Darkdrako's 75 gallon upgrade

[BFITZ06]

hey ray the clown is looking good, where did you pick up the other one at total?

 

[darkdrako]

Yes, the other clown was picked up at Total Aquariums. They get along very well already and on occasion the smaller one will start twitching. Hopefully they will pair.

 

[darkdrako]

Haven't updated in a while. I ended up picking up an Algae Blenny that was doing great and a while later I tried a Powder Brown. I've always wanted one but it didn't work out. It was it QT for over a week and everything looked great. A few days after putting him in the tank he developed ich. From reading around, many tangs apparently have this problem so I thought with very diligent husbandry we would get through this and I would have the one fish that I've always wanted. A more days and I get a phone call that it was dead and floating at the top of the tank. :screama:

That brings us up to yesterday. I had not put the rest of the fish into the QT yet with my busy schedule. After work I am looking at the tank and both clowns are showing ich. Could not find my blenny and my clown goby was being enjoyed by one of the growing starfish. So I take a hour or two just trying to catch the clowns and put them in the QT. Finally get them in there and think to myself, hopefully everything would be ok.

After having a really really bad night (everything was not going the way I wanted :banghead I wake up this morning to see one of the clowns had passed. Now I am down to one clown and still do not know if the blenny is alive or not.

What will later bring?

 

[darkdrako]

Apparently later will bring another death. My last fish, my small black and white clown fish passed yesterday. Now all I can do it what for this damn ich to pass in the DT and start my fish stocking all over again.

So far this is what I'm thinking:
-either a pair of skunk or maroon clowns with an anemone
-still want a jawfish
-maybe a kole tang

I am completely open for suggestions if anyone has some. I was thinking not to go the same fish as before to change things up a little and see if it works better or not.

 

[WikedTechniQuezZ]

dude that is hot wow great job

 

[darkdrako]

So, after this whole fiasco, I've been neglecting my tank but NO MORE! I am finally motivated today to do something about it. I have decided to reaquascape and get a little more creative and hopefully come out with some interesting rock formations. I will be buying alot of zipties and will go alittle nuts until I don't recongize my tank anymore. Looking to use the following tanks for inspiration:
Zuska's 65
Macropora's 120
Noelskii's 219

Wish me luck. I'll try to post pics when it is all done.

 

[Quang]

good luck... here's another idea

http://glassbox-design.com/2009/thors-bonsai-inspired-sps-reef-tank-revisited/

 

[darkdrako]

I was thinking about that as well but have not decided if I want to get into the acrylic rods.

 

[darkdrako]

Well this is what I have so far. I do not like the left side at all. Was going for a ledged overhang look. I think I ran out of larger rocks on the left side to keep the look going. Any ideas, suggestions or comments?

FTS

Right

Left

 

[darkdrako]

Another week to go! Next weekend will be 7 weeks fallow. I couldn't wait to see something swimming around so I picked up a pair of Sumatra Yellow Stripe Maroon Clowns from Total Aquariums as well as a pair of False Perculas for my 12 gallon nano. All fish are doing great and the Maroon Clowns are amazing. I'm so happy with them! Also picked up a RBTA for the clowns but it is hiding in the rockwork now. I can't wait to see the maroons in the anemone! I am actually excited about the tank after my ich incident 6 weeks ago!

 

[darkdrako]

So I haven't updated in a while A few things have changed. I now have the pair of maroon clowns gladly hosting a rbta, a lawnmower blenny who loves to kiss the glass and a clouded wrasse that loves darting in and out of the rocks. As far as lighting I took a gamble and put in a fiji purple bulb to replace an actinic and I love it! The next change was replacing my euroreef skimmer with and octopus extreme 200 which does great. Only took about a week to work-in. To round out everything I decided that my sump needed a change. I used one of the sumps done by Melev and placed my refugium away from the bubble trap and raised it so that the light can be as close as possible without having to worry about the water rising in the sump from a power outage. I can't wait for the frag swap so I can start filling in my tank again with beautiful corals and perhaps some fish.

And now a few pictures:
FTS

Maroon clowns

Clouded Wrasse

Sump

Refugium

 

[aznt1217]

Ray! I see you went for the Octopus. How are you liking it? Great set up man, lean and clean.

 

[darkdrako]

Thank you! As far as the skimmer, IT'S HUGE! I like it alot so far. Only had it for a few weeks so its still not completely dialed in. It pulls a nice dark skimmate but is very sensitive and gets a little frustrating trying to find where I want it.

 

[aznt1217]

When it breaks in it willl be set it and forget it

 

[marki24]

very nice tank. Lots of luck

 

[anthony27]

I love the sump set up

 

[darkdrako]

I am really like the sump as well. Only two things that I may need to change. I get alot of alot of evaporation from the waterfall coming off of the fuge. May go with the drain Melev did on his sump. The other thing is getting the direction of flow in the fuge just right. I have to play with the direction of the flow so that the chaeto is always tumbling. Mangroves will be placed in the sand so the chaeto might not tumble much after that.

 

[anthony27]

that skimmer is amazing I have to get one and fit my sump the way you have it

 

[darkdrako]

First off let me say that I had an awesome time at the swap and was amazed at the corals and fish. In total I spent more than what I wanted but am not disappointed at all. Thanks again Dom and Justin for these beautiful fish!

Potter's Angelfish

Rusty Angelfish

Tridacna Clam

Zoa rock

Fungia and Acan lord

Ora green birdsnest

Dendro

Zoas

Also picked up a sunset monti but couldn't get a picture of it yet.

And some 1/2 and fts

 

[Quang]

nice fish! i was going to pick one of those two buy wound up getting the eibli dwarf angel instead.