Crabs 155g In-Wall Fish Room Build

[ihavecrabs]

Excellent news!! I'm very very close to moving over my first two fish into the display and purchase new fish for QT!!

Extreme Davinci Clownfish

Issues/concerns overcome:

• Temperature/Heater Run Time - My heaters were on CONSTANTLY! I checked the on-off logging through Apex and due to the basements cool 71 degrees, I was shocked to see that two 300W heaters were barely keeping up.
  • I opened vents in the basement to get additional heat from the furnace and raised the room temperature to around 75F
  • I added glass tops, purchased glass cuts from Ace Hardware.

After doing both of these changes, my heaters now run a more normal schedule which also knocked off $15/mo on the electrical bill
​

• Ammonia/Nitrite Cycle - My system finally processes 1ppm ammonia in 24 hours! I probably should have been dosing ammonia all along but I just recently purchased a bottle of ammonia chloride and dosed enough to raise by 256g to 1ppm. First time I did this it took around 4 days to show normal on my Seachem Ammonia badge. This last round, it took less than 24 hours.

I'm going to run it one more time to confirm, test nitrite, and then nitrate and move the fish over.

Then comes my next purchase to Live Aquaria.. as of now, my plan is:

• 1x Midas Blenny (Maldives)
• 3x Zebra Barred Dartfish
• 3x Cardinalfish

For the cardinalfish, my fiance wants the black/silver cardinalfish; however, after reading up on these particular cardinalfish, they tend not to do well in small groups as compared to Yellowstriped or Red cardinalfish. Let's see if she gives

 

[dbraun15]

Thanks man.

I don't think I ever asked, but did you end up picking out some frags while you were in the chicagoland area?

I would have liked to, but logistics didn't allow it. Our trip for Christmas was in flux between Chicago and Milwaukee(where my wife is from) and didn't exactly know when we were returning. I will be back to those shops again and make some purchases once I have final details on when we are heading back etc. We'll be back up there is July, so hoping I can make it happen then.

 

[dbraun15]

Really like the look of the clownfish...any hosting nems in the future? I've had a pair of true percs for 8+ years that lay eggs like clockwork. I know you mentioned symbiotic relationships earlier...nothing in my opinion like a S. Gigantea and a pair of clowns.

 

[ihavecrabs]

Really like the look of the clownfish...any hosting nems in the future? I've had a pair of true percs for 8+ years that lay eggs like clockwork. I know you mentioned symbiotic relationships earlier...nothing in my opinion like a S. Gigantea and a pair of clowns.

I was thinking RBTA for ease of care and limited walking of the anemone. I have had these in the past as well.

 

[ihavecrabs]

These two tank raised fish don't know what to do with such a large tank..

 

[ihavecrabs]

Purchased a jebao apex adapter and did all the programming for it ( thanks @FarmerTy for the assistance )

Turns out the left channel doesn't operate at all.

Lots of places seem to be out of it so I had to request a return on Amazon and purchase new on Ebay... let's hope #2 works!

 

[ihavecrabs]

Trying to blow off polyps

http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/5a95fb6a54703/20180227_184252.mp4

 

[dbraun15]

Nice polyp extension...have you added any more fish to the DT?

 

[ihavecrabs]

Nice polyp extension...have you added any more fish to the DT?

March 20th is the day for more fish.

3 barred dart fish
1 cardinalfish
1 gamma basslet
1 Midas Benny
2x shrimp gobies

I'll probably add them slowly.

For now it is still the two Davinci clowns.

 

[dbraun15]

Sweet...looking forward to that!

 

[Mrod]

This looks incredible and awesome that you have the skill to be so hands on. Keep up the great work- can’t wait to see what’s next.

 

[ihavecrabs]

Tonight is the night!

All of these fish are doing extremely well. The Midas Blenny I was worried about for a long while (until last week when if finally decided it didn't have to hide 100% of the time.) Finally caught him swimming about the tank! I would always see him snap up any food that went by him but was super worried he wasn't getting enough. He was only housed with two barred shrimp gobies. They loved food... no issues there.

The remaining were in the larger 30g breeder and were all eating fantastically the entire time.

Sweet...looking forward to that!

March 20th is the day for more fish.

3 barred dart fish
1 cardinalfish
1 gamma basslet
1 Midas Benny
2x shrimp gobies

I'll probably add them slowly.

For now it is still the two Davinci clowns.

 

[dbraun15]

Sweet! I'm sure it will be nice to have some more movement in the tank...kudos to your patience!

 

[mattgsa]

i love your setup. i was wondering if you were going to do anything to supplement you T5 lighting over the DT? For example Jason Fox uses though Reef Bright strips over his in addition to T5.

 

[ihavecrabs]

i love your setup. i was wondering if you were going to do anything to supplement you T5 lighting over the DT? For example Jason Fox uses though Reef Bright strips over his in addition to T5.

I have been considering it. They are just so expensive for what they are.

I do have a kit I put together that simulates the moon cycle, just on or off, not intensity. Four 3w 420nm LEDs. I have another four as well. Maybe when the ATI fixture is on, I'll have them on and then when daylights are off it follows the moon cycle.

 

[mattgsa]

look on amazon they have some that aren't that much money. Especially if they are not going to be your main source of light.

 

[ihavecrabs]

look on amazon they have some that aren't that much money. Especially if they are not going to be your main source of light.

Yeah, I have been thinking hard about this one. @FarmerTy 's thread on potentially switching up his lights is giving me thoughts on adding some pop.. (Thanks Ty... haha)

For now, I think what I am going to do is pickup an Apex LSM for moon cycle (because I'm techy and think it is really neat to be able to do this) and for the two kits I purchased which are two separate drivers and 4-3W Blue LEDs each, I'll get those mounted up as my "Pop of color channel" and run it occassionally when viewing the tank in the evening.

Otherwise, I am truly happy with my 6-bulb Sunpower. Maybe one day I'll strike on an 8-bulb so I can run two actinics in addition, but for now I am a happy camper.

 

[ihavecrabs]

New updates! Finally.. I have been really slacking on one recently.

Main display had the following fish added:

• Midas blenny (Ecsenius midas)
• Two wide-barred shrimp gobies (Amblyeleotris latifasciata)
• Three zebra barred dartfish (Ptereleotris zebra)
• Royal Gramma Basslet (Gramma loreto)
• Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni)

They joined the two Grade-A Davinci Clownfish added when the tank initially "stabilized" along with a small CUC including a Sea Hare.

Along with fish, I have also added quite a few SPS frags to get my collection started. Current list:

• Rainbow montipora
• BattleCoral Blue Matrix
• Reefraft AppleJack
• Bubblegum Millipora
• Green Unknown Millipora
• Rainbow Unknown Millipora
• TCK Pikachu
• BC Pelotti Yellow Tip
• RN Green Wolverine
• Fire Ice Echinata
• Pink Lemonade
• Sanhay Leprechaun Beard
• Teen Wolf
• PC Rainbow
• Walt Disney
• Oregon Tort
• Tri Color Acropora
• ATL Appleberry Monti
• Sand Dollar Porites
• WT Mother of Pearl
• BC Ponape Rainbow Rosario
• JF True Garf Bonsai
• ORA Red Planet

 

[ihavecrabs]

Slowly coloring up [emoji4]

 

[FarmerTy]

Yeah, I have been thinking hard about this one. @FarmerTy 's thread on potentially switching up his lights is giving me thoughts on adding some pop.. (Thanks Ty... haha)

For now, I think what I am going to do is pickup an Apex LSM for moon cycle (because I'm techy and think it is really neat to be able to do this) and for the two kits I purchased which are two separate drivers and 4-3W Blue LEDs each, I'll get those mounted up as my "Pop of color channel" and run it occassionally when viewing the tank in the evening.

Otherwise, I am truly happy with my 6-bulb Sunpower. Maybe one day I'll strike on an 8-bulb so I can run two actinics in addition, but for now I am a happy camper.

I have a talent for spending other people's money. [emoji41]

I think you'll appreciate some actinic bars in the future. I loved my T5 color combo as is, the actinic bars just made it a bit nicer and having a dawn/dusk period was nice with them as well.