Back to soft corals.

[Tahoe61]

This is a JBJ 28 gal with PC lighting. My intention for starting this tank a month ago was to house a Maroon Lightening clown. I have been coveting this clown type since news of it's capture in 2008. Honestly I never thought I would see the day when the average hobbyist would see the fish offered for sale in the average hobbyist price range, well I was wrong.

Having investing most of the last decade to stony corals I was ready for an easy tank, no dosing, no testing, just plan old water changes. I know PC can grow corals, while not acropora, but you can keep many more corals and inverts under PC than you've been led to believe.

To cycle this tank I over loaded the media baskets in my JBJ 45 RL by heavy feeding and no cleanings of charcoal, bio-balls or foam. Once the 28 gallon had water in and live sand in it for 24 hours I moved over the dirty media baskets and some rock. I ran a soft cycle, 2 gallon water change about every other day. There was no cycle and fish were added the same week ( I do not recommend this to the newer hobbyist).

Plans are to continue to add soft corals, zoanthids, mushrooms and to just enjoy the tank without all the maintenance that goes into a stony coral tank. So far I love the look and my Lighting Clown.

Thanks for taking a look.

 

[aKlevans]

Love it!

 

[DSC reef]

Whoa, PC can grow corals! Awesome start and what a perfect little beast of lightening maroon.

 

[120reefkeeper]

Fantastic! Great to see some older tech come back in a useful way. Great tank just to chill out to. [emoji41]

 

[Tahoe61]

Love it!

Thank you!!

Whoa, PC can grow corals! Awesome start and what a perfect little beast of lightening maroon.

Yuppers, and DiversDen has some great soft corals and Gorgonians. I am trying to avoid softies that drop branches, and spread like GSP and Xenia. My Rastas look as good as they do under my Hydra in the 45. I have probably 5-6 different colors of coraillmorphs taking off. My Duncan that failed to thrive under the Hydra has shown noticeable improvement since being transferred over.

Once cyano started I treated with Chemipure as directed and bam, I have not seen any algae growth.

Thanks DSC.

 

[leahfiish]

My first tank had PC's and grew ricordias pretty well.

 

[Tahoe61]

Fantastic! Great to see some older tech come back in a useful way. Great tank just to chill out to. [emoji41]

Exactly!!!!!! Low stress tank, amazing how much enjoyment I am getting out of watching the corals take hold. Minimal rock and equipment, so nice for a change.

 

[Tahoe61]

Ordered another Lighting, the White Stripe Maroon was far too mean. I added the White Stripe for the Lighting, the White Stripe was only an inch long but a holy terror. ;Shifty

This is my existing Lighting, the new one should arrive tomorrow.

Some Corals. Rastas in this tank under PC are almost as nice as the ones that I have under MH in the 45.

 

[DSC reef]

The lightning maroon we have is a little terror, lucky she can't remove skin....yet. That's a nice lightning. We had a pair but vinny's starki damsel killed one. Price for helping out fellow reefers. Lol

 

[Tahoe61]

It's amazing how aggressive even a tiny Maroon Clown can be. It's tricky business getting one Maroon to accept another. I figured two clowns under an inch would be fine together especially when they came from tanks with other clowns and were not the dominate fish, WRONG!

 

[DSC reef]

How's this, put another BTA in my mom's tank for the the other clownfish and the lightning has now claimed both! What a brat.

 

[Tahoe61]

Too cool!

My Lighting are a lot smaller. I go back and forth about an BTA, probably not going to because I worry too much about the other corals.
Why type of clown is the other, it's a beauty but it won't spawn with the Maroon right?

 

[DSC reef]

It's a blacker ice or frost bite. We were at reefapalooza in Orlando and we know one of the big reps for carrib sea and he told my wife that she can keep whatever clownfish she can catch with a small net in one minute. So she caught that guy and took him home. I don't think they'll bond but they get along. Would be cool though!

 

[Tahoe61]

So how old do you think your Lighting is? Is that the female of the two? Has the white pattern become more dispersed?

 

[DSC reef]

Got a pair from the recent reefapalooza and they were really tiny. The frostbite was double the size of the maroon and in a few months the maroon doubled in size. I believe it's the female due to the aggressor of the original pair. The white pattern hasn't dispersed and is still just as vibrant.

 

[DSC reef]

Sorry for the bad pics but the first pic is when we brought her home. The frag is barley an inch. The second pic is a few months later and the BTA is about 6" across for size reference. She's a piggy.

 

[Tahoe61]

DSC yours have a lot more pattern.

Got the other Lighting, he is maybe an inch long.

Bought both on DD, these fish arrived fat and eating within 24 hours. Even at an inch long these clowns fight. It's taken great patience to introduce the new arrival to the existing Maroon, that was just 3 days ago getting beat up by my white strip, (white strip maroon now has it's own tank). Once the existing Lighting saw a new fish she literally tried to kill it, I had to intervene. Time out in breeder basket so the new arrival could acclimate in peace.
Three days later there are still aggression but it looks like they are working it out. I have kept Maroons before and I know they are mean but not at this age, these clowns have all kinds of attitude.
I feed flake at least 3 times a day, often adding frozen. I also turned off one pump so the tank has flow but not so much a tiny fish has to fight against the flow.

New Lighting is at the top.

 

[DSC reef]

Those are really nice though, I've always liked DD. At the size of the maroon clown now I don't think I could add another without it being killed. The bite from the little monster is starting to hurt. The other clown hold it's own but the maroon holds rank for sure. Given time I think yours will be ok as long as you intervene if things get rough. We were bummed when the starki damsel killed one of the pair because they were definitely bonded. Keep us updated, those clowns are nice!

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Already looks awesome! Love the coral scape!

 

[Vinnybagodoughnuts]

Awesome!!!!!Dennis mentions my name and I magically appear.;Wacky
P.S. Sorry to hear that Sparky killed your Clown D.