Snow's Bridge of Flowers

[Snow_Phoenix]

So $15 fish only? Could do Chromis Retrofasciata (spelling?)

 

Tsk tsk - don't convert the currency. For example, a flame angel costs RM 150 here. A coral beauty usually RM 35 to RM 40, depending on size and shipment prices.

 

I find Chromis rather dull - I was thinking of getting a Talbot damsel as Tam originally suggested. It looks quite decent, and I read that they are one of the lesser aggressive damsels.

[StinkyBunny]

Talbot's are good and Springer's are another very nice damsel. And of the smaller blennys are decent. One thought just occurred to me, that pistol shrimp could have just sloughed or was ready to slough. What phase was the moon in? Was it close to a full moon? If it was, there's why the blenny attacked it, an easy meal.

[Snow_Phoenix]

Talbot's are good and Springer's are another very nice damsel. And of the smaller blennys are decent. One thought just occurred to me, that pistol shrimp could have just sloughed or was ready to slough. What phase was the moon in? Was it close to a full moon? if it was, there's why the blenny attacked it, an easy meal.

 

Only one LFS in a state far up north imports Springer's, if I'm not mistaken. Even then, it costs up to RM 200 per fish, depending on the shipment. Talbots are easier to find, I think.

 

Well, I didn't find an exoskeleton though - and my QT tank is quite barren so I would have spotted it. I haven't being paying attention to the moon phases - I actually didn't even know that shrimps molted according to the moon phases. Thanks for that new slice of info!

[Tamberav]

My pictus bothers nothing, I assume the two spot is similar.

[Snow_Phoenix]

My pictus bothers nothing, I assume the two spot is similar.

 

My Two Spot was very short-lived, but the only thing he did was perch on some macro and graze on the microalgae covering the rocks. He never nipped at the coral or anything else. I'll definitely get either a Pictus, Two Spot or TSB then.

[StinkyBunny]

The longest we've ever gotten out of a Tailspot is a year. The one in my avatar was the longest one at 14 months. I wonder if there's something they're missing in their diet.

[Snow_Phoenix]

The longest we've ever gotten out of a Tailspot is a year. The one in my avatar was the longest one at 14 months. I wonder if there's something they're missing in their diet.

 

Sorry to hear about your TSB - I think smaller fish have a lifespan maxed out at 3 years, if I'm not mistaken. Either way, I'm restricted in terms of stocking due to the tank size - otherwise there are tons of cool marine fish out there too.

 

I'll be putting in an order for a Pictus and TSB at my LFS, and snag whichever blenny that arrives the healthiest.

[Snow_Phoenix]

Well, my LFS has the new light adapter in stock - but they keep 'forgetting' to bring it from their second shop. I was mildly irritated but when they 'forgot' again today, I flat-out told the worker via messaging that I would like a full refund for the light, since I would rather order one online or get it at a different store. Worker panicked a bit when I said that, immediately apologized and quickly said they would bring it in by tomorrow evening. I'll give it until Monday. If there's still no light adapter by then and they've 'forgotten' to bring it again, I will get a refund by hook or crook. I'm just not in the mood to play games when money is involved.

 

On a lighter note, we had a visitor on our premises yesterday:

 

 

 

 

Poor little guy was so hungry that he was munching on the grass outside my house. I considered keeping him - he was so friendly - but my mother refused to take in another pet. He was gone after a few minutes - hope he's found a good home though.

 

Also, my little sister baked a small banana cake - nyum!

 

 

I'm thinking of trying to bake a lemon cake in the upcoming week or so. But I've never baked before - I'm half-afraid of setting the kitchen on fire.

[GunslingerGirl]

 

Tsk tsk - don't convert the currency. For example, a flame angel costs RM 150 here. A coral beauty usually RM 35 to RM 40, depending on size and shipment prices.

 

I find Chromis rather dull - I was thinking of getting a Talbot damsel as Tam originally suggested. It looks quite decent, and I read that they are one of the lesser aggressive damsels.

 

LOL even if any of us convert the currency it wouldn't match up anyway. I moved three hours away and the pricing shifted ridiculously. I can't even fathom all the differences in pricing from here to there. (Actually I can since we talk about stuff a lot lol)

And PS: don't set the house on fire.

 

And PSS lemon cakes are delicious (see lemon=normal flavor...durian=worst things on earth lol)

[Tamberav]

Isn't that rabbit wild? Or is it an escaped pet?

 

We have wild ones alllllll over here, they must do well because they breed like rabbits

 

 

I never had any luck with TSB either. The pictus is going strong though. What I did notice, is the pictus is much fatter now in the bigger tank, lots to graze on. I tried to feed him extra in the smaller tank which helped but its apparent the constant grazing in the 75g really did him good.

[Snow_Phoenix]

 

LOL even if any of us convert the currency it wouldn't match up anyway. I moved three hours away and the pricing shifted ridiculously. I can't even fathom all the differences in pricing from here to there. (Actually I can since we talk about stuff a lot lol)

And PS: don't set the house on fire.

 

And PSS lemon cakes are delicious (see lemon=normal flavor...durian=worst things on earth lol)

 

Yeah - the problem is, a basic fresh graduate with a Bachelor in Science/Bachelor in Arts earns a starter income of RM 1800. If you have a Masters, then that income range moves up to RM 2500 to RM 2800 (only if you're lucky). So just imagine how much you have to spend on purchasing a fish (let's say a RM 180 venustus angel) for your tank - that's already 1/10th of your salary spent on a fish. A fish that might die suddenly, in which case your hard-earned money goes down the drain.

 

Since the average Malaysian works 9 to 9.5 hours per day, up to six days a week, that's a big blow to the wallet. And now thanks to my country's skewed political system and unsavory practices + increased taxes, living costs are spiking like mad. Ten years ago, you could buy a single-storey house if you were a normal graduate. Now you can't buy any houses unless you earn a high income from the start (think Doctors/PhD holders/businessmen etc.) and you're lucky if you can even purchase a small two-bedroom apartment in the industrial district. Double-storey houses now fetch up to RM 1 million+ in value, and the only way you can own one is if you inherit one through your parents.

 

Pricing does shift drastically from place to place - certain states up north offer cheaper prices on livestock and also have more variety. I'm from the Southern tip of the peninsula though, so things are a bit more expensive because they target Singaporean patrons that venture across our border to buy stuff.

 

Oh, I'll try not to! I'm going to practice making chocolate chip pancakes first as my cooking attempt. Honestly, I used to cook quite decently while I was studying in Aus in 2009, but now I've forgotten everything. Can't even tell the difference between a spatula and spork from five feet away.

 

Lol, aww...durian cakes aren't that bad. But yes, lemon cakes are delicious!

Isn't that rabbit wild? Or is it an escaped pet?

 

We have wild ones alllllll over here, they must do well because they breed like rabbits

 

I think it's an escaped pet because we don't have a wild population of rabbits. Plus it seemed pretty tame and kept running up to my little sis. I was worried it'd get run over or bitten by a stray cat/dog - but I couldn't keep track of it. It hopped away pretty fast.

[Snow_Phoenix]

Ooh, forgot to ask - I'm planning on making a few advance purchases:

 

Continuum kH buffer

 

http://www.lelong.com.my/continuum-basis-kh-alkalinity-boosting-buffer-liquid-500ml-harvestfishwm-F174992-2007-01-Sale-I.htm

 

Cooling Fan:

 

http://www.lelong.com.my/dymax-vortex-fan-w5-aquaticforever-146281282-2017-03-Sale-P.htm

 

Seachem Prime:

 

http://www.lelong.com.my/seachem-prime-250ml-acestoryaquatic-164697628-2017-06-Sale-P.htm

 

Continuum Ocean Snow:

 

http://www.lelong.com.my/continuum-ocean-snow-250ml-harvestfishwm-F177659-2007-01-Sale-I.htm

 

Seachem Purigen:

 

http://www.lelong.com.my/seachem-purigen-100ml-acestoryaquatic-165866064-2017-07-Sale-P.htm

 

Pisces ATO:

 

http://www.lelong.com.my/aquarium-water-automatic-top-system-algaefarmer-I2533259-2007-01-Sale-I.htm

 

Thoughts?

 

I might get Selcon or Garlic Guard in the future too, for the fish.

[Snow_Phoenix]

My lights have finally arrived. Has 3 different modes - full, 75% full and basic 25% whites. This is a proper FTS of the tank with the lights finally on:

 

 

 

FTS on 22/8/2016.

 

Oh, and I deported my blenny to the store today. He was definitely very, very grumpy. LFS had something I've never seen before - do you know what sort of eel this is? He was very cute and friendly, and actually following my finger across the glass.

 

 

 

 

I also found a gem underneath the eggcrate in the LFS display tank. Decided maybe, just maybe I should forgo the Talbot for this guy (it's a small 1" wrasse). He has been eating very well - mysis, brine, roe and pellets since I brought him home. Apparently the last time the LFS received a wrasse shipment was 3 weeks ago. This fella has been eluding capture and living off pods/sand critters on its own for those past 3 weeks.

 

 

 

Best part, my Pistol molted and the wrasse ignored him completely. He now sleeps in the ceramic ornament in my QT or even chills out with my goby (that's his plump belly after some food).

 

I won't be testing my water until the middle of next month. Since I'm using highly dense rock, it will anyway take a while for the bacteria to repopulate.

 

Also, if a small blenny is too difficult to get, I'll just get a YCG as a third fish.

 

Oh, and I tried to cook again. It was a sub-par attempt according to my little sis. Oh well.

 

[Cencalfishguy56]

My lights have finally arrived. Has 3 different modes - full, 75% full and basic 25% whites. This is a proper FTS of the tank with the lights finally on:

 

 

 

FTS on 22/8/2016.

 

Oh, and I deported my blenny to the store today. He was definitely very, very grumpy. LFS had something I've never seen before - do you know what sort of eel this is? He was very cute and friendly, and actually following my finger across the glass.

 

 

 

 

I also found a gem underneath the eggcrate in the LFS display tank. Decided maybe, just maybe I should forgo the Talbot for this guy (it's a small 1" wrasse). He has been eating very well - mysis, brine, roe and pellets since I brought him home. Apparently the last time the LFS received a wrasse shipment was 3 weeks ago. This fella has been eluding capture and living off pods/sand critters on its own for those past 3 weeks.

 

 

 

Best part, my Pistol molted and the wrasse ignored him completely. He now sleeps in the ceramic ornament in my QT or even chills out with my goby (that's his plump belly after some food).

 

I won't be testing my water until the middle of next month. Since I'm using highly dense rock, it will anyway take a while for the bacteria to repopulate.

 

Also, if a small blenny is too difficult to get, I'll just get a YCG as a third fish.

 

Oh, and I tried to cook again. It was a sub-par attempt according to my little sis. Oh well.

 

thats a garden eel and they need deep sand beds to bury themselves in like 4-5", that LFS is probably making him feel naked right now lol

[Snow_Phoenix]

thats a garden eel and they need deep sand beds to bury themselves in like 4-5", that LFS is probably making him feel naked right now lol

 

Naked indeed!

 

Garden eels - yes, I think I've heard of them before. And yes, they do need DSB as you've stated. If I'm not mistaken, I saw one in the aquaria at Langkawi, but only the tip of its head was peeking out. This is the first time I'm seeing a garden eel up front like this. It's actually very beautiful.

[Cencalfishguy56]

 

Naked indeed!

 

Garden eels - yes, I think I've heard of them before. And yes, they do need DSB as you've stated. If I'm not mistaken, I saw one in the aquaria at Langkawi, but only the tip of its head was peeking out. This is the first time I'm seeing a garden eel up front like this. It's actually very beautiful.

yea they are awesome, I really want one, I saw a whole tank dedicated to probably 60 or so of them at Monterey bay aquarium

[gena]

What a fun thread you have going here . I really love your new tank and the rock work!

 

 

These are gorgeous! I could easily give up a reef tank for something like this .

[Snow_Phoenix]

yea they are awesome, I really want one, I saw a whole tank dedicated to probably 60 or so of them at Monterey bay aquarium.

 

That must have been an impressive display. I'm assuming these eels are very social then.

 

 

What a fun thread you have going here . I really love your new tank and the rock work!

 

These are gorgeous! I could easily give up a reef tank for something like this .

 

Thank you, Gena. Discus are indeed beautiful, but very sensitive to parameter swings. I only have 5 juvis left today, and already one of them is a bit stressed out because one of my male paradise gouramis has decided to pick on him. But if kept well and maintained regularly, having a discus tank can be quite interesting. I find them very personable - once they grow accustomed to you, they'll actually follow you around from the tank, especially during feeding time.

[gena]

Thank you, Gena. Discus are indeed beautiful, but very sensitive to parameter swings. I only have 5 juvis left today, and already one of them is a bit stressed out because one of my male paradise gouramis has decided to pick on him. But if kept well and maintained regularly, having a discus tank can be quite interesting. I find them very personable - once they grow accustomed to you, they'll actually follow you around from the tank, especially during feeding time.

Maybe someday I'll try my hand at them. I think a freshwater tank of discus with live plants would be just perfect in a sunroom with lots of natural light and plants in the room. Sounds dreamy to me!

 

Awww...I hope your juvies are able to overcome the bullying. They truly are beautiful creatures. Post pictures of them as often as you like....I will certainly enjoy them .

[Snow_Phoenix]

Maybe someday I'll try my hand at them. I think a freshwater tank of discus with live plants would be just perfect in a sunroom with lots of natural light and plants in the room. Sounds dreamy to me!

 

Awww...I hope your juvies are able to overcome the bullying. They truly are beautiful creatures. Post pictures of them as often as you like....I will certainly enjoy them .

 

Yes, that would sound amazing. Just don't go bare-bottom as I did - I think my biofiltration isn't strong enough because I didn't add a layer of substrate. I'm thinking of adding some ADA amazonia soil once everything with the marine tank has been settled in the next two months or so. But I'd have to purchase a temporary 2' ft tank and transfer the Discus/Eels into it until the substrate cycles (ADA gives off very high ammonia levels and takes easily 2 to 3 weeks to cycle fully).

 

Sure, I'll post more pics of them. I haven't taken any recent pics - but I'll do so.

[Tamberav]

The wrasse is Paracheilinus flavianalis. He won't bother inverts, they eat from the water column. He will do best with frequent small feedings.

[Snow_Phoenix]

The wrasse is Paracheilinus flavianalis. He won't bother inverts, they eat from the water column. He will do best with frequent small feedings.

 

Yellowfin flasher wrasse. Nice catch on that one, Tam! And yes, I have observed that he likes picking floating food off the water column - he won't eat pellets off the surface unless it begins to sink. He's pretty active and social though.

 

The goby eats like a pig, btw. That little guy eats more than the wrasse.

 

 

Well, nothing much to update on except that some sort of disease or contamination (again) has hit the discus FW display. Didn't lose the discus or eels, but one of them is showing stressing markings. I did lose several smaller fish - bumblebee gobies and a baby rainbow snakehead though. So I'll have to toss out at least 75% of the water again, replenish the tank with new water, make sure everyone eats and monitor the aquarium like a hawk over the next few days.

[Snow_Phoenix]

After waiting for 1.5 years, I finally managed to snag these guys!

 

 

 

 

They're Kuhli loaches - also known as 'ular sungai' (river snakes/river eels) in the local dialect. They're actually a type of elongated fish but are incredibly social, adorable and work as an efficient CUC in FW tanks since they scavenge for food at the bottom of the tank.

 

 

They also have such unique markings. No two individuals are the same.

 

 

Best part is they sleep in funny and awkward positions.

 

Also, I bought RM 4 worth of ghost shrimp to feed the eels - they had a feast last night.

 

 

I found out the source of the problem in the water - I had a juvi rainbow snakehead that was trapped, buried and decomposing under one of the logs. Once I pulled the carcass out, did a 100% WC (because I think the tank just needed it) and used API Ammo Lock, everyone and everything was behaving normally afterwards. I'll probably do another WC either today or tomorrow.

[StinkyBunny]

I would have thought that Kuhli loaches were more available there. They raise them by the millions in Thailand.

[Snow_Phoenix]

I would have thought that Kuhli loaches were more available there. They raise them by the millions in Thailand.

 

Certain parts of Malaysia, yes. But down south they rarely have them for some reason.

Also, I have some bad news - my wrasse didn't make it in QT today. R.I.P.