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SoCal 28g


JamesL

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Well howdy folks!  Long time no talk to.  As some might have known, when I up and moved from Texas to Southern California over 2 years ago, I sold off my 75g and 24g tanks.  I have been mostly dry since then (I am not really sure the 2 gallon freshwater tank we got for a Betta really counts).  But the call of the saltwater has always been there.. especially when walking along the Pacific beaches and checking out the tide pools.

Well, last night this happened:

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Yep, getting back into the game again.  While I had grand visions of a 90g+ tank with large fish, I decided to do the gateway drug again of an All-In-One.  One of the LFS near me had a great deal going on this new 28g JBJ Professional LED tank with stand.  I was on the verge of buying the 32g BioCube the other day, but glad I waited.  The lights on the JBJ LED are tons better (of course you pay for it too).  

I plan to add sand and water tonight.

Stocking plans?  Not exactly sure yet, but I got the better lights because I do plan on having an anemone in there.  So probably kinda like my Symbiosis tank I had in Texas.  Also want a shrimp/goby pair (thus the rocks places on the bottom of the aquarium).  Coral wise is a bit up in the air.  I have never been a big colored stick person... so probably some LPS.  We shall see.

Probably not going to go crazy on any mods with this one (it came with a wave maker for the dual pumps already).  Since it does have a clear back, I might try to do a refuge in it's built-in sump at one point.

Glad to be back in the game!  And glad to be a bit more active on ARC.  I checked out a few other localish forums in SoCal, but this just feels like my online home.

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11 hours ago, FarmerTy said:

I'll ship you a fungia plate when you're ready James... Make you feel like you're back in Austin. emoji6.png

Thanks Ty!  I think a plate or two are definitely in my future.

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Aaaand we have achieved water and sand tonight!  Tomorrow will be starting to hook up the lights to the controller and clean up wiring while things simmer down in the tank.

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It's so good to see you around again! I can't believe it's been 2 years. That looks like a nice set up to ease you back into the addiction.

 

 

 

 

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Thanks for the welcomes!

The big news today is a lot clearer tank.  Though the rocks don't look so tall now with the deep sand bed.FullSizeRender 3.jpg

But the deep sand bed is on purpose.  I plan on a jawfish or shrimp/goby pair in the future.  I did add some life today in the form of hermit crabs and one other thing.. but we shall wait for that reveal till later.

The other thing I added to the tank on Friday was a Neptune Apex Jr controller.  It is hard to believe that in the 25 years of keeping saltwater tanks, this is my first controller.  I have it controlling the 3 lights and heater.  The tank came with it's own wave maker to alternate the two pumps, so I will leave them on that for now.  The only probe is the temp... we shall see if I get the itch for more down the road.

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Update time.  Well things are going well with the tank.  I added a small Flame Angel last week with some fuzzy mushrooms that my daughter picked out (got them from a down the road LFS).

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Yesterday I took a trip a much larger LFS, and of course didn't leave empty handed:

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6 coral frags, a pink bar goby, and a tiger pistol shrimp.  Of course the tank is a royal mess now thanks to tiger pistol figuring out where to make his cave.  As of this morning, looks like the goby and pistol have paired up.

While at the LFS I saw this beautiful orange/yellow long tentacle anemone.  I eventually do plan on getting an anemone and clowns, but had hoped for something to sit near the top of the tank... might have to figure a way for it to be on the bottom.... :)

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  • 3 weeks later...

Not too much to report.  Tank is moving into it's settled in phase.  Left for a week to go to a conference, and came back to all the base rock green with algae.  I had added some turbo snails to help on the glass so I only have to scrape it every other day.

Hoping this weekend to possibly add in more stock.  There was a beautiful anemone I saw weeks back at a LFS, might have to go and see if it is still there :)

A trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium during the conference helped put a lot more idea's in my head.  Really liked the blue spot jawfish exhibit.... but not sure he would get along with the pistol/goby pair I already have in the tank.

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Brooklynella has struck :(

Lost my pink bar goby quickly 2 days ago, and yesterday my flame angel.  It all happened so fast, there was no time to try and save them.

I can only think it might have come in through some turbo snails I bought a few weeks back.

The inverts seem to be doing fine... so I am going to let the tank remain fishless for 6 weeks to allow the parasite to runs it's course.  This really sucks, as this past weekend was ready to add some clowns.

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10 hours ago, jolt said:

If you don't mind my asking, where did you get the turbo snails?

From a LFS down the road from me... remember I am no longer in Austin, but in Southern California :)

It is odd though, in my 25+ years of keeping fresh and saltwater, I have never had to deal with brook or really any other serious diseases beyond ich in freshwater.

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7 hours ago, JamesL said:

From a LFS down the road from me... remember I am no longer in Austin, but in Southern California :)

It is odd though, in my 25+ years of keeping fresh and saltwater, I have never had to deal with brook or really any other serious diseases beyond ich in freshwater.

I remembered, but I had snails come in from Live Aquaria yesterday so was feeling nervous after reading your post :|

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well, as I wait out the Brook, I can at least still add inverts.  Got the below nice Blue Knuckle Hermit the other week.  Oh, did I mention I now also have flatworms?  I have no idea why this is the first tank in 20+ years to go through all of this crud at once.  I did one treatment of Flatworm Exit last week.  Worked well, but starting to see a few more again.. will probably treat again here soon.  Too bad I can't add a 6 line to just eat the little buggers.

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  • 1 month later...

Finally past my 2 months of no fish!  I had added a 6 line wrasse a few weeks back.  He has done a fantastic job eating those stupid flatworms.  Last night I added a small yellow watchman (to hopefully pair up with my tiger pistol) and 3 firefish.  Finally something more swimming in the open!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Stopped to get some saltwater the other day, and came home with a Coral Beauty angel... :)

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Also getting some decent growth and spreading of this cap I bought way back when.  It is finally getting it's bright orange base back.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Cursed.  That is the only word to describe this tank.  The angel was swimming around doing great, eating, foraging... then I come home one day and it is covered in ich.  A day later, gone. And that started the wiped out of the rest of the tank :(  Lost my six line, and 2 of the 3 fire fish.  The last filefish seems to be hanging on.  The only one seeming to be ok is the yellow watchman that lives with my pistol shrimp.  

I am starting to think I should just make this an invert and coral tank and be done with fish.  No luck since the get go this time around.

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