Shame he never comes out - very pretty !
Tank turned 49 this year
- Thread starter Paul B
- Start date
Paul B
Well-Known Member
Being this thread is about my tank I would like to update it.
By the way Happy Mother's Day tomorrow.
My tank is running very well. There are no algae issues or anything else. All of my paired fish are spawning including the mandarins, 3 pairs of cardinals, clown gobies and fireclowns, one of which is 19 years old. (I think, give or take 2 years)
I still feed the same thing including blackworms, Mysis and clams every day with the new born brine shrimp but I added white worms which I raise in potting soil and feed Cheerios and Matzo's with fish oil on it. I am not sure if any of my worms are Jewish, but they seem to relish Matzo's. During the last Jewish holidays the supermarket gave away 10 boxes of Matzo's to everyone so I have a lifetime supply. The white worms eat a 2"X2" piece of Matzo in 2 days or 10 Cheerios. I like to feed these dry foods to the worms because it soaks up the fish oil really well, but it gives the worms horrible fish breath.
The Possum wrasse pictured above is coming near the front of the tank to get to the worms and is looking great. I would like to get another one to see if they mate. My shrimp/gobies also above should spawn as soon as the tiny one gets larger, but now that their tunnel and shrimp have been confiscated by the larger Watchman they are homeless and I don't know how they will fare like that. I am looking for another shrimp for them.
Next week I should be getting a Janss Pipefish. I ordered one from a wholesaler who owes me something. They are in stores here and are hard to find but one of the most beautiful pipefish.
I acquired this dragon faced pipefish a week ago and he spends his time hunting pods or eating the numerous new born brine I add every day.
The corals are growing nicely and I am running low on room because of the acropora, whenever I stick my hand in the tank, I break off a piece, then I have to glue it someplace and now those tiny frags are growing all over the place and making it difficult to do any maintenance in the tank. The montipora is giving me the same problem as that is also delicate and breaks off easily. I am trying to take a decent picture.
Copperband tried a few bites of the pipefish, but now ignores him
Whiteworms feasting on an oil infused piece of Matzo.
By the way Happy Mother's Day tomorrow.
My tank is running very well. There are no algae issues or anything else. All of my paired fish are spawning including the mandarins, 3 pairs of cardinals, clown gobies and fireclowns, one of which is 19 years old. (I think, give or take 2 years)
I still feed the same thing including blackworms, Mysis and clams every day with the new born brine shrimp but I added white worms which I raise in potting soil and feed Cheerios and Matzo's with fish oil on it. I am not sure if any of my worms are Jewish, but they seem to relish Matzo's. During the last Jewish holidays the supermarket gave away 10 boxes of Matzo's to everyone so I have a lifetime supply. The white worms eat a 2"X2" piece of Matzo in 2 days or 10 Cheerios. I like to feed these dry foods to the worms because it soaks up the fish oil really well, but it gives the worms horrible fish breath.
The Possum wrasse pictured above is coming near the front of the tank to get to the worms and is looking great. I would like to get another one to see if they mate. My shrimp/gobies also above should spawn as soon as the tiny one gets larger, but now that their tunnel and shrimp have been confiscated by the larger Watchman they are homeless and I don't know how they will fare like that. I am looking for another shrimp for them.
Next week I should be getting a Janss Pipefish. I ordered one from a wholesaler who owes me something. They are in stores here and are hard to find but one of the most beautiful pipefish.
I acquired this dragon faced pipefish a week ago and he spends his time hunting pods or eating the numerous new born brine I add every day.
The corals are growing nicely and I am running low on room because of the acropora, whenever I stick my hand in the tank, I break off a piece, then I have to glue it someplace and now those tiny frags are growing all over the place and making it difficult to do any maintenance in the tank. The montipora is giving me the same problem as that is also delicate and breaks off easily. I am trying to take a decent picture.
Copperband tried a few bites of the pipefish, but now ignores him
Whiteworms feasting on an oil infused piece of Matzo.
cichlid guy
New Member
Fantastic setup beautiful reef thx for posting. Great to see all the breeding going on as an old time cichlid guy I miss that. My maroon clowns spawn regularly but that's about it. Interesting to note you are feeding black worms and white worms. These are traditional foods for freshwater fish and it seems you have very good luck (and skill) feeding them to salt water fishes. I may try that as I like to grow my own live fresh food where possible. Any tips for other foods or feeding?
cichlid guy
New Member
Every time I try clams or mussels they wind up a gross mess ... maybe I just don't know what good shellfish looks like ... supposed to be good shaving them frozen sounds like a good idea I'll give it a try.
Never heard of shaving a frozen clam, but I like the idea 
sounds like it would work great ! I have been feeding the frozen San Francisco Bay Brand Frozen Saltwater Multi-Pack and my fish & corals love the Squid, bet they would love clams too - I need to give this a try 
Thanks Paul !
sounds like it would work great ! I have been feeding the frozen San Francisco Bay Brand Frozen Saltwater Multi-Pack and my fish & corals love the Squid, bet they would love clams too - I need to give this a try Thanks Paul !
Paul B
Well-Known Member
My reef is packed with rock and 2/3rds of the tank is against a wall as it is in a closet under stairs so I can't see what is going on in the back of most of the tank. But there is a large mound of gravel about 6" high back there and it is screwing up my aquascape. I know what it is from and I think I made a mistake putting them in there. I have two pistal shrimp that are hosting watchman gobies. One of them was always in the front but now I think they are either both right next to each other or mating. I am not sure how that happens when they are living with fish or even if it happens. Those two fish won't mate because they are two different species but the shrimp are the same. I also ordered another one but I am going to try to cancel that shrimp as they dig to much.
You can see in this picture the mound one shrimp made on the left side of the tank. It was interesting there as I could watch the shrimp and gobies, but now I never see them as they are in the back and covering much of the rock with gravel. The new mound is behind where you see the copperband in this picture. Last year I raised the entire reef structure and supported it on artificial rock pylons and I got good circulation under the structure. Now the shrimps screwed up my plan. Hopefully soon they will get bored with looking at that blank wall back there and will again move to the front. If they are spawning, I would also like to see that as I am a shrimp perve.
You can see in this picture the mound one shrimp made on the left side of the tank. It was interesting there as I could watch the shrimp and gobies, but now I never see them as they are in the back and covering much of the rock with gravel. The new mound is behind where you see the copperband in this picture. Last year I raised the entire reef structure and supported it on artificial rock pylons and I got good circulation under the structure. Now the shrimps screwed up my plan. Hopefully soon they will get bored with looking at that blank wall back there and will again move to the front. If they are spawning, I would also like to see that as I am a shrimp perve.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
Today I had to put in new tubing for my auto top up. I use a gravity system where there is a 7 gallon bucket hanging in my workshop about 25' from my tank and a 1/4" tube goes over the ceiling to a float valve on my tank. The water flow would stop every few days and I just found the problem. This system has been running for many years and if water stands for a long time, even if it is RO/DI water, a bacterial film forms on all the surfaces. The bacteria filled the tubing and also exuded bubbles that would block the water from flowing. I removed and installed a new tube and filled the old tubing with bleach to clean it out and I will use it in my garden. I also filled the 7 gallon bucket with a bleach solution for the same reason. It should be as good as new now and every year now I will flush the system with bleach.
The blue bucket is my top off water, it automatically fills from a RO and a home made DI system. I normally never have to touch the system except to change resins once or twice a year
The blue bucket is my top off water, it automatically fills from a RO and a home made DI system. I normally never have to touch the system except to change resins once or twice a year
StirCrayzy
Well-Known Member
Whats in that tank on the shelf Paul?
Lookin great Paul, keep the pictures coming!
Great pics Paul
Beautiful fish
Jealous!
Nice Haul!
Nice Haul!