JUST DO IT! Make your dreams come true.

[thomas_neil]

Fishless cycle is coming along nicely ammonia is .5ppm nitrite 1ppm and nitrate 40ppm, think I might get some fish this weekend and start my qt on them. Thinking a school of 5-7 chromis and a flame angle to start.

 

[thomas_neil]

Been a while since I've made a post, being a new dad has been a big change to get used to and haven't had much time to post.

Not sure where to start, looks like my last post was getting the tank cycled. Since then, I've made the light mount out of extruded aluminum and mounted the 3 XR15s and 2 kessil lights. I'm not planning on coral right away so these will work for now. I also got the wife's 20 gallon plumbed into the main sump. I need to get another roller for it but for now I'll let everything flush into the sump. Also had my brother 3D print some brackets for my power brick and controllers to clean up the sump room a bit.

As far as live stock I added 64oz of the 2 pod blend from reef legends after I saw diatoms growing in the tank. I also started 2 phyto cultures to keep them fed while the fish go through QT. For fish, I have 2 clowns for my wife's tank that have been in QT for almost 7 weeks now. Got through the 6 weeks of copper and will be done with the first dose of prazi on Friday. I also have 5 (started with 7) blue green chromis, a coral beauty, and a super small (maybe 1") Atlantic blue tang that have been in QT for about 4 weeks (2 weeks at my LFS and 2 weeks at home). The last group in QT are a small orange shoulder tang, fox face, and purple tang (took advantage of 50% off sale on live aquaria). I'm a little concerned adding the purple tang so early as it was planned to be added in the last group of tangs that are slightly more aggressive, but I saw a good deal and I took it. I might temporarily home him in the wife's 20 with the clowns until I'm ready to add him with the last group of tangs (here comes the tang police).

Next group of fish to get into QT after the clowns are done will be my first group of wrasse. Looking to do 2 yellow coris wrasse, an ear muff wrasse and a radiant wrasse, then for the bigger QT tank I'll be getting a copper band butterfly, a file fish, Naso tang (if I can find a health one) and tomini tang. The 3rd group of fish to get into QT will be fish for the wife's tank, she wants a yellow watchman (paired with pistol shrimp after QT) and either a purple fire fish or a pink streak wrasse. I'm trying to keep everything spaced out roughly 2 weeks apart to let the tank acclimate and will be dosing MB7 prior to adding more fish. I'm also getting everything super small and with over 400 gallons total water volume with the big tank, sump and small tank I'm not too concerned about adding too much too quickly.

 

[thomas_neil]

Sad day today, came home today to feed the fish and found my purple tang, orange shoulder and fox face all dead. I’m not sure what happened, all happy and healthy last night when I fed them and all parameters and copper levels good last night. Only thing I can think of is my heater shorted or something to kill all 3 overnight. But temp was good when I got home, really scratching my head to what happened.

Sad day.

 

[thomas_neil]

Been a while again. Life with a baby gets hectic sometimes. Tank has been doing really good, got through the uglies and things have stabilized out.

Got about 2/3 of the fish in the tank with just a group of anthies, 3 wrasse and the aggressive tangs left. Currently have a magnificent fox face, orange shoulder tang, Atlantic blue (thinks he’s boss until I add the more aggressive tangs), 5 chromis, 2 yellow chromis wrasse, ruby red wrasse, file fish (got some aptasia I think on CUC but he made quick work of them), Melenarus wrasse, clown from the wife’s tank (other clown was beating on it) flame and coral beauty angels, flame and long nose hawk and 2 diamond gobies. Been taking it slow with the fish doing a small order every month (big shout out to reef beauties, everything comes in clean and healthy and have great prices!)

Thinking about doing 5-7 anthies, 3 more wrasse(probably ear muff and leopard not sure on third), and 3 more tangs (gold rim, purple and white tail?)

Also changed my plans from a mixed reef to go with a softy tank. I just don’t have much time to care for the tank as I’d like so don’t want to risk SPS. Will probably do some easier LPS that are hardy and maybe try some montipora if I can find some cheaper frags.

For the softies probably going to get a ton of zoas, clove polyps, couple toad stools (2 maybe and let them get huge) not a huge fan of Kenya trees but might get a couple. Any other recommendations?