Operation Nemo (Northstar24's 180g build)

[Northstar24]

Update: Added a pair of clowns Friday and they're doing well

So far the tank inhabitants are
Yellow Tail Damsel (Spike)
3 Green Chromis (Larry, Curly, and Mo)
2 Ocillaris Clowns (Dorito and Cheeto)

Water tests are all coming back at 0, and I still need to order a smaller Koralia

When should I start adding a clean up crew? I've already seen a few pieces of fish food make it to the bottom of the tank, and for some reason the fish just wont touch it once it gets there. Do I start with snails, or some sort of shrimp (peppermint shrimp perhaps)

I'll eventually have peppermint shrimp, but my wife fell in love with a blood shrimp at the LFS, can they coexist? (She has a habit of liking things that just won't work in a reef tank like puffers and triggers)

Here is a FTS

 

[Bifferwine]

That looks really nice! Blood shrimp will be fine with peppermint shrimp.

For a CUC, you will want a couple starfish (brittle or serpent) to keep the bottom clean of stray fish food. Some hermit crabs will do the same.

 

[Northstar24]

Biff, can I start adding a CUC now? I know they say 1 snail or hermit per gallon an obviously I couldn't support that many now but I was thinking a star and a few snails

 

[Bifferwine]

Yeah, go ahead and add a star and a few snails. 1 snail or hermit per gallon is too much for most tanks. And if you do need that many, you should add them over time.

If you get a star, feed it once in a while. If you see its arms, then you can place a piece of food on one and it will draw it to its mouth.

 

[Northstar24]

Okay, so both LFS's in the area did not have much in the way of snails, one had brittle stars and said they dont't sift the sand

I have the following on order from ReefCleaners.org

20 Dwarf Ceriths
7 Nassarius
8 Florida Ceriths
5 Nerite

Should I still pick up a star, and do I want brittles or sand sifters?

 

[BL1]

You could probably add more Nass snails and use them for you sandsifters. If it were me personally, I wouldn't get a sand sifting star becuase they will eat all the beneficial life in your sand bed. I would get one or two serpent stars, they won't sift your sand but any food or detritus on the sand they'll clean up for you.

 

[andersoned14]

Northstar were you in at Aquatic Unlitimited around noon today asking about trading in some live stock? I was there and wondering if it was you. Good luck with your CUC and email me if you want to get together sometime. Did you get your cheato?

 

[Northstar24]

I was in AU tonight about 7:30- no need to trade in livestock right now, everything is going well. I did get some chaeto the other day for the refugium

 

[Northstar24]

Made my first impulse purchase tonight. I was at the lfs looking for starfish, and ended up with a great looking sailfin tang, that I got at an awesome price :)

 

[Northstar24]

Here is a photo of the tang

He looks great and is eating flake food but won't eat the Ocean Nutrition seaweed I have in the tank. I can just slightly see his lateral line which I was not able to see at the store so I'm thinking he's a little stressed from the move

 

[cageburn]

Great pics! The tanks looks amazing!

 

[Northstar24]

Okay, so my tank is now officially a 'reef'. I stopped by the LFS and they had their monthly 'Salty Saturday' sale and I brought home the following frogspawn, one side is green and brown, the other is green and white - I paid $20 for the frag

How long will it take to open back up?

 

[andersoned14]

Mine took about two hours to fully open. Not too much flow, enough to keep it moving thou. Where you get it?

 

[Northstar24]

Hoffers, brought home that frag and a coral banded shrimp

 

[andersoned14]

Hoffers

I was there Thur, to put it nicely I was not impressed. Glad you found something worth while.

 

[Northstar24]

It's been forever since I've updated this thread. I figured it needed a few photos. Despite fighting a skimmer that foams to the point of flooding due to dosing Pimafix, and an algae outbreak due to the lack of a skimmer, things in my tank are going very well.

I now have the following fish in my reef (in order of purchase)
Yellow Tail Damsel
3 Green Chromis
2 Ocellaris Clowns
Sailfin Tang
Naso Tang
Kole Tang
Potter's Angel
Male Lyretail Anthias
Hippo Tang

From what I've read, I'm pretty much at my stocking level for fish
I also have the following inverts of note:
Cleaner Shrimp
Serpent Star
Coral Banded Shrimp

And the following Corals
3 types of zoas
Pulsing Xenia
Hammer Coral
Kenya Tree
Blue/teal Acan
Green Slimer Acropora
Candy Canes
Red Mushrooms
Green Metallic Mushroom

Next up, once things settle down and the skimmer gets running again: I really want to get a few pieces of 'shelf' rock and re-arrange the rocks to open up the tank a little more, and make it look less like a 'rock wall'

 

[CurtisL]

looking great man! glad to see its doing good!

 

[BL1]

I love your potter's angel, they're so beautiful

 

[Aquatic]

Man that tang is huge! Keep up the good work! Love the pics!

 

[SaltwaterNoob17]

Looks good! :sfish: