My First Tank and Build Process - Page 6

benbarfield · 09/15/2017, 06:26 PM

The sound boards are up and in place. All I need now is to finish up the cabinet doors. Also added a few more friends... Yellow tang, purple tang, and kole tang. All getting along and eating well.

fishresponse · 09/15/2017, 10:57 PM

Looks great!

benbarfield · 09/17/2017, 06:00 PM

And I fear the purple tang has ich. He was already treated before going into the display tank. He is eating great, not scratching on rocks or gasping for air. What should I do? I was looking at Polyplab Medic as a first attempt to see if that helps otherwise he is going back into quarantine for treatment again. I fear the rest of the tank is screwed though...

Scottedontknow · 09/17/2017, 07:04 PM

Absolutely ich. They tend to stress easily in smaller tanks as they need a ton of east to west swimming room

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Scottedontknow · 09/17/2017, 07:05 PM

Best bet is to remove all fish and TTM /QT and leave your tank fowls for 72 days

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

fishresponse · 09/17/2017, 10:59 PM

I've used Medic a couple times and it's worked great. Most people that use Medic do twice the recommended dose.

benbarfield · 09/18/2017, 03:31 PM

Thanks for the responses. I started Medic today and plan on adding an additional cleaner shrimp into the tank. The current shrimp has been all over the purple tang last night and today. If the Medic doesn't work then I will pull them all out and put them in QT and treat with cupramine. Now feeding 3 times a day with mysis x 2 and added garlic soaked nori to the tank for them as well.

fishresponse · 09/18/2017, 10:26 PM

Read up on how others have used Medic. Some people have done triple dose and it's worked we.. just all depends on what is working. And key is consistency in when you dose. Good luck with it

benbarfield · 09/25/2017, 02:26 PM

The ich has dropped from the purple tang (now named Ich) and is somewhere in the free floating or encrusting stage in the sand bed. I am currently dosing the PolypLab Medic to the tank and will continue to do so for 2 months to ensure that I try and kill all the ich during it’s different free-floating lifespans. Hopefully this works.

Otherwise the tank is doing well. I have added a few corals into the tank and a new skunk cleaner shrimp. The updated corals that have been added are an orange mushroom frag, frogspawn, torch coral, fire and ice zoa frag, an orange zoa frag, a red candy cap montipora, green slimmer sps frag, leprechaun birds nest frag, and an acropora turquoise frag. I will start hand dosing calcium as needed for now and will be getting a calcium reactor in the next month or two.

benbarfield · 09/29/2017, 07:07 PM

Does anyone know what this is on my montipora? Is it a vermatid snail?

vitodog · 09/30/2017, 09:36 AM

Looks like a Vermetid to me.

benbarfield · 09/30/2017, 06:57 PM

I ended up cutting off the snail from the montipora. When I did this it split in half so now I have two frags. I attached them back to the rock. We also picked up a hammer coral frag, a Jedi Mind Trick montipora, an Oregon Tort frag, and a sunset millepora frag. All were dipped in Coral RX and have been attached in the tank with epoxy. Pictures to come later. I'm still dosing the Medic for the ich and have seen no signs of it on any fish. Will continue to dose to ensure it's completely gone. It took all my will power not to get the Leopard wrasse in the store today...

benbarfield · 10/01/2017, 07:10 PM

As promised here are the pictures of the new additions. I think one of the red montipora frags is not going to take it. Very white washed.

Maggie321 · 10/01/2017, 08:14 PM

My red monti did that in the beginning. After about 3 weeks it was not pale anymore. 2 more weeks it was clearly growing. Now I think it's growing faster than the other stuff in the tank.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

fishresponse · 10/01/2017, 10:35 PM

How's the medic from polyplab working?

benbarfield · 10/02/2017, 04:04 PM

Been dosing the Medic every morning and night. No signs of ich on any of the fish. All look healthy and eating well. I am going to continue to dose for an additional month to ensure if any ich is already encrusted in the sand bed, when it comes out into its free floating stage I will be able to kill it.

benbarfield · 10/09/2017, 01:12 PM

Currently moving the corals around the tank to better plan for growth. Pictures to come...

benbarfield · 10/09/2017, 07:20 PM

Some picture updates after moving the frags around the tank. I added some crushed-up corals for the jawfish to “decorate” her home. The frogspawn and hammer corals were put closer together and a water change performed.

Zoas moved to a free rock to created a zoa garden so they don’t grow over everything.

Oregon tort and a millepora frag.

Green slimmer sps frag, ricordeas, and frogspawn and hammer corals.

a red candy cap montipora, jedi mind trick montipora frag, leprechaun birds nest frag, and an acropora turquoise frag

torch coral and orange mushroom

benbarfield · 10/10/2017, 09:19 PM

My purple and yellow tang have started fighting more frequently. Both are trying to claim the same area of the tank. I will add some sheets of nori at opposite ends of the tank and see if this helps. The purple took some damage on the dorsal fin. Will have to see if they can stay in the tank together or if one has to go...

benbarfield · 10/20/2017, 06:39 PM

I rearranged the rock work and now the yellow tang stays on one side and the purple on the other. I haven't witnessed fighting since moving the rocks. The kole still goes everywhere without any issues. I did start to notice more algae growth so I am going to drop to 2 feedings per day instead of 3 and add some more cleanup crew since I lost a few members last month.

benbarfield · 10/21/2017, 08:22 AM

Here are some tank update pictures. I need to work on how to take better pictures. Everything is growing and seems happy.

benbarfield · 11/06/2017, 11:40 AM

Our frogspawn coral died. Unknown cause because parameters look good. I moved the turquoise coral away from the pump because it is starting to bleach on the side closest to the pump. I think because to too much flow. The montopira are growing like crazy and have grown over their plugs. Everything else is looking good. No signs of remaining ich on any of the tangs, aggression is gone after rearranging the rocks, and the fungal infection bump on the kole tang is gone after soaking food in garlic for a few weeks.

benbarfield · 11/12/2017, 10:49 PM

Added 6 turbo snails and another emerald crab to the tank. Hope is to obliterate the hair algae that is starting to form. I took the teal spa coral that was starting to bleach and made it into frags and put around the tank. Hopefully they survive. I also added another LED light strip I had lying around to give some more light to the tank. Working the night shift so didn't take any pictures but hoping to get some posted tomorrow.

benbarfield · 12/17/2017, 02:51 PM

It's been a month since I posted so here is a tank update. Lots of new coral and coral growth. All fish are healthy and looking good. Lost 2 SPS coral frags to bleaching but otherwise things looking good. My orange mushroom has two new heads that popped up last week. We have started building a new house and will be moving in May. It's bittersweet because all the work with the tank will not be able to be enjoyed... although, I have a new spot in the new house and will be building as soon as possible there. I am planning on getting a bigger tank and keeping things going in a few temporary tanks.

benbarfield · 12/23/2017, 07:10 PM

Since we are upgrading to a 240 gallon in May when we move, I figured I would go ahead and get this acclimated to his new friends. I wanted a Naso every since going to Hawaii. No signs of aggression and since adding him, all the other tangs have become much more active and swimming all over the tank. I also added another mushroom frag.

09/15/2017, 10:57 PM	#127
fishresponse Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 644	Looks great! __________________ –Andy 265g w/ 20" synergy overflow box Hamilton Cebu MH/T5 fixture w/ 250w Radium bulbs SPS/LPS mix \| 30g (long) refugium with cheato \| 40g sump

09/17/2017, 10:59 PM	#131
fishresponse Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 644	I've used Medic a couple times and it's worked great. Most people that use Medic do twice the recommended dose. __________________ –Andy 265g w/ 20" synergy overflow box Hamilton Cebu MH/T5 fixture w/ 250w Radium bulbs SPS/LPS mix \| 30g (long) refugium with cheato \| 40g sump

09/18/2017, 10:26 PM	#133
fishresponse Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 644	Read up on how others have used Medic. Some people have done triple dose and it's worked we.. just all depends on what is working. And key is consistency in when you dose. Good luck with it __________________ –Andy 265g w/ 20" synergy overflow box Hamilton Cebu MH/T5 fixture w/ 250w Radium bulbs SPS/LPS mix \| 30g (long) refugium with cheato \| 40g sump

09/30/2017, 09:36 AM	#136
vitodog Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico Posts: 1,226	Looks like a Vermetid to me. __________________ Current Tank Info: 124.7 gal. Reef Savvy D/T, Trigger Systems 36" sump, Octo Elite 150-S, GHL Mitras LX7 x 3, Profilux3, Masterflex 7550-30 Peristaltic pump, Vector M1 return Pump, MP40w QD x 2

10/01/2017, 10:35 PM	#140
fishresponse Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 644	How's the medic from polyplab working? __________________ –Andy 265g w/ 20" synergy overflow box Hamilton Cebu MH/T5 fixture w/ 250w Radium bulbs SPS/LPS mix \| 30g (long) refugium with cheato \| 40g sump

09/15/2017, 06:26 PM	#126
benbarfield Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 127	The sound boards are up and in place. All I need now is to finish up the cabinet doors. Also added a few more friends... Yellow tang, purple tang, and kole tang. All getting along and eating well.

09/17/2017, 06:00 PM	#128
benbarfield Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 127	And I fear the purple tang has ich. He was already treated before going into the display tank. He is eating great, not scratching on rocks or gasping for air. What should I do? I was looking at Polyplab Medic as a first attempt to see if that helps otherwise he is going back into quarantine for treatment again. I fear the rest of the tank is screwed though...

09/17/2017, 07:04 PM	#129
Scottedontknow Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Bethelehm, PA Posts: 138	Absolutely ich. They tend to stress easily in smaller tanks as they need a ton of east to west swimming room Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

09/17/2017, 07:05 PM	#130
Scottedontknow Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Bethelehm, PA Posts: 138	Best bet is to remove all fish and TTM /QT and leave your tank fowls for 72 days Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

09/18/2017, 03:31 PM	#132
benbarfield Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 127	Thanks for the responses. I started Medic today and plan on adding an additional cleaner shrimp into the tank. The current shrimp has been all over the purple tang last night and today. If the Medic doesn't work then I will pull them all out and put them in QT and treat with cupramine. Now feeding 3 times a day with mysis x 2 and added garlic soaked nori to the tank for them as well.

09/25/2017, 02:26 PM	#134
benbarfield Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 127	The ich has dropped from the purple tang (now named Ich) and is somewhere in the free floating or encrusting stage in the sand bed. I am currently dosing the PolypLab Medic to the tank and will continue to do so for 2 months to ensure that I try and kill all the ich during it’s different free-floating lifespans. Hopefully this works. Otherwise the tank is doing well. I have added a few corals into the tank and a new skunk cleaner shrimp. The updated corals that have been added are an orange mushroom frag, frogspawn, torch coral, fire and ice zoa frag, an orange zoa frag, a red candy cap montipora, green slimmer sps frag, leprechaun birds nest frag, and an acropora turquoise frag. I will start hand dosing calcium as needed for now and will be getting a calcium reactor in the next month or two.

09/29/2017, 07:07 PM	#135
benbarfield Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 127	Does anyone know what this is on my montipora? Is it a vermatid snail?

09/30/2017, 06:57 PM	#137
benbarfield Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 127	I ended up cutting off the snail from the montipora. When I did this it split in half so now I have two frags. I attached them back to the rock. We also picked up a hammer coral frag, a Jedi Mind Trick montipora, an Oregon Tort frag, and a sunset millepora frag. All were dipped in Coral RX and have been attached in the tank with epoxy. Pictures to come later. I'm still dosing the Medic for the ich and have seen no signs of it on any fish. Will continue to dose to ensure it's completely gone. It took all my will power not to get the Leopard wrasse in the store today...

10/01/2017, 07:10 PM	#138
benbarfield Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 127	As promised here are the pictures of the new additions. I think one of the red montipora frags is not going to take it. Very white washed.

10/01/2017, 08:14 PM	#139
Maggie321 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 187	My red monti did that in the beginning. After about 3 weeks it was not pale anymore. 2 more weeks it was clearly growing. Now I think it's growing faster than the other stuff in the tank. Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

10/02/2017, 04:04 PM	#141
benbarfield Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 127	Been dosing the Medic every morning and night. No signs of ich on any of the fish. All look healthy and eating well. I am going to continue to dose for an additional month to ensure if any ich is already encrusted in the sand bed, when it comes out into its free floating stage I will be able to kill it.

10/09/2017, 01:12 PM	#142
benbarfield Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 127	Currently moving the corals around the tank to better plan for growth. Pictures to come...

10/09/2017, 07:20 PM	#143
benbarfield Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 127	Some picture updates after moving the frags around the tank. I added some crushed-up corals for the jawfish to “decorate” her home. The frogspawn and hammer corals were put closer together and a water change performed. Zoas moved to a free rock to created a zoa garden so they don’t grow over everything. Oregon tort and a millepora frag. Green slimmer sps frag, ricordeas, and frogspawn and hammer corals. a red candy cap montipora, jedi mind trick montipora frag, leprechaun birds nest frag, and an acropora turquoise frag torch coral and orange mushroom

10/10/2017, 09:19 PM	#144
benbarfield Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 127	My purple and yellow tang have started fighting more frequently. Both are trying to claim the same area of the tank. I will add some sheets of nori at opposite ends of the tank and see if this helps. The purple took some damage on the dorsal fin. Will have to see if they can stay in the tank together or if one has to go...

10/20/2017, 06:39 PM	#145
benbarfield Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 127	I rearranged the rock work and now the yellow tang stays on one side and the purple on the other. I haven't witnessed fighting since moving the rocks. The kole still goes everywhere without any issues. I did start to notice more algae growth so I am going to drop to 2 feedings per day instead of 3 and add some more cleanup crew since I lost a few members last month.

10/21/2017, 08:22 AM	#146
benbarfield Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 127	Here are some tank update pictures. I need to work on how to take better pictures. Everything is growing and seems happy.

11/06/2017, 11:40 AM	#147
benbarfield Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 127	November Update Our frogspawn coral died. Unknown cause because parameters look good. I moved the turquoise coral away from the pump because it is starting to bleach on the side closest to the pump. I think because to too much flow. The montopira are growing like crazy and have grown over their plugs. Everything else is looking good. No signs of remaining ich on any of the tangs, aggression is gone after rearranging the rocks, and the fungal infection bump on the kole tang is gone after soaking food in garlic for a few weeks.

11/12/2017, 10:49 PM	#148
benbarfield Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 127	Added 6 turbo snails and another emerald crab to the tank. Hope is to obliterate the hair algae that is starting to form. I took the teal spa coral that was starting to bleach and made it into frags and put around the tank. Hopefully they survive. I also added another LED light strip I had lying around to give some more light to the tank. Working the night shift so didn't take any pictures but hoping to get some posted tomorrow.

12/17/2017, 02:51 PM	#149
benbarfield Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 127	It's been a month since I posted so here is a tank update. Lots of new coral and coral growth. All fish are healthy and looking good. Lost 2 SPS coral frags to bleaching but otherwise things looking good. My orange mushroom has two new heads that popped up last week. We have started building a new house and will be moving in May. It's bittersweet because all the work with the tank will not be able to be enjoyed... although, I have a new spot in the new house and will be building as soon as possible there. I am planning on getting a bigger tank and keeping things going in a few temporary tanks.

12/23/2017, 07:10 PM	#150
benbarfield Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 127	Since we are upgrading to a 240 gallon in May when we move, I figured I would go ahead and get this acclimated to his new friends. I wanted a Naso every since going to Hawaii. No signs of aggression and since adding him, all the other tangs have become much more active and swimming all over the tank. I also added another mushroom frag.