Cap'n

Hey, I never assumed no-one else knew this information. In fact, I figured you had. I also figured you got caught up in the moment and purchased too many, too soon, especially for those two species. I had a lawnmower blenny briefly when I first got my tank. I thought that since I got it from someone who already had it running that the fish would be fine. I never realized how poorly he (and I) had the tank set up until I found the fish forums online and made HUGE improvements thanks to everyone I pestered with newb questions. And you know what? I've still got more (just got my first MH light today). I think you'll find that my horse isn't actually that tall. I never tried a mandarin yet because I used to have a six-line wrasse in my old tank that I thought would out-compete the slower mandarin. I do plan on getting one (I want the spotted species) but I want to get the tank cleaned up first following the trigger experiment. I also want to wait a bit for the pod population to multiply again (tangent: anyone tell you about pod-piles yet?). See, I actually do want those fish, they are most likely the final two additions to my tank. So that plus the likelyhood(sp?) of a wild fish being subjected to a early retirement prompted my initial remark. Not my best work when it comes to posting on a public forum, but I think you could have taken it with a bit thicker skin. You mentioned earlier that you were a target. Well, I think I was the target for your annoyance with that "other" forum. And just like all forums, they have their good and bad. Same as here. Go ahead and put me in whichever category you like, I can take it. How are the fish, BTW?

Supposed to have the most highly developed sense of sight and the fastest motion in the animal kingdom. There was a great article on them in a National Geographic a few months back. Very interesting creature.

What's so stupid about knowing what a fish needs to thrive in a captive environment? Success rates with those two fish are low to begin with. Add in the fact that it is a new system and it spells danger. You may get lucky and have a mandarin that loves mysis right off the bat, and you may be able to grow good algae for the blenny in a hurry. But chances are slim. Good luck to you, and them.

This is the phrase that prompted my "feeding pods comment". Hey, by all means, try things differently. That's how we all learn, trial and error. But there are some things that have been tried to death (literally) and have been proven to be an error. I might think outside the box and attempt to keep my school of cyps with Rudy's peacock bass. Other's may say to give them my cyps because they think they would have a better chance in their tank. Who's to say who's right? I guess I could have been more constructive with my initial comment, but I think you could also learn how to take some advice and heed other's warnings a bit better.

Let me get this straight.....this past summer, you put all your saltwater fish in a rubbermaid container, neglect them, slowly kill them all off except for one clown......plus you let your trigger eat all your corals. But you want me to hand these fish over to you because you assume you're going to do a better job with them? :bang1: :bang1: :bang1: I think you need to find a better target. I didn't slowly kill off my fish, it all happened in one night. The "rubbermaid container" you are mocking was only slightly smaller than that tank you are attempting. I admit I should have been more prepared, I thought I was. The destination tank wasn't delivered as promised. Some of these fish were with me for years. I'll never be able to replace them. I don't think it fair to call me neglectful for one mishap during a move, while working OT, caring for a 5 month old and working on renos. Those who know me know how well I care for my pets. My trigger didn't eat any corals, it ate the invertebrates. You know, crabs, snails, worms. There's a difference. I wasn't targetting you. My comment was based more on the fact that the two fish mentioned rarely do well in a new tank. My system has been running for over 5 years and has a healthy population of pods and (unfortunately) hair algae. I do think it would be a better environment, but I wish you the best of luck. Last piece of advice, pods live and breed in live rock and other media of established tanks, as an owner you can't really "feed" a mandarin copepods and amphipods. Maybe you should do a bit more research. I would suggest that you keep asking questions, but it seems you think you know it all already. With that attitude you won't make many friends in the reefing community.

I usually try to do a water change just before introducing the new fish and use (as always) a little bit extra Prime. I figure that should help get rid of any extra ammonia. I guess adding some to the travel bag would be a good idea if they were in there any length of time, but since most of my purchases are local they are usually only in transport for 5 to 30 minutes.

Float the bag and add a cup of tank water every 15 - 20 minutes until there is more tank water in the bag than store water. Then transfer without dumping contents of the bag, preferably by hand or container. If the bag is too small for enough water I like to scoop some of the bag water out and replace with tank water. Soon the new specimen will be swimming in water from its new home before even being released from the bag.

Hey duml, why don't you sell me the lawnmower and mandarin before they die on you, I'll even pick them up.

Keep in mind that those are a couple of the hardiest fish you can tank from the ocean and place in a tank. I would advise caution at following the same procedure with more delicate specimens.

The only difference is... wait a sec, I'm not Neil! Why the hell am I answering this?

I think it sounds like a commercial supplier trying to justify their haphazard methods of treating new arrivals.

Agreed.

A sand sifting star will work but you really don't need it once you have an established tank. The bristleworms and other microfauna will move the sand around lots. How deep is the sand bed? Don't buy a brittle star, they get big, hide most of the time and have been known to eat fish. The only brittle stars you want in the tank are the tiny ones that come in as hitch-hikers.

Clowns then angel (unless they are maroon clowns) and janitors to follow. Start adding hardy, soft corals any time.

Then why are home-made globs of concrete still being referred to as live rock? Didn't seem covered to me. Just wanted to make sure any SW noobs reading this knew the difference.

You didn't "make" live rock. You made base rock and then cured the cement. Curing actual live rock (being rock collected from a coral reef) is extremely different. As Albert stated, curing live rock in a toilet tank would result in something as beneficial to a reef tank as a dead baby.

In one day?! Good for you! Looks great. I need to make some time to do mine, but there's no way I'm tearing down a 92gal corner marine tank and setting it up again in one day. The rock alone took me days to transfer over and stack satisfactorily. It's staying in place and I'll add the background.

How did you reach it?

Nothing. They get lots of leftovers from frozen foods.

How long have the two yellow tangs been together? That seldom works except in larger systems.

and I bought them from Rahim, and they are now in a friends tank. Well travelled fish.

Yes, but so slowly you will never notice it. I changed to sand ages ago.

RD, should be able to buy a sheet of Luon from most large hardware stores. I'm going to get the purchaser at work order me some to be delivered to the shop, so I can't give you a name as yet. I would have painted the back but I was in a rush to get a decent home set up for the fish, so now I have very limited access to the sides (corner tank). I figure the Luon will be stiff enough to get in place but thin enough to not be noticeable from the edge (1/8? just a guess). I'll get you some more details soon. My Purple Tang is chasing it's reflection and the shirt I have hanging on the back is definitely not a permanent solution.

I tossed out the coroplast idea because of the lines as well. I'm thinking of getting some Luon cut to size and painting it flat black.

OK Neil, if you can achieve that lighting I'm liking the tank more and more. I'm actually in the process of lighting my new 92gal corner and I'm liking the way I can hide the equipment and gak in the shadows. Are you painting the background or do you have an alternate plan? 'cause I need to get some black plastic or similar for mine.