IDOC's First Reef Tank Build - 75g

[Idoc]

NEW CLEAN UP CREW

Drip acclimating some new clean up crew. The GHA in the main tank is getting a little out of control since losing my Mexican turbo, zebra turbo, and shutting off the UV sterilizer. Also noticing a couple small spots of bubble algae in the tank... and some in the coral/invert quarantine tank as well.

LFS had some really nice Mexican turbos!! They never have this variety so I've always had to go online for them... which is hit or miss whether they survive shipment!

Adding:

4 Mexican Turbos
10 Blue Leg Hermits
1 Emerald Crab

I typically have stayed away from hermits in my DT, but I do have one that hitchhiked in with some snails. He's been fun to watch and causing no trouble so far... so, I'll give a few more a try.

My drip system uses some airline tubing I received from a hospital with a cool little valve to control the flow! I had to endure a colonoscopy to get this gadget, so it better work nicely to control the dripping.... and so far, it is working well!!

 

[Idoc]

Perfect timing...my Cleaner Shrimp and her molt, side by side!

 

[Gino]

Perfect timing...my Cleaner Shrimp and her molt, side by side!

Cool shot. I been trying to catch mines during the process of molting in video but, for some reason or another, never gotten to see them in the moment.

 

[Idoc]

Cool shot. I been trying to catch mines during the process of molting in video but, for some reason or another, never gotten to see them in the moment.

I've missed it every single time as well. This was the closest I've come to the event. I must have just missed it.

 

[Idoc]

New Green Branching Hammer and Frogspawn added to the quarantine tank a month ago. It's taken the frogspawn awhile to become happy in its new home, but it is finally extending.

A month ago:

Today:

 

[Idoc]

PEACEFUL TO WAR OVERNIGHT

My Diamond Goby started to act unusual over a week ago. First he left his normal den under a rock and went to an entirely new party of the tank and hid under a rock overhang near the sand. I had noticed he wasn't coming out to eat a often a usual as well. I finally got a good look at him and he appeared skinny with a sunken belly. He was acting extremely skittish as well, but i hasn't noticed any aggression toward him, ever!

Then, he seemed to be eating more and went back to his original rock den but remained extremely skittish.

Then it happened! He came out to eat and my Midas Blenny aggressively attacked him and latched onto his top fin and shook him like a dog! Poor guy scrambled to get away and the Blenny was ruthless in her attacks! Finally he got back to his den and his for over a day. I've never seen this Blenny physically aggressive with another fish... she's stared down a few fish to show whose boss, though. I guess she somehow smells weakness with him right now and is going in for the kill.

Tonight was the first he came out to eat and I purposely kept the other fish away from him while he ate. Last night, I started some saltwater expecting to move him over to a hospital tank to recuperate. I was able to catch him tonight while eating...he only has one eye due to a previous accident, so that was helpful in catching him, lol.

He's safe in the hospital tank with some sand and pvc pieces. He ate well in the hospital tank. I'll fatten him up and monitor him for a day or two... then I'll figure a plan of treatment.

No visible external disease present. He seems to be breathing normally. Maybe he somehow got an internal parasite... not sure how since all DT fish pre-treated and nothing new added to the tank for several months! I didn't want to stress him any further tonight with a FW dip to check for flukes.

Here's the poor skinny fella...

 

[Idoc]

Diamond Goby update!

So far, good news! I've nursed this little guy back. He's being hand fed twice daily and all his weight has returned. He's been through 3 doses of Kanaplex and 9 days of medicated foods (just in case an internal parasite was causing the weight loss). He's also had his first dose of PraziPro as well just in case flukes were present.

I'm still stunned that his striking white and orange spotted contrast has changed over this past year. His orange spots are turning darker orange/ brown. I'm not sure if this is stress induced or possibly age related.

Hopefully I'll be reintroducing him to the DT in the next couple weeks!

Updated pics...

 

[Idoc]

New Aquascape

I really liked the simplicity of the original aquascape, but it had some issues. Mainly, it was very difficult to manage the flow within the tank. So, I opened up the upper third of the tank on the right side to allow the gyres to flow more easily without obstruction. I also added some more rock that I've been soaking/cycling in a separate 10g tank for the past 2-3 months.

Another issue with the older rockscape was that I didn't adhere the rocks together very well and the bonds broke easily, resulting in the rocks moving and getting too close to the glass. So this time, I used some old epoxy I had, as well as some JB Water Weld.

New look:

 

[Idoc]

Diamond Goby Update

Acclimated a couple days so the other fish could get reacquainted with him. Now, he's back home, healthy, and everyone's being peaceful so far. I rearranged the rock work while he was out of the tank. Now, he must re-learn his surroundings.

Acclimation:

Home at last:

 

[Idoc]

Soon to be new addition...

Tomini Tang half way through quarantine!

 

[Dj City]

Soon to be new addition...

Tomini Tang half way through quarantine!

Pretty fish.

 

[Idoc]

Pretty fish.

Thank you... hopefully there won't be any acclimation problems with the other fish in the tank.

 

[Idoc]

Tomini Tang added to DT

Finished quarantine, and moved the Tomini Tang into an acclimation box in the DT.

This fish has been so skittish while in quarantine. She stayed inside a PVC tube and would only come out to eat once I was a fair distance away from the tank. The slightest movement in the room would send her to the PVC tube. This caused a few problems since I couldn't observe her closeup for issues. But, she was actively feeding throughout her treatments.

Now after release into the acclimation box, I can see her more closely without a place to hide. She looks to have a little HLLE occurring on her face! Hopefully one released, she'll have better water parameters in the main tank, as well as a better algae diet. I've let the hair algae really take off anticipating her release!

 

[Dj City]

Tomini Tang added to DT

Finished quarantine, and moved the Tomini Tang into an acclimation box in the DT.

This fish has been so skittish while in quarantine. She stayed inside a PVC tube and would only come out to eat once I was a fair distance away from the tank. The slightest movement in the room would send her to the PVC tube. This caused a few problems since I couldn't observe her closeup for issues. But, she was actively feeding throughout her treatments.

Now after release into the acclimation box, I can see her more closely without a place to hide. She looks to have a little HLLE occurring on her face! Hopefully one released, she'll have better water parameters in the main tank, as well as a better algae diet. I've let the hair algae really take off anticipating her release!

It does look like hlle but not a bad case.
It will give the fish character.

 

[Idoc]

It does look like hlle but not a bad case.
It will give the fish character.

Yes, it does add some special character to the fish. Interestingly, the markings are exactly symmetrical when looking on straight at the fish! It kind of looks cool.

Plus, she has already declared her dominance in the tank. She quickly put the previous boss, Midas Blenny, into her place in the pecking order.

 

[Idoc]

UPDATES...

Main tank:

1. Tomini Tang has adapted nicely to the new tank. She immediately declared dominance of the tank and put my Midas Blenny a ring lower on the leadership! But all is well now and everyone gets along nicely.

2. Diamond Goby is a little too high maintenance. I was feeding it specially twice a day to ensure it was getting enough nutrients. But it now just stays in its cave hole and expects me to put the food at the entrance for him! I've stopped hand feeding him. If he refuses to even come out of his hole to clean the sand and attempt to feed himself, then he will go hungry. Tough love in this tank.

3. I've had some success with a couple new Mexican turbo snails... fingers crossed they survive and whatever killed all my other snails is finally cleared out of the tank!

4. Tomini HLLE cleared up nicely once she settled in to her new home.


Coral/Invert Quarantine Tank:

1. Picked up a Jack O'Lantern Lepto at our recent club frag show.

2. Installed (finally) my Aqua Advantage 2000 HOB 15w UV sterilizer. Hopefully this helps to clear the water and keep some dinos out and cyano a little under control. It is so difficult keeping the parameters correct with a small system and only using a HOB filter system!

 

[Idoc]

RIP Mr Crabs. (Fire shrimp)

2yrs and 8 months in our fish family -- found the poor guy had passed last night before bedtime. No noticeable disease...suspect it was just his time. I'm not sure how long these shrimp typically live?

 

[Idoc]

RIP Benny (Midas Blenny)

One day she was her normal self, then soon after I noticed she was losing weight drastically. I want suspecting disease or parasites since nothing new has been added to the tank in many, many months. No outward appearance of disease. Her appetite did not decrease... she was eating like a beast even though she was skin and bones.

I prepared a hospital tank for her, but just could not catch her! Yesterday evening I found her on the sand barely moving, but breathing fast. I was able to scoop her up and put her in the hospital tank. Her fins looked ragged a little and eyes possibly protruding a bit. I added Furan 2 and Kanaplex just in case a bacterial infection may be taking hold. She passed during the night and had her burial at sea this evening. I'm suspecting old age just started to wilt her away...I had her over 3.5 years and she was already an adult when I got her. She had a good life...