Up and Running

E46Twist · 01/19/2014, 12:45 AM

Hey all, this is only my second post so I'll re introduce my setup. I have 120 custom 8x2x1 "tide pool." I let it cycle with 110 lbs of dry rock and a few pounds of good rubble for 6 weeks. Had a really good spike a couple weeks back that settled down and has stayed down. So I got over to saltwaterfish.com and they had a $99 free shipping deal so I picked out a CUC, a lawnmower, and two false perks. Well everyone showed up good except one perc was DOA. I got everything in and got a little bare tank syndrome and since I was out a perc for now I went to my LFS. I picked up an eibli? Angle and what a fun fish! Well everyone is still looking good and the false perc has already set up right in the middle of the tank and when it was lights out the eibli tried sleeping under his perch, but nope! The perc chased him out lol. Anyways so far so good.

E46Twist · 01/19/2014, 10:03 AM

Okay so maybe it is too early to worry about this but I am having feeding problems. My clown doesn't seem to be looking for food and I am having trouble getting food to stay in his area before betting blown away and he is in the most "dead" part of the tank. My angle is looks hungry and has taken to taking a quick nio and some snails. He is grazing live rock but not finding food. I was worried about this with such a large surface area. With only two fish it seems that I would need to way overfeed for them to pick up any. Any suggestions guys?

fishroomlady · 01/19/2014, 10:27 AM

the fish I'm sure are still acclimating to your tank so I wouldn't worry about the feeding at this point. I would suggest giving them some time and once they are eating, they should easily be able to catch food. You tank sounds sooo cool!

E46Twist · 01/19/2014, 03:05 PM

Thanks! I really need to take some good pics. It was very fun to build. Although lighting was a pain. I have empty tank syndrome so bad though Noe that I have a few guys swimming around. I am waiting two more weeks and checking params and then I'm going to add a couple more fish.

E46Twist · 01/20/2014, 08:49 AM

Well some bad news, my other clown died last night. Before I turned the lights out he left the area he had taken to. He was swimming around the front glass near the top kinda looking at the surface but not anything unsusal swimming wise. I sprinkled some flakes and a little brine and he picked at it and pooped. He stayed out of his host spot after lights out. I woke up this morning for head count and he was in the clenches on my brittle star... I didn't get to test ammonia yet today but it was .25 last night and I am skeptic of the API test because I have never got a read out of zero. Nitrites were 0 and nitrates were less than 20. Everyone else looks good which is only the CUC and dwarf angle. It was a wild clown aswell. Do you guys think I should take the dwarf angle out?

fishroomlady · 01/20/2014, 12:35 PM

oh, so sorry to hear that. If you take it out, what are you going to do with it?

Dozer1one · 01/20/2014, 01:40 PM

I think you should get a more precise test kit and test all params again. Also you said the clown was hovering around the top of the tank, do you have any power heads or return lines breaking the top of the water at all? It could be he was looking for oxygen and that in turn means u have low oxygen levels in the water column. Ammonia most certainly kills fish quickly so having .25 ppm of it is certainly not good I think your best bet is to re test, and wait to stock anymore animals until your biologics can keep up with the load, hopefully the angle doesn't croak but I'd be willing to bet he's prob dead as I type this clowns are a little more hardy and easier to keep than the angels if he's dead the other is probably sure to follow. Good luck and keep us posted

E46Twist · 01/20/2014, 04:42 PM

Well all else is well retested and got a lime green/yellow color for am. O nitrite and less than 10 nitrate. Everybody looks happy.. I have two power heads that disturb the surface. I am confused guys

Microcosmos · 01/20/2014, 08:20 PM

Sometimes wild caught fish won't eat flakes. I would stay away from wild caught when possible and just to be on the safe side (and to make the fishes happy) I would supplement or replace the flakes with frozen food.

E46Twist · 01/20/2014, 10:27 PM

I have 5 foods in total. The main staple is my homemade super food with powdered spirulina. When I get my frags shipped I may try clowns again I am just surprised they are the only fish that didn't make it. I figured after two days the one that made the travel would be in the clear. Makes me nervous to order online anymore.

01/19/2014, 12:45 AM	#1
E46Twist Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Columbia,MO Posts: 328	Up and Running Hey all, this is only my second post so I'll re introduce my setup. I have 120 custom 8x2x1 "tide pool." I let it cycle with 110 lbs of dry rock and a few pounds of good rubble for 6 weeks. Had a really good spike a couple weeks back that settled down and has stayed down. So I got over to saltwaterfish.com and they had a $99 free shipping deal so I picked out a CUC, a lawnmower, and two false perks. Well everyone showed up good except one perc was DOA. I got everything in and got a little bare tank syndrome and since I was out a perc for now I went to my LFS. I picked up an eibli? Angle and what a fun fish! Well everyone is still looking good and the false perc has already set up right in the middle of the tank and when it was lights out the eibli tried sleeping under his perch, but nope! The perc chased him out lol. Anyways so far so good.

01/19/2014, 10:27 AM	#3
fishroomlady Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 329	the fish I'm sure are still acclimating to your tank so I wouldn't worry about the feeding at this point. I would suggest giving them some time and once they are eating, they should easily be able to catch food. You tank sounds sooo cool! __________________ "You may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?" - Talking Heads Current Tank Info: 65 gallon wide reef tank

01/20/2014, 12:35 PM	#6
fishroomlady Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 329	oh, so sorry to hear that. If you take it out, what are you going to do with it? __________________ "You may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?" - Talking Heads Current Tank Info: 65 gallon wide reef tank

01/19/2014, 10:03 AM	#2
E46Twist Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Columbia,MO Posts: 328	Okay so maybe it is too early to worry about this but I am having feeding problems. My clown doesn't seem to be looking for food and I am having trouble getting food to stay in his area before betting blown away and he is in the most "dead" part of the tank. My angle is looks hungry and has taken to taking a quick nio and some snails. He is grazing live rock but not finding food. I was worried about this with such a large surface area. With only two fish it seems that I would need to way overfeed for them to pick up any. Any suggestions guys?

01/19/2014, 03:05 PM	#4
E46Twist Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Columbia,MO Posts: 328	Thanks! I really need to take some good pics. It was very fun to build. Although lighting was a pain. I have empty tank syndrome so bad though Noe that I have a few guys swimming around. I am waiting two more weeks and checking params and then I'm going to add a couple more fish.

01/20/2014, 08:49 AM	#5
E46Twist Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Columbia,MO Posts: 328	Well some bad news, my other clown died last night. Before I turned the lights out he left the area he had taken to. He was swimming around the front glass near the top kinda looking at the surface but not anything unsusal swimming wise. I sprinkled some flakes and a little brine and he picked at it and pooped. He stayed out of his host spot after lights out. I woke up this morning for head count and he was in the clenches on my brittle star... I didn't get to test ammonia yet today but it was .25 last night and I am skeptic of the API test because I have never got a read out of zero. Nitrites were 0 and nitrates were less than 20. Everyone else looks good which is only the CUC and dwarf angle. It was a wild clown aswell. Do you guys think I should take the dwarf angle out?

01/20/2014, 01:40 PM	#7
Dozer1one Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: levittown, PA Posts: 349	I think you should get a more precise test kit and test all params again. Also you said the clown was hovering around the top of the tank, do you have any power heads or return lines breaking the top of the water at all? It could be he was looking for oxygen and that in turn means u have low oxygen levels in the water column. Ammonia most certainly kills fish quickly so having .25 ppm of it is certainly not good I think your best bet is to re test, and wait to stock anymore animals until your biologics can keep up with the load, hopefully the angle doesn't croak but I'd be willing to bet he's prob dead as I type this clowns are a little more hardy and easier to keep than the angels if he's dead the other is probably sure to follow. Good luck and keep us posted

01/20/2014, 04:42 PM	#8
E46Twist Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Columbia,MO Posts: 328	Well all else is well retested and got a lime green/yellow color for am. O nitrite and less than 10 nitrate. Everybody looks happy.. I have two power heads that disturb the surface. I am confused guys

01/20/2014, 08:20 PM	#9
Microcosmos Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Hagerstown, MD, USA Posts: 328	Sometimes wild caught fish won't eat flakes. I would stay away from wild caught when possible and just to be on the safe side (and to make the fishes happy) I would supplement or replace the flakes with frozen food.

01/20/2014, 10:27 PM	#10
E46Twist Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Columbia,MO Posts: 328	I have 5 foods in total. The main staple is my homemade super food with powdered spirulina. When I get my frags shipped I may try clowns again I am just surprised they are the only fish that didn't make it. I figured after two days the one that made the travel would be in the clear. Makes me nervous to order online anymore.