600 Gallon Gem Tang broodstock system

[McPuff]

they are these Maxspect 500 Watt monsters. Maxspect

I picked them up originally second hand to see how well they would grow coral, and quickly realized they are way too much light for anything other then something like the 600. When turned all the way down they draw about 30 watt each, which is more then enough for growing fish .

WOW! They definitely look like something you'd find in a public aquarium! I'm sure you had no problem growing corals with those things! I'll have to read up on them a bit.

 

[Augus7us]

Nice tank and building.

Do you do much work out there? I would be afraid of saw dust or metal dust with tanks in the same room. Also, what kind of forklift do you have?

 

[Brittanyjo]

People commented on free fish. I will pay for your tangs. Please put me on your “buyers” list.

aquacultured tangs. Your are saving our oceans.

 

[squidsreef]

I can't wait to see what happens with this project! I love seeing people put effort into sustainability in the hobby, and attempt challenging tasks like breeding fish that haven't been bred in captivity!

 

[Twitchy]

Update time: Guess what we got last night!!!
8 gem tangs. They aren't quite 4", which is what I was hoping for, but hopefully we can get them fattened up and through QT. sorry for the less then perfect photos, but I have been trying to keep the lights dim for the first day or two.

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

Completely awesome. I’m looking forward to your success. it would be nice to get a couple hundred babies through in the next couple years.

 

[Twitchy]

Update time: unfortunately we had 3 fatalities getting everyone through QT. They go down hill so fast when they are this tiny. One of them was looking really rough from transit, he didn't make it through the first night. #2 I couldn't get to eat, and the 3rd one we lost to a bacterial infection.
I decided to buy this batch local to support my local LFS, and his supply chain. Unfortunately this batch came directly form overseas (Korean news papers and all) they arrived that morning in Miami. My LFS drove down to pick them up along with the rest of his order, and dropped them off at the house on his way back to the store. At first I thought this was awesome, as the bags didn't touch any other tanks from where they were sourced to arriving in my QT tanks, the trade off is that they all arrived extremely starved, and were way smaller then the estimated 4" that I was trying for. (all were between 1.8" and 2.2"). There was almost no buffer room to get everyone eating, and was a very nerve racking first few days. The sting is especially painful when you have so much tied up in the project, and knowing that I will have to replace them to ensure success. I feel like if I had to do it again, maybe try to have the fish spend a week in the states first before buying, or maybe buy them in separate smaller batches.

Sadly I am now 3 fish down, so I decided to place an order this morning with @NYAquatic His site says he has some 3-4" gems in stock, and he is well reviewed around here. The larger size will hopefully minimize aggression after QT when I have to add them to first group in the 600, and will give me a little more time to react to any disease that may present in QT.
If I get extremely lucky, and these 3 are not all the same sex they might shave a year or two off between now, and first spawn. (assuming I can get them through QT)... I should have stuck to my gut, and ordered the whole batch through NyAquatic in the first place.

 

[Marlon_Holland]

Good luck, I have been following your thread and I am enjoying your posts. I am looking forward to seeing your success.

 

[CMMorgan]

So sorry for the setback. This is exactly why what you are doing is so important. I hope this is just motivation for you to keep at it. In the long run, you are making the industry safer, stronger and doing right by the species.
Thank you for digging in and traveling this road.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

This is an awesome thread and you're doing a great thing here.

 

[JumboShrimp]

First let me say, you are a Mad Scientist of the highest order! Second, I don't understand half of what you are talking about-- even with photos to help-- but I can tell that YOU know what you are talking about, and I'm giving you my full moral support. LOL! Go, baby Gem Tangs, Go!

 

[Twitchy]

Update time: We got the 3 large ones in and through QT, I also added a yellow tang to the mix just incase we get lucky, and end up with some yellow x gem hybrids. <3 Everyone is doing pretty well for the most part, except Derpy... One of the 3 I got in from NY has some sort of neurological damage, I don't expect him to make it in the long run if his condition doesn't improve, but we are all cheering for him. Below is a tank hierarchy of sorts along with everyone's relative sizes, shoaling, and suspected genders.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Very cool, indeed!

 

[corey904]

Update time: I cleaned up the UV unit I got with the tank, and deleted the wipers. Looking at the condition of the wipers, I would never want to use them with a marine setup.

Sump time!!! I had a hard time finding a used 6ft tank for my sump (125,150,180, ETC) so I made a decision to go a different route. for $320 at a local tractor supply, I got one of those cool caged tanks! and It's new, so I don't have to worry about what used to be in it.

step one cut it up!!!!

Time to pull out some scrap lexan, and turn it into my new sump

Next up is water testing the sump, drilling my return pump bulkhead, and it looks like I now need to order new impellers for the ASM G6 skimmer, they are swollen on both pumps... That bums me out a little, as they aren't cheap, and I was already not super fond using this skimmer, mostly due to size, and power draw. I figure I will try it out, and decide if its a good fit later once I'm up and running.

That is awesome I’ve never seen anyone use an ibc tote for a sump before

 

[Twitchy]

That is awesome I’ve never seen anyone use an ibc tote for a sump before

I really like it, I ran into some bonding issues the first go around, but silicone bonds well once the plastic is flame treated. Only thing I would do different if I did it again is paint the cage... salt seems to stain the the galvanized metal pretty well.

 

[saltwaterjunkie12]

any updates?