Ditto. Electrical work is just something I avoid. As long as the electronics aren't plugged in you should be safe 
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.Lots of pictures of the display (60g) and refugium (20L).
- Thread starter Khemul
- Start date
Well that was definitely one of those "wtf?" situations. The bulb works now. Decided to play around with it some more earlier today and it started right up first try. :huh:
Can't complain though. Definitely nice color. Eliminated the yellow light. I'd say the tank is now in the 12,000K range. I'll most likely use the same combination when I replace the 4' bulbs in 3-4 months.
Oh and as can be seen in the picture with the updated lighting...I re-scaped the tank. :rofl:
Fixed most the flow problems. The circulation pumps are now directed from the back corners flowing towards the front center of the tank. The fish and the corals all seem happier with this pattern, so far at least. I even managed to give myself more room for corals and more archways and caves for the fish. One night and I fixed the flow issues and that annoying urge to upgrade to a bigger tank (still needs to be wider, but this'll do for now). :evil_lol:
This was just the camera struggling to adjust to low-light. The tank wasn't really that blue. But seeing the picture almost has me considering doing two Blue Plus in the 4' fixture when I replace the bulbs.
Shame I didn't try the bulbs again sooner. Might have saved me a little money...
Sooo, decided to go to the LFS that was very good on fish and service to see if they could help me with figuring out the bulb thing (they think ballast issues, which I think may be right). Even avoided the LFS that is very good on corals, to avoid extra spending. :rofl:
So, after vetoing a Potters Angel (too expensive), Blue Spotted Jawfish (way too expensive) and Bangaii Cardinal's (she wanted 3 so, too expensive) we came to the final fish the fiancee was interested in...a Leopard Toby. One of the few fish on my "buy immediately if you find one" list. :rofl:
Almost ended up with a Mandarin also, but managed to avoid that one due to the white spots on it (not sure if it was ich or sand, looked small for ich). Not that I don't want to get one, but my pod population is extremely good at hiding (even at night), making judging whether I have a good enough population damned near impossible. Eventually I way take the risk and attempt it.
So far it appears to have a very good temperament. Very timid, but not terrified by everything. Very similar to my Valentini. It'll investigate but won't pick on things and gets nervous quickly whenever something swims around it. That is generally good because from what I've seen, the puffers that show no fear or too much fear are the most dangerous. It is only about an inch or so right now, so still rather young. Will keep a close eye on personality as it gets older. Right now we are still at the post-acclimation phase, but so far survival seems likely. Hopefully this one stays as good as the Valentini is.
And lastly, a "just because it rarely comes out" picture. The Oyster Drill. It got annoyed because I kept digging it up. Rather rare to see it moving like that, even at night. Poor thing. Worst luck. I can't seem to move a rock without disturbing his hiding spaces. :grinno:
Can't complain though. Definitely nice color. Eliminated the yellow light. I'd say the tank is now in the 12,000K range. I'll most likely use the same combination when I replace the 4' bulbs in 3-4 months.
Oh and as can be seen in the picture with the updated lighting...I re-scaped the tank. :rofl:
Fixed most the flow problems. The circulation pumps are now directed from the back corners flowing towards the front center of the tank. The fish and the corals all seem happier with this pattern, so far at least. I even managed to give myself more room for corals and more archways and caves for the fish. One night and I fixed the flow issues and that annoying urge to upgrade to a bigger tank (still needs to be wider, but this'll do for now). :evil_lol:
This was just the camera struggling to adjust to low-light. The tank wasn't really that blue. But seeing the picture almost has me considering doing two Blue Plus in the 4' fixture when I replace the bulbs.
Shame I didn't try the bulbs again sooner. Might have saved me a little money...
Sooo, decided to go to the LFS that was very good on fish and service to see if they could help me with figuring out the bulb thing (they think ballast issues, which I think may be right). Even avoided the LFS that is very good on corals, to avoid extra spending. :rofl:
So, after vetoing a Potters Angel (too expensive), Blue Spotted Jawfish (way too expensive) and Bangaii Cardinal's (she wanted 3 so, too expensive) we came to the final fish the fiancee was interested in...a Leopard Toby. One of the few fish on my "buy immediately if you find one" list. :rofl:
Almost ended up with a Mandarin also, but managed to avoid that one due to the white spots on it (not sure if it was ich or sand, looked small for ich). Not that I don't want to get one, but my pod population is extremely good at hiding (even at night), making judging whether I have a good enough population damned near impossible. Eventually I way take the risk and attempt it.
So far it appears to have a very good temperament. Very timid, but not terrified by everything. Very similar to my Valentini. It'll investigate but won't pick on things and gets nervous quickly whenever something swims around it. That is generally good because from what I've seen, the puffers that show no fear or too much fear are the most dangerous. It is only about an inch or so right now, so still rather young. Will keep a close eye on personality as it gets older. Right now we are still at the post-acclimation phase, but so far survival seems likely. Hopefully this one stays as good as the Valentini is.
And lastly, a "just because it rarely comes out" picture. The Oyster Drill. It got annoyed because I kept digging it up. Rather rare to see it moving like that, even at night. Poor thing. Worst luck. I can't seem to move a rock without disturbing his hiding spaces. :grinno:
Nice new scape and cool new addition! Tobies and puffers have always intrigued me but I have never considered buying one due to my tank size and compatability concerns. I would agree with ballasts too. Unless you jave a loose connection, not much else it could be right? Either way, I'm glad you got to see the tank under this lighting. Really does make a difference, IMHO .
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They can definitely be tricky fish to keep, as you can see from my earlier situation with the Hawaiian Spotted Toby. The right personality and they are all amazing fish to have. The wrong personality and they are a nightmare.
Puffers are one of my favorites (along with just about any type of bottom-feeder). Was almost a bad day at the LFS for my wallet since they had a bunch of Black Sailfin Blennies, various gobies, a huge Solandri Toby (a little too big though), a tank full of Green-Spotted Puffers (in FW, don't think I've ever seen a store put then in salt), various types of Scooters and Mandarins. I swear it was like they knew I'd be coming in. :swear:
The new scape ended up being very surprising for me. I was sure I'd have to remove rock, but it turned out I just needed to move stuff away from the back right corner (the equipment messes with the way the rocks rest) and build up the middle more and everything became so much better. The down side is the right back corner now has all the equipment showing, but it doesn't seem as noticeable as it seems like it'd be in person.
And yeah, definitely happy to have the light working. At the very least I didn't want to bother shipping the bulb back. :rofl:
I may take apart the fixture some day down the line, but for now it is working so I am happy about that. Too early to tell how much of a difference it'll make on the corals/nems, but judging by the change it did to the overall tank I imagine it'll be very effective. At the very least it'll make the hair algae blend better. The daylight bulbs were making the hair algae stand out horribly for some odd reason (usually I actually like the look of the stuff, as long as the grazers keep it neat and controlled).
Puffers are one of my favorites (along with just about any type of bottom-feeder). Was almost a bad day at the LFS for my wallet since they had a bunch of Black Sailfin Blennies, various gobies, a huge Solandri Toby (a little too big though), a tank full of Green-Spotted Puffers (in FW, don't think I've ever seen a store put then in salt), various types of Scooters and Mandarins. I swear it was like they knew I'd be coming in. :swear:
The new scape ended up being very surprising for me. I was sure I'd have to remove rock, but it turned out I just needed to move stuff away from the back right corner (the equipment messes with the way the rocks rest) and build up the middle more and everything became so much better. The down side is the right back corner now has all the equipment showing, but it doesn't seem as noticeable as it seems like it'd be in person.
And yeah, definitely happy to have the light working. At the very least I didn't want to bother shipping the bulb back. :rofl:
I may take apart the fixture some day down the line, but for now it is working so I am happy about that. Too early to tell how much of a difference it'll make on the corals/nems, but judging by the change it did to the overall tank I imagine it'll be very effective. At the very least it'll make the hair algae blend better. The daylight bulbs were making the hair algae stand out horribly for some odd reason (usually I actually like the look of the stuff, as long as the grazers keep it neat and controlled).
Every time I walk into my LFS there are coolers and newspaper all over the floor and baggies floating in all the tank . Hard to buy a bag of salt, a pack of mysis and walk out the door.
Depending on the age of the bulbs you may see the GHA die off just from the new bulbs. Be careful with the ATI's
. Hard to buy a bag of salt, a pack of mysis and walk out the door.Depending on the age of the bulbs you may see the GHA die off just from the new bulbs. Be careful with the ATI's
The tank is looking fantastic. I like the look with the new scape and the new lights. That said, what do you mean about subsiding the urge for a bigger tank? Personally, I think the Caribbean would be the ideal size for a reef tank. :thumbsup:
Oh I still want to upgrade it. Either a 125 or a 180 for the final setup (maybe a 300, if I can manage to do some creative accounting and fit that into the budget somewhere... :evil_lol. Just doesn't feel as urgent now that the tank is balancing out again. The CL deals have been interesting lately, but too many other things to spend money on. Saw a 300 long (at least I'd call it that...at 11' long :drool for $200, but it had dividers siliconed (removable but who knows how it'd look afterwards) in and nothing to transport it with. The other day saw a 125 listed for $100, but it was used as a reptile tank (they claimed it was bought as an aquarium but couldn't say if it held water) and it was on the second floor of a garden apartment (no elevator).
The puffer seems to be doing good. It has taken the back right corner for now. Probably because of all the equipment it can hide behind.
The purple tip Condy went for a swim, right into the other powerhead. On the good side it only lost tentacles (one small stretched area on the foot). On the bad side it lost most the tentacles. Mostly my mistake really. When I moved the rockwork I upset the anemone a bit, then the Fighting Conch decided to dig up the anemone and push it right out. Built up the area to hopefully prevent that from happening again. :swear:
. Just doesn't feel as urgent now that the tank is balancing out again. The CL deals have been interesting lately, but too many other things to spend money on. Saw a 300 long (at least I'd call it that...at 11' long :drool for $200, but it had dividers siliconed (removable but who knows how it'd look afterwards) in and nothing to transport it with. The other day saw a 125 listed for $100, but it was used as a reptile tank (they claimed it was bought as an aquarium but couldn't say if it held water) and it was on the second floor of a garden apartment (no elevator).The puffer seems to be doing good. It has taken the back right corner for now. Probably because of all the equipment it can hide behind.
The purple tip Condy went for a swim, right into the other powerhead. On the good side it only lost tentacles (one small stretched area on the foot). On the bad side it lost most the tentacles. Mostly my mistake really. When I moved the rockwork I upset the anemone a bit, then the Fighting Conch decided to dig up the anemone and push it right out. Built up the area to hopefully prevent that from happening again. :swear:
Some updates...
The purple-tip Condy isn't looking good. Not sure if it is dying or what but it refuses to attempt to latch onto anything. It has also continued losing what little of its tentacles it had left after hitting the powerhead. Almost seems like it is breaking apart, but I do still see some changes in the food so I think it is still alive. Just not sure on the odds of recovery. The green-tip is almost completely back to normal and seems even healthier then before.
Added a couple more fish, which unless a few select individuals pop up in the stores soon are probably about it for the tank.
A Bangaii Cardinal and a Green Spotted Mandarin (Synchiropus picturatus). Not sure if the Cardinal will be alone or if we'll try to find another one for it. I've heard mix reviews on keeping multiples, and breeding isn't really a goal so no reason to push for a pair.
So far the Mandarin is hunting around and pecking at the rocks. Will keep a close eye on her (think maybe female judging by the first dorsal fin, although I'm not sure if it is supposed to be none-existent on the female or just much longer on the male) to make sure she is eating.
The Engineer Gobies are back too full health...unfortunately. :swear:
There was once sand where that hole is. I'd estimate it at a 4 inches across, 5-6 inches from front to back and probably 4-5 inches deep. At the bottom are the Engineers. It is probably technically two holes, since I still see the Goby in the back digging out his/her spot. I'm not entirely happy about it but I think it'll hold up. The central pillar of the rock pile they are digging out was designed to hold up to this. I'm just not sure if it was designed to be dug out entirely as well as all the rocks around it dug out partially. They seem determined to cause the highest number of potential failure points for that pillar. :shakehead:
On the really bad side, I'm putting a hold to new additions or major changes for a while. Something is up and I don't know if I should be blaming the new fish or the tank. No reason it couldn't be simple wild-catch acclimation stress, but I hate to blame that since it is easy to use it to ignore other potential problems. Basically, I found the Leopard Toby dead this morning. It was swimming around fine last night. It could have been stress from the whole collection/sale process or could have been stress in the tank (was being very timid). At the moment the only thing I can narrow it down to is stress, but with the Gurnard dying and now the Leopard (both wild caught) I'm gonna keep a close eye on the two new additions. Not sure about the Mandarin but the Cardinal was definitely wild-caught price (the LFS didn't know or wouldn't say). For now I'm going to step back and observe and try to figure out if it was just coincidence or if there is something wrong I need to track down.
The purple-tip Condy isn't looking good. Not sure if it is dying or what but it refuses to attempt to latch onto anything. It has also continued losing what little of its tentacles it had left after hitting the powerhead. Almost seems like it is breaking apart, but I do still see some changes in the food so I think it is still alive. Just not sure on the odds of recovery. The green-tip is almost completely back to normal and seems even healthier then before.
Added a couple more fish, which unless a few select individuals pop up in the stores soon are probably about it for the tank.
A Bangaii Cardinal and a Green Spotted Mandarin (Synchiropus picturatus). Not sure if the Cardinal will be alone or if we'll try to find another one for it. I've heard mix reviews on keeping multiples, and breeding isn't really a goal so no reason to push for a pair.
So far the Mandarin is hunting around and pecking at the rocks. Will keep a close eye on her (think maybe female judging by the first dorsal fin, although I'm not sure if it is supposed to be none-existent on the female or just much longer on the male) to make sure she is eating.
The Engineer Gobies are back too full health...unfortunately. :swear:
There was once sand where that hole is. I'd estimate it at a 4 inches across, 5-6 inches from front to back and probably 4-5 inches deep. At the bottom are the Engineers. It is probably technically two holes, since I still see the Goby in the back digging out his/her spot. I'm not entirely happy about it but I think it'll hold up. The central pillar of the rock pile they are digging out was designed to hold up to this. I'm just not sure if it was designed to be dug out entirely as well as all the rocks around it dug out partially. They seem determined to cause the highest number of potential failure points for that pillar. :shakehead:
On the really bad side, I'm putting a hold to new additions or major changes for a while. Something is up and I don't know if I should be blaming the new fish or the tank. No reason it couldn't be simple wild-catch acclimation stress, but I hate to blame that since it is easy to use it to ignore other potential problems. Basically, I found the Leopard Toby dead this morning. It was swimming around fine last night. It could have been stress from the whole collection/sale process or could have been stress in the tank (was being very timid). At the moment the only thing I can narrow it down to is stress, but with the Gurnard dying and now the Leopard (both wild caught) I'm gonna keep a close eye on the two new additions. Not sure about the Mandarin but the Cardinal was definitely wild-caught price (the LFS didn't know or wouldn't say). For now I'm going to step back and observe and try to figure out if it was just coincidence or if there is something wrong I need to track down.
Good idea to lay low for a while. It's probably stress as you said but no reason to push it and potentially risk your other stock. Sorry you lost the toby . Sorry to read about the nem as well. Hope it starts to turn around soon!
Tank looking good otherwise. Mandy is a cool. I like the targets a lot!
. Sorry to read about the nem as well. Hope it starts to turn around soon! Tank looking good otherwise. Mandy is a cool. I like the targets a lot!
Pulled the purple-tip out today. Almost threw up from the smell, so decided to declare it dead and not put it back in. It was probably gone the other day, but didn't have the smell so I wasn't 100% sure. At least that one I know what killed it and how to prevent it again.
The Cardinal is eating, which is a good sign. Have to change feeding order though. He is a timid eater so mysis will go in last after the less picky eaters fill up on other foods. The Mandy is hunting around for food. She eyes flakes and mysis but doesn't go for them, which is about normal. Would be neat to have a Mandy that goes for flakes but I don't hold out a lot of hope there. :rofl:
The Engineers contine digging The Pit. At this rate I'm pretty sure they won't stop until it consumes the whole tank.
The Cardinal is eating, which is a good sign. Have to change feeding order though. He is a timid eater so mysis will go in last after the less picky eaters fill up on other foods. The Mandy is hunting around for food. She eyes flakes and mysis but doesn't go for them, which is about normal. Would be neat to have a Mandy that goes for flakes but I don't hold out a lot of hope there. :rofl:
The Engineers contine digging The Pit. At this rate I'm pretty sure they won't stop until it consumes the whole tank.
