My 75 gallon adventure

[taulgrl]

Wow! A year has gone by since my last update. I don’t think it looks much different but, unfortunately, there are fewer fish. Here are a couple of updates:

I had to get rid of my Copperband. . We have been taking longer and longer vacations and he needed daily frozen or live food. Too much work for my fish sitters. Shortly after that my yellow Coris jumped out and somehow wound up in the basket I keep my cords in. It took me a while to find him - I thought he jumped and the dog ate him! Now I have a bristleworm INVASION. I had no idea these two were eating so many. Hoping a couple of Halichoeres wrasses will help the situation.

Coral update has mostly involved maintenance of existing stock. My Goni is gone and my Xenia is struggling (hard to believe) but the rest of the coral and the constantly splitting nems (hiding in pics) keep me busy.

Plan moving forward: more fish, setup kalk dosing and try my hand at some easy SPS.

Happy reefing!

 

[Eric R.]

Sorry to hear that you've lost fish! Always a hard thing.

If you need xenia, I always have a ton. And I recommend milka stylo as an easy SPS - it's the only one that survived my early attempts to keep SPS when I was still topping off by hand, and also survived my tank crash due to an autofeeder failure. I know a local reefer you can probably get some from inexpensively - if I had a bigger colony I would share, but mine isn't that big yet. He also has some other easy SPS you may be interested in.

 

[taulgrl]

Sorry to hear that you've lost fish! Always a hard thing.

If you need xenia, I always have a ton. And I recommend milka stylo as an easy SPS - it's the only one that survived my early attempts to keep SPS when I was still topping off by hand, and also survived my tank crash due to an autofeeder failure. I know a local reefer you can probably get some from inexpensively - if I had a bigger colony I would share, but mine isn't that big yet. He also has some other easy SPS you may be interested in.

Thanks so much! I’ll PM you for details

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I love the scape. Great choice in your combination of coral. It works well together. Impressive

 

[taulgrl]

I love the scape. Great choice in your combination of coral. It works well together. Impressive

Thanks for the kind words! I just checked out your mixed reef and it is awesome. Goals!! How is your Copperband? I miss mine - never had aptasia (or feather dusters lol) after adding him!

 

[taulgrl]

Some new things going on: picked up a Talbots Damsel to make sure my QT setup wasn’t what killed my Sailfin Tang. Damsel made it through QT and is now in the DT hiding from the yellow tail damsel that keeps hassling it .

Got a Melanurus Wrasse to control the bristleworm population that exploded after the yellow coris wrasse and copperband left the tank. It seems to be working

Got some SPS from a local reefer! Purple Stylo and Monti Cap. They are doing great and showing signs of growth

Started dosing Kalk to maintain Ca and Alk. Started w a handmade dripper to dial in the amount and just brought a pump online today. Using the kamoer x1 Pro 2 and a 24L plastic bin I found at Agway

FTS. The candy cane coral is “hosting” my 2 clowns. Clowns have zero interest in the RBTAs …

Side shot showing Purple Stylo and Monti Cap:

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Some new things going on: picked up a Talbots Damsel to make sure my QT setup wasn’t what killed my Sailfin Tang. Damsel made it through QT and is now in the DT hiding from the yellow tail damsel that keeps hassling it .

Got a Melanurus Wrasse to control the bristleworm population that exploded after the yellow coris wrasse and copperband left the tank. It seems to be working

Got some SPS from a local reefer! Purple Stylo and Monti Cap. They are doing great and showing signs of growth

Started dosing Kalk to maintain Ca and Alk. Started w a handmade dripper to dial in the amount and just brought a pump online today. Using the kamoer x1 Pro 2 and a 24L plastic bin I found at Agway

FTS. The candy cane coral is “hosting” my 2 clowns. Clowns have zero interest in the RBTAs …

Side shot showing Purple Stylo and Monti Cap:

Awesome looking and great use of space.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Some new things going on: picked up a Talbots Damsel to make sure my QT setup wasn’t what killed my Sailfin Tang. Damsel made it through QT and is now in the DT hiding from the yellow tail damsel that keeps hassling it .

Got a Melanurus Wrasse to control the bristleworm population that exploded after the yellow coris wrasse and copperband left the tank. It seems to be working

Got some SPS from a local reefer! Purple Stylo and Monti Cap. They are doing great and showing signs of growth

Started dosing Kalk to maintain Ca and Alk. Started w a handmade dripper to dial in the amount and just brought a pump online today. Using the kamoer x1 Pro 2 and a 24L plastic bin I found at Agway

FTS. The candy cane coral is “hosting” my 2 clowns. Clowns have zero interest in the RBTAs …

Side shot showing Purple Stylo and Monti Cap:

You mentioned copperband and bristleworm, I don't have them in my display and I have a copperband. I never put 2 and 2 together. What else had you seen him eat out of curiosity.

 

[taulgrl]

You mentioned copperband and bristleworm, I don't have them in my display and I have a copperband. I never put 2 and 2 together. What else had you seen him eat out of curiosity.

As soon as he entered my tank my aptasia and feather dusters were toast! Honestly, I hadn’t put 2 and 2 together either until I noticed an explosion of bristleworms after copperband (and wrasse) were gone

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Some new things going on: picked up a Talbots Damsel to make sure my QT setup wasn’t what killed my Sailfin Tang. Damsel made it through QT and is now in the DT hiding from the yellow tail damsel that keeps hassling it .

Got a Melanurus Wrasse to control the bristleworm population that exploded after the yellow coris wrasse and copperband left the tank. It seems to be working

Got some SPS from a local reefer! Purple Stylo and Monti Cap. They are doing great and showing signs of growth

Started dosing Kalk to maintain Ca and Alk. Started w a handmade dripper to dial in the amount and just brought a pump online today. Using the kamoer x1 Pro 2 and a 24L plastic bin I found at Agway

FTS. The candy cane coral is “hosting” my 2 clowns. Clowns have zero interest in the RBTAs …

Side shot showing Purple Stylo and Monti Cap:

My clowns also continue to ignore my BTA; maybe they will go to it one day. The stylo and monti look great!

 

[Cichlid Dad]

As soon as he entered my tank my aptasia and feather dusters were toast! Honestly, I hadn’t put 2 and 2 together either until I noticed an explosion of bristleworms after copperband (and wrasse) were gone

Ok now that makes sense, I have tons of feather duster in my sump but nothing in my display LOL!

 

[Eric R.]

Some new things going on: picked up a Talbots Damsel to make sure my QT setup wasn’t what killed my Sailfin Tang. Damsel made it through QT and is now in the DT hiding from the yellow tail damsel that keeps hassling it .

Got a Melanurus Wrasse to control the bristleworm population that exploded after the yellow coris wrasse and copperband left the tank. It seems to be working

Got some SPS from a local reefer! Purple Stylo and Monti Cap. They are doing great and showing signs of growth

Started dosing Kalk to maintain Ca and Alk. Started w a handmade dripper to dial in the amount and just brought a pump online today. Using the kamoer x1 Pro 2 and a 24L plastic bin I found at Agway

FTS. The candy cane coral is “hosting” my 2 clowns. Clowns have zero interest in the RBTAs …

Side shot showing Purple Stylo and Monti Cap:

Hey, that Stylo looks familiar!

I had one of those monti caps as well, but unfortunately lost it during an over feeding incident while I was traveling. I need to get another frag of it.

Hope the grow well for you!

 

[taulgrl]

Hey, that Stylo looks familiar!

I had one of those monti caps as well, but unfortunately lost it during an over feeding incident while I was traveling. I need to get another frag of it.

Hope the grow well for you!

Haha I got it from the guy you recommended. Very generous and knowledgeable person Yours is looking great!