Fishfreak2009's 240 Gallon Build

[keepingfishwithnoidea]

NICE

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Well, this is a sad update.

Lost power on Sunday here in Michigan from the storms, and didn't get it back until Thursday. Generator broke. I was able to get some of the fish to my LFS, but a LOT succumbed.

Survivors include the maculosus angel, picasso trigger, panther grouper, and the 3 eels.

Wifey and I have decided that the survivors from the 100 gallon will be moving to the 240 gallon. The 3 eels, the panther grouper, and picasso trigger will be going into the 100 gallon until we can swap it for the 180 gallon and will be the only inhabitants in there.

 

[littlefoxx]

Well, this is a sad update.

Lost power on Sunday here in Michigan from the storms, and didn't get it back until Thursday. Generator broke. I was able to get some of the fish to my LFS, but a LOT succumbed.

Survivors include the maculosus angel, picasso trigger, panther grouper, and the 3 eels.

Wifey and I have decided that the survivors from the 100 gallon will be moving to the 240 gallon. The 3 eels, the panther grouper, and picasso trigger will be going into the 100 gallon until we can swap it for the 180 gallon and will be the only inhabitants in there.

Oh no Im sorry thats the worst to lose fish friends over

 

[Imrahilwjz]

Well, this is a sad update.

Lost power on Sunday here in Michigan from the storms, and didn't get it back until Thursday. Generator broke. I was able to get some of the fish to my LFS, but a LOT succumbed.

Survivors include the maculosus angel, picasso trigger, panther grouper, and the 3 eels.

Wifey and I have decided that the survivors from the 100 gallon will be moving to the 240 gallon. The 3 eels, the panther grouper, and picasso trigger will be going into the 100 gallon until we can swap it for the 180 gallon and will be the only inhabitants in there.

Oh no! That's rough. Sorry man.

 

[Bohemian Waxwing]

That is heart breaking. I am so sorry dude.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

No better time to add 80 lbs of fine aragonite than when you're already draining the tank, right? At least it will help pull some of the dust out.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Got the rock all added back in, now gonna refill the tank first thing in the morning. Lots of spots for mounting corals, especially SPS. Any suggestions on corals the maculosus is most likely to leave alone? It definitely eats zoas and palys, GSP, and maxi mini carpet anemones.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Tank has been running for a little while again. Nice to see some fish in it. Since we moved the eels, grouper, and trigger to the other system, we decided to keep some corals in here. We also moved the surviving reef fish and orange fuzzy lobster into here from the other system The maculosus angel ate zoas and palys, leathers, Blastos, and Candy Canes. So far, completely ignores the 3 SPS we added, so the tank is gonna be an SPS reef.

Also added a few wrasses and some snails.

Current stocklist:
Pomacanthus maculosus
Sphaeramia nematoptera
Plectorhinchus lessonii
Chromis viridis x3
Pseudanthias kashiwae x4
Elacatinus oceanops
Cirrhilabrus balteatus
Cirrhilabrus cyanogularis
Cirrhilabrus debelius
Cirrhilabrus naokoae (haven't seen him since adding him Friday though)
Labroides dimidiatus x2 (haven't seen one of them since adding them on Friday though)
Macropharyngodon negrosensis
Palinurellus wieneckii
Turbo fluctuosa x5
Turbo castanea var. Orange x6
Astraea phoebia x6
Conomurex luhuanus

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Well, still no sign of the naokoae fairy wrasse, the cleaner wrasses, or the black leopard wrasse.

Yesterday we did add a yellowfin fairy wrasse (Cirrhilabrus flavidorsalis) who has been coming out and eating, though he is still pretty shy. We also added a small green Galaxea frag and a small Montipora spongodes frag. The maculosus completely ignored both, which was a nice surprise as we thought he would eat the Galaxea.

And today, we hit up a local frag swap, and came home with a new Caribbean jewel damsel (Microspathodon chrysurus) to replace the one we lost in the power outage and a few different corals (mostly Acropora) which are opening up and look fantastic. Even grabbed a small hammer frag to try and once again, the maculosus has completely ignored it! Which means we'll probably add some more hammers, a few frogspawns, and even a couple torches.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Well, I haven't been on in a while. After a major power outage and generator fail last winter I almost gave up on the hobby. Added the corals and some smaller reef fish and that was a disaster. Phosphate was leaching from all the rock, which severely stressed the corals, which then bleached them and the maculosus finished them off. Corals brought in ich apparently, which killed all but the maculosus. Got depressed about the tank again, and just kept things running with food and water changes, hadn't added anything new. Ended up tearing the other bigger tank down and moved the panther grouper, picasso trigger, and 3 moray eels back in. Fimbriated moray ate the picasso trigger, then bloated and died. Got really depressed about the tank and decided it was either gonna be revamped or it was gonna be replaced by more dart frogs (which all survived the outage no problem). Found a somewhat local shop that wants the panther grouper, zebra eel, and white eyed moray for their large fowlr display.

Doing a total revamp on my 240 gallon. Going to focus on my favorite fish. Only fish remaining is the 12" maculosus angel. I've decided it's going to be a primarily butterfly display, with a moorish idol, angels and some chromis/anthias/wrasses/tilefish as well for dithers and fillers. Started a 20 gallon quarantine for some of the non-butterflies (rock beauty angel, coral beauty angel, linespot flasher wrasse, yellowfin flasher wrasse). Started a bigger quarantine for butterflies :)

Got the first batch of butterflies in quarantine. Quarantine is a 47 gallon tank with established live rock from the display and sump of my 240 gallon. Lots of goodies to graze off the rockwork, and the butterflies are already picking. I am adding microbacter7 daily, and started tonight with RallyPro. Plan is to start Cupramine and Nitrofurazone this weekend. Want to give them a day or 2 to settle first.

Here are today's new additions.
2x Chaetodon adiergastos
2x Chaetodon auriga
1X Chaetodon punctatofasciatus
1x Chaetodon rafflesi
1x Chaetodon trifasciatus

Tomorrow I have the following coming.
1x Chaetodon mertensii
2x Chaetodon pelewensis

Here are some pics of the butterflies (1 batch from ReefBeauties and 1 batch from Violet Aquarium).

 

[lubeck]

Glad to hear you’re sticking with it!

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Got the petco.com order Saturday. Unfortunately 1 of the 2 pelewensis came in really rough shape and died overnight last night. The punctatofasciatus from VioletAquarium also died overnight the first night. And one of the adiergastos (also from violet aquarium) died yesterday, just steadily declined from when it went into the tank. The 2nd has a red rostrum today and has stopped feeding, I don't have much hope.

The remaining petco fish, and the fish from Reef Beauties look great, are eating frozen (even the melon butterfly), and I have high hopes for them.

The morays and the grouper went to their new home yesterday, and I came home with a purple tang in trade for them. Also grabbed a couple banggai cardinals, some black axil chromis, and some staghorn damsels yesterday.

And today, I went to the store to get cupramine and came home with a goldrim tang and a moorish idol. Also got a really cool shrimp that came in with some peppermints apparently, Lysmata prima. The yellow color on the legs and tail is fantastic!

And did a 160 gallon water change and deep clean on the 240 gallon last night. Big Mac seems pretty happy!

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Moved in quite a few inverts today (some new and some from my seahorse tank). Added a new red Tuxedo Urchin, a pink pincushion urchin from my seahorse tank, my orange fuzzy lobster from the seahorse tank, about 20 nassarius snails from the seahorse tank, 5 new Babylon snails, about 20 banded nerites from the seahorse tank, 6 Ox Tongue nerites from the seahorse tank, a half dozen astraea snails from the seahorse tank, 6 new electric blue hermits, a new Halloween hermit, a new zebra hermit, an electric blue Hermit and a Halloween Hermit from the seahorse tank, a photosynthetic blade gorgonian from the seahorse tank (gonna see how the butterflies do with it once they get in here), and a new spotted anemone shrimp to go on the sebae anemone I picked up the other day.

Which reminds me, I added a 15" sebae anemone, and a 6" chicago Sunburst anemone a few days ago. They are doing quite well so far, and the plan is to get them a pair of clarkii clowns to guard them from the butterflies. If the butterflies are too rough on the anemones, the anemones will be moved to their own enclosure.

Also have a very large cleanup crew order coming on Tuesday:
3 Banded Eye Hermits
3 Limpets
6 Giant Knobby Creeper
10 Ox Tongue Nerites
6 Scarlet Reef Hermits
5 Tongan Nassarius
30 Nassarius vibex
12 Banded Nerites
6 Emerald Crabs
3 Ruby Mithrax Crabs
6 Florida Keys Red Legged Hermits
300 Small Blue leg hermits
300 Astraea snails

And hopefully tomorrow, I'm going to stop in one of my favorite LFS and bring home another urchin. They have some really nice radiata urchins currently in stock.

Here are a few pics.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Well, the big clean up crew is coming tomorrow. Pretty excited for that.

Also added a few quarantined fish I was able to grab locally. Added 2 female bimaculatus anthias. Also not sure if I mentioned them previously, but got a really nice goldrim tang and a really nice moorish idol who are doing quite well. Got a small lightning maroon clown for the chicago sunburst bubbletip. She loves it. Also grabbed a small spotted anemone shrimp, which took right to the sebae anemone.

Moved the orange fuzzy lobster in here from the seahorse tank and it's doing very well. Actually came out for pellets twice now!

As for fish in quarantine, lost a couple of the butterflies to various issues they came with, and lost 1 wrasse (yellowfin flasher managed to jump out where the HOB filter comes back into the quarantine tank). Everyone else is doing well.

Currently in quarantine:
2 Chaetodon auriga
1 Chaetodon pelewensis
1 Chaetodon mertensii
1 Holacanthus tricolor
1 Centropyge bispinosa
4 Chromis atripectoralis
3 Amblyglyphidodon ternatensis
1 Sphaeramia nematoptera
2 Pterapogon kauderni
1 Acanthurus nigrofuscus
1 Zebrasoma xanthurum
1 Paracheilinus lineopuncatus
1 Cirrhilabrus isosceles
1 Cirrhilabrus aurantidorsalis

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Cleanup crew arrived today in perfect shape. Great job packing by Reefcleaners.com and Reeftopia.com! Didn't lose a single invert from either shipment, even with the cold weather we are having here in Michigan. Excited to have a bunch of invertebrate biodiversity in the tank!

Also ordered a new toy for the tank a couple days ago. Trying to wait patiently for it to ship from Bulk Reef Supply. Ordered a Lifegard 90 Watt Pro-MAX High Output UV Sterilizer. Hoping to have crystal clear water from it!

Here's an awful cell phone pic of the lightning maroon clown in the Chicago sunburst anemone this evening.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Edited: sorry, duplicate post

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Cleanup crew arrived today in perfect shape. Great job packing by Reefcleaners.com and Reeftopia.com! Didn't lose a single invert from either shipment, even with the cold weather we are having here in Michigan. Excited to have a bunch of invertebrate biodiversity in the tank!

Also ordered a new toy for the tank a couple days ago. Trying to wait patiently for it to ship from Bulk Reef Supply. Ordered a Lifegard 90 Watt Pro-MAX High Output UV Sterilizer. Hoping to have crystal clear water from it!

Here's an awful cell phone pic of the lightning maroon clown in the Chicago sunburst anemone this evening.

Glad to hear you didn't lose any inverts with shipping!

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Well, I ended up cutting quarantine short, as the mertensi and the pelewensis seemed to not eat as well with full strength cupramine for an extended period. Thankfully, no signs of disease on anyone and both fish have their appetite fully back.

The mertensii seems to love clam on the half shell, the antennae on snails, and all the little worms in the sandbed.

The pelewensis eats just about anything, even small NLS pellets.

The 2 auriga (only 2" long) also eat anything, and have figured out how to steal clam from the 12" maculosus. One acts as a decoy and distracts while the other grabs a bite or 2, then they switch roles.

Other than a bit of chasing initially by the goldrim tang, they were pretty much left alone and now all of them seem to be getting along fine.

The clowns, a lightning maroon in her bubbletip anemone and a pair of tomato clowns in their sebae anemone, don't let the auriga butterflies touch their anemones, so that worked out pretty well.

Here's a couple quick videos:

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Some pics from today:

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Fish are all doing pretty well. No complaints and everyone continues to eat well. This is the project I started tonight. Letting it sit overnight, then gonna fire it up in the morning and hopefully have no leaks! Finished plumbing about 1 hr ago, and did a cord and electrical cleanup and organization underneath while getting everything in place.

For those of you running a large UV sterilizer, do you mount the ballast on your wall? Worried it may get too hot on the drywall and could cause a fire.