Petes 40 barebottom... Letting it all hang out!

Pete polyp · Mar 16, 2015

This one is starting to get its color back. The polyps really glow under the blue lights

Pete polyp · Mar 31, 2015

Well it is looking like some changes will be made soon to this tank. Nothing really major or anything, just going to trim it down some and make more room. So here's a recent fts before anything is changed

I have been trying to find a decent rainsford goby for a while and its been a challenge. It's not that I can't find them, but rather one priced right. Well I finally found one this weekend and brought him home. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the next couple weeks for him to make it. I'm always nervous about losing a new fish for the first couple weeks.

Sahin · May 1, 2015

Bump for update. How are you keeping up ca and Alk? Using a ca reactor?

Pete polyp · May 1, 2015

Hey bud, sorry it's been a while. I'm using a kalk reactor hooked into the ato plus manually dosing two part until Monday. I finally broke down and bought a doser and it is working like a champ. At the first of the month I went to California for a week on vacation, and when I returned the tank looked like complete junk. Since I have been doing weekly water changes and everything is coming around pretty good. Colors are really starting to improve, but not close to making me happy. Since my last update I have added a few more fish now totaling 9 or something. I'm trying to find a home for both birdnest and that's a challenge in itself! Nobody around here has a tank and it wouldn't ship without becoming 6,413 frags in the process. I'm guessing I will have to make the journey to a lfs soon to trade it in. Normally I don't see much worth having at the lfs, but I could always get a couple bulbs in trade i guess.

kingator · May 1, 2015

Nice looking system Pete keep up the good work

Pete polyp · May 1, 2015

Thanks! It's still nowhere close to where I would like it to be. With this tank I had to learn all over again because it's kinda backwards from the usual tank. I have had so many unusual setbacks since I set it up that sometimes I feel like pulling my toenails out instead of messing with it. It has taken me over a year to learn her language and finally I'm starting to pick up on what it's trying to tell me. Hopefully I will become fluent in this 40 sometime soon though.

markalot · May 1, 2015

Sahin is everywhere bumping threads.

Hopefully you'll get those colors soon!

glweek · May 1, 2015

whats your fish list at this point?

Pete polyp · May 1, 2015

markalot said:
Sahin is everywhere bumping threads. Hopefully you'll get those colors soon!

I hope so too!

glweek said:
whats your fish list at this point?

Let's see....
Carpenters flasher wrasse
Yellowfin flasher wrasse
Male snowflake clown
Female snowflake clown
Firefish
Helfrichi firefish
Yellow eye kole tang
Ruby red dragonette
Rainsford goby

Coming soon will be a line spot flasher wrasse. I would like to add some type of blenny like a midas blenny or forktail blenny, I just might do both. And maybe a couple gobies like hi fin red banded goby and Randalls shrimp goby.

I'm sure you're all thinking I'm crazy by now with that fish list. I can assure you that territory would become an issue way before nutrients with this one. The fish I already have would probably be the most territorial on the list with the clowns and wrasses. So far so good though with the fish being friendly and not too aggressive. Sure there's a slight bit of chasing, but it's surprisingly minimal. The female clown does the most barking of all and the wrasses will chase each other a little (which is expected) and periodically chase the firefish. But all in all its a pretty happy fish population.

spspirate · May 2, 2015

Looking good! Great fish selection!

Sahin · May 2, 2015

Pete polyp said:
Thanks! It's still nowhere close to where I would like it to be. With this tank I had to learn all over again because it's kinda backwards from the usual tank. I have had so many unusual setbacks since I set it up that sometimes I feel like pulling my toenails out instead of messing with it. It has taken me over a year to learn her language and finally I'm starting to pick up on what it's trying to tell me. Hopefully I will become fluent in this 40 sometime soon though.

Thats how I feel lately as well. Last 5 years of my reefkeeping experience hasnt been so good. The 10 years before that were quite favorable in so many ways.

Which brand of TWO part have you been using?

Pete polyp · May 2, 2015

Sahin said:
Thats how I feel lately as well. Last 5 years of my reefkeeping experience hasnt been so good. The 10 years before that were quite favorable in so many ways.

Which brand of TWO part have you been using?

For about the last six months I have been using seachem reef fusion with pretty decent results. I like that it's already mixed and having that convenience. After I go through this gallon I might switch to BRS or esv, I haven't made up my mind.

This morning when I woke up I decided it was time to get rid of the birdnest. I pulled the rock out, grabbed a screwdriver and went to work on it. I did pretty good at removing it as I only made 1 little frag. I threw it in a bucket and headed to little Rock. I think I did pretty good with the trade as I picked up a hi fin red banded goby, yasha goby and a black cap basslet. With the trade I was only out $40 for all three fish. I guess I have to wait and see if all the fish make it before I decide how good of a deal it really is. I usually have pretty good luck with the fish from this store.

Pete polyp · May 3, 2015

Updated fts

Pete polyp · May 3, 2015

Today the Carpenters is acting funny. He has been hiding all day, not even coming out to eat. I saw him earlier in the corner of the tank resting on the rocks. I don't know what his deal is, but I hope he gets over it.

Sahin · May 11, 2015

Is the goby ok? Have you transferred all the sps and corals over from the 29G tank?

Pete polyp · May 11, 2015

The new gobys are doing great! The new black cap basslet is doing good and is still hanging out in a cave. The Carpenters ended up getting popeye in one eye, but he is still eating well. I hope he gets better soon. All but 3 sps have been moved into the 40 and those can just stay in the 29. Some of the sps are starting to color up since adding the doser. Hopefully this tank is finally dialed in and quits testing my patience now. It has been a long struggle so far and I'm hoping it will all start to pay off at this point.