Lurking danger 75g Dragon Lair

[Esox]

Wow! I thought the painted critters alone were pretty cool, but adding that shaded background just takes it to another level. Well done.

I'm never going to be happy with my plain old black backgrounds now.

Oh no, I certainly didn't intend to discourage you with your tank!

If it makes you feel any better, I did a mural on the back glass of my last tank and it was a major disappointment! However, I still had to use that tank so had to look at my sub par artwork for the next 9 yrs! So, dofeel bad bad. Plus that happened to me and I am a graduate from the art institute of Pgh, albeit many moons ago.

Well, I'll be setting up a 75 gallon soon. If I can get the background to remotely mimic yours, instead of just be one solid color, I think I'll be pleased with it. It's inspiring.

 

[TheWB]

Today I made a trip to our lfs. I wanted to see if they had any of the fish that I was interested in. They did! I came home with a blue eyed kole tang and a small 1 spot foxface. Right now both are acclimating in baby nets. When the lights go down I will release them. I will try to get pics of these new guys as soon as they comfortably are coming out.

BTW, I love the vortechs and so do my coral!

Those are both great fish. I recently got a juvenile one spot myself. Probably the best choice for an herbivore in a 75 imo.

 

[vlangel]

Well, I'll be setting up a 75 gallon soon. If I can get the background to remotely mimic yours, instead of just be one solid color, I think I'll be pleased with it. It's inspiring.

I would love to follow your build, too. Maybe all us 75g tankers can learn from each other!

 

[vlangel]

Those are both great fish. I recently got a juvenile one spot myself. Probably the best choice for an herbivore in a 75 imo.

Mine appears to be a juvenile also. I am excited as I've never had a foxface in the 25+ yrs of keeping saltwater!

 

[TheWB]

Mine appears to be a juvenile also. I am excited as I've never had a foxface in the 25+ yrs of keeping saltwater!

It’s my first one as well as my previous tanks were not big enough for one. It has more of a black bar across the upper half of its body rather than a spot but it’s slowly turning more yellow and the black is receding as it matures. When it was smaller it actually looked more like a magnificent than a one spot.

 

[Sean Clark]

The mural background is a pretty cool idea.

 

[JoJosReef]

It's looking so good!

 

[vlangel]

The mural background is a pretty cool idea.

This is the 2nd attempt at a mural. My last tank i did a seahorse since that tank began as a seahorse tank. There is a learning curve to doing aquarium murals and my 1st was a disappointment that I had to look at for 9 years, LOL! I am super pleased with this one.

 

[vlangel]

It's looking so good!

Thanks, I am so happy how this tank is turning out! I like how i was able to use some of my biggest, heaviest rock to put sand around and make a corner DSB.
I liked how the saber tooth tiger skull integrated into the aquascape.
I like the caves and hides holes for my fish. So many happy accidents!
And I am happy with my mural.
This is such a simply set up aquarium and very clean looking as far as very little equipment cluttering it and I am confident the rock and macros will effectively filter it along with weekly water changes. Its my favorite tank that I have done!

 

[vlangel]

It’s my first one as well as my previous tanks were not big enough for one. It has more of a black bar across the upper half of its body rather than a spot but it’s slowly turning more yellow and the black is receding as it matures. When it was smaller it actually looked more like a magnificent than a one spot.

I will be watching to see how mine changes as it grows.

 

[vlangel]

My new fish, the foxface and the kole tang are both eating well. Here is a short video of feeding time. Let me know if you can't view it.

 

[vlangel]

I ordered pods and phyto from Algae Barn and that arrived today. It was well packaged and arrived in good shape. I turned off my AquaClear filter for half an hour and poured the pods in the chamber with the rubble rock. Hopefully some of them will choose to live there and raise families! I will dose 2.5ml everyday to feed the pods and tank.

I also bought flourish and Excel to encourage the macroalgae. I will dose a little of that every week.

 

[vlangel]

I learn a lesson almost the hard way yesterday! I did my weekly water change and after dosed Flourish and Excel for the macroalgae's benefit. I noticed the water did not clear up as quickly as I thought it should but didn't really think much on it. Then by evening I noticed Blondie my new blue eyed kole tang swimming to the surface seeming to gulp air. I know tangs have higher respiration than other fish but was perplexed as to why the tank might be low on oxygen. I had not filled the tank as full so the AquaClear was cascading water back into the tank with a higher drop than usual. I was hoping that would replenish any oxygen drop so went to bed hoping everything would right itself in the morning.
When I got up the tank was clear and fish were emerging one by one until all were out except Blondie. That had me worried so I googled Flourish and Excel only to discover that they can deplete oxygen if overdosed. Also they should not be dosed after a water change so now I had real cause for concern. I may have accidently overdosed because I used an old bottle of Excel that may have gotten concentrated and so perhaps I did overdose. Fortunately, an hour or so after everyone else woke up, Blondie also made an appearance not looking the worse for wear except maybe just a bit more skittish. So I will be very cautious when dosing those 2 products.

 

[vlangel]

I wiped the glass and the tank looked so nice that I snapped a few pics.

 

[vlangel]

About a week ago, (after I added the foxface and tang) I saw my ywg scratching on the sand. After a day he stopped but then a couple of days ago my Midas blenny was scratching. He has since stopped too. I am not super nervous because I have had fish scratch before when I added new fish but I never like seeing it. From now on I plan to put new fish in the 20g H under the cabinet for a QT time to observe them before putting them in the 75g. The smaller tank only has 1 clownfish and bta's in it so should work as a QT.

 

[TheWB]

About a week ago, (after I added the foxface and tang) I saw my ywg scratching on the sand. After a day he stopped but then a couple of days ago my Midas blenny was scratching. He has since stopped too. I am not super nervous because I have had fish scratch before when I added new fish but I never like seeing it. From now on I plan to put new fish in the 20g H under the cabinet for a QT time to observe them before putting them in the 75g. The smaller tank only has 1 clownfish and bta's in it so should work as a QT.

I've been meaning to do the same thing with an observation tank under my main tank but somehow it never quite seems to get set up.

 

[vlangel]

Today I made an order from KP Aquatics. I have never been unhappy with anything that I ordered from them so this was a big order.
5 feather dusters worms
5 peppermint shrimp
3 ultra premium rock flower nems
2 shaving brushes
2 moss balls
1 chalk basselet
1 red mangrove seedling
This will be fun getting.

 

[vlangel]

KPA notified us that they shipped today so I will be looking for the goods on Thursday.

 

[vlangel]

I got an email saying that my order was arriving today by noon and it was here on time! As always KP Aquatics had everything packaged well and all arrived in perfect condition. I am thrilled with how all the stuff acclimated to the tank and KP Aquatics are always so generous in adding extras. They sent an extra mangrove because the leaves were not quite out. They sent an extra shaving brush and peppermint shrimp just because.... I love these folks!

 

[vlangel]

This video was taken only an hour after everything got in the tank so nothing is settled in yet. The RFAs are behind the moss balls, shaving brush and toadstool. There is more movement now.