Dawn On The Reef

[BigC]

Just got back from another inspirational holiday in Queensland Australia. GBR is awesome. Got back after one month to find my tank stats had not changed one iota. Only the macro algae had taken over and needed to be cut back. I've purchased a few pieces of equipment relating to the under tank sump. So thats ongoing and I will upload pictures as things progress. The biggest addition to the tank of late are a pair of False Clownfish ( Amphiprion ocellaris). I have just acclimatised them this afternoon using the drip feed method over one hour, Although the tank is still devoid of corals etc. they seem to have settled in nicely. I guess they are begging to be fed but I'm putting that off until tomorrow. I have been advised by my LFS that they are feeding happily on frozen brineshrimp. Now as you all well know I'm not happy with feeding just one type of food to a particular species of fish. As this is my first venture into marines I would appreciate some personal information on feeding this species from actual clownfish owners. Again I will upload pictures of the new additions later.
Nice to be back home and scanning the forum again.
Regards
BigC

 

[littleme1969]

Just got back from another inspirational holiday in Queensland Australia. GBR is awesome. Got back after one month to find my tank stats had not changed one iota. Only the macro algae had taken over and needed to be cut back. I've purchased a few pieces of equipment relating to the under tank sump. So thats ongoing and I will upload pictures as things progress. The biggest addition to the tank of late are a pair of False Clownfish ( Amphiprion ocellaris). I have just acclimatised them this afternoon using the drip feed method over one hour, Although the tank is still devoid of corals etc. they seem to have settled in nicely. I guess they are begging to be fed but I'm putting that off until tomorrow. I have been advised by my LFS that they are feeding happily on frozen brineshrimp. Now as you all well know I'm not happy with feeding just one type of food to a particular species of fish. As this is my first venture into marines I would appreciate some personal information on feeding this species from actual clownfish owners. Again I will upload pictures of the new additions later.
Nice to be back home and scanning the forum again.
Regards
BigC

YAY your back!!
Hope you a good a break and took lots of pics for us all
Your coral frags are here waiting for you, plus a large tube feather duster worm let me know when you are ready for them.

Clowns..
Ive found that some are pickier than others. My common clown will only eat brine shrimp and dried flake despite what you throw in for him, while his tank mate the black and white will eat anythinng, hes a bit of a dustbin..lol
Just throw in what you have and im sure they will pick out what they fancy. They do go bonkers for live brine shrimp!

 

[BigC]

Thanks LM,
Get back to you over the weekend regarding Corals, delivery etc.
Thanks also for the clownfish info. I fed some frozen brineshrimp (Gamma brand) using some tweezers this morning and whilst they did go ape for it initially, after a short while they seemed disinterested. Maybe they like their feedings little and often rather than a daily dumping. I tell you what though soon as I started feeding the whole tank came alive for some reason the hermits went bananas clambering and falling off rockwork to get a morsel. The Nass snails which I thought I'd lost came out from the gravel and went on a hunting spree. What a sight it was, amazing... I'm going to the LFS this morning after my hospital appointment to get some Spirulina flake based food. See if they go for that. Thanks again..
Regards
BigC

 

[SkiFletch]

W/B BigC, great to have you with us again . Although I'm totally jealous of your vacation

 

[BigC]

W/B BigC, great to have you with us again

Your gonna wish you hadn't said that Ski. wait till the PM's start a rollin your way. As for the holiday I'm going back in 3 years time (god willing) and I'm gonna hire a huge motor home. Why return to base each night when you can stay on the road.
Regards
BigC
PS I wish these darn clowns would remain in one place so I can take a picture.......

 

[nanoreef11]

Hey Big C I typically feed my clowns flake food and biopure frozen brine shrimp but now I am feeding biopure frozen daphnia just to try it out. The clowns love the brine shrimp a whole lot more. Everyday when I feed my tank my blood red fire shrimp comes out and all the nassarius snails wake up.

This flake food contains both garlic and spirulina.

 

[BigC]

Everyday when I feed my tank my blood red fire shrimp comes out and all the nassarius snails wake up.

Yeah I copy that about the Nassarius snails nanoreef, I thought I'd lost mine, every feeding time (twice daily) the whole tank inhabitants go into manic mode all the crabs head straight for the sand bed by the quckest means possible, even if that involves falling from the top of the rockwork. Amazing sight.
I feed my clowns dry flake with spirulina and frozen Gamma brineshrimp. They are both around 45mm from snout to caudal peduncle but the will only take small foods. They will not take whole brineshrimp prefering instead to eat the pieces. The same with the flake I have to literally crumble it between my fingers inorder for them to eat it. They are both healthy, Deporting well and fins are errect. Maybe I'm used to feeding fish well and like to see a bulge in their belly then I know they have had a good feed. Clown seem to be different, at least mine are.
Regards
BigC

 

[littleme1969]

I think it depends on the fish Big C also if they are reef caught or tank bred. The tank bred ones will know what its all about and tend to be far less fussy, while the wild caught ones will still be learning that dinner gets thrown in and you take what is offered or starve! My first pair of clowns wouldnt eat for anything. It took me 2 weeks, one had already died just after being added to the tank, to get the remaining clown to eat and the only thing that tempted him in the end was baby brine shrimp. Once hestarted to eat that I added other stuff and within a monh he was eating everything. The garlic thing had no effect what so ever..lol He eventually died after about 3 months to white spot/clown fish desease.
The second lot where a different story, ate within hours of going into the tank with no problem, but I since lost one of them to a bullying tomato clown. I bought a black and white one for company for the orange dood and he arived totally starving. Never seen a fish eat so much , and he will eat anything He looks a bit like herman munster and nothing like a clown fish..lol
Ive read on here time and time again that some eat straight away and so talk weeks. Some are picky and some will eat anything.. so you just have to go with your own fish. Try new foods you never know, one of mine liked frozen daphnia while the oter fish wouldnt touch it at all. Brine shrimp seems to be something that 90% of fish will eat. Wven my Tang loves the stuff.

Lets see some pics anyhow!!

 

[BigC]

Wven my Tang loves the stuff.

Lets see some pics anyhow!!

Oh no LM, you've started to give your fish names. I worry about people who name their fish. The only time I did it was with a red bellied piranha, I named it after the mother in law, because she had, shall we say a right set of nashers. I even pinned the name to the tank so when she came round she saw how I liked her name so much that I was even called my fish after her. Needless to say it upset her so much that she stopped comming round....Great Result.
Anyway thanks for the clown info. I'm not duly worried as they appear healthy specimens. The only concern I had was that seeing that marine fish have to exert a great deal of energy staying in one spot with all that flow within the aquarium, that they may be using up energy supplies and need a great deal more food to sustain these levels.
As for pics, tried that, they wont stay still long enough hence small crappy video below.




Regards
BigC

 

[littleme1969]

Oh no LM, you've started to give your fish names. I worry about people who name their fish.


PMSL.. sorry had to laugh that was a typo.. it should have read Even my Tang..lol

But I have named my black clown Herman!! LOL

Your little dudes look fit and healthy, I wouldnt worry about them
At least you aint got a tank full of white spot

 

[BigC]

Wven the Tang sounded better LM, some sorta Welsh connection.
Anyway thanks guys for the Clown info.I was looking at maybe getting a BTA and letting it wonder around the tank and find its spot before really getting into the coral side of things. Its a tossup between a BTA and a Torch coral, (for the clowns) I know the whys and wherefores about owning anemone's but what do you guys think. Torch or BTA.
Regards
BigC

 

[SkiFletch]

Have you gotten a handle on measuring and keeping your water chemistry and temp stable? If so, a BTA might not be a bad choice

 

[littleme1969]

Would be an interesting experiment if you got the BTA. I was going to get one for my pair at some point, just wanted the tank to settle a little longer. I understand you need excellent water chemistry and good lighting to keep them though, so may sit back and watch you from afar..lol

 

[@ombomb]

Its a tossup between a BTA and a Torch coral, (for the clowns) I know the whys and wherefores about owning anemone's but what do you guys think. Torch or BTA.

I think a BTA is a very bad idea, your tank isn't really big enough or mature enough and it's completely superfluous to your clowns' needs. A better idea is the torch coral, but I'd say it was a bit soon even for one of those, as they're pretty sensitive corals for a LPS. Start simple and work up to it is my advice, the clowns will happily host a mushroom / toadstool / piece of rock / power head, while it may look better with a nem or a torch, it doesn't mean it's the best idea.

 

[littleme1969]

Having just read this article Ive changed my mind. Looks like its Xenia for my boys..lol
ClownFish Anenome