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View Full Version : Well its running... sort of


my2rotties
12-09-2008, 04:56 PM
A week and a half ago my 55g crashed really hard. It was perfect when I went to bed, and when I got up my cleaner wrasse was dead, my anenome was toast and my foxface, Mr. Ed was gasping for air on the bottom. I spent days doing water changes and using cycle to get the ammonia down, but it just kept spiking. Ed hung in there and I would swim him around and thought he would make it. We went and bought the pump and skimmer for the 260g, and Saturday morning I came down to find poor Ed jumped out of the tank and killed himself.

I never knew someone could cry so much over a fish, but he was the reason we went through with setting up the 260g. He was HUGE over 7' long and was such a wonderful friend to me... RIP ld buddy, we loved you. I still get a lump in my throat when I think he didn't make it to the new tank.

I have no clue as to why the 55g crashed and was still struggling with it. My soft corals looked like poop, and I made the decision to move everyone over to the big tank, although it has not finished cycling. My mandarine fish was not moving and no matter how much water I changed the ammonia would spike in a matter of a couple of hours. My purple tang was hin=ding all the time, and I felt they had a better chance of life in the 260g.

We moved them all last night, and almost instantly my softie opened up again, and all the fish although belwildered, were better. I came down this morning and when the lights went on, everyone is alive and well. I have to look for them in their ocean, since they have a multitude of tunnels and hiding places. I have to Percula clowns, the purple tang, the mandarine, and a damsel fish in there. The 70g sump is awesome and Colby did a fantastic job in building it for us.

We are getting a hole drilled in the 55g and it will be our refugium at the end of the day. I already have my stars and stripes puffer on hold a Colby's and he is keeping me focused on moving forward. When the 55g crashed I was ready to throw in the towel. I had enough, and when Ed died, I really wanted to walk away. However we had so much money tied into this new system and my husband worked so hard building it, how could I walk away. He was respectful of my decision to walk away, but then I saw him in the control room, and I knew I could not do it to him.

So we are up and running, I am scared to death since the little 55g gave me so much grief. Now I have a 260g tank, a 70g sump and a 55g refugium. It is all automated with reverse osmosis and no more dragging buckets of water in and out of the house. It is just a switch to do water changes and a switch to add water. My husband outdid himself, and has never built a tank before in his life. He made sure to use pipe that is glued and locked together and not a single hose. It should be easy but it is bittersweet for me.

Now I have to slowly get livestock and a mantis shrimp for the refugium in the near future. I am a little excited but sad all the same. I notice the new tank is so big, that the fish have no clue when I try to feed them.

Anyways thanks so much for all the help and the resources to make this build possible. Without you it would not have been possible. We learned form mistakes and disasters both our and all the members. I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed. We still need MH pendants and to build the correct canopy for the lighting. The stone also still needs to go on the stand. So much work, but it will be worth it in the end... I hope.

I am watching my tang play and it is so good to see him stretch out and swim his butt (do they have butts?) off. I just wish Ed could have been here to see it. That guy loved to race himself and swim fast. When I bought this tank he was all that I thought of.

lastlight
12-09-2008, 05:32 PM
Who's Ed? Maybe post a few pics as a tribute. Sorry to hear about your losses. New tank is going to look great with some coraline growth.

Delphinus
12-09-2008, 05:33 PM
I'm very sorry for your loss. I can understand the bittersweetness.

It does sound like you guys are building a fantastic setup though! I can't wait to see pictures. Good luck from here on! :)

my2rotties
12-09-2008, 05:40 PM
Ed was my old Foxface. He was here before we bought the house. He came with a run down 55g that the home owners left behind. He was such a good fish. Very wise and social with us. Hated strangers looking at him, but loved me. I will post a tribute to him today when I get home. I have to spend money I don't really have for some tank stuff right now...

Who's Ed? Maybe post a few pics as a tribute. Sorry to hear about your losses. New tank is going to look great with some coraline growth.

my2rotties
12-09-2008, 05:42 PM
If you click my link there are some newer pictures up. There are some reno pictures so sorry for the jumble of pictures. The most recent are of the control room, my husband's pride and joy.

I'm very sorry for your loss. I can understand the bittersweetness.

It does sound like you guys are building a fantastic setup though! I can't wait to see pictures. Good luck from here on! :)

workn2hard2day
12-09-2008, 05:42 PM
sorry about Mr. Ed. :sad: You have a very beautiful set up. I am assuming the christmas tree/ snow pics are from this year and not last? very pretty!

superduperwesman
12-09-2008, 06:45 PM
So a tv on both sides of the fire place?? I don't think I could have it that high. Maybe in the kitchen but I'm assuming the other side is your living room?

Trigger Man
12-09-2008, 07:21 PM
Sorry to hear about Ed, by the sounds of it he was a great fish. Good luck with the new setup, hopefully we only hear great things from now on from you about the new setup.

fishoholic
12-09-2008, 07:27 PM
Sorry for your loss, it sucks losing a fish. Good luck with your new set up, it's fun picking out new fish.

moldrik
12-09-2008, 09:24 PM
Sweet setup, I love the little stone wall, very well done. I'm not normally fond of non-aquatic looking things in the tank, but I am digging the look.

Good stuff!

my2rotties
12-09-2008, 09:26 PM
Thanks for the compliment. The pictures were just taken the last week or so...

sorry about Mr. Ed. :sad: You have a very beautiful set up. I am assuming the christmas tree/ snow pics are from this year and not last? very pretty!

my2rotties
12-09-2008, 09:30 PM
I thought the same thing about the heigh, but its okay. This was my husband's vision to have a plasma on both sides. I don't watch much TV to be honest. If you're laying on the couch after a long working day the height seems just fine. There's not much effort to look up.

So a tv on both sides of the fire place?? I don't think I could have it that high. Maybe in the kitchen but I'm assuming the other side is your living room?

my2rotties
12-09-2008, 09:42 PM
Thanks for the condolences, I cried an awful lot. He hung in there for over a week, probably for me. It blows my mind he jumped out to end after I went to bed. He was always in my face when I sat down beside the tank or was trying to clean it and such. He did spike me once when he got caught between the syphon and my hand. It hurt like the dickens and bled for an hour. I didn't die though, and we had no hard feelings. My purple tang is pretty devastated about Ed. I didn't know fish liked each other to be honest. When Ed was sick Cash (because he cost so much) would lean against him and hold him up... I always learn so much from animals, more so then people...

Sorry to hear about Ed, by the sounds of it he was a great fish. Good luck with the new setup, hopefully we only hear great things from now on from you about the new setup.

my2rotties
12-09-2008, 09:46 PM
I want a couple of puffers really bad. They are my favorite and I don't plan on having hard corals, and will keep them fed so the inverts have a chance. Colby has a killer (no pun intended) zebra mantis that I was drooling over. I want one for my refugium, but cannot add anything for awhile.

I just found out my 55g is tempered glass, Colby tried to drill a hole in the side of it, and it blew up... let the games begin. If that's the worst that happens I welcome it as a sign of better things to come. I am tired and fed up. Mind you we have all been there... many a times.

Sorry for your loss, it sucks losing a fish. Good luck with your new set up, it's fun picking out new fish.