenging their territory.

 

[CanadianReefer]

It would make sense. When the purple tang was added, he immediately decided that ALL the caves were his, including the one that the foxface liked to sleep in. The PT really just goes around protecting the entrances of the caves, and when one of the fish tries to enter, he poofs up bats them with his tail. The naso and copperband back off, but the foxface gets angry and his fins immediately go into protect mode, then he flips on his side and makes a repeated stabbing motion. I've never had issues with tangs in the past, or any fish really, that's gone beyond a bit of chasing. I have a one spot that was in with a Kole tang and a powder blue, and they were all pals and spent the day grazing together.
The one spot is still with me. He's eventually going to be in this tank. I was told to put him in only after the magnificent had established his territory, since the one spots tend to be a bit more aggressive to their own kind than the magnificent. I'm wondering about that now, and whether or not I should have added them together, since I seem to have a bit of a stubborn foxface. I guess we'll find out soon enough. I'm going to keep monitoring the bump situation for another few weeks, and if the gang is looking good, I'll slowly start moving others down.

On the topic of adding fish, I don't want to overload my system too quickly, since I won't be adding my live rock from my other systems for another 3 months. How am I best to add my 8 wrasses?? I have 3 in one system, 3 in another, and a pair in yet another system. I want to minimize aggression without overloading my system too quickly.

Should I put all 8 in at the same time, or 2, then three, then three?? If the latter, should I keep them in their current groupings, or mixed them up and maybe do 4 and 4??

 

[Humblefish]

@eatbreakfast or @evolved would be best to answer the wrasse questions

 

[CanadianReefer]

btw, it's a ruby red, exquisite and solar in one tank, a pink margin, orangeback, and rosy scale in another, and a pair of crescent tails in the last one. The one crescent tail is the only female.

 

[evolved]

btw, it's a ruby red, exquisite and solar in one tank, a pink margin, orangeback, and rosy scale in another, and a pair of crescent tails in the last one. The one crescent tail is the only female.

If you could add them all at once, that may be best.
The biggest potential conflict is with the solor and the oranageback, as they are in the same complex. After that, rosy scales is a common aggressor.
If you were to use an acclimation box, those would be the points of concern for me.