Lorraine's Rebuilding of 125 gal Tank

[bluespotjawfish]

Just a quick update on the tank. Lots of new additions, and a few losses. My long purple tenticle anenome didn't make it. It was fine when I went out of town, and very sick by the time I got home. The hubby was watching the tank, but I don't think he touched anything. He said it was fine that morning and was surprized as well. Most of you have also been following my thread about Bluespot, who was attacked by something (fish, crab, rock???), and also didn't pull through.

Newest additions - TWIN BLUESPOTS

All the extras that came with the live rock are in the tank now, except a very small fish who has disappeared in the temporary refugium. One of the bi-valves was pulled off the gorgonia and eaten, but the others are still around. The orange tree sponge came unglued from its rock and doesn't look to good, but it isn't gray at all so I'm leaving it in there for now. Will wait to add the live rock until after the refugium is set up. My refugium tank arrived last night, so hopefully I can figure out how to fit it into the stand this weekend. Last weekend we took photos with my friends who have decided big game is much easier to photograph than a maroon clown, but we got a few shots. Hopefully I can get those together as well.

[Dentoid]

Sorry to hear about your LTA.: But I quickly recover to the twins! How exciting all these changes, the emotional roller coaster, how do you cope!? The ocean is a mysterious and ever changing place. I guess it's not that unusual that our small pieces of the ocean change too. It's just more noticeable in such a small volumn of water.

[bluespotjawfish]

I cope by not looking at my credit card statement! This last purchase was very tricky, since my wallet with the credit cards came up missing. That is why the corals were on hold. I guess all things happen for a reason. I would have not gone in the next day and came home with twins if I didn't have to go back to pick up the corals. It's a good thing I was on cash rashions, it did slow me down.

[sasquatch]

[quote=bluespotjawfish;217470]I cope by not looking at my credit card statement!
I personaly have no responsibilities, I never see a statement and Im not allowed cash, works for me lol. Steve

[saltwaterfarm]

Everything happens for a reason... How are the twins making out???

[bluespotjawfish]

Check out the new pics in the Bluespot Club forum. Will post some here with the tank shots I have coming.

Steve, I want your life, no responsibility, just buy stuff!

[bluespotjawfish]

Just a quick update - BS #2 didn't make it. He never really looked right to me and I should have trusted my instincts about him. BS #1 has redecorated his place and is now facing the back of the tank and not the front so I only get to see him when he wants me to. He seems to be a rock and sand lover. His is under the gorgonia rock and is acting more like a diamondback goby, throwing sand at both adjacent mushroom rocks. Oh well, BS comes first. I did see him eat for the first time today, so I feel better.

Refugium is up and running. The very small fish (whatever it was) is now in the big tank running with the big boys. I haven't seen him since, but I never saw him in the temp tank either. He is supposed to be very fast and very good at hiding, so I'm not supposed to worry about him getting eaten alive. I'll have to look him up sometime and figure out what he is. The insides of the funny shaped snail that came with my last package was eaten by grandpa wrasse, but the shell has been recycled by my electric blue hermit crab. Don't know how long he will stay in that shell though, it looks very uncomfortable. Snail eggs abound on my glass by the hundreds (future wrasse food). The tree sponge has been knocked off the rock by some huge fish I have in there (I suspect the Angel or Palani, but the Maroon Clown has claimed the mushroom rock next door). There is nothing to glue at the base, so it is laying sideways. I may have to move this to the refugium. The gorgonia that I glued to a rock is doing very well. The other one has been knocked around, but is still doing good (although it is laying on its side on the bottom). It is very awkward because of the bi-valves attached to it. I'll figure something out for it, but not right now.

I got a rock back from my daughter that has a few remnants of my old pinky zoo, so hopefully it will multiply. My Angel has helped himself the other polyp rocks and each day there is more damage to them. I'm not sure why he isn't bothering the pinkies but I'm glad he isn't.

Well, this has certainly been a challenge to restore the balance between fish and corals. Knowing the type of fish I have in there, I knew it would be. Each day I still have to work at it, but it is getting easier. The fish with the corals I had before were so easy to take care of because the fish "grew up" with the corals. Now the fish are twice the size, and the corals really haven't taken hold yet. Each day there is something I have to put back or flip over. Today it is a polyp rock, a ricordia, and fuzzy mushroom rock. The fish became quite the hunters during their starvation ordeal (their words, not mine) while the tank re-cycled. I swear I am feeding them, but they still act like they are starving!

Still working on pics. I am so slow.

[saltwaterfarm]

We can wait for pics... but, not long! Sounds like things are progressing well. Maybe BS#1 will decide he likes it better out front in the spotlight.

[lcstorc]

Fish are good at that. Mine hover there with their fat belleys and look at me like they haven't eaten in weeks instead of hours.
Hope those zoas make it. They are really spectacular.
You can super glue gel the corals to a rock or glue the rock they are on to another rock. I've used it to glue a small rock with corals to a larger base while they are growing out.
Hope Bluespot moves back up front for you. I am very glad you saw him eat. That's great.
Pics when you can.

[bluespotjawfish]

Ok, the term "I" can is not a good term, but if "I" can, is it ok to glue directly to the sponge? Since the sponge can't be exposed, this would be an underwater event, which I have not succeeded at yet and the rock it goes on is big.

I think Bluespot built the perfect place, he is where those big fish can't get to, so all the food that goes in that area belongs to him! I see a full belly in my Bluespot's future!

[Dentoid]

My orange tree sponge was not attached to substrate either, and I think that may have been one of the reasons for its demise. Not sure if you can glue directly to the sponge or not. Happy to hear Blue Spot is doing well and that he has choosen to janitorialize one section of your tank. I'm still waiting for my BS delivery.

[lcstorc]

I don't think my sponge is glued to anything. I think he just put it in the substrate, but I will have to check when I get home. The superglue gel will work under water, but I am not sure about gluing a sponge.. Either ours came on a rock that is buried or it isn't on a rock.
Glad you like bluespot's new home. I can't wait for pics.

[Dentoid]

What did you you end up doing with your sponge. Gluing underwater is tough. I did it with my Gorgonian, but it required a big blob that oozed up onto the trunk of the Gorg. and I put it in a hole in the rock. Sponges are so sensitive, I hope you get it to take.

[bluespotjawfish]

The LONG awaited photoshow! Check it out! My tank changes everyday and it has taken a few weeks to get this together, so it still includes the pink anenome that I no longer have, and I was able to sneak in a shot of BS #1 in there too (for Lynn).



http://photoshow.comcast.net/watch/Uv8zP3Xr

I owe a special thanks to each of you at RS for all the help I have received, and also The Aquarium (my LFS, especially Rick) who has kept a good supply of corals and BS for me, and my friends Larry and Laura at Wildlife Reflections. (The cheesy photos are mine, they took the nice ones as noted in the photoshow!) The photoshow is a bit longer than I thought (probably 5 minutes or so). I really did crop several photos out of it (which is why it took soo long to post it). Since I can stare at my tank all night, I didn't notice.

Detnoid - I haven't done anything with the sponge. I tried underwater gluing before and only succeeded in making a big mess. I'm trying to stay out of the tank and let BS settle in. The sponge is still orange, no gray, but it isn't as smooth as it was, so I think there is some degeneration of tissue on it (hopefully it will survive).

[lcstorc]

WOW!!!!!
Your tank is gorgeous! I can't believe you did all that in a couple of months. Everything looks spectacular. I am so jealous.
Great job!