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Finally getting somewhere
- Thread starter mvallee
- Start date
OP
OP
mvallee
Non-member
One more success, I am sure normal fare for most of you but i put a tiger pistol shrimp in the tank about 4 weeks ago for my watchman but as I was dropping him close to the goby he squirted out right at the power head, quickly shut off the power head and he swam right into my biggest rock pile, I had no idea if it was ok and 4 weeks later they have found each other and formed a partnership. the Goby is already very protective of it too, one of the wrasses got a little close and was promptly chased away
Docstach
Non-member
Agreed! Great Pic.
OP
OP
mvallee
Non-member
Added a few more fish, my favorite so far and hopefully stays reef safe male Blue Throat Trigger from Divers Den. he is out of QT one day and loves the rockwork and big tank. He keeps shooting the arch kinda funny how he gets a running start and swims through, seems quite happy. added a new flasher wrasse and a Pygmy hawk but they did not make the video, hopefully I can get the camera out for an update tomorrow. Currently have 3 Lyretail hawks and a midas blenny in QT waiting for their introduction to the big tank 
[video=youtube_share;IGKegzrvzgQ]http://youtu.be/IGKegzrvzgQ[/video]
[video=youtube_share;IGKegzrvzgQ]http://youtu.be/IGKegzrvzgQ[/video]
OP
OP
mvallee
Non-member
Time for an update on the build, reefbreeder Photon LED is up, things are coming together though I am still trying to figure out the best lighting intensities, I cooked some zoas with the lights so have to take things slow.
Here is the full shot, Right side of the tank is pretty much done with torches hammers, mushrooms, toadstools and some new frags of Duncan and elegance. The arch is the last piece to populate and can't figure out what I want on it.
here are some of the new frags
Moved the symphyllia Brains to a new spot and if puffy is an indication of happiness then I would say they like it
One of the new Red Hawks hanging in the hammer
Other pieces including the RBTA that is getting huge and really colorful and the foxface hanging in the devils hand
and RIP my little fire fish he made the leap of his life right out of the tank while I was doing some work on the tank, I did not notice him right away and my dog Ben (profile Pic) was nosing something I thought it was a leaf but it was this little guy and I swear he was pushing him towards me, anyways he survived but next day he died.
Here is the full shot, Right side of the tank is pretty much done with torches hammers, mushrooms, toadstools and some new frags of Duncan and elegance. The arch is the last piece to populate and can't figure out what I want on it.
here are some of the new frags
Moved the symphyllia Brains to a new spot and if puffy is an indication of happiness then I would say they like it
One of the new Red Hawks hanging in the hammer
Other pieces including the RBTA that is getting huge and really colorful and the foxface hanging in the devils hand
and RIP my little fire fish he made the leap of his life right out of the tank while I was doing some work on the tank, I did not notice him right away and my dog Ben (profile Pic) was nosing something I thought it was a leaf but it was this little guy and I swear he was pushing him towards me, anyways he survived but next day he died.
Wow! looking good... Save some of those pictures too.
Little more growth over time... can wait to see this tank in a couple of years.
Little more growth over time... can wait to see this tank in a couple of years.
jamesdong009
Anthony
I love all the pics in this thread. Keep up the great work!
OP
OP
mvallee
Non-member
Got another new addition that I am quite excited about, REALLY wanted to add a dogface or golden puffer because of their personalities but too great of a chance that I would wake up one morning to find my tank and all my corals decimated. I ended up going with an African Coronata Saddle Puffer, very cool little dude, already eating and super inquisitive, he was watching my dogs playing in front of the tank this morning. Really hoping he works out!
He is in an isolated tank right now got him from divers den and seems quite healthy so I expect no issues. colors are pretty cool almost a chocolate saddle and lots of blue iridescent markings.
wish us luck
He is in an isolated tank right now got him from divers den and seems quite healthy so I expect no issues. colors are pretty cool almost a chocolate saddle and lots of blue iridescent markings.
wish us luck
OP
OP
mvallee
Non-member
Well I was feeling pretty good about my tank until I went through this rebuild thread, I have lost some really nice pieces of coral and a few really nice fish along the way 
I hope I have stabilized my tank and husbandry so I keep what I add from this point onward.
Here is where I am today, I added some fish from my QT to the DT after a rearrange of a lot of my rocks and corals to hopefully diffuse aggressions from my 14 year old yellow tang, added Yellow belly blue hippo tang (Nike) blonde naso tang, Lietenant tang, dragon goby and an anthias trio. Other additions since last update are a pair of green bird wrasses.
[video]https://youtu.be/yG3taJmpU1U[/video]
I really hope to start adding corals soon but after this last cyano outbreak I am taking it slow, I lost some really nice pieces that I feel bad about and making sure I know I am stable before adding any more corals. I am actually thinking of going back to nems, I sold my BTA's when I decided to start adding SPS's and they kept moving around but now that I am in the rebuild phase really thinking about adding a couple and forgetting the SPS's
I hope I have stabilized my tank and husbandry so I keep what I add from this point onward.
Here is where I am today, I added some fish from my QT to the DT after a rearrange of a lot of my rocks and corals to hopefully diffuse aggressions from my 14 year old yellow tang, added Yellow belly blue hippo tang (Nike) blonde naso tang, Lietenant tang, dragon goby and an anthias trio. Other additions since last update are a pair of green bird wrasses.
[video]https://youtu.be/yG3taJmpU1U[/video]
I really hope to start adding corals soon but after this last cyano outbreak I am taking it slow, I lost some really nice pieces that I feel bad about and making sure I know I am stable before adding any more corals. I am actually thinking of going back to nems, I sold my BTA's when I decided to start adding SPS's and they kept moving around but now that I am in the rebuild phase really thinking about adding a couple and forgetting the SPS's
OP
OP
mvallee
Non-member
I can't believe it's been a year since my last positive post and update but definitely stabilized the tank, added a new light and happy that things are not dying, very sad looking back at all the pieces I have been through.
I am most pleased that I am able to keep SPS, they are growing and have great PE. Here are some of the better pieces
Gatorade birdsnest, I could not get a picture to come out that shows the colors but you can see the PE and it is definitely growing
Couple of Stylo's that green one is so bushy and getting nice and fat
This RBTA has doubled if not trippled and that hammer was maybe 4 polyps from a piece that broke off a friends large hammer that he just gave me, I have great hopes for that one
These have all exploded with great growth and color, love that elegance I hope it continues to grow and that duncan was three small heads
Zoas are kicking butt too, I know those are easy to keep but they are really growing and spreading now
And this piece has really recovered well, unfortunately so has the GSP so time to start peel it back
and of course a full tank shot, luckily I have always had good luck with the fish and looking forward to adding some more reef safe fish in the next few months. The Yellow tang was 14 years old when I got him so now 15, quite the fish
and here are the last of my reef safe with caution fish I need to rehome, anyone??? I have a for sale thread if interested
I am most pleased that I am able to keep SPS, they are growing and have great PE. Here are some of the better pieces
Gatorade birdsnest, I could not get a picture to come out that shows the colors but you can see the PE and it is definitely growing
Couple of Stylo's that green one is so bushy and getting nice and fat
This RBTA has doubled if not trippled and that hammer was maybe 4 polyps from a piece that broke off a friends large hammer that he just gave me, I have great hopes for that one
These have all exploded with great growth and color, love that elegance I hope it continues to grow and that duncan was three small heads
Zoas are kicking butt too, I know those are easy to keep but they are really growing and spreading now
And this piece has really recovered well, unfortunately so has the GSP so time to start peel it back
and of course a full tank shot, luckily I have always had good luck with the fish and looking forward to adding some more reef safe fish in the next few months. The Yellow tang was 14 years old when I got him so now 15, quite the fish
and here are the last of my reef safe with caution fish I need to rehome, anyone??? I have a for sale thread if interested
jamesdong009
Anthony
Tank is looking great! Glad to see that you were able to get everything stabilized.
Looking real good.
OP
OP
mvallee
Non-member
I added a few more fish and inverts over the past couple weeks including some leopard wrasses.
these guys were like forbidden fruit for me, I wanted them so bad when I saw them in the DT at UA but knew I was not worthy but almost 2 years in and finally realizing stability I jumped in with both feet. I was placing an order on Divers Den and needed a couple more fish to qualify for free shipping and came across these Leopard wrasses (Macropharyngodon meleagris) for 29.99 and added two of them to my cart. I had buyers remorse almost immediately reading up on how delicate they were, survival rate, dive in the sand and not come out for weeks. Well I have had these two for 2 days, yes I put them straight in my DT and they have been active, eating, swimming around together and picking at the rocks pretty much the whole two days, like they have been living in the tank for years. I don't know why but feels like a huge accomplishment
I also got this female Red Scooter Dragonet off Divers Den and this is my Wifes new favorite. might add some more, after some more research.
I guess I am becoming a wrasse addict because when I saw a yellow canary wrasse up for sale I had to get that one too from another reefer with some cool inverts including a bullseye Pistol Shrimp
.
I added some more sand to my tank, half a bag of carib sea, what a mess, I hope I can get some better pics once the water clears of the cloudiness and grains of sand floating around because of this guy my dragon goby, he is having a hell of a time with this fine sand, you would think he would have figured out there is nothing to eat in it yet.
That's it for now, off to research other leopard wrasses and setting up a proper QT for the next ones.
these guys were like forbidden fruit for me, I wanted them so bad when I saw them in the DT at UA but knew I was not worthy but almost 2 years in and finally realizing stability I jumped in with both feet. I was placing an order on Divers Den and needed a couple more fish to qualify for free shipping and came across these Leopard wrasses (Macropharyngodon meleagris) for 29.99 and added two of them to my cart. I had buyers remorse almost immediately reading up on how delicate they were, survival rate, dive in the sand and not come out for weeks. Well I have had these two for 2 days, yes I put them straight in my DT and they have been active, eating, swimming around together and picking at the rocks pretty much the whole two days, like they have been living in the tank for years. I don't know why but feels like a huge accomplishment
I also got this female Red Scooter Dragonet off Divers Den and this is my Wifes new favorite. might add some more, after some more research.
I guess I am becoming a wrasse addict because when I saw a yellow canary wrasse up for sale I had to get that one too from another reefer with some cool inverts including a bullseye Pistol Shrimp
.I added some more sand to my tank, half a bag of carib sea, what a mess, I hope I can get some better pics once the water clears of the cloudiness and grains of sand floating around because of this guy my dragon goby, he is having a hell of a time with this fine sand, you would think he would have figured out there is nothing to eat in it yet.
That's it for now, off to research other leopard wrasses and setting up a proper QT for the next ones.
