puttputt

3 400w xm halides seems pretty fancy to me, certainly alot of light.

Next to impossible to raise, there is some info about semi sucessful attempts in the states, but best to consign them to live coral food.

Aussies call them flatheads, but i dont think it is the same fish. They love to eat'em though.

thats how i run it LA, bb and remore sand bed. Fake is fine sophia, if you have a endless supply of filtered fresh seawater like KT. Otherwise live rock is an essential part of a closed system like our tanks.

New Zealand Black Angel - caught 4 fry in a rockpool, about 8mm long, all survived, gave 3 away, and keep one. Here's the growth progression... Last two taken a few months ago, slowly getting darker and darker and the white ear patch is more apparent esp when he's chasing the other fish.

Thanks!

Scoria's compostion varies greatly, it may or may not contain heavy metals and Iron, which may or may not leach into saltwater. Why risk it??, use coral rock, not coral, it can look very natural, and is the correct and proven rock to use.

Just realise that although a small number of creatures can SURVIVE at these extremes, they only survive these small periods of high heat/low salinity. They dont spend all there time in this, nor do they thrive. Just like all other fish, they require good water, lots and lots of flow (why you have been told that wavemakers are not needed is a mystery). All creatures that live in the wave zone require lots of movement, think of what happens in this area, 90% of the time in nature, surging waves, currents, tides etc. You will need lots of flow, plenty of stream type pumps etc. Frankly, i dont think you can over do this. Also these type of tank inhabitants, unlike tropical marine, do not photosynthesis, and require alot of food in comparison - so you will need a skimmer, and a good one for your size tank, luckily there are a good number of quality skimmers at very reasonable prices about. Same old story, just because something can survive in certain conditions, doesn't mean by any stretch of the imagination, that it will thrive. Oh, and forget crabs, even 1, you'll regret it, best to add a couple of hermits, small ones as they too can be a pita.

Yeah that, some of these things are very selective. Will id it when i get home.

whitebait

+1

Not unless you plan to hose the light fitting down. Lights on the tank can get salt creep or splash on them that will caus corrosion, but your lightfittings in the lounge will be fine. Remember, the water that evaporates into the air in your house is fresh.

Impatient bugger 10% a week is good, i do about 25-30% a month. Smaller regular changes are better than large infrequent ones.

People gave advise based on what was posted, none was nasty or anything like it, but still the heros with there "everyones mean to me" start again - gets boring after a while. Cricket's right, given the new info, water changes are the way to go, make sure your skimmer is tuned to skim green, and watch your food.

+1, takes months to correctly cycle a tank. Fish should never be added until you see levels go up and back down and you can detect nitrate. Min of a month, more like 6 weeks, patience required with salt water tanks - it sometimes takes 3-4 weeks before the cycle even starts.

I think you are confusing that with the common hiwihiwi (and they are not a rock cod, common or brown ), thornfish are much more colourful and rare, occasionaly found in wellington, mainly in south island. hiwihiwi Thornfish

I'd lay money on it being a thornfish, Bovichtus variegatus.

and completely normal, part of the maturing of the tank.

Ira's bang on, you need an efficient skimmer, unless you want huge weekly water changes, phosphate and nitrate reactors, algae screens etc etc.

You can't really have enough flow, the more the better. One thing you'll fine if you can maintain or grow some seaweed is that it becomes a trap for all the crap floating around, some like the rimu weed a natural filter wool. I brush mine, daily with a bottle brush and siphon it clean with water changes weekly, and this on a mature 2plus yo system. I have a mp20, and 2 sunsuns, and strong return and need at least that much again - like wasp has said, the seaweeds and associated life are use to huge currents and surges, but you need it more in a tank to keep it clean. In a small tank like yours, growing seaweed will consume nutrients pretty quickly, and i find can start growth, die back, growth cycles. Sorry if i sounded a bit blunt, wasn't the intention.

The sea lettuce will die once available nutrients have diminished. The Olive rock fish will grow quickly and then eat all your shrimps/triplefins The red anenomes will do fine for a while, but really need to go in and out of the water like they do in nature for a long life. Unlike tropical nems, they do not require lots of life, they will move into the shade if too much. like LA said, all you need to cycle the tank is a dead shrimp or mussell, not live stuff.

Anyway, thats the last post I write on it. I have and will continue to help people starting out in marines, as i have to alot of newbies. In fact been running around today, repairing skimmers, adjusting flow, calming down a newbie when her leather didn't expand, all for the love of it. We agree to disagree and you have obviously formed conclusions about me - so be it, too old to worry about this sort of thing anymore. How the weather down south

No hiding, i was hoping to flush out the people that look after that tank, i have no problems saying exactly the same face to face, just like i would to you. The tank was an absolute mess, not a little off perfect, but an absolute mess. I now know you would have told the young waitress, so thats fine, your call. I have e-mailed the owner expressing my concern, at the same time telling him that we frequent the restaraunt, the food was, as it always is, great, but someone needs to sort the tank out. The staff dont look after the tank, they pay someone too, this tank has been around for years and years and suddenly is way overloaded with fish and in a shocking state. I'm happy with what i have done and posted, but hiding behind a keyboard and looking at my perfect tank - read into it what ever you like. Fish an ornament, says it all really, i thought they were animals, pets, that require looking after - silly me.

the follow the giant bunny down the hole to wonderland...................