Avalanche's Aquapod Reef

[avalanche1201]

you've got the banggai? I'm starting to lean towards him. I can't find a picture of a randall's goby but I was just looking for a picture. My roommate has a court jester which is also a sweet fish but I don't want to have the same fish as him

 

now if I get a YWG or a Randall's should I also get a pistol shrimp later on?

 

edit: or get them at the same time for a better chance to pair?

[Mitch529]

you've got the banggai? I'm starting to lean towards him. I can't find a picture of a randall's goby but I was just looking for a picture. My roommate has a court jester which is also a sweet fish but I don't want to have the same fish as him

 

now if I get a YWG or a Randall's should I also get a pistol shrimp later on?

 

edit: or get them at the same time for a better chance to pair?

 

Randall's is really cool, much prettier than the YWG and they pair with pistols too, I am still trying to find one locally, my LFS is getting one for me next week. (As for pairing at the same time or later IDK, I am sure they will find each other eventually)

 

As for the Banggai he is really cool, him and my clown are good buddies they always hang out together.

(thats a picture of him in my avatar)

 

Here is my Randall's, he's camera shy I have to catch him at night to get a picture.

[avalanche1201]

that's a pretty sweet fish. I'm def gonna get him. Ill prob get a banggai b/c I feel it would be better w/ the clowns then a fire fish would.

 

Now I gotta add a pistol shrimp to the list...o well

 

thanks for the help mitch, can't wait to get them

 

the LFS near me in Boston has a nice pistol, but it's a baby and is $35!!! I can't justify spending that much on a shrimp that is 1/4" long

[Mitch529]

Yeah, I have never really liked fire fish for some reason. Hmm so your stocking is or will be 2 clowns, cardinal and goby. I have thrown the idea around of adding another clown but I couldn't decide if it was too many fish. Right now with 2 small feedings a day and my 3 fish my nitrates, ammonia etc.. are all 0. And thats running 35lbs of LR, additional 4 gallon fuge with chaeto growing like crazy and a skimmer. How do you feel about 4 fish?

 

BTW: IMO $35 for a pistol is crazy, plain pistols around me go for $6.95, randalls/tiger for $16-19.

[avalanche1201]

I'm going to be running 4 fish w/ no skimmer but have cheato growing in the main display for now. Later I will prob remove the false wall and add a sump etc but thats not going to be for a while. I think you would be fine with 4 fish esp if right now everything is 0. As long as you keep up w/ your WC's I think you will be alright

[avalanche1201]

Today my roommate gave me a Blue Millie for free because he felt his lighting was not strong enough. I also get a really nice frag of orange Zoas off of him for $10. Pics to come tomorrow once everything is open

[avalanche1201]

So after watching a rugby game today I went to the LFS and picked up a Skunk cleaner shrimp as well as a Pistol shrimp...as long as I Keep the pistol well fed I think the skunk will be fine...and since everyone knows what a skunk cleaner looks like here is the pistol (ID help please, thanks)

 

[Mitch529]

So after watching a rugby game today I went to the LFS and picked up a Skunk cleaner shrimp as well as a Pistol shrimp...as long as I Keep the pistol well fed I think the skunk will be fine...and since everyone knows what a skunk cleaner looks like here is the pistol (ID help please, thanks)

 

 

Nice, I cant wait to get a pistol! He looks like a Tiger Pistol to me Alpheus bellulus With your shrimps make sure you acclimate them a long time with drip acclimation.

[avalanche1201]

Nice, I cant wait to get a pistol! He looks like a Tiger Pistol to me Alpheus bellulus With your shrimps make sure you acclimate them a long time with drip acclimation.

 

 

yea....thats the thing. I don't have enough water for a drip acclimation, so I did a lengthy fish acclimation. Float for like 20min and add a little water for like another 30min, so hopefully they will be alright. I'll find out soon enough I guess.....

 

 

all I know is its time to bite the bullet and get an RO/DI unit

[avalanche1201]

So I woke up this morning with no sign of the skunk cleaner or the pistol. I saw the cleaner last night before I went to bed so I just hope he's hiding some where.

 

There are signs of holes being dug throughout my tank so I hope the pistol has finally settled down and is enjoy his new home.

 

Neither showed when I fed the tank this morning which makes me nervous about the skunk b/c they eat like pigs....who knows though, maybe he's still shy.

 

 

Hopefully when the lights go out later tonight they will make an appearance, besides thats all is good in the tank. I even added a hydor flo on the left side return for some randomized flow over on that side.

[Mitch529]

It's possible the cleaner molted and is just hiding out, I wouldn't worry yet (I just added some peppermint shrimp and one of them molted the first night). As for the pistol he may be hard to catch a glimpse of, though I have read once you have a goby/shrimp pair they are out alot more. Good luck and hopefully he fairs better than my cleaner shrimp RIP

[avalanche1201]

It's possible the cleaner molted and is just hiding out, I wouldn't worry yet (I just added some peppermint shrimp and one of them molted the first night). As for the pistol he may be hard to catch a glimpse of, though I have read once you have a goby/shrimp pair they are out alot more. Good luck and hopefully he fairs better than my cleaner shrimp RIP

 

Never thought of a molt, at least not this fast. I know pistols are hard to see but I am glad that I see evidence of caves being dug. I just hope he didn't make his cage on the left side of the tank b/c I can't see over there since its on my desk at school next to the wall.

 

 

as for the cleaner I figured I would have been able to see an antennae or something....but as I said before hopefully Ill see them later today

[Mitch529]

Yeah for some reason shrimps seem to molt right after being in a new tank, I have read accounts of people having shrimp shipped and there is a molt in the bag when they receive it. I think I may get a new small cleaner tomorrow, they are really cool. We suspect our first one died from a failed molt since he was fine for about a week then one day gone

[avalanche1201]

that sucks mitch, def get the new cleaner though. I hope mine is alright, I really can't believe I didn't see any part of him even when I fed the tank...I'm gonna be pretty bummed about it if he's gone

[Mitch529]

Oh, BTW how is that brain doing that you are nursing? I'm nursing a frag of candy canes I got from a lfs that had some of the skeleton poking through the tissue etc... They are doing good so far I been feeding them nightly with great response and the tissue is really starting to 'plump' up

[avalanche1201]

yea I have started to spot the brain, so it is getting much better. Its in the corner of the tank and I just cleaned the glass. Ill try to snap a shot of him for a little before and after action. He is a lot more plump looking then when I first got him, and at night or after I feed he has a nice green glow coming from the middle. Its pretty cool

[avalanche1201]

Here are the before and after pictures. It is doing amazing now compared to when I first got it, I never realized how well until I looked at this photo

 

Got my first coral today...Its a brain Coral, actually a rescue brain coral from my g/f's parents 72 bow. I dont think it was getting enough light, or stable enough SG levels, and maybe lacking some Calcium as well....anyways I took it into my care and its the only thing in my tank besides hitch hiker zoas and 2 turbos I put in there for the glass

 

This is when I first got it:

 

Here are the after pictures

[Mitch529]

Very nice, looks like it is recovering well it wont be long and it will be colored up again. The best part is you never know what color it will turn out to be =D

[avalanche1201]

I know, I can't wait to see how it is once it really starts to color up. Just got to keep up w/ the target feedings. I'm also going to get some raw shrimp from the grocery store soon so I can chop that up and feed it some of that as well

[Mitch529]

did the cleaner ever show up?

[avalanche1201]

did the cleaner ever show up?

 

no haven't heard the pistol either...hope he's ok

 

 

man, that was a waste of $20 on the cleaner

[Mitch529]

Its possible he's still ok, give him a couple days if he doesn't surface he probably didn't make it. I have read that they require a very long acclimation. I may be picking one up today, I am going to drip acclimate him for a couple hours.

[avalanche1201]

yea I know, I didn't have a chance to drip acclimate, I did do a lengthy float acclimation though, I dont know. I just feel like I would be able to see some of his antannae. I mean come on...they are long and white, they cant be that hard to see....plus he doesn't come running for food like a pig like skunks do, IMO

[avalanche1201]

Today my roommate gave me a Blue Millie for free because he felt his lighting was not strong enough. I also get a really nice frag of orange Zoas off of him for $10. Pics to come tomorrow once everything is open

 

Tomorrow a few days its all the same right?

 

Anyways here are some quick shots

[avalanche1201]

After checking again last night during feeding and after lights out...there is still no sign of the Cleaner Shrimp...I don't think he made it

 

However, there is a new hole in the sand on the right side of the tank...so I am almost positive the Pistol is still going strong....haven't seen him eat yet....maybe he got the cleaner, who knows....he could have been starving when I got him so he needed a meal...if thats the case I just wish I got to see it

 

as for now I hope the pistol can find some food...and I want to hurry up and get the randalls goby so I have a better chance of seeing my pistol