firemountain
11/17/2015, 01:58 AM
Everyone,
I just wanted to share my experience with this beautiful and interesting fish. I plan to use this Thread as more of a blog for those who would like some insight into the work and dedication that it takes to keeping this fish. Please feel free to post and share your experiences with your fish here, so others can read and gather valuable information.
**Note: This first post is more procedural to my TTM setup. My following posts will be more of my observatios.
To Start:
This fish is listed as an expert level fish. The biggest hurl is to get this fish to eat other foods than its normal diet of acropora polyps. Luckily for me, I purchased this fish from Diver's Den, in which it was already eating a variety of foods. I highly recommend buying from a source like LA/DD or other source that already has the fish eating a variety of foods. This will increase your chances of success.
In my opinion, this is half the battle. One key to successfully keeping this fish is to make sure it gets at least 3-4 feedings a day.... especially since it is a constant grazer in it's normal habitat. Please understand that I am not saying that I am successful long term.
As of this date, my fish is out of the TTM stages and awaiting my QT which is currently cycling (long story). So for the time being, I will continue to move the fish every few days back and forth between my 10g tanks until my QT is ready and stable. Matt Peterson is the Pioneer of keeping and breeding this fish. I would highly recommend reading his article in Coral magazine.
My TTM Setup:
I performed the TTM on this fish to rid out the possibility of Crypto. I used a pair of 10g tanks. They were then modified to where I used black vinyl to cover all sides of the glass (including the bottom) except the front. I did this to minimize any reflections to make the fish feel more safe and secure. This will also help with searching for any left over food/debris/feces that needs to get siphoned out in between feedings.
Heaters: I purchased a pair of 50w Eheim/Yaeger TruTemp heaters. I calibrated them both to make sure that they were set to read the same temperature. I chose 78 deg. to start.
SG: Diver's Den salinity at the time of shipment was 1.025. So I set the SG to match the shipped bag water (Milwaukee Refract used). The fish was floated for temperature, and then placed directly into my 10g tank. Luckily my QT and DT are both set at 1.025, so all of my premixed saltwater is already mixed to that SG.
Oxygenation: I used the white cheap foam ones with a Coralife Luft Pump.
Screening: I cut out your typical Home Depot white egg crate/light diffuser, with notches set onto each of the back corners to allow for airline tubing and the heater's electrical wire.
Food: The following foods I had on had to offer up as a meal. Some of the foods the fish readily took, and some she didn't. I will talk about that later.
Pellet/Flake Food: NLS .5mm pellets, NLS 1mm Algae Max pellets, NLS Marine Flake, Hikari Marine S pellets, Apex Crossover Diet Pellets.
Frozen Foods: Piscane PE Mysis and Callanus, LRS Reef Frenzy, Hikari Spirulina Brine, Cyclops-Eze, Dr. G's Antibacterial Rx
Refrig Foods: Reef Nutrition ROE, Arctic Pods, Dr. G's Caviar
Water: Homeade RO/DI with a UV sterilizer plumbed as a prestage to my sediment filter.
Salt: Instant Ocean. You will need to have A LOT on hand, due to constantly siphoning out left over food.
Water Treatments: Seachem Prime was administed every 24 hours. This was done through a needle syringe and/or when new salt water was added to the tank to combat toxic ammonia. With doing multiple feedings a day, you will be polluting the tank, and need to constantly change out water and siphon old food. The syringe was rinsed after each use with RO/DI.
Siphon: This was a homemade line that I built with an inline primer bulb I purchased from West Marine. This was made so I didn't have to worry about plugging in a pump and siphon out too much water too quickly while i was vaccuming the floor of the tank.
Collander: I purchased the small sized green plastic pasta strainer from "Jospeh and Joseph" This can be found online here....
http://www.josephjoseph.com/en-us/product/square-colander.
Personally this is the best one to use when you transfer fish from one tank to another, because of it being square and fits perfectly inside the 10g tank.
Tank Decoration: 90 degree White PVC elbow
Lighting: Natural room lighting in basement during the day. Nighttime... all lights off with a LED nightlight nearby. I always left this fish at night near the bottom of my heater that was placed in the tank. In the morning she was always found up top behind the heater.
***Well this is it for now. The next post will be of some of my observations. ***
Happy Reefing.....Dom
I just wanted to share my experience with this beautiful and interesting fish. I plan to use this Thread as more of a blog for those who would like some insight into the work and dedication that it takes to keeping this fish. Please feel free to post and share your experiences with your fish here, so others can read and gather valuable information.
**Note: This first post is more procedural to my TTM setup. My following posts will be more of my observatios.
To Start:
This fish is listed as an expert level fish. The biggest hurl is to get this fish to eat other foods than its normal diet of acropora polyps. Luckily for me, I purchased this fish from Diver's Den, in which it was already eating a variety of foods. I highly recommend buying from a source like LA/DD or other source that already has the fish eating a variety of foods. This will increase your chances of success.
In my opinion, this is half the battle. One key to successfully keeping this fish is to make sure it gets at least 3-4 feedings a day.... especially since it is a constant grazer in it's normal habitat. Please understand that I am not saying that I am successful long term.
As of this date, my fish is out of the TTM stages and awaiting my QT which is currently cycling (long story). So for the time being, I will continue to move the fish every few days back and forth between my 10g tanks until my QT is ready and stable. Matt Peterson is the Pioneer of keeping and breeding this fish. I would highly recommend reading his article in Coral magazine.
My TTM Setup:
I performed the TTM on this fish to rid out the possibility of Crypto. I used a pair of 10g tanks. They were then modified to where I used black vinyl to cover all sides of the glass (including the bottom) except the front. I did this to minimize any reflections to make the fish feel more safe and secure. This will also help with searching for any left over food/debris/feces that needs to get siphoned out in between feedings.
Heaters: I purchased a pair of 50w Eheim/Yaeger TruTemp heaters. I calibrated them both to make sure that they were set to read the same temperature. I chose 78 deg. to start.
SG: Diver's Den salinity at the time of shipment was 1.025. So I set the SG to match the shipped bag water (Milwaukee Refract used). The fish was floated for temperature, and then placed directly into my 10g tank. Luckily my QT and DT are both set at 1.025, so all of my premixed saltwater is already mixed to that SG.
Oxygenation: I used the white cheap foam ones with a Coralife Luft Pump.
Screening: I cut out your typical Home Depot white egg crate/light diffuser, with notches set onto each of the back corners to allow for airline tubing and the heater's electrical wire.
Food: The following foods I had on had to offer up as a meal. Some of the foods the fish readily took, and some she didn't. I will talk about that later.
Pellet/Flake Food: NLS .5mm pellets, NLS 1mm Algae Max pellets, NLS Marine Flake, Hikari Marine S pellets, Apex Crossover Diet Pellets.
Frozen Foods: Piscane PE Mysis and Callanus, LRS Reef Frenzy, Hikari Spirulina Brine, Cyclops-Eze, Dr. G's Antibacterial Rx
Refrig Foods: Reef Nutrition ROE, Arctic Pods, Dr. G's Caviar
Water: Homeade RO/DI with a UV sterilizer plumbed as a prestage to my sediment filter.
Salt: Instant Ocean. You will need to have A LOT on hand, due to constantly siphoning out left over food.
Water Treatments: Seachem Prime was administed every 24 hours. This was done through a needle syringe and/or when new salt water was added to the tank to combat toxic ammonia. With doing multiple feedings a day, you will be polluting the tank, and need to constantly change out water and siphon old food. The syringe was rinsed after each use with RO/DI.
Siphon: This was a homemade line that I built with an inline primer bulb I purchased from West Marine. This was made so I didn't have to worry about plugging in a pump and siphon out too much water too quickly while i was vaccuming the floor of the tank.
Collander: I purchased the small sized green plastic pasta strainer from "Jospeh and Joseph" This can be found online here....
http://www.josephjoseph.com/en-us/product/square-colander.
Personally this is the best one to use when you transfer fish from one tank to another, because of it being square and fits perfectly inside the 10g tank.
Tank Decoration: 90 degree White PVC elbow
Lighting: Natural room lighting in basement during the day. Nighttime... all lights off with a LED nightlight nearby. I always left this fish at night near the bottom of my heater that was placed in the tank. In the morning she was always found up top behind the heater.
***Well this is it for now. The next post will be of some of my observations. ***
Happy Reefing.....Dom