20141231 Close up shots!

Going out of 2014 with style in a boom! Some close up shots of my critters using my underwater case with a macro lens!

Snow onyx hybrid percula clownfish with RBTA rose bubble tip anemone

Maxi Mini Carpet anemone

Blue Tuxedo urchin

20141229 Clams in my 180!

With my wife's lovely gift of waterproof case, I was able to snap some underwater shots without the disruption of water reflection.

My 10" Stardust Squamosa Clam

My 8" Green squamosal clam

8" Derasa Clam

20141227 Hawaiian Monk Seal in Waikiki Aquarium

This was a video we took when we traveled to Hawaii's Waikiki Aquarium. I just have to share because this monk seal is so cute just rotating at the spot!

20141226 Underwater footage of my 180 gallon reef- Fish point of view

Here is a submerged "fish point of view" to my clam in the middle of my tank. I love it when the sailfin desjardini tang decides to come up close and "size me up"

20141225 Snow onyx clownfish hosting anemone

It's a snow-less Christmas here in Wisconsin this year- pretty sad. So in Christmas spirit I am posting a video of my "snow onyx" hybrid clownfish with her anemone. My wife got me a waterproof case for my iPhone so after testing it out to make sure it was no leak, this was one of the first videos I took!

20141224 92 Gallon Corner Reef Revision

I was going through some of my older photos and videos. I found a video of my 92 corner reef from a while back. This was over a year ago, possibly two years because not only I have not acquired the big clams, I also have not added some of the fish I later have.

20141222 Mixing Zebrasoma Tangs

As you might have read in one of my previous posts I lost my beloved yellow tang during the tank transfer. I have been wanting to replace it but was living under the fear that the desjardini sailfin tang would tear it apart since they belong in the same genera.
Last weekend I added a pyramid butterfly knowing no one would bother him. And I also added a paracanthurus hepatic blue tang to test the waters of the sailfin tang's acceptance of another tang. My logic it that not only the blue tang look different enough, but it also was of a decent size and in a larger community. The large tank size, complex rock work, as well as many other active fish distracting the acclimation process paid off. Both the blue tang and the butterfly were successfully introduced with only a minor flame angel incident.
This week I discovered a healthy, well eating yellow tang at a local fish store and decided to go for it.
The yellow tang was initially timid upon the introduction. But I did a heavy dose of feeding as distraction. Not only no other fish bothered the new comer, the yellow tang actually took a few bites!
During the two nights ensuing the introduction, I have observed no aggression at all from either of the existing tangs toward the yellow tang with the exception of occasional "size up" fin display. But no slashing action.
Here is a video of all the fish swimming happily together.

20141215 180 Mix Reef Video Update!

Here is video to the 180 Mix reef update with the new family members added. All mingling with no aggressions! I love the blue tang's electric blue color and the pyramid butterfly's golden highlights.

One thing surprised me: I was expecting the blue tang to appear "black" under actinic 430nm lighting, however, it appeared to remain sharply blue!

20141214 New fish in my 180 Reef

Added two new family members to my 180 Reef tank today: The gold pyramid butterflyfish, and the Paracanthurus Hipatus blue tang. I need to add the full name for the tang because there is a lot of confusion over the word "blue tang" in the trade.

Shot o my mix reef with the new fish. Lower left is the desjardini. pyramid butterfly in the middle. and the blue tang next to the clarkii clownfish.

My initial fear for adding these two fish were: 1) the pair of flame angel can be aggressive to any new comers regardless of species and size. 2) the desjardini tang being aggressive towards another tang.
The result- I actually also also introduced four blue line cardinal fish at this time, and no one messed with them at all, they joined my existing school right away. When introducing the butterfly, only one of the two flame angelfish came up and sized him up a bit but then left it alone afterward. All other fish completely ignores it. The blue tang went into hiding for 10 minutes and scared himself upon introduction- in my experience, very usual behavior for this shy fish. After 10 minutes it came out and swam around and explore the boundaries. No one bothered the tang at all, not even the desjardini. The blue tang must look so different from the desjardini tang that it they felt no threat to each other at all.

Flame angel pair

It's not easy capturing the two flame angelfish I have swimming together in the tank. Primarily because they swim rather speedily. And also likes to dart in and out of the rock work. But after three weeks of mixing the two together in my 180 reef, I am confident they have not bonded as a pair as they follow, not chase, each other.

the one at borrow is female, with a more rounded anal fin. The brighter red one on top.

flame angelfish hanging out together.

20141205 180 Reef Video Update

An update of my 180 Gallon tank. Recently added four more blue eye cardinal to the school. And the two flame angels are really calming down and forming a bonded pair with occasional courting dances. The three herbivores: Desjardini tang, foxface rabbitfish, and the gold spotted rabbitfish are now getting along very well and are the tank's "BIG THREE" at feeding time.

20141130 Colored Bubble Tip Anenome

I have purchased this colored bubble tip anemone during the Aquatic experience in Chicago a few weeks ago. It has now successfully acclimated to the 180 and is doing well.

Neon Pink bubble tip anemone (left)

And also an update on one of the corners of the 180 Gallon tank.

20141126 180 Gallon Reef Ready Tank Build part 5

Now all the livestocks in!

I am spreading all three clams into three corners. Built two mounts of rock work to hide the overflow columns. And the wave maker hides perfectly in the corner.

20141125 180 Reef Ready Tank Build part 4

The LED light arrived and installed. All the plumbing are also in place. The cloudy crust on the front glass is just salt crystal when the tank was laying on its side waiting for the paint to dry.

I will be using two Mag 7 as return pumps, and also 2X 200W heaters. I have learned from experience to have 2X of these as a preventative measure in case one of them fails, I would still have one working. The general rule is to have multiple mechanisms that are considered "lifeline" for your tank, such as pump, heater, etc.

20141124 180 Gallon Reef Ready Tank Build Part 3

I spent day 1 of my vacation in the garage building the canopy frame. This was made of .5X2 and .5X1 wood. All I have to say is it's not easy doing the whole thing with one person and sub-par tools

The frame fits well over the tank. I plan to hang 3X 150W LED lights.

20141120 180 Gallon Reef Ready tank build

While waiting for the 180 gallon tank's paint to dry, I took the opportunity to also paint the back panel of the stand and the back of the 75 gallon tank, which I will be placing underneath the 180 as a sump.

Tank Stand upright while the paint dries

I am experimenting a "compartment free" sump, where the water is allowed to flow freely through without needing to flow through compartments. But I am building a media container within the sump and also act a as divider for any rock, macro algae, and possible livestock I place down here from the skimmer and the return pumps.

open divider for the sump

20141118 180 Gallon Reef Ready Tank Build part 1

I had the opportunity to obtain a briefly used 180 Gallon Reef Ready tank with built stand from a friend. I will be putting together a series of this build. First of all, if you are looking to obtain a tank of this size, please be sure to have enough muscle help- the tank weights 330b dry. I actually had to go on craigslist to find a couple big boys from a moving company to help me move this, especially to bring it down the stairs! The tank is measured 6' X 2' X 2' so you should also make sure whatever room you want to put it into will either be a straight shot or have enough room for turning, not to mention taking doors out, etc.

Painting back of tank, to preserve paint, I used masking tape to mask out the overflow sections

I purchased a 75 gallon tank to use as sump  ( you can see in the photo below). So the estimated total water volume would be around 230 gallon. The first thing I had to do is to paint the back of the tank. Although painting is unnecessary, I find it less distracting to have the back of tank be in a darker, solid color than seeing the wall and the wires hanging behind. After the tank is painted, I left it on the spot to dry for 3 days.
In the meanwhile, I also install the bulkhead for the overflow onto the tank while it's on its side. Because drying to install the bulk head upside down when the tank is already on the stand will be a much tougher job.

See the 75 Gallon sits perfectly under the 180 Gallon stand.

20141111 Driftwood for Fishtank

I attended the Aquatic Experience last weekend in Chicago to meet some of the leading aquarium industry venders as well as some local retailers. I will go through some of the highlights with each separate post. I know I seldom talk about freshwater so I feel like I owe this one.
So what is Drift wood?- Driftwood is mostly collected near water- ocean, river, or lake. These are mostly tree roots that have grown around rocks to form the unique shapes and curves you see. They are mostly dead trees that have been toppled and gets washed down by storm flood.

Driftwood vender- some jumbo pieces

So why drift wood? Do you go with natural or artificial? What kind of tank are driftwood suitable for?
To answer that question, I will break down some of the common functions of driftwood.
1) Decoration- similar to rock, drift wood help create landscaping dynamic in the tank
2) Structure- driftwood provide places for plants to root and grab onto
3) Food- Believe it or not, many fish, including many pleco species actually use driftwood as part of their diet.
4) Nutrition- When soaked in water, driftwood would slowly decay and release the nutrition, minerals into the water.

Driftwood Vender- Tree Trunks

What about artificial drift wood? The pro of artificial driftwood is they are light (mostly plastic), can be cheaper, and doesn't "color" the water like real drift woods would.
The con is they serve only function #1 & 2 as describe above but not 3 or 4.
Since real drift woods are collected from dead trees, it is not harmful to the environment in a direct way. Though if too much driftwoods are collected from the water body, organisms that relay drift/rotten wood to thrive and breed may face some challenges.

Driftwood Vender- Roots

20141107 LiveRock for Reef Tank

How much Live Rock is enough for (insert Gallon #) Tank?
This is one of the most commonly asked questions among many new hobbyists.
So why live rock? What kind of live rock? How much?

Newly set up tank with Bare Tonga Live Rock

Liverock serves several functions in the saltwater aquarium:
1. Landscaping- Aesthetically, this is one of the reasons people want to get a salt water fish tank- to resemble a part of the ocean at your own home!
2. Landscaping- Place holder, live rocks serve as a foundation for any corals you wish to encrust over and grow onto.
3. Landscaping- Housing complex, in the wild, the reef, live corals and dead corals (live rock) serve as housing for both fish and numerous invertebrates. This provides security for your fish's night time resting as well as a territory separator should you have an aggressor in the tank.
4. Maintenance- Since live rocks are primarily composed of coral skeleton and fossils, they are extremely porous just like our bones. The porous structure enables rocks to house an enormous amount of bacteria to help breakdown wastes in the water column.

In General, most aquarist recommend 1.5-2lb of live rock for every gallon of water volume. This figure is only for reference and often times very successful keepers are able to use much less rocks with compensation of other means such as an extremely efficient filtration system. In all of my current tanks I use an average of .7-.9 lb/gallon. But the key is for the tank to find its perfect equilibrium, then things will settle down and stay stable.

There are various types of live/dry rocks one can establish their aquariums with:
Live rocks- like these seen in LiveAquaria, these are collected from the tropical coral reef and are packed with freshly dead algae/critter plus an abundance of marine bacteria to start your new tank's cycling. It is advised to "cure" these rocks as you let it sit in an aerated tank and allow the excessive ammonia/nitrate to be eliminated before you add them to your tank. They come in various shapes and sized. Some of the most popular ones are Fiji live rock, they are typically more rounded with rugged edges and very porous. There are also rocks from Tuvalu, Tonga, and other areas of the South Pacific to offer landscaping options with shelf and branch like rocks.

Dry rocks- These are rocks mined from the land. They are not "live" as they are dry, such as the ones sold by Marco Rocks. But the composition of these rocks are the same as live rock- coral fossils. So once you place them into the water, bacteria and marine organisms will culture the dry rock and turn it into a full functioning live rock. Compare to the live rocks, dry rocks are less mysterious as you do not need to worry about introducing harmful or hazardous organisms into the tank along with it. But it will take a bit more patience as you must wait for the rock to mature and be cultured.

Artificial rock- These are "man-made" liveroks that looks and functions like live rock. Such as the rocks produced by Realreefrock. They are artificially infused with all the necessary bacteria for your tanks cycling and waste processing. And since they are artificially produced, they have less impact to the natural reef.

LiveRock are not cheap, especially because of their weight often times you must also pay for expensive extra shipping cost. My personal suggestion is join a local fish club or keep your eyes on Craigslist, wait until someone is selling off their rocks, not only the rocks are much less expensive, easily accessible, no shipping charge, but also the rocks are already cured, cultured, and all ready for you to use. Unless, off course, if the rocks are currently covered with undesirable organisms then you might have some heavy cleaning on hand.
Good luck rock hunting!

20141104 What Light for your Saltwater tank? Part 1.

One of the most commonly asked questions is the choice of lighting. What's appropriate for your critters? What's the best color temperature combination to bring out those colors? All lights seem so expensive, can I just DIY?
First, I must say that without proper training in light, physics, and electrical, everything I am going to discuss is entirely based on observation and real life experience.

LED light reflecting from the surface

Currently some there are many options for aquaria lighting. Among some of the less expensive but least light output are:
Regular T7 florescent tubes, incandescent bulbs, power compact lights
These lights are suitable for fish only aquaria or some of the non-photosynthetic or least light demanding soft corals. But in most cases will not provide enough energy for higher end corals and inverts to thrive
Some of the more sophisticated lightings are:
VHO T5 florescent tubes, Metal Halide bulbs, and LED lights
These lights tend to have a higher cost and drains more electricity, but can sustain some of the most light hungry creatures such as small polyp stony corals (SPS), large polyp stony corals (LPS), clams, anemones, etc.
Another option is DIY- if you are skilled in electrical, you can also design and put together your own lights. You can find many light parts, ballasts that are suitable for your project. Warning, if you do not construct the light correctly it can result in fire.
There are many other aspects of lights such as PAR, light's distance from the water surface, water depth, and light color temperature. We can save all them for the ensuing parts of this series.

In the mean time, there are some good readings I recommend from a couple reputable online livestock retailer:
Liveaquaria Light article
Pacific East Aquaculture Light article

20141103 Green Hair Algae- What do I do???

Green Hair Algae, or GHA as many forums refer to it, is a bonafide nuisance in any marine aquaria. The bad news is, it is always an uphill battle against it. Good news is, unlike cyanobacteria, there are many more creatures who will happily gobble it up.

Green Hair Algae

In case you did not read my voice on cyanobacteria, with the exception that brown slim algae is not algae, just about everything else on the characteristic of cyanobacteria is the same as green hair algae- will thrive with light and dissolved nutrient. The one key difference is that this is an actual algae and will require iron, among other elements to properly grow. So on top of light control, nutrient control, and predator introduction, we can add one more element here: competition.

Unlike cyanobacteria that can disappear completely if you keep light off for an entire day or two, hair algae is an actual plant and can store enough energy to sustain an extended period of darkness, just like your corals would. So the light off trick must be carefully modified here- instead of all out for a day or two, you can attempt to change spectrum/color temperature and also shorten photoperiod.

Reduction of dissolve nutrients will not affect corals so this is a safe approach by limiting how much you feed your fish, inverts, and corals, and maximizing your skimmer.

Predators- Many creatures naturally prey on hair algae- all tangs, most dwarf angelfish (reef caution), all rabbitfish (reef caution), many hermit crabs, snails, urchins, etc.

Lastly- competition. So a hair algae's competition is obviously another algae- but you probably don't want more algae in the tank? a good option is to house some macro algae, here is a place you can find many different varieties with reasonable price: Reef2go- Macroalgae. Keep these macro algae in your established sump or refugium to absorb nutrient and minerals just like hair algae would, but at a much faster rate to out compete the hair algae.

Good luck!

20141102 Cyanobacteria (brown slime algae) problem

One of the most commonly discussed in forums for many beginner hobbyist is the brown/red slime algae, or cyanobacteria. Although they are referred to as algae, they are not really algae. Instead they are monocellular bacteria that obtains energy by photosynthesis. They will form enormous colony thus visible to human eyes without microscope with the appearance, and behavior of algae.

Cyanobacteria (Brown Slim Algae)

The photo above shows how a cyanobacteria can take over the substrate (or rock work) by covering up the surface and forms a "film". While they are considered a nuisance, they are not your worst enemy in a reef aquaria. There are plenty ways to tackle them. But to properly fight them. We first need to know what causes them to bloom.

Even though the bacteria can obtain energy by photosynthesis, like all bacteria, they also thrive under nutrient rich condition. So the two elements we can control here are: light- photosynthesis, and dissolved nutrient- food.
Three ways to effectively reduce the colony:
1. prevention- do not overfeed your tank
2. attack- stir up the sand with sifters such as goby, cucumber, nassaurius snails, or sand sifting stars*
3. elimination- with moderation, turn lights off for a day to discourage photosynthesis.
Cyanobacteria is a natural part of the tank cycling and path to maturity. There is no need to freak out when you experience a break out. Just stay calm and tackle them!

*sand sifting stars do require a LOT of sand to forage for food in order to properly survive and thrive. Please do not add one to a tank smaller than 125G.

20141101 Mexican Turbo Snail

The Mexican Turbo Snail, Turbo fluctuosa, is a very commonly available cleaner crew in the aquarium trade. They are easily accessible and not as expensive as other snail such as trochus. The only problem is, well, two problems are: 1. You can't seem to keep them alive long enough or 2. If you do keep them alive long enough they get really large and start knocking things over all the time.

Mexican Turbo Snail

So first of all, why can't you keep them alive? Well, most saltwater hobbyist like to keep "tropical" fish or "reef". This means they tend to keep the tank temperature at lower 80's or at least in the hight 70's to accommodate the most adequate survival needs for most of their specimens originated from Western/South pacific, or the Caribbean. So here comes the problem- the turbo snail is actually NOT a true tropical animal. 

Although this snail can tolerate exposure to warm temperature. In the long run, they do best living under cooler conditions. Keeping them a few weeks, or even months in a warmer habitat may not kill them, but they will not thrive as much as they would have in cooler condition.

Secondly, They are large, so they have a large appetite. This translates to they'll need to patrol a larger area than most other snail species in the trade to get enough algae grazing for nutrition gain. So often times people "overstock" them. Also, these snail lives in tidal zone with rubbles. Even when they end up on their back, the constant, strong tide would have swept them upright. So they do not need to worry about falling or flipping over. But when they fall from a glass aquarium wall, their shell mechanism will for them to fall on their back. And like an astrea snail, this snail cannot turn themselves over once they are on their back. If not caught within minutes, they will close up to protect themselves from predators and then die of hunger.

Conclusion- They are not suitable for tropical aquaria. Also, because of their huge size they can easily knock over any coral/inverts not secured in the tank. 

20141030 Species spotlight- Harlequin Tusk Wrasse

The Harlequin Tusk fish (Choerodon fasciatus) is one of the most beautiful fish in the aquarium trade. This is a robust, hardy, and colorful fish with lots of personality. The only catch is- they are "Not Reef Safe". Despite needing a large tank size to house this fish, I would consider this a beginner fish since they are hardy and robust.

Harlequen Tusk Wrasse

The Harlequin Tusk can get pretty big in the wild, but I have not seen any over 8" in private aquariums. They are very greedy eaters and would happily accept mysis, krill, small fish, feeder fish, you name it, they eat it! They are also quite disease tolerant, in the years I worked in the trade I have not seen one die from starving or illness. The only one we lost is- jumping out! Like all wrasses, this fish is a jumper. So you should have a good, heavy lid over the tank for them since they are very powerful.

To keep this fish, just make sure you have reef condition- water temperature no warmer than 82 no cooler than 76. Salinity should be Specific gravity range 1.022-27. They will grow big and need lots of swimming room, so I do not recommend keeping it in tanks smaller than 120G. Do not keep this fish with small, slow fish, any crustacean, or clams as the chance of them becoming food is high. The fish will do fine with coral and other larger, robust fish like tangs, angels, triggers, puffer, eel, etc.

20141029 Reef Tank Update

Real quick update of my reef tank here. I did some change over the weekend- I decided having 2X 150W LED hanging over the 92G corner is a bit too much for the tank. So I removed one of the two light fixtures. moved one to the center and increased the intensity slightly. So far everyone is happy.

20141028 Reef Safe

A Cleaner Shimp

One of the most common terms one hears or asks in the marine aquaria is "Is ____ Reef safe?"

Well, to answer that question, first we must define what is "reef safe"?

Here is an article from Wikipedia defining reef safe.

So in short, I think most people would agree reef sate in the home aquarium means the critter you are referring will NOT hurt invertebrates, including coral. Even though in the broad spectrum, there really is very limited true "reef safe" creatures as most fish, even those who are vegetarian, would need to consume crustacean at some point in there life journey. But for the sake of general reference, it means a fish/invertebrate will not attack or cause long term damage to other commonly available aquarium creatures. 

Even those that are considered reef safe, one can still find an occasional specimens that is a black horse who wants to redefine their diet habit.

To illustrate, here is a small sample of fish that are "reef safe"

Yellow Tang- Primarily vegetarian, very rarely harms invertebrates.

Clown fish- Not an herbivore but will not attack invertebrates.

Seahorse- Very gentle creature, will not attach invertebrates, but will eat pods.

A list of "reef safe" invertebrates

Tridacna clams- will not bother anyone, no feeding necessary with sufficient lighting and adequate water quality

Small Polyp Stony coral- same as above

Cleaner shrimp- will not bother anyone, will help pick on parasites on fish

What about "not reef safe" fish?

Any fish in the following family cannot be trusted:

Angel- most will nip on corals or clam

Butterfly- most will nip coral

Trigger- will eat any crustacean, will also harm smaller fish, but not necessarily corals

Puffer- Same as above

Lion- Same as above

Grouper- Same as above

Some not reef safe invertebrates:

Mantis shrimp- will eat ANYTHING alive

Lobster- will harm fish/clam

larger crabs- will harm fish/other invertebrates

Anemone- this is a tricky one, but they may consume smaller, weaker fish or crustacean. 

20141027 Reef Aquarium Salinity

So I have been doing a lot of research and reading for the last 3 days on reef aquarium salinity.
There are some nice readings here, or here, and here- this one is a must read (you need to be a big enough aquarium geek and some basic understanding to physics and chemistry to fully grasp the power of this topic). Additionally, there are also plenty forums you can submerge yourself in to gather a good round of opinion from other successful reefers.

After my research, I am deciding to raise my tank's salinity. Previously, my practice on tank salinity was heavily influenced by all the aquarium retail works I've done- keep it as the lowest possible safe margin. Well, I don't keep it as low as 1.020 like some, but I do keep it a tad lower than idea- 1.022-23. But then I realized that's probably the reason why I have faced so much challenge in successfully keeping much sps and lps despite adequate light, good filtration, and perfect water chemistry- except for salinity! Over the weekend, I raise the tank to 1.026 specific gravity, or 35 ppt (parts per thousand) salinity- which is the closest to natural coral reef condition. Below is a snap shot of my refractometer's reading after completion of the raise.

Then a shot of the hydrometer- the two instruments are maginally different, but close enough to support relative accuracy.

Next week I will be attending the Aquatic Experience in Schaumburg (outside of Chicago). I plan to use this opportunity to stock with some of the corals that I have previously failed to keep long term and will update everyone on this.

20141024 Conspicuous Angelfish

I like to go around the web and search for cool and unusual specimens. I haven't really seen much that I think is an absolutely "must have" but for the sake of introducing something not so common, I thought I put this guys up I found at Liveaquaria.

Conspicuous Angelfish, as seen on Live Aquaria

In case this fish is still around, you can find him here
Just to prepare you, it might break your bank- it's a $3000 fish! Personally I don't think they are that attractive, at least not compared to some of the other large angels. But it certain is rare as it doesn't surface in local stores as often as most other larger angels.

20141024 Huge Reef Tank Systems

While going through my list of posts I accidentally found an old draft what I was going to post regarding the Waikiki Aquarium, but totally forgot about it!

Waikiki Aquarium South Pacific Display

I think one of the biggest eye openers was the aquarium's main South Pacific system housing various fish that most aquarists would consider "not reef safe" yet none of them are picking on the corals or the giant clams. This is when I realized when it comes to keeping these "non reef safe" fish, the volume and feeding regimen really are the keys to success and having them leave the corals alone. The photos above shows butterfly fish, among others not in this photo that are known to be nipping corals in home aquarium, yet you can clearly see the SPS are growing very well in this tank!

Waikiki Awuarium Anemone Display

This tank, once again, is a very large system and you can see it houses many what we would consider "aggressive towards conspecific" fish together!

20141020 Jecod 14000 Wavemaker light detector in Else Mode

Here is part II of the Jecod 14000 Wavemaker review. I have always disliked websites with unwanted sounds or videos with people's annoying speech, so I am keeping my videos "silent"

This is testing the wave maker controller's light detector. When I attempted to block the sensor, you can see the light goes on for the sensor, and the wave maker will reduce intensity in the "night"

20141019 Jecod 14000 Wavemaker

I have been looking to upgrade my wave makers for my tank. Originally I have wanted to go for the Ecotech Marine's Vortech System. But then at almost $400 a unit, it is quite an investment, despite having great reviews.

Today I stopped by the Local Fish Store Living Art Aquarium and spoke to Paul the owner. He recommended this Jecod Wavemaker for a fraction of the Vortech's cost. It might have as as sophisticated of a controlling system and programming ability as a vortech, but so far I am loving what I see. Below is a video of this operating in the W1 mode, which resembles a constant wave surge.

20141016 Flame angel

Saw this guy at the store over the weekend. I know I already have a flame angel in my 92 corner. But hey, I don't have one in my 75 yet! And this little guy came at a great price. But most importantly- the marking for this guy is truly one of a kind. Just goes to show how remarkable God's creation would be!

Flame Angelfish named "AVID"

20141014 Roberto's impressive 720 Gallon Reef

In case you haven't seen this thread in Reef central
You definitely want to check out his tank, the planning, the build, and the progress.
It is a stunning tank!

Roberto's 720 Reef Tank in Brazil

Desjardini Update

Just an update of my Desjardini Tang. Doing great, getting fat, and kicking everyone else's ass in the tank!

20141012 Neon Goby

So I decided to get some tank mates for my seahorse that are not other seahorses!

I have always wanted to have these tiny cute little gobies. But when I was a store manager at an aquarium store, I noticed sometimes these small fish would fall into the overflow and just vanish after a while. So I have been hesitant to place them in my reef tank. Now that I have an enclosed seahorse tank I think the timing is right! both are ORA captive bred gobies and they are eating frozen and flake food like crazy!

20141008 Freshwater Angelfish

I have been posting almost exclusively saltwater content sometimes it seems like I don't have any freshwater tanks at all! But like most aquarists, I also began my adventure with freshwater.

Here is a photo of my 75 Gallon freshwater setup. I wanted to do a planted tank. But with four plecos in this tank I don't know if that's a good idea. I have four Angelfish, five Denison's barbs (they are beautiful), five Congo tetras (2 male, 3 female), 3 Pearl Gourami, and an assortment of tetras. The four plecos I have are 1 bushy nose, 1 gold nugget, 1 leopard, and 1 snowball. Ironically, the last three are the most expensive fish I have in the tank yet are the least seen!

20141006 Derasa Clam nipped!

For the last two months I have been keeping my Derasa clam separately in a 75G RR that I have set up to allow the two squamosa clams more room to stretch. But two weeks ago I discovered that the Derasa clam have not been opening. So I decided to take it out of the 75 and place it back into my 92.

It turns out- someone has been nipping this clam! See the hole in the middle of the clam mantle (the white circle) My suspicion is the orange or gold spotted rabbitfish. Because not only the clam, the rabbitfish has also nipped on my leather corals.

20141005 Seahorse! Hippocampus Erectus

I have had my 28 gallon cube sitting for a while running with just live rock for about 2-3 months. I have always wanted to get some seahorse in that tank. And the opportunity finally arrived! Last week while browsing Best Fish in Milwaukee, I noticed they had a tank full of captive raised seahorses!

 Initially I saw the label "Kuda" on the tank so I thought I was looking at Kuda seahorse. The store was feeding them live brine and frozen mysis shrimp. These guys gobble up the food very eagerly. So I decided to take a couple of these 3" ponies home!

Although at the time of purchase, one was significantly lighter color than the dark one, they do change color to match the environment. Over the course of a week, they have both shifted color slightly and are not not as far off from each other. I started by feeding them Hikari mysis since they are small in size. But then they were not accepting the mysis very well. After some forum posting on reef central, I decided to try PE mysis on them, with the fear that the big shrimp would not fit through their fused jaws. And to my surprise, they were able to chew up some pretty chunky shrimps!
Also, as I began to research more about seahorse, I realize they do not look like Kuda at all! Instead, I thought they look more like erectus. So I called the store today and confirmed that indeed they are erectus. The store only has females at this time, which is OK with me because I don't think I am ready for the difficult task of breeding seahorse just yet.

20140930 Green Bubble Tip Anemone

Green Bubble Tip Anemone

I got this green bubble tip anemone two weeks ago. I have had lots of experience with rose bubble tip anemone (RBTA), but have never had a green bubble tip. To be honest I am a bit scared because I don't know if this anemone has the same light requirement and feeding habit as its rosy colored relative. This is why I have been hesitating to post about it to make sure it does well in my system.
I initially placed the anemone about 6" away from its current spot on to of the rock work. The anemone used the 1st hour of its stay here drawing around the rock to its current spot and has stayed there ever since. The anemone was not in very good health- the best way to judge an anemone's health is how sticky it is. I tried to offer it food for the first two weeks and none would stick. But the anemone had appeared to be doing alright- expanding and swaying under the light each morning.
Today I made another attempt to feed the anemone and the krill stayed! I must also mention, my 5" clarkii clown has been busy sharing her hosting duty between my other 6" RBTA and this GTA starting this week. So I think the anemone's stickiness must have something to do with the clownfish.
This has became one of my favorite corners of the tank as the GTA and the smaller RBTA flows with wave.
My feeling so far is they are hardy and very beautiful to look at, get yours here!

20140919 Swallowtail Angelfish

Just to compare what I got from the Local Fish store with what's currently available at Liveaquaria. This Genicanthus Semifasciatus (Masked Swallowtail Angelfish) is a changing male about 4.5 inch long for $300 + Shipping. And also to update, the fish has been eating very well and is now mingling well with other fish in the tank. Below is LiveAquaria's quick stats:

Minimum Tank Size: 125 gallons

Care Level: Difficult

Temperament: Peaceful

Reef Compatible: Yes

Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.021-1.025

Max. Size: 8½"

Diet: Omnivore, Plankton Eater

Compatibility: View Chart

20140919 Japanese Swallowtail Angelfish

Last weekend I visited my local fish store Living Art Aquarium and noticed they have this angel available- Paul, the owner labeled it "very rare, and very good price" at $99. For those of you who are not familiar with this fish, many would pay up to $400 for a male specimen.

There are two fish in the Genicanthus family sharing the common name "Japanese Swallowtail Angelfish"- Genicanthus melanospilos, and Genicanthus Semifasciatus.

The first one is also known as a spotbreast angelfish and is quite common in the Aquarium trade with price ranging from $70 -$120 for female and a bit higher for male. Personally, I think the female of this species look prettier than the male (so do many of the other members of the Genicanthus family).

But not the Semifasciatus. While I think the female looks really adorable with the black mask, the male specimen of Semifasciatus is simply regal with the golden mask and trim streaming down the mid section separating tiger striped upper section and the silver abdominal portion.

They are not common, thus Paul's quote "rare", and they are also not the hardiest during shipping and acclimation due to their origin- ranging from Philippines to Japan, living as deep as 300ft, they can come from water as cool as upper 60's but also as warm as upper to mid 70's. So depends on the source, they might not always enjoy the tropical, reef temperature. Secondly, because they could have been collected at a greater depth, improper decompression can result in swim bladder disfunction, which was common in the genicanthus family but has been better in recent years.

Now, why was this fish so cheap, you might ask? Well, Paul explained when he was picking up livestock from the wholesaler, this fish was severely beaten and was in really bad shape. With the huge order Paul had placed, the owner just toss this in for free but not optimistic with its chances. After the fish had arrived Paul's store, it rebounded and recovered almost completely and was eagerly accepting food. I could not pass on this. 

If you google some of this fish's photos, you can see that my fish is actually in the midst of a gender reassignment. That's right, they are hermaphrodic and can change gender back, and forth at will. This fish appears to be on her way to become a male. You can still see a hint of the black mask around the eye, and the tiger stripes have not yet fully appeared. (Either that or it can be reversing it from male back to female, but I am hope it is the first one).

Currently I have a 5" female watanabe angel in the tank, as expected there is some squabble between the two since they are in the same family. But it has not grown too violent since at least one of them is female. It is only day two of the fish in my tank and it has been eating very well! I will have more updates later.

20140916 Power Outage and Fishtank

One of fish keeping hobbyist's biggest nightmare- power outrage. What should you do and prepare for expected (known approaching hurricane or winter storm) and unexpected (thunderstorm, fire, flash flood, and other disaster) power outages.

An example of what power outrage can do to an aquarium is New Orlean's Aquarium of the Americas' major disaster after 2005's Hurricane Katrina. Just about everything that was not mammal or reptile perished during the disaster. The lone survivors were the mammals and turtles as they breath from the air.

Living in Wisconsin, the long, brutal winter can often cause power outrage during strong snow storms. And the threat is not only the immediate oxygen deprivation from uncirculated water, but the rapid temperature drop from the elements. For this reason, depends on where you live and what capacity your tank is, it is strongly recommended that you have a backup generator as your tanks' lifeline during times of emergency.

So the question is- how long can things survive without any back up? If the power outrage is temporary and will not last long during a relatively warm, summer day, no need to panic-
well, without flowing water to generate dissolved oxygen, most creatures will begin to display distress within a few hours depends on your bio-load. Imaging a fish can do alright in a bag of water during its transport from store to home (typically anywhere from 30 minutes up to 2 hours + acclimation time). That sac of water is definitely no more than 1/4 gallon. Now multiply that by how many gallons of water you have in your tank, and decided by how many fish/critters you have, you should get a pretty good rough idea of when your "deadline" is. That said, it's definitely not optimal to leave things as is. You can find battery operated pumps in stores or online. Don't be cheap on this, it can save hundreds of dollars in livestock for you.

The bigger problem will present if the outrage is more than a few hours. While the back up battery operated air pumps can last a day or two, your water temperature will begin to decrease overtime, especially if you live in colder climate in winter. This is when you must invest in a backup generator.
Once again, don't be cheap, this can save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars of livestock. When choosing a back up generator, I would add up the wattage needed for heater and at least one powerhead for the fish tank portion of your household needs. corals and clams can survive a few days without light so light is not your priority for short term outrage.

20140915 Gem Tang

I stumbled upon this while doing my "daily window browsing" for aquarium live- The gem tang- zebrasoma gemmatum at Liveaquariua's Diver's Den.

Gem Tang as seen on Live Aquaria

Some please take this guy home! Chances are if you have $3K to spare, you must have a system large and fancy enough to give this guy a much deserved good life! I would if I have it, will you?

20140915 Desjardini Tang acclimation

In my previous post I have described the five day process of trying to get the desjardini tang to eat and become used to human presence. One of my strategy was to reward them with food for greeting me. After a weekend of heavy feeding (Started Friday Night), the tang has become very good sport in swimming in the open in my presence.

I am sure too though, that all the overfeeding had escalated the nitrate level! well, I guess that's what the big derasa is there for! But at the end of the weekend I am very pleased to announce this desjardini tang is finally "house broken". Currently it swims alongside with three other larger fish in the tank to form the "dominant four"- The Desjardini tang, Chevron tang, Orange spotted rabbitfish, and flame back angel. and it's been fed heavily on flake food, frozen food (homemade blend), and nori sheets.

Conclusion- Based on my recent experience with the acquisition of Foxface Rabbitfish (in the other tank), the Chevron tang, and this desjardini tang, the average time for any new fish to become comfortable and feel blended in is about a week. The orange spotted rabbitfish though, gave me quite a scare, it was in the tank for over a month showing no sign of acclimation (while eating heavily). I must say most of the fish in this condition would have died within a month, but looks like choosing some open swimming tank mate was the key to open up the rabbit fish's personality.

20140913 mixing desjardini tang and chevron tang

Today marks the two week point for my chevron tang's addition, one week point for the desjardini tang. As with all tang additions and mixing, I kept a constant eye on these two's interaction. The funny thing with the Chevron tang is that it wasn't very active and was quite picky on eating during its first week of stay. But the moment I put the slightly larger desjardini tang in, the chevron seemed to have "came alive". Not only it became very active to swim in the open, its appetite suddenly opened up and ate everything I fed from frozen, flakes, pellets, and nori.

The desjardinit tang was never a picky eater even when I asked the store to feed it prior to my decision to purchase. But it had remain very cautious of eating. It does eat everything I feed, but only after a couple minutes observing others eat then it will join.

The two had some sparks during its first day of introduction. Desjardini raised its dorsal and anal fins to maximize its size while the two size up. Finally the desjardini found a nice little corner to settle and guarded it pretty well. No one can get close to the strong hold in the next few days.

I noticed the desjardini tang is hiding a lot whenever I want to observe it. I also continue to observe the slow to eat habit. So I hid in a corner and observe the tang's behavior to determine whether the tang is hiding from other tank mates or from me. Fortunately for it, the fish was hiding from me, which is unfortunate for me. So my next attempt is to spend more and more time in front of the tank, and reward them with food whenever they come out of hiding- in hopes to draw a more positive impression of me rather than all the traumatic experiences- captured, transported, and captured again, and transported again, gets tossed, captured... all by human.