A Saga: Nikki's 120 gallon

[NaH2O]

LOL, Steve! I'm always in the mild.

Fish looked great today. The Mag Rabbit pounded down another small area of algae. I was out for a bit in the afternoon, and when I came home she was in front of the aquascaping (finally!) and grabbing some of the caulerpa growing, too. Now that the fish seem comfortable.....time to evict the blenny.

Here is a shot of him.....looking all shifty-eyed:

 

[wrightme43]

Shifty eyed blennie, huh? lol He sure is a pretty bicolor. Too bad he is mean. Good luck with the capture. Steve

 

[NaH2O]

He has gorgeous coloration - a really great looking fish. I decided to set up a nano for him, and it has become my daughter's tank. She was thrilled to have him......until she saw a green clown goby. Oh well, she's stuck with the bicolor blenny. I couldn't stand the thought of this one going elsewhere, but he can't stay in a SPS tank, if that's what he wants to eat. Of course, since the other fish have been introduced he's all about the algae. But, as Mike says....Once they get a taste for corals......

 

[big t]

Nikki, it is about time you got some algea eating fish! I think that w/ the steps you have taken you will be out of the forrest soon

 

[NaH2O]

Well damn. This afternoon, my six-line went missing. I had the tank covered in egg-crate, overflows the whole bit. Checked around the tank, looked in the overflows, no sign of the fish anywhere. Even considered, in some wild attempt to carpet surf, the cat ate it........Well, I just went down to check the tank before bed. The rabbitfish is sleeping, blenny asleep, and there was a hermit crab taking care of the six-lines body . I'm not sure what happened, as I wasn't home much today. But for sure the wrasse was alive before I went out the door.

 

[Scooterman]

Well sorry for your loss Nikki, I would blame it on the cat, if it is anything like mine. I love my 6 line, maybe it was just one of thoes things.

 

[Angelscrx]

I bought one of those beautiful little dudes and it didn't last either. I went inside a hole and never came out. It was fine for a week swimming around and everything and then all of sudden gone.

 

[wrightme43]

Sorry Nikki, I have had fish just die too. I hate it. Its a shame to lose such a pretty fish. Steve

 

[Maxx]

Sorry Nikki....

Maybe if you try a larger one next time?

Nick

 

[NaH2O]

MUHAHAHAHA!!!! Victory goes to the humans!!!!!!

Let me fill you in on my little shifty-eyed blenny. I set up the trap for him last night, and put some seaweed in there. Little bits. Since I've never fed these before, I figured no problem....I'll make an attempt with this while I hatch out some brine shrimp. Of course, I caught the Rabbitfish 3 or 4 times. The bicolor blenny hung out right in front of the trap. He would not go in....he would wait for little pieces of food to float out and grab them as they passed (I even added his favorite SPS coral to the trap, hoping to entice him in). I was so mad last night after sitting with fishing line in my hand for 5 hours. Well......this morning, he couldn't resist. I added more food to the trap, placed it by his hole. He swam around the trap.....looking it over....looking at me. Damn fish, swim in the freaking trap! No way is a blenny smarter than a human (well some anyway). He sat out in front of the trap.....mocking me!!!! I cursed under my breath, so the little one wouldn't hear, and thought of a different approach. I decided to rubberband some seaweed to a rock and place that in there. I handed the fishing line off to the other half....made my way to the kitchen, and heard "I got him". Woohoo!!!!!!!! I was thrilled! He looked defeated sitting in the trap, and I made sure to rub it in, as I carefully pulled the trap out.

He's currently safe in his 12 gallon jail - proven guilty for eating SPS, and assumed guilty in the death of a 6-line, and possibly Kole Tang...lol. Victory is mine!!!!!!!! I really don't think this blenny will ever fall for the trap again. The good thing is, the 12 gallon is much easier to remove rocks from.

Now, I can order another 6-line.....

Horray for humans!!!!....and traps

 

[Maxx]

Victory Dance!!!!!!!

Couple of observations:

1... a 2 inch should not be able to give you this big of a headache...You have opposable thumbs, and higher brain functions.
2...

I was so mad last night after sitting with fishing line in my hand for 5 hours.....I decided to rubberband some seaweed to a rock and place that in there. I handed the fishing line off to the other half....made my way to the kitchen, and heard "I got him". Woohoo!!!!!!!!

So basically Jeff succeeded where you couldnt??????????
Hmmmmmmm..................very interesting. And did he get his just reward, (Adulation, adoration, hugs and kisses, proclamations of his greatness, etc)??????



Nick

 

[NaH2O]

And did he get his just reward, (Adulation, adoration, hugs and kisses, proclamations of his greatness, etc)??????

Ummm, no. Since a typical male's response in this situation would be to proclaim greatness over females.....I told him he happened to be in the right place at the right time, and was just lucky . Either that or he and the fish had a pact. I forget which alert level of homelife security I am today......but I think he's trying to stay out of my way....plus I'm in "cleaning the house mode"

 

[Maxx]

typical.
Sorry Jeff, I tried man.

You and I really know what happened and that's all that matters.

Nick

 

[big t]

Congrats Nikki! I need to make one of those traps. I have a rabbitfish that eats all my nice Zoo's. He has a taste for the really nice ones, but dosn't seem to like the fast growing common ones! I think that he will be going shortly after I get back.

 

[NaH2O]

Nothing new really to report, other than my Magnificant Rabbitfish is still pounding away at the algae. She is much more comfortable when I approach the tank now, and she doesn't go off hiding in her "ugly colors".

I'm trying to determine what type of clownfish I want to have. For sure, they need to be able to handle the flow. I bounced around with True Percs, but then read clowns in the Clarkii Complex are a better choice for a high flow no anemone tank. BUT, thanks to Nick, I'm now contemplating an anemone. I didn't really want one before, but now I kind of do, after listening to the sales pitch. I was fearful of the closed loop intakes....taking the anemone and creating a mess. What do you think?? Anemone? yes/no?

I ordered 2 clams today, and they arrive on Friday. Horray! I'll make a reef tank out of her, yet!

 

[Scooterman]

Way to go Nikki.

 

[Maxx]

Hey Nikki,
do I really need to vote?
I say go for it. They are pretty, and add some movement to your tank, (that isnt green!), and you know Carmella would love to watch them!
BTW, LiveAquaria has Chrysopterus clowns in stock.......
They are in the Clarkii complex, so they are better swimmers than the others types of clowns. They get a little larger than other types so you wont have to worry about thm getting lost in your tank, and they typically host in BTA's....dont you have local source for RBTA's ????????????

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=99&ref=3283&subref=AA

Nick

 

[zhenya]

Great job, Nikki. I'm glad to see that you desided to add a Rabbitfish(it's a beauty, too) to combat the algae instead of the tang.I think you'll be surprized as to how much of the stuff they can eat.
Also, sorry to hear of your six-line demise They are one of my favorites.

Good luck with everything! Oh, and see if you can get couple of the Mexican Turbo snails to eat some of that green stuff, mine cleared out couple of patches that Rabbitfish couldn't get to in no time flat.

 

[NaH2O]

Hey Gene! Great to see ya! I did add some huge turbos a few weeks back, and they are making their way. I see them around the patches that the rabbit has cleared, so they must be taking care of the short stubby stuff.

Well, thanks again, Nick, for spending some money for me. I just ordered 2 of the A. chrysopterus clowns and another 6-line. I was thrilled to hear they got some in. Good thing I have the QT ready to go! My source for RBTA only has one in her tank, and it hasn't split yet. Darn thing was splitting like crazy before, now it doesn't want to.

 

[zhenya]

Nikki,

Think about adding anemone for a while, especially Entacmaea qudricolor type. I started with one of this rose varieties and now am up to 9 in my 110g tank, which is now an anemone tank.

. All nine are hosted by the most mean A. clarkii clownfish that you'd ever see. I had pretty good luck with the Heteractis crispa in my 75g sps dominated tank, in terms of it not moving for the last three years and not reproducing( they don't clone as you know).
Check out this mess in my 110g tank...

and the hostess with the mostess