New Red Sea World for Squishy

[Sea_Of_Treachery]

What sand did you end up getting? Some need rinsed very well and some don't (Caribsea aragalive) which comes with a clarifier.

[SquishyFishy]

The stand with all its controls and apparatus is complete:

The battery backup goes to the far right and then we can channel the tank cable to our wall in the black channel.

Still having trouble with the clearing of sand cloud, and I have tested params, all is perfect, no ammonia after 24 hrs. I used Micro Bactra7 for bacteria. If I can just get it clear, I can pump my old water (2 to 5 gal.s) into it and start moving rock.

[SquishyFishy]

[SquishyFishy]

5 hrs from start to finish if you don't count the initial fill, which was yesterday.

 

30 minutes for stock transfer. No casualties as of yet, but all residents are pretty PO'd.

 

Parameters are perfect so far. I expect a spike but the transfer went so smoothly, I don't think much of anything could've died off. We took the rocks out and ran to the new tank, no trash cans nor containers to bother with... no more than 5 seconds out of water. We transferred 5 gals of old tank water, the rest was fresh saltwater, so a huge water change! We saw a spike in salt from the sand so we had to mess with the salinity but it's a perfect 1.025 now. Temp is 78. PH is a little off, still light purple but will dose it tomorrow with 2 part to get it right.

 

I know I need height and I'm going for a kind of obtuse triangle formation so there needs to be a 15'' tall rock on the right side higher than the leather, in the space there to the left of him. But here is my first FTS:

 

I think the tank is still a little cloudy so I put in some clarifier per my lfs guy to settle it. The monti has plenty of space to spread out now without shadowing anything and sits on his little acrylic perch very well.

 

I love it!

[SquishyFishy]

What sand did you end up getting? Some need rinsed very well and some don't (Caribsea aragalive) which comes with a clarifier.

Yes, I got live sand from Caribsea Fiji Pink, Looks much better now. By tomorrow it will probably be just fine.

[Minidoll]

Looking great! Looks like its clearing up too. You have so much room to play with and add more corals. :-) Did RS ever get back to you? I wonder if InTank makes a media rack that would fit this tank. Looking at the back of the tank again, I see no mechanical filteration other than the sponge thingy. Love how tidy and organized it is under the tank. Great job of transferring over! Hope you're enjoying some nice wine after all that work.

[SquishyFishy]

Thank you kindly Minidoll, you are so kind to say so.

 

They have not replied yet...I feel better about it since its clearing up...but I just checked the tank again and it looks like my Coral Beauty has developed ick on his fins!!!!!!!!!!! I will check with the lfs guy to see if he'll take him back since he's only been in my tank for a week.

[Minidoll]

Oh no, sorry to hear that! Maybe it's some particles from the water that are sticking to the fins. That happened sometimes to my six line wrasse, used to freak me out! I sold him back to my LFS because he terrorized my corals, no one could eat in peace. Keep us posted.

[SquishyFishy]

I took a close up and am going in today to the lfs guy to show him. He will have to take him back for quarantine because I don't have a Qtank.

 

Maybe he'll let me trade him in for the starry blenny.

 

I'm fiddling with my AI app for the lights...I am NOT a techie and it seems like Greek to me. Hopefully I can find a tutorial on You Tube to help me.

 

Here's the tank today: Is almost 100% clear!

Everyone is much happier today but all the mushrooms are still sulking.

[SquishyFishy]

Tank is crystal now...pleased!

[Minidoll]

Did you do anything or did it clear up on its own?

[SquishyFishy]

I didn't do anything so I guess the system is as advertised. Still having a devil of a time figuring out the Hydra lighting app.

[SquishyFishy]

Went to the lfs to spend the gift card I got for Christmas, came home with 2 more Chromis who are schooling nicely with their predecessor. And a Black Cap Basslet who immediately hid himself, but I know where he is!

 

Still trying to dial in the skimmer. I think we're still too clean yet.

[SquishyFishy]

Had an incident today. While adding some dry rock, I forgot to turn off ATO and it pumped 2.5 extra gallons into the tank. I had just added my Kalkw. to the ATO tank. So I felt there was too much in the display....fortunately, the Hanna tested out perfect and the salt was unbelievably perfect. 8.4 and 1.025 respectively. Now I want to be sure that those params agree with everyone. I'll post this on general discussion as well.

[SquishyFishy]

Added new rock, new 2017 FTS:

 

Took out some flash reflections

[Minidoll]

Looks great! Love that little shelf you made or the monticap, fits right in with your scape.

[SquishyFishy]

Thanks....I need one more rock in the void between the leather and the monticap. And I think that'll do it. Trying to keep the rock to a minimum so there will be plenty of space for swimming for the tang I am contemplating. Right now, a yellow tang, but am researching others.

[SquishyFishy]

Got me a red scooter blenny really a dragonette today, not a ruby but close. He is quickly becoming my favorite fish in the tank!!!!!!!

 

Too cute. LFS had them for $12. I keep an eye on him with binoculars! I fixed him up a diner with a small spice bottle and he has been all around it but can't seem to figure out what to do, although one of the blue legs has been eating it up in there. Trying to train him to very small pellet, I got him a whole pouch of Tisbe, hope he was able to eat during the night.

[Minidoll]

Hope to see pics of the new little guy soon! I've been toying with the idea of getting another fish for my 20. I just have two clowns in there now. Not really sure what to get. Thought of you today as I had to pull one of my big rocks out to remove some lovely but very invasive palys. Wore my mask, gloves and goggles so I was very protected. Anyway, I was so nervous about removing just one rock while you removed all your rocks out and changed tanks too! Big kudos to you!

[SquishyFishy]

Its really not that hard and the rock/coral are so much more hardy than we think.

 

I'd consider looking for this little guy, he is so fun to watch. Or just a plain scooter blenny. They are so cute. You could do 2 fish if you chose them, they are so small, hardly any bio load. I recently added a Black Cap Basslet, which is prettier than a Gramma in my opinion, such a beauty...of course they are expensive. But Blue Chromis or Green Blue Chromis are cheap and you could do a trio of those.

 

He must be getting what he needs in the rock as he still can't seem to go in the diner. He walks all around it and sits in front of the entrance, but can't get the courage to go in.

 

I have lots of pods, but they have been growing in my tank for literally years and they are too big for him to eat. I am working on a better diner for him. I will glue a magnet on it so I can move it around and get it up to the top to put food in. Will take a photo if this works.

[SquishyFishy]

Here's Skeeter:

 

He's no longer than the first section of my finger and no bigger around than a straw. at his widest.

[Minidoll]

Skeeter is adorable! Will he get any bigger or is that the normal size?

[SquishyFishy]

He's a baby. Average adult size is 3" so he should triple in size....if I can get the food he needs.

 

Reminds me of Jar Jar Binks!

[SquishyFishy]

Really having trouble with my corals. Since they've moved into their new digs in the Red Sea Max.

 

The monti is bleaching, its offspring was doing well and now its almost white. The nems have moved for the first time and the mushrooms are all sulking and refusing to open completely as they did in the BC. Everything looks pale.

 

I have had 2 disasters with the ATO. I added kalk to it as recommended by Mr. Saltwater Tank on You Tube, but had 2 incidents where the kalk floating and collecting on bottom of ATO rez and did not stay suspended...so the ATO pumped too strong a solution into the display, caught it right away and did water changes both time, but I think this and the new AI prime lighting has had a huge affect on them. Also, don't have the actinic bulb anymore so no neon colors. I've been target feeding with coral frenzy trying to help them...and of course after the last incident, we cleaned out the ATO tank...no more kalk...never going to do it that way again.

 

Had the best success with 2 part dosing, so am going back to that. But in the mean time, will the monti improve or once it starts bleaching on the edges and fading color is it done for? Oh, forgot the birds nest also has problems. The polyps turned dark and it looks skeleton like now, not puffy and pretty color. So sad about all this. The BC tank was so gorgeous and now this. Boohoo

 

On a better note, my fish are doing very well, got a new fairy wrasse and...don't beat on me....2 tangs. Got rid of my clowns as they were beating up on the tangs. Now everyone gets along and are happy.

[SquishyFishy]

When it rains it pours!! Today, I found another lesion on the forehead of my new wrasse and my tang is exhibiting signs of lateral line. probably due to the stress he was under with the attack clowns who are gone now, (traded them for the wrasse) and he was scrapping on a rock. So they both went into quarantine at my lfs. I'm almost ready to throw my hands up with my new and very expensive RSM.