LisaD finally posts a few pictures of fish

[LisaD]

In keeping with my New Year's resolution to take and post pictures for a change, here are a few.

sorry about the dirty glass, poor skills, bad lighting, etc. it's a start. :) these are the fish in my 210.

new angels - blueface and blue spotted

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/ldarmo/Fish12-31-08056.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/ldarmo/Fish12-31-08025.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/ldarmo/Fish12-31-08059.jpg

goofy pic
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/ldarmo/Fish12-31-08019.jpg

[LisaD]

black tip grouper

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/ldarmo/Fish12-31-08005.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/ldarmo/Fish12-31-08028.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/ldarmo/Fish12-31-08058-1.jpg

Brazilian dragon moray

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/ldarmo/Fish12-31-08008.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/ldarmo/Fish12-31-08040.jpg

zebra moray

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/ldarmo/Fish12-31-08061.jpg

porcupine puffer, with and without rabbitfish

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/ldarmo/Fish12-31-08042.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/ldarmo/Fish12-31-08053.jpg

[Recty]

It's still 2 hours to New Years where I'm at, and you're already working on your new resolutions, I'm a slacker I guess.

Nice pictures, I'm really wanting to get a blue face and an emperor... so hard to not do it :)

I'll end up with one I'm sure, as I just got rid of my sohal, at least removed it from my display tank and soon to get rid of it, so I've got some room for a new fish in there.

How is that blue spotted angel doing?

I'd like to see a full tank shot if you could please!

[LisaD]

Thanks, Recty, I still have a few to post.

It's almost 2:00 am, 2009 here, but I've been at this, on and off, since 7:00. I took all the pictures tonight, the date stamp is off because I changed the battery and forgot to reset it.

The blue spotted angel is still a little thin, but it has gained some weight since I got it. It's doing great, and is fearless. It has no problems with the other fish.

The blueface is doing well, but has developed some lymphocystis on its face. I need to do a big water change this week. I arranged to have the tank overfed when I was out of town to be sure the blue spot had a chance to eat.

Let me see if I have a decent FTS. If I have to take one, I'll have to post it later, gotta work tomorrow, er, I mean today. :)

[LisaD]

emperor, named Elvis by my older daughter, because he IS the King

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/ldarmo/Fish12-31-08034.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/ldarmo/Fish12-31-08032.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/ldarmo/Fish12-31-08001.jpg

[LisaD]

nice one of the blue spot

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/ldarmo/Fish12-31-08044.jpg

group shot
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/ldarmo/Fish12-31-08009.jpg

I'm going to have to take a full tank shot for you, Recty, I thought I had one but can't find it. I'm not very happy with how the tank looks right now - not enough coralline, and the lighting is really yellow looking. at least I figured out how to turn off the flash, upload to photobucket, and edit in photobucket. still takes me forever, though.

[Recty]

Well no rush, I just like FTS :)

If you think your tank looks bad, I'll post a FTS of mine. The quinine sulfate treatment killed off pretty much everything non fishy and I'm treating with hypo now so everything the QS didnt kill, the low salinity is.

I've pretty much just got a bunch of ugly brown rocks sitting around with some fish in the tank ;)

[LisaD]

I know how you feel. I need to change my lights, and get rid of the yellow tones, hook up my refugium, and re-aquascape.

I have some nice pieces, but the rocks are too low. I wanted to give plenty of swimming room, so there is room behind and over the rocks, but it doesn't look so hot.

[Recty]

Well I dont care so much anymore, as long as the tank inhabitants are happy, I'm pretty happy. I'd like my rock to eventually all be purple/pink and covered in coraline but I'm not going to hold my breath ;)

[LisaD]

yeah, healthy animals first, aesthetics next. :)

here are a few more shots.

FTS, with actinics - I'll get a better one later
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/ldarmo/Fish12-31-08073.jpg

Clean up crew - these do pretty well, and manage not to get eaten. I collected this and several others on the NC coast.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/ldarmo/Fish12-31-08045.jpg

Mr. Magoo (zebra moray) came out a bit
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/ldarmo/Fish12-31-08065.jpg

group in the left corner of the tank
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/ldarmo/Fish12-31-08051.jpg

[Umbriel]

You have beautiful fish, Lisa. It's great to finally be able to see the bluespotted angel, and your blueface and emperor are stunning. That's not to say that the others deserve attention, but I've always been a bit of an angel fan. It's great to finally see pictures of what your tank looks like, and we'd love to see more, if you ever get the chance. It's inspiring evidence for me, at least, for whenever I can start a larger FOWLR. So, thank you.

[LisaD]

Thanks Umbriel. It was ignorance more than anything that prevented me from posting images. I'm just not all that computer/gadget savvy, having grown up with film cameras and type writers for word processing. I'm only in my 40s but I feel like a dinosaur. I could take not so great photos, but had a lot of trouble uploading them and had trouble finding the right file format/size that would be accepted by RC. A photobucket account and a Kodak EasyShare camera make it all pretty easy now. I'll work on my photo skills and will be sure to post pictures more often than in the past, which was essentially zilch. :)

[saltyguy51]

Very nice, all of them. Is that dragon eel really that purple? That has to be great to live on or near the ocean. I tried to get a pic on here last night but no work for me. Im of the generation that didnt grow up with computers also and I said I would never have one, well here I am.

[Grouperhead]

Nice shots Lisa. Did you grow your emp up from a juvi, or get it as an adult? Your two eels are really nice also. What is the scientific name of that grouper? It looks kinda like a coney...

[kirkaz]

Nice Lisa...How big is the BlueSpot Angel? Looks pretty big?

[elecbzerk]

Your fish are gorgeous! I love those eels. Do you buffer your top off for coraline growth?

[LisaD]

Very nice, all of them. Is that dragon eel really that purple? That has to be great to live on or near the ocean. I tried to get a pic on here last night but no work for me. Im of the generation that didnt grow up with computers also and I said I would never have one, well here I am.

thanks, saltyguy. the dragon eel does have a bit of a purple cast to it, but it's mostly brown. it's out all the time.

I wasn't able to figure out posting pics here for six years! It's a lot easier to get started and stick with it if you're under 30, I think. :) I finally followed the good advice of some RC friends and got a photobucket account. if you can get your pictures up on photobucket, it is really easy to post. get that far, and folks here can talk you through the rest. It really is easy, lack of confidence and not having a lot of time to invest in the learning curve held me back. Now I need to learn to take decent pictures. :rollface:

Nice shots Lisa. Did you grow your emp up from a juvi, or get it as an adult? Your two eels are really nice also. What is the scientific name of that grouper? It looks kinda like a coney...

Thanks Grouperhead. I got the emp at about 4.5-5 inches, with adult colors, from reefhotspot about 9 months ago. It's about 6 inches now. I have raised a juvenile emperor to changing subadult as well. I enjoy the eels a lot. They add a lot to the tank. Especially lately, the zebra is out and about a lot. The grouper is a black tip grouper, Epinephelus fasciatus. It can get up to 40 cm.

Nice Lisa...How big is the BlueSpot Angel? Looks pretty big?

Kirk, the blue spot angel is about 3.5 inches, not counting the tail.

Your fish are gorgeous! I love those eels. Do you buffer your top off for coraline growth?

Mike, thanks, I like them a lot. They are my pets. I do buffer the top off water, and also add buffer and calcium to the tank. I've been keeping my lights down, just the actinics most of the time (2 x 96-watt), so maybe the really low light has something to do with it. I don't like the yellow look of the lights (mentioned in another thread that I'll be replacing them with 10K and more actinics) and trying to keep the heat down. I have a chiller, but when it goes on, it blows a lot of hot air in the house.

[flameangel88]

Lisa,

Great fish selection and they are all beautiful. Happy at last to finally see pictures of your Bluespot. After seeing Large Angels' avatar I always wanted one but never saw one quite like his. After seeing yours I think there's hope of me finding one. Now I've to go out and find one for myself.

Happy New Year and keep the pictures coming!

Kevin

[LisaD]

Thanks, Kevin. I hope I can get my blue spot looking as fat and happy as LargeAngels'. I had almost given up finding a healthy one, and am very pleased with how this one is coming along.

I'm hoping to get my tank looking better and will work on taking better shots. I still need to take pictures of some of my other fish too. The 210 is just one tank out of several. :)

[Brandon M]

Great setup, I love your fish selection! Well done!

[JLF]

Great Looking fish Lisa!

[ccampbell57]

Awesome pics Lisa! Your tank looks really healthy.

Can't wait to see the Bluespot grow up and mature

[fender4string]

Nice fish Lisa! Those eels look huge!! I also really like the angels.

Oh and congrats on your first pic post. I'm in the same boat as you-not very tech savvy :). The singapore angel pics I posted awhile back were my first ever pics post too.

[barbianj]

Very nice pictures for a first try. Even lined up vertically and not side by side. :rollface:

How big is your dragon eel? He looks to be a good size. How do you feed the eels to be sure they get enough to eat, or is that not an issue?

[DamnPepShrimp]

Nice fish! How does your aquascapce hold up against your BDM? Mine moves everything around. I am going to try and drill/zip tie all my rocks together to make pillars and caves. It's ridiculous how strong that eel is.

[LisaD]

How big is your dragon eel? He looks to be a good size. How do you feed the eels to be sure they get enough to eat, or is that not an issue?

The dragon eel is 2 feet, but very thick. The zebra moray is 3+ feet.

I feed the eels with a feeding stick, feeding the fish first to avoid them getting in the way when the eels are eating. The dragon moray is a very aggressive eater, but the zebra moray is pretty assertive when it is hungry.

How does your aquascapce hold up against your BDM? Mine moves everything around. I am going to try and drill/zip tie all my rocks together to make pillars and caves. It's ridiculous how strong that eel is.

I haven't had any problems, but I have some large, heavy rocks and some good sized caves. I probably should have drilled and zip tied at least some of my rocks, but so far, so good.

[ladyshark]

Thanks so much for the pics--fabulous fish, you must be a very proud mom!

I love those pics of the blueface straight on--he's a real ham for the camera, isn't he?

[RoWall]

Is it Siganus virgatus that rabbitfish ?
Also, nice Chaetodontoplus.

[LisaD]

Thanks ladyshark, the blueface is one of the few that will hold still. :)

RoWall, the rabbitfish is Siganus corallinus, I believe. I have had it for several years, since it was about 2".

[ILuvTropicalFis]

Hi Lisa! Your fish are gorgeous. You are doing great with the pictures. You are giving me confidence. I have been trying to take good pictures of my tank. And now you have given me the rest of the info on how to get them posted. I have been like you...just not enough hours in the day. And that learning curve! One other thing, "forties" is not so old...you can do anything still! Oh and for Christmas I received a Volitan Lion for my tank. Wow, what a wonderful fish! I will post him soon.

Did you ever get that UV Light. That will help with your water color! I have mine up and running and the water is getting better every day!

[LisaD]

Thanks, ILTF. :) I haven't gotten the UV yet, money is a little tight after the holidays. I did buy a back-up return pump because I don't want to be in a bind if/when mine fails. The UV is next. Thanks for your good advice on the proper UV.

40s isn't old at all, until it comes to things "tech". my 11 year old knows more than I do, and picks it up faster.

I think the main issue with the color in the pictures is my lights. They are old, and not really the color temp I want. The water itself is pretty clear. I'm also getting some replacement bulbs sometime, 10,000K instead of 7600/10000K combos, and more actinics.

Enjoy your lionfish, and taking pictures of your tank. Volitans are my favorite. You'll need to watch out for your smaller fish, maybe consider moving them to a smaller tank. Keep the lion well fed!

[vid660]

Nice pics! I love the eels!

That is a beautiful emperor too. Someday I'll finally get a tank upgrade and have one.

[ILuvTropicalFis]

I have really enjoyed my new lion. I tried to give him to time acclimate. I forgot to ask the last time he ate, so I was going to give him a day to settle in. The next day he was not hungry because he got my green chromis. I understand my blue damsels could be next, but I will have to take the tank apart to catch them. I will keep him fed and maybe one day I will catch some fish!

Thanks for all your insight Lisa.

[Snapper66]

:) What a Beautiful Tank and Fish LisaD,Thank You for Sharing Natures Beauty With us.

[Nighthawk31]

LisaD, your tank is beautiful as is your blue face. I just got mine yesterday. He's 6" and just finishing the color change. Set me back $130 but worth every penny.

[FishyMel]

your brazilian dragon moray is really nice! they are one of my favorites.

[LisaD]

Thanks, guys. I'll try to post some more tomorrow. I'm really enjoying my fish. They are in my computer room (or my computer is in my tank room). So while I'm working or hanging out on the boards, I can watch them. They all look healthy except the blue face developed some lymphocystis on his face. You can see it in the pictures. It looks bad, but I suppose the best thing to do is leave it alone.

[OceanLover2]

I also did not grow up with computers but as I am in the Silicon Valley, I use computers everyday. I love the ease of the digital cameras where you can see the results of the picture right away. But that doesn't make it easier to get the pictures easier to upload to sites where there are size restrictions. I'll post a couple of pics one day and then just a couple of days later, I can't get the pics to upload. :confused:

I especially hate the way each place uses different measurements such as pixels, cm, in, etc. And I really hate the security software you have to use because it complicates life but you dare not have it these days.

Love your pictures of your fish (although I might be tempted to cook the grouper- ha ha) but I was especailly happy to get such a good look at your Brazillian Dragon moray! What do you feed him? You say he's out all the time so I guess the other fish leave him pretty much alone. Does he interact with the other eel?

(Sorry for so many questions, I have a 90 G community reef tank but am cycling a 140 G tank and am thinking of going aggressive so I am trying to learn more.)

[LisaD]

Keeping eels is all about crowd control and aggression (feeding frenzy) control.

The BDM gets mostly frozen shrimp and scallops, Ocean Nutrition gel cubes for some variety, occasional squid, oyster, clams. Believe it or not, he will also pick mysis and flakes out of the water column. This eel is voracious and seems to have better eyesight than the zebra moray. It is not overtly aggressive to any of my fish.

I would make sure to put assertive, good sized fish with the eel. So far, mine has not seemed to be a danger to my fish. I could see him going after an injured or sick fish, though.

To reduce aggression and the chance of anyone getting injured during feeding, I:

1) Feed the other fish first (small items)
2) Only feed eels from sticks, never offer live feeders or fish flesh
3) If a fish seems likely to go after their food, take feeding stick out of the water and/or distract fish
4) Keep eels well fed

If you have a very aggressive feeder (i.e., my porcupine puffer) there may be times when the fish and eel will fight over food. My puffer has been bit in the face twice and puffed up tussling with the eel over shrimp. It wasn't serious and happened because the puffer wouldn't back off. This puffer will eat shrimp until its belly is 2x normal size, no way to satisfy it, ever. :)

[myerst2]

Hey Lisa. Happy new year!!! Fish look like they are doing really well. Looks like the bluespot angel is adjusting really well. How did the other angels treat the new guy? That Dragon scares me!!!! They are usually pussycats as long you keep them well fed. Also helps that they prefer shellfish, not beautiful angelfish. Keep up the good work!!! Tim

[LisaD]

Thanks Tim, Happy New Year to you too. :) The other angels leave it alone, the BSA isn't fazed by being the smallest fish in the tank. I enjoy my fish so much.

Getting a peacock mantis, baby Diana's hogfish and royal gramma tomorrow, to go into three other tanks.

If anyone finds a source for another black puffer, please let me know. I'd really like to get one (switching the porc out - he's been crowding my blueface, a clear violation of his parole).

[Stormvillefish]

Hey Lisa ... absolutely gorgeous fish! Hope to be in your league one day! Question on the zebra eel ... he is beautiful ... do you find that eels in general create more waste than regular fish. What kind of personality would you say your zebra has? I had a leopard eel with my African Cichlids for years and he was the one that got all the "wow" from people ... assuming it is the same with the zebra and brazilian dragon you have ... absolutely stunning!
-Mike

[ILuvTropicalFis]

Okay Lisa, I think I finally have it. This is a shot of my full tank.

http://i545.photobucket.com/albums/hh376/pahlah2/125gal-6.jpg

[mandynm]

absolutely beautiful fish. I'm not sure which I'd say would be my favorite.

[Recty]

They have another blue spot angel on Diver's Den right now, I'm thinking it might not be a bad first angel for my tank.

Do you like yours, Lisa? Is it active and not shy?

[LisaD]

I saw it, and it is gone. If I had a bit of room, I would have bought it to try and pair with mine. Did you get it??? My blue spot is very active, not at all shy, and not afraid of any fish in the tank. I love it.

My tank is not as aggressive as yours, so I can't say how it would do with triggers. It's not as assertive as the emperor, but it can stand up for itself and does not let itself be intimidated by bigger, more aggressive fish.

[LisaD]

Okay Lisa, I think I finally have it. This is a shot of my full tank.

http://i545.photobucket.com/albums/...h2/125gal-6.jpg


You got it!!! Nice clean looking tank. :)

[Recty]

Nah, I didnt buy it. I dont know much about the blue spotted angels.

I'm going to Hawaii here in 3 weeks or so and I really dont want to get into quarantining any fish and having to basically just dump it into my tank afterwards and hope it makes it.

The guy who is feeding my fish while I'm gone is good at feeding but I dont trust him to maintain my QT :)

[seahorsedreams]

OMG! The emperor is my dream fish. When we move next year I am going to get a baby to grow. You have great taste in fish :-)

[flameangel88]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14103985#post14103985 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LisaD
I saw it, and it is gone. If I had a bit of room, I would have bought it to try and pair with mine. Did you get it??? My blue spot is very active, not at all shy, and not afraid of any fish in the tank. I love it.


It didn't have the green like yours or Large Angel's otherwise I'd grab it myself. :)

[reefer334]

Very Nice Lisa!!!

I love Elvis and the BDME.