Eeeee! New Tank

[lljdma06]

Sorry, was not on, and when I was, was doing planted stuff.

Just lost my post that i just spent ages writing! Tbh I cant be bothered writing it again.

I hate it when that happens.

So short version... went to our suppliers today and was like a kid in a sweetshop.

Got lots of goodies on the system, very tempted by a forgeous wetmorella spp i have got...

But for my tank I have added today:

1:2 Sailfin Blennies ("Emblemaria pandionis" i think!)
1 x rock of Yellow Polyps
1 x Sun Coral (well... will be added tomorrow, i acclimatised it to system so i could have easier access until it fed well... but it opened and ate a huge meal within 3 minutes LOL)
1 x Gorgonia (Red stem with golden polyps) a species of Muricea i think.

Will see how it all goes i suppose!

I had to freshwater dip the Gorgonia so now it hates me, but it was heaving in creepy crawlies and had so many brittle star type things that i couldnt believe it was possible to open!

I also expected the Sailfin Blennies to go right into hiding for a day of two but they sat where they landed, moved a little but were so fascinated by me running back and forth past the tank that they just sat, all thre in a row at the bottom facing the front glass, watching me! When i got close, i got what is effectively 'the finger' from their fins but they didnt move! They seem pretty happy! Clowns werent interested, especially as i offered them food and then they havent noticed the blennies!

Picture! Pictures! Pictures! Besides, I want to see the gorg and the sun coral and the blennies. I shall live vicarious through you because you have sailfin blennies.

L

 

[MBOU]

Did a 25% waterchange today, was really grim!

Had fed heavily for the sun coral! It looks out of place in the tank ehhhh? It's not fair! Maybe it's OCD kicking in but it's too bright and not even! I dunno... We'll see!! People keep asking to buy my gorgonian! I loves it!!

Have such a Migrane, don't know why I'm here! Ouchies! If you want the epic Photos, you'll have to beg nicely!!

 

[lljdma06]

Did a 25% waterchange today, was really grim!

Why grim, I love doing water changes.

Had fed heavily for the sun coral! It looks out of place in the tank ehhhh? It's not fair! Maybe it's OCD kicking in but it's too bright and not even! I dunno... We'll see!! People keep asking to buy my gorgonian! I loves it!!

No, that's a misconception (sp) that tubatraea don't do well in bright light. According to Borneman's coral book they can be found in low light and high light locations. It's the flow that's more important and also that they are fed. They need to be in an area of the tank with high flow. You'll be ok. They are stunning corals.

Have such a Migrane, don't know why I'm here! Ouchies! If you want the epic Photos, you'll have to beg nicely!!

I get migraines too. Poor MBOU. I beg nicely.

 

[MBOU]

Picture fest!! Yaaay!!

I just lost my really long post and cant be bothered to write it again! lol

Everyting has changed yet again since I took these photos because i added the new corals,the new fish and later on I have since added my Pistol Shrimp and Goby who have most kindly decided to redecorate everything again themselves! The Pistol is awesome, made a tunnel right down the side between the pipe tunnel I made (that he has filled in!) and the glass so he is on full view!

So will have to take more photos tomorrow! LOL

But here we go!

Full tank shot (the white stone under the barnacle has come out and the sun coral is in the cave!)

Side Shot (Gorgonia! play spot the sailfin blenny!)

See him now!?

Sun Coral 5 minutes after being acclimatised onto the system.

Yellow Polyps

Sexy White Zoas

 

[lljdma06]

I shall return the compliment you gave me a while ago. Those are some sexy corals.

I like the gorgonian. Lovely yellow polyps.

 

[Man of fish]

That tank looks fantastic!

 

[simonas]

wow Im glad you commented on my thread now as you made me look at this journal.

At first I thought your scaping looked rubbish but then as the corals are added it looks absolutely fabulous and I hope mine gets somewhere near yours.

 

[MBOU]

Hah I thought it looked rubbish too!! Lol but I knew I was putting a pistol shrimp and goby in there and none of my rock is fixed as I knew I'd want to move it. I knew shrimp would play havoc but it is determined to move the entire lot of liverock I think!!!!

When everything is settled and I know more about personalities, I will rearrange rock around it's inhabitants lol!

I intend to have loads of corals, got a load of Jasmine polyps waiting to be fixed to something and the White zoas are amazing, spreading already!

I also added a gramma today couldn't resist... It just..... Kept looking at me and saying "I want a nicer home please" and I couldn't just say no!

 

[lljdma06]

Hah I thought it looked rubbish too!! Lol but I knew I was putting a pistol shrimp and goby in there and none of my rock is fixed as I knew I'd want to move it. I knew shrimp would play havoc but it is determined to move the entire lot of liverock I think!!!!

When everything is settled and I know more about personalities, I will rearrange rock around it's inhabitants lol!

I intend to have loads of corals, got a load of Jasmine polyps waiting to be fixed to something and the White zoas are amazing, spreading already!

I also added a gramma today couldn't resist... It just..... Kept looking at me and saying "I want a nicer home please" and I couldn't just say no!

Are you deliberately copying my stocking? Grammas are neat. Mine is ALWAYS out. Very active and will eat anything, even pellets. Good fish. Exactly what I wanted for my 8g. So glad I opted for one instead of a dottyback. Same intensity in color, good personality, like 1/4 the price.

L

 

[MBOU]

Haha, no, i love grammas and i happened to have two on the system and i got sick of a tank with no obvious fish until the clowns are back in.

And i say clowns back in... 1 of them, the female i think, died a few days ago, the male is fat and feeding and looking good but cant shake the black spot that made me take them out. He has been treated several times and i dare not treat again...

Its a good job the clowns are daft, i put food in a net and in the tank and they swam into the net LOL.

Bloomin shrimp has been wrecking the tank today something serious! He keeps burying my sun coral am going to make a little 'seat' for the sun coral, raising it slightly, though im sure the shrimp will only knock it off.

Gramma has settled in just great, i ended up opening tank and feeding 4 times today or started to then got distracted so the gramma obviously associated me with food because when someone walks past, he dives for cover, when i walk past with my blue tshirt, he shoots straight to the front of the glass and frantically swims back and forth until i give him food LOL.

 

[Donya]

Bloomin shrimp has been wrecking the tank today something serious! He keeps burying my sun coral am going to make a little 'seat' for the sun coral, raising it slightly, though im sure the shrimp will only knock it off.

The safest thing to do would be to glue it to a rock big enough that it can't be tossed around by inverts. If the coral keeps getting smashed into the sand and/or buried, you're running the risk of it getting tissue damage, which in turn risks infection. Taking a tumble from an elevated location poses the same problem.

 

[MBOU]

Indeed...

I cant glue it to any particularly large rock as it wouldnt fit in the cave. It seems reasonably happy as it is at the moment and I will look at it tomorrow when i shift over the shrimps hidey tube as the rock is now resting on it lol.

Finally got the sun right where its happy though if i have to choose between the two, as much as the sun coral being part of the aim when i set up the tank... i prefer the shrimp and goby now LOL

Actually... thinking about it, i have the perfect bit of rock for it to fit on!! and it will mean i can tip it forwards a big so i can see the coral, not the rock under it.

 

[lljdma06]

Sun corals don't need a cave. They can be kept in direct light. Flow is more important. Keep it in a spot where it gets good flow and you can access it easily for feeding.

 

[MBOU]

Aparently this one does! He wont open or feed when he is directly under the lights! it isnt a full cave its in, more like an overhang as its still near the front...

But nope, it has none of it!

To feed it i have to:

-turn all tank light on in the morning so everything else wakes up
-after about 10 minutes i will add rotifers to the tank
-turn the compact t5s off and leave the dull LEDs on
-wait 5 minutes and then target feed the suncoral
-5 minutes later turn the main lights back on and the coral will stay completely open for a few hours and then reduce slightly to a still open but not quite so big state for another hour or two and then close


Only way this coral opens and feeds!

 

[lljdma06]

Aparently this one does! He wont open or feed when he is directly under the lights! it isnt a full cave its in, more like an overhang as its still near the front...

But nope, it has none of it!

To feed it i have to:

-turn all tank light on in the morning so everything else wakes up
-after about 10 minutes i will add rotifers to the tank
-turn the compact t5s off and leave the dull LEDs on
-wait 5 minutes and then target feed the suncoral
-5 minutes later turn the main lights back on and the coral will stay completely open for a few hours and then reduce slightly to a still open but not quite so big state for another hour or two and then close


Only way this coral opens and feeds!

He didn't get the memo. Or mine didn't get the memo. Could be that training them hasn't caught on in the UK yet. In the US they train them all the time. Usually they arrive in LFS in terrible condition. Not fed very skinny, so when a good LFS gets them, they are so hungry that with patience they can be trained to feed while lights are on, especially if it's a good lfs.

My steps...

-put some cyclops ease into the water
-wait an hour for them to open
-turn off the filtration, target feed with mysis or whatever
-turn the filter back on

L