Ninja's Red Sea Reefer 350 - still here!

[ninjamyst]

On 8/23/2017 at 0:11 AM, Felicia said:

Sorry to hear about the frustrations with the tank this week!  I guess that's just this hobby!  Such a love/hate relationship at times.   Hang in there and I'm sure things will turn around!  I applaud you for going to all that effort to raise the clownfish fry.  I have several friends who breed and raise clowns and I know its not easy.  I definitely think you have to try and fail a few times before you get the hang of it.  Hopefully you can try again!

 

Your latest FTS's look stunning.  I love the variety of bright colors you have in there!  And you have such colorful, healthy looking fish.  Also, I love the decor in your room and the way you set up this tank with the sleek white stand and the industrial style light mount really make it look like an art installation!

Thanks!! My dad called me today and told me the clownfish laid eggs again.  Great!  except I took down the clownfish tank the other night =(.  Making water to set it up again for this Saturday.

 

Haven't seen my potters wrasse in 2 days so I am sure it's a goner.  It was still eating but pale color and torn fins.  Sigh... Should I try another wrasse like blue star?  

[teenyreef]

 well crap. 

 

Who was beating it up? 

[ninjamyst]

13 minutes ago, teenyreef said:

 well crap. 

 

Who was beating it up? 

the bigger leopard wrasse is getting bigger so I suspect it was him.  Can also be the yellow coris wrasse cuz she's just a bully to everyone...

[teenyreef]

Bastards. One of the local reefers here had a similar problem. He pasted a picture of a 12" high fish to the glass and scared the crap out of all the other fish. Now they are all well behaved. 

 

So he says...but it's a great story 

[ninjamyst]

Let me print out a pic of a shark then

[mpsti05]

Blue star leopard is still a beast in my tank ??

[vlangel]

I am sorry about the loss. :-(

[ninjamyst]

On 8/25/2017 at 6:52 AM, mpsti05 said:

Blue star leopard is still a beast in my tank ??

may pick one up from reefwise tomorrow if they have any in stock

[ReefWeeds]

Sorry about the potters, Jackie. My coris can be a bully too.  The real bully is my bangaii cardinal though and I can't catch him to get him out of the tank for the life of me. 

[cju84]

54 minutes ago, ninjamyst said:

may pick one up from reefwise tomorrow if they have any in stock

Have you been to tankiteasy off of Waveland and Ashland?  Expanded their store a while ago and have tons of fish/corals.  

 

Also - are you selling your baby clowns?  I just got the IM 20 Fusion a couple days ago.  No fish yet

[ninjamyst]

7 hours ago, stellablue said:

Sorry about the potters, Jackie. My coris can be a bully too.  The real bully is my bangaii cardinal though and I can't catch him to get him out of the tank for the life of me. 

I am so jealous of your copperband every time you post a pic of her on instagram!  i found fish trap very effective, especially when I had to caught my bangaii cardinal.  This isn't the one I have but its similar.  I got a bigger one:

https://www.marinedepot.com/Marine_Depot_Acclimation_and_Quarantine_Box_Fish_Containers_Traps_for_Saltwater_Aquariums-Marine_Depot-MD8111-FIMISC-vi.html

 

7 hours ago, cju84 said:

Have you been to tankiteasy off of Waveland and Ashland?  Expanded their store a while ago and have tons of fish/corals.  

 

Also - are you selling your baby clowns?  I just got the IM 20 Fusion a couple days ago.  No fish yet

I haven't.  Do you know their quarantine process?  Baby clowns didn't make it.  But just got second batch today.  Definitely selling them for cheap if I get them big.

[cju84]

Just now, ninjamyst said:

I am so jealous of your copperband every time you post a pic of her on instagram!  i found fish trap very effective, especially when I had to caught my bangaii cardinal.  This isn't the one I have but its similar.  I got a bigger one:

https://www.marinedepot.com/Marine_Depot_Acclimation_and_Quarantine_Box_Fish_Containers_Traps_for_Saltwater_Aquariums-Marine_Depot-MD8111-FIMISC-vi.html

 

I haven't.  Do you know their quarantine process?  Baby clowns didn't make it.  But just got second batch today.  Definitely selling them for cheap if I get them big.

Darn and nice!  Do you mind checking my recent post on my RBTA?  I'm panicking.

[ninjamyst]

Dad came by this morning, dropped off the eggs.  The water was made last night and I added two bags of Seachem Matrix from the big tank.  Came home tonight to 10 dead baby clowns.  Seems like they hatched and died right away.  Water is too new =(.  I wish my dad gave me at least a week notice instead of just a couple of days.  Sigh.  There are still a lot of eggs that are not hatched yet but I am afraid it will turn out like last time where a few hatches and the rest just die off.  I did quickly replaced 70% of the water with water from big tank along with a small live rock. 

[ReefWeeds]

5 hours ago, ninjamyst said:

I am so jealous of your copperband every time you post a pic of her on instagram!  i found fish trap very effective, especially when I had to caught my bangaii cardinal.  This isn't the one I have but its similar.  I got a bigger one:

https://www.marinedepot.com/Marine_Depot_Acclimation_and_Quarantine_Box_Fish_Containers_Traps_for_Saltwater_Aquariums-Marine_Depot-MD8111-FIMISC-vi.html

 

I haven't.  Do you know their quarantine process?  Baby clowns didn't make it.  But just got second batch today.  Definitely selling them for cheap if I get them big.

Buzz the butterfly is now eating out of my hand! I posted up videos today!!

[ninjamyst]

Woke up this morning and all the eggs are white and dead =(.  

 

8 hours ago, stellablue said:

Buzz the butterfly is now eating out of my hand! I posted up videos today!!

I saw!!!  Soooo jealous!  I may just leave my clownfish tank up and running as a QT in case I find a butterfly fish in the next upcoming weeks... I still check Liveaquaria from time to time.

[ReefWeeds]

20 minutes ago, ninjamyst said:

Woke up this morning and all the eggs are white and dead =(.  

 

I saw!!!  Soooo jealous!  I may just leave my clownfish tank up and running as a QT in case I find a butterfly fish in the next upcoming weeks... I still check Liveaquaria from time to time.

Aww I'm sorry about the eggs  

 

if you can get live blackworms and mix in with some LRS I think it will help him eat. My friend who owns a fish store says she always puts copperbands in with peaceful established fish. She said they don't do well alone and the established fish actually show them what to eat and stuff. So when I put mine in, I was happy to see him swim around with my foxface and copy everything he did. I did not QT - which yeah I know. Scary.

[ninjamyst]

4 minutes ago, stellablue said:

Aww I'm sorry about the eggs  

 

if you can get live blackworms and mix in with some LRS I think it will help him eat. My friend who owns a fish store says she always puts copperbands in with peaceful established fish. She said they don't do well alone and the established fish actually show them what to eat and stuff. So when I put mine in, I was happy to see him swim around with my foxface and copy everything he did. I did not QT - which yeah I know. Scary.

I am looking for a foxface too =).  I may have to remove my yellow coris soon.  She's the only bully in the tank.  But I guess there will always be a tank bully...

[ReefWeeds]

2 minutes ago, ninjamyst said:

I am looking for a foxface too =).  I may have to remove my yellow coris soon.  She's the only bully in the tank.  But I guess there will always be a tank bully...

My foxface Magellan just upped and died last week. I was heartbroken. So right now, I've got only the butterfly, a coris, the bangaii, a neon goby and two of the tiny red spots. The only two fish you see are butterfly and coris 

[ninjamyst]

13 minutes ago, stellablue said:

My foxface Magellan just upped and died last week. I was heartbroken. So right now, I've got only the butterfly, a coris, the bangaii, a neon goby and two of the tiny red spots. The only two fish you see are butterfly and coris 

awww, sorry about Magellan =(.  My foxface suddenly died before too.  Perfectly healthy and active then died the next day after a water change.  Are you going to get another one?? I am done with small, timid fishes.  Only medium, active swimmers for now.  The LFS has a 2" blue star leopard but I am going to pass given their finnicky feeding habits and passive nature.

[KMitch]

I just read all 108 pages of dog sitting photos (maybe a FTS in there too) and was very impressed. 

 

Currently building our own custom home and look forward to getting back into the hobby. I have Nano tanks for years, but broke them all down when I moved overseas. Back and itching to get back into it. 

 

Lot has changed....most notably is that LED is in. I am thinking I will do a similar setup- maybe the Reefer 250 size. In hindsight, thoughts on your light? Seems like you have an on again/ off again relationship with it? 

 

Thanks for a good read!

[ninjamyst]

On 8/28/2017 at 0:20 PM, Gillz said:

I just read all 108 pages of dog sitting photos (maybe a FTS in there too) and was very impressed. 

 

Currently building our own custom home and look forward to getting back into the hobby. I have Nano tanks for years, but broke them all down when I moved overseas. Back and itching to get back into it. 

 

Lot has changed....most notably is that LED is in. I am thinking I will do a similar setup- maybe the Reefer 250 size. In hindsight, thoughts on your light? Seems like you have an on again/ off again relationship with it? 

 

Thanks for a good read!

Thanks for taking the time to read through the thread!!  

 

Building a custom home sounds very cool.  New construction is the way to go!  I am sure you reserved a space for a tank =P.  My only regret is not going bigger so I would recommend at least the Reefer 350.  The extra foot really makes a big difference in terms of the aquascape and type of fish you can get.  As for the light, I don't love it.  If I can do it again, I would not go Kessil AP700.  I will either do 2 Nanobox Duo or 3 AI Hydra 26 HD.  

 

 

[Felicia]

Out of curiosity, what don't you like about the Kessil?  They seem like they'd be really nice, high quality fixtures but I tend to see mixed reviews about them.  Seems like you either love them or hate them.  I've never really considered one, but I may upgrade the light on my new tank eventually and the Kessil A80's are intriguing since they're a good size for small tanks and relatively inexpensive.

[KMitch]

6 hours ago, ninjamyst said:

My only regret is not going bigger so I would recommend at least the Reefer 350.  The extra foot really makes a big difference in terms of the aquascape and type of fish you can get.  

 

 

Yeah, I am sure I will feel that way eventually, but I have never really kept a tank larger than 30 gallons, so a 50 gallon tank sounds massive! And the wall I have picked out for the tank would fit the Reefer 250 beautifully. 

 

I have been leaning towards the Ecotech lights. I had an MP10 right when they were first released and really liked the pump. They have come a long way since, and the idea of my lights and pumps being in sync appeals to me. There is some truth to relationships between light and wave action, so seems reasonable to integrate them. I found my corals did exceptionally well under the reef crest modes of the MP10 before. 

 

Haven't decided what I will do regarding a skimmer. The Aqua-C line was considered one of the best when I was last in the hobby, and I had one that performed well. But there are a lot of new brands and offerings on the market now that warrant further exploration. 

 

You mentioned at one point taking the reactor out of your sump....why? 

[ninjamyst]

20 hours ago, Felicia said:

Out of curiosity, what don't you like about the Kessil?  They seem like they'd be really nice, high quality fixtures but I tend to see mixed reviews about them.  Seems like you either love them or hate them.  I've never really considered one, but I may upgrade the light on my new tank eventually and the Kessil A80's are intriguing since they're a good size for small tanks and relatively inexpensive.

I actually like Kessil a lot but the AP700 rollout was poorly executed with the app not working for a long time.  That is fixed now, and I love the shimmer and sleek form factor.  But I do feel having just two pucks for 4 feet tank creates shadow issues for acros.  If doing mostly LPS and easier SPS, the AP700 is awesome.  My birdsnest and montis are doing great.  If I get 3 AI Hydras, that's 6 LED clusters over 4 feet.  For small nano tanks, the A80 is awesome for the price factor.  

 

15 hours ago, Gillz said:

Yeah, I am sure I will feel that way eventually, but I have never really kept a tank larger than 30 gallons, so a 50 gallon tank sounds massive! And the wall I have picked out for the tank would fit the Reefer 250 beautifully. 

 

I have been leaning towards the Ecotech lights. I had an MP10 right when they were first released and really liked the pump. They have come a long way since, and the idea of my lights and pumps being in sync appeals to me. There is some truth to relationships between light and wave action, so seems reasonable to integrate them. I found my corals did exceptionally well under the reef crest modes of the MP10 before. 

 

Haven't decided what I will do regarding a skimmer. The Aqua-C line was considered one of the best when I was last in the hobby, and I had one that performed well. But there are a lot of new brands and offerings on the market now that warrant further exploration. 

 

You mentioned at one point taking the reactor out of your sump....why? 

I went from 12 gallon tank to 75 gallon display and already ran out of room for corals =P.  The radions are NICE but also hella expensive.  But I do agree it's better to stick with one vendor for everything if possible.  I really like my Aquamaxx CO-1 skimmer right now.  I think someone here is selling theirs for pretty cheap and you can always get one from MarineDepot when they have a sale.  As for the reactor, I took out the BRS one because it's so big and loud.  I replaced it with the IM MiniMax and love it.  I run carbon and phosguard in it.  

 

 

 

I need to take some pics this weekend.  I got two rainbow acans a month ago, and one of them is coloring up very very nice.  My LFS told me that acans do great under Kessils and I have to agree.  I got a zoa branch a month ago too with 30 polyps that suddenly all but two died after I dipped with H202 for too long.  Then all of a sudden 10+ babies popped up last week.  It's nice orange with yellow center.  

[teenyreef]

Yay for pics!