Caleb's first reef tank

[Impunitus]

Happy Christmas Eve all!

I'm wrapping presents on the dining room table and this mantis is going to town punching some rock. Every time I see him he is in a different part of the tank. He either has multiple homes or builds a new one daily

 

[tbrown]

Any recent tank updates?

 

[Impunitus]

Any recent tank updates?

Hey, yeah we've had some changes! I unfortunately did end up losing the orange mini hammer completely :( the remaining heads bailed out and I found them in the tank. Everything else has been looking great though and phosphates have mellowed out around 0.15. The mantis shrimp has grown but is becoming more brave so hope to be able to lure and catch him. The wife's tank ALSO has a mantis shrimp! So another we will have a catch.

Anenome in the wife's tank is growing and has been moving around. Her clowns have also learned how to/have begun hosting it periodically which is super cool to see.

I picked up a pretty pink chalice and monti cap from my LFS that I'll have to grab pictures of, as well as just getting pictures of the tank.

Life has been a bit busy lately. My wife is pregnant with our first and due in July so have been helping her through some more difficult weeks. Overall though both tanks are doing well, have just been coasting and keeping them happy and enjoying them. Work has also gotten more busy for me recently as I'll be starting a new position next week!

I'll make an effort to get some pictures, and maybe a few videos if the mantis will cooperate this weekend and follow up then! Do appreciate you checking in :) I've just been lurking!

 

[tbrown]

Hey, yeah we've had some changes! I unfortunately did end up losing the orange mini hammer completely :( the remaining heads bailed out and I found them in the tank. Everything else has been looking great though and phosphates have mellowed out around 0.15. The mantis shrimp has grown but is becoming more brave so hope to be able to lure and catch him. The wife's tank ALSO has a mantis shrimp! So another we will have a catch.

Anenome in the wife's tank is growing and has been moving around. Her clowns have also learned how to/have begun hosting it periodically which is super cool to see.

I picked up a pretty pink chalice and monti cap from my LFS that I'll have to grab pictures of, as well as just getting pictures of the tank.

Life has been a bit busy lately. My wife is pregnant with our first and due in July so have been helping her through some more difficult weeks. Overall though both tanks are doing well, have just been coasting and keeping them happy and enjoying them. Work has also gotten more busy for me recently as I'll be starting a new position next week!

I'll make an effort to get some pictures, and maybe a few videos if the mantis will cooperate this weekend and follow up then! Do appreciate you checking in :) I've just been lurking!

Congratulations on the upcoming family expansion!

Awesome updates on the tanks it sounds like, sorry about the hammer though. Those orange ones Re beautiful.

 

[Impunitus]

Hey, yeah we've had some changes! I unfortunately did end up losing the orange mini hammer completely :( the remaining heads bailed out and I found them in the tank. Everything else has been looking great though and phosphates have mellowed out around 0.15. The mantis shrimp has grown but is becoming more brave so hope to be able to lure and catch him. The wife's tank ALSO has a mantis shrimp! So another we will have a catch.

Anenome in the wife's tank is growing and has been moving around. Her clowns have also learned how to/have begun hosting it periodically which is super cool to see.

I picked up a pretty pink chalice and monti cap from my LFS that I'll have to grab pictures of, as well as just getting pictures of the tank.

Life has been a bit busy lately. My wife is pregnant with our first and due in July so have been helping her through some more difficult weeks. Overall though both tanks are doing well, have just been coasting and keeping them happy and enjoying them. Work has also gotten more busy for me recently as I'll be starting a new position next week!

I'll make an effort to get some pictures, and maybe a few videos if the mantis will cooperate this weekend and follow up then! Do appreciate you checking in :) I've just been lurking!

Congratulations on the upcoming family expansion!

Awesome updates on the tanks it sounds like, sorry about the hammer though. Those orange ones Re beautiful.

Thank you! We're both very excited to welcome a little one into our family.

Both tanks I would say are overwhelmingly positive. The loss of the hammer stinks but I refuse to let it get me down! Once I get this mantis out of my tank I want to look into adding my next fish, most likely an orchid dottyback given its going to be the 'nicest' and then also look into a watchman and pistol combo.

Wife's tank we 100% need to get some bergia for. She has fallen out of love with the look of the light bulb anenomes they got big enough to look ugly and I agree they need to go

 

[Impunitus]

I also have a bubble algea issue beginning in my tank..got a couple emerald crabs but haven't seen them since I put them in.

Anything else that is good at eating this stuff or should I just pop/scrape off all that I can? Removing the rock is a not really an option for me.

 

[tbrown]

Pitho crabs, Emerald (or Ruby Mithrax) crabs, and Foxface are about the best bubble algae eaters. Not much else touches them with the exception of some of the Red Sea Desjardini Sailfin Tangs.

 

[tbrown]

I usually just use my fingers and pry the bundles off the rock and toss them.

 

[Impunitus]

Pitho crabs, Emerald (or Ruby Mithrax) crabs, and Foxface are about the best bubble algae eaters. Not much else touches them with the exception of some of the Red Sea Desjardini Sailfin Tangs.

Manual removal and maybe some more crabs it is for me then! I'd love to had a tang in the tank but I would need to rehome it eventually and don't want to buy a fish that I'm not going to be able to keep long term

 

[Impunitus]

Unless you mean one of these! They are super cool looking and I guess my tank is on the lower end of acceptable size for one

 

[tbrown]

Your tank could possibly have a One Spot foxface but be ready to re-home even that one if need be.

They're cool fish though!

 

[Impunitus]

Caught the mantis in my tank today! LFS gave us a little for trade in and we got the wife another anenome as well as picking up a mummies eye chalice for my tank.

Pictures of the mantis, my glass is pretty dirty and wife's anenome is still settling in. Will try to grab some pictures later today or tomorrow! I did have the big camera going but didn't get a good video of him getting into the bottle trap. Glad it worked the first time trying, he was getting much more active so it was absolutely time to get him out before he killed stuff I cared about.

 

[Impunitus]

I'm a big planner, so have been looking at potential fish additions and just planning out the next 3-6 months. I will likely be getting all fish from Dr Reefs as I had a good experience with my Clowns and they have the fish I am looking for as well.

I know I want an Orchid Dottyback. That is likely to be the next fish going in (I have been saying this for months, but it really is the next one lol)

I am looking at adding 2 wrasses to add some color and life to the tank. I really do like the McCosker's flasher.

Then I was also thinking about a Splendid Pintail fairy wrasse as well

A Yellow Watchman + Pistol shrimp combo is also desired.
A firefish of some sort (Purple or Exquisite)

I'm also really thinking about a one spot Foxface now as well. They are super cool looking, but worried about the tank really being overstocked with a Foxface plus the 2 wrasses. Alternatively if these can co-exist for a couple of years, I may be in the position to move/upgrade to a larger tank.


I'm looking for lively fish that will be happy in a mixed reef. I'm starting to lean away from the idea of having sticks in this tank, at least not a ton of them like I initially have envisioned. Thinking much more flowy LPS, mushrooms, softies (think the leathers I have now are where I'm going to stop), and encrusting/plating SPS corals.

Happy Saturday. Hopefully some pics of the tanks to follow later today. The new anemone is looking very happy and opened up where we placed it already :)

 

[tbrown]

Some beautiful picks for fish!

 

[Impunitus]

Morning! Clowns already hosting the new nem :)
View attachment 20260118_094343_18A7938C-779F-48CA-9D07-BA9B2C58B117.mov

 

[tbrown]

I have 6 or 7 Nems in my DT and the clowns go over and rub again them from time to time but then they retreat to the complete opposite side of the tank and host the powerhead instead. I put my pair of Mocha and Black Ocellaris in the sump with 20+ Nems and they had no choice but to be hosted. Now they won't hardly leave the Nems unless they're trying to get food. From one to the other to another to yet another.

 

[Impunitus]

I have 6 or 7 Nems in my DT and the clowns go over and rub again them from time to time but then they retreat to the complete opposite side of the tank and host the powerhead instead. I put my pair of Mocha and Black Ocellaris in the sump with 20+ Nems and they had no choice but to be hosted. Now they won't hardly leave the Nems unless they're trying to get food. From one to the other to another to yet another.

Yeah they started hosting the the RBTA about a week or so ago, at least when I noticed them doing it which made me super happy. The whole idea of this second tank was for a clown+nem+macro algae tank. So glad we didn't have to resort to the madness of trying to get them to host because its so much fun to watch!

 

[Impunitus]

FTS of both tanks under blues. GOOOO PATS!!!! Watching the frozen wasteland of s game that is Bears vs Rams now

 

[Impunitus]

Hey all, it's been a while! Life is keeping me busy but both tanks are humming along.

I have come to the conclusion that euphyilla corals are just not going to play nice in my tank. Mushrooms, duncans, GSP, zoas, and leathers are playing nice though. Temped to do an ICP to see what I may be missing. I'm also halfway to thinking my peppermint shrimp may be to blame.

Wife's tank with the anenomes is doing good.

Both tanks fighting different kinds of uglies. My bubble algea has given way to a GHA infestation. Wife's tank is plagued by cyano.

One thing that sucks is the pump on my protein skimmer gave out when we were on vacation. Having trouble finding replacements for it...just pulses on and off for half a second and doesn't actually start spinning. Lasted 4-5 months which is a bit of a bummer. I think the skimmer being dead is also what caused some of my bubble algea and GHA to get worse than normal for my nuisance algae.

On the hunt for a proper replacement pump or a replacement skimmer now.

Baby due in 2 months so that's got me busy too. Happy reefing y'all!

 

[Impunitus]

Got some pictures. Under blues, but that will have to do :)

Got my first pieces of GSP fragged off and on the back wall. Still just the 2 clowns in this tank, looking to finally expand that right before baby is born.

Wife's tank has 3 anemones now. They are all growing out very well! Wish my tank wasn't always such a PITA for keeping corals I want, but we'll get there one day.

Super proud of the RBTA and the bright orange...was sold as a Chicago, but I'm not one for caring about the names. Wife loved the color so we grabbed it.