Ok so I guess I owe you guys a rather large update? Where do I begin? Ok my gran lost her second husband last summer and was very down (not that I liked the guy), but it wasnt about me. So me and my mum decided to take two weeks off and go over to be with her. This left my tank to be looked after by my dad. Heres were the problems start. I left plenty of food, did a water change before I went (10g). Told him that the lights needed to be on for only 8 hours a day, and to feed the fish only twice a day. Pretty easy to follow yes? After the two weeks was up arrived home to find he had almost used a full tub of flake, a tub normally lasts me about 2-3 months, there was hair algae like no tomorrow and worst of all the fish looked like they had not been fed. Every one of them was concaved. As It was late when I arrived home there was nothing I could do until the next day. Then next day arrived and went from bad to worse, the Yellow Tang had died during the night and the Regal was on her last legs. All in all within three days of been home I had lost everything other than my Humbug damsel and Cleaner Wrasse. If it wasnt for the Wrasse I would have given up as a couple of you know. I knew the clean-up and recovery would be a long road ahead, but with a Cleaner Wrasse that takes flake and has been through hell what can you do. No way am I getting rid of Doc. For the next few months up until the New Year nothing really changed had just the two fish and three surviving corals (two leathers and a waving hand).
New Year past and I was slowly winning the hair algae war. With help from an Electric Blue Hermit and a Tuxedo Urchin. But the battle raged on.
So around may time I added reinforcements in the form of a HOB refugium. I decided that Miracle Mud with be the substrate, and would be the home to a two Red Mangroves, Chaetomorpha sp and Caulerpa racemosa. With now, the battle is all but entirely won.
Tank additions included a Conch, Bluethroat trigger that was very timid, an Ornate Leopard Wrasse and all was fine until I then made another mistake (really I suppose I have been extremely luck in the three years I have had the tank!)
I bought a Labouti Wrasse. I didnt QT, I know shoot me! Within a week of adding the Wrasse. Whit spot attacks. Grrrrrr. UV time! The Wrasse died as did the Trigger, but without treating the UV did its job. All other fish were fine and recovered. Then added a Royal Gramm, another Yellow tang and yet another Bluethroat Trigger. Again all was well until my arm was twisted and I got 4 Lyretail Anthias. Within two weeks again white spot attacks. This time I ran out and got myself a 60l QT tank and a load of Chloroquine tablets. I have lost the Anthias and the Trigger. The tank will be left to run sterile for 6 weeks while the fish are treated. So far Im 2 weeks into treatment. All is looking good!
Last Friday my T5 light unit had decided enough was enough and packed in on me. Which forced me into a light upgrade that was planned for Christmas time, come a little early. So I am the proud owner or EcoTech Marines Radion XR30W and will be adding another unit to the tank in the next couple of months.