Ratvan's RSM 130D

[Ratvan]

3 minutes ago, Pjanssen said:

Looking good. I've often contemplated a FOWLER. So many interesting fish that you don't have to worry if they eat corals or not. But I have a hard time getting rid of things, so unless everything dies, I'll be keeping (and likely adding to) my corals.

 

Just curious, why don't you have a tank at home?

Thanks, yeah FOWLR and Macro for the time being. Sadly. 😞

 

I have the Fluval Spec 3 Pico (365 Challenge) at home, unlikely to go much larger to be honest. I am on a water meter, for me this means I cant make RODI at home as it will get too expensive too quickly if I have a tank larger than 10G. I have a spotless water account (Low Cost RODI) but it is too far from my house to make it worthwhile.

 

Essentially everything I need for the tank is closer to work, cheaper at work, or I don't pay the bill (Water and Electric) at work

[StinkyBunny]

8 hours ago, Pjanssen said:

Looking good. I've often contemplated a FOWLER. So many interesting fish that you don't have to worry if they eat corals or not. But I have a hard time getting rid of things, so unless everything dies, I'll be keeping (and likely adding to) my corals.

 

Just curious, why don't you have a tank at home?

Or do like I do, just keep stuff that they won't eat. I'll throw a Montipora chip in there every once in a while for my kleinii butterfly to snack on.

[Ratvan]

 

Dammit Joe, get back in the sump

 

[Ratvan]

Damn "snail"

 

Anyways, Macroalgae arrived today. Purchased some Caulerpa Prolifera from a local reefer. Clearly this has been grown in a sump as I can spot cheato, blue octodes and some other form of green algae, possibly Ulva.

 

 

Have stuck it in my floating breeder box for the time being until I can sort it out, some will come home to go in the Pico

 

[Ratvan]

It's gone down well with both Wrasses and the Red Headed Gobies

[Ratvan]

Hantu decided that she'd claim the Xenia

[Ratvan]

So today we have a new addition, I have been speaking with my LFS supplier/clown fish breeder. Wanted a misbar, instead I got the runt of the litter, clutch whatever. 

 

Just under 0.5" which makes Hantu 4x the size. 

 

[Ratvan]

So he has been in the breeder box for roughly an hour, have seen both him and Hantu do the weird clown fish wiggle dance through the breeder, so swim free into the reef. 

 

 

[seabass]

It's always neat to see them pair up like that.  Cute little guy.

[Ratvan]

1 minute ago, seabass said:

It's always neat to see them pair up like that.  Cute little guy.

I'm so relived, have read some horror stories of adding a second clown, glad it has gone without incident so far. Only thing that I have noticed is that Hantu seems to be chasing the Yellow Coris Wrasse away from the smaller clown whenever it gets too close which is interesting. Have had one small squabble but teh little guy rolled onto his side and spasmed and not seen anything between the clowns since

 

Both are now dive bombing that tiny Xenia frag

[seabass]

21 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

have read some horror stories of adding a second clown

What you did was perfect.  I've never had a problem adding a significantly smaller juvenile (of the same species).

 

23 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Both are now dive bombing that tiny Xenia frag

A couple of different things might happen.  The clownfish might be too rough on the Xenia (even to its demise).  Or, if the coral survives, their antics will cause frags to spread throughout your tank.

[Ratvan]

2 minutes ago, seabass said:

What you did was perfect.  I've never had a problem adding a significantly smaller juvenile (of the same species).

 

A couple of different things might happen.  The clownfish might be too rough on the Xenia (even to its demise).  Or, if the coral survives, their antics will cause frags to spread throughout your tank.

Yeah I wasn't sure, I stood by the tank with nets in my hands for a couple of hours, just in case. Thankfully not needed. 

 

I am hoping for the first instance if i am being honest, I already have Colt Coral cropping up in random places in the rock since mine dumped all its branches and disappeared just before Christmas. So if the Xenia does it too it wouldn't be the greatest loss. Just have to cure some more rocks and sell what I have to my LFS. People seem to be going mad for Xenia and Colt Coral here again at the moment. 

[Daan6661]

On 9/7/2019 at 4:21 PM, Ratvan said:

I have been driving the other half mad today with talks of tanks, equipment, landscape and livestock. So I'll tell you guys instead

 

Random sketching, since I'm going with only a single light I'll have to be clever with PAR readings and placements. I want to use as much flat reef shelf rock as I can in the tank and have 3 or 4 terraces.

 

To increase biofilter i plan on rising these shelves somehow, orchid pots or whatever covered in rock rubble. Should give a decent area for bacteria to take hold and be a stable way to anchor the rockwork. 

 

I want the tank to have a lot of open area for swimming as well as looking full of corals so plan on using orchid planters in the sandbed to act as a pedestal for corals (fungias, Lobos, acans etc) I hope to fill the areas infront of the risers first to obstruct the view and then fill out. 

 

The primary reason for going budget set up is so that I can spend a bit more on the corals. I plan on spending well on large established colonies as a way to fill out initially. I have found decent colonies of Euphyllia (5+ heads) for 60-80 depending on number of heads. Bubble corals and other weird looking LPS oddities. After that I can spend on impact pieces and fish.

 

Livestock wise I'm thinking of combining into a single reef. I still want to keep the pico going and have a plan for it. Gobies stay in the Pico as well I think for now. 

 

Clownfish

Gold Streak/Two Spot Blenny

2-3 other fish.

Hermits

Snails

dude, awesome planning!

[cosmicbread]

What a cute little clown! Makes me kind of want one or two in the new tank.

Im glad it was a relatively seamless introduction.

[A.m.P]

Glad your clowns seem to be getting along, that poor tiny xenia lol...

[StinkyBunny]

6 hours ago, Amphrites said:

Glad your clowns seem to be getting along, that poor tiny xenia lol...

DEATH TO XENIA!!!!! Unless you're using it as nutrient export in a fuge.

[Ratvan]

7 hours ago, cosmicbread said:

What a cute little clown! Makes me kind of want one or two in the new tank.

Im glad it was a relatively seamless introduction.

A pair would look amazing in that 12 long. 

1 minute ago, StinkyBunny said:

DEATH TO XENIA!!!!! Unless you're using it as nutrient export in a fuge.

I just went nuts with Aip X on my Pico. 🤞

[StinkyBunny]

6 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

A pair would look amazing in that 12 long. 

I just went nuts with Aip X on my Pico. 🤞

I feed little bits to my Red Sea Emporer, the Sri Lankan one will eat it on occasion, but Betty mauls it like Fat Bastard does a bag of crisps.

[Ratvan]

Wonder if I can train Pele to eat it.... 

[A.m.P]

3 hours ago, Ratvan said:

Wonder if I can train Pele to eat it.... 

Careful what you wish for.

[Ratvan]

Little Puaka made it through his first weekend, yay

 

[Ratvan]

Ignore the bubbles in the display, I forgot to turn the ATO back on after the water change on Friday, return pump was blowing bubbles into the display as the water level dropped a bit low

[Ratvan]

Interesting, today I noticed I have some Polyps growing on a rock that i had not noticed before, they seem to be growing in, around and through the green algae mat on the rocks

 

 

They look a lot like the big Mutuki Palys that melted away before Christmas 

[Ratvan]

really leaning towards adding a Pygmy Angelfish (Cherub Angel) to this tank, like need some serious talking out of it. 

[A.m.P]

@StinkyBunny Isn't a huge fan, enough said right?
They're cute, but still little terrors when they grow up and almost all of them seem to eventually end up nipping-at or eating coral and/or inverts.

.02 from damselfish doofus lol.