Donya's 55-Gallon

[Donya]

New toy

Yes, I have been doing it all with a swing arm until now. Finally saw the light when I went to get my salt mix (which has been perfect to date as far as giving the same sg each time) and couldn't find it anywhere. Actually, that was a few weeks ago...had to store some old known-sg mix for calibration to use the new bag, since my refractometer was off trecking around the country for ages. Somehow the shipping label got messed up and lost my city and state info. After going through so many states to get to me, I'm glad it arrived in one piece!

 

[woody88]

New toy

Yes, I have been doing it all with a swing arm until now. Finally saw the light when I went to get my salt mix (which has been perfect to date as far as giving the same sg each time) and couldn't find it anywhere. Actually, that was a few weeks ago...had to store some old known-sg mix for calibration to use the new bag, since my refractometer was off trecking around the country for ages. Somehow the shipping label got messed up and lost my city and state info. After going through so many states to get to me, I'm glad it arrived in one piece!

I'm glad you've got yours! I ordered mine nearly 2 weeks ago and I'm still waiting! That's what you get when you order from hong kong I guess.
Anyway looks like your making good progress. Will keep an eye on this one!

 

[Donya]

Dardanus hermits are on a short hold for the moment since there is a particular LFS I want to get them from and it will be a bit before they can get some. Instead, the same LFS had two immature tank-bred maroons from a state over. Seeing as how my husband was there too and he does the opposite of curbing fishy spending, you can probably guess what's in my tank now.

Now, given that these are maroons, I did not just plop them out of the bag into the tank together and walk out of the room assuming it would be all rainbows and butterflies of happiness. I know the species is tricky to work with and the introduction is going slowly because of that. I also have my 20gal as a backup temporary location if it ever looks to be heading south. With watchful and carefully controlled introduction so far, the dominance heirarchy appears to have been sorted with zero damage to either fish - which is one step in the right direction. Of course, I'm not about to leave them to it while I walk out of the room just yet, but I'm optimistic that unruly animal behavior will not outwit me (it won't be the first set of evil fish I've had to work with). I'll post more details on the progress later.

On another note, the mantis rock produced a baby Mithraculus forceps late last night. It's now sitting in a covered tub, since I have no ideal tank for it currently. Given that, it'll be interesting to see if I'm able to hold to my goal of not putting up any new tanks beyond the mantis's. If I can grow the crab bigger I would love to have it in the 55gal, but where to grow it bigger is a small issue despite the number of sw tanks I have...
- 20gal: would do the eating if it molted a couple times
- 3gal mantis tank: definitely would be eaten
- 1.5gal hermit tank: probably eaten, since that big female hermit from my other tank journal is a meanie
- Tub with big hermits: high probability of being squashed by accident and probably too cold to grow fast
- Tub with Euterpean green crab: would be eaten immediately
- 1gal native hermit bowl: maybe not eaten, but probably savaged immediately
- Horse conch bowl: feels iffy since I don't know the full dietary range of the snail.

Also despite being on the salty side for 5 or so years now using only a swing arm (I was sure I was going to get some harsh words for that ), the refractometer told me my readings were all bang-on, so all is good in that department.

That's what you get when you order from hong kong I guess.

I wish your refractometer good luck in its lengthy travels. I've had some awful luck with packages lately and really expected mine to arrive as a pile of rubble!

 

[woody88]

Dardanus hermits are on a short hold for the moment since there is a particular LFS I want to get them from and it will be a bit before they can get some. Instead, the same LFS had two immature tank-bred maroons from a state over. Seeing as how my husband was there too and he does the opposite of curbing fishy spending, you can probably guess what's in my tank now.

Now, given that these are maroons, I did not just plop them out of the bag into the tank together and walk out of the room assuming it would be all rainbows and butterflies of happiness. I know the species is tricky to work with and the introduction is going slowly because of that. I also have my 20gal as a backup temporary location if it ever looks to be heading south. With watchful and carefully controlled introduction so far, the dominance heirarchy appears to have been sorted with zero damage to either fish - which is one step in the right direction. Of course, I'm not about to leave them to it while I walk out of the room just yet, but I'm optimistic that unruly animal behavior will not outwit me (it won't be the first set of evil fish I've had to work with). I'll post more details on the progress later.

On another note, the mantis rock produced a baby Mithraculus forceps late last night. It's now sitting in a covered tub, since I have no ideal tank for it currently. Given that, it'll be interesting to see if I'm able to hold to my goal of not putting up any new tanks beyond the mantis's. If I can grow the crab bigger I would love to have it in the 55gal, but where to grow it bigger is a small issue despite the number of sw tanks I have...
- 20gal: would do the eating if it molted a couple times
- 3gal mantis tank: definitely would be eaten
- 1.5gal hermit tank: probably eaten, since that big female hermit from my other tank journal is a meanie
- Tub with big hermits: high probability of being squashed by accident and probably too cold to grow fast
- Tub with Euterpean green crab: would be eaten immediately
- 1gal native hermit bowl: maybe not eaten, but probably savaged immediately
- Horse conch bowl: feels iffy since I don't know the full dietary range of the snail.

Also despite being on the salty side for 5 or so years now using only a swing arm (I was sure I was going to get some harsh words for that ), the refractometer told me my readings were all bang-on, so all is good in that department.

That's what you get when you order from hong kong I guess.

I wish your refractometer good luck in its lengthy travels. I've had some awful luck with packages lately and really expected mine to arrive as a pile of rubble!

 

[woody88]

Thanks donya. I ordered the refractometer from fleebay and I too have had bad packages in the past but luckily mine arrived yesterday. Not a bad bit if kit to be honest but it ain't as posh as yours. Yours looks lab grade compared to mine, but it seems to be working...........might not be accurate, but it works! Lol

 

[woody88]

Thanks donya. I ordered the refractometer from fleebay and I too have had bad packages in the past but luckily mine arrived yesterday. Not a bad bit if kit to be honest but it ain't as posh as yours. Yours looks lab grade compared to mine, but it seems to be working...........might not be accurate, but it works! Lol

Yours even came in a posh box. Mine came in what can only be described as a Childs pencil case with a cotton tag on it explaining how to calibrate it. Obviously some Chinese guy knocked it up on his lunch hour lol

 

[Donya]

Aaaaand success, at least for now: the maroons don't seem to need to be totally separated anymore to coexist peacefully. If you click on the pic below (it's a link) it should go to a video.



You can just see the outline of the 2nd clown in the net at one point - which he can easily leave. He just wouldn't come out when the camera was around.

The evening of the 11th was actually the first day in the tank and out of the bags. It looked like it would take a bad turn then, since it was war at first sight, so I grabbed the smaller one and put it in a breeder net overnight. When the one first went in the net, they were still trying to have at each other through the mesh! However, I didn't want to remove either one to another tank right away since I wanted to make sure they got used to smelling another clown in the tank. On the evening of the 12th (yesterday), I let the isolated one out again for a while and that's when the dominance heirarchy got established. I put it back in the net overnight for safety since both were still upset and wanting to be at opposite ends of the tank. Overnight, the larger one decided it wanted to hang out by the net peacefully, which was a distinct change in behavior from the previous two days (first war and then wanting to be as far apart as possible). So, I dropped the net down again in the morning to allow the smaller one out. They've gone for most of today with nothing strictly dividing them. I left the net in the tank for the added security of the one that's been isolated, but as you can see from the video there's nothing forcing him to remain. He seems to like sitting in the net, so I'll leave it until he adopts some other resting place.

Yours even came in a posh box. Mine came in what can only be described as a Childs pencil case with a cotton tag on it explaining how to calibrate it. Obviously some Chinese guy knocked it up on his lunch hour lol

Hey, don't knock Chinese refractometers - that's where mine's from too! It's a RHS-10ATC. The invoice in the box said it was a Shenzhen refractometer, but there's actually no company name inside the case or on the instructions.

 

[woody88]

Aaaaand success, at least for now: the maroons don't seem to need to be totally separated anymore to coexist peacefully. If you click on the pic below (it's a link) it should go to a video.



You can just see the outline of the 2nd clown in the net at one point - which he can easily leave. He just wouldn't come out when the camera was around.

The evening of the 11th was actually the first day in the tank and out of the bags. It looked like it would take a bad turn then, since it was war at first sight, so I grabbed the smaller one and put it in a breeder net overnight. When the one first went in the net, they were still trying to have at each other through the mesh! However, I didn't want to remove either one to another tank right away since I wanted to make sure they got used to smelling another clown in the tank. On the evening of the 12th (yesterday), I let the isolated one out again for a while and that's when the dominance heirarchy got established. I put it back in the net overnight for safety since both were still upset and wanting to be at opposite ends of the tank. Overnight, the larger one decided it wanted to hang out by the net peacefully, which was a distinct change in behavior from the previous two days (first war and then wanting to be as far apart as possible). So, I dropped the net down again in the morning to allow the smaller one out. They've gone for most of today with nothing strictly dividing them. I left the net in the tank for the added security of the one that's been isolated, but as you can see from the video there's nothing forcing him to remain. He seems to like sitting in the net, so I'll leave it until he adopts some other resting place.

Yours even came in a posh box. Mine came in what can only be described as a Childs pencil case with a cotton tag on it explaining how to calibrate it. Obviously some Chinese guy knocked it up on his lunch hour lol

Hey, don't knock Chinese refractometers - that's where mine's from too! It's a RHS-10ATC. The invoice in the box said it was a Shenzhen refractometer, but there's actually no company name inside the case or on the instructions.

Mine did'nt even have a model number! Obviously the guy that made yours had the WHOLE day off to make it! lol

But who cares so long as they work right!

Will check out your vid too!

 

[Donya]

AGH - woody, I must apologize. My husband just got on the computer and unfriended you somehow in the process of trying to see where you're from (he's originally from the UK and is often curious about others accross the pond). I don't know how he accomplished that, but it's not letting me fix it straight away I'll try again in a few minutes.

 

[woody88]

AGH - woody, I must apologize. My husband just got on the computer and unfriended you somehow in the process of trying to see where you're from (he's originally from the UK and is often curious about others accross the pond). I don't know how he accomplished that, but it's not letting me fix it straight away I'll try again in a few minutes.

What a world we live in! I befriend one of our allied Americans but a fellow Brit unfriends me! That's it I'm moving to the states! USA,USA!......what are your lfs like! Lol

Having probs running your vid. Will try again later. Looking good though!

 

[woody88]

AGH - woody, I must apologize. My husband just got on the computer and unfriended you somehow in the process of trying to see where you're from (he's originally from the UK and is often curious about others accross the pond). I don't know how he accomplished that, but it's not letting me fix it straight away I'll try again in a few minutes.

What a world we live in! I befriend one of our allied Americans but a fellow Brit unfriends me! That's it I'm moving to the states! USA,USA!......what are your lfs like! Lol

Having probs running your vid. Will try again later. Looking good though!

OK. Your vid works!. It was me being a dick!

 

[seffieuk]

How are the clowns today Donya?

Seffie x

 

[Donya]

How are the clowns today Donya?

Seffie x

They are doing wonderfully. So well in fact that the breeder net is out now, since there is clearly no need for it at this point. Last night when lights were being turned off, the smaller one decided it was time for bed and tucked into the same spot as the larger one. No funny business or threats, just two happy clowns within the same little hole in the rock. Today they're still in roughly the same area, with both of them cleaning junk off of the rocks that form the hole they've selected. Unfortunately though, the spot chosen shows that they would rather bother one of my freebee NPS polyp colonies than give any consideration to the hairy shrooms I optimistically added . I guess I need to find some better hosting options for them, since I can't imagine that periodically being bopped by a big fish body is doing that patch of coral any good. Certainly makes it a bit of a trick for me to get food to the polyps on that side of the rock.

 

[Donya]

Photo + video at feeding time today

Clikable video:


FTS:

The plastic thing on the side is a slightly modified breeder box to hold that super small baby Mithrax from the mantis tank until it grows a bit. After bothering so much about which tank I could put it in safely, I had to smack my forhead and have a bit of a "DOH!" moment given that I had just been messing with breeder nets in the very same tank for the last few days.

Speaking of the mantis tank, I may as well stick in a pic update on it and its lovely Rhodactis sanctithomae, since that tank did spawn off of the 55...

 

[sorgan]

LOL thats one hell of an aip you have on that rock! i suppose the mantis wont mind to much
really juicy bit of liverock that, all sorts of stuff on it. halimeda, sponges, that odd red bamboo algae (i think its a breed of caulerpa) and OFC that lovely nem