Since the tank has been set up since september of 2011 I figured its time for an update. So far the tanks doing great. In november I added livestock. I added a skunk cleaner shrimp, a red banded pistol shrimp, a yellow watchman goby, an ocellarus clown, three blue leg hermit crabs, and two turbo snails. So far so good. Seems like the tank is in balance. I had a few different algea blooms during the break in period but that has all long passed and all the criters seem to be happy. I have enjoyed the tank every single day.
The watchman goby was the first thing I added. He claimed an out cropping of live rock and quickly made it his home. A few weeks later I added the pistol shrimp hoping that they would be instant friends but the shrimp darted under some live rock on in the center of the tank and started to dig. It took 2 and a half months but the two critters finally found each other and have formed a symbiotic relationship as they normally do. Its amazing how active the shrimp is now that he has the goby watching his back compared to when he was alone.
(I feel funny talking about this stuff because I feel like I am talking to the chior, but to a newbie to salt tanks this has been really cool to watch.)
The hermits out grew thier original shells and I added about 10 larger ones. I was amazed to see how selective each crab was when selecting his new digs. I watched one crab sit there and turn, size, and try on two different shells at least a dozen times before he finally "moved in".
The skunk cleaner is neurotic. If my hand enters the tank for even a second he's in route to clean my fingers. The clown fish has also done well. He seems to be very curious. As for the two turbos, they are doing well also. I leave most of the glass alone so that they have more algea to forage. I clean the front pane and one of the side panes partially. I have not supplemented thier diet with anything yet, but they have been growing and seem to be doing fine.
The isopods have all but dissappeared with the addition of the livestock. You guys were right. I notice one or two every once in a while at night but that's about it. I now have quite a few small fan worms, barnicles, and 2 or 3 stometella veria snails that hitch hiked into the tank on live rock. There are also a bunch of tube worms that seem to have two long thin appendages that hang our of the tubes...but I have yet to have luck identifying them. They don't hurt anything though.
I have not added any corals, but I have a small brown zooanthid that has popped up a piece of live rock. Eventually I would like to add some kind of hairy mushroom, hammer coral, or toadstool for the clown to hang out in. I have read that this can be detrimental to the coral. Anyone have any experience with a clown hosting in a coral? I am not up to trying an anemone.
My next project that i'd like to try is a small in tank fuge that uses the outflow from my main filter for current. Put a sand bed in it with some cheato and seed it with pods. Anyone have any kind of opinion on this? I know that a dedicated refugium would be more ideal but at this time I am unable to tackle that project.
As for corals, my LFS, sells small frags for $5 a piece. I was thinking that if things keep going well I may try something easy some time mid summer. I have a T5 on the tank right now and I have no plans on upgrading.
I will get some pictures loaded up in the near future. All in all, I have had a great time. I don't think I should add any more fish. I have thrown around the idea of adding something else but I believe that would be a mistake. When it comes to what I can fit in the tank in the future...do corals need to be considered? ( in terms of the go by rule of 1inch of fish per 5 gallons)
Thanks for yall's in put.
