Try #2 at a marine tank

[Chris27]

I am currently on the verge of purchasing my first ever saltwater fish, the tank is a Fluval Evo 13.5 and was set up August 8th 2021. 

The only current inhabitants of the tank are two astrea snails, I originally had three but one died a week ago, I assume it is just the poor survivability of astrea snails and not a problem with my water because I just tested. The other two snails are fine and the third one was inactive on day 1.

Nitrate-50+ ppm

Nitrite-0 ppm

Ammonia-0 ppm

pH-8.0-8.1

Salinity 1.025

Temp-76 fahrenheit/24.5 celcius

I'm currently in the process of heating up 5 gallons of saltwater to perform a water change. I understand my nitrates are a bit high a 40% water change should correct that.

If I do end up getting a fish I will update the post (probably an ocellaris clownfish)

[Chris27]

It happened

I got my first ever saltwater fish from my lfs (sorry for camera quality)

So far he looks to be in good health, but he is visibly scared, I left the light off for the first night, but ever since I turned it back on he has been sitting in the corners of the tank, when I turned the flow off for feeding he hid behind the pump head and thermometer. He is also obsessed with his reflection but I think that's normal for fish (it is for my freshwater). Luckily, I managed to convince him to eat! I used 1/16 cube of mysis and he ate a few pieces, ill try flake and pellet once he is more comfortable. 

 

I hope this kind of reclusive behavior is normal, my rockscape has a bit of a lack of hiding spots but his tank at the lfs also had no hiding spots whatsoever, so Ill just give him time.

[Chris27]

Update #3

 

I forgot to post when I probably should have in the past week or so

 

The clownfish is doing good, I named him Clyde. Clyde is eating frozen food and tigger pods really well, and I've convinced him to eat a little bit of flake and pellet.

 

I bought 3 nassarius snails about a week ago, all of them are doing fine

 

In about an hour or so I'm going to meet up with a guy on Kijiji for some soft corals. Im getting a hairy mushroom, two zoanthid frags and a gsp frag for 25$ CAD. I just tested my nitrates at about 40 and did a 5-gallon water change to get them around 25.

 

Any thoughts on placement for stock light stock pump on a Fluval Evo 13.5?

 

I'll update whenever the corals open up.

[bluewhale]

Hi Chris, thanks for your report, please keep on going to report on Clyde. I have been hesitated to try a clownfish in my reef so far, as I'm not sure they might want a bit more space to swim. So I would be interesting to hear from Clyde 😉 But how to you convinced him  to eat flakes and pellets. I didn't managed to have a fish go on this, always frozen artemia, lobster eggs etc.

 

Stefan (from Gemany)

 

[Ratvan]

I would place the new frags on the sandbed initially and let them acclimatise to your tank, then over the course of a couple of weeks I would gradually move the frags to where you want to mount them more permanently. You shouldnt have too many issues with the stock lights and those corals. 

[Chris27]

Update #4 

 

I can finally call this tank a reef tank

Both zoa frags, the mushroom, and the gsp colony opened within 24 hours and are doing good (as far as I can tell)

Upon close inspection of my magician zoas, I noticed the base is absolutely covered with non zoa polyps (pictured below)

I was hoping someone could identify the species of polyp so I can know if its an invasive species I have to isolate

 

[debbeach13]

Those look like clove polyps. They can be very invasive. They can also be very pretty. I would remove them from the zoa frag plug so they do not smother the zoa.'s. Then I would try to glue them to their own plug or piece of rubble to isolate them.

[Chris27]

7 hours ago, debbeach13 said:

Those look like clove polyps. They can be very invasive. They can also be very pretty. I would remove them from the zoa frag plug so they do not smother the zoa.'s. Then I would try to glue them to their own plug or piece of rubble to isolate them.

Good to hear, I'll chip a piece of rock for them this weekend. I'm not entirely sure how to remove them from the plug because the plug has dozens on it. Maybe it would be better to remove the zoas instead?

Thanks, Chris

[Chris27]

Update

Its been a good month or two since I last updated the reef tank

My green film algae has unfortunately turned brown, I suspect diatoms

At the height of my nutrient and algae bloom, my hose was frozen (Canadian weather) so I couldn't use my RO system, I tried my lfs but when I tested the TDS it measured at 85, so I wasn't gonna bother adding more silicates and the like to continue feeding my diatoms. The weather warmed up, so I've done two 40% water changes, last I checked the nitrates were below 20. 

Unfortunately, the brown algae persist on my GSP colony and zoa frags, I've scrubbed them with a toothbrush but the stuff grows back overnight, they won't open anymore but the mushroom seems fine. I'm considering a blackout but I'm unsure of the best course of action. Some advice would be great

 

On another note, I've seen a vermetid snail and a bristle worm. I snapped the vermetid snail in half on first sight, but the worm has not been seen since about 2 weeks ago, I'm not all too worried it looks like one of the harmless ones

[Chris27]

Very very very unfortunate updates

 

I'll go in chronological order.

 

The algae cleared up after a series of water changes, the nitrates were testing below 10 and I added phosban because I don't have anything to test phosphates.

 

Bristle worms have been mia for over a month, no longer worried. Vermetid snails persist but are under control.

 

All 3 nassarius snails and 4 hermit crabs remain alive. I saw a nassarius snail attempting to kill one of the crabs but I broke up the fight.

 

On Tuesday night, due to the good survivability and water parameters I've seen recently, I decided it was time for the second clownfish. I decided on another ocellaris (as pictured below) who I named Bonnie. She was significantly larger than Clyde so I assumed she'd take to the female role right away and there would be no fighting. All seemed well, both fish took an immediate liking to each other and I fed them both generously (Bonnie took to pellet food immediately)

This was Tuesday night.

 

This morning (Friday) I woke up to a dead Clyde.

 

I'm dumbfounded as to how he died.

 

His body got sucked into the intake, but I doubt that was his cause of death because he sleeps right next to it and I've seen him escape it multiple times.

If someone could give me some possible causes of death that would be greatly appreciated.

I don't know what to do next.

[BubbleTrouble]

4 minutes ago, Chris27 said:

""

Does it seem as if the body is concaved or that there is a bite?

[Chris27]

1 hour ago, BubbleTrouble said:

Does it seem as if the body is concaved or that there is a bite?

the body was very mangled and seemed bent out of shape but that might just be because it got sucked into the intake.

 

I didn't see any visible bites or damage.

 

The body also had this strange lump near the bottom, but it seemed to be a recent thing since it wasn't there yesterday, again I assume that was the intakes fault

 

Bonnie seemed to be hovering around the body if that indicates anything.