120 gallon salty build

Its strange, they're not bothered about live food other than what a few of them pick off the rocks and sand bed. I suppose I should be pleased as I don't have a refugium or anywhere to breed my own. Currently my tank inhabitants only get frozen food, algae pellets and soon nori sheets. I add live copepods to the tank regularly so they might be getting eaten by my smaller fish and inverts.

Haha, snail rescue is always fun, however, mine have just been flipping them over. What you had to sounds like a pain, hopefully you can get that rectified so it doesn't happen again.

Great news about the Royal Gramma.

I've not heard of or seen white worms as food for the fish, nowhere have i seen them being sold at UK fish stores. I don't feed flake and have never done so but making your own food sounds interesting.

On r2r one of them feeds white worms. Here in us you can buy starter cultures and grow them over time. Can also feed black worms to the fish. They are just harder to culture then need submerged and a little more work.

I'm planning to take whole oysters, and try to find some fish guts, frozen shrimp, and maybe some whole sardines or fish of some sort. Mixing it with some selcom and other vitamins blend and freeze. BRS has a video on reef chilli so I'll watch that again and make my own little mix

 

Looking to be a problem. The spot has fallen off. So I was hopeful. Tonight I noticed the Gramma flashing. So looks like I might have messed up. Fingers crossed I have a day or 2 before the ich is free swimming again. And omg catching this fish will be a pain. But I'm going to get qt ready. I have a clean 10g and will be trying to get a 20 long cleaned up in the next day. But I knew I should've qt the fish to start. Hopefully I can beat it if a spot shows back up. Ugh 76 days fallow would be no fun...

 

Looking to be a problem. The spot has fallen off. So I was hopeful. Tonight I noticed the Gramma flashing. So looks like I might have messed up. Fingers crossed I have a day or 2 before the ich is free swimming again. And omg catching this fish will be a pain. But I'm going to get qt ready. I have a clean 10g and will be trying to get a 20 long cleaned up in the next day. But I knew I should've qt the fish to start. Hopefully I can beat it if a spot shows back up. Ugh 76 days fallow would be no fun...

Ahh man that sucks especially as you’ve just started. That is mightily bad luck. If it needs to go fallow could you remove the rocks and place in a tub covered in your tank water so it stays ‘live’ whilst you catch your Gramma. You can then put them back in.

Least you have a QT tank there and can set one up.

Fingers crossed everything goes well and to plan. Keep us updated.

The highs and lows of SW fish keeping...

 

Ahh man that sucks especially as you’ve just started. That is mightily bad luck. If it needs to go fallow could you remove the rocks and place in a tub covered in your tank water so it stays ‘live’ whilst you catch your Gramma. You can then put them back in.

Least you have a QT tank there and can set one up.

Fingers crossed everything goes well and to plan. Keep us updated.

The highs and lows of SW fish keeping...

Yea that would be the plan. The goby will be a pain to remove also. The issue is they both hide in the holes of the rock. Not under or around. So I would have to find a way to make the fish come out from the inside of the rock to catch. They all came and ate this morning Gramma is out in the open alot more this morning also. Hopefully they will be fine and no treatment needed. Time will tell.

 

Yea that would be the plan. The goby will be a pain to remove also. The issue is they both hide in the holes of the rock. Not under or around. So I would have to find a way to make the fish come out from the inside of the rock to catch. They all came and ate this morning Gramma is out in the open alot more this morning also. Hopefully they will be fine and no treatment needed. Time will tell.

So true, I wouldn’t know how to get my sulphur goby out of his cave and moving rocks isn’t an option in my tank. I guess it’ll have to be last result it it meant saving all the fish.

Great news they’re all eating, always a good sign. Let’s hope you don’t need to treat the tank/fish

 

This is why I set up a QT because I got sick of tearing stuff down to catch fish that were sick or a bad choice.

 

This is why I set up a QT because I got sick of tearing stuff down to catch fish that were sick or a bad choice.

I planned a full medicated qt of all fish. But fell for the clownfish in the lfs. I knew better but of course throw months of planning out the window. I decided to try a round of prazi male clownfish is hazy in spots. I see one spot on him but no spreading. Was going to do a freshwater dip to confirm flukes. But I didn't fell like tearing apart the rock work. Hopefully a round of prazi clears him up.

On another note my fish are spoiled with brine shrimp. They barely eat anything else not but all fish are eating and active. That's why I'm suspecting flukes. Spots don't spread.

 

Have my 20 long cleaned up and tidal filter clean. So if I need a fallow and qt I'm ready. I already have copper general cure focus to bind food. So I'm ready. Just hope I don't have to do a 2.5 month fallow of display.

I'm also looking for a bangai cardinal. And a couple corals.

 

Have my 20 long cleaned up and tidal filter clean. So if I need a fallow and qt I'm ready. I already have copper general cure focus to bind food. So I'm ready. Just hope I don't have to do a 2.5 month fallow of display.

I'm also looking for a bangai cardinal. And a couple corals.

Fingers crossed it’ll be all ok and you can keep going with the main tank.

What corals are you thinking of getting?

 

I'm thinking about starting a zoa colony. And maybe some of these

Blue Blood Sympodium

 

I'm thinking about starting a zoa colony. And maybe some of these

———

I love the Sympodium and heard they’re slow growers which is good. I’m avoiding Zoas which I’m sure some people will say is heresy haha.

It’s the whole toxin issue if you ever need to remove some, plus I’ve told over time they all go a little brown and ugly (5 years plus).

 

Yeah I have heard of Zoe's and their toxins. I am not 100% sure on them yet. I need to get a part meter rented to map out my par around the tank and figure out what I can have where. But most places are a month out on renting them ugh. I might just get a seneye meter so I can have one forever for half the price plus all the extras the seyene monitors.

 

I'm narrowing down to these two for first corals.
JASON FOX MINE CRAFT MUSHROOM
JASON FOX YELLOW INFUSED RAINBOW CLOVE POLYPS
Like the color and both easy corals.

Also researching the seneye monitor for the par meter. I'm guessing at my light setting now I'm pushing 150 par at the sand but would like to know rather than guess if corals are happy

 

I'm looking into mushrooms right now. the mine craft looks cool.

I love the clove corals but have decided against them because they're so invasive and I don't have another isolated island to stick it. My LCS has a few and they grab my attention every time lol

 

Yea I hear cloves spread. But these are supposed to be a little slower growers than some. I love the look of the green star polyps but those are very invasive. I never knew that corals would be harder than fish haha

 

I have two GSPs, one is multi-coloured (purple and green) that is isolated on an island at the front middle of my tank and an electric green one on a 'rock foot' at the bottom right hand side of my aquascape. I know in time i'll need to do some housekeeping on it but i really wanted that 'electric grass' to grow over the foot and up the leg haha.

I also use that GSP as a 'nitrate canary'. I believe people also use the pulsing xenia to do that, maybe the cloves are simialr.

 

Yea I like both Xenia and gsp. I thought about getting a rock and putting one on it or grow the back wall gsp. My rock work is pretty difficult to isolate. 2 islands but they are kinda like a horseshoe but I have space in the middle to put a rock or 2

 

I've only got smaller pieces of rock in my reef that I found on the beach in Cuba. The largest piece has an Alveopora on it and is very happy so I don't want to move that. I suppose i could have a very small clove polyp colony on a 3x3" rock

 

More diatoms popping up today. Taking skimmer offline has added slot of nutrients. I'm thinking my clown pair are at odds. The female chases the male off. Her and the Gramma best of Buds now. Looks like I will need to up my cleaning crew. Thinking some astraea snails. A conch and another nassarius.

 

Looks like a good sign that the Diatoms are kicking in. Don't you just love the good ol 'ugly stage' haha. Lets hope the clowns have just had a tiff and that shes not fallen for the bad boy of the tank (the gramma) haha.

Good idea with those 3 types of CUC. Might be worth getting a sand sifting starfish in the future when you're tank is little more mature. I got mine after 2 months and he's loving it.

 

I already have 4 hermits 2 big cerith 2 small cerith and a nassarius. I think I might gets star fish later on but with no live rock I need to get sand bed seeded. I have been adding pods but I rarely see them. I think my filter socks are catching some. Hopefully they are just deep in the rocks

 

Couple tank shots. We all love pictures. Amazing this is with high whites I don't see the blue but in pictures it's still blue

 

Couple tank shots. We all love pictures. Amazing this is with high whites I don't see the blue but in pictures it's still blue View attachment 701746View attachment 701747View attachment 701748View attachment 701749View attachment 701750View attachment 701751

Looking great. I do love the look of the white rock. I guess it’ll go purple when Coraline kicks in.

 

Yes the white is pretty but once Coraline starts it's all the same

 

So I'm thinking about an elegance coral also.

 

So I'm thinking about an elegance coral also.

One of my favourite, give it plenty of room, mine is massive and I was surprised how much it opens/spreads when out of the LFS tank and comfortable in your own. Both that and the Heliofungia surprised me.

 

I'm thinking on back wall in the middle between the 2 islands.

 

Right there in back.

 

View attachment 701822
Right there in back.

It’ll look great there. Mine’s tucked in a corner. It’s the first thing you see when you come into the room. I’m sure people can see it outside when they walk past my window haha.

I was told they can eat small fish so I always get nervous when my clowns get too close.

 

Yes I hear they can eat fish. Most corals will eat fish though if they can. I just think a elegance coral will fit that spot well. Be a focal point when walking up to the tank.

Found a turbo snail at lfs so he's on the glass. I need some more cuc but slim pickings around here.

 

I'm about to pull the trigger on the mine craft posted above and this elegance coral.
Elegance – Australia Pink Tips – Corals.com
I just worry my tank is too new for corals. I should wait but ugh!!! Decision decision

 

I have decided to wait. My nitrites are still through the roof. So I don't wanna rush things too much and crash everything. So I'll wait until the tank settles a little. Might add another bottle of Dr Tim's one and only. Maybe it will help remove some nitrites.

 

I have decided to wait. My nitrites are still through the roof. So I don't wanna rush things too much and crash everything. So I'll wait until the tank settles a little. Might add another bottle of Dr Tim's one and only. Maybe it will help remove some nitrites.

Good idea, nothing is worth rushing in this hobby. I think I waited 2 months before getting my elegance. It’s an expensive rush of blood plus no one wants to kill something or make it suffer.

When did the tank start it’s cycle?

 

Good idea, nothing is worth rushing in this hobby. I think I waited 2 months before getting my elegance. It’s an expensive rush of blood plus no one wants to kill something or make it suffer.

When did the tank start it’s cycle?

May 1st. It can process 1.5ppm ammonia for 20 days or so. Just cannot get nitrites down to 0. A large water change would do it but that's expensive lol. So I'm just waiting some time so I can be sure that corals or anymore fish will survive

 

May 1st. It can process 1.5ppm ammonia for 20 days or so. Just cannot get nitrites down to 0. A large water change would do it but that's expensive lol. So I'm just waiting some time so I can be sure that corals or anymore fish will survive
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Give it a couple of weeks and your ammonia may be 0, your nitrites much lower and your nitrates high. Then after that hopefully smooth sailing.

I assume it’s the standard ammonia spike following the introduction of the new bio load (fish).

Fingers crossed you can get that elegance in a few weeks

 

Yeah I have been processing the ammonia for awhile. I didn't wait for nitrites like to lower. The sodium bicarbonate makes nitrites safe for saltwater fish. And lfs did me in and I got fish sooner than planned.

 

Yeah I have been processing the ammonia for awhile. I didn't wait for nitrites like to lower. The sodium bicarbonate makes nitrites safe for saltwater fish. And lfs did me in and I got fish sooner than planned.

Are you dosing sodium bicarbonate? I didn’t know that counter acts the effect of nitrite. I know it can help PH and raise Alk.

LFS are dangerous places to go, especially during the cycle or when waiting for your bacteria to catch up with the last purchases haha

 

No it's from the rock and sand. They release bicarbonate that's what raises our ph to proper level. But I'm going to be good and wait until nitrites are at 0. That way the tank is a little more stable. I almost ordered the mushroom and thought I'll wait till am and check levels.

 

No it's from the rock and sand. They release bicarbonate that's what raises our ph to proper level. But I'm going to be good and wait until nitrites are at 0. That way the tank is a little more stable. I almost ordered the mushroom and thought I'll wait till am and check levels.

Well there you go, I never knew that. My PH has remained constant between 7.8 - 8.0

I agree, that would be the best thing to do. Then the shopping can begin lol.

I hope to be getting more fish on Friday and have some corals arriving tomorrow.

 

So may 3 to June 5th to finally fully cycle. 0 nitrites. 30 nitrates. Let the fun begin. I'm going to look into my first coral. I'm really leaning on the mine craft mushroom. And also thinking a blastomussa. Or do I get so gsp to grow on the back wall. Decision decision. Also a bangai cardinal and maybe 2 fire fish. Idk time for research