Silentcivilians 120G Predator Tank
 

So.. I moved.. with moving comes changes.. with changes comes well.. new tanks... I still havent moved from sumpless.. yes.. this is likely one of the largest sumpless tanks on Canreef that I know of, I just cant justify spending the $$ quite yet on a full proper system.. however im totally sold on this size. I love the dimensions, I love the depth. So when I go and drop the $$ on a right and proper system, promise it will be a 4'x2'x2'/ :biggrin:

So, really no big stories or changes.. the 55g moved effortlessly into a 120g. The fish love love love all the space. I love love love all the space. So, ill share a couple of pictures of the tank so far. Please be gentle reminding me of the benefits of a sump.. I know, I realise, but one day it will happen :biggrin:


Thats all for now.. No new fish for at least a month or two.. other equipment upgrades first, blubs, fixture, skimmer etc.. So only updates will be clean up crew.. whoo... :neutral:

well that didnt take long for you to get hooked and upgrade:razz:......lookin good man....

haha, this is far from a upgrade really.. its more like just more water for the fish to swim in. Ill have to upgrade some equipment soon though. It was just luck that a friend of a friend who knew a guy that slept with this girl where she knew a guy who talked to someone at a funeral who they saw later that week knew a hookup for a 12mm rimless tank for a good $$ value. Same price as the generic tank from big als just way better quality and i think 4mm thicker glass. So I jumped on it. So before more livestock goes in beyond clean up crew, ill do a few key equipment upgrades.

haha, so it might be worth asking.. what you have for cleanup crew down there?? It wont be worth driving clear across the city for nothing.

[quote]
It was just luck that a friend of a friend who knew a guy that slept with this girl where she knew a guy who talked to someone at a funeral who they saw later that week knew a hookup for a 12mm rimless tank for a good $$.

That's Awesome ROFLMAO!! Congrats on the new tank, it's looking really good. What is on your future fish wish list ?:mrgreen:

:lol:

im buying you a stag frag pack for your birthday. the tank would look killer with a maze of stags on the right side

Shall I hold you too that sir? Because I wouldnt complain to free coral :D

Looks good. What do you have for fish in there?

Well, current stock is:
Cardinal, Coral Beauty, Yellow Tang, Cleaner Wrasse, Lawnmower Blenny, 3x Blue Chromis, Red Starfish, Cleaner Shrimp, Pom Pom Crab, unkown amount of snails (but have Nassarius, bumble bee, Astrea, Trochus, Stomatella and countless small turbos that are hitchhikers) 2 halloween crabs, 1 scarlet crab, 1 blue legged crab

Wishlist: Chevron Tang, Mandrin, Foxface, Picaso Clownfish, Couple more chromis... That is the attainable and hopefully "do-able" list.

Ok, so slight update:

Bad news, had some trouble at the start with some levels, alot of coral from the move never made it, the last 2 months has been very quiet just trying to slowly right the wrongs of the tank. Things are starting to look up, everything starting to show signs of positive growth again, so hoping to see that trend continue.

Today was a bad day though, I had bought a new fish on sunday, was out with the gf, we bought a new fish, she wanted a Flame Hawk, I said sure, he should be ok in the tank... ohhh no.. quite the oppisite really, ****ed fish off, kept swiming really fast and skimming the surface, so I wasnt happy, and didnt want the little guy to jump or die of stress related conditions, so I took him back to the LFS.. but the bad part was.. to get him out was a nightmare.. Litterally had to remove all my rock, and a large portion or water just to lock him down..

The upside, have a new pygmy angel (rusty) and a calgary raised clownfish, which was all done as a straight up $ for $ trade at the store..

The better upside, im happy with how my rock looks now then I was before. So here are some updated pictures.

Alrighty... mild update here. So, I think any and all damage from moving is done, sadly, most sps is done, have a few peices.. but what I have noticed, is things are growing well again. Also my sun coral which has never had great sucess in my tank is now flourishing, and another new addition is also flourishing, and I thought I would post photos of them.

Really moving and fighting with sps and the stuggle taught me this, right now, with my setup and budget, a beautiful sps tank, isnt in budget, I need a cleaner running setup and then we can talk sps.. for now ill stick to my softies and lps that are doing well.

So, I know I have a carnation coral, and I know that people say omg it destroys your water quality, death to sps, and all that other jazz, ive pretty much said salute to sps till I can have a sps system. I mean I even have a large hairy crab that has taken up nest in my pink birds nest.. which I need to say goodbye too... but side track.. I love that coral, its done fantastic in my tank and looks better each day, and my water is still clean and happy and changed regularly. My Zoas love it, my once nearly dead chalice is coming back, my ricos, yuma and mushrooms are loving it! So ill keep doing what works. Trial and error and this time success!

Silentcivilians 120G
 

Sooo all my links have been going nuts, will have to try to track down copies of my photos

Jan 24/11 update
 

Some extra new photos here.. ill try to update a few months from now when the leather corner is more developed.. plans are a clam and a mandrin soon... but thats about it other than letting this tank grow for along while..

Holy did you ever turn the tank around! Things look really healthy and that zoa garden is getting huge.

tank is looking awesome kody

looks like someone has a leather fetish:razz:

That zoa island is starting to look really good.

--- Thank you very much, Im very happy with the progress in the last couple months

-- Thanks for the help too man

-- It seems to have grown on me, and I know you want it! :wink:
But on a serious note, ya, I like the movement, and wow does it grow stinkin fast.. Dont quote me, but bloy picked up a frag of green polyp toadstool from Levi I believe, it wasnt all that big and wasnt even a complete circle, more like a blob on some old acro skelaton.. with in 3 weeks, its not only finished its top toadstool, has a thick stalk and is about a 1/2" off the skelaton.

But yes, im very happy with the tank and thanks for the compliments

Oh ya, im very happy with it, honestly, im just counting down the months till I cant see rock anymore.

Sooo.. the last couple weeks have just been a watch and let grow thing.. and then it happened.. I went out with Lorenz0 to do a drop in of a few stores and see whats kickin around town... and there is new stuff in my tank.. HOW DOES IT HAPPEN??

haha.. ok, so pics:

http://pqq08a.blu.livefilestore.com/...009.JPG?psid=1

I love my Ricos, and I dont see alot of Blue//Purple Ricos around.. so I had too..

http://pqq08a.blu.livefilestore.com/...028.JPG?psid=1

Some of you may be familiar with this little man.. often called the superman Rhodactis... so nice.. have 3 heads in different places around the tank.. hoping to find a bowl shaped peice of live rock to put them in so they kinda stay together

http://pqq08a.blu.livefilestore.com/...034.JPG?psid=1

Cup coral.. ive been looking for a peice of this for a long time.. and with my flower pot starting to suffer.. Took a gamble to see if my tank could sustain it as ive had great sucess with my carnations but not so much with flowerpot, I have a killer place to put it and hopefully have it spread like crazy!

http://pqq08a.blu.livefilestore.com/...039.JPG?psid=1

Lastly, a new clam from red coral from the $40 section.. as I had a really bad clam experiance in which my tank is now recovered from and wanted smaller and hopefully a happier clam.. its lived past 24hours so fingers crossed it stay happy and mantle out as it is now.

Future plans:

Have a sump under stand now, have the eshopps hob overflow, and a Rio return pump for about 700gph at 4ft height.. want to setup a electrical cabinet to hide electrical since sump, water change tank and ATO will take up that space under stand.

Parts still needed: Plumping parts (going to run flex intake, hardline exhaust), new skimmer(currently HOB), cabinet for electrical (Ikea should have somthing), ATO unit with pump... thats all I believe..

Stuff ill have to part with, both Aquaclear 110's, PSK100H Skimmer by eshopps which sadly I love and its been soo good on the tank.

But the plan is in motion.. ill have pics when up and done :D

awww.. spring romance. So cute. :)

Oh and nice grabs! :D

I dont know what it is about rhodactis shrooms.....I swore I wouldnt do any shrooms in V@ of my tank ......but low and behold, some orange and green tongan rhodactis snuck their way int there..........I love the supermans too

:lol:

it was the perfect day. we even split the superman rhodactis frag lol

So, the updates can resumes.. its now april.. Sump is almost ready to launch.. have all baffle measurements, pickup glass on monday at lunch, and hopefully hopefully have it setup this weekend..

But here is the updates -- New Additions: Pink sun coral, Figi Foxface, various Zoas and a reconstructed zoa island as the old one bugged me. Here are the photos, still ziploc shrimp feeding the suns, as I know barely any LFS feeds sun corals often enough.. its took my 6 months to get my oldest one to come out every night.. its seems like the bigger head of suns like I have, take so much longer.

Here is my NPC collections.. Orange grouping sun colony, Black branching sun colony, Giant grouping clear sun colony, Giant grouping Pink Sun colony, Orange and purple gorgonia, white and purple carnations.


http://pqq08a.blu.livefilestore.com/...053.JPG?psid=1

New zoa island setup

http://pqq08a.blu.livefilestore.com/...058.JPG?psid=1

Foxface:

http://pqq08a.blu.livefilestore.com/...061.JPG?psid=1http://pqq08a.blu.livefilestore.com/...102.JPG?psid=1

Foxface defensive stance #223251 - Opponent -- Yellow Tang of Timidness

http://pqq08a.blu.livefilestore.com/...105.JPG?psid=1

Moodshot and topdown shot of Ibox;
http://pqq08a.blu.livefilestore.com/...111.JPG?psid=1http://pqq08a.blu.livefilestore.com/...120.JPG?psid=1

Ok. So its been a busy last couple months. Went from 7 years at Ford to the new service manager letting me go 15 minutes before vacation, to now starting at Infiniti. The total opposite of domestic. After a month off Im kinda ready to work even though a couple weeks were in Hawaii diving in Kona.

With all this change and time off I decided I didnt want to do a mixed reef of coral and fish. Wanted to focus on predator fish as I was reminded in Hawaii how awesome those fish are and just how much interest I have in them.

So last week the tear down began, and the rebuild started. First the corals went, then the fish. I kept two of my fish, one due to he doesnt conflict with the furture tank mates, the other based on need and he isnt too small yet. So kept my Figi Foxface and my cleaner wrasse.

This is what I was left with, ill take a new photo tommorow cause a slight rearrangement happened on the left side of the tank.

https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...947.jpg?psid=1

Here are the new tank mates :)

https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...957.jpg?psid=1

https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...960.jpg?psid=1

The only corals left in my tank are my dendros, sun corals, gsp and jasmine polyps.

But im loving it.

Ok, some more photos so one can see what has happened this far.

Ill try to have some more shots of tank first. Then my ugly child that lives in my tank. Lastly a video of me trying to feed it.. note the word trying.

FTS
https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...612.JPG?psid=1
Left Side Close Up
https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...589.JPG?psid=1
Right Side Close Up
https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...585.JPG?psid=1
Can you see him, he can see you.
https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...597.JPG?psid=1
Boo!
https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...649.JPG?psid=1
Ok that was alot of work.. back to hole..
https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...652.JPG?psid=1
Black sand.. almost home.. god this is far for hopping along..
https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...657.JPG?psid=1
Turn this wreck around.. and ill be home!
https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...659.JPG?psid=1

Lastly -- trying to feed him..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7HT2gq71J0

Is that a stonefish?

Yup, thats my ugly duckling that for some odd reason makes me feel like my tank is that much more complete. I love that I managed to pick him up!

So I just got a oppurtunity to measure my stonefish while he was fully streched out up against the glass. I was impressed find out he was 7" long.

Now there are other people on here who have kept active swimming fish with predators. Anyone see any problems with having a harliquin tusk fish? I love their colors, and it says a 120 will be fine for base needs. So I fgured I would ask and check on others experiances. I know this is more difficult as few have kept a stone fish. But im hoping a few have kept the tusk.

7" isnt really all that impressive:razz:...........remember....they say it doesnt, but size does matter:mrgreen::lol:

Dude......your gonna be hard pressed to find any kind of suitable "tankmate/snack"......Laurie and I watched a show where a scorpion fish ate a lionfish!.......yes a lionfish!:surprise:.....they are capable of eating a fish that is 2/3 length....

Just checking but you do know how dangerous he is, right? (and not necessarily to his tankmates!)

There are a few good candidates im looking for. But my foxface was almost swallowed whole, I think his venom saved him.

I realise how dangerous it is. Painful enough that some people request their affected area to be removed, can kill a full grown human in under 2 hours. How ever the treatment is simple. Because it is a protein based venom, it would be denatured by heat. So recommended treatment even over anti-venom is heat. Over 45C degrees will simply break it down.

Also, they are completely lazy, ive fed him by hand last time, you pretty much would have to grind your hand into him to anger him.

Do you plan on testing your theory? lol Then you can test your heat theory too! haha Seriously though, good luck with your tank man, interesting fish selection.

Well, I consulted two experts in the area.

1st expert is the well known National Geographic - http://youtu.be/7aLt5gxwTx8


Second link was invalueable for determining the level of pain id be in.

http://youtu.be/qenzQaXM6Pw

As for selections, I have to say, there is somthing about the fish, im not sure what, but ive always had a facination for the creepy crawly fish. When I saw it in the store I was like ill sit on this one for a bit.. a month later was still there, so I started selling stuff and moving stuff out. After 3 months of being in the store I figured he was waiting for me. So without further hesitation, picked him and a eel up and made it official that I was going predator.

So ive heard my "Welcome to the Darkside" package is in the mail courtesy of the big V himself welcoming me to the club. :biggrin:

Ok.. update.

So, first off, sump is now fully setup and been running for 4 days without a leak. Awesome! Not bad for a jim rig job.. ill have pictures later of the true level of ghetto ive achieved. As for those who didnt hear by word of mouth, had it set up for 48 hours and then a intake line snapped in half.

Next, I had a lionfish.. but it didnt like my moray.. and love to sit on my stonefish.. so as I favour those two far over a lion.. he is gone.. he didnt make friends, so bye bye.. Another store has taken him in, and will love him, and nuture him in a tank full of lions, and he will become more loveable im sure.

I tried another tank mate as well. A 6" long chubby Harlequin Tuskfish. That lasted two hours before he became a sub $100 snack. And! I missed it.. at least if I had seen the lion take out the tusk, it would have been some what worth it.. but no such luck.. just missed it all together.

So I took some pictures tonight, so lets take a peek!

So lets play the game of find the stonefish :)

https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...664.JPG?psid=1

https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...672.JPG?psid=1https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...673.JPG?psid=1
https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...695.JPG?psid=1https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...679.JPG?psid=1
https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...681.JPG?psid=1https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...685.JPG?psid=1
https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...688.JPG?psid=1

Future plans, Looking to get some more scorpions in the tank.. at least one more kind. Im kinda loving the pictures ive been finding of the raggy scorpion..as seen here click and here Click and here Click.

As for the daytime portion, I have a huge nest of Jasmine poylps, green star poylps. So like looking to add some cloves on the last section and just kinda let them take over. As always, look for more dendros in small colony's that I can add too. Considering a trigger too, but going to wait awhile till I can track down more scorps and let the puffer get used to the tank. As for swiming fish, its him and my cleaner wrasse of 2 years.


So im working on collection videos of feeding everyone, right now have a good one of the eel.. working on puffer and stoney.. but when I get all 3. ill post all 3 feeding.

Whole new video.

Enjoy people :biggrin:

Youtube link right here

Cool vid Kody...... Btw RC got in a whack of dendros:wink:

I hate you.. ill be in as soon as I can...

So its been a week or so since I posted, but its now been almost 2 weeks with the puffer, and I wanted to share some photos of the tank and the puffer, get any comments, ideas and feelings on my tank.

And Doug, ill be in for Dendros soon.. they looked buggered due to a tank error when I was in.. so didnt want to blind buy $90 of Dendros that werent coming out.

https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...757.JPG?psid=1https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...754.JPG?psid=1
https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...760.JPG?psid=1https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...810.JPG?psid=1
https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...813.JPG?psid=1https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...818.JPG?psid=1
https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...820.JPG?psid=1https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...826.JPG?psid=1
https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...838.JPG?psid=1https://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1...879.JPG?psid=1

Now ive been contimplating for sometime what to get for other fish.. I have 3 LFS in my city on scorp hunt for me, a shop in town just got 2 orange toadfish in (not eating yet) and I do want to either do a Majestic Foxface or a bluethroat trigger.

Feelings?
Ideas on my tank and livestock?
Comments?

Thanks!