Potter's 300µL micro-reef

[HarryPotter]

So its been 6 weeks fallow, after ich. UV has been running the whole time, and now the tank has much more life- pods, algae, etc. Pair of clowns from LA coming tomorrow.... wish me luck. The ich was obtained from a local store, it was my mistake buying from there. It was clear that there was ich in their setup. 

 

 

 

 

[seabass]

Good luck!

[HarryPotter]

44 minutes ago, seabass said:

Good luck!

 

Thanks. I am sticking to LA Divers Den this time around! 

 

The 10 “off color” stick pack (plus one addition 🤯) arrives tomorrow with them. Fall break, so I’ll be home. 

[Griever]

1 hour ago, HarryPotter said:

So its been 6 weeks fallow, after ich. UV has been running the whole time, and now the tank has much more life- pods, algae, etc. Pair of clowns from LA coming tomorrow.... wish me luck. The ich was obtained from a local store, it was my mistake buying from there. It was clear that there was ich in their setup. 

 

 

 

 

I've given up on my local places for fish. I've bought two sets of fish from them now and they've all either died within days or had diseases. No refunds or credit either. Worth paying the extra 5-10% for LA for their refund policy and pre-treatment for basic stuff. Can't wait to see more FTS of everything once the 2nd BattleBox arrives! 

[seabass]

3 hours ago, HarryPotter said:

I am sticking to LA Divers Den this time around! 

While I agree and do the same, I have gotten fish (even from DD) that had ich.  Although I believe that it increases my odds of getting healthy fish (especially when compared to my local stores).  At some point, when you have more to lose, a quarantine makes the most sense (even when buying from a trusted source).

[mitten_reef]

9 hours ago, HarryPotter said:

 

Thanks. I am sticking to LA Divers Den this time around! 

 

The 10 “off color” stick pack (plus one addition 🤯) arrives tomorrow with them. Fall break, so I’ll be home. 

I like how you speculated what "off color" might be on another thread, dark/shade side of a nice colony.  Hopefully it is just that!

 

My initial thought was that it just meant less popular options. either way, a hell of a deal! I can't wait to see them.     

[HarryPotter]

6 hours ago, seabass said:

While I agree and do the same, I have gotten fish (even from DD) that had ich.  Although I believe that it increases my odds of getting healthy fish (especially when compared to my local stores).  At some point, when you have more to lose, a quarantine makes the most sense (even when buying from a trusted source).

 

Yes, I know what you mean. But the first time I added fish from LA to this tank, all was perfect. The tang, two clowns, cardinalfish, etc were all eating voraciously for weeks and “good to go”. Then I added a single fish from LFS, boom.  

 

Of course you can get ich from anywhere- it’s tough, especially with a big tank like this. I really don’t have the space available to set up a quarantine tank. I was considering using my reefer 350 as an observation tank- in there, I just have my clowns, a small tang, and blenny. All have been healthy and eating like pigs, so they should be pretty resistant to disease. So i could put fish in the sump to observe, making sure they eat and are healthy for a few weeks before moving them to the 300.

 

Perhaps it’s a stupid idea- but if the idea is minimizing losses, it would be more effecient to “risk” the livestock of the reefer than the big tank. 

[HarryPotter]

39 minutes ago, micoastreefing said:

I like how you speculated what "off color" might be on another thread, dark/shade side of a nice colony.  Hopefully it is just that!

 

My initial thought was that it just meant less popular options. either way, a hell of a deal! I can't wait to see them.     

 

I don’t think he would keep too many less popular options, or common sticks. It’s not effecient to be growing green slimer- space is a priority. But we’ll see! 

[specore]

1 hour ago, HarryPotter said:

 

Yes, I know what you mean. But the first time I added fish from LA to this tank, all was perfect. The tang, two clowns, cardinalfish, etc were all eating voraciously for weeks and “good to go”. Then I added a single fish from LFS, boom.  

 

Of course you can get ich from anywhere- it’s tough, especially with a big tank like this. I really don’t have the space available to set up a quarantine tank. I was considering using my reefer 350 as an observation tank- in there, I just have my clowns, a small tang, and blenny. All have been healthy and eating like pigs, so they should be pretty resistant to disease. So i could put fish in the sump to observe, making sure they eat and are healthy for a few weeks before moving them to the 300.

 

Perhaps it’s a stupid idea- but if the idea is minimizing losses, it would be more effecient to “risk” the livestock of the reefer than the big tank. 

I bought my Flameback Angel from DD and was extremely please.  If nothing else having a fish that is eating prepared foods and otherwise conditioned to captivity for several weeks makes a big difference.  My flameback did pick up some ich (only saw 2-3 cysts which I am sure it was already present and probably not from LA) but fought it off without issue.  I would definitely purchase again, although I am a little torn because it is also important to support local stores.  

[HarryPotter]

@micoastreefing so my current theory is that a good proportion of them are nice frags that started to RTN, he moved them aside to recover, and then is selling them like this because the growth is a little funky. Efflos, milliporas, etc. The plugs were all more colorful than my past orders, which goes along with that explanation. Some mystery ones as well. 

 

 

You can can see the leftmost and bottom frag is growing over a previously RTNed area- healthy coral, little funky looking xD 

 

edit: I did replug because some of them had some stuff like vermatid worms. Nothing harmful in the dip, but no point not being cautious 🙂

 

 

My lights arent on yet, so will update with top down and side photos this afternoon!

 

[HarryPotter]

 

Warning: boring post alert! 

 

So the WC procedure is to first fill up a 50g bucket next to the tank while simultaneously refilling the 10g ato reservoir  (because why not, if the tubing is already there). Both cut off via float valves. 

 

Add a full bag of fritz pro salt and a mixing pump, a heater, ready to go. Siphon out to a identical bucket, refill using the pump, should be pretty easy. 

 

(Drill is only there because I just installed the float valve) 

 

[HarryPotter]

Lots of algae to munch on.... Mass tang-introduction is on Thursday.... Wish me luck. Ive never done well with fish!!!

 

 

[mtgmichaelg]

1 hour ago, HarryPotter said:

Lots of algae to munch on.... Mass tang-introduction is on Thursday.... Wish me luck. Ive never done well with fish!!!

 

 

What tangs are you adding Harry? 

[HarryPotter]

9 hours ago, mtgmichaelg said:

What tangs are you adding Harry? 

 

Sailfin, tomini, lieutenant, powder blue, blue. Avoided anything particularly aggressive- in the future could add a yellow.

 

They're all about 3”, size/bioload won’t be an issue with the way I’ve been feeding this tank. It’s just a question of whether there will be any disease....... and I have done everything I can to ensure the tank is ready. Gone fallow, run UV, etc. 

[mtgmichaelg]

1 hour ago, HarryPotter said:

 

Sailfin, tomini, lieutenant, powder blue, blue. Avoided anything particularly aggressive- in the future could add a yellow.

 

They're all about 3”, size/bioload won’t be an issue with the way I’ve been feeding this tank. It’s just a question of whether there will be any disease....... and I have done everything I can to ensure the tank is ready. Gone fallow, run UV, etc. 

That's a nice combo. We are getting a yellow eye kole tang and yellow tang for the club. We are going to have the lfs hold the fish for a month before introducing them. 

[HarryPotter]

5 minutes ago, mtgmichaelg said:

That's a nice combo. We are getting a yellow eye kole tang and yellow tang for the club. We are going to have the lfs hold the fish for a month before introducing them. 

 

Problem with the LFS holding them is that all our LFS have ich, you can see it especially on the weekends after Friday fish deliveries. They add new fresh fish to the system weekly- introducing new parasites and such. They run low salinity or copper to cover it up, but then you add it to your tank and boom. That’s what happened the first time I added a fish to this tank from our LFS... it was going fantastic until that. Liveaquaria does true quarantining on divers din and such, which to me makes it worth it. It’s not a guarantee they’re healthy, but you have much h better odds IMO

[FISHnChix]

6 hours ago, HarryPotter said:

Liveaquaria does true quarantining on divers din and such, which to me makes it worth it. It’s not a guarantee they’re healthy, but you have much h better odds IMO

I have never talked to live aquaria personally but I dunno If i buy them properly quarantining fish. I mean think about it they sell so many fish how could they quarantine a fish for month? And keep that fish separate from the new fish they want to add to quarantine every single day. Plus it doesn't seem cost effective, and I would imagine a company owned by isn't it petco?, would really care about the bottom line over quality.. just my thinking I could be totally wrong here ?‍♂️.

 

On a bright note that seems like a awesome stock of fish cant wait to see some pictures of the new guys!!!

[HarryPotter]

16 minutes ago, Weikel said:

I have never talked to live aquaria personally but I dunno If i buy them properly quarantining fish. I mean think about it they sell so many fish how could they quarantine a fish for month? And keep that fish separate from the new fish they want to add to quarantine every single day. Plus it doesn't seem cost effective, and I would imagine a company owned by isn't it petco?, would really care about the bottom line over quality.. just my thinking I could be totally wrong here ?‍♂️.

 

On a bright note that seems like a awesome stock of fish cant wait to see some pictures of the new guys!!!

 

You can read abou what they do here: 

https://m.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=425

 

[specore]

21 minutes ago, Weikel said:

I have never talked to live aquaria personally but I dunno If i buy them properly quarantining fish. I mean think about it they sell so many fish how could they quarantine a fish for month? And keep that fish separate from the new fish they want to add to quarantine every single day. Plus it doesn't seem cost effective, and I would imagine a company owned by isn't it petco?, would really care about the bottom line over quality.. just my thinking I could be totally wrong here ?‍♂️.

 

On a bright note that seems like a awesome stock of fish cant wait to see some pictures of the new guys!!!

 

5 minutes ago, HarryPotter said:

 

You can read abou what they do here: 

https://m.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=425

 

 

This applies to Diver's Den.  I'm confident the standard Live Aquaria fish don't get this kind of treatment. 

[specore]

Found this in their FAQ.  Sounds like the standard LA specimens get treatment if a problem is observed, otherwise held long enough to get them eating.  

 

 

[FISHnChix]

5 minutes ago, specore said:

16 minutes ago, HarryPotter said:

 

You can read abou what they do here: 

https://m.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=425

 

 

 

That's pretty neat how they quarantine the divers den fish!!! Seems like it gives you a better chance than just buying a fish from a lfs.. and they aren't crazy over priced either.

 

What's that about towards the end when they say after the whole in depth quarantine process they add their fish to the "main fish system" . That would be dumb if they added these guys back to the general population of unquarintined fish??🤨

 

[mitten_reef]

39 minutes ago, Weikel said:

I mean think about it they sell so many fish how could they quarantine a fish for month? And keep that fish separate from the new fish they want to add to quarantine every single day.

my small-in-comparison LFS has 5-6 QT systems that include 4 75-gallon tanks each.  They don't necessarily have to qt each fish individually, just have to make sure that fish in the same 75-gallon will be compatible.  Once you got the ball rolling, so to speak, it'd just be about cycling through the qt periods for each systems.  a lot less cumbersome than I had imagined, and wish more LFSs would be that dedicated.  

[HarryPotter]

RIP  half of the order that is delayed in Kentucky due to "mechanical failure" with UPS..... 

[specore]

1 hour ago, HarryPotter said:

RIP  half of the order that is delayed in Kentucky due to "mechanical failure" with UPS..... 

I'm only 15 minutes away from UPS Worldport.  Too bad I can't grab them for you

[seabass]

Aw crap!  At least it's not mid summer or mid winter, so I suppose there's a slight chance that a couple might survive.  Plus, you should get a credit for that part of the order; and you've gotten practice at bringing corals back from the dead.  I hope all is not lost.