My 210 FOWLR Turned Reef

[nonstophoops]

Dont be a pansy.

If you wanted that you would just have gotten yourself a goldfish bowl.

YOU CAN DO IT!

You might be onto something. Convert the 210 into a fish bowl. Sounds like a good idea to me!

I am now planning on buying the 3" Achilles depending on a few factors the owner has to get back to me on. Those include:

1. Is it eating? If so, what?
2. How long has he had it?
3. Did it indeed come from Hawaii?
4. This one more just curious and I know kinda random...How was it collected? At night?

If it passes my mini test here then it will coming to my house on Tuesday along with the Male Wrasse and Feather Dusters.

 

[we4wieners]

You might be onto something. Convert the 210 into a fish bowl. Sounds like a good idea to me!

I am now planning on buying the 3" Achilles depending on a few factors the owner has to get back to me on. Those include:

1. Is it eating? If so, what?
2. How long has he had it?
3. Did it indeed come from Hawaii?
4. This one more just curious and I know kinda random...How was it collected? At night?

If it passes my mini test here then it will coming to my house on Tuesday along with the Male Wrasse and Feather Dusters.

This place just got a few of 'em in. http://www.pacificeastaquaculture.com/TC-Achilles-Tang-WYSIWYG-Prodview.html They are awesome fish. Good Luck bro. Got a ? I was given a free UV, should I use it? Or is it just another thing to plug in?

 

[nonstophoops]

This place just got a few of 'em in. http://www.pacificeastaquaculture.com/TC-Achilles-Tang-WYSIWYG-Prodview.html They are awesome fish. Good Luck bro. Got a ? I was given a free UV, should I use it? Or is it just another thing to plug in?

Can't say I want to pay that for one...granted that is a pretty standard price. I am curious to what they mean by "tank conditioned".

Most likely the UV needs a new bulb. The bulbs only work(at least well) for 6 months tops. It is something that I would use if I was gifted one yes, but only worth it with a new bulb.

 

[nonstophoops]

So pending some finalizations, I will be receiving a 3" Achilles Tang on Tuesday! The fish has been in captivity for a week and is eating Mysis and Ogo algae. I believe that it will be a juvenile still, haven't seen an actual pic yet, based on other pictures I have seen of that size. So no pronounced orange spot, but that will come in time as it grows.

 

[FLESHY]

That is awesome that you are getting one that small dustin!

Weiners, that is an interesting site. Not much for fish, and its hard to beat pacificislandaquatics prices on achiles...but they have a huge selection of stuff on that site.

 

[FLESHY]

Plus they give you free stuff when you buy from them...flat rate shipping of $37 is cheap as well.

 

[nonstophoops]

That is awesome that you are getting one that small dustin!

Weiners, that is an interesting site. Not much for fish, and its hard to beat pacificislandaquatics prices on achiles...but they have a huge selection of stuff on that site.

Me too, exactly the size I wanted. And it is now official, it is coming on Tuesday. Can't beat $100 bucks for an Achilles, it would have been at least twice that anywhere else. And 10 feather dusters for $25 bucks is cheaper than wholesale too.

Just got home, going to be putting the canopy, Koralia 8's, and Clownfish in shortly. Hopefully I can get some pics tonight, might have to wait until tomorrow.

 

[we4wieners]

Me too, exactly the size I wanted. And it is now official, it is coming on Tuesday. Can't beat $100 bucks for an Achilles, it would have been at least twice that anywhere else. And 10 feather dusters for $25 bucks is cheaper than wholesale too.

Just got home, going to be putting the canopy, Koralia 8's, and Clownfish in shortly. Hopefully I can get some pics tonight, might have to wait until tomorrow.

Great shipping, especially if you're in their region...I am. BTW, the bulb in the UV is still vacuum wrapped in plastic. Gonna plumb it in tomorrow. Not sure how to put it inline...after fuge, before fuge? Dont want to kill off pods. I got a ton of em from my chaeto.
Dude...pics please ASAP. Awesome fish.

 

[nonstophoops]

Great shipping, especially if you're in their region...I am. BTW, the bulb in the UV is still vacuum wrapped in plastic. Gonna plumb it in tomorrow. Not sure how to put it inline...after fuge, before fuge? Dont want to kill off pods. I got a ton of em from my chaeto.
Dude...pics please ASAP. Awesome fish.

Nice, then yes definitely plumb that baby in. I would do it before the refuge so you don't kill off all those pods, good idea. Simplest way to plumb imo would be to just buy or use a maxijet rated for the proper flow thru on that. Then either have the sterilizer hang on the side of the sump or in it in some way.

Sorry didn't get a chance to snap any photos before the light went out for the night. Lots of pics will be coming tomorrow and the next day however. Lots going on with my tank both equipment and fish wise. The clowns are now in the tank and doing fine, minus them swimming right next to the overflow box and one already having to be rescued because it got suctioned to the side of it. That better not continue, I need to sleep at some point lol.

 

[nonstophoops]

EPIC FAIL!!!!

So tonight I put in my new canopy, 2 Koralia 8's, add my new clownfish, and newly constructed rock stack. Not one of those things went remotely well.

I will start with the clowns. They both immediately swam over to the overflow box upon being put into the tank and have not left that area since. One of them got sucked onto the overflow box and could not get himself free. Good thing I was watching because he would have most likely died otherwise. Even after freeing them and scaring them all the way across the tank, they swam right back and are hanging out by it still. The last thing I need is either dead or in sump clowns.

Second, the powerheads. I have been wanting to change my water flow situation in tank for a while now and finally did it. I already had 4 koralia 4's and 1 koralia 3 in the tank. My plan was to pull the koralia 3 and put in the 2 koralia 8's. I am now regretting my decision because the 8's are insane. One of them blows the sand up and creates waves across the tank on the surface of the water at the same time. I had the other plugged in for about 30 seconds before realizing I would not have sand left in my tank unless I changed something around. I messed with it for a long time and kind of got it to a bearable point. I turned on 2 of the 4's and boom, sand storm again. They changed the whole water flow in my tank. So as it stands I have 1 koralia 8 and 2 koralia 4's running for now because I can't turn anymore on. I think I need a bigger tank....

Also, I feel the 8's are poorly designed from my first impression. The ball that is supposed to make the powerhead point at whatever angle you want does not work. I can not point it up because the weight and force of the powerhead force it back down. I have not had them running long enough to see if the ball can even hold it level.

Third, the rock stack I constructed in a similar fashion to the rest of my rock structures. I used PVC, and this time some zip ties to hold rocks in place that were more vertical in order to make a tall stack and ledge. I am disappointed because the thing turned out too big and bulky. The zip ties are also very hard to work with imo, granted I did not drill my rock, I just used holes that were already in it where I could. Maybe I will warm up to the look of it in time....or maybe I will tear it apart and start over.

Last of all, the brand new custom built wood canopy made by my dad and I this weekend. We constructed it at my parents house using dimensions I wrote down and brought with me. BAD IDEA! I misjudged where my return pipe comes over the tank based on the internal measurements of the tank, making it so the canopy could not fit. I also somehow forgot that my return pipe runs the length of the tank and did not account for it on one of the cross braces. I do not have any tools in my apartment really, so I had to go to town on my new canopy with a hand hacksaw at midnight in an apartment building. I had to cut to adjust the hole for the return pipe over the side and cut one brace for the return pipe within the tank. Needless to say it now has some very rough cuts in it. It still isn't laying properly, but I couldn't continue to saw away at this thing or I would have had the cops called on me I am sure. At least you cannot see the cuts from the front or sides and the canopy is on so my fish cannot jump out.

Ugh, what a fiasco. I hope everything going bad does not continue on to tomorrow and the next day.

I get my Phosban Reactor and a few other things like Sprung's sea veggies, 4 lbs. of Ferric Oxide, and 40 oz. of Chemipure tomorrow.

On Tuesday, I will be receiving my replacement male Flame Wrasse(going straight in the tank after acclimation and a freshwater dip, can't wait any longer or I will be risking the females changing), an Achilles tang(Quarantine), some Ogo algae(for feeding the Achilles and putting some in the refuge to start growing) and 10 feather dusters which I will be spreading around my 75(4), 210(1 to test if my Angels will eat em, not getting my hopes up), and refuge(5, to resell, trade, or use if angels don't eat).

This week I also need to get a small hippo tang because I want the hippo to go into the tank at the same time or before the achilles. A LFS in town had a bunch of 2" ones for 25 bucks, so I am hoping they still have a good looking and healthy one.