Fishfreak2009's 5' 100 Gallon Build

[Fishfreak2009]

Found a few neat additions for this system today! Fish are in quarantine, lobsters went right in, since they were in a fishless system and too large for my invert quarantine.

1x Equetus acuminatus (High Hat Drum)
4x Lepidozygus tapeinosoma (Fusilier Damsel)
1x Scyllarides aequinoctialis (Caribbean Slipper Lobster)
1x Palinurellus wieneckii (Orange Fuzzy Lobster)

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Ended up moving my French Angel from the 240 gallon into here temporarily, until I get something bigger set up. The maculosus angel refused to get along, and after 6 months of trying, I've given up and separated them. The French would not stand up for himself.

Seems much happier in here, especially after destroying all the macro, sponges, and gorgs.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Doing a rip clean on the 100 gallon today. Amazed how much detritus was trapped in the rockwork. Going to remove a bunch to make a more open scape, avoid trapping all that detritus.

Also snagged a picture of Larry Jr, the orange Fuzzy lobster, since he's usually never out.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Double trouble

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Starting to clear up after an 80 gallon water change. Still some detritus that settled out, I'll probably do another huge water change and substrate vacuum in a couple days. I also need to add more flow, so going to try and add a powerhead or 2 in the next couple weeks.

Everyone is out and about though! And more astraea snails left than I thought. Apparently the lobsters only ate the conchs and the Turbo snails, they skipped the nerites and astraeas.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Larry the Lobster Overlord of the 100 gallon, a 6" Caribbean Slipper Lobster (Scyllarides aequinoctialis) is out and about for his evening stroll tonight! Chows down on clam on half shell from my fingers along with scavenging whatever the fish missed when fed. He also eats snails and brittle stars, but leaves fish, shrimp, and hermit crabs alone.

Such an underrated, really neat critter to keep in home aquaria.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Haven't posted anything recently for this tank. Shortly after introducing the lobsters, we had a velvet outbreak, which must have been carried in with them. Unfortunately we lost the butterflies, the skunk tilefish and a couple of the fairy wrasses.

Decided at that time to pull all the inverts and moved them to their own system, and treated the display with cupramine. Thankfully the rest of the fish survived. Cupramine was removed after 30 days, and add bunch of new fish have since been added after going through their own quarantine. Inverts will be added back at the beginning of February (thankfully all have done really well in the holding tank, the orange fuzzy lobster has actually gotten much bolder and comes out to eat from my hand now, and none of them tried to eat one another. The coral banded shrimp even left the peppermint shrimp alone), and all new inverts will go through a minimum of 76 days in quarantine before entering the display.

Mangrove trees are continuing to thrive, even with the copper added. The largest black mangrove actually produced its first pneumatophore!

Also recently did a rip clean, and added a new powerhead, which has made a world of difference in keeping the detritus cleared out of the rockwork and keeping nitrates down.

Fish list now sits as follows:
5 Green Chromis (Chromis viridis)
5 Bartlett's Anthias (Pseudanthias bartlettorum)
4 Kashiwae Anthias (Pseudanthias kashiwae)
1 Dispar Anthias (Pseudanthias dispar)
1 Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus)
1 Possum Wrasse (Wetmorella nigropinnata)
1 Dusky Wrasse (Halichoeres marginatus)
1 Cosmetus Wrasse (Halichoeres cosmetus)
1 Yellow Wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus)
1 Neon Wrasse (Halichoeres garnoti)
1 Katoi Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus katoi)
1 Pink Headed Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus chaliasi)
1 Orchid Dottyback (Pseudochromis fridmani)
1 Lantern Basslet (Serranus baldwini)
1 Hi Hat Drum (Equetus acuminatus)
1 Pajama Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera)
1 Exquisite Firefish (Nemateleotris exquisita)
1 Orange Spot Blenny (Blenniella chrysospilos)
1 French Angelfish (Pomacanthus paru)
1 African Flameback Angelfish (Centropyge acanthops)
1 Bicolor Angelfish (Centropyge bicolor)
1 Coral Beauty Angelfish (Centropyge bispinosa)
1 Rusty Angelfish (Centropyge ferrugata)
1 Flame Angelfish (Centropyge loricula)

Anyways, here are a bunch of pics from the last couple weeks.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

I'll have to try and get pics tomorrow when the lights are on, but I added 4 new fish today!

2 Neon Goby (Elacatinus oceanops)
1 Kamohara Blenny (Meiacanthus kamoharai)
1 Halfblack Lemonpeel Hybrid Angel (Centropyge flavissima x vroliki)

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Here is a feeding video from last night. We also added a juvenile lessoni sweetlips, who will move to the 240 gallon once he grows a bit bigger.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Here is a feeding video from last night. We also added a juvenile lessoni sweetlips, who will move to the 240 gallon once he grows a bit bigger.

Thanks for sharing the video! It's always enjoyable watching a whole bunch of fish being fed like that!

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Got to see the Caribbean Cleaning Station at work tonight! Just like snorkeling in St Kitts.

 

[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 3 green chromis, the 4 kashiwae anthias, the sweetlips, the pajama cardinal, the orange fuzzy lobster, and the tiger pistol shrimp.

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

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Couple pics of the eels from tonight, and some of everybody the other day. Honestly, I'm happier with these guys in here and the reef fish in the 240 gallon, as is my wife. Both tanks look nicer and I'm looking forward to filling the 240 with SPS.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

They knew it was food time. They've figured out that when I start tapping the acrylic with the metal feeding tongs it means they're getting fed.