Fin's Reef Savvy 125

[JoshH]

@JoshH @Fin Good to see you both. Hope everything is well.

I am always kicking around, not much time for talk though unfortunately. Especially with some out of control threads, I have a hard enough time keeping up with the mayhem going on in my house

I hope all is well with you as well, I'll have to pop by your thread of organized chaos and see if I can get caught up !

 

[Fin]

SOOOO exciting to see things this far along for you Gary! Almost stocked up on the fish? Or a few more to go after this newest order comes in?

Thanks, it is good to have things going in the right direction - finally. I have five fish in it now and four coming from Dr Fish on Friday. Nothing too fancy. I have a couple clams that are both doing well. A 4” Derasa and a 1” Gold Maxima. Both showing growth around the edge of their shells. I may add a few more small fish after this order, but will be a while.

 

[Fin]

@JoshH @Fin Good to see you both. Hope everything is well.

Thanks. Things are going ok for a change, but my wife is having a back surgery at the end of June. So I will be playing nurse again for a few weeks. I am pretty good at it now though.

 

[JoshH]

Thanks, it is good to have things going in the right direction - finally. I have five fish in it now and four coming from Dr Fish on Friday. Nothing too fancy. I have a couple clams that are both doing well. A 4” Derasa and a 1” Gold Maxima. Both showing growth around the edge of their shells. I may add a few more small fish after this order, but will be a while.

9 fish is plenty, certainly enough movement to fill most of the tank. And wow, clams, they are beautiful and it's great to hear they are doing well, those small clams are tricky from what I hear so hopefully you keep seeing new growth!

 

[Fin]

9 fish is plenty, certainly enough movement to fill most of the tank. And wow, clams, they are beautiful and it's great to hear they are doing well, those small clams are tricky from what I hear so hopefully you keep seeing new growth!

I am trying to keep mostly small fish, with only a few larger swimmers. I have the Hippo and Two Spot Bristletooth tangs and they are mostly always out. I was going to add a Purple Tang but maybe shouldn’t now. I had a nice one in holding for this tank until the hurricane.

I need to get something to keep the aiptasia down. I have some very small ones popping up. I am hesitant to put a Copperband in there, since I have the clams. So maybe some Berghia nudis - soon.

 

[Fin]

Well, one of the fish I ordered didn’t make it through QT (Barred Goby). Rats! Three new fish arriving tomorrow. I also have 10 1/2” Berghia coming tomorrow. I only have very small aiptasia, but some I can’t get to. I hope they will take care of what I have.

 

[Fin]

Well, my three fish came in today. The Hawk was good size, about 3”. The Candy Hog Fish was smallish, but good enough. The Chalk Baslet was almost invisible, it was so small. ORA captive bread & QT’d = $60. I’ll be surprised if I ever see that fish again in a 125.

 

[Fin]

A few pics of actual livestock in the tank. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever get to this point. Still in the early stages but getting better.

 

[fishguy242]

Looking great Gary...

 

[F i s h y]

A few pics of actual livestock in the tank. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever get to this point. Still in the early stages but getting better.

That pink nepthea is beautiful. I miss mine. Going to have to find another.

 

[Fin]

That pink nepthea is beautiful. I miss mine. Going to have to find another.

This is the third one I have tried. This one looks like it will make it. I have had this one more than a year, but haven’t had a lot of growth from it. It is looking better since I moved it to the 125. One of those easy to keep corals that I have difficulty keeping.

 

[Fin]

I finally got a shot of the tiny ORA Chalk Basslet that I got a couple of weeks ago. I had no idea the fish was going to be so small, or I wouldn’t have ordered it. It spends most of the day hiding in the holes in the Pukani rock. The picture is zoomed in from a foot or so away so I wouldn’t spook him.

 

[F i s h y]

I finally got a shot of the tiny ORA Chalk Basslet that I got a couple of weeks ago. I had no idea the fish was going to be so small, or I wouldn’t have ordered it. It spends most of the day hiding in the holes in the Pukani rock. The picture is zoomed in from a foot or so away so aI wouldn’t spook him.

It looks healthy!

 

[Fin]

It looks healthy!

Yeah, it is that. I just hope he can avoid being a $60 snack until it gets a little larger.

 

[JoshH]

Yeah, it is that. I just hope he can avoid being a $60 snack until it gets a little larger.

My Mandarin came in around 3/4" long from Biota and she toughed it out. Though she had very little tankmates to worry about lol

 

[fishguy242]

Hi, how's it goin down there ?
Happy 4th to you and the Mrs...

 

[Fin]

Hi, how's it goin down there ?
Happy 4th to you and the Mrs...

Going ok, I guess. The wife had back surgery last Friday to have a spinal cord stimulator installed, to hopefully alleviate some of her lower back and hip pain. So, I am playing nurse once again.

Since I have other obligations, of course the tank has come down with a wicked case of cyano. I think my nutrients are too low. Phosphate at zero and nitrate not much better. I will tend to it when I can.

 

[fishguy242]

Wish her a speedy recovery ...
don't be a stranger...

 

[Fin]

Lazy reefer tip (I am sick of the word HACK!

I have a 20 gallon ATO reservoir. I have been filling it from outside once a week or so with a pump and a length of RV potable water hose. This works out ok, but getting behind the tank and squatting down for 10-15 minutes while the reservoir fills is a bit much for my old knees.

So, I ran a length of 1” vinyl tubing from the reservoir to a not so visible corner of the back of the tank next to my UV light. I just pop on a short length of tubing and insert a BRS funnel and pour replacement water into the funnel. If I add every day it only takes a gallon or so to keep it topped off. I keep a couple of gallons stashed behind the loveseat next to the tank. No more dragging out hose and pumps. Yay knees!

 

[fishguy242]

Where there's a will, there is a way...
How you and the Mrs doing Gary ?