Reef Tank DIY - For Dummies

[Dash]

Spring really must be in the air because a couple of cool things happened with the fishies. Very exciting and satisfying for me as these were two big wants since starting the hobby 3 years ago.

First, my clownfish FINALLY decided to graciously accept their host, after a year of ignoring various "tricks" plus I even sold the old colony and got a new anemone back in December.

https://youtu.be/U6ThVr82Kak

Then, my mandarins Po and Tigress chose Daylight Savings to perform their spawning dance for the first time - under moonlights of course.

https://youtu.be/0VfQ2YWIG84

In Jan, my tank marked its 1st anniversary since upgrading from the 75gal. It has been a fun year and I've been lucky in that setbacks have been few and minor. I learned a lot and look forward to more lessons down the road.

1st anniversary of tank upgrade:



New friends:

[DKoKoMan]

Yes!!! Love the little puffer hahaha. The tank is looking great! You have had some really growth which is nice to see.

[Dash]

Thanks DKoKoMan. Yeah the puffers are very curious, always checking things out. The red spot blenny is also watching it all from his shell. He’s like the grumpy old guy glaring at his neighbours. “What are those dang whippersnappers up to at this time of night?”

Have you added a pair to your tank yet?

[DKoKoMan]

Originally Posted by Dash

Thanks DKoKoMan. Yeah the puffers are very curious, always checking things out. The red spot blenny is also watching it all from his shell. He’s like the grumpy old guy glaring at his neighbours. “What are those dang whippersnappers up to at this time of night?”

Have you added a pair to your tank yet?

Ugh no! I did add a Red Sea Sailfin Tang that was re-homed. I think the next will be a pair of mandarins. You have had yours for some time? Do you deed with copepods often? My fear is I lose the pair from them starving.

[Dash]

I’ve added copepods twice in the three years of the two tanks. Once just before I added Po (75 gal was 8 months old) and the second time was last year when I did the tank transfer. Your tank is way bigger so it should be good?

[DKoKoMan]

Ok. I will give it a whirl. I just need to find a pair now lol.

[Dash]

Hope everyone's enjoying the summer weather. I've been having fun observing the shenanigans going on in my tank...

Added this beauty, an Orange Tree gorgonian. Non-photosynthetic so I've been trying hard to keep him fed. His colour is not as bright now sadly.


Patrick the fromia can always be found in a comical pose


Inkspot tunicate. He refused to be held by mere superglue, shrinking and inflating very defiantly, so I had to MacGyver him down. He's accepted it now, grew a "foot" into the rock in a couple of days


Can't get enough of Walt. What a face


Before the anemone inflated in the morning, I tried to capture the fatness that is the female clown. Still doesn't show her girth. She is laying quite regularly, and I feel a bit bad when they fuss over the eggs.


Petey likes to stick himself to random spots to sleep.


Blondie decided a tiny door was adequate for Snape but swept the front yard clean


I was quite surprised to see how big the Red Diablo was when I was doing a WC. I only see it from the front so it was twice as big as I thought it was

Turned on the lights to capture the polyp madness of the Rainbow Loom