FarmerTy

I agree, everything is always great at the beginning because everything is shiny and new. Wait until things start building up and you'll get your real cycle. Once that happens, everything donated will take a good hit and may die, not to mention it's just borderline cruel for your fish that are currently in there, as it is reported that ammonia build-up during a cycle burns the gills of fishes. I'd hold off on adding things until a couple of months, slow and steady with saltwater tanks. We all have learned this lesson in some way already I'm sure. -Ty

On second look, that may be a bristleworm, the sides look like bristles now after I looked at it again. Blame the hour of the night for missing that. The crab still looks suspect to me.

That first crab looks like he can cause trouble in the tank. I don't think it's an emerald crab, almost looks like a dungeness but probably unlikely. That worm doesn't look like a bristleworm to me either. The coloration is off (usually red and black, this one is greenish) and instead of spikes on it's side like a bristleworm, it looks like nubs or legs. Look up Oenone Fulgida. I hope it's not them, they are trouble from what I hear. Sorry Bry, wasn't trying to 2nd guess, just what it looks like to me. -Ty

Pm'ed for skimmer.

Great thoughts on your tank livestock. Kudos to ditching the tang idea... those hippos can get up 12" in length when they are adults. I look forward to update pictures. Good luck! -Ty

Yeah, I was thinking of getting a couple of green chromis' to encourage the hippo out. Then introduce the chromis' and hippo into the main tank at the same time so the yellow and sailfin don't have a chance to gang up on the hippo. May toss in two clownfish too so it's one giant party being added. I just don't want any fish isolated out and picked on when the new additions arrive in the main tank. Stephen- The fish are doing well but I think because there's only the two in there, that they are zoning in on each other and being real territorial. They keep getting more and more aggressive with each other that I'm hoping to introduce some other fish soon so that they can be more distracted. I'm ramping up my feeding too cause happy/full fish tend to fight less than hungry/territorial fish. I think my last tank additions in the future will be a flame hawkfish and a midas blenny, and I think my tank will be stocked for the 125-gallon. Here's the list so far: Currently in tank: -4" yellow tang -6" sailfin tang -4" hippo tang -3" yellow watchman goby To be added: -3 to 5 green chromis -2 true perculas -midas blenny -flame hawkfish -and maybe for my own guilty pleasure, a flame angel or small fairy wrasse. What do you guys think? Too much? Perfect? Once the sailfin and hippo get to adult sizes, I may ship one to a bigger tank or do as everyone else has done, and upgrade to a bigger tank. :-) -Ty

Yeah Hydro, Actually prodded it out today just to take a look at it and it was fat and happy. Just still shy. So, I'm assuming it is finding some macro or pods to eat in the meantime so I'll just give it time before putting it in with it's new friends. Thanks for the help.

Pm'ed

Dave, For some reason I remember someone saying that Tunze is located right by the Golfsmith off I-35 and Braker.

So far I'm on day 6 of my new blue hippo tang sitting in the sump, hiding under the macro, and not swimming out or eating. I don't want his death on my conscience so I'm about ready to take him back to the store. He doesn't look overly skinny or sickly, just the typical shyness and hiding under things all day long and not swimming around. I've been on a constant attack with different types of food to try to entice him to eat to no avail. Tried flakes, pellets, mysid, Formula 2, nori...with garlic...zoecon... nothing. May try live brine or bloodworms soaked with vitamins and garlic today as a last resort. It would help if he actually swam around so that I can feed him. He's in the dark roughly 20hrs a day. I figured it would help with the acclimation. I don't know if he's snacking away on the pods in the refugium (he's about 2-3" long) and just not hungry? I don't know if I should wait longer, as I've seen some people have them hide for up to 2 weeks before swimming around and being more comfortable. Either case, he won't be going in the main system until he shows me he can eat. But time is running out and I don't want him to be sickly before taking him back, because I believe that is a death sentence. LMK what your experience is and what course of action you think best. Thanks in advance for your input. -Ty

Hmmm, I was thinking something livestock-wise, as in the sailfin turning his tastes to nipping at LPS and clams, since the corals affected are the first to be snacked on when a fish turns to the darkside. But in this case, I'm thinking unlikely... I'm going to lead myself to the lack of water changes during the extended period between early February and until your recent water change. With the old system, I'm sure the sand played a significant part of your whole tank nutrient-reducing system (sump, filters, refuigum, live rock, sand). To say that your new sand has the same filtering capabilities as your old established sand would be a slightly reaching statement at best. And currently it has to deal with the entire livestock of the last system without having the time to build up the appropriate amount of bacteria yet, as your old system had the fortunate ability to adjust one piece of coral and one fish at a time. Add to that no water changes for a significant time span and I could see how that could be a possible explanation why some of your LPS and clams are not too happy. I understand LPS like dirtier water, but I think a lot of people, including myself, confuse dirty water with toxic water sometimes. I'd be curious about your results for nitrates, nitrites, phosphates, and ammonia. My 2 cents...

What kind of livestock do you have? Also, what other corals do you have specifically? Any hair algae growth?

I like my nano wavebox but I don't have any experience with the vortechs so I am greatly biased right now. The offer is still out there Tim if you want to borrow it for a few weeks to see how it'll work in your system. Like I said, the nano is plenty of water movement for my 125 gallon long so your 90 should be just perfect. -Ty

Fortunately both are still eating and coming out to eat. I'm more worried about the new addition hippo tang then the yellow and sailfin right now. They are fighting but the yellow is aggressive enough to not be scared off from getting some food, and nobody is getting hurt. The hippo is chicken #@!# and I'm afraid once introduced, he'll run and hide and starve to death. That's why I'm going to acclimate him to me feeding him before he goes into the main tank. -Ty BTW, sizes of the fishes below: yellow: 4" sailfin: 6" hippo: 3"

Yeah, some time of fan action is the easiest and not to mention cheapest alternative. You'll just have to make sure you have an auto top-off system running of some sort or you'll be filling the small tank daily with top off water.

I guess I'll see once the hippo is done with the quarantine and I put it in the tank, what happens after that. I figured the sailfin was the issue since the yellow tang runs at the sight of me, making me think he was a little skittish and was getting bullied. -Ty

Sold!

Hi ARC, I have an potential issue with stocking levels in my tank and wanted to get a general consensus. I'm new to fish but old to corals. So currently I have a 125-gallon, 6' long tank which I read is the minimum size tank for a Desjardini sailfin. I currently got two beautiful tangs from Hydro (aka Stephen) which never showed aggression towards each other in his large tank (200 gallons plus, sorry, I forget the size). Now, in my 125-gallon, the 6" sailfin is def showing aggression to the 4" yellow tang. The yellow comes out every once in awhile but usually doesn't stick around long as the sailfin will immediately come up and try to intimidate it. The yellow doesn't always run but to say they are friends, is over exaggerating. The yellow seems skittish anyways because he runs even when I approach the tank but the sailfin just ends up following me around, even swimming by my hand even as I move coral around. So, questions are: 1) Will they eventually seek a balance and stop being aggressive once they settle in (they are both new to the tank, about a week now)? 2) Will the addition of smaller fishes (clowns, wrasses, etc.) make both a little more easy in the tank and less focused on yellow versus sailfin? They are the only two fishes in there right now. My hypothesis is that since the sailfin is the larger of the two, and also the more dominant. He is projecting himself on the yellow in a new environment. And with only the yellow to focus on, it's his mission to let him and only him know who's boss in the tank. With other fish (non-competitive), he will be a little more distracted and realize the tank is to share. 2nd hypothesis is that the relationship worked in a larger tank because each got his own territory but in a 125-gallon, the size is stressing the sailfin tang and causing him to be even more territorial, knowing there is only so much room to be had and he needs to exert his dominance on what he can claim now, since there is such a scarcity. Additional variable being as I got my last tang addition and currently QT'ing him right now. It's a 3" hippo tang. True to their species, he's shy as all get out. That was going to be my tang population in that tank but the more I look at it, the more I'm concerned it will not work out. I would like all to be one big happy family but I'm thinking the sailfin may have to move on to a bigger tank and I'll let the yellow tang and hippo tang play with each other since they are the same size. Would I be crazy to try to introduce the hippo to the group in about 2 weeks? Or just go ahead and let the sailfin go to a bigger tank with someone else and have the yellow and hippo make friends? Thanks for all your advice. -Ty

Man, you have an awesome tank. Thanks for the frags. Everyone, Tim is a great guy to buy from. I'd do it again anyday. -Ty

+1 on the reef octopus. Good bang for your buck.

Hi all, Figured to keep the natural route and if I can grow some algae that I can feed to my tangs, why not. I am looking for some macro that I can place in the sump and trim every once in awhile to feed my tangs. If you have some, I would like to buy some off of you. Thanks! -Ty

Selling two 250watt 14k Plusrite bulbs (SE) for $30 total. I bought them, ran them for a week, and then had the 20k's ordered to replace them. I like a really blue tank and the 20k's gave me that look. The 14k's are about perfect for someone with actinic supplementation, they are perfectly white, with a hint of blue, and bright as can be. Again, both for $30, I basically saved you some shipping money in exchange for looking at them for a week. Thanks. -Ty P.S. I would be open to interesting SPS or LPS for trade. No softies as I am chock full of them. Thanks.

Yes VWmike, these are the single ended moguls.

I have the 20k Plusrite's in my system and they are perfect for me. They have that nice blueish tint I was looking for and not too bright. I bought the 14k's first and they were spectacularly white with a hint of blue, but I wanted even more blue so I got the 20k's to replace them. Anybody interested in 1-week old Plusrite 14k's? I'll eat shipping for you and unload at the price I got them for minus shipping. $30 even for two 14k Plusrite

Hi ARC brain trust, So, to UV or not to UV? I'm leaning towards UV and have been curious as to what equipment people are using in particular before I make my purchase. Currently Aqua UV is winning the race but if I can get comparable value in a cheaper price, well, then I'd rather go that route. Thanks all for your input! -Ty