DuffyGeos 300g DT & 8 TANK FISH ROOM

[motti]

I really hope we are having a wamas social here once it's running

+1

[DuffyGeos]

Great work Ken! Really makes me want to move to a bigger house to I can have a bigger tank/more tanks do I can run 100'+ of pipes :-P

 

Motti all you have to do is put multiply tanks on opposite sides of the room and run at least one of them to the sump on the other side of the room. L.F. adds up quickly. You already have the space, just add more tanks and tie the grow out frag tanks to the main DT.....Bingo! 50' min.

 

that is the most perfect job ever

 

 

No it is not....I don't have hundreds of seahorses!!!!

 

I really hope we are having a wamas social here once it's running

 

 

I think I have already mentioned some sort of cook out or gathering once it gets warm.....The other factor would be to actually have rock and maybe some fish or coral in the tank....that might make it look a little better.

 

+1

 

+1 =2

[YHSublime]

I'll bring the lagunitas

[DuffyGeos]

I'll bring the lagunitas

 

And they will be accepted....along with your presence.

[TrueTricia]

This is plumbing porn! I love it! Ken I'm so happy to see progress being made on the plumbing. It looks very well thought out.

 

So social at your place next month?

 

[DuffyGeos]

This is plumbing porn! I love it! Ken I'm so happy to see progress being made on the plumbing. It looks very well thought out.

 

So social at your place next month?

 

 

Let's get some rock, coral, and fish in this water box before we celebrate!  Rob is coming over again this weekend so we might be able to get this thing moving after the weekend.

[DuffyGeos]

My fish list: 2/12/15

 

Here is what I am going to try. I have spend some time putting them in order of stocking. Let me know if you see anything wrong.

 

This is probably my 3rd rendition

 

Behavior: PEACE= Peaceful, WC= With Caution

Reef safe: YES, or NO

Size: i.e. 5"

 

7-Blue Reef Chromis (Chromis cyaneus) PEACE, YES, 5"

 

2-Snowflake Ocellaris Clownfish, Captive-Bred (Amphiprion ocellaris) PEACE, YES, 3"

 

1-Spotted Drum (Equetus punctatus) PEACE, YES, 6" My wife just loves this fish.

 

1-Red Velvet Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis) PEACE, YES, 4"
1-Lineatus Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus lineatus) PEACE, YES, 5"
3-Hooded Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus bathyphilus) PEACE, YES. 3.5"
 

1-Vrolik's Wrasse, Male (Halichoeres chrysotaenia) PEACE, WC, 5"
1-Hoeven's Wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus) PEACE, WC, 5"
1-Dusky Wrasse (Halichoeres annularis) PEACE, YES, 6"

 

3-Ventralis Anthias (Pseudanthias ventralis) PEACE, YES, 3"
5-Resplendent Anthias (Pseudanthias pulcherrimus) PEACE, YES, 3"
5-Fathead Sunburst Anthias (Serranocirrhitus latus) PEACE, YES, 5"
4-Indian Ocean Lyretail Anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) SA, YES, 5"

 

1-Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) PEACE, WC, 8"

 

1-Mystery Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus ocellatus) SA, YES, 5"
 

2-Moorish Idol (Zanclus cornutus) PEACE, WC, 7"

 

3-Yellowtail Damselfish (Chrysiptera parasema) SA, YES, 3"
3-Starcki Damsel (Chrysiptera starcki) SA, YES, 3"

3-Similar Damselfish (Pomacentrus similis) PEACE, YES, 3"

 

2-Potter's Angelfish (Centropyge potteri) SA, WC 5"
1-Coral Beauty Angelfish (Centropyge bispinosa) SA, WC, 4"
1-Bicolor Angelfish (Centropyge bicolor)  SA, WC, 6"
1-Flame Angelfish (Centropyge loricula) SA, WC 4"

 

2-Regal Angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus) SA, WC, 10"

 

1-Yellow Tang - Hawaii (Zebrasoma flavescens) SA, YES, 8"
1-Achilles Tang (Acanthurus achilles) SA, YES, 8"

 Total 57 fish 274.5" of total fish at maturity. Main tank is (300g) 96" x 30" x 24" and will have 3-5 central islands with swimming room on all sides. Total gallon of water in the system with the tank (300g), sump ( 80g), and grow out frag tank (70g) would be about 450g.

 

So am I crazy or will this work?  Largest fish factored in would be a pair of Regal Angels at 10" each, and I have never seen them that large in a tank. I am thinking they may get 7"-8"?

[zygote2k]

Abandon all hope of keeping the Copperband simply because they fare so poorly in captivity.  Moorish Idols have similar fate- why not try a Heniochus instead?

Starcki's are sensitive and tend to do better singly but I too would love to have a pair or trio. If you could do it, a large school of these would be just as awesome as the wrasses you've selected.

Have you given any thought to Assessors?

 

FWIW, I work on a 300g but with only a 40g sump and it currently has 38 fish. 7 species of Tangs and none fight. Biopellets and SRO skimmer, fed 12x day and I can't get N03 below 25ppm.

[zygote2k]

another thing to think about is many of those fish are territorial and many are from differnt oceans and have never met before.

Thoise 3-5 islands of rock may be high value real estate in the turf war that might go down in the tank with the main casualty being your wallet.

[DuffyGeos]

Abandon all hope of keeping the Copperband simply because they fare so poorly in captivity.  Moorish Idols have similar fate- why not try a Heniochus instead?

Starcki's are sensitive and tend to do better singly but I too would love to have a pair or trio. If you could do it, a large school of these would be just as awesome as the wrasses you've selected.

Have you given any thought to Assessors?

 

FWIW, I work on a 300g but with only a 40g sump and it currently has 38 fish. 7 species of Tangs and none fight. Biopellets and SRO skimmer, fed 12x day and I can't get N03 below 25ppm.

 

Thanks for chiming in Rob.

 

It seems some people in WAMAS have done OK with the copper banded if it is already eating.- any one?

 

The Morish Idol's are the same as the Copper Banded from what I have heard (with eating). Still not set on them. If I didn't do them I would just drop the fish count down. I only want to do fish I really find cool- Heniochus.....doesn't do anything for me.

 

Starcki's just look cool. I will take advice on how many, I know some fish just don't get along with relatives.

 

I may have to look into the Assessors, why do I think they are aggressive?  Are they similar to the Dottyback's? I use to have a purple Dottyback and he was a PIA.

 

So that client has 340g and I would have 450g. I don't know how many inches of fish they have per gal. Didn't you say 1" per gal this weekend?

 

 

another thing to think about is many of those fish are territorial and many are from differnt oceans and have never met before.

Thoise 3-5 islands of rock may be high value real estate in the turf war that might go down in the tank with the main casualty being your wallet.

 

That is why I was thinking of having different islands so 360 degrees of each island is prime real estate, and the fish can swim around the entire tank with 5"+/- of water around each island. I want to leave as much open water for the fish, and for the coral to grow over the years. I also won't be adding them "all at once" it will probably take a year to get it stocked, just so I don't over do it and see how things are going. That is why the order of the stocking list may be important. Not only for aggression, but there may be a point where I just decide " OK that is enough"

[zygote2k]

Dottybacks are indeed aggressive. I've had a few tanks with large groups (12+) of Royal Grammas and they act completely different than a solitary Gramma. They swim upside down under ledges just like the Assessors.

I had a school of Chalk Basslets once....

[DuffyGeos]

Dottybacks are indeed aggressive. I've had a few tanks with large groups (12+) of Royal Grammas and they act completely different than a solitary Gramma. They swim upside down under ledges just like the Assessors.

I had a school of Chalk Basslets once....

 

I have one Royal Gramma in my 16g IM, it tends to hang out under the rock ledge. I know when diving I always turn upside down and look under overhangs and usually there are a few Royal Gramma hanging out. Love that fish, great color and doesn't seem to bug any other fish, unless they get too close to their spot. Then they will come out with their mouths open to try and scare the other fish away.

[surf&turf]

I have had my Copper band going on 4 years now. She eats Larry's food out of my hand.

[DuffyGeos]

I have had my Copper band going on 4 years now. She eats Larry's food out of my hand.

 

Thanks! that sound like a happy fish. How large is she after 4 years? I know a few people that have had them for a couple years, and as long as they were eating when they got them the fish did well. I think they need enough space to swim (180g +), mature rock, and a balanced diet of frozen food, not just pellets (that is what I have read, have never had one).

[surf&turf]

 

 

5 inches nose to tail, and between 3 to 4 inches tall. Here she is last year. 

[DuffyGeos]

That is a beautiful picture, she looks perfectly healthy...now I want one even more!

[TrueTricia]

 

 

5 inches nose to tail, and between 3 to 4 inches tall. Here she is last year.

Frank that is a beautiful picture! Can't wait until the weather warms up and head out your way for hiking/bbq!

 

Ken, why are you doing any kind of damsels? I've never had one that's been anything but a PITA. I'd think a school of bengaiis would be cool, like that tank at the Columbus Zoo that has them all.

 

[DuffyGeos]

Frank that is a beautiful picture! Can't wait until the weather warms up and head out your way for hiking/bbq!

 

Ken, why are you doing any kind of damsels? I've never had one that's been anything but a PITA. I'd think a school of bengaiis would be cool, like that tank at the Columbus Zoo that has them all.

 

 

 I know they are "common" but I just love that fish! The reason the are a PITA is that you need to have enough volume of water so they will get along. That burst of blue and yellow is just amazing. I didn't know it could be done until I saw Copps tank where he must have 20-30 of them and they are OK (of course that is 1200-1300g+/- don't want to short change him!, but they seem to stay in the same area together). Most of the time you see them is in a 20gal tank and that is just not enough room.

 

I like the Bengaiis but love the other fish on my list.

Edited February 14, 2015 by DuffyGeos

[RJT]

Great list. Your tank will look amazing at feeding time.

 

I haven't heard of two moorish idols in a long term setting being successful but one definitely. They eat a lot.

 

Why not get a pair of each angel? Mine have an almost nightly rendezvous.

 

With the damsels they will harass smaller new fish. If they don't fight back they'll harrass them more.

 

Dottybacks can be peaceful like the fridmani springeri and sometimes sunrise. I have them and they don't bother anyone.

[DuffyGeos]

Great list. Your tank will look amazing at feeding time.

 

I haven't heard of two moorish idols in a long term setting being successful but one definitely. They eat a lot.

 

Why not get a pair of each angel? Mine have an almost nightly rendezvous.

 

With the damsels they will harass smaller new fish. If they don't fight back they'll harrass them more.

 

Dottybacks can be peaceful like the fridmani springeri and sometimes sunrise. I have them and they don't bother anyone.

 

Thanks for your input. I read somewhere that the Moorish Idols seem to do better in pairs, which I think a lot of fish do.

 

I was thinking about pairs of angels, that is why I was going to do the Regal pair. What pairs of angels do you have?

 

With the damsels, that is why they are down on the stocking list, everything after them would be larger.

 

I have had a Dottyback and all he did was chase everything around. They will not be in the tank.

[RJT]

Most fish do well as pairs.  Glad to hear Moorish idols are in that category.  If I could deal with their appetites I would try them again.

 

I have coral beauty and flame angel pairs.

 

Good plan with the damsels.  They add great colors.

 

The purple, bicolor and royal dottybacks are some of the meanest fish you can get no matter the size tank or other fish.

[DuffyGeos]

Most fish do well as pairs.  Glad to hear Moorish idols are in that category.  If I could deal with their appetites I would try them again.

 

I have coral beauty and flame angel pairs.

 

Good plan with the damsels.  They add great colors.

 

The purple, bicolor and royal dottybacks are some of the meanest fish you can get no matter the size tank or other fish.

 

Do the Coral Beauty & Flame pairs get along?

What size tank do you have?

Are they mated pairs?

Do they eat any corals?

What type of corals do you have?

Thx

[RJT]

Best friends-no.  They don't chase one another but if they cross paths they don't stay around each other.  Its a standard 220g.  They aren't always together but when the moon lights turn on the male coral beauty gets below the female and they stay like that for around 10 seconds as they rise up the tank and go across.  Never checked to see if that's how they mate since they do it every night.  The flames do it a few times a week, the beauties twice a night.

 

They don't eat corals that I have.  Not sure if it makes a difference but I feed the tank at least 3 times a day and they get a nori sheet every morning. When I feed them twice a day they still do not nip. 

 

Its a mixed reef with acros, zoas, acans, euphyllias, leathers random lps.  Sounds fancier than it is.  They do nip acro polyps so don't get millies and expect them swaying in the flow at least that's my experience.  The corals do grow just not great pe.  A barf bonsai is a good example of a acro that still has pe and they don't touch them. 

[DuffyGeos]

Thanks for the info. So how many angels do you have in the 220?

[DuffyGeos]

Another weekend......another 6 hours of plumbing for Rob and I on my system. I think I can now fill my frag QT tank, just have to make a few connections for the pump.

 

Even with fresh air coming in the room, and the exhaust fan on, I think 6 hours a day of smelling the PVC glue is enough.  One or two more sessions and we should be done, for the most part.