Ratvan Posted June 1, 2021 Author Share Posted June 1, 2021 well goodbye plants, adding to the tank was fun as two jumped out the bag and into the tank while acclimating 🙄, nothing like a fish to the face to wake you up in the morning Electric Blue Zebra Mbuna Cichlid x4 Red Zebra Mbuna Cichlid x 4 will be named Richard 1 through 8 5 1 Quote Link to comment
debbeach13 Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 57 minutes ago, Ratvan said: will be named Richard 1 through 8 LOL. Agreed they are going to have a lot of fun rearranging the plants. Cichlids are in landscape mode all the time. I hope they live long and prosper for you. 1 1 Quote Link to comment
Ratvan Posted June 1, 2021 Author Share Posted June 1, 2021 10 minutes ago, debbeach13 said: LOL. Agreed they are going to have a lot of fun rearranging the plants. Cichlids are in landscape mode all the time. I hope they live long and prosper for you. Thanks it is amusing to watch them, also nice to have some company in the office. On the plus side the Blues do seem to be very interested in the substrate and are currently working like little sand sifters turning it over 3 Quote Link to comment
Ratvan Posted January 4, 2022 Author Share Posted January 4, 2022 Well finally the Cichlids are being collected today, which means that i can think about turning the tank back salty once again..... 3 Quote Link to comment
Ratvan Posted January 4, 2022 Author Share Posted January 4, 2022 Cichlids are now gone, have ordered 20KG of Dry Rock and 10KG of Sand (mixed grade) so hopefully should arrive before this weekend and i can get the cycle started 3 Quote Link to comment
Ratvan Posted January 7, 2022 Author Share Posted January 7, 2022 So I got a message this morning that due to inclement weather my order has been delayed. Not really an issue since I have ordered Dry Sand and Rock (which will be seeded from live tank). I have been thinking about what I would like to keep within this tank and time and time again I come back to having a species tank of some form or another. So currently thinking about a few of the following options. 1. Clownfish and BTA Tank 2. Wrasse Tank (Possum Pair, Yellow Coris and Pink Streak) 3. Dwarf Lionfish (Fuzzy, Dwarf Zebra, Fu Manchu) ONE of 4. Pearly Jawfish (if enough sandbed) 5. Dragonet @billygoat in your opinion would a 2' Square sandbed (5-7" deep) be suitable for a Pearly Jawfish? 3 Quote Link to comment
debbeach13 Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 I hope once the tank is ready you can find the livestock you want. Are you hoping to buy at a local store or do you think you will have to order online? 1 Quote Link to comment
Ratvan Posted January 7, 2022 Author Share Posted January 7, 2022 6 minutes ago, debbeach13 said: I hope once the tank is ready you can find the livestock you want. Are you hoping to buy at a local store or do you think you will have to order online? My LFS have started up advance orders again, so plan is to get the tank setup and cycled and do my usual stocking of smallest to largest (work up from Pods, CuC, Fish etc) I did get some of the substrates today just not the standard and fine sands (got Crushed Corals and Crushed Oyster Shells for building materials) 1 Quote Link to comment
debbeach13 Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 2 minutes ago, Ratvan said: (got Crushed Corals and Crushed Oyster Shells for building materials) Is that mix suitable for a pearly jawfish? I have never had that fish but I would be concerned about sharp pieces. I live near some of the best stores that exist Top Shelf Aquatics and Wide World of Corals and they both have ton's of coral. Also the fish selection is getting closer to normal. But still not exactly as abundant as a couple years ago. 1 Quote Link to comment
Ratvan Posted January 7, 2022 Author Share Posted January 7, 2022 Just now, debbeach13 said: Is that mix suitable for a pearly jawfish? I have never had that fish but I would be concerned about sharp pieces. I live near some of the best stores that exist Top Shelf Aquatics and Wide World of Corals and they both have ton's of coral. Also the fish selection is getting closer to normal. But still not exactly as abundant as a couple years ago. I'm a little unsure about the Crushed Oyster Shells as some do have some sharp edges, i plan on only adding a sprinking of this to the tank on a daily basis. Also currently seeing if i can "tumble" some of them to try and blunt some of the pieces. As i understand it the Jawfish will excavate the sand and then use rubble to shore up the tunnel system. Its the reason why i have ordered the crushed coral substrate as well as the crushed oyster shells. Coral selection here is still limited and crazy priced, someone offered me £50 for the Xenia rock that I have in the Mantis Manor (fist sized) wish i had taken them up on the offer now 😂 I did not ice that my LFS is getting more and more LPS corals in at the moment, softies and SPS are as already said hard and expensive to find 1 Quote Link to comment
debbeach13 Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 Prices are nuts! I go into shock when I see what they are charging. The cheap grow like weed stuff is just barely affordable. Never mind the designer stuff. Prices and selection are making it a lot easier to go slow stocking a new tank these days. 2 Quote Link to comment
Ratvan Posted January 7, 2022 Author Share Posted January 7, 2022 21 minutes ago, debbeach13 said: Prices are nuts! I go into shock when I see what they are charging. The cheap grow like weed stuff is just barely affordable. Never mind the designer stuff. Prices and selection are making it a lot easier to go slow stocking a new tank these days. Yeah thankfully the other livestock (fish and snails) have come back into stock and are mostly priced sensibly, but is all the standard stuff at the moment. However being able to order from the wholesaler through the LFS will definitely help. Will be putting a deposit down once i got everything in the tank and the cycle started for the jawfish. But also have some other options if that cannot happen 1 Quote Link to comment
Ratvan Posted January 13, 2022 Author Share Posted January 13, 2022 So while I was on my way to visit a site this morning i spotted a tank on a wall, so after the onsite meeting i swung back to take a better look and had a chat with the person whose wall it was on. Long story short I have gained a 10 Gallon Tank. Yes it is a Reptile Habitat (40cmx30cmx30cm) so approx 9.5G. The sliding lid is part of the tank too. I plan on cleaning the tank up, removing the glass shelves and finding something for the tank to sit on (so the weight is off the rising feet), might break down the 9to5 tank and set this up as a Hospital/Observation tank for the RSM Quote Link to comment
A.m.P Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 Is it water worthy? Some of those reptile tanks just can't hold water at all, or at least not for very long. Quote Link to comment
Ratvan Posted January 13, 2022 Author Share Posted January 13, 2022 1 minute ago, A.m.P said: Is it water worthy? Some of those reptile tanks just can't hold water at all, or at least not for very long. It was 3/4 full of rain when i collected it so i am guessing yes, worse case scenario if not water tight above that filling point can try a paludarium for my Betta and set the 2.6G up in the office again 😂 1 Quote Link to comment
A.m.P Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 1 hour ago, Ratvan said: It was 3/4 full of rain when i collected it so i am guessing yes, worse case scenario if not water tight above that filling point can try a paludarium for my Betta and set the 2.6G up in the office again 😂 Now that's a solid leak test. 2 1 Quote Link to comment
Ratvan Posted January 13, 2022 Author Share Posted January 13, 2022 4 hours ago, A.m.P said: Now that's a solid leak test. Indeed it is. So dragged it home and whacked on the equipment I have knocking about. Asta 20 LED, 900LPH HOB, 50W Preset. Filter intake fits this tank perfect, shelf is huge in this thing seriously needs a clean, comes with a lid with plastic mesh so have to figure a DIY way of cutting a filter access point to this without trashing it. I mean also drill the glass shelf and my Betta would have a lovely waterfall off that with some plants for a shaded half of the tank.... 3 Quote Link to comment
rimga123 Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 Thats a cool find! I would even maybe consider keeping the shelf 🤔 Could do a cool scape with a unobstructed sandbed. 2 Quote Link to comment
Ratvan Posted January 14, 2022 Author Share Posted January 14, 2022 11 hours ago, rimga123 said: Thats a cool find! I would even maybe consider keeping the shelf 🤔 Could do a cool scape with a unobstructed sandbed. Oh i definitely could, either way the glass shelf needs to be removed, cut and reattached more carefully if it stays 1 Quote Link to comment
Ratvan Posted January 25, 2022 Author Share Posted January 25, 2022 Well then as part of the upgrade/restart I have ordered a glass lid from a local glass cutting company down the road, also looking for a perspex company so that I can have a cover made for the filtration compartment too. Sand has arrived and has been rinsed until clear, currently in multiple buckets under my desk. All that I am really waiting for now is the rock to arrive then i can start the cycle 3 Quote Link to comment
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