Indiana 150g tall basement build

AMBER NICHOLS · Nov 15, 2018

Eagle 2 said:
I'm having some serious basement envy... Wow that looks great! Nice work all around on your build, I'm sure some public bars would be jealous of that setup.

I dont envy working on that tank tho, you need some long arms lol. Can't wait to see your progress, thanks for sharing.

Hey thanks! I have to admit the bar came out much larger in person then it looked on paper [emoji23] it was a beastly project getting all the granite downstairs.

I am already rigging contraptions for the depth on the tank. I feel insanely uncoordinated doing anything in there. Kind of like I am using chopsticks with my left hand (right handed).

AMBER NICHOLS · Nov 16, 2018

Video of my sweet little clowns in QT.

Video of peppermint shrimp in QT.

AMBER NICHOLS · Nov 16, 2018

Noticed a little white poo on one of the Domino's. Not a long string but just white. I went ahead and ordered Hex- shield just in case. All are eagerly eating and chasing each other. I am feeding Cobalt Marine, it looks to have garlic in it too. (Garlic for parasites right?) Anyway glad I have these boogers in QT.

HotRocks · Nov 16, 2018

AMBER NICHOLS said:
Noticed a little white poo on one of the Domino's. Not a long string but just white. I went ahead and ordered Hex- shield just in case. All are eagerly eating and chasing each other. I am feeding Cobalt Marine, it looks to have garlic in it too. (Garlic for parasites right?) Anyway glad I have these boogers in QT.

I would add general cure + focus to their food.

Garlic treating parasites is a fallacy. IMHO.

AMBER NICHOLS · Nov 16, 2018

HotRocks said:
I would add general cure + focus to their food.

Garlic treating parasites is a fallacy. IMHO.

Got it! I kind of wondered about that garlic trick. Meds should be here Sunday I think they will be okay until then.

HotRocks · Nov 16, 2018

AMBER NICHOLS said:
Got it! I kind of wondered about that garlic trick. Meds should be here Sunday I think they will be okay until then.

If you need something before hand let me know. I'm on the Northside of Indy and have a pharmacy in my basement!

AMBER NICHOLS · Nov 16, 2018

HotRocks said:
If you need something before hand let me know. I'm on the Northside of Indy and have a pharmacy in my basement!

Thanks a bunch!

AMBER NICHOLS · Nov 18, 2018

I went out and got some general cure and prime. They seemed to not mind it. I got the Hex-Shield I ordered today and they are devouring it. (Like doesn't even sink lol)Which is weird b/c reviews seem to state fish don't like it...maybe clowns are just not picky. I think I am going to continue to do both for a few days. Anyone see any harm in mixing those two?

HotRocks · Nov 18, 2018

AMBER NICHOLS said:
I went out and got some general cure and prime. They seemed to not mind it. I got the Hex-Shield I ordered today and they are devouring it. (Like doesn't even sink lol)Which is weird b/c reviews seem to state fish don't like it...maybe clowns are just not picky. I think I am going to continue to do both for a few days. Anyone see any harm in mixing those two?

No harm. You do want to space your GC doses out to 5-7 days apart opposed to the instructions.

AMBER NICHOLS · Dec 3, 2018

I am having surgery on the 13th so not much planned before the new year. Few updates and other pet pictures for entertainment [emoji4]

Baby clowns and peppermint shrimp are doing good in QT. I am not putting them in DT until New Year. I am obsessed with clowns. I keep wondering if they will pair off in the big tank or stay as one group with one female.

I added majority of cleanup crew in display without QT because hair algae was getting ugly. This is not something I planned on doing but it will be past the ich infection period when I add my QT members so hope all will be okay. I did get a emerald crabs that must have been hand feed in the past. I wanted to see if they would take nori. He ripped it right off my grabbers!

I have had a rough go at keeping chaeto in my fuge. (Bashsea biofuge) I messaged some folks on here and put up some filter floss, which helped but is pretty gross. I went to the dollar store and bought a plastic basket that has some slots in it. I put in a couple pieces of rubble so it partially floats. Seemed to do the trick. I did seed pods already so I really want to make it work.

Water station is not done yet. We bought everything just haven't had time to get it all plumbed.

Hitch hikers- I picked up some asterina. I have been hearing a clicking in the evening. I am assuming I maybe have a pistol hitchhiking. I think if it was a mantis I would have seen it by now. I have not seen any piles either so who knows!

I also hate the salinity probe with my Apex. Dang thing drives me bonkers.

Enjoy my incredibly photogenic dogs. (I love dogs and have a problem foster failing them)

Amber

AMBER NICHOLS · Dec 7, 2018

Had some baby clownfish drama. I had to return 2 as they were trying to murder the other 2. I should have known better. In an attempt to save the two I had to pull them from QT and put them in DT. Here is to hoping 2.5 weeks was enough.

When returning the two mean clowns, I fell in love with this hammer coral. I also left with a longnose hawkfish since my QT was now empty.

Attaching video of hammer coral. This is my first coral so any advice is appreciated. Since the tank is so deep, I wasn't super sure on placement.

The longnose hawkfish is so stinking cool. He is eating like a champ and comes to the glass already! I am going to make sure he keeps up eating before treating. This one needs a name for sure.

Still battling the tank uglies but getting better. Not too concerned about it...yet.

AMBER NICHOLS · Jan 13, 2019

Hawkfish has made his way in my DT. He doesn't seem to like it, he hangs out on the gyre or side of overflow all day. I have not seen him even close to any rocks.

I bought a red parrot wrasse, lyretail anthias, and coral beauty. I added them to QT and waited a few days before starting copper. This was a mistake. Velvet struck and took out the wrasse incredibly fast. It was awful to watch. The other 2 were in bad shape but are improving. I will filter out copper in a couple days and then treat with general cure. Hopefully this will clear everything up!

I came home with another coral. [emoji85] I said I wasn't doing coral [emoji23]. It is really pretty though.

My 2 emerald crabs seem to be the most entertaining thing in my DT right now. Haha they will eat nori right off my grabbers. Pretty fun party trick!

A couple pics attached. I am still terrible at taking pictures. Link to emerald crab party trick.

4FordFamily · Jan 13, 2019

AMBER NICHOLS said:
Hawkfish has made his way in my DT. He doesn't seem to like it, he hangs out on the gyre or side of overflow all day. I have not seen him even close to any rocks.

I bought a red parrot wrasse, lyretail anthias, and coral beauty. I added them to QT and waited a few days before starting copper. This was a mistake. Velvet struck and took out the wrasse incredibly fast. It was awful to watch. The other 2 were in bad shape but are improving. I will filter out copper in a couple days and then treat with general cure. Hopefully this will clear everything up!

I came home with another coral. [emoji85] I said I wasn't doing coral [emoji23]. It is really pretty though.

My 2 emerald crabs seem to be the most entertaining thing in my DT right now. Haha they will eat nori right off my grabbers. Pretty fun party trick!

A couple pics attached. I am still terrible at taking pictures. Link to emerald crab party trick.

Beautiful coral, and the longnose hawk is one of my favorites!

norfolkgarden · Jan 13, 2019

Our longnose hawkfish likes it up high.
The flame hawkfish likes both but mostly lower to mid level.
Both are small and it is a 75 gallon tank so they get along ok.
Not buddies. Just ignore each other.

NY_Caveman · Jan 14, 2019

Great video!

AMBER NICHOLS · Feb 12, 2019

My tank is going pretty well besides the mysterious disappearance of my long nose hawkfish. He is just gone.

I added coral beauty and Lyretail Anthias and both are doing well.

I need more active fish so last week I ordered a melenarus wrasse and 3 more small Lyretail Anthias. I got an email that my order cannot be filled now. Argh.

Any suggestions for more active fish? My tank is 150 but it's deep and only 4' long. I am not sure a Tang would be okay. I do really think the Lavender Tang is pretty but again not sure it's fair.

Scotty Buttons · Feb 12, 2019

Long nose hawk fish are jumpers. I lost one to carpet surfing years ago

AMBER NICHOLS · Feb 12, 2019

Scotty Buttons said:
Long nose hawk fish are jumpers. I lost one to carpet surfing years ago

I have a canopy. I think he probably tried to jump and hurt himself then was eaten by clean up crew. Poor buddy.

AMBER NICHOLS · Mar 17, 2019

Fun updates!

I went to INDMAS frag Swap yesterday. We found a Marine Betta for $55!! We also took home a lavendar tang and a large lobo. So glad we went it was a blast! I have the Betta and tang in QT. Both are doing well so far. I didn't have any live food so I cleaned out a filter sock and sucked out about 20 amphipods and Betta devoured them. I need to work on live food situation and try to get him transitioned to frozen... hopefully! Pretty dang cool fish. *My photography skills still stink as you can see below! Glass is a mess too!

I have now had my second Cobalt Neo-therm heater explode. I actually stuck my entire arm in and got a fierce jolt. This was a couple weeks ago in a QT tank. I am pretty sure this lead to the ultimate death of a melanrus. Sigh. I have now lost faith in the Neo-therm entirely and am beginning to change them all out. I went all in (I have 6!) so it's an expensive and disappointing change.

DT fish inhabitants: black ice clown, mocha domino clown, coral beauty, 3 lyretail anthias, royal Gramma, red lyretail hawkfish, lawnmower blenny. Slowly stocking up! After lavendar and marine Betta get through QT, I will look for a fox face and another melanrus.

Thanks a ton to @4FordFamily and @HotRocks for always helping me. I am glad they are local in case of emergency....like getting heaters exploding and zapping me.