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Sun's DB30g - 2 year bday updates


SunWyrm

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Wow! I just discovered this build, and I'm so excited because…

 

1. I'm gonna steal your idea with the eggcrate/mesh top! Lol I have the mesh already, but too lazy to get the window frame thing, but I have egg crate at home! This would work out better for me too, cus I can cut the egg crate around my auto feeder.

2. All your fish!

3. I never heard of spotcinctus clowns before, and they are gorgeous! Are they aggressive? If they didn't grow so big, I would be tempted to trade in my ocellaris pair for them!

 

and how are you trying to remove your BTA? I need some ideas… lol

Hahaha thanks!

1. Laziness is the real reason why I did the eggcrate! B) But I do love it. Fish safety first! It's also pretty versatile and way too easy, I have it on everything now, even around the mangroves in my fuge for the baby eel.

 

2. <3 my fish

 

3. My female is really only aggressive with my fingers... and hates that I pester her nem when it's acting like an Inflatable Wacky Waving Tube Man with my frags. She was not pleased when I tried to take one out.

She used to be grumpy with fish when I didn't have quite so many, but the yellow tang has seemed to calm her down some. I didn't realize they'd grow this fast when I got them. They were the teeniest clowns I'd ever seen when I started this tank. Spotcinctus are the cutest when they're little. They just seem to swim differently than other clowns. More elegant.

 

Thankfully the underside of that rock is flat, and my btas have always stuck there (in every tank this has been my "nem rock"), so it shouldn't be too hard to get them off... I tried using an ice cube on the foot. I've had it work before but this time the rbtas were so happy they just said no, and kept reattaching their foot right after I managed to get half off. Couldn't get either one unfortunately. Also tried using my fingernail, but that seemed to cause more damage than I wanted.

I'm just leaving them both for now... One moved slightly to the big empty space in the middle, and now I'll have to wait and see if the one in front keeps touching my frags. When I do try again, I'll have to lift the whole rock out of the tank and rub it with the ice again. That way it doesn't melt so fast too.

 

One of the most natural looking tank i have ever seen. Really well done.

Thank you!!! :wub:

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:wub: Of course I don't think it's anywhere close yet, but thank you!

I'll try to take some fuge shots this weekend. It's looking kinda crazy right now. I snapped a quick shot this morning because someone decided to show his pretty face.

Warning, he's missing a good chunk of his nose/jaw, but it's also a really poor quality pic so you can't see much of the damage. I put it in a spoiler tag because if you know what he's supposed to look like, it might make you cringe. I know I do every time I see him :(


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Really excited to have him as he's the darkest snowflake I've ever seen. Just need to get him eating!


Showed the pic to the hubby, who said "where is it!?" Maybe I should name him Waldo instead...

So I edited the pic. Don't get excited, its still a potato...


OmPgn2Bl.jpg

 

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Hahaha thanks!

1. Laziness is the real reason why I did the eggcrate! B) But I do love it. Fish safety first! It's also pretty versatile and way too easy, I have it on everything now, even around the mangroves in my fuge for the baby eel.

 

2. <3 my fish

 

3. My female is really only aggressive with my fingers... and hates that I pester her nem when it's acting like an Inflatable Wacky Waving Tube Man with my frags. She was not pleased when I tried to take one out.

She used to be grumpy with fish when I didn't have quite so many, but the yellow tang has seemed to calm her down some. I didn't realize they'd grow this fast when I got them. They were the teeniest clowns I'd ever seen when I started this tank. Spotcinctus are the cutest when they're little. They just seem to swim differently than other clowns. More elegant.

 

Thankfully the underside of that rock is flat, and my btas have always stuck there (in every tank this has been my "nem rock"), so it shouldn't be too hard to get them off... I tried using an ice cube on the foot. I've had it work before but this time the rbtas were so happy they just said no, and kept reattaching their foot right after I managed to get half off. Couldn't get either one unfortunately. Also tried using my fingernail, but that seemed to cause more damage than I wanted.

I'm just leaving them both for now... One moved slightly to the big empty space in the middle, and now I'll have to wait and see if the one in front keeps touching my frags. When I do try again, I'll have to lift the whole rock out of the tank and rub it with the ice again. That way it doesn't melt so fast too.

 

Thank you!!! :wub:

 

 

I wish I knew about the spotcinctus when I started my tank, always loved the red sea clown! And there's a place here that sells tons of ORA fish! My bta split, and I'm afraid it might take over the tank. Will need to a plan (ice cubes) to remove them if it splits again. I do regret the bta, since my clowns won't go in it, which was the only reason I got it. Now it's just a ticking time bomb….

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Print out a pic of the same type of clowns in a bta, and tape it to your tank close to the nem where your fish will see it. I've used that trick 3 times successfully with 3 different types of clowns and nems. Worked under 48 hours each time. Good luck!

I wish my spotcinctus were brighter... I sometimes feel like I was bamboozled but they're just much darker than the bright yellow you normally see.

My previous pair:
T2hrg92l.jpg

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Mai tais are absolute favorite clowns, and I'm entirely set on getting at least one. But after seeing those spotcinctus - they might be moving up on the ranks :)

 

Loving that eel too :)

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Print out a pic of the same type of clowns in a bta, and tape it to your tank close to the nem where your fish will see it. I've used that trick 3 times successfully with 3 different types of clowns and nems. Worked under 48 hours each time. Good luck!

 

I wish my spotcinctus were brighter... I sometimes feel like I was bamboozled but they're just much darker than the bright yellow you normally see.

 

My previous pair:

T2hrg92l.jpg

 

Cute!! I'm not a designer clownfish kinda guy, but they are gorgeous!

 

I have tried the picture thing, will have to print out new pics and try again. I have also tried feeding close to the nem, and let them watch a youtube video on the iPad! This will be my goal this weekend. :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Finally got my snowflake to chow down on some clam on the half shell. Still didn't SEE him eat, but it was torn to shreds and off the shell in the morning, and he's the only thing besides the tiny worms in the fuge. Plus when I moved the shell he came out to chase it, so I think I caught him in the act.

As a bonus, I got my pygmy hawk to eat too. Too bad it's only ghost shrimp that he's interested in, but now it'll just take extra time to get him used to frozen. Very cute watching him hunt; he wiggles like a tiny lionfish.

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The 90g has been taken out of the garage!!! Out on the back porch waiting to be scrubbed down; now if only I could get outta the office and go work on it. Weather was beautiful today too.

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  • 2 weeks later...

No updated pics on the tank; I've been lazy. Cleaned the glass over the weekend and moved my bubble coral back up to the display. It's gotten huge and puffy in the sump without a lot of flow.

I'm pretty sure my little coral beauty is nipping the sps. She goes around and picks at everything, but the four frags of tricolor acro she picks at haven't been doing well, along with a birdsnest. I was thinking this was because of my alkalinity/ph swings (which is still something I need to fix) but now I'm seeing that the other sps that she doesn't pick at are fine, as well as one tricolor frag that's next to the others, but not really in reach. The frags that she nips at still have growth around the base/tips, they're just loosing tissue in patches/strips.

Lost my female sailfin blenny over the weekend. Really saddened by her loss, but I doubt I'll get another for my male. They didn't "pair" much and I think her presence stressed him more than benefited him.

My pygmy hawk now begs for shrimp! He sits at the corner closest to my computer and just stares. He'll also come see what I'm doing if my hands are in the tank. Cryptic my butt! Male blenny came up and bit him on the nose for being so close to the barnacles while he was begging yesterday. Pygmy hawk did not care and continued to beg. He also hates when I use the turkey baster for anything other than shrimp delivery.

Snowflake was out several times over the weekend. No improvement, and no 100% confirmation that he's eating. Until I actually see him actively go after food and swallow I won't be happy. Any opinions on what else I can do? Not liking the drastic idea of force-feeding him. But his lower jaw (what's left of it) looks kinked out of place when he breathes and he's terrified of everything.

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Pics of my little Sockpuppet! He's certainly not camera shy... but still very feeder stick shy. Tried shredded table shrimp this weekend, while the eel didn't eat, the perchlet certainly loved his pieces. Might try blowing some mysis in his face with a turkey baster and hope some pieces find their way in his mouth. <_< This is stressful for both of us.

Face shot

 


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Size comparison, those are mangroves next to him and the white piece is a 2" frag skeleton. Hims tiny.


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  • 4 weeks later...

So this happened right when I released a new tiny pygmy hawk into the display:

9tSSew0.png


Ham's the bigger one on the left.
:wub::wub::wub:
This is why I love hawkfish.

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Tank's first birthday! Picture dump time

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Ham the pygmy hawk and his new "Honey"
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Ham the hog is more like it...

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Her royal tinyness

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Good night, that anemone is gigantic!! Love your mix of corals too.

Thank you! That's really two nems and they've been a pita for a long time. And grats on TOTM again. You've got a much better mix than I do! :P

 

 

Update time!

I did it!!! biggrin.png FINALLY got out the second rbta. I was just planning to do a big overhaul and take them both out this weekend, but noticed the foot of one had moved between two rocks, so I was able to get it out easily and put it in a basket in the sump, only to have it split again down there. Glad I was able to get it out and not have to deal with three nems in the display, one is more than enough. Although I'm still planning on doing some major overhauls in and around the tank this weekend.

 

Trying to get my alkalinity boosted up a little as well. I've started dosing two part and doing larger water changes, but would like to get it back on track before getting the kalk reactor online.

Had several losses just from the past week (all different reasons, nothing major, just sucks); my male caribbean sailfin blenny, my big chalk bass, a new pearly jawfish (both jumped through my fantastic looking diy screen somehow), and the special little snowflake, Sockpuppet, finally lost his battle.

 

In other news, I finally got a TEENIE fuzzy dwarf lionfish. :wub: She's chillin in QT with the CB male and tiny-tomini til the 90g is up. That thing's still sitting on the back porch getting prepped (mostly bc it's so heavy!).

And idk how appropriate it is to say on here, but I just got TOTM on my local board, and I'm feeling pretty proud! omgomgomg

 

Since Friday's my FTS day but I don't have any of the 30 yet, how about a poor quality QT FTS?

leeD6cY.png

 

tiny-tomini!

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  • 2 months later...
  • 2 months later...

After a summer of neglect, I'm finally getting this tank back on track. Did a ton of work on it yesterday. Fuge is overflowing with caulerpas and xenia. Mangroves are growing out of control. But I lost quite a few corals from my summer laziness and the display has a ton of bubble algae. I manually removed 2 cups worth, but need to do something about them or they'll just come right back.
Never been a fan of emerald crabs since I have small fish. I'd get a small foxface but want to wait until the 90g is up (which is still dry but at least its in the basement now).

And this might be the biggest reason I've been neglectful of my fish. We adopted a little sister for Conan; Valeria!

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I just caught up on your thread - those hawkfish are adorable! Sorry to hear things are on a downswing but it sounds like you're getting back on track. And Valeria is so cute :)

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  • 3 weeks later...

Finally did a water change on the 30! B) Got the 90 scape finished as well, going to try to plumb it this weekend and take more pics.

No new pics of the 30, (it's not worthy yet) aside from my GPH being a total ham:

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And Val's been helping with a new hobby:

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Just checked out your thread. Nice tank and I am sure the 90g will be too when its up and running. I live nems, hawkfish and fuzzy lions too.

 

O yeah, cute pup!

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Thanks!

Sad update today:

Woke up this morning and my yellow tang wasn't doing so hot. Ghost is now a ghost... Rip you fabulous little fish. :( He helped fill that gap when I lost all my big tangs from moving. So his loss is hitting me hard, there's just some fish you really get attached to.

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Was lazy this weekend and didn't do any work on the 90. At least I got some pics...

Clock is off on the lights, hence the difference in color, but I thought it was cool for photos:

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Lots of caves (plus one very large eel cave!)
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I've wanted to use this giant acro in a scape for a long time. It was upside down in my 180, but that doesn't do it justice. Sorry stick lovers - this one's gotta hurt to see.
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tall tower from my 360 build
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from the side
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My goal was to make it as tang-friendly as possible with an open 'scape with lots of places to do some continuous cruising (at least as much as you can with 4' to work with). My tangs used to love racing around the turns I made in my 360 and wanted to incorporate that same feeling here (and used a lot of the same rocks!).

Really wanted that feeling of a drop off tank, but also needed a nice cave system for an eel (and this one's pretty sweet) and was inspired by pics of caves with beams of light shining through. Can't tell in these pics as I have my lights sitting haphazardly on the tank, but the light comes through on the right side pretty well. It turned out how I pictured in my head, so that's a bonus.

And I know those scratches are going to drive me nuts! :furious:

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