20150108 Tank update

Here is a shot of my tank update! See all my fish happily swimming, and love my pair of flame angels!

20150102 Fish enjoying new era marine grazer

I thought this time-lapse video really shows how popular this treat is among my fish!

20150101 New Era mini marine grazer

Happy New Year!
Seeing that the new year can mark a new ear of something for someone, I thought it would be fitting to introduce a new food I've been studying after but have not had a chance to try until recently.
I was first told of this food by a very nice and helpful girl working at a Milwaukee's local fish store "Best Fish". At the time I suspected my gold spotted rabbitfish had an appetite for my derasa clam ( I never caught it in the act though, but it was the ONLY suspect at the time). So I expressed my concern to her and see if she has any suggestions. She then recommended this mini grazer for the fish to slowly chew down over time so it will have no time to take after other items. I was given a couple rings of them to try out but did not have the mount to prop them properly. So that was a fail.

I then ran into a nice British gentleman at the Chicago Aquatic experience who was the rep at New Era's booth. He explained the food and the feeding process along with aid of video. So I was then convinced to give it a shot. It's been a few days now in my tanks and I am convinced it's a great food for all algae grazers like tangs and rabbitfish, even angels!
In the video you can see my swallowtail angelfish going after the feeder. Before I introduced the feeder this angel actually was struggling to eat, and I believe the angel finds the idea of a stationary food source very enticing and comforting. I now highly recommend it.
The food however, is not very cheap- a 290 gram can comes with two sucker mounts was sold for $30 USD at the LFS.

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.