Nobby's S-650

SPR

Well-Known Member
I'm not giving up on any of them at the moment. There have been no jumpers. I just have to be patient with these Wrasse. Reading around the forums it appears as though this can be normal behaviour, but it is strange. Anything I put in at the moment heads straight for the sand............*thinking* Now, if only I could persuade She Who Casts No Shadow to swim in the tank..........

I understand that the Red Sea covers are now available in Germany as of this week. I've fired off an e-mail to the supplier recommended by Red Sea to see if they have them yet.

The Clowns have gone straight for the Red Anemone I put in. They love it, but the Anemone is on the move. I don't know where it is heading yet. I put the Anemone in a place I thought it would like. It would enable any visitors to go "ooo" & "ah" when they view the Clowns ducking and diving into it.....but oh no, Mr bloody Anemone has other ideas doesn't he !
At least the Hammer that was being loved to death by the Clowns is a lot happier.

I had an Anemone for a month or so. I put it were i wanted it and he stayed there for a while and then decided to go exploring the tank.

Problem is that they can sting and basically it was killing anything it came into contact with so take heed.

I found myself watching it all the time, becoming more and more stressed as it approached another prize coral, until I could take no more, so he came out and back to the shop.

None of my wrasse have ever gone in the sand. They are very active swimmers though, hence jumping. Perhaps they just don't like you staring at them constantly and making them nervous !lol
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
Where I've put the Anemone means he cannot really destroy any other corals as any corals in it's area are not yet stuck down, so I can swiftly move them if the danger approaches.
This is the first time I've ever had Wrasse do this. I always put on my best angelic face when looking into the tank. Butter wouldn't melt in my mouth. Do you think I should return to my normal gurning self ?
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
MIA :-
Leopard Wrasse - 14 days.
Melanurus Wrasse - 5 days
Canary Wrasse - 3 days..........

No sign of any of them yet. This week I'm working the late shift, so I finish work at midnight. I'll have the chance to have a peek at the tank between say, 00:30 and 02:30, so maybe I may see them up and about when it's dark.
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
I'm looking forward to Thursday morning. I receive my first ever mail order corals and fish. I'm using a respectable company in Germany https://www.shop-meeresaquaristik.de/?language=en (An English version of the website helps!).
I've got equipment from them in the past, and the service has been first-class. For my first order I've played safe and asked for five Lyretail Anthias. I've also ordered six coral frags. Nothing outrageous, just a Red Hystrix, Green Hystrix, Red Monti, Sinularia sp.(finger leather), Turbinaria Peltata (disc coral), and a Cyphastrea Microphthalma Red (lesser star coral?).
The reason I'm doing this is basically cost. In any of the LFS's I'd probably pay 160 euro for the five fish. Here they are 88 euro for the five. The same with the coral frags, which are far cheaper than buying them in a shop. They will arrive between 8am and 12pm on Thursday morning, which is great as I don't start work until 4pm :)
I'll also order the Red Sea Mesh Top from them when they are in stock again, which is expected to be in early March. Germany is a strange place. Some of the biggest company names in the aquarium trade are German, yet they seem to lag behind the US/UK in so many areas.

Still no sign of the three Wrasse. I looked into the tank at various times between 00:30am and 02:30am with a red light early this morning, but didn't see anything. I still cannot believe that three fish will dive into the sand, and basically stay there until they die ! Surely at least one of them will eventually surface? Doesn't Mother Nature and the survival instincts come into play at all?

Apologies for quoting prices in Euros, but I can't be bothered to convert the costs into the Queen's Sovereign Pounds, nor the Colonial Yankee Dollar :)
 
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Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
Well, the whole business of ordering online appears to have been a success. Great communication with the company. The package arrived at 8.30 this morning, and from the documentation I can see that it was picked-up at 6pm the evening before. Everything was well packed, and the heaters were still very warm.
I left the bags to float in the tank to bring the water up to temperature, and dipped all the coral frags before just placing the frags near the bottom of the tank for now.
With the fish, I tend not to dump the water they arrived in into the tank. I usually pour the water and the fish into an old kitchen sieve (which also sits in a shallow bowl). Then it's a simple task of just lifting the sieve (with the fish in it and minus the water) and putting the fish into the tank.
First off, the five Anthias looked pale, but this is to be expected after their journey. Within about thirty minutes, they had found each other and were grouping very nicely. They had their first food after about an hour. When I left home their colour had returned and they were beginning to explore the tank.
The only aggression was from the male Blue Chromis, but that didn't last long.
There is a risk involved as you don't actually see what you are buying beforehand, but the fish are the right size, with one male and four females.

All in all I'd say the whole experience of mail order for fish and corals was very good, and I will certainly use this company again. I've calculated that the fish and corals probably cost me 50% less than buying from the LFS.
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
Yippee ! Good news! This morning I saw the Melanurus Wrasse swimming around. He's been in the sand for nine days! I still haven't given up on the Canary Wrasse (seven days now). However, at eighteen days I've pretty much given up on the Leopard.
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
Eureka !!!!! I now know what is going on with the Wrasse community. It's the Green Wrasse. She is just bullying all the other Wrasse. I know for a fact that the Canary Wrasse disappeared into the sand after being bullied by the Green. The Yellow Tailed Tamarin Wrasse hides in a top corner of the tank, because the Green attacks it at every opportunity. If the Green is sleeping, the Tamarin will swim all around the tank.Today, the Melanurus reappeared. It was swimming around and eating........but I noticed that the Green was still in bed, and not active. As soon as the Green appeared, it attacked the Melanurus, which promptly went back into the sand !
I hate to say it, but the Green has to go. She is just a nasty piece of work......and she is not really Green, but a sort of puke yellow. We are not friends.

I've placed an empty fish trap in the tank so the fish can get used to it, and over the weekend I shall bait it and attempt to remove the Green..........How do I already know that this will end in abject failure!
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Eureka !!!!! I now know what is going on with the Wrasse community. It's the Green Wrasse. She is just bullying all the other Wrasse. I know for a fact that the Canary Wrasse disappeared into the sand after being bullied by the Green. The Yellow Tailed Tamarin Wrasse hides in a top corner of the tank, because the Green attacks it at every opportunity. If the Green is sleeping, the Tamarin will swim all around the tank.Today, the Melanurus reappeared. It was swimming around and eating........but I noticed that the Green was still in bed, and not active. As soon as the Green appeared, it attacked the Melanurus, which promptly went back into the sand !
I hate to say it, but the Green has to go. She is just a nasty piece of work......and she is not really Green, but a sort of puke yellow. We are not friends.

I've placed an empty fish trap in the tank so the fish can get used to it, and over the weekend I shall bait it and attempt to remove the Green..........How do I already know that this will end in abject failure!

You know that every fish will go into your trap, apart from the one you want to catch!

Good luck and keep us posted.

Are you sure it’s a green Wrasse ?

‘The Green Wrasse is also referred to as the Pastel Green Wrasse or Green Coris. The body color is a most attractive, pastel green without extravagant markings. (ie not ‘puke yellow’! Lol)

A 75 gallon or larger aquarium with a tight-fitting lid, a 2-3 inch sandy bottom to hide under if frightened, and other peaceful wrasses, including its own species, provides a good environment.’
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
I'm aware that I will be sat by the tank for the whole weekend, holding the thin plastic line attached to the door of the trap, watching, waiting. I am also aware that the bloody fish will never go near the trap, until I take a toilet break, and upon my return Mini Me MKII will shout out that "the green fish was in the trap just now!"
If the trap doesn't work, I plan to get the whole family around the tank. I will then clean the inside of the glass. This will send the Green Monster into the sand. One of my clan has to spot where it goes into the sand. I will then attempt to 'scoop' that area with something, maybe a small net, in the hope I can catch Jill the Ripper !
Aye, it's a Green Wrasse. She appears in my last little video after about 15 seconds, entering from the left of the screen. She's the first to go to bed every night (in the sand), and the last to wake up! If I have to put my hands in the tank for whatever reason, it's the first to divebomb into the sand...bloody coward. Typical bully!
Pastel green is a colour for wimmin. She (for it is a she) is puke yellow, with a hint of green.
It is really peaceful with all the other fish, but turns into a swivel eyed loon when she sees another Wrasse.
 

Pat24601

Well-Known Member
My patience has never been good enough to get a trap to work. I literally gave my trap away after trying to use it the last time so I wouldn’t forget how much I hated it and try again.

It’s one of the reasons I designed my current scape so I can take it down and set it up again easily if need be.

I hope your experience goes better. :)
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
My patience has never been good enough to get a trap to work. I literally gave my trap away after trying to use it the last time so I wouldn’t forget how much I hated it and try again.

It’s one of the reasons I designed my current scape so I can take it down and set it up again easily if need be.

I hope your experience goes better. :)
If Plan A, the trap doesn't work, nor Plan B, the scoop, then I'll resort to my training and use depth charges !
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
What happened then? First thing I noticed is that by putting the trap into the tank it had the same effect as moving the rocks. All of the fish were very wary of it and it was almost as if there was a force field around it, and the fish seemed to stop going near it at a certain point. The Melanurus wasn't affected, as because he had only just started coming out of the sand, it was normal, therefore he found it was a great place to hide from the Green. He was joined by the Tamarin as they both are kindred spirits and they seem to have formed a sort of Victim's Brotherhood. So, seeing that the Green wasn't attacking the Melanurus or the Tamarin if they stayed near the trap I decided to just let things be to see if the Green calmed down and finally accepted them both.
As the weekend progressed, more and more fish felt more comfortable with the trap. I saw many of them swim into the trap to have a peek, but the Green didn't go near it. As predicted, Mini Me MKII shouted out a few times, "Dad, Lloyd is in the trap!" (for Lloyd is the name of the Green Wrasse after Lloyd the character in Lego Ninjago!), only for me to run into the Living Room only to find him giggling as once again the fun factor in having Dad run around was overwhelming ! Oh how I laughed.
So, I am trying to give the Green the chance to calm down and be friendly. The question is just how long the trap and the area around it will continue to be a 'safe space' for the two bullied Wrasse before the Green becomes comfortable with it. Will the Green still attack, or will she by then have become used to them?
Why do I get the feeling that if fish could own Cat's, then the Green Wrasse would swim around while stroking a white cat?

PS - Just to clarify, the Green Wrasse is a female, but Mini Me MKII doesn't know that. It's Green, therefore it's called Lloyd.
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
I think I'm probably not alone, in that I often just pull up a chair, and watch the tank. The various relationships that are created and built up between the different fish species is really quite amazing at times.
It appears that peace has broken out between the Green Wrasse and the other two Wrasse, the Malanurus and the Tamarin. Eventually, the Malanurus had had enough, and he started to face up to the Green, and returned the aggression being shown. He stood his ground (in as far as you can 'stand your ground' while swimming), flared up, and refused to be intimidated any longer. The Tamarin, being about a quarter of the size of the Melanurus, thought, "yeah, I'll have some of that"...well, he just hangs around really close to the Malanurus for protection ! I've now removed the fish trap, and the aggression from the Green has stopped, but the Malanurus and the Tamarin have definitely formed a bond, with the far smaller Tamarin using the Malanurus as protection.
Other things I've noticed:-
The Regal Tang is still a baby, and about the same size as the Blue Chromis. The interesting part is that they seem to have got the character of the Regal spot on in the Finding Nemo film. She swims around as part of the Chromis group. I reckon she thinks, "hey, I'm blue, you're all blue, so we must be from the same family!".
The Clowns love, and I really mean love, the Red Anemone. I know people say that Clowns can live in the tank without one, but honestly, I can't see them being happy without one. At one point, She Who Casts No Shadow was convinced that we only had one Clown left in the tank. This was because the smaller Male Clown was so deep into the Anemone it was difficult to see him! It is rare to see both Clowns swimming out and about at the same time.
The Coral Beauty is the boss of the tank. All other fish get out of it's way, all the time.
The Yellow Tang and Tomini Tang are the two most peaceful creatures on this planet, especially the Tomini. He's probably the most easy going, peaceful Tang I've ever seen. Nobody bothers him, and he doesn't bother anyone else. Lovely fish.
The Cleaner Wrasse is the cheeky chappy of the tank. Constantly cleaning the other fish, who are happy to just chill out while he does his work....until he nips a bit too hard and they chase him for a short while ! If fish could tell jokes, he's be the comedian.
Everybody loves the Diamond Goby. He's the hardest working fish in the tank, leaving the sand looking spotless. Although at times the sand also ends up looking like a WW1 battlefield with the amount of holes he leaves. No need for me to ever clean the sandbed or turn it over, as this little Monkey, well Fish, does the job for me!

Oh, and no sign of the two missing Wrasse, the Leopard and the Canary. I think they've been trapped in Davy Jones Locker!

I love watching the tank.

It's Friday, so I'd better pop down to the LFS later :)
 

Nobbygas

Well-Known Member
Oh, forgot about giving a coral update.
After my early days of becoming 'King of the Coral Killers' I am more than happy to report real progress.
I have Torches, Euphyllia, Hammerheads, Galaxia (wavy things) that are growing well. One piece of a green Acropora type thingy initially looked poorly. It went from a bright green to a very pale colour. However, it has encrusted it's base onto the rock, and is now getting it's colour back. I suspect/feel/think that it put a lot of effort into the encrusting stage of growth, to give itself a solid platform, which caused the paling, and now that has been achieved it is starting to grow upwards and outwards again and the colour is returning. This may or may not be the right thinking, but it's what I think has happened. I have a Gonipora which is doing very well. Other SPS are all showing signs of good growth. One is a blue finger type SPS thingy, that snapped off it's plug base when I first put it in the tank. I left the plug base in the tank as it has a tiny bit of the coral still on it. That tiny blob has now grown into a good sized blob, and I use this as a growth indicator ! The Florida Ricordia is spreading well, and the Leathers are also growing well.
I think I've finally cracked my coral death touch. Initially, I think I 'chased the numbers' too much. I was a bit fixated on zero Nitrates and zero Phosphate, but I now realise that this was not good. I've also stabilized the Calc/Alk/Mag through rigorous testing and adjustment of the dosing, so that I now see only tiny fluctuations in these parameters. I use NOPOX to keep the Nitrates below 10ppm, and the Phos just stays stable at 0.02. Red Sea Colours ABCD are dosed just once a week, based on the Calc usage. I've also kept water changes down to a minimum. I think my last water change was about six weeks ago (or thereabouts).
I shall be sending off another ICP test this coming week, as I'm interested to see what the various levels are in the tank now.
 
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