Project 58!! (Image intense) - Page 16

Gina · 01-25-2005, 06:26 AM

How's the little guy doing now?

Maxx · 01-25-2005, 02:51 PM

He's actually going just fine. It seems to me he might have grown a little since I've had him. Not much mind you....but a little. He's still getting completely acclimated to the routines in our house...IE when the dogs and Rocio wake up and get rambuctious. I love Rocio, but she walks heavy. Just hearing her footsteps, you'd think she was 6'08 and 260 lbs. I, have always walked lightly on my feet, so I can sneak up on the tank pretty easy. That aint gonna happen for her any time soon. Another thing I wish I'd done a little differently is to make the stand a little taller. The youngest dog, Gracie, (Who can be seen in the pic nosing at the skimmer) can see into the tank and will stare at the little guy as he's swimming along nibbling. So my tank has a line of doggie nose prints in the bottom 2 inches of it.

I went to the LFS yesterday, looking to see if there was anything cool to add, (he's so tiny, its not really anything to add to the bio load). I was hoping for a black cap basslet and a royal gramma....but they didnt have them. They did get a tiny bellus angel in who ate like a pig, but it appeared aas if he might have had a swim bladder problem as he was swimming in a slightly head down position after watching it for a few minutes. Its too bad cause it was a nice, small, (about 2 inches) angel that is reef safe and was eating ANYTHING they threw into the tank. ON my way out the door, I did see a smaller Lawn Mower blenny that had a nice fat (round) belly. I watched him for a bit and saw him nibbling on everything he passed by, so I got him. I know Lawnmowers are difficult, despite being sold at almost every LFS as a means of algae control. I had one about 2 years ago, and it straved to death, I couldnt get him to eat anything. However this place I bought him from has return policy and a guarrantee as well. But the deciding factor in this case was the condition of the fish. Bright eyes, constantly moving, constantly nibbling on rocks and sides of the tank, and a nice fat belly. I will post up a pic later. MY little digi cam is crap. I really need to buy/borrow a better camera for tank pics.

I really want to emphasize the fact that I spent about 10 minutes observing the two fish I talked about in this post. Whenever possible, this is the way to go. By observing the behaviour and appearance of these fish, I avoided buying a fish that appeared very healthy initially, but would have had problems eventually. And wound up buying a healthy little fish that can be problematic to keep long term in reef tanks......who started eating within 30 minutes of being introduced to the tank. Pay close attention to what you're buying folks. Are its fins clamped tightly by its sides? Is it active? Does it have problems swimming? Is it eating? Is it curious? Does it have a healthy layer of body fat or is it emaciated and scrawny/sunken in? All of these things taken together can help you pick only healthy live stock that will do well in your system.

Nick

addict · 01-25-2005, 03:12 PM

Sounds great Nick!

That little tang is too cool.

You might get lucky with that Lawnmower... mine took to prepared foods about a month after I got it... pretty soon it was chasing the other fish away from the food whenever I put it in the tank... it was a total hog.

However this was the fish that my cat loved to try to catch as it swam around the tank... and when we upgraded to the new one we didn't figure cat claws and acrylic would get along too well, so we traded it in.

Maxx · 01-25-2005, 03:48 PM

Thanks Dave.

he's already munching on the diatoms and algae throughout the tank. Here are some pics. I REALLY need a better camera. This one is auto-focus only and I have no control over the settings. I might have to bust out my film camera and then scan the photos to get some decent ones.

here are some slightly out of focus pics of the Tomini. You can sorta see the "freckles" on his face and head, and the thin yellow ring around his eye's.

And here are some pics of new Lawn Mower Blenny (Salarias fasciatus)

Peekaboo!!

Nick

Gina · 01-25-2005, 05:46 PM

The blenny is adorable! But, I can't say enough about your Tomini! I'm glad he's doing well! I know what you mean by sneaking up on the tank! Our dogs are too little to put their noses on the glass it's just the cats that like to sit on a table next to the tank and watch the fish. The fish have seem to of gotten used to it though and even go over to almost tease the cats...ha ha can't get me through the glass!!

I agree it's a good idea to take the time and watch the fish that you are interested in. It's a good chance to pick up on the smallest of details that you normally wouldn't until it was home in your own tank!

Have you named your little guy yet?

TDEVIL · 01-25-2005, 08:20 PM

very cool, tang

i have been wanting 1 or 2 of those for a while, just waiting on the right time

really nice to see your tank with some critters

have you figured out the flow, as far as clams are concerned, i know that you like them, just wandering

Jay

Maxx · 01-26-2005, 04:43 AM

Gina,
I'm not in the habit of naming fish...why bother? Its not like they will come when you call them...but when I said this to Rocio she looked offended and annoyed. So she gets to name them, I get to take care of them.
She named the blenny Alfred (that kinda fits) and she's started calling the tang Diesel (??). She says he's gone after the algae in the tank like he was diesel powered....so if it makes her happy and gets her even a little bit more involved than I'm all for it.

Jay,
The There are a couple of places in the tank where clams can go...but its gonna require some careful planning, because these are also places where a coral can go...I dont have anything set in stone yet. I still need to get off my butt and set up the calcium reactor.

Nick

Maxx · 01-26-2005, 04:45 AM

BTw Gina,
Who's the little person in your avatar? Some random child you decided to take pictures with?????????

Nick

Maxx · 01-26-2005, 03:57 PM

1-26-05,

When I woke up around noon (I'm on nightshift until tomorrow), I noticed my Tomini was swimming around with its dorsal fin clamped, and it had two scrapes along either side of its body. One high on the right near the dorsal fin, and one low on the abdomen behind the pectoral fin on the left. Both of these marks look suspiciously about the size of a Lawn Mower blenny mouth.

Anybody ever heard of Lawn Mowers getting aggressive with other species? Cause if its a choice between him and the Tomini, I can bring the Lawn Mower back.

I've just put in a handful of bioballs into my sump, just in case I need to start up a hospital tank. Nikki found this awesome website that has plans for a simple DIY biological filter, for situations just like this.
DIY Bio- Filter

hopefully it wont be necessary. I just bought some Nori from the local international market place, and added that to the tank. I think things should be okay...especially if I can get the Tomini eating Nori.

Nick

Maxx · 01-27-2005, 07:07 PM

01-27-05,
I woke up this morning and found the Tomini swimming poorly. I wasnt using its caudal fin at all, just kinda paddling weakly with its pectoral fins, and having a difficult time moving against the current. It quickly fell to the bottom of the tank and just lay flat, breathing heavily. I've never seen a tang recover from this behavior. The scrape on the side has healed up to a brown mark the perfect size and shape of the Lawn Mower blenny's mouth. I dont know what caused this, but it shouldnt be because of the lawn mower blenny if the wound healed. The tang was eating and swimming normally...so I have no idea's. I'm dissappointed and annoyed to say the least. Water parameters are fine....so I have nothing to point fingers at or get problems that are fixable.

Sigh.

Nick

Maxx · 01-27-2005, 07:07 PM

He died a few minutes ago.

I contacted Live Aquaria immediately and explained the situation to them. The were very polite and their customer service was fantastic. They still have the Tomini's instock, so I requested that they send me another one. It should arrive here on Saturday. Live Aquaria is not charging me anything to replace the fish, and they are not requiring me to ship the dead one back to them, (They state in the instructions that come with all their critters that you need to save the bodies of anything that dies within their two week guarrantee or they will not honor it).
I will be working, but Rocio has agreed to go get the tang, and acclimate it for me. She's already said she'd be calling me on the phone for directions..even if I write detailed instructions for her.

I'm not happy about my Tomini dying, but I am very happy with the way Live Aquaria has handled this. Hopefully, this one will do better.

Nick

TDEVIL · 01-27-2005, 08:04 PM

man that bites, sorry Nick

and kudos to Live Aquaria

i never noticed my LMB being agressive at all, he never pays any attention to anything else except the rock/glass, but as with anything the personality of the fish is the issue, so i guess it is possible

Jay

mps9506 · 01-27-2005, 08:09 PM

I've seen a few lawnmowers nip at fish, I don't think because of aggression though. But keep in mind they are bleenies, and blennies as a whole are known for being territorial in the wild around their little nook.
Good luck with the new tang.
FWIW I took home the first LMB I found that would eat nori off a clip. He is doing great. I've actually been getting pretty healthy LMB the last 4 or 5 months at my store. Very suprised, I've been loading up on them as a result.
Usually they come in starved and skinny past the point of surviving in captivity.

Spooda420 · 01-27-2005, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TDEVIL

man that bites, sorry Nick

and kudos to Live Aquaria

i never noticed my LMB being agressive at all, he never pays any attention to anything else except the rock/glass, but as with anything the personality of the fish is the issue, so i guess it is possible

Jay

Thats pretty much what I was going to say. sucks when a 100 fishie dies.

Time to ISO the LMB just incase.

Maxx · 01-27-2005, 10:47 PM

yeah, but it doesnt suck as bad when the mail order company replaces it free of charge.
I am kinda concerned though. This guy showed none of the signs I usually associate with cyanide poisoning in fish. Usually the digestive system is damaged when the fish is hit with cyanide, so it cannot metabolize the food it eats and get any nutrients...causing it slowly starve to death. No such issues here. In dact the fish was full bellied and the fat pad above and behind the eyes on the head was still fleshy.
If this one doesnt make it I will no longer order fish from the indo pacific from Live aquaria unless they can guarrantee they are net caught.....not that I would know if they were lying or not....but still.
Mike, do you have any thoughts?
Nick

01-25-2005, 06:26 AM	#226 (permalink)
Gina Moderator Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Indiana Posts: 8,836 View Gallery Karma Komment	How's the little guy doing now? __________________ Gina and Mark's 75 Visit Our Sponsors Gina's Cube Gina

01-25-2005, 02:51 PM	#227 (permalink)
Maxx Manta Ray Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: St Louis Mo Posts: 3,079 View Gallery Karma Komment	He's actually going just fine. It seems to me he might have grown a little since I've had him. Not much mind you....but a little. He's still getting completely acclimated to the routines in our house...IE when the dogs and Rocio wake up and get rambuctious. I love Rocio, but she walks heavy. Just hearing her footsteps, you'd think she was 6'08 and 260 lbs. I, have always walked lightly on my feet, so I can sneak up on the tank pretty easy. That aint gonna happen for her any time soon. Another thing I wish I'd done a little differently is to make the stand a little taller. The youngest dog, Gracie, (Who can be seen in the pic nosing at the skimmer) can see into the tank and will stare at the little guy as he's swimming along nibbling. So my tank has a line of doggie nose prints in the bottom 2 inches of it. I went to the LFS yesterday, looking to see if there was anything cool to add, (he's so tiny, its not really anything to add to the bio load). I was hoping for a black cap basslet and a royal gramma....but they didnt have them. They did get a tiny bellus angel in who ate like a pig, but it appeared aas if he might have had a swim bladder problem as he was swimming in a slightly head down position after watching it for a few minutes. Its too bad cause it was a nice, small, (about 2 inches) angel that is reef safe and was eating ANYTHING they threw into the tank. ON my way out the door, I did see a smaller Lawn Mower blenny that had a nice fat (round) belly. I watched him for a bit and saw him nibbling on everything he passed by, so I got him. I know Lawnmowers are difficult, despite being sold at almost every LFS as a means of algae control. I had one about 2 years ago, and it straved to death, I couldnt get him to eat anything. However this place I bought him from has return policy and a guarrantee as well. But the deciding factor in this case was the condition of the fish. Bright eyes, constantly moving, constantly nibbling on rocks and sides of the tank, and a nice fat belly. I will post up a pic later. MY little digi cam is crap. I really need to buy/borrow a better camera for tank pics. I really want to emphasize the fact that I spent about 10 minutes observing the two fish I talked about in this post. Whenever possible, this is the way to go. By observing the behaviour and appearance of these fish, I avoided buying a fish that appeared very healthy initially, but would have had problems eventually. And wound up buying a healthy little fish that can be problematic to keep long term in reef tanks......who started eating within 30 minutes of being introduced to the tank. Pay close attention to what you're buying folks. Are its fins clamped tightly by its sides? Is it active? Does it have problems swimming? Is it eating? Is it curious? Does it have a healthy layer of body fat or is it emaciated and scrawny/sunken in? All of these things taken together can help you pick only healthy live stock that will do well in your system. Nick __________________ "Chaos, confusion, despair...my work is done here." ...Some guy named Murphy.... A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn...that was fun!" Reef Sanctuary Knowledgebase (Answers to all your questions and then some!)

01-25-2005, 03:12 PM	#228 (permalink)
addict Reef Lobster Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Sierra Nevada Country Posts: 1,621 View Gallery Karma Komment	Sounds great Nick! That little tang is too cool. You might get lucky with that Lawnmower... mine took to prepared foods about a month after I got it... pretty soon it was chasing the other fish away from the food whenever I put it in the tank... it was a total hog. However this was the fish that my cat loved to try to catch as it swam around the tank... and when we upgraded to the new one we didn't figure cat claws and acrylic would get along too well, so we traded it in. __________________ -David *addict's tank specs:* Coming soon!

01-25-2005, 03:48 PM	#229 (permalink)
Maxx Manta Ray Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: St Louis Mo Posts: 3,079 View Gallery Karma Komment	Thanks Dave. he's already munching on the diatoms and algae throughout the tank. Here are some pics. I REALLY need a better camera. This one is auto-focus only and I have no control over the settings. I might have to bust out my film camera and then scan the photos to get some decent ones. here are some slightly out of focus pics of the Tomini. You can sorta see the "freckles" on his face and head, and the thin yellow ring around his eye's. And here are some pics of new Lawn Mower Blenny (Salarias fasciatus) Peekaboo!! Nick __________________ "Chaos, confusion, despair...my work is done here." ...Some guy named Murphy.... A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn...that was fun!" Reef Sanctuary Knowledgebase (Answers to all your questions and then some!) Last edited by Maxx : 04-13-2005 at 04:14 PM.

01-25-2005, 05:46 PM	#230 (permalink)
Gina Moderator Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Indiana Posts: 8,836 View Gallery Karma Komment	The blenny is adorable! But, I can't say enough about your Tomini! I'm glad he's doing well! I know what you mean by sneaking up on the tank! Our dogs are too little to put their noses on the glass it's just the cats that like to sit on a table next to the tank and watch the fish. The fish have seem to of gotten used to it though and even go over to almost tease the cats...ha ha can't get me through the glass!! I agree it's a good idea to take the time and watch the fish that you are interested in. It's a good chance to pick up on the smallest of details that you normally wouldn't until it was home in your own tank! Have you named your little guy yet? __________________ Gina and Mark's 75 Visit Our Sponsors Gina's Cube Gina

01-25-2005, 08:20 PM	#231 (permalink)
TDEVIL Elegance coral Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Marion, INDIANA Posts: 1,170 View Gallery Karma Komment	very cool, tang i have been wanting 1 or 2 of those for a while, just waiting on the right time really nice to see your tank with some critters have you figured out the flow, as far as clams are concerned, i know that you like them, just wandering Jay __________________ my web site <-- needs updated

01-26-2005, 04:43 AM	#232 (permalink)
Maxx Manta Ray Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: St Louis Mo Posts: 3,079 View Gallery Karma Komment	Gina, I'm not in the habit of naming fish...why bother? Its not like they will come when you call them...but when I said this to Rocio she looked offended and annoyed. So she gets to name them, I get to take care of them. She named the blenny Alfred (that kinda fits) and she's started calling the tang Diesel (??). She says he's gone after the algae in the tank like he was diesel powered....so if it makes her happy and gets her even a little bit more involved than I'm all for it. Jay, The There are a couple of places in the tank where clams can go...but its gonna require some careful planning, because these are also places where a coral can go...I dont have anything set in stone yet. I still need to get off my butt and set up the calcium reactor. Nick __________________ "Chaos, confusion, despair...my work is done here." ...Some guy named Murphy.... A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn...that was fun!" Reef Sanctuary Knowledgebase (Answers to all your questions and then some!)

01-26-2005, 04:45 AM	#233 (permalink)
Maxx Manta Ray Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: St Louis Mo Posts: 3,079 View Gallery Karma Komment	BTw Gina, Who's the little person in your avatar? Some random child you decided to take pictures with????????? Nick __________________ "Chaos, confusion, despair...my work is done here." ...Some guy named Murphy.... A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn...that was fun!" Reef Sanctuary Knowledgebase (Answers to all your questions and then some!)

01-26-2005, 03:57 PM	#234 (permalink)
Maxx Manta Ray Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: St Louis Mo Posts: 3,079 View Gallery Karma Komment	1-26-05, When I woke up around noon (I'm on nightshift until tomorrow), I noticed my Tomini was swimming around with its dorsal fin clamped, and it had two scrapes along either side of its body. One high on the right near the dorsal fin, and one low on the abdomen behind the pectoral fin on the left. Both of these marks look suspiciously about the size of a Lawn Mower blenny mouth. Anybody ever heard of Lawn Mowers getting aggressive with other species? Cause if its a choice between him and the Tomini, I can bring the Lawn Mower back. I've just put in a handful of bioballs into my sump, just in case I need to start up a hospital tank. Nikki found this awesome website that has plans for a simple DIY biological filter, for situations just like this. DIY Bio- Filter hopefully it wont be necessary. I just bought some Nori from the local international market place, and added that to the tank. I think things should be okay...especially if I can get the Tomini eating Nori. Nick __________________ "Chaos, confusion, despair...my work is done here." ...Some guy named Murphy.... A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn...that was fun!" Reef Sanctuary Knowledgebase (Answers to all your questions and then some!)

01-27-2005, 07:07 PM	#235 (permalink)
Maxx Manta Ray Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: St Louis Mo Posts: 3,079 View Gallery Karma Komment	01-27-05, I woke up this morning and found the Tomini swimming poorly. I wasnt using its caudal fin at all, just kinda paddling weakly with its pectoral fins, and having a difficult time moving against the current. It quickly fell to the bottom of the tank and just lay flat, breathing heavily. I've never seen a tang recover from this behavior. The scrape on the side has healed up to a brown mark the perfect size and shape of the Lawn Mower blenny's mouth. I dont know what caused this, but it shouldnt be because of the lawn mower blenny if the wound healed. The tang was eating and swimming normally...so I have no idea's. I'm dissappointed and annoyed to say the least. Water parameters are fine....so I have nothing to point fingers at or get problems that are fixable. Sigh. Nick __________________ "Chaos, confusion, despair...my work is done here." ...Some guy named Murphy.... A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn...that was fun!" Reef Sanctuary Knowledgebase (Answers to all your questions and then some!)

01-27-2005, 07:07 PM	#236 (permalink)
Maxx Manta Ray Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: St Louis Mo Posts: 3,079 View Gallery Karma Komment	He died a few minutes ago. I contacted Live Aquaria immediately and explained the situation to them. The were very polite and their customer service was fantastic. They still have the Tomini's instock, so I requested that they send me another one. It should arrive here on Saturday. Live Aquaria is not charging me anything to replace the fish, and they are not requiring me to ship the dead one back to them, (They state in the instructions that come with all their critters that you need to save the bodies of anything that dies within their two week guarrantee or they will not honor it). I will be working, but Rocio has agreed to go get the tang, and acclimate it for me. She's already said she'd be calling me on the phone for directions..even if I write detailed instructions for her. I'm not happy about my Tomini dying, but I am very happy with the way Live Aquaria has handled this. Hopefully, this one will do better. Nick __________________ "Chaos, confusion, despair...my work is done here." ...Some guy named Murphy.... A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn...that was fun!" Reef Sanctuary Knowledgebase (Answers to all your questions and then some!)

01-27-2005, 08:04 PM	#237 (permalink)
TDEVIL Elegance coral Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Marion, INDIANA Posts: 1,170 View Gallery Karma Komment	man that bites, sorry Nick and kudos to Live Aquaria i never noticed my LMB being agressive at all, he never pays any attention to anything else except the rock/glass, but as with anything the personality of the fish is the issue, so i guess it is possible Jay __________________ my web site <-- needs updated

01-27-2005, 08:09 PM	#238 (permalink)
mps9506 Totally stoked dude Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 7,518 View Gallery Karma Komment	I've seen a few lawnmowers nip at fish, I don't think because of aggression though. But keep in mind they are bleenies, and blennies as a whole are known for being territorial in the wild around their little nook. Good luck with the new tang. FWIW I took home the first LMB I found that would eat nori off a clip. He is doing great. I've actually been getting pretty healthy LMB the last 4 or 5 months at my store. Very suprised, I've been loading up on them as a result. Usually they come in starved and skinny past the point of surviving in captivity. __________________ Mike "The Bandwith Bandit" Help Build Reefpedia Premium Membership Available! Support Reef Sanctuary Sponsors

01-27-2005, 10:47 PM	#240 (permalink)
Maxx Manta Ray Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: St Louis Mo Posts: 3,079 View Gallery Karma Komment	yeah, but it doesnt suck as bad when the mail order company replaces it free of charge. I am kinda concerned though. This guy showed none of the signs I usually associate with cyanide poisoning in fish. Usually the digestive system is damaged when the fish is hit with cyanide, so it cannot metabolize the food it eats and get any nutrients...causing it slowly starve to death. No such issues here. In dact the fish was full bellied and the fat pad above and behind the eyes on the head was still fleshy. If this one doesnt make it I will no longer order fish from the indo pacific from Live aquaria unless they can guarrantee they are net caught.....not that I would know if they were lying or not....but still. Mike, do you have any thoughts? Nick __________________ "Chaos, confusion, despair...my work is done here." ...Some guy named Murphy.... A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn...that was fun!" Reef Sanctuary Knowledgebase (Answers to all your questions and then some!)

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