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Firefish's 10G rimless "The Island" - Tank transferred to 14g bow front


Firefish15

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31 minutes ago, mwhitelock said:

looking good! 

just make sure the trapping doesn't stress the goby into not eating too...

Yeah, that's a consideration. It may be better to trap the shrimp.

 

Thank you!

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thecoralbeauty
12 minutes ago, Firefish15 said:

Yeah, that's a consideration. It may be better to trap the shrimp.

 

Thank you!

in my experience, if things are hungry enough they will eat. if they're starving themselves to death, they're probably sick.

 

I didn't read back, what have you tried for food? 

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I alternate between Omega One marine flakes, Hikari Seaweed Extreme (tiny pellets), Marine Cuisine (frozen brine, krill, plankton). I also recently added frozen fish eggs to the rotation. A little bit of fresh salmon too. 

I typically do 2 or 3 small feedings throughout the day.

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thecoralbeauty
2 minutes ago, Firefish15 said:

I alternate between Omega One marine flakes, Hikari Seaweed Extreme (tiny pellets), Marine Cuisine (frozen brine, krill, plankton). I also recently added frozen fish eggs to the rotation. A little bit of fresh salmon too. 

I typically do 2 or 3 small feedings throughout the day.

hm. well, you'd think he could find something he liked out of that variety. Mysis has been my go-to for finicky eaters. Or even Mysis with some fresh garlic juice squeezed in it. but thats just anecdotal evidence. Fingers crossed something you try works!! 

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Just now, mwhitelock said:

hm. well, you'd think he could find something he liked out of that variety. Mysis has been my go-to for finicky eaters. Or even Mysis with some fresh garlic juice squeezed in it. but thats just anecdotal evidence. Fingers crossed something you try works!! 

Yeah, I try to feed my fish a good variety. The firefish and YCG are very enthusiastic eaters of everything.

 

The Rainford goby is a sand sifter. Maybe if I trap the shrimp, shut off the pump, and sprinkle some food on the sand bed, I can train him onto something. I can still try Reef Roids too.

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1 hour ago, Firefish15 said:

I alternate between Omega One marine flakes, Hikari Seaweed Extreme (tiny pellets), Marine Cuisine (frozen brine, krill, plankton). I also recently added frozen fish eggs to the rotation. A little bit of fresh salmon too. 

I typically do 2 or 3 small feedings throughout the day.

Definitely a great variety of foods! I hope you can get the Rainford's goby eating. It's really a beautiful fish.

Honestly if you've got no Aiptasia, that peppermint may end up being more trouble than it's worth! I wouldn't blame you if you ended up rehoming it.

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12 hours ago, billygoat said:

Definitely a great variety of foods! I hope you can get the Rainford's goby eating. It's really a beautiful fish.

Honestly if you've got no Aiptasia, that peppermint may end up being more trouble than it's worth! I wouldn't blame you if you ended up rehoming it.

Well, I was told in the LFS that it was taking frozen brine shrimp and mysis... :huh:

I might go take my peppermint back, and have a little conversation with them about the Rainford's goby. I have had great experiences with the store so far. Lots of good stock, very healthy. Great variety and deals on corals. They even advised me not to buy coral at one point because they were dealing with an algae outbreak. All that to say, I don't think they'd intentionally lie to me. 

I'll just keep trying to get him to eat. If it gets lethargic or emaciated, I'll probably wind up taking it back. 

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IMG_20190409_135730402.thumb.jpg.1942dd380a9518b5306357d539ab9767.jpg

Dogo surveying his domain from the cabbage leather. :smilie: I think it's his new favorite spot since I epoxied it to the top of the rockwork.

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Gosh I just love those yellow clown gobies. I think that if I ever get a smaller tank it will be a 5-7g that features a single one of those fish. It's a shame they are from the Pacific, otherwise I'd have one in my biotope for sure! Although I'm sure it would just get eaten by my Discosoma neglecta anyway 😅

 

That cabbage leather is looking good! It must like that new spot. Soon you'll have a whole carpet of them hanging off the top of that rock!

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@billygoat He wouldn't even be a proper meal for The Maw! 😜 It is pretty funny how they fit all that personality into such a small package though. He always rockets straight toward the biggest piece of food, even though he can't hope to swallow it. 

 

Yeah, I'm getting good PE from it there. A carpet would be beautiful!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Alright, new plan of attack. The Rainford's goby still has not visibly eaten prepared foods, so some things need to be done.

 

Tomorrow, I'm returning the peppermint shrimp to the LFS. Been mulling it over for a while. It's been cool and fun, but it's also a pain in the butt for feeding corals and the new fish. It's quite healthy, molted a few times, so I have no shame about re-homing it.

I'll also get what info I can about the goby's eating while it was there (and may check out the coral selection).

 

After some research, I'm trying a new strategy. I've taken half a clamshell and filled it with a little slurry of frozen foods, and put it back in the freezer. I'll try presenting it on the sandbed tomorrow after Greedy has been re-homed. I'm also no longer going to clean the back wall of the tank. That'll increase the grazing area for the snails and Rainford's goby. 

IMG_20190418_003319324.jpg

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4 hours ago, Firefish15 said:

Alright, new plan of attack. The Rainford's goby still has not visibly eaten prepared foods, so some things need to be done.

 

Tomorrow, I'm returning the peppermint shrimp to the LFS. Been mulling it over for a while. It's been cool and fun, but it's also a pain in the butt for feeding corals and the new fish. It's quite healthy, molted a few times, so I have no shame about re-homing it.

I'll also get what info I can about the goby's eating while it was there (and may check out the coral selection).

 

After some research, I'm trying a new strategy. I've taken half a clamshell and filled it with a little slurry of frozen foods, and put it back in the freezer. I'll try presenting it on the sandbed tomorrow after Greedy has been re-homed. I'm also no longer going to clean the back wall of the tank. That'll increase the grazing area for the snails and Rainford's goby. 

IMG_20190418_003319324.jpg

I might return my peppermint shrimp too! Mine killed my feather duster and is just a little devil in general. I hope the new feeding method works out! I loved your tank 

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1 hour ago, 9darlingcalvi said:

I might return my peppermint shrimp too! Mine killed my feather duster and is just a little devil in general. I hope the new feeding method works out! I loved your tank 

Thanks!

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Well, I'm now shrimpless. But then I had some store credit, so I had to spend it. :rolleyes: Got some cool blue zoas with orange mouths, a lovely red discosoma, and a nice chunk of pipe organ coral. Will add photos soon. I also got some tigger pods to add later tonight, try and at least add something for the goby. I probably went a little overboard though, because my total was higher than I expected. :eek: 

 

Also, I'd been meaning to get some more mini brittle stars since the emerald crab killed all of them the last time. I keep forgetting to ask, even this time I did. But when I was dipping the corals in Reef Safe, 5 little brittles jumped out of the pipe organ coral! :biggrin: Quick rinse and in they went. 

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2 hours ago, billygoat said:

How'd the meal-in-a-halfshell strategy work with your goby? Any luck getting him to eat? I thought it was a very clever idea!

I think it will work, I just need to refine it more. On the previous attempts, the food thawed too quickly and floated out. Made a bit of a mess. I think that if I secure a bit of mesh over it, it will work better. But it definitely helps without the peppermint shrimp.

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  • Firefish15 changed the title to Firefish's 10G rimless "The Island" - Preparing to Move
Firefish15

Update, since it's been a while. 

 

I've seen the Rainford's goby eat food a few times! He's picked at both shrimp and flake food, which is really encouraging. He's not an aggressive or enthusiastic feeder at this point, but I'm feeling good about his long-term prospects. 

 

All the corals are doing well. The xenia has already sprouted a new stalk. Yesterday, I mounted the pipe organ and new zoas into their places. I had to use a combination of epoxy and superglue.

 

Here are some photos of everything today!

 

IMG_20190504_154215458.thumb.jpg.1ca80ce2aac8b49f961f3256b52727c1.jpg

New zoas. Some of them have really orange mouths. 

 

IMG_20190504_164431844.thumb.jpg.5c20594ce8746949d2408cf73c138d55.jpg

Pipe organ coral from above. 

 

IMG_20190504_154137347.thumb.jpg.9a58512f4417bcb84217a7031286b58e.jpg

 

I will be moving about 500 miles coming up soonish, be about an 8-hour drive. Starting to plan for the aquarium. I picked up a cooler today, so I can bag and transport the fish. For the sand and rock, I was just going to move everything to a pair of 5g buckets. I'll ask some more questions though. 

Tomorrow I'm going to make my last trip to the LFS here. It's been a really good one, so I'm sad to leave it. 

 

 

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billygoat

Glad to see everything is doing well in there! If you're anything like me, you must be more than a bit nervous about moving your system... I sure hope everything goes well! I am certain that it will thrive in its new location once everything settles in. ^^

 

Great to hear about the Rainford's goby too. I knew he would come around eventually.

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On 5/5/2019 at 1:21 AM, Firefish15 said:

Update, since it's been a while. 

 

I've seen the Rainford's goby eat food a few times! He's picked at both shrimp and flake food, which is really encouraging. He's not an aggressive or enthusiastic feeder at this point, but I'm feeling good about his long-term prospects. 

 

All the corals are doing well. The xenia has already sprouted a new stalk. Yesterday, I mounted the pipe organ and new zoas into their places. I had to use a combination of epoxy and superglue.

 

Here are some photos of everything today!

 

IMG_20190504_154215458.thumb.jpg.1ca80ce2aac8b49f961f3256b52727c1.jpg

New zoas. Some of them have really orange mouths. 

 

IMG_20190504_164431844.thumb.jpg.5c20594ce8746949d2408cf73c138d55.jpg

Pipe organ coral from above. 

 

IMG_20190504_154137347.thumb.jpg.9a58512f4417bcb84217a7031286b58e.jpg

 

I will be moving about 500 miles coming up soonish, be about an 8-hour drive. Starting to plan for the aquarium. I picked up a cooler today, so I can bag and transport the fish. For the sand and rock, I was just going to move everything to a pair of 5g buckets. I'll ask some more questions though. 

Tomorrow I'm going to make my last trip to the LFS here. It's been a really good one, so I'm sad to leave it. 

 

 

I did an 800 mile move a couple years ago, though with a pico.  You can use cheapo styrofoam coolers to transport things (the ones from e.g. LiveAquaria are not waterproof, start to "sweat" water through the pores lol).  Someone on here who's been to frag shows told me you can transport frags in ice cube trays immersed in water.  Keep your salt and a few gallons of distilled water easily accessible, and/or plan to get to the store for some distilled water as soon as you arrive.  There's a good guide to moving somewhere on here, I think StevieT wrote it?  It's stickied in one of the forums.  Expect that you'll need more of whatever supplies you have on hand because it gets super messy and I always underestimate what I will need lol.  LOTS of paper towels for the inevitable spills.  You can probably get baggies for the fish from a local pet store, or online.  Not an expert on moving fish as I've only moved with freshwater fish before.  If I think of anything else, I'll try to pop back in.  Don't be afraid to post and ask others for advice to your specific moving situation.  Hope it goes well!

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Firefish15

Went to Corals4Cheap today, probably for the last time in quite a while. It was kinda sad, saying goodbye to the owner. Every coral in my system has come from that store, and the owner's a lot of fun.

But since I was there and had a bit of credit, I got one more for the road. :wink:

 

IMG_20190507_182825807.thumb.jpg.055b7c85225309c246445a362d097296.jpgBlue hairy mushroom. :biggrin:

 

I also got some fish bags for the road. Yesterday, I bought a small cooler for the bagged fish. I've got 2 battery powered air pumps on the way, one for each 5g bucket. I'm going to drill a small hole in each lid for the airline to fit in, then seal a trash bag around the buckets. I'll have the pumps on the outside. Probably wrap them in towels too. I'll have some gallon jugs of saltwater made up, plus more DI water too. 

On 5/5/2019 at 7:38 AM, billygoat said:

If you're anything like me, you must be more than a bit nervous about moving your system...

I'm a bit nervous yeah, but I've got a plan. There's an identical 10g sitting empty in the garage where I'm going as well. Extra insurance. Hey, there's a 20g long sitting around too... :sideeyes: Might have to make use of that in the future. 

 

4 hours ago, Lula_Mae said:

There's a good guide to moving somewhere on here, I think StevieT wrote it?

Yeah, I've read that one recently. Along with some others I've found. I will do my best to be prepared!

 

Thanks for the advice guys! Feel free to drop in whenever you have more! I will record the process when it happens on the 20th.

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  • Firefish15 changed the title to Firefish's 10G rimless "The Island" - Move Completed
Firefish15

Welp, the move has been finished.

 

Here are some last pictures of the tank from its original place. 

IMG_20190519_215954018.thumb.jpg.22ff3906362d114858d06dc4ceaa4df7.jpg

 

IMG_20190519_220017401.thumb.jpg.37d3f2370e8797fd2703b7cc595a0c93.jpg

 

Now the move! I started packing up around 7:45 in the morning, took me more than an hour to get everything stowed. 

IMG_20190520_074918128.thumb.jpg.c8a729e490d99970d5010225c4f60218.jpg

 

IMG_20190520_084646508.thumb.jpg.4821fe6c777026e9eb107121143ca558.jpg

 

I did accidentally kill the Rainford's goby. :sad: I removed all the rocks from the tank so I could catch the fish. Turns out, he had stowed away in a crevice. That particular rock had been on the counter for a few minutes. When I returned him to the tank,  he was still alive. When I checked a few hours down the road though, he was dead. So far, that's the only fatality though.

 

I kept the car at ~85F the whole 8 hour drive. I was a sweaty mess, but the buckets stayed at a good temperature. 

IMG_20190520_101834755.thumb.jpg.76cecb5c97ac59715cf856ea90c3f014.jpg

 

Near the end, they had gotten up to 80F. Still not bad though, considering they're normally at 78F. Everything seems to have fared pretty well. The battery-powered air pumps did a great job!


I got things set up at the new place.

IMG_20190520_210425041.thumb.jpg.ff79564bf1c7462a555737d6d2f56473.jpg

 

IMG_20190520_214935162.thumb.jpg.a0dc81440cdacb5b1760f451aecee748.jpg

 

Everything was a cloudy mess at first, but it's settled down by this morning. 

IMG_20190521_111016502.thumb.jpg.eec091150ad5bdf49807c85e658c27d1.jpg

 

My pH is a bit low, around 7.9. I'm also undergoing a cycle currently. Ammonia at 0.75ppm last night, will check again today. The corals are all open though, and the two fish are acting normally. I am worried about two of the discosomas, but they were having issues before the move. I just need to get them attached to stuff.

Overall, things haven't gone too badly. I am glad that it's over! :owned:

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Glad to hear that everything went reasonably well! It's sad to hear about the goby, but losing a single fish during a long move has to be considered a success in the grand scheme of things. And the tank looks just like it did before! Very well done. Love the new location too. I'm sure that everything will be back on track once the dust settles and things get back to normal in there.

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Firefish15
6 hours ago, billygoat said:

It's sad to hear about the goby, but losing a single fish during a long move has to be considered a success in the grand scheme of things.

I'm just pissed because it was my fault. I removed all the rock so I could catch the fish, and couldn't find the Rainford's. I dug through the bucket of rock and found him in a crevice. Problem was that rock had been on the counter for a few minutes. He was alive when I returned him to the tank and bagged him, but a few hours later he had passed. :unsure: 

 

But yeah, overall things went well. I don't think I'll get another Rainford's goby though. Even though he picked at prepared foods, he was pretty skinny. I'm thinking possibly a tailspot blenny to replace him.

 

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  • Firefish15 changed the title to Firefish's 10G rimless "The Island" - Settling in again
Firefish15

Well, I'm now part of the RO/DI club! Since I moved away from my water source at school (graduation and all), I got an RO/DI unit, the Aquatic Life RO Buddie + DI. The set up isn't the prettiest, but it works! My first bucket is filling as I type.

 

IMG_20190526_212624068.thumb.jpg.808573ad2e48eb2f1874a7d82f406074.jpg

 

Tank is doing well. I'll make some visits to some stores to try and decide on a new LFS.

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  • Firefish15 changed the title to Firefish's 10G rimless "The Island" - Tank transferred to 14g bow front

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