Pies Posted January 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 Well normally I wouldn't open my home to strangers, but since your a female i'll send you a key, whats your address? Ohhh and measurements? /end bad joke. Thanks for the compliments. The tank is still new and too me still looks very 'new'. But its comming along well and as always, the photos do not do it justice. I was in Palmerston North today, not too far away at all. You are more than welcome to come over for a coffee or a beer and look for yourself. I am trying to re-coop some of the setup and running costs so I charge a mere $1,750.00 admission and am happy to work out a group concession There is no-one in Wellington doing marines. Close to 75% of my setup came from Alois, the rest from stores in Auckland or '2nd hand' through people like JetSkiSteve who is always stocking up on frags to send to me. Its a pain not having a local store, but retail prices don't excite me too much anyway (don't get me started). Hope to see you soon. Piemania Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted January 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2005 Run out of Co2 last night to run the CA reactor so took my 3.5 litre bottle to BOC today to get refilled. $9.80. Not bad. hooked back up again and running. Lasted over 12 months. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetskisteve Posted January 27, 2005 Report Share Posted January 27, 2005 Pieman you need trip to the big smoke -you might be pleasantly suprised the shop prices are getting better by the week!!!! Oh & quality is better too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted January 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2005 More pictures: Christmas tree worm looking healthy and a lovley colour. Nice leather slowly getting larger. Sinulara dura loving its new spot. Xenia debate (are you reading Carla?). Here is an original piece from JetSkiSteve, white flesh & brown polyps. Is it the same as this Xenia with white flesh and brown polyps with white stripes? Also notice the white Xenia to the left? I think this is 3 different Xenias, definatly 2. Anyone else with pics of there Xenia to share? Brown leather or Gorgonian? Pies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brianemone Posted January 30, 2005 Report Share Posted January 30, 2005 i beleive the two xenias are the same, my xenia changes colouring and such when in a different part of the tank i like the white ones under the 20k bulbs, it makes them nice and pink Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cees Posted January 30, 2005 Report Share Posted January 30, 2005 FNZAS has a little embedded javascript to resize images on the fly. Take a look at the page It's a compromise. I am trying to keep everyone happy (not always easy). Ideally I'd prefer you all do as suggested here http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/viewtopic.php?t=3880 and than everyone can be happy. Fast loading pages and still clickable links to large photos. So much easier. Shame you can't turn it off! I am running my desktop at 1600x1200 and I have to squint to see those pics... Yes you can. Tell your browser not to run the javascripts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay Posted February 8, 2005 Report Share Posted February 8, 2005 Pies don't forget the pic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetskisteve Posted February 8, 2005 Report Share Posted February 8, 2005 YEAH Brian finally someone else who's xenia changes!!! Pies saw 3 white 1 brown when I delivered it now he changes the story :roll: Too busy watching survivor anyway :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plecs Posted February 8, 2005 Report Share Posted February 8, 2005 hehe Pies! I put the I am female because it seemed a lot of people thought that i was a guy. Guess Plecs is a boys name (might have to use that when i have kids :lol: ) i will be sure to let you know when i am coming to welli, about the admission charge though, do you take credit card? Or HP would be better :lol: keep updating more photos, i love looking at them! plecs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted February 9, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 The final part of the puzzle arrived today! My nice new IWAKI 100 arrived at work, had one of the sparkys attach the lead, its all ready to go! So tonight will be attach the new pump and see some action from those sea swirls!!! W00t! Thanks very much to JetSkiSteve who not only lent me the pump I have been using but also organised and freighted me the new Iwaki 100. Thanks Steve I appreciate your help. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted February 9, 2005 Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 What are these seaswirls? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted February 9, 2005 Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 http://www.sea-swirl.com/ will show you mine when you come up tonight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted February 9, 2005 Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 Sweet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brianemone Posted February 13, 2005 Report Share Posted February 13, 2005 hey pies Stichodactyla tapetum check out these anemones, they seem to be like your little ones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted February 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2005 Briananemone - Thanks for the info, had a look around, they 'may' be them but I really don't think so. None of the photos i've seen look anything like the ones I have, still could be, its so hard to tell. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted February 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2005 Been failry busy with the tank. 200 litre water change today. Also moved a few corals, glued a stream into place (slightly lower and different angle than it was in its temporary spot). Gave the glass the razor-blade clean treatment. Wiped down the reflectors and cover glass. Plans? Well leave the tank alone is my biggest goal at the moment. Hope to get the collar for the top of the tank done next month. Other than that very little. I am still considering adding another 3 400 watters under the hood, but run them for only a few hours a day (2 years from the bulbs?) to simulate high noon and provide some white light into the tank for the corals. So far its just a thought. Pics. Here is a cute little blue legged hermit crab hiding in some clover coral: One of the many corals that didn't do well in 'status' while downstairs. I hope I can get it to grow back to its formar glory: Some corals are just looking great: Never noticed before but it looks like my zoo's have a hint of pink: My biggest news is that my clownfish are definatly a pair. I was talking to SteveA about the fact that my clownfish have never spawned into the tank, looked in and saw this: I have no plans to try and rare any of the young but it sure is neat to see. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted February 19, 2005 Report Share Posted February 19, 2005 Fantastic series of pics Pies... Your hard work is certainly paying off by the looks of things. Pity you don't want to raise some young though Bill. (My ducks on the water post... eg: 2222) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted February 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2005 To continue my death to the modem users, more pics: Not a great photo of the Pulse Xenia, but I do like that big purple acro in the background. Purple montipora digita with brown polyps. Same piece of coral as above but a better capture of the true colour of the coral, out of focus i think because of the stream thats about 10 inches away giving it full blast. Acro anyone? Frag from SteveA, very nice coral doing well, easily 2x bigger than when I was given the frag. Growing nicely! I love being able to see this everyday. I started off with 4 of these, now I have zillions including several colonies like this: Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted February 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 This tang is a 'hitch hiker', abandoned by another reefer it has found a home in mine. No idea what sort of Tang it is, but its crazy. It changes its colours often, this is a picture with its rare brown/black/yellow, often its white, white tailed or grey striped with yellow tangs, plae brown with white stripes and a white tail etc. Odd: Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 Ctenochaetus binotatus Blue-Eye tang Habitat These fishes, though slow moving, shy and retiring, require large amounts of tank space to be truly happy. Additionally, that space should have a propitious amount of hollows and surface area, for hiding and foraging. A fine gravel bottom and lots of calcium carbonate based rock will go a long way in providing diatom growth, other detritus for inorganic and organic nutrition. Chemical/Physical Bristletooth Tangs live in the brisk current environments of steep reef faces. As such they are accustomed to being buffeted by waters that are high in oxygen and low in soluble wastes. These parameters may be matched in pursuing one of two strategies: either super-fastidious filtration and control, or live-algae, low stocking-rate. The latter is my choice. Through less than tidy housekeeping and culturing live rock growth, a good deal of nutrient is reconstituted as food and readily removed by Ctenochaetus. This is one situation where you should avoid vacuuming the gravel of the system; instead allowing the livestock to circulate loose matter around. Higher pH's are called for (8.0 and 8.4.), and temperature for all species in the seventies degrees Fahrenheit. Filtration As stated emphatically elsewhere these surgeons are openly detritivorous, deriving biological and mineral material from scrounging around rock and sediment. Hence, it is important to not be meticulous in removing such material. Rigorous circulation is appreciated, from power-heads or other fluid-moving pump(s). Lighting that favors algae growth as well. Behavior: Territoriality Though Ctenochaetus are generally easy going with other fishes, (including different genera of surgeons stipulated that they are of widely different size), they can be, or become sheer terrors with members of their own kind or tankmates. Even though often found in pairs or even schools in the wild, they are best kept one to a tank unless the system is HUGE. Small Ctenochaetus are highly regarded for use in "reef" systems. They make for well-adapted additions will not attack invertebrates that are useful for algal control. A comment re that so tang-like defensive mechanism, in Ctenochaetus a single peduncular spine; these are potentially lethal weapons, able to render a sharp laceration to tankmates and unwary aquarists. Don't be fooled by these fishes' casual movements and smallish size; they are capable of doing serious damage. Want more? There are accounts of acute pain and swelling from puncture wounds caused by Ctenochaetus dorsal and anal fin spines. Keep your eyes on your other livestock, and hands if/when in the tank. Introduction/Acclimation The vast percentage of members of this surgeon genus is lost through rough handling and transport. You must take great pains to ensure that the fish you buy are not net and/or bag damaged, and consequently protected from such. Professional collectors recognize the dangers in thrashing bristlemouth tangs in coarse, rough hand and barrier nets. They should be as sensitive to the dangers of miss-shipping them as well. If at all possible, avoid netting these fishes altogether, instead drive them into submersed bags, not hard specimen containers. Further eliminate the possibility of damaging their protruding mouths by using bag sizes and water volumes sufficient for turning. Per the comments offered on habitat and feeding, your Ctenochaetus should be placed as the last of fishes to the system. Predator/Prey Relations Large predaceous reef fishes like basses, eels, and etc prey upon surgeons. Keep them separately. Reproduction, Sexual Differentiation: Debelius (in ADI) gives some observations on spawning of C. striatus. In a group, some individuals changed from dark brown to light beige. Becoming more active, three to five would dart to the just under the surface, releasing their gametes. Debelius and Baensch (1994) state that C. strigosus spawns only in pairs. The sexes are indistinguishable externally. Feeding/Foods/Nutrition: Types, Frequency, Amount, Wastes Due to mouth traumas and typical non-feeding for several days covering capture, initial holding, shipping and probable wholesale redistribution, getting Ctenochaetus (as well as all marines) to feed in short order should be a top priority. Maybe a better name than "hairy" is "comb" bristles in reference to Ctenochaetus teeth. It occurs to me that this is more descriptive of these fishes feeding habits; their sucker-like mouths and movable teeth sift and lift loose materials. They do not nip off hard, large foodstuffs like other tangs. My favorite "gimmick" with these fishes is to utilize an algal covered "feeding stone" as a site for engendering food-taking behavior. I encourage you to do the same; placing (I use a big "turkey" baster) waterlogged dried, fresh, and/or defrosted frozen food as fine material amongst the algae. For surgeons, the "hairy toothed" tangs benefit from much more than a diet heavy in greens does. A high protein (forty percent plus), even purposely vitamin enriched diet shows in well-fleshed and colored specimens. As stated elsewhere, these fishes are grazers that do well only in under crowded, less-than tidy tanks, with plenty of rock and detritus to pick over. Randall (1955) recorded up to 90% inorganic sediment in analysis of gut content of C. strigosus from the wild. Disease: Ctenochaetus tangs tend to arrive in "clean" condition. Though other authors endorse copper medications with them, I would rather urge you to use freshwater dips and quarantine for the two-pronged benefits of eliminating infestation and hardening your new specimens. Close: The dismal survival rates for Ctenochaetus are more a function of poor capture, handling, transport and feeding problems imposed by their captors, than these fishes suitability as captive specimens. Given attention to preventing damage to their sensitive mouths, a not too fastidiously clean environment, and provision of adequate foodstuffs "hairy toothed" Surgeonfishes make beautiful, long-lasting aquarium additions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 Wow! Yes I did notice it has a funny looking mouth. Looks like the fish was quite a score! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted February 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 Thanks for the info Al, great fish, quite odd. Got worms? Got cardinals? Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted February 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 Clown baby update: Well the clownfish are still trying to rare their yong. There appear to be a lot less that what they started out with, so I guess some have died, detached or been predated. The babies a visiably much larger than before with obvious eyes. They are still attached to the rock. Not sure how long this lasts, I suspect not too much longer. Both parents are still protective and fight with any fish stupid enough to come into range. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brianemone Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 I love your clowns colouring, it took me along time to find a mate for mine that is similiar in colouring to its pair. Out of curiousity how large are the female and the male that spawned (its hard to tell from the pics exactly) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 Cool pics pies. Why can't you rear the young? Do they just get eaten, have special requirements as they grow or no room to keep them as they grow? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.