Tank Journal Archive

[Priscacara]

Fantastic build!

 

[macca_75]

Notes to self ;)

Test results from 05/08/2012

Temp: 25.8
pH: 8.4 (API)
Alk: 9.352 (167 ppm) (Hanna)
Salinity: 1.025 (Refractometer)
Ca: 449 (Hanna) - better than last weeks reading which seems to be a 1 off lower reading
Mg: 1200 -(Salifert) - need to do a one off top up of Mg and get the dosing hooked up.
PO4: 0.04 (Hanna) - Finally something other than a 0.00 reading. Either the Rowaphos is exhausted finally or the increased feeding is adding a little more (or a combo of both).

• I have increased the feeding dramatically as a couple of the tangs didn't appear to be their nice plumb selves.
• Over the past week or so the algae on the glass seems a little more prevelant
• When cleaning the glass the skimmer has collected a full cup of thicker skimmate overnight. Seems I need to put this on a timer to run less often to increase skimmate quality.
• Clam is doing nicely.

 

[macca_75]

Last night marked the end of my Chromis.

As the lights went out for the night my wife noticed the Chromis settling down into his hiding spot the the night.

What was strange was the 4 worms hanging from it's side.

I tried to "save" the fish by poking it out/brushing the worms off but it was to little to late.

There was bare flesh hanging from the side of the fish where the worms had started eating him alive. Not sure if it was weak or sick but everything else about the fish appeared fine. I haven't seen the fish today and suspect I won't. At the rate the worms were going it wouldn't have been there for more than a few hours over night.

The worms actually "chased" the fish as it tried to move to a new hiding spot - it didn't have a chance and I couldn't catch it to remove it (although i suspect even if I did it would have been to far gone to survive)

Nature at it's worst I guess.

R.I.P Chromis.

 

[chimaera]

That sucks. But it must have been sick ... I can't fathom a fish being caught by a pack of bristle worms if it was healthy!

 

['vspec']

Sorry to hear that loss, but dude, killer transformation happing here.
Rock on bud. Will keep an eye on your progress;)

 

[macca_75]

Not my first loss in10+ years but it is only the second time I've seen it (the other I saw was a juv. emperor Angel being eaten by BTA) - again most likely on the way out.

 

[Synodontis]

Man that sucks macca_75, :(

What type of worms were they?

 

[macca_75]

Man that sucks macca_75,

What type of worms were they?

Just your average bristle/fire worm. I'd agree the fish must have either been sick (it didn't appear so the previous day) or more likely it was resting/asleep. Worms aren't the best hunters but the time it had realised what was happening it was 2 late. Anyone who's tried to net a fish during lights out will know it can take them a few minutes to figure out whats happening.

I also traded my cleaner wrasse out to another reefer (ssscuz) as I got sick of pulling it out of the weir. When ssscuz collected him he (the wrasse ;)) looked like he needed a good feed, but the good news is that night in his new home he was veraciously eating food so fingers crossed all will work out well.

I also re-programmed my Tunze pumps. 1 of them failed to start - :mad:. I'll need to sort this out and find out whats happening.
Last night I managed to hang a towel rail onto the back of the door - it's the 1%'ers I guess that finish the project.
The clam seems to be doing really well and all tests came in pretty well where I expected them.
The Mag (Epsom salts) is now also being dosed so I will need to monitor pretty closely this for a while.

 

[VaultBoy]

What a tank! I love the attention to detail on the cabling etc.

My 2 Criticisms are the cables from the pumps where they hang over the back you should either put a backing on the tank or hang the cables from the top out of view. Secondly you should hurry up on the LEDs! The colour difference is incredible... I dont miss the yellowness of my recently shelved halides!

Keep up the good work!

 

[macca_75]

What a tank! I love the attention to detail on the cabling etc.

My 2 Criticisms are the cables from the pumps where they hang over the back you should either put a backing on the tank or hang the cables from the top out of view. Secondly you should hurry up on the LEDs! The colour difference is incredible... I dont miss the yellowness of my recently shelved halides!

Keep up the good work!

Yeap Yeap.

1. If I ever get my butt into gear the cables have actually been run in duct above the tank (I screwed the duct to the shelf) so the only cables you see are from the pump going out of the water.

2. I'd love to go LED but this is looking at costing >$1K - cash I don't have right now. We did invest in a substantial Solar system to try and offset the power. I agree with the "color" comment and am actually planning on 3 x LED's (as there are 3 holes between bracing on the top) and being able to control color throughout the day.

When everything else is done on of the other things I want to do is paint the wall. Not sure what color or how, but am thinking an Aqua/Blue "sponge" effect would look good.

I'll try and get an updated shot of the "fish room" up tonight - it's looking clean(ish) in there at the moment.

 

[VaultBoy]

I know what youre saying about the $... It took me 12 months to afford my LED for a 200L tank :)

Painting the wall behind the tank looks great... iirc NiCd has a creamish sponge effect on the wall behind his tank and it looks great so a soft blue sponge look would be even better i think!

 

[NiCd]

it seems to add alot more perceived depth and hides the algae better

 

[macca_75]

The iPhone photo's not great - but none of my shots are ;)

It does show the cabling at the back of the tank though.

View attachment awww.imagerocket.net_photos_1344895170_tank_room.JPG

I've got a more recent FTS and some stock shots to upload by my internet router at home is broken. I guess they'll need to wait until the weekend.

 

[Synodontis]

Nice!

Finish with a teaser & have us waiting till the weekend, nice touch lol. :)

 

[macca_75]

Just a quick update.

Thanks to Rob for the following new frags. After just 1 day 3 of them seem to be going really well with the forth (in the first pic) yet to come out.

[Broken External Image]:http://home.iprimus.com.au/mcewan_adam/Tank/20120823/Frag1.jpg

[Broken External Image]:http://home.iprimus.com.au/mcewan_adam/Tank/20120823/Frag2.jpg

[Broken External Image]:http://home.iprimus.com.au/mcewan_adam/Tank/20120823/Frag3.jpg

[Broken External Image]:http://home.iprimus.com.au/mcewan_adam/Tank/20120823/Frag4.jpg

 

[macca_75]

And here are a couple of shots taken the other day

First the mandatory FTS

[Broken External Image]:http://home.iprimus.com.au/mcewan_adam/Tank/20120818/FTS.jpg

And then 4 shots covering Left to Right

[Broken External Image]:http://home.iprimus.com.au/mcewan_adam/Tank/20120818/Left.jpg

[Broken External Image]:http://home.iprimus.com.au/mcewan_adam/Tank/20120818/Middle2.jpg
[Broken External Image]:http://home.iprimus.com.au/mcewan_adam/Tank/20120818/Middle1.jpg

[Broken External Image]:http://home.iprimus.com.au/mcewan_adam/Tank/20120818/Right.jpg

One of the Tank room (with the lights on this time - it's bigger than it looks but I can't get a good shot with the lense(s) I own)

[Broken External Image]:http://home.iprimus.com.au/mcewan_adam/Tank/20120818/TankRoom.jpg

And last but not least another FTS showing how it fits in the wall

[Broken External Image]:http://home.iprimus.com.au/mcewan_adam/Tank/20120818/Front_angle.jpg

 

[Synodontis]

Looks great macca,
I like the way the white wall behind the tank seems to ad definition to the shape of the rocks. in the FTS. That's getting bloody arty-farty for me lol. :)

 

[macca_75]

Looks great macca,
I like the way the white wall behind the tank seems to ad definition to the shape of the rocks. in the FTS. That's getting bloody arty-farty for me lol. :)

Geez - Um Thanks. Never noticed that.... Not arty Farty by me - just Lazy ;)

Eventually I plan to paint the wall a Aqua or Blue - maybe sponge effect or similar.

 

[macca_75]

But in the tradition of doing things backwards here are some even older shots....

First up is a clam from Rob (Geez - Rob's making my tank look better :D)

And then some of the "inmates"..

First up - the old PJ Cardinal...

He's recently developed a growth behind his fin - looks like algae - not sure what it is though. He's a tough old fish - been through a lot so hopefully he'll get through this. I've had him for about 10 years now and he was reasonably large when I bought him as a wild caught fish (was one of 6 at the time)

Clowns playing around in one of the BTA's

and a couple of Frags still going strong from the Vic Frag fest a few months back

A sponge growing under a rock - there are a few of them - not sure how they got there

And a few of the Tangs (I know - I should have cleaned the glass first :()

 

[MagicJ]

Looks very nice macca_75 :)

Why do you have the heaters in the tank?