Three Arches Tank

[ohartman13]

I’m starting up a Red Sea Reefer 350, currently in its second week of cycling. It is a 92gal system & a 4 foot tank. I have 2 Gen 4 XR15’s, a 4K gyre & MP40, big octopus skimmer & vectra for a return. Plenty of hiding spots with three arches (hence the name). My plan for livestock is as follows and in order for how I plan to add:

- 2 Mocha Clowns
- 4 Lyretail Anthias (1 Male/3 Female)
- 1 Orange Spot Goby
- 1 Tomini Tang
- 1 Melanurus Wrasse

I may swap the order between the Anthias & the Tomini Tang depending on how this cycle goes… I also have access to a few great LFS & plan to get these fish all on the smaller side.

Will be posting periodic updates here!

 

[Fish Styx]

Looking good!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Looks good! I do think you could add a little more rock in there and be ok. However, that is up to you if you want to do that or not!

 

[Fish Styx]

I agree with Gumbies- some more rock would give more hiding places for your fish, and some additional mounting spots for coral without detracting too much from your vision. I would also add about another 1.5" of sand for that H. melanarus.

 

[ohartman13]

Tank Update 9/1/25 - FISH ADDED (Highly Recommend Aquatic Jewels in Hollywood, FL)

After starting my tank a month ago, we have finally made it through the cycling process. Numbers began nearing 0 early this week, so I did a couple water changes throughout the week. A final test this morning confirmed we were good to go.

I took a pretty hard look at where I wanted to purchase my fish, touring over 10 spots in my area. I’m really lucky to have so many GREAT LFS near my place. My plan was to find a main store, but utilize others for their strengths since there are so many good ones. I feel so lucky for that, but also guilty I can’t support them all fully. After visiting my top 3 multiple times, Aquatic Jewels stuck out from the rest. They have a beautiful shop & SUPER helpful workers. These guys have been doing the hobby as a job their whole life and you can really see the passion. They have a very good quarantine system, receive shipments regularly, & have great variety. They provide a TON care & time for each customer that comes in. I love their selection & they make you feel like you can ask them anything, just as a good LFS should. They are genuinely trying to help you succeed & are very diligent about selling livestock, making sure every customer is capable of caring for the fish. I am glad to have them so close by.

I purchased 2 Mocha Clowns for $34. Both are very vibrant & have adapted quickly to the new aquarium. I am very happy about where the tank is at.

Up next: I am working to build the Red Sea DIY lid… didn’t realize I needed the zig zag extra parts until I was about to make it. I plan to get an MP40 but will hold off until the end of the month. Also, I have yet to turn on my skimmer. Livestock-wise, I plan to add an initial cleanup crew in a couple weeks as the lights regularly being on & ramped up in intensity should cause an algae spike. After that, I have a debate about which livestock next. If you’ve made it this far, I’d appreciate your input.

Question: When I add my next fish later this month, should it be 4 Lyretail Anthias (1M/3F) or a Tomini Tang?

I see reasons for both decisions, curious to see your thoughts.

Finally, enjoy an updated tank picture!

 

[ohartman13]

Tank Update 9/1/25 - FISH ADDED (Highly Recommend Aquatic Jewels in Hollywood, FL)

After starting my tank a month ago, we have finally made it through the cycling process. Numbers began nearing 0 early this week, so I did a couple water changes throughout the week. A final test this morning confirmed we were good to go.

I took a pretty hard look at where I wanted to purchase my fish, touring over 10 spots in my area. I’m really lucky to have so many GREAT LFS near my place. My plan was to find a main store, but utilize others for their strengths since there are so many good ones. I feel so lucky for that, but also guilty I can’t support them all fully. After visiting my top 3 multiple times, Aquatic Jewels stuck out from the rest. They have a beautiful shop & SUPER helpful workers. These guys have been doing the hobby as a job their whole life and you can really see the passion. They have a very good quarantine system, receive shipments regularly, & have great variety. They provide a TON care & time for each customer that comes in. I love their selection & they make you feel like you can ask them anything, just as a good LFS should. They are genuinely trying to help you succeed & are very diligent about selling livestock, making sure every customer is capable of caring for the fish. I am glad to have them so close by.

I purchased 2 Mocha Clowns for $34. Both are very vibrant & have adapted quickly to the new aquarium. I am very happy about where the tank is at.

Up next: I am working to build the Red Sea DIY lid… didn’t realize I needed the zig zag extra parts until I was about to make it. I plan to get an MP40 but will hold off until the end of the month. Also, I have yet to turn on my skimmer. Livestock-wise, I plan to add an initial cleanup crew in a couple weeks as the lights regularly being on & ramped up in intensity should cause an algae spike. After that, I have a debate about which livestock next. If you’ve made it this far, I’d appreciate your input.

Question: When I add my next fish later this month, should it be 4 Lyretail Anthias (1M/3F) or a Tomini Tang?

I see reasons for both decisions, curious to see your thoughts.

Finally, enjoy an updated tank picture!

Tank Update 9/7/25: Tomini Tang & Nassarius Snails

I know what everyone will say. Probably too quick to add anothe fish. It’s only been a week, however my parameters are in great shape (0 ammonia, >5 nitrate) & I won’t have time to get fish for the next two weeks. Additionally, my local LFS (Aquatic Jewels) had a small & beautiful Tomini Tang that I saw last time. They’ve had it for over two weeks & has been eating so that made it very attractive.

This leads in to my other questionable decision: I did not use a quarantine tank. I have one fully setup & ready to go, but decided not to use it. I did a quick RODI bath & a long acclimation period. Time will tell if this was the right choice, but the fish passed inspection & has a quarantine tank ready to go waiting if I notice anything is wrong.

The Nassarius snails are in response to the slow uptick in green algae on the rocks. I just want to stay ahead of the bloom the tank is about to see & again won’t have time for a couple weeks.

After hiding for an hour, the Tomini Tang is completely settled in & has explored the whole tank, picking at algae as they go. The snails have all moved slightly & also seem to be doing fine.

I have added a rock under the left arch & some rubble on the far right. The extra rocks have been added to reduce the amount of sand that’s been kicked up by flow, which I don’t want to turn down. I also have egg crate temporarily as a lid as I wait for the Red Sea DIY kit zig zags to arrive… I am not excited to get that finally setup.

Up next: Adding the Anthias. I will 100% be quarantining them, at first without medicine for simple observation. If any issues are seen, medicine will be added. I want to be sure I can get them eating & comfortable before adding them to the display. It will be a few weeks before they’re purchased. Corals to be added at the end of the month as well.

As always, open to any advice!

 

[fish_collector]

If I could go back in time and do anything different, it would have been a proper 30+ day QT with anything that went into my tank, snails included. You will look back 6 months from now and remember this, and then wish the same thing.

A good number of tangs and wrasses come in with flukes, and a high number of anthias come in with uronema.

 

[ohartman13]

I understand why you say that. I trust my LFS’ system & have seen that fish for a couple weeks. Additionally it’s just the 3 fish in my tank right now, so can easily pull any of them if I notice issues. Will be acting far stricter with the Anthias knowing their vulnerabilities.

 

[exnisstech]

If I could go back in time and do anything different, it would have been a proper 30+ day QT with anything that went into my tank, snails included. You will look back 6 months from now and remember this, and then wish the same thing.

SNIP

Maybe maybe not. Not a fish in this tank has been through anything but observation. My oldest is over 8 years old and has survived velvet so I'm aware of the risks.

 

[ohartman13]

If I could go back in time and do anything different, it would have been a proper 30+ day QT with anything that went into my tank, snails included. You will look back 6 months from now and remember this, and then wish the same thing.

SNIP

Maybe maybe not. Not a fish in this tank has been through anything but observation. My oldest is over 8 years old and has survived velvet so I'm aware of the risks.

That’s a beautiful tank. Hoping observation will be good enough for the 2 clowns & Tomini. Definitely prepared if the Anthias need more than observing.

 

[exnisstech]

Its a choice with risks either way and I don't suggest anyone not medicate in QT if they want to be safe.
I was having deaths in copper QT and have no idea why tho I'm sure it was something I did wrong. I haven't had a death not medicating in QT. I will medicate if I see symptoms. I don't buy a lot of fish these days.
The purple, naso and convict above are all velvet survivors. I had a lot of losses that could have been prevented if I had medicated proactively. I also could have prevented losses had I known the fish I added was being kept in low salinty of 1.015 which doesn't kill disease but will suppress it. I now no longer buy fish that are not kept with inverts and/or coral.

Sorry for being long winded I just want to be clear what I do works for me but is not a recommendation.

 

[kboogie]

If I could go back in time and do anything different, it would have been a proper 30+ day QT with anything that went into my tank, snails included. You will look back 6 months from now and remember this, and then wish the same thing.

A good number of tangs and wrasses come in with flukes, and a high number of anthias come in with uronema.

I'm so happy to hear people praise the benefits of a 30+ day medicated QT. Unfortunately, this is a highly contentious topic. The countless posts I see every day where I say, if you did a 30 day medicated QT you would not have that issue.

 

[ohartman13]

Update: Not happy to post this, but lost the Tomini Tang. I blame myself as I decided to take him out of the main tank put him in the quarantine tank. Parameters in the quarantine tank are all fine. Must’ve been the shock between the two tank changes, otherwise I have no clue what caused it. Very mad at myself, however possibly it was the fish & it passing in the main tank would’ve been a bigger issue… not happy regardless.

 

[kboogie]

Update: Not happy to post this, but lost the Tomini Tang. I blame myself as I decided to take him out of the main tank put him in the quarantine tank. Parameters in the quarantine tank are all fine. Must’ve been the shock between the two tank changes, otherwise I have no clue what caused it. Very mad at myself, however possibly it was the fish & it passing in the main tank would’ve been a bigger issue… not happy regardless.

I'm so sorry you lost the Tomini Tang. It is hard to say what is the main cause. Depending on how you conducted the move to the quarantine tank, shock is possible, but I would not expect that to be the main reason for the death unless you literally netted him from the main tank and literally dropped him into the other. One of the classic signs of stress is a change in fish color, either becoming very dark or very light in coloration, depending on the fish. Fish in shock tend to have the fish in what looks like a permanent full extension and will usually have rapid breathing. Did you observe anything like this? Sometimes fish in shock will had and dispaly these symptoms, but because they are hiding, you cannot see that they are displaying these symptoms.

How did you conduct the transfer from the main tank to the quarantine tank? Did you do a temperature and water chemistry acclimation? If you did an acclimation, over what time period did you do the acclimation (,30 minutes)?

What was your purpose for moving the Tomini from the main tank to quarantine? Is there another issue that the community can help you address?

 

[ohartman13]

Update: Not happy to post this, but lost the Tomini Tang. I blame myself as I decided to take him out of the main tank put him in the quarantine tank. Parameters in the quarantine tank are all fine. Must’ve been the shock between the two tank changes, otherwise I have no clue what caused it. Very mad at myself, however possibly it was the fish & it passing in the main tank would’ve been a bigger issue… not happy regardless.

I'm so sorry you lost the Tomini Tang. It is hard to say what is the main cause. Depending on how you conducted the move to the quarantine tank, shock is possible, but I would not expect that to be the main reason for the death unless you literally netted him from the main tank and literally dropped him into the other. One of the classic signs of stress is a change in fish color, either becoming very dark or very light in coloration, depending on the fish. Fish in shock tend to have the fish in what looks like a permanent full extension and will usually have rapid breathing. Did you observe anything like this? Sometimes fish in shock will had and dispaly these symptoms, but because they are hiding, you cannot see that they are displaying these symptoms.

How did you conduct the transfer from the main tank to the quarantine tank? Did you do a temperature and water chemistry acclimation? If you did an acclimation, over what time period did you do the acclimation (,30 minutes)?

What was your purpose for moving the Tomini from the main tank to quarantine? Is there another issue that the community can help you address?

Thanks for the comment. It’s all good. I’ve come to terms with it. A good reminder for me to take it slow & let the tank mature as well.

The Tomini was breathing heavy in the main tank & was not swimming a lot when I came home after 24+ hours in the tank. It was the reason I moved him. The transition to the quarantine tank was quicker than I’d like, but salinity was the same. So was the temperature. After a quick 10 minute acclimation, I added him. He was swimming & behaving fine, honestly a lot better than he was in the display.

The quarantine tank was a 20 gallon with an air stone, heater & HOB filter with media I had in my sump. I had thought the cause of death may had been an ammonia spike initially, but the ammonia read 0.

As I’ve processed this more, I believe the fish was either stressed from leaving the LFS/wasn’t hardy enough or he was stressed by the clownfish who were in the main display with him. I’m genuinely not sure, as I look back at it I don’t think I made any horrible decisions, but will be far more careful when I add the next Tomini Tang in a few weeks. Probably will use an acclimation chamber in the tank to introduce the fish to each other in a more controlled manor.

For now, I am going to let the tank mature & exist. The clowns are thriving & the algae is growing but being kept under control by the snails.

Coming home yesterday to that sucked, but it’s all apart of the process. Still motivated & excited to get the tank ready to match my plans. Appreciate the response.

 

[ohartman13]

Tank Update: Experiencing typical new tank stuff. Algae is taking its course. Both clowns are doing great, eating with more confidence. Parameters are up to par. Will be looking to get a Tomini Tang this week, doing a full observation quarantine & an acclimation box once ready to enter the main tank. Looking forward to watching this thing mature over the next few months.

 

[ohartman13]

BIG Update 11/1/2025

Apologies for not updating in here for 1.5 months. A lot has changed. The tank is in great shape with new fish & coral. It
now has the following stocking:

Fish
2 Clownfish
Tomini tang (NEW)
Diamond/Orange spotted goby (NEW)
Melanurus wrasse (NEW)


Clean up
11 Astrea snails
4 Trochus
4 Turbo
6 Hermits (2 Red/Blue/Black)
5 Emerald Crabs (NEW)
3 Peppermint shrimp (NEW)

Corals (ALL NEW)
Candy cane
4 Zoas
Platygyra
Purple green hammer
Black & blue Acan
Green slimer Afro
2 Montipora
3 SPS sticks
LPS piece in the middle

All new fish have gotten a 1.5 minute freshwater dip, which has been effective. Acclimation using an acclimation chamber in the tank has proved to limit aggression. My coral dipping process has taken out numerous pests, however I did see two aptasia heads in different parts of the tank two weeks ago. That is why I got the peppermint shrimp, who had them out of sight in 24 hrs. The emerald crabs were brought in to stop the latest & biggest algae bloom 4 weeks ago. They have tons of personality and do a great job. The Tomini Tang has been in the tank for over a month and has done great. I got him from Aquatic Jewels. The Melanurus Wrasse & Diamond Goby were added last week & have acclimated well with everything. The Goby has made a burrow and cleaned the left half of the sand bed. Melanurus Wrasse came in with a few nipped scales from a Sohal Tang he was sharing a tank with, but is very energetic, eating all food I provide & constantly searches the rocks. I got the Goby & Wrasse from Aquarium Show outside Fort Lauderdale. For all of these fish, I felt comfortable with no quarantine because I had seen them in the store for over 3 weeks without issues. On the coral front, I am generally happy with where things are at. The Zoas, Platy, Hammer & GSP are killing it. The others are doing okay but still working some things out, I’ll explain later. Finally, I was happy to have a noticeable copepods colony take root on the glass about 10 days ago. That’s big for when I want to get Anthias.

I have made some modifications with equipment. First of all, I finally conquered the Red Sea DIY lid. It took a while with a handsaw and good measurements, but it works so well. Worth the price if you’re someone who is up for a DIY challenge. I needed it for the Wrasse & Goby who are jumpy & it doesn’t ruin the viewing all that much. I turned on the skimmer 3 weeks ago. It’s a Reef Octopus & I have no complaints, it does its job. I increased the flow from my MP40 after I added more coarse sand to mix to my existing sand bed. This was to increase flow & appease the Goby & Wrasse before their arrival. The recent equipment project has been the lights. I realized I made the stupid mistake of using too much white light & have customized the timing to AB+ on the radions to get the most out of my coral. This has been a great move & I can already see a difference.

Food has generally remained the same. Still frozen brine & mysis mixed with pellets. I purchased the brine shrimp farm from BRS & supplement them with spirinlina a few times a week to mix it up. I also plan to use that for the Anthias.

Up next: Enjoy some growth! I am happy with how patient I have been. While it may look like this has been all at once, I go a couple weeks without any adds & have intentionally gone a month between adding fish. I plan to keep my eye out for coral in the next couple months, but that’s about it. I want to let the tank mature & fully overcome the new tank syndrome before adding the final fish: 4 Lyretail Anthias. I hope to add them between January & March. Obviously I’m prepared for issues in the meantime, but I test weekly & get good numbers. No need to dose when I do 10 gallon water changes weekly. Can’t think of what else I’ve missed, but glad I’ve finally have the thread up to date. I plan to be more up to date with changes as they happen. Please let me know any general advice or comments you have, thanks for reading!


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[ohartman13]

12/5/25 Update: Ups & Downs

The past month has seen some growth in the tank. My corals are starting to grow & a few have begun to die-off as result of a slight dosing/acclimation error. Have since fixed my process & have a frag rock to acclimate new corals better. Unfortunately the diamond goby did not work out has the Tomini tang continuously bullied him. In terms of new adds, I have decided to put in some firefish to help diffuse the aggression & add to the fish #’s. I have also added a pink frogspawn & zoas that are now in the scape with some rearrangements. Additionally, I purchased a birdsnest, pocillopora, & chalice that are currently acclimating. Hoping they do better now that I’ve learned my lesson. I have also added a starfish to sand sift, but he doesn’t replace the goby’s efficiency.

Next: Still considering Lyretail Anthias, but am also open to other options. Will continue adding coral in waves as the tank matures.

 

[ohartman13]

12/17/25 Update: Tang Police Don’t Read This

The past two weeks has seen some big decisions for the tank. I have added all the new coral to the rock work in two phases after acclimating them to the lighting. This includes the Pink Frogspawn, Birdsnest, Pocillopora, & Chalice. I added a few more snails to combat the slight losses from my Melanurus Wrasse’s curiosity. I also got a second starfish, which I purposely placed on the other side of the tank. This has proven to be effective as they both manage their half.

The big addition has been the Clown Tang. I know this is far sooner than anticipated to add another big fish, however my nitrates were staying at 0 & I felt that my tank was ready. I know putting a tang in with an existing tang is an issue, but at least these guys are shaped differently which I’ve heard helps. I’d seen the clown tang in with far bigger fish at my LFS for 3 weeks & I got him for a great deal for his size & color. I did a 3 day acclimation period in the tank before adding him. Since his addition, he’s the clear alpha of the tank. He is a just & fair alpha that is not like the Tomini in terms of bullying & aggression. The two tangs will brush up on each other now and then, but otherwise get along just fine. I am very happy with the purchase & I am ready to face any comments that are probably fair for this addition.

 

[ohartman13]

12/17/25 Update: Tang Police Don’t Read This

The past two weeks has seen some big decisions for the tank. I have added all the new coral to the rock work in two phases after acclimating them to the lighting. This includes the Pink Frogspawn, Birdsnest, Pocillopora, & Chalice. I added a few more snails to combat the slight losses from my Melanurus Wrasse’s curiosity. I also got a second starfish, which I purposely placed on the other side of the tank. This has proven to be effective as they both manage their half.

The big addition has been the Clown Tang. I know this is far sooner than anticipated to add another big fish, however my nitrates were staying at 0 & I felt that my tank was ready. I know putting a tang in with an existing tang is an issue, but at least these guys are shaped differently which I’ve heard helps. I’d seen the clown tang in with far bigger fish at my LFS for 3 weeks & I got him for a great deal for his size & color. I did a 3 day acclimation period in the tank before adding him. Since his addition, he’s the clear alpha of the tank. He is a just & fair alpha that is not like the Tomini in terms of bullying & aggression. The two tangs will brush up on each other now and then, but otherwise get along just fine. I am very happy with the purchase & I am ready to face any comments that are probably fair for this addition.

Current Stocking:

2 Clownfish
Tomini Tang
Melanurus Wrasse
3 Firefish
Clown Tang

Astrea, Trochus, & Turbo Snails
Variety of Hermit Crabs
5 Emerald Crabs
3 Peppermint Shrimp
2 Starfish

Candy Cane
5 Different Zoas
Platygyra
Purple/Green Hammer
Black & Blue Acan
Montipora
Stylophora
Pink Frogspawn
Green Birdsnest
Rainbow Pocillopora
Hollywood Stunner Chalice



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