Reef Tank DIY - For Dummies

[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

[DKoKoMan]

Tanks looking great!

[Dash]

Originally Posted by DKoKoMan

Tanks looking great!

Thanks! I’m having a lot of fun with it

[Dash]

What a journey with this fish! I added her on Father's Day, into a little cave right up front that I thought would perfect for a jawfish. She didn't move for a couple of days, then disappeared under a rock in the very back. After a week or two of no activity, I saw her motionless tail through a crack and my curiosity got the best of me and I tapped the rock. No reaction so I thought she was dead. (No sign of her eating anything at this point) Decided to get her body out, so I lifted up ALL the rocks only to have her shoot away under a rock on the opposite end of the tank. I was happy because she made a burrow where I could glimpse a shadow of her but that only lasted a couple of days and she disappeared again. One night I finally saw her again when she for some reason kept bobbing and jumping at the waterline. If not for the top, she would have jumped out. I decided to just let her be, and was disappointed that I had added a fish I would never see and likely not survive.

And now, a few days ago, she re-emerged in the very cave I had first put her into, acting like it's her home and accepting frozen food like it's no big deal at all! What. After more than 2 months, I think she's finally decided she's fine with it (Of course, now she's going to disappear again tomorrow) Moral of the story as always in this hobby, patience is usually rewarded.

She has the loveliest face. I named her for Marilyn Monroe in her white dress.

[gregzz4]

New fishies are lookin' awesome !! Both recent and throughout the pages.
Lots of people advocate for QT, but just as many feel QT kills fish.

So, questions for you Maggie...

Where have you bought all of your fish?
Have you ever lost any new or residents due to directly adding them to your display?
Do you freshwater dip or perform any other treatment/procedure before adding them to your display?
Have you ever noticed anything on or from the new fish?

Thanks,
Greg

PS: do you run a UV?

[Dash]

Hi Greg,
No, I do not QT. No UV. I feel there is always a risk within our hobby and my approach is I try to mitigate the risks and get them into a good environment asap. First I research all I can about the fish’s needs. I check it out as best I can before purchase, do another visual at home, acclimate for about 15 mins, lower the lights, offer a prayer to the sea gods, and add into a quiet corner.

All my fish are from JL except for my green spotted puffers (freshwater LFS on Kingsway) and one clown from a Canreefer.

I have never lost a fish to disease. Two jumped (long-nose hawk and one of my original puffer pair, which broke my heart) and a lawnmower blenny and pair of pipefish wouldn’t eat. My first tailspot blenny passed away after 2 years, but he was quite large when I bought him and I’m not sure what their life span is.

I’ve lost a couple of turbo snails & hermits but otherwise most of my CUC are from when I started 3 1/2 years ago.

I did feel a bit nervous adding my only tang, a yellow. Gary is fat and healthy and not obnoxious although he is pushy at feeding time.

I feed what I think is a good diet. Main food is my homemade seafood mash, with nori, few kinds of pellets, kelp pellets also thrown in. I’m a believer in feeding well to build up their immunity. I think it also contributes to a peaceful tank.

So yeah, I feel I’ve been lucky so far. I’m thankful.

[Dearth]

First off I have to say this

I am right there with you Maggie I have never QT a fish mostly due to lack of space in my time in the hobby I’ve lost maybe 3 fish in acclimation mostly due to stress I’ve never had a disease nor have I followed recommended acclimation procedures. Like you I understand the risks and accept them

Now that being said you have an awesome looking tank with some great looking coral and fish keep it up.